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

Chapter 86 A Triumph: Buying a Car to Pay Off Debts! Wang Ma Acts as Matchmaker!

"What's wrong? Are you going to back out?"

Yan Xiaoliu turned around, her face full of vigilance, and one hand instinctively protected the pocket where she kept her money.

"No, I just wanted to ask, have you been staying in this area all this time?" Chen Deshun asked.

"What are you going to do?"

Alarm bells rang in Yan Xiaoliu's mind, and he took half a step back. Could it be that they were trying to find out his secrets and then report him?

"Nothing else, just in case I want to buy something in the future, where can I find you?"

Chen Deshun felt that this person was reliable enough, at least the things he sold him were genuine. He decided to keep in touch so that they could cooperate again if needed in the future.

Hearing this, Yan Xiaoliu breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest: "You should have said so earlier, you scared me!"

He pointed to a stone wall not far behind him, which was covered with messy stone carvings.

"Look, see? Next time you buy something, if you can't find me around the front gate, just draw a circle on that wall, and I'll give you the time and place. Come back in a couple of days."

It'll take a few more days, which is too much trouble.

Chen Deshun frowned. He still had to wait for him to leave a message. Buying something would take a long time, and he didn't have that much free time to play the game of passing notes.

"What if a big business opportunity comes your way? Time waits for no one, wouldn't you miss it?"

"A big deal?"

Yan Xiaoliu's eyes lit up, and her mind started racing: "How old?"

Chen Deshun shrugged, not answering directly, but patting the pocket where he kept his bicycle tickets, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Anyway, it's bigger than this."

Yan Xiaoliu's eyes darted around, and she carefully examined Chen Deshun again.

This person was dressed plainly, but he didn't look like an ordinary person. He spoke and acted with composure and experience, and his movements were swift and precise. His move just now was quick, ruthless, and accurate, like someone with connections.

Most importantly, his nonchalant attitude made it seem as if a hundred-dollar deal was nothing to him.

Could he really be a big customer who's keeping his true intentions hidden?

Yan Xiaoliu looked conflicted, going through a mental struggle. Leaving his address might be unsafe, but if he didn't, what if a big business opportunity came his way and he missed it?

Ultimately, the desire for money prevailed.

He quickened his pace, moved closer to Chen Deshun, and whispered something in his ear.

After listening, Chen Deshun smiled and nodded.

After leaving the alley, Chen Deshun went directly to the department store to look for the bicycle counter.

Behind the counter, the female sales clerk in her uniform looked indifferent as she took the bicycle ticket from Chen Deshun and began to check it.

Chen Deshun's heart skipped a beat.

This ticket didn't come from official channels. If there's any problem, the 100 yuan will be wasted.

The sales clerk held the ticket up to the light, examined it back and forth, felt the texture of the paper, glanced at Chen Deshun, and then picked up the official seal next to him and stamped it with a "snap".

"Permanent brand, 148 yuan; Flying Pigeon, 135 yuan; Phoenix, 124 yuan — which one do you want?"

Chen Deshun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phoenix brand."

As he spoke, he took out the money he had already counted out from his pocket and handed it over.

The sales clerk counted the money, readily issued the receipt, and without looking up, shouted towards the warehouse at the back: "Bring me a Phoenix brand car!"

A short while later, a young man came out pushing a brand new bicycle.

The car body is painted black and shiny, gleaming under the lights, with a bright red phoenix logo that is eye-catching.

After buying the bicycle, Chen Deshun went to the food section on the first floor to browse around.

White Rabbit milk candy, sorghum candy, fruit hard candy, peanut nougat —

Without even looking at the price, he asked the salesperson to weigh out several kilograms of each item, filling two large net bags to the brim.

I used to borrow money from neighbors and coworkers, and it took a long time to pay it back. Although I have to pay it back now, just paying back the money isn't respectable enough. So I'll go door to door and give them some snacks as a token of my gratitude.

The other customers buying candy around him looked at him with astonishment and whispered among themselves as they saw his wealthy and powerful demeanor.

"Who is this guy? Buying candy like it's cabbage."

"Judging by this, he's probably not a millionaire, is he?"

"...

'

Chen Deshun carried large and small bags of candy and snacks, hung them on the handlebars, climbed onto the bike, and rode home in a wobbly manner.

As soon as I turned into the alley and entered the factory compound, I was spotted by a few old neighbors who were strolling around.

"Hey! Old Chen, not bad, you've upgraded from a slingshot to a cannon!"

"My goodness! Old Chen, you've struck it rich?"

"Phoenix brand! This must cost over a hundred yuan, right?"

