CHAPTER 476: CHAPTER 473 [THE KIDNAPPED FILIAL SON]

Chapter 473: The Kidnapped Filial Son

The interrogation dragged on late into the night, but the questioning of Chen Jianshe couldn’t continue.

Chen Jianshe adamantly denied knowing anyone named Ou Xiuhua!

Moreover... speaking from the heart, at this point, Chen Jianshe truly didn’t recognize Ou Xiuhua!!!

On this point, Chen Jianshe could swear to God.

Zhao Changjiang also began to understand the situation more and more...

Chen Jianshe had not acted indecently towards Ou Xiuhua.

Instead, a stranger claiming to be Chen Jianshe’s relative had said that Chen Jianshe "was planning" to act indecently towards Ou Xiuhua.

This... this made things difficult!

He hadn’t done anything! How were they supposed to deal with it?

On what grounds could they deal with him?

Beating someone up and dragging them back was already going too far.

Of course, in those days, barbaric and excessive incidents were plentiful, so this particular matter wasn’t considered a huge deal.

But enough was enough. Besides, Chen Jianshe wasn’t a saint; he had plenty of skeletons in his own closet.

However, this so-called indecency case could not be pursued any further.

And Ou Xiuhua, the supposed victim, wasn’t really a victim at all.

Ou Xiuhua was an upright person. She stated clearly that she didn’t recognize this Chen Jianshe, and he had certainly not acted indecently towards her.

The fact that someone had been wrongly arrested that evening based purely on hearsay actually made Ou Xiuhua furious.

Because of this, Ou Xiuhua even argued with the hairdresser girl later, thinking she shouldn’t have casually sent Zhao Changjiang to make trouble for someone.

Chen Jianshe hadn’t actually done anything. Yet, just because Zhao Changjiang fancied Ou Xiuhua and abused his position as a minor security chief, he had beaten Chen Jianshe up and arrested him based on mere hearsay.

Such behavior... no wonder, in the original course of history, Ou Xiuhua looked down on Zhao Changjiang and eventually ended up with Chen Jianshe.

In Ou Xiuhua’s philosophy, this was abuse of power for personal gain.

「By dawn」

Chen Jianshe was released.

This was because Ou Xiuhua had found Zhao Changjiang, slammed the table, and furiously berated him. She declared that she had experienced no such indecent assault. If Zhao Changjiang continued making such indiscriminate arrests, she would report him to the factory director first thing in the morning.

Then, Ou Xiuhua left in a huff, even giving the hairdresser girl the cold shoulder.

Chen Jianshe was released and didn’t dare cause trouble for the security department—although he hadn’t acted indecently, he had other dirt on him.

His face bruised and swollen, he returned to his lodgings. Seeing the mess in his home, he couldn’t help but curse.

A moment later, he roared, "Damn it! Where’s my wallet?! That son of a bitch Zhao Changjiang! Did he steal my wallet too?!"

Chen Jianshe cursed up a storm in his room.

But he still didn’t dare to confront Zhao Changjiang.

Meanwhile, a certain shameless Chen Xiaoguo crouched on the roof, quietly eavesdropping, a faux leather wallet in his hand, an expression of disdain on his face.

It didn’t even have two yuan in it.

Hmm, pilfering Chen Jianshe’s wallet didn’t cause Chen Nuo any moral unease whatsoever.

Broadly speaking, doing anything to scum like Chen Jianshe wasn’t going too far!

Narrowly speaking... This was, in a physical sense, his father.

What was that saying again? A lean horse has long hair and fat hooves; a son stealing from his father isn’t a thief!

You got off easy with just your wallet stolen.

Chen Yanluo usually targets people’s safes.

「Later」

Chen Jianshe lay at home for half a day. In the evening, after applying some liniment to his bruises, he finally went out to consult with a few of his usual disreputable cronies.

He didn’t have the guts to seek revenge on Zhao Changjiang.

But he had figured out what happened the previous night: someone named Xiao Guohua, supposedly from the sand and gravel plant in Jiangning’s Molin Town, had impersonated his relative and framed him.

This was intolerable!!!

Chen Jianshe knew he wasn’t a good person.

But this particular thing, he genuinely hadn’t done!!!

What grudge did this Xiao Guohua have against him, to come all the way from Jiangning to set him up?

