My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]-Chapter 172

He Lan had never thought she would get any news about the Fan Family again.

Although she had heard that truly forgetting someone meant ignoring them, He Lan didn't think so. She believed that genuine hatred was hoping the other person would live poorly. Truly poorly.

Seeing him suffer, she rejoiced.

When she heard the Fan Family was in trouble, she was delighted, but she also worriedly asked, “Auntie Zhao, are you alright?”

After inspecting her from head to toe, Zhao Guihua shook her head and said, “Look, I’m standing here perfectly fine. What could possibly have happened to me? Do you think I couldn’t handle a little punk?”

It was only then that the Zhuang Family realized Zhao Guihua had nearly gotten into trouble. Zhao Guihua had gone straight to check on the fish upon returning, so she hadn’t mentioned the incident immediately. Hearing this, everyone was furious.

No one could have expected that someone would go crazy like that in broad daylight.

Old Man Zhuang: “I’m going to find him. That scoundrel…”

Zhao Guihua quickly stopped her husband, saying, “Don’t be rash. Look, I’m fine, right? I wouldn’t get hurt so easily.”

She added, “The public security comrades have already arrested him. You might not be able to see him even if you went. Besides, I doubt he’ll get off lightly. Not only me, but his own family turned against him today. I suspect he’s the one who stole something. Anyone who lost anything will probably file a report at the police station.”

They were quite experienced with such matters. The higher the value of the stolen goods, the harsher the punishment. They knew this well.

If it weren’t for this, how could Auntie Yu have been sentenced so severely back then? The underwear and socks she stole might not have been valuable, but the quantity was large, and they were priced at the original value, which made it serious.

Now Fan Jianguo was in the same boat. Whether or not he stole the items, anyone who lost something would surely pin it on him. Maybe they could get compensation? It was human nature, so Zhao Guihua believed Fan Jianguo’s situation was serious.

Even if he attempted to rob her unsuccessfully, there were many thefts involved.

She said, “This matter won’t be small.”

Zhuang Zhixi furrowed his brows and said, “Could he have recognized you? Was he seeking revenge? After all, you were one of the witnesses when he pushed Guan Guiling.”

Zhuang Zhixi was a cautious thinker, and his words made Zhao Guihua pause.

However, Zhao Guihua quickly thought it through. She recalled the situation at the time and said, “I don’t think he recognized me. It’s been ten years, and we only met once back then. He likely wouldn’t remember me. To be honest, if I hadn’t seen him arguing with Auntie Zaohua today, I might not have recognized him at first glance. People do change a lot in ten years.”

Ten years ago, this man had a straight back and wore neat clothes, looking like the child of a cadre family. He spoke eloquently, a hypocrite for sure, but he seemed quite presentable at first glance.

But ten years later, he could hardly straighten his back. He was so thin he looked like a skeleton wrapped in skin. His face had no flesh, and his hair was a mess like a bird’s nest. At over thirty, he looked like he was in his fifties. Zhao Guihua thought he resembled someone from the old society who smoked opium.

It was clear how terrifying gambling could be.

It could turn a person into a ghost.

Living poorly had drained all the life out of him.

She said, “But since you mentioned it, I’ll go to the police station next year and bring this up with them. Let’s see if he recognized me and was seeking revenge. If he was, then his crime would be even more serious.”

After all, they were also witnesses at the scene back then.

He Lan looked at Zhao Guihua with concern. Previously, Zhao Guihua had gotten involved to help her seek justice, and she felt uneasy.

Zhao Guihua patted her and said, “Don’t be so nervous. I think he didn’t recognize me. He just wanted money. People deep in gambling get desperate and lose their dignity when they’re short on cash.”

He Lan: “But…”

“Don’t be nervous. Look at you. I’m an old lady, and I’m not nervous. What are you so nervous about?”

He Lan thought for a moment, nodded lightly, and took a deep breath to calm herself. Seeing her like this, Zhao Guihua chuckled and said, “Alright, stop thinking about it. I told you this to make you happy, not to make you nervous. I’d actually prefer it if he was seeking revenge. If he really recognized me and was seeking revenge, that would be perfect. His charges would only increase. But looking at his desperate, money-hungry demeanor today, I don’t think he recognized me.”

She was quite good at reading people. She believed Fan Jianguo hadn’t recognized her.

She sighed and said, “If only he really was seeking revenge.”

“Auntie Zhao, you’re scaring me. I’m already scared enough.”

Zhao Guihua: “You’re just too timid.”

He Lan chuckled softly.

Zhao Guihua said, “Stay for dinner at my place tonight. We’ve got a big fish.”

Such a large fish was a rarity, and everyone wanted a taste. He Lan didn’t decline, saying, “Alright, I’ll come and help. I’ll also buy some meat to add to the dish.”

Zhao Guihua: “Sounds good.”

Just as they finished talking, there was a knock at the door. It was Lan Sihai, carrying a bottle of Moutai. “I’m here to eat!”

How straightforward.

