Reborn in the 60s, I hunt to support my family and even seduce the village beauty.

Without letting the old lady do anything, Chang Kun rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen himself.

He planned to cook a meal for the elderly couple to try, as a way of showing filial piety on behalf of his aunt.

The stove was small, with two iron pots, one steaming cornbread buns and the other empty.

He cleaned the empty pot, poured in the peanut oil he had taken from his spatial storage, and with a sizzling sound, the kitchen was instantly filled with the aroma of cooking.

Pan-fry the yellow croaker until golden brown on both sides, add scallions, half a ladle of water, cover and simmer.

Slice the pork belly and stir-fry it with cabbage. The pork slices curl up at the edges, and the cabbage is crisp and crunchy.

The tomatoes were diced and sprinkled with white sugar, and the cucumbers were smashed and mixed with minced garlic.

The old lady assisted from the side, squinting as she watched Chang Kun busy himself, muttering to herself.

"This child is so capable; he can do everything."

Inside the main room, the eight-immortal table was filled to the brim.

Yellow croaker, stir-fried cabbage with pork, tomatoes with sugar, smashed cucumber, a dish of peanuts, and cornbread made by the old lady, all golden and golden on the plate.

Chang Kun opened the tiger bone wine and poured a cup for Fan Degui. The old lady also poured a cup for herself. The wine was a deep yellow color, with the smell of medicine mixed with the aroma of wine.

The old man picked up his wine cup, but didn't drink it right away. He looked at the dishes on the table for a long time, his eyes reddening, and then he sighed.

I wish it were my own son.

Chang Kun clinked glasses with him, took a sip, and put down his cup.

Seeing the old man's distress, he offered words of comfort.

"Grandpa, don't worry, even if your son is no good, you still have your daughter."

"Your aunt lives in the capital and is doing well now, she won't abandon you."

Fan Degui held the wine cup, took a small sip, smacked his lips, and put the cup down.

The old lady didn't say anything. She picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, squinted, and slowly picked out the bones. She did this very carefully, and then put the fish in a small bowl of water.

"That girl Taohong," Fan Degui began, "is someone we've wronged. That scoundrel Laibao doesn't deserve such a good wife."

"It's out of control. Let it be."

The old lady didn't even look up; she just sighed.

The chopsticks were still busy around the small bowl of water, picking up fish, meat, and cucumber for Xiao Shui, piling the bowl until it was overflowing.

She didn't put any chopsticks in her mouth the whole time; she was busy with her own things. Only after she finished did she pick up the bowl and take a bite of the cornbread.

Little Shui, her mouth greasy and cheeks bulging, mumbled, "Grandma, you eat too. Don't just put food on my plate."

The old lady smiled and said, "Grandma is eating, you eat yours."

After dinner, it was already dark. There were no lights in the yard, only the dim yellow light of the kerosene lamp emanating from the house.

Chang Kun wiped his mouth, stood up, and said he would go find a guesthouse.

Fan Degui tried his best to stop him.

"You silly child, how can we let you stay outside when you're at home?"

"Why look for a guesthouse? Lai Bao's room is empty, it has a bed and bedding, you and Xiao Shui can make do for the night."

Before Chang Kun could refuse, Xiao Shui had already slid off the stool, tugged at his clothes and shook him, tilting her head up with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Big brother, I want to stay at Grandpa's house, I don't want to go to the guesthouse."

The old lady had already gotten up and gone to the side room to boil water, muttering to herself.

"Stay here, stay here. Where are we going to find a guesthouse so late at night? We don't know anyone here."

Chang Kun glanced at the pitch-black sky outside the window, then at Xiao Shui's reluctant expression, and didn't refuse any longer.

Fan Laibao's room was on the west side of the courtyard, with a wooden bed and a three-drawer table.

The old lady came in the dark, took the bedding out and changed it, replacing it with clean ones.

Xiao Shui took off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, rolled around on the blanket, rolling to the left and then to the right, her red ribbon askew, "So soft, so soft."

The old lady stood by the bed, squinting at her, the smile lines at the corners of her mouth deepening.

Chang Kun pushed Xiao Shui into the quilt.

The little girl had been up all day, and her eyelids were starting to droop. She fell asleep soon after lying down, her little hands still clutching the corner of the blanket, her mouth slightly open, and her breathing even.

Fan Degui stood at the door, looked at Xiao Shui for a while, and did not go into the house. He just asked Chang Kun what his plans were for tomorrow.

"I'm going to Zhao Jia Gou tomorrow to deliver some things to someone."

Fan Degui nodded: "Zhaojiagou is not close, we'll have to take a car there tomorrow."

Chang Kun responded.

He had initially thought that upon hearing the name "Zhao Family Village," he would have to take a bus, then an oxcart, and finally walk a long way to get there.

It would be best to take a bus there to avoid the hassle.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chang Kun got up.

Xiao Shui was still asleep in bed, her braids scattered all over the pillow, her mouth slightly open.

Chang Kun didn't call her. He quietly got dressed and went to the main room to say goodbye to the old couple.

The old lady was squatting in front of the stove cooking porridge when she heard the noise and looked up: "Eat before you go."

"No, Grandma, I have to get going. When Xiaoshui wakes up, tell her I have some errands to run and I might not be back until tomorrow."

"I'll go back to the capital with her then."

The old lady nodded and didn't stay any longer.

Fan Degui, wearing a coat, escorted Chang Kun to the courtyard gate, gave him directions, and stood at the gate watching him walk out of the alley before turning back.

After leaving the alley and walking for a while, Chang Kun boarded a bus heading towards Zhaojiagou.

The bus was one of those old-fashioned round-nosed buses, and there weren't many people inside. It swayed and bumped along for more than half an hour.

There are fewer and fewer houses outside the window, and more and more farmland. In the distance, you can see a few hazy mountains.

Upon arriving at the station, Chang Kun inquired about the location of Zhaojiagou and then got off the bus.

The roadside was bare, without even a road sign, just a winding dirt road stretching forward.

He looked around, but there was no oxcart or even a soul in sight.

I took the bicycle out of the space, and the dirt road was full of potholes, making my butt hurt from the bumpy ride.

After riding for about half an hour, I saw a gray village in the distance, with low houses scattered haphazardly on a gentle slope.

Chang Kun parked his bicycle at the village entrance, looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, and then, on a whim, took out all the things he had prepared in advance from his spatial storage.

Three bags of rice, one sack each of radishes and cabbage, some flour, peanut oil, cloth, and brown sugar.

He tied each item to the back of the bicycle with rope, almost flattening the rear wheel.

He then took out a wad of cash from his pocket, counted it—fifty yuan—and stuffed it into his inner pocket.

He pushed his bicycle into the village.

The village roads were dirt roads, full of potholes, with low adobe houses on both sides, the plaster peeling off the walls to reveal the adobe bricks inside.

The yard was quiet inside and out, with only the occasional weak bark of a dog.

An old man squatted at his doorstep, smoking a pipe. The wrinkles on his face were so deep they looked like they had been carved by a knife.

An old woman sat on the doorstep picking wild vegetables. Half of the leaves were yellow, but she couldn't bear to throw them away, so she picked off the edible parts and put them in her basket.

Several people looked up when they saw Chang Kun pushing a cart with lots of bags and packages on it.