"Brother Shun, you've been keeping this a secret for a while now. When did you save up this money?"

As we walked, we were bombarded with questions and pointed at, as if we were some rare animal.

Envy, jealousy, and enviousness —

Many people were wondering why Old Chen had suddenly bought a bicycle, since there hadn't been any recent activity at his home and his workplace hadn't given out any bonuses.

Chen Deshun didn't care at all, and didn't explain much. He simply rode his bicycle to the house of the person he had borrowed money from before.

Our first stop was Wang Xiuying's home.

Wang Xiuying lent him twenty yuan back then and also helped him take care of his young fourth child. Her family always lend a hand whenever there was something going on. He remembers all this kindness.

Is anyone home?

Who is it?

When Wang Xiuying came out of the house, she was stunned when she saw Chen Deshun, and then she noticed the eye-catching new bicycle behind him.

"Hey, Old Chen, what's wrong with you—"

"Here's the twenty yuan I owed your family before. Count it."

Chen Deshun took out some money from his pocket and handed it over, then took a net bag full of candy from the handlebars and left a lot for Wang Xiuying's family: "This is for the children to eat."

Looking at the money in her hand, then at the new car and the bags of snacks on the handlebars, Wang Xiuying asked in surprise, "Old Chen, have you struck it rich?"

To be honest, she didn't even remember when she lent the money. She thought it was like throwing good money after bad and she probably wouldn't get it back. But unexpectedly, Chen Deshun suddenly returned it and even brought gifts to her door.

"Not getting rich doesn't stop me from paying off my debts," Chen Deshun joked.

"You're too kind!"

Wang Xiuying was polite on the surface, but she was secretly overjoyed, and her gaze towards Chen Deshun became much warmer.

She pulled Chen Deshun aside and asked in a low voice, her face full of curiosity, "Old Chen, tell me the truth, where did you get this money?"

She knew about Chen Deshun's family situation. Today wasn't the day the factory paid wages. She didn't want to watch Chen Deshun, such an honest person, go astray.

"What are you thinking?"

Chen Deshun had anticipated this question. He sighed and showed an expression of both anger and helplessness: "Didn't the eldest son and his wife come to our house to make trouble a few days ago? They made me so angry that I went to their house and took back all the money I had given them back then."

"Huh?" Wang Xiuying covered her mouth, looking surprised. Then, her face lit up with a mixture of realization and indignation. She chimed in, "Oh dear! You should have done this a long time ago! That money was originally yours! Those two are living such a good life now, why should they still be taking your money!"

"Alright, alright, I still have several deliveries to make, so I'm not going to chat with you anymore."

17

Chen Deshun didn't want to talk much. He exchanged a few polite words with Wang Xiuying, got into the car, and headed to the next place.

"Okay, okay, go ahead and get busy!"

Wang Xiuying saw Chen Deshun to the door and watched his departing figure as he rode away, lost in thought.

Chen Deshun went door-to-door returning money and giving gifts, and at each house he visited, he received a wave of surprise and gratitude.

Even though it was money I borrowed, the people I should be most grateful to are them.

Although there were quite a few people who owed money, everyone lived in the same area and were very close to each other. They worked until around 6 p.m. and finished settling all the debts owed to their neighbors and coworkers.

During this time, some of his coworkers invited him to their homes for drinks, but he politely declined each time.

Although I really wanted to have a drink, I had an important matter to attend to tonight, and I couldn't let drinking interfere with the work, so I made up an excuse and slipped away in a hurry.

When I got home, the yard was filled with the aroma of food, and my parents had already prepared the meal and put it on the table.

Chen Deshun felt a warmth in his heart. It was truly comfortable to have his parents at home. He didn't have to worry about anything, not even cooking. He could come home from get off work and have a hot meal waiting for him.

He wished his parents could stay here forever, but that seemed unlikely.

Chen Deshun pushed the bicycle into the yard and set up the kickstand.

When the old man and Mrs. Shen heard the noise, they came out of the house to greet them and immediately saw the new bicycle.

"Bought a car?"

The old man walked around the bicycle, then reached out and touched the handlebars: "It's still a Phoenix brand, not bad, not bad."

Chen Deshun nodded: "I went to the department store this afternoon."

Grandma Shen patted the sturdy back seat and smiled, "It's great. It'll be more convenient to have a car for commuting to work and running errands."

As they were talking, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

"Knock knock knock".

The door wasn't locked, and the person outside pushed it open and came in without waiting for a response.

"Xiuying, my girl?"

Chen Deshun was stunned when he saw who came in, thinking it was either the third brother or Chen Lihua who had returned.

