Seeing Jiang He frown, the middle-aged man finally felt the weight in his heart lift. However, he also began to reflect on whether he had been too… towards this son of his.

“Uncle…” The young man, nestled in the arms of the middle-aged woman, softly called out, completely clearing away any guilt the middle-aged man had in his heart.

“Alright, I’ll give you 500 yuan, but I’ll need some time.” Jiang He thought for a moment and agreed. Even without using things from the space, he could find other ways to get the money.

“You… Heh, fine. I’ll give you three months. If you can’t manage to get it, you’ll have to go to the countryside for your brother.” The middle-aged man had already made up his mind; his son was useless. Even if he gave him three years, he wouldn’t be able to come up with that much money, so he wasn’t worried at all about whether Jiang He could gather 500 yuan within three months.

“It’s a deal.” After saying this, Jiang He walked straight out, and at the door, a crowd of neighbors had already gathered to watch the commotion. As soon as they saw him, they all showed sympathetic expressions.

In their eyes, the couple from the Jiang family was quite odd. They spoiled other people’s children to the heavens, but when it came to their own son, they were either hitting or scolding him. When he was young, he was as thin as a stick, but now that he was older, he was eating well and living comfortably, and he was just short of wearing gold and silver.

If it weren’t for the chef from the Liu family’s restaurant next door feeling sorry for him and letting the boy work as a helper, with food and lodging provided, he probably would have starved to death by now.

Just now, when the group of neighbors overheard the Jiang couple’s words, they couldn’t help but mutter to themselves. What kind of “magic potion” had Jiang Bao fed them to make them act this way?

In this era, logically speaking, if any family’s son demanded to split the household while both his father and mother were still alive, they would definitely be met with harsh criticism, after all, he was an only child. However, for the Jiang family, some who pitied him hoped he would leave the household as soon as possible.

“Qiulian, you’re really willing to push your son out like that? I still think it’s better for a child to stay with their biological parents, or else they might end up with nothing in the end.” A woman from next door, who disliked the Jiang family the most, held a large handful of sunflower seeds in her hand, cracking them as she asked.

“Go on, go on, what’s it to you?” The middle-aged woman waved her broom and threw it over.

“Jiang family’s eldest, you’d better think this through,” said an older man from the other side; he leaned on his cane as he earnestly spoke.

“Since he wants to leave, I won’t stop him, but I can’t let him get away without paying. I’ll make sure he repays every bit of the money he’s eaten and drunk here over the years,” Father Jiang said, holding his head high with an indifferent look, making the onlookers shake their heads. This couple was beyond saving.

“Jiang family head, I don’t like hearing that. I remember that Xiao He mostly eats food from the Liu family’s restaurant. Last year during the New Year, they even bought a whole set of clothes for him, and you gave them to your nephew to wear,” the woman who had been cracking sunflower seeds earlier remarked.

“Niu Cuilan, when did it become your place to interfere? You should take care of your own little corner instead,” Mother Jiang snapped. Clearly, she hated being accused of favoritism. Looking at Jiang Bao, who had always been a well-behaved child, her resentment towards her biological son grew stronger. She even thought to herself that it would have been better if she had never given birth to Jiang He.

“Hmph! I couldn’t care less about your family’s problems,” Niu Cuilan retorted. After being rebuffed by Mother Jiang, she didn’t say another word and turned to head back to her own little yard.

“Sigh! I just hope you don’t regret this in the future,” the old man said as he helplessly watched the situation unfold. He no longer tried to persuade them. Having seen countless people, he had always thought that the Jiang family’s son would be extraordinary in the future. Just now, he had seen something different in the young man’s eyes.

The Jiang couple really were throwing away a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed. Who knew if they would regret it later?

But all he could do was sigh and leave. After all, it wasn’t his family’s issue, and the more he intervened, the more others would think he was just enjoying the spectacle of their troubles.

To be honest, as soon as Jiang He stepped outside, he regretted it. He hadn’t brought a single cent with him, not even the few dozen yuan that the original owner had secretly hidden away. He was still wearing these patched-up old clothes. Looking back at Jiang Bao, who was dressed in a neat Zhongshan suit, he felt more and more resentful of his past self for not being able to do better.