Zhao Guihua: “Alright, tonight it seems we’ll be hosting a crowd. I’ll go ask…”

Before she could finish, the Li Family also arrived. Li the Cook was known for his love of food and being a chef. Without a word, he rolled up his sleeves, “I’ll take care of this big fish. Count us in for the dinner. I’ve brought a chicken.”

In those days, eating at someone else’s place wasn’t something done lightly, especially when resources were tight.

Although times were better than in the 1970s, not everything was readily available. So, to join a dinner, one usually brought something as a gesture of reciprocity. This was a common understanding, and no one wanted to be a burden.

With Li the Cook as the head chef, and Yang Lixin as the assistant chef, along with Li Weiwei, a rising cook, the meal preparations were taken care of. Seeing that the Li Family and Grandpa Lan had joined, not long after, Zhang San also brought his wife over. Their lives were pretty good. They left their kids with their grandparents, and the couple lived like newlyweds.

Not having children had its perks. Unlike others who fussed over their kids, this couple didn’t worry about them, looking much younger. Withoutkids to stress over, the couple didn’t fight and their relationship remained strong.

They brought a small basket of salted duck eggs. Aunt Zhou, seeing everyone else joining, hurriedly urged Jiang Lu: “Let’s go join the dinner too. They’ve all gone. I’ve never eaten such a big fish. I never expected Old Man Zhuang, who usually keeps a low profile, would have such a catch.”

Jiang Lu: “Will there be enough space for everyone?”

She wasn’t particularly eager for the fish, and others likely weren’t either. It was more about the excitement. After a moment of hesitation, before Aunt Zhou could respond, her son, Xiao Qijin, grew impatient. He almost started pacing, urgently saying, “I want to go, Mom! Let’s go. If you don’t, I’ll go by myself.”

Regardless of how the adults got along, the kids in their courtyard were close. They often joined each other’s meals without hesitation.

But kids were kids, and adults joining others’ dinners without bringing anything wasn’t quite appropriate.

Jiang Lu laughed and tapped her son’s forehead, saying, “You’re really not a stranger, are you? Alright, stay here. I’ll go speak to them.”

Everyone gathered at the Zhuang Family’s place for dinner. It wasn’t really about “joining,” but more like everyone contributing something to enjoy a good meal together. Someone brought this, someone brought that, and they all had a good time.

Even Wang Xiangxiu joined, though she didn’t have much interaction with the Zhuang Family. However, Yinlai had grown up among the aunts and was familiar with everyone in the courtyard. He was the first to get a formal job, partly thanks to these aunts frequently mentioning his hardships at the neighborhood committee.

Regarding Tonglai, although he wasn't as familiar with Aunties as Yinlai, he was good at making friends and often helped with small tasks that he could manage. It was well known in the courtyard that many people whispered about how Wang Xiangxiu had finally turned her life around.

Although she had struggled when the children were young, regardless of Jinlai's behavior, Yinlai and Tonglai seemed to be well-behaved, which should have eased her burden as a mother.

Thus, due to Yinlai and Tonglai’s good relationships with the neighbors, their family also went to join the gathering.

However, Jinlai was not happy and felt utterly humiliated. In his opinion, as someone from the "jianghu," mingling with old men and women was beneath him and showed a lack of ambition. He thought these people were utterly shameless and embarrassing.

He lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke rings as he said, "I'm not going!"

After a pause, he added, "And you're not going either. They all look down on our family. By going over there, you're only boosting their confidence and diminishing our own!"

Yinlai retorted, "You don't want to go? Fine by me. But I'm going. I can even help Aunt Zhao with some chores."

He remembered how, as a child, to save coal, he hadn’t even dared to light the stove in winter, often sneaking to Zhao Guihua’s place. She had never said anything bad about him, and the other aunties would gather together, showing him kindness and sometimes even giving him snacks. So, Yinlai was quite close to them.

He didn’t pay any attention to Jinlai's ranting and said, "Mom, let's go. I heard there’s a huge fish. Let’s go enjoy some big fish too."

Tonglai nodded, "Let's go. I can help with the fire."

Wang Xiangxiu hesitated and glanced at her eldest son, saying, "Jinlai, what are you being stubborn about? Isn't it better to live in harmony?"

Jinlai frowned, feeling that his family members were utterly useless. He arrogantly declared, "By acting like this, how can I respect you? You must understand, one should not behave this way. They all look down on our family. And the more they look down on us, the more we need to make a fortune. Once I get rich, I'll make sure they pay."

"Why do you have to be like this?" Wang Xiangxiu was genuinely puzzled by her eldest son's mindset. "Isn't it better to live in peace with everyone? Being sociable isn’t a bad thing."

Jinlai looked down his nose, "Sociable? Wolves don’t need to be sociable. The alpha is always solitary and proud, while those who flock together are merely dogs!"

Wang Xiangxiu: "..."

Yinlai: "..."

Tonglai: "..."

What nonsense is this? Tonglai retorted, "Who says wolves are not social? According to their natural behavior..."

Jinlai cut him off, "Shut up! Who's the elder brother here, you or me? I’ve seen the world. You know, when I was in the juvenile detention center..."

Tonglai waved his hand dismissively, "We know, we know. There are too many 'big brothers' everywhere. Stop bragging."