As Wang Xiuying entered the room, she saw the old man and Mrs. Shen and greeted them familiarly.

"Hello, grandpa and grandma! I'm from the next courtyard, just dropping by for a visit."

97

Upon hearing that it was a neighbor, Old Mrs. Shen warmly greeted them, "Come in and sit down."

Wang Xiuying didn't stand on ceremony and followed him into the house.

Chen Deshun was a little puzzled. It was already lunchtime, why was Wang Xiuying suddenly visiting? There must be something on her mind.

He poured Wang Xiuying a glass of water and got straight to the point: "Xiuying, is there anything I can help you with? Just say so, don't be shy."

Grandma Shen and Grandpa Shen also looked at her curiously.

Wang Xiuying felt a little embarrassed under the gaze of the three people. She held the enamel mug in her hands, rubbed it, and glanced between the old couple and Chen Deshun, wondering if it was appropriate to bring up that matter in front of the old couple.

She cleared her throat and gave the elderly couple a heads-up: "Then I'll be frank—Grandpa, Grandma, I'm a straightforward person, so if I say anything wrong or inappropriate, please don't take it to heart."

Grandma Shen smiled kindly: "Look at what you're saying. We're all neighbors. Deshun already said that your family has helped him a lot. Just say what you want to say. What's there to hide?"

Chen Deshun became even more curious. Wang Xiuying seemed strange today, and her demeanor didn't suggest she had any difficulties requiring help; rather, it seemed like—

"Well, I'll tell you then."

Having heard what Old Lady Shen said, Wang Xiuying felt reassured and slowly said, "Brother Chen isn't young anymore, and his wife has been gone for many years—"

As she spoke, she observed the expressions of Grandma Shen and Grandpa Shen, afraid that the elderly couple might be unhappy.

Although matchmaking is common these days, it involves touching on people's private affairs. If the elderly couple is averse to it or feels that she is meddling, then she could offend them.

So when she arrived, she had prepared her words to smooth things over. If she found that the old couple were unhappy, she would apologize immediately. But gradually, she noticed that not only was the old lady not unhappy, but her eyes relaxed and she looked like she was listening attentively. Her heart was completely at ease, and she spoke much more fluently.

"The children are all growing up; some are getting married, some are starting their own careers. They can't stay single forever, can they?"

When Grandma Shen heard this, she immediately understood Wang Xiuying's purpose: she had come to propose marriage!

Nobody's mentioned it for so many years, why did it suddenly come today?

This was the first question that came to her mind.

As an old woman with a keen sense of wisdom, she glanced at the bicycle in the yard without making a sound, and a knowing smile appeared on her lips.

No wonder.

In the past, Chen Deshun was heavily in debt, raising four children, and struggling to make ends meet. Unless the woman was out of her mind, she wouldn't have pushed him into such a mess.

Now that the debt has been paid off and a new car has been bought, there is hope for the future. Some people say that it's perfectly normal for him to be a matchmaker.

Chen Deshun rubbed his temples, and then—just as he was about to refuse, Old Mrs. Shen beat him to it.

"Oh! Xiuying, you've hit the nail on the head! I've been worrying about the same thing!"

Grandma Shen looked excited and took a few steps forward to grab Wang Xiuying's hand: "Tell me quickly, which family is she from? How old is she? What's her character like? Is she divorced? Does she have children?"

Once Grandma Shen started talking, the two of them really got into a conversation.

"Auntie, don't worry, she's a full-time employee of the cotton mill, hardworking, good-natured, and her character is absolutely impeccable! It's just that—she's thirty-six this year, divorced once, and has one child."

"."

"7

The two women chatted animatedly, spitting as they spoke.

Chen Deshun felt a chill run down his spine and wanted to interject with his opinion, but found that he didn't have a chance to speak at all.

Even if he tried to speak, the two of them acted as if they hadn't heard him and completely ignored him.

Chen Deshun was at his wit's end, so he gave up, turned around and walked out of the house to get some fresh air in the yard, trying to avoid the noise and distractions.

I had just sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard when the gate was pushed open again.

When Chen Jianshe came home from get off work, his eyes were glued to the new bicycle in the yard as soon as he entered the door, as if he were being attracted by a magnet.

"Dad! Whose bike is this?" He rushed over in three steps, circling the bicycle, his mouth practically watering.

"Since it's parked in our yard, it's ours, of course." Chen Deshun raised an eyebrow slightly.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jianshe's face lit up with surprise. He stroked the bicycle handlebars as if he were touching a woman's hand, looking quite pleased: "Dad, is this for me?"