Zhao Changjiang was the head of the security department’s militia; he couldn’t touch him!

But Chen Jianshe was determined to get revenge on this Xiao Guohua.

He found a few of his cronies, treated them to a couple of drinks, bought a jin of pork head meat, using up half a month’s meat rations.

Though his heart ached at the expense, Chen Jianshe was finally relieved that his cronies had agreed to help him stand up for himself.

So, after another day, on the third day, Chen Jianshe took three or four of his hooligan friends and traveled by bus to Molin Town in Jiangning, seeking revenge on Xiao Guohua...

Then...

On the fourth day, the group emerged from the Jiangning County Health Clinic, bruised and swollen, limping and still terrified as they took the shuttle bus back to Jinling City.

This beating was even more vicious than the one from Zhao Changjiang and his men!!!

Who was Xiao Guohua?!

Twenty years later, he would be a major figure in Jiangning, running nightclubs, engaging in loan-sharking, bleeding people dry!

Of course, in 1981, Boss Xiao hadn’t made his fortune yet.

It was just that Luo Dachanzi had made his name earlier, hence the nickname.

Actually, Boss Xiao had also started in the sand and gravel plant. If Luo Dachanzi hadn’t been around, Boss Xiao would probably have earned a moniker like "Xiao Dachanzi" himself.

In 1981, Boss Xiao was not yet the future local kingpin.

But, he was definitely a local bully nonetheless!

Chen Jianshe, dragging along three or four idle thugs, went to Xiao the local bully’s main turf to cause trouble?

They really had no idea how thick their skulls were!

It was only because Boss Xiao didn’t want to kill anyone. Otherwise, if he’d killed them and buried them in a gravel pit, they wouldn’t have been found for ten or twenty years.

「Meanwhile」

From the shadows, Chen Nuo watched Chen Jianshe and the others, disheveled and injured, board the shuttle bus to Jinling City. He sighed quietly.

Still no appearance... Such patience...

Tailing them from a distance, Chen Nuo followed the group as they returned.

However, shortly after the bus departed from Molin Town, while it made a brief stop in another Jiangning County town called Dongshan Town, Chen Nuo unexpectedly saw Chen Jianshe get off the bus alone.

"Huh?"

He watched Chen Jianshe limp off the bus, see the vehicle drive away, and then limp off himself.

After transferring to a public bus, Chen Jianshe got off and entered a residential complex.

Chen Nuo, who had followed him and was now standing at the complex entrance, looked at the gate he knew so well...

This was... him going home.

Dongshan Town, Jiangning County...

In the future, when Jiangning County became Jiangning District, an administrative region of Jinling City, Dongshan Town would become Dongshan Subdistrict.

As for Dongshan Subdistrict, Chen Nuo was extremely familiar with two places.

One was No. 8 Middle School.

The other... was his own home.

Well, in 1981, this place wasn’t his home yet.

Instead... It was the residence of Chen Jianshe’s mother, the old lady.

Hmm... Getting into trouble outside, getting beaten up, and then running home to Mommy. Not exactly an unexpected move.

Chen Nuo, familiar with the layout, followed him into the complex and arrived beneath his own apartment building. After a moment’s thought, he went upstairs but climbed to the roof via the fire escape. He sat cross-legged on the concrete slab of their rooftop terrace, listening intently.

"I need eighty! No, a hundred yuan!

If not, fifty will do!

Mom!!

If I don’t get the money this time, I’m really screwed!

I got set up, so I asked my friends to come here with me to get even!

I was the one who called them, and now we all got beaten up!!

My friends definitely won’t let this go!

They said I have to compensate them for medical expenses and nutritional supplements.

If I don’t cough up fifty yuan, they’ll keep hassling me when I get back.

You can’t just watch your son get his legs broken, can you?!"

From the room below, Chen Jianshe’s voice reached Chen Nuo’s ears clearly.

Fifty yuan... Chen Nuo sighed. By 1981 standards, the old lady’s monthly salary probably wasn’t even fifty yuan.

"What kind of friends! They’re all good-for-nothing troublemakers from outside.

Jianshe, when will you ever..."

"What’s the use of you always saying that? Right now, it’s about paying up to avoid more trouble! Besides, they got beaten up sticking up for me! If I don’t pay, how can I face anyone? Will I ever be able to show my face in public again?"

"Sigh... You, you come here first, let me see where you’re hurt... You..."

