Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 27

As soon as the fieldwork was done, Zhao Shenggu took Guan Yuan to the Yue River to start catching fish. When they arrived at the riverbank, they saw quite a few people were already there. Some were using scoop nets, while others simply waded into the shallows and grabbed at the water with their bare hands. Keep in mind—this was March! Just thinking about it made Guan Yuan shiver.

Guan Mulin was among them. He'd been hooked ever since catching two fish in the river last time, and since the farm work had just finished, he'd been coming to the river early every morning, hoping for more luck. But so far, he hadn't even seen a single fish. The moment he spotted Zhao Shenggu, his eyes lit up: "Shenggu! Hurry, hurry! Last time I only caught fish because I followed your lead—now you give it a shot!"

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 26

After Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan left, Guan Manku gave Guan He a thumbs-up. "Dad, you really thought this through. Now we not only get rid of two freeloaders, but we also come out ahead in practical terms."

The others all chimed in with agreement.

When Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan got back to their place, Guan Yuan looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Brother, you're so clever! Now we don't have to be tangled up with them anymore!"

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 25

Xiao Zhang was startled by the crowd's angry glares. "Wh—what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? There are only two fish here, and you say you want to buy them all? And you're asking what's wrong?"

"Th—then can I at least buy one?"

"Not even one! If you buy it, what are we supposed to eat?"

"That's right! That's right!"

Seeing the situation turn against him, Xiao Zhang had no choice but to throw his weight around.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 24

After hearing Guan He's words, Zhao Shenggu gave a mocking smile. "I caught them right there in the Yue River. If you want to catch some too, who's stopping you?"

Guan Manku quickly pressed him: "Everyone knows you caught them in the Yue River! So many people have tried and never caught a thing, but you managed to pull some out. You must have a trick—don't keep it to yourself, Shenggu!"

"That's a strange thing to say, Second Uncle Guan. I've never fished before in my life. Last time was just luck. What trick could I possibly have?"

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 23

On the way back, Guan Yuan asked Zhao Shenggu about Guan Mumu. It turned out that Guan Mumu had both parents, but unfortunately, his mother was incredibly lazy. His father, Guan Shulin, was the village carpenter. He had given up carpentry work a few years back but had recently picked it up again. All in all, business was decent.

Guan Mumu's mother was called Wu Xiuli. She was famously lazy throughout Guanjia Village. Her child always looked unkempt and dirty, but aside from that, Guan Mumu wasn't mistreated in any way. Because Guan Shulin was a carpenter, his family lived a little better than most other families in the village.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 22

Zhao Shenggu glanced at Yang Xiucui. "I don't have the skill to hold back both aunts!" With that, he took Guan Yuan and went straight into the house. Yang Xiucui was just about to start cursing after him when Guan Manxing and Guan Manyue got into another fight over there. She had no choice but to drop the matter with Zhao Shenggu and turn back to break them up.

That was the one downside of being healthy again – Guan Yuan could hear every bit of the shouting and brawling from the main house all too clearly. Irritated, he covered his ears. "Fighting and squabbling all day long. So annoying."

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 21

"Grandfather, what do you think we should do about this?" Zhao Shenggu stopped paying attention to Guan Manku and his wife, fixing his gaze squarely on Guan He.

Yang Xiucui, however, didn't wait for Guan He to speak and cut in first: "What do you mean, 'what do we do'? He's just a kid—how many clothes does he need? What's wrong with giving one to his brother?"

"So that makes it okay to just go in and steal? If Grandma Guan thinks that's how things should be, then I'll go out and tell everyone exactly how the Guan family has treated Xiao Yuan all these years. I'm the one paying for his meals, there are so many people in this house, and I still have to beg others to make clothes for him. Let's see if the Guan family still has any face left."

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 20

When Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan returned to the Guan family home, everyone had already finished lunch. No one asked whether the two boys had eaten or not. Yang Xiucui watched them walk in, rolled her eyes, mumbled something under her breath, and went back inside.

Li Yuezhi, however, spotted the wooden bucket in Zhao Shenggu's hand and gave him a sharp once-over. "Erwa, what did you take the bucket out for?"

Zhao Shenggu kept his composure. "I thought I'd check if there were any fish in the river. Figured it'd be handier to have a bucket along."

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 19

The moment Guan Yuan finished speaking, the old man came hurrying back, followed by a young man in a uniform. 

"Here's the money. Give me the fish."

Zhao Shenggu took the money and handed over the fish, which the young man beside the old man promptly took.

Guan Yuan was annoyed that the old man had kept Zhao Shenggu waiting for so long without even a clear explanation. He didn't care who the old man was—his tone was sharp.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 18

The next day, under Yang Xiucui's support, Guan Manyue ransacked the Guan household one more time and then left.

