C37 Returning to the 1960s: Starting with Digging for Fo-ti

“Hey, this is just a case of the Dragon King’s temple being flooded by the river! I saw the vehicle just now and thought they were here to arrest me.”
[Tl: Common Chinese Idiom to describe when two people on the same side mistakenly fight or clash with each other due to a misunderstanding]

Du Jianguo chuckled awkwardly and quickly took out his keys from his pocket. “Come on in, have a seat.”

He opened the door to invite the two police officers inside, then turned to the top of a cabinet to find some old tea leaves he had treasured at home, brewing a cup for each of them.

“Tell me, what help do you two need from me today?”

Du Jianguo rubbed his hands together and said with a self-deprecating smile, “To be honest, I’m just a mountain villager without any great abilities.”

He Yong picked up his tea cup, blew away the floating tea leaves, and said, “Stop being modest. Don’t we at the Public Security Bureau know what you’re capable of? Remember when I mentioned before that the bureau wanted to find an instructor for shooting training? We originally planned to invite an officer from the military, but the nearest unit is hundreds of miles away and can’t get here in time. So I recommended you to the bureau leaders.”

“The bureau leaders have already agreed. As long as your skills are up to the task, you can become an instructor at the Public Security Bureau.”

He Yong continued, “This job will last at least a week. During this period, food and accommodation are provided, and in addition to that, you will receive a daily living subsidy of 2.5 yuan.”

He paused, then added, “Since you are not a staff member of a public institution and usually rely on farming for a living, we will also provide you with a separate compensation for the days you miss working in the fields.”

“Go to the Public Security Bureau to be an instructor?” Du Jianguo raised an eyebrow, his finger unconsciously tracing the rim of the tea cup as he quickly calculated whether the pros outweighed the cons.

To be honest, he did not have a bad impression of the Public Security Bureau.

The last time he had luckily shot a bear, he thought he would have to hand over half of it to the village collective according to the rules. However, the police officers not only did not make things difficult for him but also helped him testify so that he could receive the full reward for the bear without losing anything.

He still owed the Public Security Bureau a favor. Going to be an instructor this time would be a good way to repay that debt, which seemed quite natural.

Moreover, he had gathered quite a few wild goods while running around the mountains these past few days.

He was just worried about finding a chance to take them to the county market.

If he waited too long, the rabbit meat might spoil. Taking the opportunity to be an instructor in the county town, he could sell these things quickly.

“When does it start?” Du Jianguo asked.

“As soon as possible, preferably right now,” He Yong said, smilingly patting his arm.

“We drove here, so we can give you a ride. You don’t want to walk dozens of miles along the mountain road to the county town, do you?”

“Of course not,” Du Jianguo nodded, then remembered something else. “I still have some matters at home that I need to explain to my wife. If you don’t mind, why not stay for a simple meal?”

“Oh?” He Yong’s eyes lit up, and he joked with a smile, “Then I won’t be so polite! Do you still have any of the bear meat you shot last time? Steam half a jin for us two brothers so we can taste some fresh meat.”

Although he worked at the Public Security Bureau, he had never eaten bear meat and had long harbored some curiosity about it.

Du Jianguo readily agreed, “No problem! You two sit and have tea first.”

He Yong and the other officer sat in the inner room drinking tea, while Du Jianguo turned and went into the kitchen.

As soon as he lit the fire, he realized there wasn’t enough firewood, so he went out of the woodshed, picked up an axe in the yard, and chopped some firewood, stacking it against the corner of the wall.

Just as he straightened up, he saw his wife, Liu Xiuyun, rushing frantically through the door.

“Wife, you’re back?”

Du Jianguo smiled and greeted her, but before his words had even landed, Liu Xiuyun suddenly gritted her teeth and raised her hand.

Slap! She slapped him hard across the face.

“Wife, why did you hit me?” Du Jianguo covered his face, looking utterly confused. “I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Nothing wrong?”

Liu Xiuyun was so angry and anxious that her eyes turned red. She poked his chest with a look of disappointment, as if scolding steel that refused to become iron.

“Du Jianguo, can’t you just be calm for a few days and stop causing trouble? Tell me, did you attract the attention of the police station again this time?”

“I was wondering how you could possibly have changed for the better!”

Liu Xiuyun’s eyes were red, and her voice trembled.

“The obedient look you put on in front of your parents before was all a disguise, wasn’t it? I foolishly thought you were finally going to live a proper life…”

Saying this, she shook her head in disappointment.

Du Jianguo stood frozen in place, the stinging sensation from the slap still burning on his face. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and coughed twice to explain, “Wife, don’t imagine things! I really haven’t done anything outrageous. The two people in the room are comrades from the Public Security Bureau. They came to ask me for help, not to collect debts!”

“Ask you for help?” Liu Xiuyun let out a cold laugh, her eyes full of disbelief. “Du Jianguo, you really know how to flatter yourself! Don’t I know what skills you have? The Public Security Bureau is full of talented people. Do they really need your help, a mountain farmer?”

“I am an excellent marksman! The Public Security Bureau asked me to be a shooting instructor!” Du Jianguo said.

“Hah, listen to the nonsense you’re making up. Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself?” Liu Xiuyun shook her head in disappointment, her tone full of mockery. “Excellent marksman? Pfft!”

“Wife, I am telling the truth!” Du Jianguo helplessly grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the inner room.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!” Liu Xiuyun struggled hard, feeling both angry and panicked. “It’s broad daylight! What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’ll take you to meet the police officer personally. Ask them, and you’ll know I’m not lying!” Du Jianguo didn’t give her a chance to resist and pulled her in front of He Yong and the other officer. He then explained his wife’s suspicions to the two of them.

The police officer He Yong immediately put down his tea cup and tried to smooth things over with a smile, “This comrade, rest assured! We are indeed inviting Comrade Du Jianguo to the county town to serve as a shooting instructor to guide our training. This is not anything bad.”

“You… really let Du Jianguo be an instructor?” Liu Xiuyun’s eyes widened in shock. “But he has hardly ever held a gun. How could he possibly know how to shoot?”

“Who said that?” He Yong looked at her in surprise and then explained with a smile.

“Don’t you know that Du Jianguo shot a bear a few days ago? His marksmanship is incredibly accurate! I even got carried away and challenged him to a comparison back then, and I was no match for him at all.”

He Yong paused, his tone full of certainty. “I believe that with Comrade Du Jianguo guiding us for a few days at the bureau, everyone’s shooting accuracy will improve significantly.”

“Please rest assured, Sister-in-law. We are just inviting Du Jianguo to guide us in shooting for a few days, and we will absolutely not let him suffer any losses.”

Liu Xiuyun turned to look at Du Jianguo, her eyes full of disbelief. How many other unknown talents did this man, who spent his days dealing with the mountains and wilds, possess?

She fell silent for a moment, thinking it over, and finally nodded slowly. “Alright, since it can help the Public Security Bureau, it is a good deed that benefits the nation and the people.”

“Police comrades, please take him away. I will take care of the matters at home.”