"Aiya! What’s there to look at! The doctors at the clinic already checked me! I’m not going to die!

Just hurry up and give me the money! I still have to catch the night bus back to the factory!"

"You haven’t been back in so long. Just stay the night. You can go back tomorrow morning... You’re injured. Tonight, I’ll re-bandage your wounds. Those people at the clinic are rough; they definitely didn’t bandage it properly."

"Aiya, no time, I have to catch the bus back! Just hurry and give me the money."

Chen Nuo took three or five deep breaths to suppress his rising blood pressure.

「A little later」

Chen Jianshe limped downstairs. He carefully unfolded an old handkerchief containing a wad of money and meticulously counted it, bill by bill.

He got the money.

And it wasn’t fifty.

It was sixty-eight yuan and forty cents.

The old lady had given him an extra eighteen yuan and forty cents because she was worried her injured son lacked nutrition and wanted him to buy more meat to eat.

She also saw his clothes were torn from the fight, so she wanted him to be able to buy a new set.

Chen Jianshe counted the money. Satisfied, he pocketed it and continued walking towards the exit of the neighborhood.

Suddenly, a kick landed squarely on his backside.

Chen Jianshe pitched forward and landed SMACK on the ground. He cried out as his mouth hit the pavement, filling with blood.

Turning around, he saw a young man standing before him with clenched fists, his expression cold.

"Did you ever stop to think why your mom gave you an extra eighteen yuan and forty cents?

Did you ever wonder, even if she wanted to give you more, why exactly sixty-eight yuan and forty cents?

Why such an odd amount, with change and all?

That’s because this money is your mother’s living expenses, the money for her daily rice, flour, and vegetables!

Your mom saw you were hurt and in trouble, and she was afraid you’d suffer. The moment you pleaded, she gave you all her living money without a second thought! That’s why it was exactly sixty-eight yuan and forty cents!

It’s because the old lady was afraid you’d suffer hardships, so she didn’t even have time to count it properly or keep any for herself! She gave you everything she had!

That’s why it came out to exactly sixty-eight yuan and forty cents!!

Your mom, in her panic, gave you all her food money, yet you couldn’t even stay one more night to keep her company?

Chen Jianshe, are you even fucking human?!"

Chen Nuo gritted his teeth, his face ashen as he glared at Chen Jianshe, who was still on the ground.

"You, you, who the hell are you?!" Chen Jianshe was utterly bewildered.

"Damn it, no more probing. If I don’t teach you a harsh lesson today, I won’t find any peace of mind!!"

Chen Nuo clenched his fists tightly.

「Soon after」

The rustling sound of a key being inserted into the lock, then the door creaked open.

Chen Jianshe, his face bruised and swollen, walked in, with Chen Nuo following behind him.

In the cramped living room stood an old-fashioned sprung sofa—the kind people made themselves, its cushions supported not by foam or padding, but by a network of taut hemp ropes that gave it elasticity.

As he entered, Chen Nuo saw the old woman sitting on the sofa, silently wiping her tears.

Lifting her head, she saw Chen Jianshe walk in with downcast eyes. The old woman immediately stood up, quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffled loudly, and then vigorously rubbed her hands on her clothes.

"Jianshe, why are you back? Did you forget something?"

Chen Jianshe’s eye twitched, and he stammered, "Um... Mom, I, uh..."

From behind, Chen Nuo gave him a discreet kick. Chen Jianshe jolted and quickly said, "Uh, I got halfway downstairs and thought, since it’s so late anyway, I might as well stay home for the night and go back to the city tomorrow."

"Good, good!" Joy instantly lit up the old woman’s face, but then a hint of worry crept in. "Well, that won’t delay your work tomorrow, will it?"

Hearing this, Chen Nuo sighed internally. This was a true mother. One moment, she missed her son and hoped he’d stay an extra day so she could see him more. The next, she worried about inconveniencing his work.

"Um, it’s fine. I don’t have a shift tomorrow morning," Chen Jianshe mumbled vaguely.

"Um, and this is?" The old woman looked at Chen Nuo, who was standing behind Chen Jianshe.

Chen Jianshe grunted, then glanced at Chen Nuo. "This is..."

Chen Nuo suddenly stepped forward, his face beaming with an enthusiastic smile. "Fourth Aunt! It’s me!!!"