Because they hadn't slept at all the night before, Yang Feifang and Guan Mancang both failed to get up, which made Yang Xiucui stand at the main house's doorway and hurl abuse at the top of her lungs. Yang Feifang had no choice but to drag her exhausted body out of bed to do her chores. The bruise on her stomach from Zhao Shenggu's kick was still clearly visible. She must have been frightened by him too, because the next day she made sure to keep her distance whenever she spotted him or Guan Yuan.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 17

Guan Yuan left Guan Yu's cries behind him as he entered the room and collapsed weakly onto the kang. He felt like he was sick. It had only been a short while since he'd seen Zhao Shenggu, but his heart already felt hollow—he desperately wanted to see him again. 

Outside in the yard, Guan Yu's crying grew louder, followed immediately by Yang Feifang's startled shouts. He didn't need to look to know what state Guan Yu was in now.

The sound of messy footsteps in the yard moved toward the clinic. Guan Yuan sighed. Finally, some quiet.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 16

Because of the healing effects of the spiritual spring water, Third Grandma's condition stabilized the very next day—even the doctors found it unbelievable. 

Guan Mandi knelt by Third Grandma's bed, sobbing uncontrollably. Zhao Shenggu took one look at him and lost any desire to say much. He quietly slipped out of the ward with Guan Yuan.

"Brother, should we still ask Uncle Mandi for the money back?"

"Yes. We're getting it from him, no matter what. We can let others off, but not him."

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 15

In his past life, he had been muddleheaded, and Zhao Shenggu never told him any of these things, so Guan Yuan also didn't know whether Zhao Juan had been caught back then. But he did remember that not long after this, Third Grandma Guan would pass away. And although Zhao Juan often complained that Guan Mandi was useless, the couple had indeed stayed together all along.

This time, Zhao Shenggu absolutely wouldn't let Guan Yuan go. He kept him at home to tidy up the house. Zhao Shenggu was a clean person. Even though he was still a child, his room was always neat and orderly.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 14

Once the first month of the year passed, spring crept in quietly. Green began to show along the roadsides, and the Yue (moon) River thawed. The Yue River was a small stream that ran past Guanjia Village, named for its crescent-moon shape.

The children who had been cooped up at home by their parents were finally set free, scattering like birds released from their cages, their mischievous figures popping up everywhere.

That day, Guan Yuan was sitting on the edge of a field, staring blankly at Zhao Shenggu, when someone patted him on the shoulder.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 13

Guan Manku saw that they all disagreed with him, and every word they said cut straight to his heart. He couldn't help but let out a loud laugh. "Fine, fine. You see that I'm useless now, so you just watch me suffer and treat money like it's more important than life itself. You'll regret this sooner or later!" By the time he got to the last sentence, he was grinding his teeth in anger.

Everyone assumed he was just lashing out because he didn't get the money. But Guan Yuan could tell from the look on Guan Manku's face that he was genuinely plotting something.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 12

Guan Mancang and Guan Manku didn't return until dusk. The moment they got back, Guan Manku started fuming angrily: "That wretched girl Manyue—not only did she refuse to help, she even said I deserved it! And Eldest Sister kept making excuses to dodge me too. I've finally seen it clear—when it really comes down to it, you can only count on yourself. Nobody else is worth counting on!"

Li Yuezhi was equally indignant: "Honestly! All these years, our family has given Eldest Sister's family so many good things, and now when we're in trouble, she's completely useless. Even if we fed those things to a dog, at least the dog would bark at us affectionately."

Yang Xiucui couldn't stand hearing that and immediately started arguing with Li Yuezhi. Yang Feifang, never one to miss a chance to stir things up, added fuel to the fire with her snide comments, making Yang Xiucui even angrier.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 11

After that incident, Zhao Shenggu became even more vigilant around the Guan family, keeping Guan Yuan tightly under his protection.

On the third day after her wedding, Guan Manyue came back to her parents' house for the customary visit—but she showed up by herself. Wang Guohui was nowhere to be seen. As soon as she walked in, she hugged Yang Xiucui and burst into tears, "What kind of man is that? He's been out of his mind ever since we got back. His family had to tie him to the bed, or he'd start hitting people. Mom, I'm not going back…"

Yang Xiucui's eyes were also full of tears. She genuinely felt heartbroken for Guan Manyue. Although Yang Xiucui had always been a sharp-tongued and quarrelsome woman, even she didn't dare to talk back when Guan He flew into a rage.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 10

"Haha! That was hilarious!" Guan Yuan laughed heartily at Yang Feifang's reaction.

Zhao Shenggu looked at Guan Yuan helplessly. "Xiao Yuan, you shouldn't have provoked her. When your father gets back, he's going to scold you."

Guan Yuan looked completely unfazed. "Let him scold me if he wants. Brother, are you going to just stand there and watch him yell at me? Do you think I'm a bad kid?"

