Early the next morning, Gou Dan and Lu Dan were again looking at their little chicks.

“Mom, they look different every day,” Lu Dan said seriously, holding a chick in his hands and stroking its feathers. “I can’t wait to eat it.”

“Why do you want to eat it? It’s so cute,” Su Xiangwan asked.

Lu Dan threw the chick back into the nest and said confidently, “Because it was born to be eaten by me, just like the wild piglets in our village, they’re all meant to be eaten by us.”

Gou Dan, on the other hand, was a little softer in his heart. “Mom, I’ll say goodbye to it before I eat it.”

Today was the weekend.

Su Xiangwan had planned to visit that woman, Gu Nan, but before that, there was something important to do: Lu Dan had been wanting to learn martial arts, and she had been too busy to arrange it until now.

Su Xiangwan asked, “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Not long ago, you were always asking me to find Lao Xingtou to teach you martial arts, but what’s going on? You’re not practicing boxing, and you’re not even chasing after him anymore?”

Lu Dan disagreed, “I’ve been practicing on the sandbag every day. It’s just that you don’t see it because you’re working.”

Su Xiangwan pointed at the sandbag and said, “Then why don’t you practice a few punches on me? Let me see if you’ve got enough strength.”

Lu Dan, acting like an adult, said, “I can hit others, but you’re my mom. How can I hit you?”

“It’s fine. Your little punches can’t hurt me. Go ahead,” Su Xiangwan said generously. “Punch my belly. Don’t hold back, I can take it.”

Lu Dan clenched his fists together. “Okay, I’ll hit now.”

Su Xiangwan braced herself.

As soon as Lu Dan’s punch came, she was knocked down to the ground and had trouble getting up for a while.

“Mom, are you okay?” Lu Dan was frightened and kept rubbing her stomach. “I didn’t mean to, really.”

Su Xiangwan took a deep breath and gave a thumbs up. “Not bad, keep practicing.”

To help Lu Dan with his martial arts, Su Xiangwan had specially visited Lao Xingtou several times.

However, Lao Xingtou wasn’t in the village at the moment; he was in Qingchuan County collecting garbage.

The reason Lao Xingtou didn’t want to return to the village but chose to collect garbage in the city was that after his wife passed away, he became too lonely to stay in the village.

It’s known that in the countryside, more hands mean more labor, but if Lao Xingtou could teach Lu Dan some martial arts, it would also help alleviate his loneliness, wouldn’t it?

Besides, if a villager kept running around outside and was caught by the revolutionary committee, it would cause trouble for the whole village.

Since it was the weekend, Su Xiangwan decided to go to the city to find Lao Xingtou and to help Lu Dan find a teacher.

She specially washed her clothes for two years and prepared a few pancakes for Xiang Hong before catching the bus into the city.

Once in the city, she went straight to find Song Tingxiu.

He was at the police station, likely keeping track of the vagrants on the streets.

However, when she arrived at the police station, Su Xiangwan couldn’t find Song Tingxiu.

“Sis-in-law, there’s been a theft at Hongzhuan School, and our deputy director, Song, has gone there personally,” Xiao Wu said enthusiastically. “Do you want me to take you to find him?”

Su Xiangwan explained her purpose and directly asked Xiao Wu, “You’ve been patrolling the city. Have you seen an old man with graying hair, about sixty, but with a straight back?”

“Are you talking about Lao Xingtou?” Xiao Zhang from the police station chimed in. “Sis-in-law, he’s been busy collecting garbage at the health clinic, Hongzhuan School, and the department store. If you want to find him, I can take you there.”

Lu Dan quickly said, “Yes, yes! Uncle Xiao Zhang, take me and Song Donghai to find him.”

“I want to go too!” Gou Dan didn’t want to be left out, quickly adding, “I’m Song Xiling, I’ll go too!”

The two children had a huge grievance with their nicknames.

Now, wherever they went, they insisted on introducing themselves by their full names.

“Donghai, Xiling, right? I’ll take you there,” Xiao Zhang said. “Let’s go.”

Just then, Xiao Wu spoke up, “Hey, Xiao Zhang, don’t you have to deal with the Qian Jianjian case? You need to go to the 307th group, but I’ll take care of this, don’t worry.”

When Su Xiangwan heard the name “Qian Jianjian,” her ears perked up. “Qian Jianjian, wasn’t he sent to labor reform at the reservoir? Who’s planning on releasing him?”

Xiao Wu, seeing Su Xiangwan as the wife of his admired Song and eager to help her, hurriedly began explaining.

It turns out that after the explosion that day, Fang Gaodi died, and Fang Jinhui went missing.

However, at this point, the Provincial Military District suddenly issued an order for a special soldier enlistment, calling for Qian Jianjian to enlist.

As for what special skill Qian Jianjian had, Xiao Wu and Xiao Zhang obviously didn’t know.

They also didn’t know how he managed to get connected with the Provincial Military District.

Their job was simply to handle the household registration, and that was it.

Su Xiangwan, however, didn’t have any major prejudices against anyone in this world.

But Fang Jinhui and Qian Jianjian, those two were the exceptions.

In her mind, they were nothing but scum.

She took note of this but didn’t say anything more. She turned around and left the police station.

