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

Entertainment options in the 1980s were really limited, and the factory area was densely packed with bungalows, so the neighbors could hear each other through the walls.

The commotion at Chen Deshun's house was so loud that it attracted many neighbors who were crouching down at the door to eavesdrop, and others who were peeking out from the windowsill.

The group was listening with great interest when, to their surprise, the door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang. The old neighbors who were hiding outside were startled at first, and after a couple of awkward seconds, they quickly put on smiles and warmly greeted Chen Deshun.

Chen Deshun's lips twitched slightly. Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news spreads like wildfire. And that broken door in the house, he'll tear it down sooner or later.

In the 80s, old houses weren't so particular. Life was hard back then, and having a place to live was a blessing. Doors were opened however was convenient. Later, as house designs became more standardized, doors were mostly changed to open inwards.

"Old Chen, what's going on at home?"

Wang Ma from next door, quick to speak, said before she even arrived: "Just say the word if you need anything. The factory's union isn't just for show."

Wang Ma's real name is Wang Xiuying, and her nickname is Wang Dazui (Big Mouth Wang). The neighbors all like to call her Wang Ma.

The reason she's called "Mom" isn't because of her age; in fact, she's two years younger than Chen Deshun. The main reason is that she's extremely gossipy, always on the cutting edge of information, and loves to meddle in other people's business. She's even more concerned about things than the neighborhood committee. She knows everything: who cooked meat yesterday, who had a fight today, and what scores her child got on a test.

"Oh my god, there's even bleeding! I say, eldest sister, how old are you two? Why are you arguing with a little kid like fourth brother?"

As soon as Wang Ma pushed through the crowd to the door, her voice suddenly rose an octave, as if she had a megaphone.

"Judging from the looks of it, it seems like Jian Guo's wife and the fourth son are getting into a fight!"

"The fourth son has a hard life. He lost his mother at birth and is always being bossed around. Now he's being bullied by the eldest son and his wife."

"Sigh, I don't know what Old Chen was thinking. He's busy as a spinning top every day, playing both father and mother roles. In the end, who cares about him?"

"Who can argue with that? Especially his eldest son, neither of them are easy to deal with. Old Chen is just blinded by his own involvement."

"That's right. He comes over empty-handed every day to freeload, but leaves with bags and bundles. The other day the factory gave out a bottle of peanut oil, and before Old Chen could even enjoy it, his eldest daughter-in-law stuffed it into her pocket as soon as he got home. He's a grown man, how shameless of him."

"..."

Listening to the chattering gossip around him, Chen Jianguo was exasperated. He stood up, leaning against the door frame, and winked at Liu Rui.

Liu Rui had messy hair and one side of his face was red and swollen, burning with pain.

The fourth brother's punches were merciless; now she looks like Mei Chaofeng who ran off the set of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes."

Seeing Chen Jianguo wink at her, Liu Rui's eyes darted around, and she plopped back down on the ground, slapping her thigh and howling:

"Everyone, please be the judge! My father-in-law cursed me to die young and have no parents, and cursed my whole family to get sick and be hospitalized. When I went up to argue with him, he ordered his fourth son to beat me to death without saying a word."

She stretched her face out so the onlookers at the door could see clearly: "Look at the beating I got! My face is all scraped up! Is there no law anymore?"

Chen Deshun raised an eyebrow. Wow, how come he never noticed before that his eldest daughter-in-law was a tea master? Her lies were as loud and clear as a storyteller's in an alley.

With so many neighbors watching at the door, Chen Deshun cleared his throat, just about to get to the point, when he heard a slow, questioning voice from the side.

"How could that be?"

Grandma Li, leaning against the door frame, shook her head slightly: "Is there some misunderstanding? Xiao Chen isn't that kind of person. We've been neighbors in the same courtyard for so many years, I know his character better than anyone."

Aunt Wang, realizing what was going on, chimed in, "Eldest daughter-in-law, your father-in-law treats you two exceptionally well, no doubt about it. We, the old neighbors, have all seen it! But you two, have you ever brought anything over for holidays? Have you ever helped Old Chen with laundry or dishes?"

Wang Ma's mouth smacked like beans, her voice booming: "You, as a daughter-in-law, can't just spout nonsense like that! This dirty water you threw is embarrassing for Old Chen. And you say your father-in-law is bullying you? What kind of image will that have if word gets out? If Old Chen loses his job, will you two support him?"

The eldest couple were completely bewildered by the rebuttal. Why was it not what they expected?

These neighbors are usually all smiles when they meet, offering each other cucumbers and sunflower seeds; they all seem quite easy to get along with. Why have they all changed their tune today?

Neighbors are very particular about saving face, but this time, these neighbors really went all out and abandoned all pretense of respecting each other.

Seeing that the eldest son and his wife were speechless, the neighbors gathered at the door felt even more aggrieved for Chen Deshun, and they became even more enthusiastic.

"Wow, this is outrageous! They're throwing a load of crap at their own father-in-law, like a knife being used to pull a semen—it's eye-opening!"

"It's a shame that this couple are supposed to be educated; all their education has gone to waste."

"Tsk, the eldest son and his wife of the Chen family are no good. They're always so high and mighty, but have you ever seen a daughter-in-law dare to argue with her father-in-law like that? In our family, the men would have dragged her inside and given her a lesson long ago!"

"That's right, the eldest brother is a coward too, he can't even control his own wife."

"De Shun is such an honest person, how could he have raised such a child...sigh..."

"We can't count on the eldest son and his wife now. When they kick the bucket and lie on their beds tomorrow, can we still count on them?"

Chen Deshun didn't say anything, but his old neighbors, as if they had agreed to put on a show called "The Three Trials," started grumbling and criticizing the eldest son and his wife.

Many people have watched Chen Jianguo grow up since he was a child, and they know his temperament very well. He is indeed good at studying and is one of the top students in school. However, he is very indifferent to family affection. He calls his parents when he needs them, but who are they when he doesn't?

When Chen Deshun's wife was alive, she could keep him in check, but after she passed away, he was like Sun Wukong without his headband, completely out of control and lawless. His neighbors had long been fed up with it.

Every word of the neighbors' chatter reached Chen Jianguo's ears, making his face burn with embarrassment; he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Liu Rui looked like he had just chewed two pounds of bitter melon pulp; his skin was wrinkled and green.

He was already furious at being beaten by the fourth brother, a junior, and now he was being pointed at and gossiped about by a group of old men, which made him tremble with anger.

"Seriously... are you all out of your minds? Did you all conspire to bully me? Besides, this is our family matter. What's it to you if we're bickering at home? You're all meddling in other people's business! Go sunbathe, go pick your vegetables, why are you putting on this show? Showing off how sharp your ears and eyes are, huh? Go find somewhere cool to stay!"

Chen Jianguo tried to cover his wife's mouth, but it was too late.

The plans are all messed up.

His original intention was to have his wife play the victim and gain the sympathy of the neighbors, so that he could then step in and put pressure on the old man, and perhaps he wouldn't have to hand over his salary to the family.

If you're lucky, you might even be able to squeeze some money out of the old man.

Unexpectedly, his wife was so short-tempered, like a firecracker, easily ignited, and started arguing with these old folks after just a few words.

They played a winning hand terribly!

Now look what happened! Not only did they not get their money back, they also lost all face.

Wang Ma pursed her lips and clicked her tongue, saying, "Jianguo's wife, you can't say that. Didn't you just ask us to judge this? Now that the matter has been settled, you're complaining about how you were said. What, does everyone have to revolve around you? How dare you! Are you a banknote or an ancestral tablet? Does everyone have to fawn over you and go along with you?"