Fourth Aunt?

The old woman was stunned and didn’t react immediately.

Beside her, Chen Jianshe winced, probably aggravating a wound, and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Me!" Chen Nuo walked up, took the old woman’s arm, and boomed with laughter, "It’s me, Fourth Auntie! I’m from Liuhe in Jiangbei! My dad is Chen Guihe!!"

"Guihe?" The old woman tried hard to remember. "Guihe’s... son?"

"That’s right! My dad is Chen Guihe, and my grandfather is Chen Yushan."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh..."

Alright, from the old woman’s string of "ohs," Chen Nuo figured she probably only truly remembered around the fifth "oh."

Jiangbei, Liuhe, Chen Guihe...

This was indeed a relative of the old woman’s—more accurately, a relative of Chen Jianshe’s father.

This familial connection was genuine.

Chen Nuo had lived with Ou Xiuhua for a year, and during their daily chats, Ou Xiuhua had mentioned some of the Chen Family’s relations.

The Chen Family did have relatives in Jinling, albeit distant ones, sharing the same surname and ancestry, living in the Jiangbei area. They didn’t interact much, and by Chen Nuo’s generation, contact was almost non-existent.

According to what he’d heard, Chen Guihe was considered a distant elder cousin to Chen Jianshe’s father.

"My dad is Chen Guihe. I’m his son."

"Oh... you’re Guihe’s son. What was your name again... Xiaozhuangzi?" The old woman tried to recall, a little fuzzy.

Come to think of it, it had been three or five years since they’d had any contact with that branch of the family in Jiangbei.

"Uh, yes, Xiaozhuangzi, that’s me." Chen Nuo chuckled. "But that’s my childhood name. My formal name is Chen Nuo."

"Chen Nuo?" The old woman nodded. "A good name. Your father Guihe is a local scholar; educated people choose pleasant names."

Saying this, the old woman quickly pulled Chen Nuo towards the sofa. "Come, come, sit down. Let’s talk."

"Hang on a second."

Chen Nuo turned and walked to the doorway, picking up a bag he had placed there when he entered. He put it on the dining table. "I brought a few things."

"You shouldn’t have... Coming all this way, and bringing gifts..." the old woman demurred politely.

But Chen Nuo directly opened the bag and took out several items.

A bag of red dates, a bag of peanuts, two bottles of oil.

And finally, two jin of white sugar.

Seeing these things, the old woman looked a bit flustered. "This... these things are too expensive. You came all this way, why bring such valuable gifts?"

In the early 1980s, the economy had just begun to open up, and goods were not yet plentiful.

Red dates and peanuts were one thing.

But oil and white sugar were hard currency in that era!

Money alone couldn’t buy them; you needed oil and sugar ration coupons.

Chen Jianshe watched as the old woman sat Chen Nuo down, poured him water, and engaged in pleasantries...

A chill ran down Chen Jianshe’s spine as he listened.

How did this little terror find out so much about our family’s relatives?!

But seeing Chen Nuo’s smiling face, he recalled what had happened in a corner of the residential complex just a short while ago.

This kid had dragged him into a corner and stomped on him some twenty-seven or twenty-eight times. Chen Jianshe had thought all his bones were going to be broken!

Then, right in front of him, this kid had bent and snapped a metal bar from the complex’s fence with his bare hands!!

Chen Jianshe’s eyes had nearly popped out of his head!

Is this guy even human?!

"I can’t be bothered wasting my breath explaining too much. Just remember one thing: I can kill you easily. So, do whatever I say. Otherwise, things will get very, very ugly for you. Understood?"

That’s what the little terror had said, smiling at him just like that!

At this moment, watching this little terror smiling so sweetly at his own mother, Chen Jianshe swallowed hard.

Finally, a shred of conscience stirred. Chen Jianshe gritted his teeth, walked over, pulled up a stool, and sat down at the table too.

Chen Nuo noticed that Chen Jianshe had positioned himself between him and the old woman...

Hmm, not entirely heartless, then.

Chen Jianshe, however, was even more uneasy. This terror had kidnapped him and brought him back—just to force him to spend one more night with his mother? What kind of coercion was this?

「That evening」

The old woman prepared dinner, personally cooking two or three dishes.

The dishes were made with great care: two vegetable dishes and one meat dish. The meat dish was braised minced pork with eggplant.