After being sent to juvenile detention, he still acted like an alpha wolf!

Tonglai continued, "Mom, I guess Big Brother won't enjoy the gathering anyway. Let him stay home. Let’s go. You see, everyone in the courtyard is there. If we don’t go, it’ll seem like we’re not sociable. Being sociable isn’t a bad thing. Plus, it’s more fun when everyone gets together."

Wang Xiangxiu wasn’t the same as ten years ago. Although she was only in her forties, she also enjoyed being lively.

She said, "Alright, let's go and enjoy the fun. Jinlai, you can cook something for yourself..."

Tonglai: "Big Brother is a 'social' big brother. He won't cook. Let him make do with some corn buns at home. Eating those can remind him of his childhood. Let’s go."

Tonglai pushed his mother outside, and Yinlai followed, even thoughtfully shutting the door behind them, saying, "Big Brother, if you’re still hungry, drink some water to fill your stomach."

It’s not that Yinlai and Tonglai lacked brotherly love, but Jinlai had been asking the family for money ever since he went to the countryside. He wanted to live a good life without working, but their family’s financial situation was tight. Life was hard for the whole family.

Later, there was also the matter of compensation for stealing, which further strained the already tense relationship between the brothers who hadn’t lived together for many years. Jinlai's erratic behavior made it impossible for Yinlai and Tonglai to feel close to him. Since returning to the city over a year ago, he had spent his days eating and sleeping, doing nothing.

Tonglai, even with his studies, managed to help the family by gathering firewood and harvesting vegetables. Jinlai, on the other hand, did nothing but eat and sleep all day.

Such a person was impossible to respect.

Moreover, he always acted like a "big brother," but in reality, who respected him?

He was just a street wanderer.

This is why Yinlai and Tonglai had a very distant relationship with their elder brother Jinlai.

Seeing the three of them leave, Jinlai was furious. He cursed, "A bunch of dogs who only follow those who feed them, no sense of brotherhood at all!"

Growl.

His stomach growled.

He peered out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of Zhao Guihua's place, but he couldn’t see anything.

Things weren’t like before. Zhao Guihua had moved, and now cooking at home meant he couldn’t see anything.

He craned his neck, but saw nothing, yet his mind was like an itch he couldn't scratch. Soon, the delicious aroma wafted in from outside, and even without stepping out, Jinlai could smell it.

His nose wasn’t broken; how could he not smell it?

With such a big fish, the aroma was bound to be strong. When everyone pitched in to share, no one was stingy, as they wanted to do justice to the fish. Otherwise, how could they save face? People nowadays were more concerned with face than a few years ago.

A decade earlier, times were tough.

Now, things were much better. Even pork was readily available in the market, although still requiring ration coupons. A slightly higher price meant people could still afford it.

As life improved, people became more conscious of appearances.

Everyone brought nice things, and even Wang Xiangxiu brought a pig's tail, continuing their family's tradition with pig's tails.

Zhao Guihua, seeing the crowd, prepared accordingly.

Several women were busy making dumplings, while Li the Cook and Yang Lixin were in charge of cooking. Li Weiwei was assisting. Others who could help did so, while those who couldn’t chatted on the kang. The small room was packed with people, making it impossible to seat everyone.

Yet, no one wanted to leave, as everyone enjoyed the lively atmosphere.

The men talked about various topics, while the women discussed neighborhood gossip.

Even Wang Zizhen's family joined, as she had grown up in the courtyard and was on good terms with them. Such gatherings naturally included her. Everyone was together, enjoying the lively atmosphere. Tonglai quickly took charge of helping with the fire, demonstrating impressive efficiency.

Hutou watched Tonglai with a sense of gloom.

Tonglai was the kind of model student other parents envied. Even though his grades were average, his diligent study habits were admirable. Many parents urged their children to learn from him, something that Hutou, a high school senior, felt deeply.

After all, even as a freshman, Tonglai had already sought extra tutoring.

Although the kids had mixed feelings, the adults found such children quite easy to deal with. Zhuang Zhiyuan asked, "Tonglai, how's your tutoring going? Is it effective?"

Tonglai sighed, "Uncle, it’s not that great. I’m still just an average student. I used to think hard work could compensate for my lack of talent, but with studies, it’s not that simple. Sometimes, you just don’t get it, no matter how hard you try. Currently, I feel quite pressured, and even if I continue tutoring, the chances of getting into university are slim."

He paused and added, "But even though the chances are slim, I can’t stop trying. If I give up now, I’ll have no hope at all. I still want to strive for more."

Otherwise, what could he do? Work odd jobs?

He didn’t want to face that reality.

The parents of school-age children were touched by this. Everyone had high hopes for Tonglai, but it seemed he didn’t have as much confidence in himself.

Lan Sihai glanced at Tonglai and said, "Perhaps you could consider applying to art schools."

Everyone was a bit puzzled.

Lan Sihai: "If your academic performance is average, you can consider becoming an art student or a physical education student. This way, the academic requirements won't be as high. Forget about being a physical education student, you definitely can't do that. But when it comes to art students, I think you can. You can aim for film and performance, where the academic scores aren't very high. If you start practicing and working hard now, combined with your academic performance, your chances will be much better."