Zhao Shenggu sighed and picked Guan Yuan up. "My Xiao Yuan is so good—how could you possibly be a bad kid? I'm just worried that you'll be hurt when your father scolds you." He had no parents himself, and even though Guan Yuan had a father, that father might as well not have existed. Every time Zhao Shenggu saw Guan Yuan looking at Guan Mancang with those longing eyes, his heart ached. He could protect Guan Yuan from bullies, but he couldn't make Guan Mancang love him.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 9

Yang Xiucui slapped her thigh. "I knew that little brat wasn't being honest with us. Watching our whole family run around worried sick, and he didn't say a single word—he was probably standing there laughing at us. I don't care what it takes, I have to get that money out of him! Old man, you agree with me, don't you?"

Guan He paused for a moment, then spoke with feigned righteousness: "If a child his age really has that kind of money on him, it's bound to bring trouble. Better for us to keep it safe for him—that way, we won't be letting down his grandfather's trust either." 

Yang Feifang snickered inwardly, but kept a straight face and said, "Dad's right. A little kid like him can't be trusted to hold onto that much money. It would only end up hurting him."

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 8

Zhao Shenggu noticed that Guan Yuan was staring at the sled, and assumed he wanted to try it too. So he took Guan Yuan over to a group of children. The village chief's son, named Guan Erzhuang, came from a well-off family and was stockier than the other kids.

"Erzhuang, lend me your sled," Zhao Shenggu said with a serious face.

Guan Erzhuang sniffed hard, his nose running. He was a bit afraid of Zhao Shenggu. Mustering his courage, he cautiously said, "What if I say no?" 

Zhao Shenggu gestured for him to come over alone. Guan Erzhuang didn't want to go, but he was afraid Zhao Shenggu might hit him, so he told his sidekick to watch the sled, shuffled his feet reluctantly, and came over to Zhao Shenggu.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 7

This year, the Guan family placed unusual importance on the New Year. Yang Xiucui not only had her daughters-in-law hand out white flour, but she also gave out more pork than usual. 

Guan Taixing and the other kids were overjoyed at the sight of meat and hung around the kitchen door all day, hoping that when Yang Xiucui wasn't around, Yang Feifang and the others might sneak a piece out to stuff into their mouths. Of course, everyone looked out for their own. Even Zhao Xiulian, who was usually so honest, followed her sisters-in-law to steal meat for her own children.

Naturally, no one bothered with Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu.

Guan Yuan didn't care about their little scraps of meat anyway. Lately, thanks to his space, he'd been finding chances to feed Zhao Shenggu well. In just a few days, both of them had filled out a bit.

Husband, Hungry, Eat! Chapter 130 Part 2 (End)

"Daddy, you have them on your face too," Fanfan said, reaching up to scratch himself, his voice wobbly with discomfort. "It's so itchy…"

"Don't scratch. Let me put some medicine on you." Qi Cheng was itchy too. At that moment, he really missed his husband, but since his husband wasn't there, he had to hold back his whining and look for some cooling oil or mosquito repellent lotion to apply on his son.

Luckily, hotel rooms always had these things on hand.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 6

Wang Er Mazi was a well-known scoundrel in the village, named for his pockmarked face. His family had been poor peasants for generations. He loafed around all day doing nothing, loved to drink, and after a few cups, would harass the married women in the village. He'd been beaten up more times than anyone could count.

He was always boasting about his "poor peasant" status, claiming he came from the purest revolutionary stock. Whenever anything happened in any household, he'd show up uninvited to eat and drink for free. 

[During China's revolutionary era (1950s–70s), "poor peasant" was considered the most politically reliable class status. People from this background were seen as inherently loyal to the revolution, while those from landlord or rich peasant families were viewed with suspicion — not just because they were wealthy, but because the regime labeled them as "class enemies" who had exploited poor peasants through rent and high interest. During land reform, their property was confiscated and redistributed, and families were stigmatized for decades, barred from Party membership, military service, and higher education.]

Husband, Hungry, Eat! Chapter 130 Part 1

Chapter 130: Extra Story 3

Qi Cheng finally pulled off the 'run away with the ball' trope.

That evening, Bai Zongyin came home from work and didn't see the familiar figure in the house. He asked Auntie Zheng, who said worriedly, "Xiao Cheng left with Fanfan this morning. He didn't come back for lunch, and now it's this late… still not back."

"Maybe they're having too much fun outside," Uncle Quan said.

Bai Zongyin already had a pretty good idea of what was going on. His Chengcheng had finally made his escape.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 5

By the time Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan got back to the Guan family home, it was almost lunchtime. To save firewood, Yang Xiucui had lit a brazier in the main room, and the whole family was gathered there. At first glance, it almost looked like a warm, harmonious scene.

Yang Xiucui had been put in her place by Zhao Shenggu the day before, so when she saw the two of them come in from outside, she didn't dare say much—just a half-hearted complaint: "Out roaming around first thing in the morning, not lifting a finger to help with the housework, and now you're bringing all that cold air in here!" She didn't dare repeat the "eating for free" remarks, though. 

Zhao Shenggu couldn't be bothered to argue with her. He acted as if he hadn't heard and took Guan Yuan straight back to their room.