The vegetable dishes were stir-fried greens and stir-fried potatoes.

But even the vegetable dishes had a generous amount of oil—this was how ordinary families treated esteemed guests.

In that era, oil was precious, and meat and eggs were not easy to come by.

Using extra oil in cooking was a sign of hospitality for important guests.

Chen Nuo, having come from the future, wasn’t used to such oily food, but in front of the old woman, he ate with a smile, relishing every bite. After finishing one bowl of rice, he even asked for another.

During the meal, they naturally engaged in small talk.

Chen Nuo handled it with ease and naturalness.

Ou Xiuhua had mentioned the family relations and matters of this relative’s home to him several times. With his spiritual power and memory, once he heard something, he wouldn’t forget it. So, when chatting with the old woman now, he was quite articulate.

Chen Jianshe’s mother’s surname was Wang, and her given name was Wang Shunying. She was born in the pre-Liberation old society.

Actually, she wasn’t very old, only around fifty. However, people of that era had all endured hardships, so they appeared older than their years.

Chen Nuo observed closely; the old woman, just in her early fifties, already had faint age spots on her face.

A pang of sadness hit him.

Previously, Chen Nuo had only seen this old woman in the memorial portrait hanging on the wall at home.

Now, she was sitting right in front of him, alive, her smile kind, frequently putting food in his bowl, treating him, this "relative," with utmost courtesy.

When asked about the purpose of his visit, Chen Nuo casually fabricated a reason, saying that with the economic reforms, he was planning to start a business and had come to Jiangning County to procure some goods.

The old woman only half-understood and didn’t press further.

That night, he stayed at the Chen home. The old woman made up Chen Jianshe’s room for him—the room that, in the future, would become Chen Nuo’s bedroom.

Looking at the various pieces of old-fashioned furniture in the room...

Chen Nuo felt a wave of emotion.

Chen Jianshe’s father had been skilled with his hands. He had personally crafted all the wooden furniture in the house when he was younger.

In those days, Chen Jianshe’s father was a senior technician in a state-owned factory—in that era, such senior technicians truly possessed remarkable skills.

The old woman brought in a quilt and bedding, made a pallet on the floor, and specifically instructed Chen Jianshe to let Chen Nuo, this "distant younger cousin," sleep on the bed!

The door closed. After hearing the door to the old woman’s room also close, Chen Nuo listened for a while. Hearing no sound, he turned to look at Chen Jianshe.

Chen Jianshe took two steps back, shrinking into a corner. "B-Big Brother, I’ve been cooperating with you all evening! W-what exactly are you planning?"

Chen Nuo casually sat on the bed, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a couple of drags, his eyes scanning the somewhat dated furnishings and furniture in the room.

"Let me ask you something."

"Uh, go ahead!" Chen Jianshe said, his expression fawning.

"Are there any notorious street bosses in Jiangning County right now? You know, the kind who are criminals or rich and unethical?"

"...Huh?" Chen Jianshe was stunned. "W-what are you planning to do?"

Chen Nuo stretched his neck. "I came out without much money, so I’m a bit short. You’re broke too. I guess I’ll have to find a way to get some spending money myself."

"..."

He got two or three names from Chen Jianshe. Actually, Chen Jianshe didn’t visit the old woman often, so his memory wasn’t very clear. To be safe, he thought of a couple of extra names to give Chen Nuo.

In the middle of the night, Chen Nuo climbed out the window. Before leaving, he lightly poked Chen Jianshe with his finger.

Chen Jianshe instantly went rigid and fell to the floor.

Chen Nuo left, reassured.

With that one finger jab, imbued with a Telekinesis binding, Chen Jianshe wouldn’t be able to move a finger or even let out a HUMPH for at least two hours.

If he could break free, he wouldn’t be Chen Jianshe.

He might as well go ask the Octopus Monster for a silver-level membership.

Chen Nuo was gone for only an hour. When he returned, he again entered through the window.

Chen Jianshe had lain on the floor for an hour, unable to move or make a sound.

But his heart was pounding with utter shock!

My god, we live on the fifth floor!!! This guy actually jumped out the window and then jumped back in?!!

Then, he watched Chen Nuo come in, close the window, and sit on the bed. Chen Nuo’s hands now held an imitation leather attaché case, the type popular with rural entrepreneurs.