"Huh?"

Tonglai's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly asked for more details.

Lan Sihai: "I don't know much about it, you should ask your school teachers. I just travel a lot and have some old friends who've told me a bit. In reality, I don't know much about it myself."

Tonglai: "Ah, thank you, Grandpa Lan. This is a big deal, I need to ask around more."

This topic from Lan Sihai quickly caught everyone's attention. Zhuang Zhiyuan quickly asked: "What about my son, Hutou...?"

His son's grades were even more concerning.

Lan Sihai: "Do you think, in any aspect, that Hutou is suitable for performance?"

Zhuang Zhiyuan: "..."

There was some truth to this statement.

Hutou was quite good-looking, but his personality wasn't the type to perform in front of others calmly. If he were asked to perform in front of others, he'd probably feel too awkward to continue.

This isn't to say that this kind of personality is bad, but everyone has their own characteristics.

To ask him to study performance seems quite absurd.

Zhuang Zhiyuan: "This is quite difficult indeed."

Lan Sihai: "Don't just listen to me, you should also ask around more to see if there are other options. At this stage, putting in a bit more effort is better than having a hard time later. Kids of this age are actually quite clueless about the outside world. As parents, a little guidance can help them see things more clearly, which will benefit them in the future. If they live well, you'll also feel at ease. Do you see how I handle my son and daughter? I don't interfere at all. Worrying a bit during their childhood saves decades of effort later on."

Everyone: "..."

Who can achieve what you do!

Absolutely not!

However, everyone took Lan Sihai's words to heart. Indeed, although the children are not young, they are still in school and don't understand much. As parents, they must still help advise them.

Choosing the right path at this stage will make life easier in the future.

Grandpa Lan, you're right!

Everyone thought the same, but since some children were struggling with high school, the topic quickly shifted to studies. Lan Sihai wasn't particularly interested in the topic of studies, instead asking: "Did you buy the parts I asked for?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Don't worry, Grandpa, I can handle this. No problem at all."

Lan Sihai: "Alright, let's get started tomorrow. I'll see how the sales go."

Zhuang Zhixi agreed: "I think it'll be fine. Our costs are low, and so are our prices. In these times, radios are still the mainstream, televisions are still a rarity."

"In my opinion, radios will also become outdated in a few years. Who doesn't want to buy a TV? As soon as they save some money, they'll want to buy one. Anyway, let's give it a try and see how it goes." Lan Sihai felt this business might not last long, but even so, he thought it was worth trying.

While the two discussed this, the women gathered together to make dumplings. Fish and pork dumplings were a rare treat. Li the Cook also chopped up a large piece of fatty pork and mixed it in. Pure fat, without a single bit of lean meat.

Fish dumplings were often made this way: to enhance the smooth texture and remove the fishy taste, making the dumplings more delicious. Under normal circumstances, just a piece of pure fat would be hard to eat, even for someone who doesn't mind eating fat. But when mixed into dumplings, it's completely unnoticeable.

Not only was fat used, but also ginger. For fish dumpling fillings, seasoning is crucial.

This highlighted the importance of Li the Cook.

Zhao Guihua sighed: "Auntie Wang, you've never had to worry about food your whole life."

Aunt Wang sighed: "That's not quite right. You see, chefs at work are constantly cooking, so they get tired of it at home. My husband, Li the Cook, rarely cooks at home. It's not that I've never worried about food; it's just that lunch and dinner are handled by me and Li Fang."

Cooking every day makes you really tired of facing the stove.

Zhao Guihua smiled: "That's true, but your family has a chef. Look at this flavor, it's something we can't achieve."

Little Yuanyuan wandered over and asked: "Grandpa Li, what's this delicious dish?"

This little girl was always greedy for food. As soon as she heard about something delicious, her face lit up. Tuantuan and Yuanyuan were lucky; they were born in the 1970s, just when Zhao Guihua had been reborn. Their family always ate well, and the children never lacked for food. They were well-nourished, taller than their peers.

Yuanyuan was eleven but looked like most twelve or thirteen-year-old girls, though her face still showed her youthfulness. She was a little glutton.

Li the Cook: "This is sautéed pumpkin with egg yolks. Here, taste some."

Yuanyuan immediately nodded, eager to try. She blew on it to cool it down, then put it in her mouth, her eyes widening with delight: "Mmm, it's delicious!"

At her exclamation, several children in the room started making 'yummy' noises.

Seeing there was still plenty left, Li the Cook scooped a small bowl and said: "You kids, take this and eat."

Yuanyuan: "Great!"

She carried the dish back, and several children gathered around, their eyes eagerly waiting. Yuanyuan: "Here, try this, it's really good."

The children quickly helped themselves, their eyes sparkling as they nodded: "Delicious!"

They thought pumpkin was just ordinary, but sautéed pumpkin was so delicious. Egg really made everything taste better. Daqiang and Wang Zizhen's daughter, Si Tian, happily said: "Eggs are the best, everything is delicious with them."

Li the Cook: "This isn't egg, it's duck yolk."

The children nodded, pretending to understand, though they really didn't.

