Returning to the 1960s: Starting with Digging for Fo-ti

Tuantuan was young and easily influenced. As soon as Du Jianguo frowned, she instinctively moved her hand away from the door handle.

She stepped back two paces, kicked her legs, turned, and ran into the courtyard while shouting at the top of her lungs: “Grandma! Grandpa! My dad is here! My dad is here!”

The old couple chatting happily in the front hall froze instantly upon hearing their granddaughter’s shout.

Grandpa Liu Fu slammed his palm fan down with a sharp clap, his knuckles turning white as he puffed up his chest. “That scoundrel dares to show up again?! Last time we lent him twenty yuan, and he didn’t even make it home before dumping it all in the casino! He lost everything without a trace!”

He turned to his wife with a furious expression: “Wife, today we must not give him a single cent! From now on, we’d rather walk dozens of extra miles to personally hand money to our daughter than give another penny to this ungrateful bastard!”

His wife let out a sigh and nodded firmly: “Don’t worry. We won’t give him any money at all.”

Then she turned to the guest sitting nearby: “Desheng, please sit here and have some tea. My husband and I will go see what tricks this guy has up his sleeve.”

Zhang Desheng put down his teacup and offered a faint smile. His tone was calm and collected: “Uncle, Auntie, please don’t worry. With me here today, I guarantee Du Jianguo won’t get even a single advantage.”

As he spoke, he frowned slightly and added, “It’s just puzzling why Xiuyun ended up marrying someone like him in the first place…”

“Sigh, it’s truly a tragedy,” Liu Fu shook his head. “That child made a hasty decision back then. She said Du Jianguo once saved her life, but I still find something suspicious about the whole matter…”

Before they could continue, Du Jianguo lifted the curtain and stepped into the front hall.

Seeing the old couple, he immediately flashed a smile: “Dad, Mom, I’ve come to show my respect! I brought some gifts for you both. Take a look later. There’s even some cured meat inside!”

However, the moment Du Jianguo’s gaze landed on Zhang Desheng, who sat with a stern expression, he froze. “Zhang Desheng? Why are you here?”

“I’m visiting your parents,” Zhang Desheng replied coolly. His eyes held a hint of arrogance, and he didn’t even bother looking at Du Jianguo.

Seeing this attitude, Du Jianguo felt a surge of disgust in his heart.

He knew exactly who Zhang Desheng was. He was Liu Xiuyun’s childhood friend and also a distant relative by blood. By family hierarchy, he was considered Xiuyun’s distant cousin.

But this guy wasn’t a decent person. He was obsessed with women.

Ever since he married Liu Xiuyun, Zhang Desheng’s eyes hadn’t stayed put. He always seemed to be eyeing Xiuyun.

Worse still, he constantly schemed to try and take Xiuyun away from Du Jianguo.

To get closer to his so-called “opportunity,” he even managed to secure a position as a stationed village cadre, forcing his way into their village.

However, Du Jianguo had always been wary of Zhang Desheng’s status. Despite being repeatedly humiliated by the other man before, he had never dared to fight back.

Now, seeing his enemy face to face, he suppressed the fire burning in his heart and stared coldly at Zhang Desheng. “With the thin blood connection you have with my in-laws, isn’t it as diluted as tea that’s been brewed several times? Why are you suddenly showing up to visit the old couple today?”

Zhang Desheng glanced dismissively at Du Jianguo and replied with pure contempt: “I’d rather not bother arguing with a country bumpkin like you.”

Liu Fu, Xiuyun’s father, immediately frowned and scolded Du Jianguo: “Desheng came here out of kindness to visit us! Where does it give you the right to criticize him?”

His words dripped with disapproval toward Du Jianguo.

He paused, then added with even more emphasis: “Let me tell you something. Desheng is here because he’s going to be stationed in your village of Xiao’an Can! From now on, he’ll be your superior officer. You should take this opportunity today to build a good relationship with him.”

Build a good relationship? Hell no! If I had the chance, I’d have already knocked him out cold!

Du Jianguo sneered internally. This Zhang guy had been eyeing Xiuyun for a long time. Now he’s using his position as a stationed cadre to get closer to them. He’s playing a clever game. Does he really think I’m that stupid?

Zhang Desheng pretended to adjust the glasses on his nose with an air of mystery. He smirked coldly and said: “My mission in coming to Xiao’an Can Village has two goals. First, to solve the village’s food shortage problem. Second, to rescue Xiuyun from this suffering.”

He paused, his tone dripping with superiority as he looked at Du Jianguo as if he were beneath him.

“Du Jianguo, if you have any shred of dignity left, divorce Xiuyun immediately. Stop dragging her down. She’s simply not meant for someone like you, a backward rustic fellow. She deserves to live a good life in the city, just like me!”

As expected! This old fox is clearly after my wife!

God damn it! He’s even got his eyes on my wife.

Du Jianguo curled his lips into a cold smile and deliberately stretched out his voice: “Thank you for your concern, cousin. My wife and I are living perfectly fine. How is this a suffering? Besides, what’s wrong with being in the village? We can eat meat here just as well as in the city!”

“I’m the stationed cadre coming to your village of Xiao’an, and do you think I don’t know your village’s situation? Eat meat? The entire county knows that Xiao’an Village is the poorest!”

Zhang Desheng sneered. “Before coming here, I asked your parents-in-law. Du Jianguo, you’re nothing more than a hooligan in Xiao’an Village! Gambling, visiting brothels, and constantly begging your in-laws for money. Xiuyun dating someone like you makes me ashamed for her!”

As he spoke, he deliberately made a disgusted face and wiped his hand across his cheek.

Du Jianguo shot back with a cold laugh: “So what? Are you jealous, cousin? Even if I’m like this, my wife and I are doing great. We spend every night together on the bed. Can’t you handle that?”

“You!” Zhang Desheng was hit right in the sore spot. He regarded Liu Xiuyun as his dream woman, only to see her being “mistreated” by Du Jianguo.

How dare he defile the woman he cherished above all else!

Zhang Desheng clenched his fists tightly and wanted to punch Du Jianguo in the head. However, catching sight of Liu Fu and his wife nearby, he forced himself to hold back.

He couldn’t let them see the feelings he harbored for Liu Xiuyun.

Liu Fu coughed loudly, his face scrunched with anger as he turned his rage toward Du Jianguo: “Enough! Stop stirring up trouble here. Just say what you came for. Let me make this clear. You won’t get a single cent from us today!”

He grew even angrier and pointed his finger at Du Jianguo: “Damn it! Can’t you be more considerate of your wife and child instead of always asking for money to gamble!”

Du Jianguo smiled bitterly: “Dad, I didn’t come to borrow money today.”

“Then what did you come here for?” Liu Fu suddenly seemed to piece something together. His tone hardened instantly. “Don’t tell me it’s about your daughter Tuantuan? Let me warn you, Du Jianguo. If you dare to try anything sneaky and sell Tuantuan to a trafficker, I’ll chop your dog’s head off with a kitchen knife!”

[Tl: being called a “dog” is an insult in China, tbh probably everywhere]