He unzipped it and shook it. A cascade of banknotes tumbled out!

One-yuan notes, two-yuan notes, five-yuan notes, ten-yuan notes...

Chen Nuo did a rough count.

"Sigh, people are poor in this era. Even gang bosses don’t have much money. Worked my butt off all night for just over six hundred yuan. That’s pathetic..."

Chen Jianshe’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets!

Pathetic?!!

Chen Jianshe gasped.

As a driver for the factory’s vehicle fleet, his monthly salary was just over thirty yuan.

The money on that bed was more than he’d earn in two years of hard work, even if he didn’t eat or drink!

Chen Nuo smiled and gestured towards Chen Jianshe. Instantly, Chen Jianshe felt his body relax as the invisible force binding him vanished.

He scrambled up from the floor, almost lunging for the pile of money on the bed.

But he managed to retain a shred of sanity.

"Oh, right. Since you’ve been reasonably cooperative, this is for you."

Saying that, Chen Nuo flicked his hand.

Chen Jianshe caught it and looked.

Whoa!

Hongtashan cigarettes! A hard pack, at that!

Chen Jianshe usually saw the factory director smoking this brand.

The flour mill was a second-tier state-owned enterprise, directly under the Municipal Grain Bureau. The mill director’s rank was equivalent to a deputy bureau chief, and an official of that level usually smoked this brand!

"You... what did you do tonight?" Chen Jianshe felt his hands trembling slightly.

He was a bad sort, but at this time, Chen Jianshe was still young, not yet thoroughly rotten, and didn’t have much nerve.

After all, a bad person isn’t made in a day.

A growing fear crept into Chen Jianshe’s heart.

"Uh, Big Brother, what exactly are you trying to do?" Chen Jianshe lowered his voice. "You even know our family situation so well. What are you after?

My family has no money and no power. We don’t have any rich relatives either.

You..."

Chen Nuo shook his head without speaking, too lazy to explain. With a casual wave of his hand, Chen Jianshe once again lay stiffly on the floor, a human log.

「The next day」

Chen Nuo woke up, stretched lazily, and casually released Chen Jianshe from his bonds.

Chen Jianshe hadn’t slept a wink all night. The moment he was free, he suddenly leaped up, flung open the door, and bolted for the toilet.

Returning a few minutes later, Chen Jianshe closed the door, his face a mask of misery. "Big Brother! Next time, if you don’t want me to talk, just say so, and I’ll shut up.

That Spell of yours rendered me unable to move or speak. I had to hold my pee all night! I didn’t dare sleep, afraid that if I relaxed for a second, I’d wet my pants!!"

Seeing Chen Nuo’s impassive expression, Chen Jianshe forced a smile. "Me wetting my pants isn’t a big deal, but you were right next to me. If I stunk up the room, you wouldn’t be able to sleep either, right?"

Chen Nuo glanced at him with a faint smile and turned to leave the room.

The old woman had been up for a long time; breakfast was already laid out on the table.

By the sink in the washroom, a new toothbrush was waiting for Chen Nuo.

After washing up, he ate breakfast—plain rice porridge. The old woman had also boiled two eggs.

There were only two eggs: one for Chen Nuo and one for Chen Jianshe.

Chen Nuo calmly peeled his egg and ate. Beside him, just as Chen Jianshe was about to reach for his, Chen Nuo discreetly stepped on his foot under the table.

Chen Jianshe froze, catching Chen Nuo’s teasing, knowing gaze.

Suddenly, he understood!

He quickly peeled the remaining egg and placed it in the old woman’s bowl.

"Mom, you eat it!"

The old woman: ???

This gesture left the old woman quite baffled for a moment.

She looked at Chen Jianshe carefully. Yep, that’s my son.

"I don’t want it. You eat it. You’re still injured; you need to build up your strength."

Seeing the old woman pick up her chopsticks to move the egg into his bowl, Chen Jianshe, terrified, quickly lifted his own bowl out of reach. "I really don’t want it! You eat it! Aiya, I don’t feel like eating an egg!"

The old woman stared blankly at her son. Then, as if understanding something, her eyes reddened. She turned her head away, rubbed her eyelids, then turned back and gave Chen Nuo an embarrassed smile.

The old woman took a full minute to eat that single egg, chewing it slowly and thoroughly.

To her, the plain, tasteless boiled egg seemed like the most exquisite delicacy.