Zhao Guihua glanced at the kids: "Don't eat too much, there will be plenty more later."

"Got it!" The children sniffed the air eagerly. Zhang's household at the back said: "This is even better than what we eat at home during Chinese New Year."

They hadn't come empty-handed.

Zhao Guihua smiled: "Even at Chinese New Year, my family doesn't prepare this much. But when everyone brings something, it adds up. You bring a bit, I bring a bit, and that makes it more."

"That's true."

Although they sometimes argued, they never held grudges overnight. They would still get together to eat and drink. There were no life-and-death conflicts between them, and no grudges lasted overnight. Everyone was busy, and they forgot that there was someone in their courtyard who hadn't come.

Jinlai was at home, grumbling. He thought his family was spineless for wanting to take advantage of such an opportunity, and at the same time, he thought the Zhuang family was utterly despicable. Knowing that he was home alone, they should have come to invite him three or four times, saying some nice things and asking him to join for a meal.

But this family acted as if he didn't exist, which was absolutely intolerable.

Were these people waiting until the meal started before inviting him?

If he were to come at that time, he couldn't just go over at the first call. He'd have to drag it out a couple of times at least; otherwise, he couldn't fully demonstrate his own importance. He waited and waited, scheming about how to make things difficult for the folks from the Zhuang Family, and couldn't help but smile smugly.

These people didn't treat him properly, so don't even think about him showing up.

A person like him has great potential. If they don't flatter him now, they won't get a chance to do so once he becomes successful in the future. The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became. He sniffed the aroma from outside, which seemed even more tantalizing.

However, no one had shown up yet.

Were these people out of their minds?

The sounds of lively chatter and laughter came from outside, their voices booming, unaware of what they were laughing about, the noise was deafening. Jinlai waited and waited, yet no one came. His eyebrows were twisted into a frown, and deep lines had formed between his brows. He looked discontentedly out the window...

The expectation of being invited by others, as Jinlai had hoped for, did not materialize. It seemed like everyone had completely forgotten about him.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He spat towards the direction of Old Man Zhuang and cursed, "You bunch of unlucky fools, all a bunch of scoundrels and bastards."

He took another deep breath of the fragrant air and cursed, "Are all of you just pigs? All you know is eating. One day, you'll eat yourselves to death, damn it!"

His stomach was growling non-stop, and he hesitated about whether to go to the gathering himself. But he thought that going there himself would be too degrading. Who was he? Even during his time in the countryside, he was respected as Brother Su in society. How could he lower himself to that extent? These people hadn't properly begged for him to come, so why would he go there himself?

Absolutely not, under no circumstances.

He couldn't allow himself to lose face like that. A man's dignity was as important as heaven!

He snorted and, acting on instinct, walked out the door. He sneaked quietly to the backyard, where everyone was gathered at Zhao Guihua's place. The room was about thirty square meters, but they had managed to squeeze in five tables, crammed tightly together, with two more tables on the kang. Luckily, the children didn't take up much space, squeezed together on a small table.

Zhao Guihua: "Since we've divided into five tables, some dishes might be fewer. If there's something missing on your table, feel free to grab from the other tables."

"Auntie Zhao, don't worry, there's plenty to eat. This dish is gone, and there's another one. These are all hearty dishes."

They inspected and discovered that each serving had ten dishes.

The large fish not only contributed fish meat dumplings, but also a big pot of boiled fish and a fish ball soup.

Despite the fish being quite good, everyone initially grasped their chopsticks for the meat portion.

Yuanyuan nibbled on a pig's tail continuously, frequently sighing, "It tastes so delicious."

The men drank while the atmosphere in the room was incredibly lively.

Zhao Guihua: "Kids, be careful with the fish bones when eating, take it slow, don't get choked."

"Okay~"

Even in better-off households, kids were always craving food, as there simply wasn't much to eat that was delicious. Even in this area, considered working-class with decent living conditions, it was still the same.

Little Hutou, Yuanyuan, Si Tian, Tuantuan, and their friends were all focused on eating. Zhao Guihua: "Oh, I forgot to give everyone drinks. Here, kids, have some Arctic Ocean (beī bīng yáng)."

"Yay!"

"That's awesome!"

Zhao Guihua: "These were bought by your Grandpa Lan and Grandma Luo."

Yuanyuan's little mouth babbled, "Grandpa is the best!"

Lan Sihai raised his hand in a gesture, looking like a leader, and everyone laughed.

The banquet had already started, and clearly, no one had called or waited for him. Jinlai crouched by the window, seething with anger, vowing to himself under the cold weather that once he became successful in the future, he would step all over them.

No one would ever benefit from him.

Not even his mother and brother.

The humiliation they brought him today, he would repay it in the future.

He glared fiercely at the room, feeling that it was only due to bad luck that he had encountered such people. He snorted heavily, but soon felt his stomach grumbling even more. He hesitated between entering and not entering, and in the end, he snorted and walked out.

He was also a man who cared about his dignity.

A man should value his pride above all else.