Just then, Chen Lihua also came home from school. Like the third child, she was immediately drawn to the bicycles in the yard as soon as she entered the door, her eyes shining with longing.

Two of her classmates rode bicycles to school, but their bicycles were old and worn out, unlike the impressive one in front of them.

If she could ride this bike to school, how proud she would be! All her classmates would definitely envy her.

Although I was really craving it, I didn't ask for it rashly. Based on past experience, the good things in the house were always in an orderly manner.

Sure enough, the next second proved how right she was to choose not to speak.

"Go away, go away, go somewhere cool and stay somewhere else!"

Chen Deshun slapped the third brother's hand away and glared at him: "What's it to you? You think I bought this for you? You're really shameless! Let me tell you, this is something I bought for myself. If you want it, earn your own money and buy it. Don't even think about taking my car!"

He realized that the third brother was someone who never forgot what he was done to him; he felt uneasy if he didn't get scolded every day.

Chen Jianshe, his face full of indignation, met Chen Deshun's death stare and stubbornly said, "Don't you walk to work? The factory is so close to home, less than ten minutes away. Why do you need a bicycle? I commute an hour to and from work every day. If I had a bicycle, I wouldn't have to go through so much trouble!"

Chen Deshun frowned deeply. Look at this, is he even speaking human language?

"Do you think I want to walk to work every day? How many minutes it takes me to get to the factory is my business, what's it to you? Just because your commute is farther than mine, does that mean I have to let you ride my bike? Who decided that?"

In the midst of the argument, the door creaked open.

Grandma Shen poked her head out and glared at Chen Jianshe. Chen Jianshe shrank back, pouted, and grumbled.

Seeing that her third brother hadn't gotten anywhere, Chen Lihua dared not speak up and risk making a fool of herself. She silently lowered her head, the expectation in her eyes fading little by little, leaving only deep disappointment and resentment.

Dad is becoming more and more selfish.

She only has to commute to and from get off work in about ten minutes each day, yet she insists on buying herself a bicycle, showing no consideration for how hard her commute is.

"Lihua and Jianshe are back, grandpa and grandma. I'll head back now."

17

At this moment, Wang Xiuying came out of the house.

"Take care! Come visit me anytime!" Old Mrs. Shen waved.

The two seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation, as if they were old friends who had met too late in life. Old Mrs. Shen personally escorted Wang Xiuying to the front door.

"Please wait, go back and have your meal."

Before leaving, Wang Xiuying gave Chen Deshun a meaningful look.

"What are you all standing around in the yard for? Come inside and eat!" Old Mrs. Shen glanced at Chen Jianshe and Chen Lihua.

The two obediently went inside to eat.

Chen Deshun stopped Old Mrs. Shen, who was about to enter the house, and whispered, "Mom, I really don't have that intention right now. Please don't play matchmaker. It will only make things awkward for both of them."

He was really having a headache. Wang Xiuying came over today, and who knows, Aunt Li and Aunt Wu might come over tomorrow. How could he possibly live like this?

Grandma Shen didn't say anything, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She just glanced at him indifferently, turned around, and went inside to eat, leaving Chen Deshun alone in the courtyard sighing helplessly.

With Grandma Shen in charge, the house was filled with harmony, and the family gathered together for dinner.

Meanwhile, Chen Jianguo, who had been wandering around outside all afternoon, finally arrived at his building.

Before going home, he made a special trip to the grocery store to buy pig's head meat, peanuts, and dried tofu.

He had originally planned to buy a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) to celebrate with his wife, but yesterday she confiscated all of his meager salary, leaving him penniless. He had no choice but to give up.

He took out his key and gently opened the door.

As soon as I entered the house, I saw Liu Rui sitting on the sofa in a daze.

Liu Rui looked somewhat haggard.

Because of the bankbook issue, she was distracted at work all day, and she misplaced the needle several times when inserting IVs for patients.

The patient's family was so angry that they were about to file a complaint on the spot. Fortunately, the head of their department took good care of her and calmed the patient down. Afterwards, the head of the department did not blame her but instead comforted her and even let her go home early to rest.

"Wife, I'm home."

Chen Jianguo's lips curled up slightly as he pondered how to maximize the surprise later.

Liu Rui, his face cold, didn't even lift his eyelids, and asked in a chilling voice, "Did you get the money back?"

Chen Jianguo did not answer, nor did he notice Liu Rui's expression.

He gently closed the door, placed the pig's head meat and peanuts on the table, and then tiptoed behind Liu Rui. Taking advantage of Liu Rui's momentary daze, he pulled him into his arms from behind.

]>