Chapter 1: The Arrival of the Salted Fish

The 1960s

Jingcheng

The spring breeze brings warmth, the peach and plum blossoms vie for beauty, and the walls are covered with slogans of striving and progress.

Cao Weiguo carries a bag of cornmeal, humming a tune as he walks into the Sihe Academy.

In the blink of an eye, he has been in this world for a year.

A sudden car accident a year ago sent him to this world.

The identity the system arranged for him is that of a martyr's dependent.

Six years ago, his father sacrificed his life on the battlefield; three years ago, his mother passed away due to illness.

Alone and helpless, Cao Weiguo lived off his pension and relief from the neighborhood office.

Two years ago, eighteen-year-old Cao Weiguo graduated from high school.

That same year, he took over his mother's seniority and began working in the staff canteen of the Red Star Rolling Mill.

A year ago, because of a high fever that wouldn't subside, he was possessed by a soul...

Cao Weiguo crossed through time and space to arrive in this world.

Time moves forward like a wheel, and he, too, drifted with the tide, quickly integrating into this era.

"Ding! Daily check-in successful!"

"Obtained 1 jin of White Rabbit Creamy Candy, 10 jin of peanut seeds!"

Listening to the crisp mechanical sound in his mind, Cao Weiguo's mood is pleasant.

"The five-star red flag flutters in the wind, how resonant the song of victory is..."

Cao Weiguo hums a song all the way, walking with a cheerful pace.

When he reaches the middle courtyard, he sees the Eldest Uncle washing vegetables.

"Eldest Uncle, you're busy."

"Weiguo, you're back."

"I heard you passed the assessment for an 8th-grade cook. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Eldest Uncle."

The Eldest Uncle is named Yi Zhonghai, an 8th-grade fitter at the rolling mill.

After exchanging greetings, Cao Weiguo continues walking into the courtyard without stopping.

This Sihe Academy was once the residence of a high-ranking official during the Qing Dynasty; now it has become a crowded compound housing over a dozen families.

To coordinate neighborhood relations, the neighborhood office selected three respected old workers, known as the "Three Uncles."

Whenever a neighborhood dispute occurs in the courtyard, it is coordinated and resolved by the Three Uncles.

Regarding the Eldest Uncle, who claims to be a "moral benchmark," Cao Weiguo feels not a shred of closeness.

This Eldest Uncle has never helped Cao Weiguo.

Cao Weiguo also has no desire to have too much interaction with this Eldest Uncle.

"Hey!"

The Eldest Uncle watches Cao Weiguo's back, shaking his head and sighing.

"How come I didn't notice this kid before?"

"Forget it! Having Shazhu is enough!"

Passing by the water basin, a plump woman is washing clothes.

Wearing a blue work uniform, her bending posture forms an alluring curve.

"Weiguo, you're back!"

Seeing Cao Weiguo, the woman trots over.

Her large, captivating eyes are pitiful: "Weiguo, my family has run out of food. Can you help your sister?"

"Comrade Qin Huairu, let's not talk about helping for now. Hurry up and return the 10 yuan you borrowed. It's been so long; you aren't thinking of welching on the debt, are you? That is my hard-earned money, earned with sweat and blood, and I was counting on using it to get a wife."

Cao Weiguo shows no pity, instead pulling a long face and reaching out for the debt.

Looking at the pitiful, pretty widow before him.

Cao Weiguo cannot help but recall the past when he first crossed over.

The first time he saw Qin Huairu, Cao Weiguo's heart skipped a beat.

Everyone loves beauty; Cao Weiguo, being a man, is no exception.

Because of Qin Huairu's beauty, Cao Weiguo had also thought about tasting it.

Both the former "Cao Weiguo" and the current Cao Weiguo had provided relief to Qin Huairu.

But later, the appetites of Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi grew larger and larger.

Borrowing a jar of salt today, a few jin of flour tomorrow, and asking to borrow money the day after...

Insatiable, borrowing without returning, they wished they could empty out the Cao family.

This made Cao Weiguo begin to feel annoyed and wake up.

Slowly, Cao Weiguo began to avoid Qin Huairu.

Even if she put on the skin of the Thirteenth Aunt, Cao Weiguo would not want to throw his money into the water again.

But Qin Huairu's face is truly thick enough; whenever they meet, she will crowd up, telling her troubles and asking for help with a pitiful look.

Of course, this is not because Qin Huairu has taken a fancy to Cao Weiguo, but because of her mentality of casting a wide net to catch many fish.

The lecherous men at the rolling mill, Shazhu in the courtyard, Xu Damao, Cao Weiguo... these are all her targets.

Regardless of whether there are dates or not, she'll take a swing first.

"Qin Huairu! Do you still want any face!"

"Why is a widow crowding up to a bachelor!"

"Get back here right now!"

"If you dare to do anything that disgraces the Jia family's reputation!"

"I will definitely skin you alive!"

Jia Zhangshi, sitting at the door mending shoe soles, points at Qin Huairu and scolds angrily.

That shrill voice echoes through the Sihe Academy.

Qin Huairu's face turns pale from the scolding, and her large, captivating eyes quickly fill with tears.

Cao Weiguo watches the aggrieved and pitiful Qin Huairu with cold eyes.

He has long been accustomed to such things.

"Hey, some people are just black-hearted!"

"They have money at home but don't know how to help neighbors who are suffering and starving!"

"It really serves them right to be an orphan!"

"A stingy iron rooster who eats alone!"

"They won't have a good end!"

Following that, Jia Zhangshi's vicious mouth begins to curse and swear.

Cao Weiguo is so angry his face turns green, and he looks at Jia Zhangshi with cold, gloomy eyes.

"Good people don't live long, while scourges live for a thousand years!"

"Some people don't accumulate virtue, and as retribution, they curse their husbands to death and their sons to death!"

"Maybe one day you'll curse your grandson to death too."

"When you're old, you'll fall into a manure pit and drown!"

"Heaven is watching what people do. You old hag, you'd better go out at noon from now on, because sooner or later you will face retribution!"

"Be careful that when walking at night, someone will put you in a sack, throw you into a mountain ditch, and feed you to wild boars."

"Or maybe the wild boar will take you as a wife and then have a litter of piglets!"

Cao Weiguo is not a person who suffers in silence; he will not let Jia Zhangshi curse him at will.

Carrying the cornmeal, he walks while retorting, every sentence stabbing hard into Jia Zhangshi's heart. ===== CHAPTER 3 =====