Breakfast was a hurried affair.

It wasn’t just Chen Jianshe and Chen Nuo who needed to leave; the old woman also had to go to work.

After all, she was only fifty and hadn’t retired yet.

The old woman quickly started clearing the bowls and chopsticks, but Chen Jianshe enthusiastically ushered her out of the kitchen, insisting he would do the dishes and urging her to hurry off to work...

Watching the old woman leave the house, glancing back every few steps, Chen Jianshe finally breathed a sigh of relief.

When he turned around, he saw Chen Nuo standing behind him, a faint smile on his face.

"What, afraid I’ll harm your mom?" Chen Nuo asked lightly.

Chen Jianshe gritted his teeth and suddenly dropped to his knees with a THUD!

"Uh, Big Brother, if I’ve ever offended you in any way, take it out on me. My mom’s not young anymore, and she has no grudge against you. Please don’t hurt her, okay?

And I’m telling the truth, my family has no money or power—with your abilities, there’s really nothing in my home that would interest you!"

Chen Nuo nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, "Where’s the money your mom gave you yesterday?"

"Here! It’s here! All of it!"

Chen Jianshe pulled it out.

Chen Nuo took the stack of bills, neatened them in his hand, placed them on the table, and then put a water glass on top to hold them down.

Only then did he turn to Chen Jianshe and wave his hand. "Alright, let’s go."

「Back in 1981」

Jinling City didn’t have taxis yet. Such a novelty was only found in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and even there, they were rare and incredibly expensive.

Chen Nuo and Chen Jianshe took a shuttle bus back to Jinling City proper. Once in the urban area, they transferred buses twice. It was almost noon when they finally returned to the vicinity of the flour mill.

"Big Brother, so, where are we going next?" Chen Jianshe asked, his face mournful.

"You can go home or back to the mill to work. What’s it to me?" Chen Nuo, who had been silent for the entire journey, finally spoke.

"...Huh?"

Chen Jianshe was dumbfounded!

"You... you’re letting me go?"

"What a surprise. What’s the point of me following you around?" Chen Nuo shook his head, then added with a smile, "If, after you’re free, you want to get revenge on me, that’s fine. Find your friends, come look for me. Or you can call the police, say someone kidnapped and beat you. Whatever you want."

"I wouldn’t dare! Absolutely not!!" Chen Jianshe hastily shook his head.

He truly didn’t dare!

A person who could jump out of a fifth-floor window in the middle of the night and return with several hundred yuan after a short trip out!

Could he afford to provoke such a figure?

After speaking, Chen Nuo turned and left without hesitation.

Chen Jianshe watched Chen Nuo reach the intersection, turn the corner, and disappear from sight. Still uneasy, he craned his neck, staring for so long that it ached, before finally letting out a long breath.

Filled with bewilderment, he limped towards the factory.

This little terror beat me up and even kidnapped me back to my own home... For what? Just to make me act like a filial son in front of my own mother once?

「In a small restaurant not far from the sand and gravel plant」

The middle-aged Luo Dachanzi stood before a table laden with alcohol, holding a large teacup full of white liquor, loudly boosting morale.

"What’s so great about that Wang Er Scabies! He’s just one head and two eyes! This time, as long as we take him down, we’ll all live the good life, feasting and drinking!!"

The five or six sturdy men sitting in the room roared in agreement.

Just then...

"Brother Chanzi!!"

BANG!

The door was flung open!

A subordinate rushed in, his face fraught with anxiety. "Something’s happened!"

Luo Dachanzi was startled. "What is it?"

"Wang Er Scabies! Something’s happened to him!" The subordinate panted. "I just heard! Last night, Wang Er Scabies’s gambling den was raided!"

Luo Dachanzi’s heart leaped. "Raided by the police?"

"No, not the police!" The subordinate, gasping for breath, grabbed a cup from the table and gulped down two mouthfuls before he could continue. "Brother Chanzi, listen to this, it’s unbelievable! They say last night, one person stormed into Wang Er Scabies’s gambling den and cleaned it out.

Wang Er Scabies and his seven or eight men were all taken down! Every single one of them had a leg broken! Wang Er Scabies’s crew is completely finished now!

Wang Er Scabies himself is still lying in the hospital."

Luo Dachanzi was overjoyed, but then a strange feeling crept over him.