But he didn't want to go home, where there were cold pots and cold stoves, and just steamed buns. That was not the life for Su Jinlai. He pulled out a dollar from his shoe sole and chuckled coldly before wrapping himself in a cotton-padded coat and walking out. It was already the beginning of spring, and tomorrow would be March, but why was it still so cold?

He muttered to himself as he walked out of the alley, heading towards the nearest small eatery. Nowadays, private eateries were becoming a thing, although they still dared not openly operate on a large scale, they were no longer too discreet, with a more overt presence.

He found a small eatery, pushed the door open, and entered. There were a few tables inside.

Jinlai sat down and ordered a bowl of meat noodles, feeling a wave of warmth hitting his face. If this were to be said, the flavor of small eateries was better than that of state-run ones. The state-run restaurants were all about the hustle and bustle, and the food was also haphazard.

But here was different; every move was met with respect, and Jinlai couldn't help but smile faintly, lost in this gesture of respect.

He ate the meat noodles, feeling that this kind of life was truly blissful.

Unfortunately, he had no money. Jinlai had returned from the countryside more than a year ago but had never had a proper job. Who was he to work a regular job? He certainly wouldn't. Working was out of the question.

He had no reliable sources of income, but there were a few friends from the juvenile reformatory in the countryside. They were scattered all over the place during their time in the countryside, but now that they had all returned, they had no good prospects. Some had returned to their old ways, stealing again.

He had participated twice, but since he wasn't one of their "inner circle," he didn't get a chance to join in, only serving as a lookout and receiving very little. When it came to this, Jinlai was very dissatisfied. He believed that he hadn't neglected his skills over the years, and if he really went for it, he would be a core member. Yet these people didn't take him seriously. It was truly infuriating.

Back when he was a youth in the countryside, who didn't call him Brother Su?

These people truly had no eyes.

But without money, it was really no good, even eating a bowl of meat noodles wasn't something he could do every day. He really needed to find a way to earn some money.

He knew that street punks like them rarely stole from individual households, as individual households didn't have much anyway. Since the risk was the same, everyone naturally targeted better options, and in their area, which was filled with machinists' children, it was the machine factory they wanted to steal from.

They couldn't handle the big stuff, but small items were plentiful.

Jinlai mused over it, contemplating how much income he could make if he went solo. Steel was valuable, as were wires, but Jinlai had an instinctive fear of wires. He remembered a case in their neighborhood where someone was electrocuted. Thinking about it was terrifying.

He pursed his lips, eating as he pondered.

Speaking of which, there were some old stories in their neighborhood, but most were garbage. There were very few truly useful pieces of information, so he shook his head thinking that making money from news wasn't an option. But he could indeed return to his old ways and steal to make money.

"Su Jinlai."

Jinlai turned back to see his former partner in crime, "It's you."

This was Monkey.

Monkey said, "Why are you eating noodles alone? Why not order a few dishes?"

Su Jinlai chuckled, not replying.

Monkey leaned in, whispering mysteriously, "We're planning a big job recently, what about you?"

This piqued Jinlai's interest since just moments ago he was thinking of going solo, but now that someone was inviting him, he couldn't refuse, after all, even a small piece of the pie was something to take. He said, "Of course, I'll join. I'm in dire need of money right now..."

"Who isn't?"

The two whispered conspiratorially.

Monkey: "Hey, I'll treat, boss, bring us a plate of peanuts."

Su Jinlai: "Just eating peanuts? No booze?"

Monkey chuckled, "I brought some."

He pulled out a bottle of Erguotou from his cloak.

After finishing their noodles and with only a plate of peanuts to accompany them, the two men managed to finish a bottle of diluted Erguotou (a type of Chinese baijiu). They also worked out every detail of their plan to steal something. Jinlai felt pleased with himself as he headed home. Although the people in their compound treated him with disdain and disregarded him, he believed that with his abilities, he would never be swept away by the tides of the times. He was still capable and confident in himself.

Su Jinlai's drinking capacity was low, and he was already feeling tipsy. Despite drinking diluted Erguotou, he was still quite drunk, walking like a snake with his movements curving unsteadily.

Jinlai hummed a tune as he walked, turning directly into the latrine when he got there.

Zhuang Zhixi also came out to use the latrine and saw Jinlai, asking, "Where did you drink, kid? Sounds like you're having a good time."

Jinlai's breath reeked of alcohol. He waved his hand, boasting proudly, "I was out negotiating business deals."

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

Slightly taken aback, he replied, "You're quite something, aren't you?"

"Of course, do you think I'm some ordinary guy? I tell you, I'm handling business deals worth thousands or even tens of thousands. Big deals." Jinlai boasted to Zhuang Zhixi.

Zhuang Zhixi smiled faintly, "That's quite a large business you've got there. You're talking about money, right?"

"You, you, you... How can you look down on me? Of course, it's money! Do you think I'm a nobody? You all look down on me, but you're not as capable as me. Watch me get rich and make you all look silly. Just wait."

Jinlai walked out without even bothering to pull up his pants.

Zhuang Zhixi: "Holy crap, no matter how much money you have, put your pants on!"

This was going too far.

"I, I... I don't care about that," Jinlai retorted.