With his hands in his pockets, Jiang He walked down the street, glancing at the shops on either side. He was thinking about how to earn that 500 yuan. In his space, there was plenty of food and drink, so he didn’t have to worry about going hungry.

However, if he were to take those things out, they were items that far exceeded the era, and it would be easy for others to notice. If someone reported him, he could end up in a major amount of trouble, possibly even in prison.

In the 1960s, if you dared to hawk goods on the street, you could easily be charged with the crime of “speculation and profiteering.” That kind of crime could get you sentenced harshly, possibly even a death sentence.

Although there were items that could be sold in the black market, and sometimes the government would turn a blind eye—after all, everyone had their own troubles—Jiang He wasn’t willing to take that risk.

He couldn’t go thinking that time-travel novels or dramas were so impressive—those main characters only looked amazing because the supporting cast was made to seem dumb. If it were real life, they’d probably be dead several times over by now.

“Xiao He!”

Just then, a loud voice suddenly called out from behind him.

Jiang He turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in a white tank top, his beer belly sticking out. For some reason, Jiang His eyes suddenly felt a little sore—he knew it was the lingering emotions of the original host.

“Uncle Liu!”

“Your dad and mom are getting more and more outrageous. And you too—why didn’t you come find your Uncle and Aunt Liu after leaving home? You’re already this grown up and still so clueless?”

The middle-aged man looked at Jiang He’s pitiful expression and silently cursed that couple from the Jiang family a thousand times.

He and his wife had been married for many years without having any children of their own, so he had a special fondness for kids. He still remembered the first time he met Jiang He, he was so small and was as skinny as a bag of bones from hunger, yet those big, watery eyes stared right at him. No matter how tough-hearted someone was, they’d still be moved.

“Uncle Liu… you found out?” Jiang He wasn’t sure why, but even though the man’s words carried a tone of scolding, he could still clearly feel the genuine care coming from this middle-aged man standing in front of him.

“Who doesn’t know what’s going on in your family? That big mouth Niu Cuilan has already spread the news all over town,” Uncle Liu said with a sigh. “Your aunt’s been worried sick and told me to come out and look for you. You’re all grown up now, but you still don’t let us have a moment of peace.”

As he spoke, he grabbed Jiang He’s hand. “Come home with Uncle. Your aunt cooked all your favorite dishes. Oh, and… here, take this.”

“Uncle Liu… what’s this?” Jiang He felt a thick stack of something being shoved into his hand, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears. He could feel it—every word the man said came from the heart.

“A grown man crying like this—what’s that all about, huh?” Uncle Liu sighed. “Good kid, once you get through all this, things will go smoothly for you. Your aunt and I, we’ve been together all these years without a child… Keeping this money is pointless for us anyway.”

“Uncle!” Jiang He was genuinely anxious now. It wasn’t that he was incapable of coming up with 500 yuan. He just didn’t want the people who cared about him to worry or sacrifice for him. He was just about to shove the money back when the sound of a door opening interrupted him.

“What are you two standing at the door for? The food’s going to get cold,” The middle-aged woman walked out, just as Jiang He was struggling to find the right words. She was wearing a floral cotton jacket and had a scarf tied around her head. Her appearance was sharp and she looked capable, but the pain and tenderness in her eyes couldn’t be hidden no matter how hard she tried.

“Auntie…” Jiang He searched through the memories in his mind and immediately recognized the woman in front of him as Uncle Liu’s wife—the one who had given warmth and kindness to the original host.

“Silly child, you’ve probably been wandering around all day without eating, huh? Come in quickly. After you eat, get a good night’s sleep. Auntie’s already made the bed in the room for you. If you’ve got nowhere else to go, just stay here,” Aunt Liu said, looking at him with heartache in her eyes. In her heart, she cursed that Jiang couple a few more times.

She had injured her body when she was younger, which left her unable to have children. All these years, she had longed for a child of her own—but fate just hadn’t been kind.

Jiang He had been the first child she ever met and instantly liked; he was obedient, sensible, and kind. It was just a pity he’d ended up with such a pair of parents.

“Alright!” Jiang He clutched the thick envelope in his hand and, meeting Aunt Liu’s warm and loving gaze, he gave her a firm response.

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TN:

Updates for this should be every day for now 👍