Following Xiao Wu, she found the back of the department store, and sure enough, Lu Dan started shouting, “Grandpa Xingtou, Grandpa Xingtou.”

“Isn’t this Lu Dan from Xiao Song Village?” Old Xingtou was picking up trash and stood up to say.

Su Xiangwan walked forward and called out, “Uncle Xingtou.”

Who would have known that Old Xingtou suddenly pulled a long face. “So it’s you, Su Xiangwan. What, you still haven’t beaten your kids to death?”

Su Xiangwan smiled and replied, “How could I? Kids should be cherished, not beaten. Besides, you’ve been away for so long. Let’s go back to the village.”

Old Xingtou was still tidying his trash, humming as he said, “I heard you’re still the village secretary of Xiao Song Village? Let me tell you the truth, when a tiger sits in the hall and a monkey is the scribe, I’d rather starve than go back to such a village.”

Gou Dan didn’t know how to explain. “Grandpa Xingtou, when my mom beat us, it was because my dad wasn’t around. But now that he’s back, my mom’s really good to us.”

“A woman, oh, when the man isn’t around, she beats the kids. When the man returns, she starts sucking up to the kids. Do you know what that’s called?” Old Xingtou pointed at Gou Dan’s nose and said, “It’s called loving wealth and hating poverty. Do you understand?”

Su Xiangwan immediately understood that Old Xingtou was a man of integrity, the kind who wouldn’t bend.

And for some reason, she agreed with his point of view. “Yes, a woman who has children should treat them well. If she can’t even take care of her own children, she doesn’t deserve to be a woman.”

“You’re saying this to please Qingshan, right? It’s a pity, though. I, Old Xingtou, have long seen through you—you’re just a vain woman,” he said.

Well, Su Xiangwan didn’t agree with that.

“People rise to higher places, water flows to lower places. Uncle Xingtou, there’s nothing wrong with women being vain. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to look. But today, you have to come back to the village with me.” While she did want to find a teacher for Lu Dan, Su Xiangwan wasn’t trying to please the old man.

Old Xingtou immediately became angry. “What if I don’t go back?”

“Then I’ll report to the police that you were once a villager of Xiao Song Village but refuse to go back to the village and are avoiding labor,” Su Xiangwan said.

Old Xingtou was even angrier. “So what if I’m avoiding labor? Fine, let the county police arrest me and lock me in prison for a few days. Someone will feed me, right?”

One person is full, and the whole family isn’t hungry. How great is that?

Su Xiangwan laughed at the old man, giving him a thumbs up. “You’re tough, but you should know you’re losing a great potential disciple who could inherit your martial arts. If you end up dying in prison and no one inherits your skills, you’ll regret it.”

Dealing with stubborn old bones like him required the right approach.

Su Xiangwan grabbed Lu Dan and said, “Donghai, let’s go. Your Grandpa Xingtou has excellent martial arts, but he’d rather be buried with his own skills than teach you. Some things can’t be forced.”

“Do you really think Lu Dan is a good candidate for martial arts?” Sure enough, Old Xingtou bit the hook. “Come on, Lu Dan, try punching me.”

Lu Dan was nervous and turned to ask Su Xiangwan, “What if I punch him to death?”

Su Xiangwan whispered, “You won’t kill him, don’t worry. Just punch him.”

Lu Dan took a deep breath, walked up to Old Xingtou, and really put all his strength into a punch.

Old Xingtou’s hand was lightning-fast and caught his hand, exclaiming, “This kid’s strength in his hands is good.”

Su Xiangwan couldn’t help but feel a little proud but just smiled.

Old Xingtou became interested and noticed a platform about 1.2 meters high nearby. He patted it and said, “Come on, Lu Dan, jump up there. Let me see your leg strength.”

Lu Dan gestured and noticed the platform was about the same height as himself. He turned around and said, “I can’t, it’s too high. I can’t jump up there.”

“If you can’t jump up, then you have no leg strength, and I’m not willing to take you in,” Old Xingtou said regretfully.

Su Xiangwan felt that Old Xingtou was just making excuses.

She measured the platform and said, “Uncle Xingtou, even an adult would have trouble jumping up there, let alone a child.”

But just then, a child appeared from nowhere behind them. Without saying a word, he ran back a few steps, charged at the platform, and with a leap, managed to jump up.

Not only was Su Xiangwan dumbfounded, but even Officer Wu’s mouth dropped open. “Where did this kid come from, and how does he have such strength in his legs?”

The boy standing on the platform was about ten years old, dark-skinned and thin, tall, and with his arms crossed, looking down coldly at Su Xiangwan.

“Li Chengze, are you out of your mind? Get back here now!” A woman’s displeased voice came from the distance.

The boy frowned, immediately jumped off the platform, and ran off without looking back.

Li Chengze?

Su Xiangwan turned around in shock, thinking, Isn’t that the little wild boar cub who’s supposed to be after zhizhi in the future?

The little brat, is he showing up right in front of me now?

She quickly turned and hurried a few steps, but when she turned around the corner of the department store, she found there was no sign of anyone ahead.

Su Xiangwan remembered that Song Qingshan had mentioned that Li Chengze was being raised by Gu Nan.

However, from the tone of her earlier shout, it was clear that the woman seemed quite impatient with Li Chengze.

Could that woman be Gu Nan?

Should she follow and take a closer look?