Zhuang Zhixi grabbed Jinlai, "You may not care, but I don't want the women in my house to be offended, and there are kids in the courtyard. Put your pants on right now."

Jinlai stood firm, "I won't!"

The more others told him not to do something, the more he insisted on doing it, believing it was a true demonstration of manhood.

He raised his chest high, "I won't, I simply won't!"

Then he taunted, "What can you do about it?"

In his drunken state, he even pulled his pants down to his ankles.

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

This guy not only had terrible etiquette while drunk but also managed to be insufferably annoying. Just as he was as a child, he remained the same as an adult.

Without hesitation, Zhuang Zhixi clenched his fists and struck, delivering a solid punch to Jinlai's face. Jinlai crashed to the ground, unconscious. Zhuang Zhixi didn't bother with him and went straight back home, where everyone was still enjoying their feast and hadn’t dispersed yet.

The dumplings filled with fish and pork were rare delicacies, but once tasted, everyone agreed they were truly delicious, not inferior to pure pork dumplings.

No one wanted to leave the table yet. Zhuang Zhixi entered and tapped Yinlai on the shoulder. Yinlai looked up, then stepped outside to ask, "What's up, Uncle Zhuang?"

Zhuang Zhixi explained, "Your brother is out there drunk, stripping in public. I was worried someone might accuse him of indecency, so I knocked him out. You and your brother should hurry up and bring him home."

Yinlai: "..."

He immediately replied, "I'll go right now."

Yinlai quickly went back inside to get Tonglai, and the two brothers rushed out together. Zhuang Zhixi thought for a moment and decided to follow them. The three of them exited the compound in a line. As they stepped out, they saw Su Jinlai already waking up. Evidently, disoriented people can't really fight well.

Zhuang Zhixi's punch hadn't been strong enough.

In no time, Jinlai was conscious again. However, he seemed even more disoriented than before, walking while undressing himself and loudly singing: "Running with the wind, freedom is the direction..."

This song didn't exist in this era. It was something Zhao Guihua once hummed, and Jinlai had overheard it. Though he only knew one line, he kept singing it over and over, feeling it captured his heart perfectly.

He belted out, "Running with the wind..."

He repeated this line repeatedly, taking off one piece of clothing after another.

His pants had already been discarded earlier.

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

He had clearly underestimated Su Jinlai's capabilities.

Su Jinlai sang loudly, unbuttoning his clothes and swinging them around before tossing them aside, undressing further.

Despite the chilly weather, he didn't seem to mind, acting lively and boisterous.

Yinlai and Tonglai were absolutely dumbfounded.

Read latest chapters at freёweɓnovel.com Only.

They hadn't expected their older brother to do something so outrageous. Even though he was unreliable, this was just too much. They didn't dare delay and rushed forward, each grabbing one of Jinlai's arms to steady him.

Jinlai protested, "What are you doing!"

Yinlai snapped back, "Can you at least have some dignity?"

Su Jinlai put his hands on his hips, "How am I without dignity? A true man does whatever he wants, standing tall and proud. I, Su Jinlai, am a name to be reckoned with in society."

"You're no name, you're just a person. A nobody." Yinlai was fed up and dragged him towards home. "Uncle Zhuang, can you help us pick up his clothes?"

Zhuang Zhixi agreed, "Sure."

He kindly gathered Jinlai's scattered clothes. This guy really was unrestrained, going completely nude in an attempt to be free.

The two brothers dragged Su Jinlai home, who continued to shout, "Let me go! How dare you attack me! I'm telling you, I'm not afraid. I..."

Zhuang Zhixi rushed back quickly to guard the door, "Everyone stay inside. Su Jinlai's drunk and completely naked. Ladies... Oh my!"

He hadn't finished when a group of older women, including Aunt Zhou, pushed him aside and squeezed out.

"Don't block the way."

"Honestly, we've seen it all in our time. Don't hold us back."

"Exactly."

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

The younger women and children remained indoors, not daring to peek out. Aunt Zhou and the other older ladies went straight outside, clearly not missing out on the spectacle.

Aunt Zhou commented, "This kid's got quite a build."

Auntie Sui nodded, "Even though he's irresponsible, he does have some assets."

Aunt Wang remarked, "This shameless rascal."

Zhao Guihua: "..."

No wonder, despite his horribleness in his previous life, his wife didn't leave him. Evidently, there was indeed something to him.

The younger women and children stayed indoors, keeping the younger kids from peeking out. Meanwhile, the older men weren't so reserved. They all rushed out to watch the fun. Zhou Qun scrutinized Su Jinlai, muttering, "This kid's development is quite striking."

As he thought about himself, Zhou Qun felt a surge of sorrow.

The gap was simply too vast.

Although he currently wasn't using it, the mere knowledge of the disparity made him sad. He couldn't even compare to his own peers, let alone with someone younger. They'd all been to the public bathhouse in their compound. He knew he ranked dead last, with no hope of rising above even Bai Fendou, whose place wasn't far above his.

Now, he wasn't even superior to this kid.

The more he thought, the more disheartened he became, reminiscing about his childhood, "When I was a kid, my nickname was Little Bird."

Aunt Zhou: "..."