He glanced at the men in the room, their blood boiling from his encouragement, ready to go fight Wang Er Scabies...

Am I... Did I just win without a fight?

「Meanwhile, Chen Nuo looked at the familiar yet strange street.」

Especially the building in front of him. He sighed inwardly.

Well, then... Back in 1981, Luo’s Pan-fried Buns was gone too. Right, the economy had only just opened up in 1981; very few people were running businesses or restaurants. The spot where Luo’s Pan-fried Buns used to be was still a private residence.

He turned his head and saw a bicycle repair stall by the roadside.

Oddly, the person minding the stall was not an adult, but a child.

Chen Nuo stared at the child for a couple of seconds, then walked over.

The child was engrossed in a lianhuanhua picture book. Hearing footsteps, he looked up. "Bike repair? The boss ain’t here. Went to the latrine. You’ll have to wait a few minutes."

Chen Nuo chuckled and spread his hands. "Do I look like I have a bike?"

"Not for a repair?" The child’s face showed a trace of impatience. "Asking for directions, then?"

Chen Nuo smiled. "Your surname is Wu, and your name is Wu Lei, right?"

The child froze, then immediately recoiled. "What do you want? You know me? Are you one of those child snatchers?"

Chen Nuo laughed. "I’m your classmate’s older brother."

"Which classmate?" The younger version of Brother Lei was quite vigilant.

Chen Nuo glanced around, then changed the subject. "Got any bikes? I want to buy one."

Brother Lei was taken aback, then quickly shook his head. "Go to the department store if you want to buy a bike!"

"I don’t have a bicycle coupon," Chen Nuo said with a smile. In this era, you needed a coupon to buy a bicycle; money alone wasn’t enough.

Brother Lei continued to shake his head. "Then there’s nothing I can do. We repair bikes, we don’t sell..."

He abruptly stopped mid-sentence.

Because Chen Nuo, right before his eyes, had pulled out a thick wad of cash.

A stack of ten-yuan notes, rustling in his hand.

Brother Lei sucked in a breath.

"Got a bike or not? If not, I’m leaving."

"...Yes! Yes, yes, yes!! Big Brother, please wait a moment!" Brother Lei leaped up and darted into a small alley nearby.

A short while later, he wheeled out a 28-inch heavy-duty bicycle.

Chen Nuo glanced at it...

It looked decent enough.

However, something about it seemed a bit off. Looking closer, he understood.

It was hand-assembled.

In those days, bicycle repairmen all had this skill.

From their daily repair business, they would always have some leftover or replaced parts.

Over time, they could accumulate a whole set. Even if a few parts were missing, they could usually find them elsewhere.

Then, once they had a complete set, the repairmen could assemble a bicycle themselves.

They could use it if they needed one.

Of course, some were also sold discreetly—due to the times, the sale of many goods was not unrestricted.

"Eighteen yuan! Take it! I guarantee it rides! It’s very sturdy! My dad assembled it piece by piece. He’s been doing this for over ten years; his craftsmanship is reliable!"

Chen Nuo smiled, directly pulling out two ten-yuan notes and handing them over. "Keep the change. Buy yourself a soda with the rest."

A few minutes later, Brother Lei’s father emerged from the latrine in the alley, a roll of used newspaper in his hand. He saw his son at the bike stall, happily gulping down a bottle of soda.

Anger flared instantly!

He strode over and smacked the boy on the head!

"You little rascal! I go to the latrine for a minute, and you steal money from the box to buy soda?!"

"I didn’t steal your money!"

"Then where did the soda come from?"

"Someone gave it to me!"

"So now you’ve learned to lie too!!"

Another smack on the head!

"I’m telling you, Old Wu!! You said it yourself! Don’t keep hitting my head! Hit it too much, and I’ll go bald later!!!"

"Old Wu! Old Wu! Who taught you to call me that?! No respect for your father at all!!"

SMACK!! Several more slaps landed on the boy’s head.

「Nightfall.」

On the rooftop of Chen Jianshe’s home in the flour mill’s residential area.

Inside the house, Chen Jianshe was sound asleep. Chen Nuo, sitting on the roof, sighed and retracted the Spiritual Force Tentacles that had spread inside and outside the house.

Why... is there still no activity? How long do I have to wait... I can’t stay trapped in this era forever. I have to find a way back.