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

"If you didn't go to school, what did you do?"

Chen Sanqi's lips moved, but no sound came out.

Chen Deshun sighed and patiently advised, "Just say what's on your mind. I'll take care of things even if the sky falls. Running away won't solve anything. Don't you, a real man, even have the courage to face things?"

Perhaps it was Chen Deshun's gentler tone tonight, or perhaps it was the phrase "I'll hold the sky up if it falls" that touched Chen Sanqi.

His tense shoulders seemed to relax a little.

"I...I went out to earn money."

He spoke softly, then took out a handful of slightly damp coins from his pocket—some small bills, some one or two yuan—and carefully spread them out in his palm before handing them to Chen Deshun.

Chen Deshun looked at the pile of loose change, which probably added up to less than ten yuan, and felt a mix of emotions.

He didn't take the money, but simply asked, "Where did you earn that?"

"Collecting recyclables."

Chen Sanqi dared not look Chen Deshun in the eye and whispered.

Collecting recyclables was not his wish, but he was the only one in the class who hadn't paid his tuition and fees for the semester, which was already more than half a month overdue.

He just wanted to make enough money as quickly as possible.

With the money, he paid his tuition, and the teacher stopped pressuring him, and his classmates stopped laughing at him.

With money, Dad might finally smile at him.

He didn't know how to please his father, but he vaguely remembered that every time his father counted money, a rare smile would appear on his lips.

So he thought that as long as he could earn money, his father would be happy.

Chen Deshun didn't speak, but continued explaining to himself, "I discovered that I could get a lot of waste cardboard at a low price from some factory offices, and then resell it to recycling stations to make a profit. I could earn quite a bit of money every day. Unfortunately, I don't have much money..."

He laid out all the "business acumen" he had just discovered that day, his tone even carrying a hint of pride, like a child eager to show off his achievements to an adult and seek praise.

Chen Deshun listened quietly without interrupting him.

I never realized before that my youngest son was so clever; he set his sights on the urban scavenging industry so early on.

Don't underestimate "scavenging"; the 1980s were the golden age of scavenging.

Qiao Baofeng, known as the "King of Scraps," went north to collect scraps at the age of 15 in 1985. He made 2,000 yuan in his first month and amassed a million-yuan fortune three years later, becoming a veritable "King of Scraps" in the Changping area.

In 1987, Du Maozhou led his fellow villagers in scavenging at the garbage dump in Bazhong, Sichuan. Their average annual income exceeded 10,000 yuan, making them a high-income group at the time.

In short, the period from 1980 to 2000 was the golden age of the "scrap metal collecting" industry. As long as you were willing to endure hardship and were not afraid of getting dirty, you could easily earn more than 10,000 yuan a month.

It is worth noting that after 2010, and especially since 2015, the industry situation has taken a sharp turn for the worse.

The era of "getting rich by collecting scraps" is basically over.

If you still want to get rich by collecting scraps 15 years from now, it's no different from becoming a eunuch in 11 or joining the National Revolutionary Army in 49.

But as things stand, collecting scraps is indeed a very good business. It's just that Chen Sanqi isn't destined to make a fortune; otherwise, he would have been rich in his previous life.

Most importantly, there are still certain risks involved in scavenging at this time.

Although the state encourages the development of the individual economy, the crime of "speculation and profiteering" has not been abolished and its definition is rather vague.

If they want to expand on a large scale, or if they are reported by others, they may be labeled as "speculating and profiteering".

At best, goods and profits will be confiscated; at worst, fines may be imposed, and even personal records may be affected.

Only after Chen Sanqi finished speaking did Chen Deshun reach out, but not to take the money. Instead, he patted his youngest son on the shoulder and said, "Keep the money safe and use it to buy some food."

Chen Sanqi was stunned.

Chen Deshun stood up, looking down at him, and resumed his stern fatherly demeanor: "Don't worry about the tuition. I paid it for you this afternoon when Teacher Jian came. From now on, just focus on your studies at school and don't think about those other things."

He paused, then sighed, "Yes, you don't have a mother anymore, but I'm not dead yet. This family isn't for a young boy like you to go out and fend for yourself!"

After saying that, Chen Deshun stopped looking at him, turned around, pushed open the courtyard gate, and went inside, leaving Chen Sanqi sitting alone on the steps.

The night breeze brushed against his cheeks, but he didn't feel cold at all; instead, a warm feeling rose from the bottom of his heart.

He is not a fool.

Although Chen Deshun's tone was stern, it was full of concern.

And they even paid his tuition fees on their own initiative.

He had never cared about him or considered his needs before. He understood that it was because his mother left to give birth to him. If he had a choice, he would rather he had never been born.

But... looking at Chen Deshun's back, was this still the father who had never cared about him?

Overwhelmed with mixed feelings, he found it difficult to adapt to this side of Chen Deshun, yet deep down he couldn't help but feel a sense of joy.

At least he knew his father cared about him.

A lump formed in the boy's throat, his eyes reddened slightly, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He stubbornly tilted his head back, refusing to let it fall.

The stars silently swirled in the night sky. He tried to find which one was his mother. Looking at the brightest star, he secretly vowed that he would study hard and get into university.

Young people's emotions come and go quickly.

After enjoying the night breeze at the door for a while, Chen Sanqi's turbulent emotions calmed down.

He sniffed, wiped his eyes, pushed open the courtyard gate, and went inside.

This night is destined to bring joy to some and sorrow to others.

Chen Jianguo and his wife were lectured in the family affairs office for an entire afternoon.

I didn't even have lunch, and it was almost dark when I got home.

The house was cold and empty; the two of them, exhausted from a long day, simply ate something quick and easy.

Liu Rui kept a straight face the whole time, as if someone owed her eight hundred yuan.

Chen Jianguo brought over some foot bath water and placed it beside Liu Rui's feet: "Wife, don't be upset, soak your feet and relax."

He then took a freshly boiled, still-hot egg from the kitchen, peeled it, wrapped it in gauze, and gently rolled it on her swollen cheek.

Liu Rui soaked his feet, muttering curses and insults, repeatedly hurling insults at Chen Deshun and Chen Sanqi.

Chen Jianguo kept his head down and didn't say a word, but he didn't stop rolling the eggs in his hands.

He was also seething with anger, even more so than Liu Rui.

I've really lost face today.

After washing their feet, the two went to bed early.

A dim bedside lamp was on in the room. Chen Jianguo looked at his wife's shapely figure and felt a little restless.

Liu Rui graduated from a vocational school. Although her academic qualifications were average, she was undeniably beautiful and was known throughout the surrounding area as a "hot commodity." She also had many suitors at school.

Back then, Chen Jianguo went to great lengths to pursue her, even agreeing to many of her demands, such as living separately after marriage, handing over his salary, and allowing her to support her family. Only then did he finally win her heart.

He both loved and feared his daughter-in-law.

Liu Rui is in a bad mood today, and I'm worried she won't cooperate.

But the evil fire inside him was burning so hard that he couldn't resist the urge to make love. He could have easily succeeded with just a simple gesture!

hateful!

His resentment towards Chen Deshun and his younger brothers deepened. It was all their fault that he felt so vulnerable, even when he was intimate with his wife!

After a long pause, he slowly slipped his hand inside Liu Rui's clothes.

The smooth, tender touch sent a shiver through Chen Jianguo's heart.

Liu Rui stiffened for a moment, then felt something bump into her, and immediately understood what Chen Jianguo wanted to do.

Without saying a word, he kicked it directly.