Finally losing her patience, she turned back and smacked her son, "Shut your mouth! Is this your stage to just keep talking? How did you become so chatty? What are you looking at? Go back inside!"

At his age, he should avoid bringing shame on his family, especially considering his young son.

Aunt Zhou was becoming angrier by the minute, "Go home!"

Zhou Qun was utterly innocent. After all, he hadn't done anything, yet at over forty years old, he still received punishment from his mother. He felt extremely wronged, "You're so harsh. I was just casually saying something."

Aunt Zhou barked, "Get out!"

With his tail between his legs, Zhou Qun slipped into the house. Xiao Qijin looked at his father with sympathy, "Granny scolded you, huh?"

Zhou Qun straightened his spine, calmly stating, "Your granny is just too harsh."

Despite his words, he entered his house but stayed by the door, peering outside. He said knowledgeably, "Their generation is too simple. They don't know how to give nicknames. If they did, they should call him Big Bird."

Pfft!

Everyone inside and outside burst out laughing.

The kids: "……??"

They didn't quite understand the meaning.

Jiang Lu also got angry, "Zhou Qun, shut your mouth."

Zhou Qun instantly became silent, as meek as a chicken.

Wang Xiangxiu: "..."

It was embarrassing, yet not entirely so.

It was hard to say exactly what feelings this evoked.

She quickly squeezed out, joined her two sons, and together they dragged Su Jinlai home. By now, Su Jinlai was shivering from the cold. Who could forget to check the weather and go out half-naked like that? Drinking really does ruin people. Wang Xiangxiu dragged Su Jinlai home, tied him up, and covered him with a blanket, saying, "That should be enough."

She frowned and muttered, "Who did you drink with? I have no idea how much you drank, but you got so drunk."

Yinlai and Tonglai both had darkened expressions, unwilling to speak. The person involved claimed to know nothing, but for them, it was incredibly awkward. Even Tonglai, who was considered quite sociable, felt deeply embarrassed by his brother's antics.

No matter how sociable someone was, Su Jinlai's actions would make anyone feel humiliated. They might not have known the term, but their heads were buzzing with embarrassment.

At this moment, they were quite thankful for Zhuang Zhixi. If it weren't for him going out to use the bathroom and spotting Su Jinlai, they couldn't imagine what kind of spectacle their older brother would have caused in the streets. After all, this alley was full of people from the machinery factory. It was too scary to even think about.

And what if Su Jinlai had wandered onto the main street? People wouldn't care if he was drunk and acting out; they would definitely charge him with indecency.

That would have been disastrous.

Fortunately, they caught him just in time.

Yes, it was embarrassing, but at least it was limited to a small area.

However, they seemed to forget that in their neighborhood, gossip spread faster than wildfire.

"Mom, what should we do?" Yinlai asked, completely at a loss. This kind of thing, he had never experienced before.

Wang Xiangxiu sighed and replied, "Relax, it's fine."

She added after a pause, "It's just a trivial matter."

She had seen plenty in her life, and she still remembered the time her son had fallen into a cesspit. The stench had been unbearable, but she had endured it. Thinking back now, this situation could be endured as well!

Yes, she decided, she could handle it!

"It's nothing, really nothing."

It was unclear whether she was comforting her sons or herself.

Yinlai: "I'll go get his clothes back."

Wang Xiangxiu: "Go ahead."

Even though Su Jinlai had been brought inside, the neighbors' enthusiasm did not wane in the slightest. They all discussed passionately. Fortunately, there were children around, or else the discussions might have been even more... explicit.

With kids present, they had to keep it appropriate—absolutely, they had to rein it in.

Everyone was chattering away, but the Zhou family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stared at Zhou Qun, their eyes sharp as knives. Zhou Qun didn't dare say a word.

Zhuang Zhixi glanced at Zhou Qun, thinking the man had some strange charisma. He always managed to say something extraordinary. Back in the day, his comment about being "so white" directly scared Chen Yuan into running naked.

Now, with this nickname... it was easy to imagine that by tonight, it would be the talk of the town.

However, Zhuang Zhixi found it a bit overblown. After all, Su Jinlai's actions were quite ordinary.

The problem was that Zhou Qun was just too out of touch.

Zhou Qun wasn't completely naive, but given that Su Jinlai was younger, it was perhaps understandable that he was more shocked. Unfortunately, the conversation had taken a subtle turn.

Zhou Qun muttered a few words and then shook his head silently.

The next day at work, as expected, people started asking about it. Men and women alike showed a certain level of interest in Su Jinlai.

Zhuang Zhixi: "I knew it would turn out like this."

"Xiao Zhuang, tell us, is it really that impressive?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

How could he answer that?

He resolutely stated, in a firm and righteous tone, "I didn't see anything, you should ask someone else."

"What? You didn't see anything? You're really..."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Go on, go ask Zhou Qun."

After all, it was Zhou Qun who started this mess, so they could all go ask him. Zhuang Zhixi definitely didn't want to be involved.

As a man, discussing another man's, uh, attributes was just too awkward to contemplate.

Zhuang Zhixi: Time to execute a tactical retreat.