Old Deng is reborn in the 1980s, and he starts by severing his father-son relationship!

Chapter 106 The elderly couple is going back to their hometown! A meeting! Intelligence gathering!

As dusk settles, crowds throng Qianmen Street.

Chen Deshun rode his bicycle slowly around the crowd, his eyes scanning every corner like a hawk, but he couldn't find Yan Xiaoliu.

After glancing at the sky, Chen Deshun decided not to linger any longer, turned the car around, and headed home.

His task for Yan Xiaoliu was to keep an eye on Huang Hansheng for three nights, and today was the third day.

If nothing unexpected happens, he should appear near the Huang family's house tonight.

There's no point in staying at the front gate any longer; we might as well wait until after dinner and go straight to the Huang family's gate.

When I got home, the aroma of food was already wafting out of the house.

Chen Lihua was called over by Old Lady Shen to set the table, while Chen Jianshe sat at the table with his legs crossed, waiting for the meal to begin.

Chen Deshun washed his hands, and the family sat down around the table to eat.

Chen Deshun had just taken a couple of bites of rice when Grandma Shen suddenly put down her chopsticks and slowly said, "Your father and I have discussed it. We've been here for several days now, and we've decided to take the bus back tomorrow."

Chen Deshun paused in his chopsticks, then immediately tried to persuade her to stay, saying, "Mom, what's the rush? I haven't shown you around properly yet. Why don't you stay?"

The old man waved his hand: "Alright, we'll stay here. Where will the second and fourth sons sleep after they're discharged from the hospital?"

Without a second thought, Chen Deshun made the arrangement: "That's easy, let the three brothers squeeze in."

Chen Jianshe, who was engrossed in eating, stopped abruptly, immediately pouting with a reluctant expression: "Dad, I don't want to share a bed with them—"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Deshun glared at him, and Chen Jianshe shrank back, mumbling and stammering as he reluctantly picked at the rice in his bowl.

Chen Lihua, standing to the side, smirked and secretly rejoiced. Luckily, her older sister had married early; if she were still at home, she would definitely be sharing a bed with her sister right now.

The old man wasn't angry. He looked at Chen Deshun and explained, "It's not about where we live. Spring planting is coming soon, and your older brother can't manage the fields by himself. Your mother and I have to go back."

Spring plowing near Beijing usually takes place from late March to early April. This winter was cold, the spring season started late, the thawing was slow, and the temperature rose slowly, so the planting season was indeed delayed. Calculating the time, it's almost time to get busy.

"We just came to see you; we still have a lot to take care of at home," Grandma Shen said. She had indeed been worried about her family since she left.

Spring plowing is of paramount importance to farmers. Knowing he couldn't persuade them otherwise, Chen Deshun didn't insist and changed the subject, saying, "Then you can leave the day after tomorrow."

"Why leave the day after tomorrow? What difference does it make if we leave one more day or one less? Going back sooner will put our minds at ease," the old man asked, puzzled.

Chen Deshun wiped his mouth: "I'm off the day after tomorrow, so I'll go back with you guys then."

He figured that the Huang family's matter should be resolved in the next couple of days. If the 1,800 yuan compensation arrived, he could go back and buy some more things, and also pay back all the money he owed to his older brother, older sister, and his wife's family.

If I don't make it, I'll just consider it a visit home, since I haven't been back to the village in a long time.

"Alright, let's leave the day after tomorrow. It won't make a difference if we leave one more day." After thinking about it for a moment, Grandma Shen nodded in agreement.

At that moment, another argument broke out at Wang Xiuying's house next door.

Chen Deshun didn't look up. He knew why without even thinking. He had done what he was supposed to do. The rest was none of his business. Everyone had their own fate.

No one spoke at the dinner table; everyone just kept their heads down and ate.

It's not that I'm cold-blooded, but after hearing the gongs and drums every now and then, I get tired of it.

After finishing his meal, Chen Deshun made up an excuse, got on his bicycle, and left home.

The old man stood at the gate of the courtyard, arms crossed, watching his son's departing figure. He clicked his tongue, a hint of suspicion in his eyes: "Where were you going riding your bike in the middle of the night?"

Grandma Shen came out of the house, smiling and joking, "Why don't you go follow them and take a look?"

The old man rolled his eyes at his wife and shook his head in annoyance: "Try to pass the ball back; I'd need wheels on my feet to keep up with him."

The wheels made a slight sound as they rolled over the stone pavement.

Chen Deshun rode his bicycle straight toward Huang Hansheng's house.

Upon reaching the village entrance, Chen Deshun slowed down and quietly observed the surroundings.

The Huang family's gate was tightly closed, but in a dark corner diagonally opposite the Huang family's house, he spotted a figure crouching down.

The figure was huddled up in the dim light, seemingly eating something.

He squinted and, judging from his figure, it was indeed Yan Xiaoliu, the person he was looking for!

Although Yan Xiaoliu was eating, his vigilance, honed from years of operating in the gray area, made him keenly aware of Chen Deshun's gaze and he suddenly looked up.

Upon recognizing Chen Deshun, Yan Xiaoliu's wariness vanished instantly, replaced by joy. He put away the dry rations in his hand and prepared to get up and run over.

Chen Deshun immediately raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling him not to move. Then he parked the car and quietly walked over.

"Uncle, you've finally arrived," Yan Xiaoliu said excitedly in a low voice.

Chen Deshun hummed in agreement, then asked directly without uttering a word of preamble, "How have you been these past couple of days?"

Yan Xiaoliu took out a palm-sized notebook from his pocket and opened it.

Chen Deshun reached out and took the notebook. He glanced at it in the dim light, and his brows furrowed instantly.

The notebook was covered with densely written characters, written in a flamboyant and messy style, like scribbled characters. Only a few numbers could be barely recognized, but when strung together, they were completely incomprehensible.

Yan Xiaoliu scratched his head, chuckled a little embarrassed, took the notebook back from Chen Deshun, cleared his throat, and began to report: "On the first night, the target went out once. He was carrying a cloth bag, wearing a hat and mask, and also had a flashlight. He was riding a bicycle."

"He first went to the small hills around Shichahai and Houhai, then to Dongxiaoshi outside Chongwenmen, then to Baiqiao Market in Dongcheng District, then to Fuchang Street No. 5 south of Friendship Hospital, and finally turned to the antique shop at Hepingmen. He didn't go home until it was almost dawn."

"What did you do when you got there?" Chen Deshun asked.

The places Huang Hansheng went to were all gray trading areas in Beijing. Going there late at night, his purpose was obvious.

Yan Xiaoliu gave a wry smile: "Uncle, how could I dare to follow? If we got too close, I was sure to be discovered. That old man is extremely vigilant, he kept looking back every few steps, I even suspected that he had spotted me."

He paused, then added, "You only said you were to record his whereabouts, but you didn't ask me to record exactly what he did when he went out."

Chen Deshun was just mentioning it casually, mainly to test Yan Xiaoliu's understanding of the specific details.

Yan Xiaoliu looked around, then suddenly leaned closer, a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Uncle, who exactly is this person you asked me to follow? The places he goes to aren't exactly respectable places."

He often wandered around those places, suspecting that they harbored some unspeakable secrets.

"Go on, what about the next day?"

The two were merely employees, and Chen Deshun had no obligation to answer his questions.