Back to 1984: I built a chicken farm on a barren mountain.

Hou Erzhu was woken up early in the morning by knocking on the door. He slipped on his shoes and went to open the door while cursing.

The courtyard gate opened, and upon looking up, one saw Chen Shouxin.

"Third brother, why are you up so early?"

"If you have something to say, come inside and we'll talk."

Chen Shouxin uttered a few simple words, pushed Hou Erzhu into the courtyard, and turned around to close the iron gate slightly.

"What's up, third brother? Why are you being so secretive so early in the morning?"

"Ahem, we had an appointment with that...that sister-in-law of yours today, but Accountant Wang didn't show up for the meeting, so we were thinking of staying with you."

Hou Erzhu knew about Chen Shouxin and Wang the accountant's wife, but he didn't expect Chen Shouxin to want to do business at his house.

He then realized that he lived alone with his elderly mother, who was hard of seeing and hearing.

A while ago, my mother fell while going to the market and couldn't walk. She could only lie on the kang (a heated brick bed) all day.

"When she comes over in a bit, go out and take a walk around, and keep an eye on people."

"Uh, hurry up, I haven't had enough sleep yet!"

"Okay, okay."

Hou Erzhu led Chen Shouxin in. Chen Shouxin peeked through the curtain into the east room and saw that Erzhu's mother was still sleeping there.

The two then went into the west room.

After a while, the courtyard gate creaked open and a voluptuous woman entered.

The woman had fair skin, a graceful figure, and a charming face. As she walked, her round buttocks and breasts swayed.

The person who came was Li Cuie, the wife of Accountant Wang.

Chen Shouxin had already seen it through the window, and he rushed out in a hurry, grabbing Li Cuie's hand.

The two flirted in hushed tones for a long time before finally going into the west room together.

Hou Erzhu awkwardly called out, "Sister-in-law."

He didn't dare call her Third Sister-in-law; such a title would be acceptable from both Accountant Wang's and Chen Shouxin's perspectives.

Li Cuie didn't care what Hou Erzhu called her, because she didn't even look at him properly, and only gave a symbolic reply.

Her eyes were filled with her lover, and she clung to Chen Shouxin's arm, acting coquettishly:

"You insisted on coming here. Look at that kang mat, it's so dirty and hard."

Chen Shouxin quickly coaxed:

"How could I let you get hurt? I was prepared."

After saying that, he took off his jacket.

Hou Erzhu then realized why he felt something was off when he opened the door and saw Chen Shouxin earlier; it turned out that Chen Shouxin had wrapped himself in a thin blanket under his clothes.

"It's laid out, isn't it? It's clean and soft."

Chen Shouxin acted quickly, and Li Cuie nodded in satisfaction.

As a seasoned bachelor, Hou Erzhu had thought about women before, but seeing Chen Shouxin, who was usually so arrogant, being so cautious in front of Li Cuie made him hesitate.

He couldn't help but wonder, was this woman really that delicious?

Without giving Hou Erzhu time to consider, Chen Shouxin finished packing and urged him to leave quickly.

As soon as Hou Erzhu stepped out of the west room, Chen Shouxin closed the door from the inside and slammed the bolt shut.

Hou Erzhu listened secretly outside the door for a while, becoming increasingly anxious, and then quietly left the courtyard.

He wandered aimlessly, feeling that time was passing so slowly.

He wandered around and around, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the small stage.

On the small stage, a group of people, led by Aunt Zhao, were sitting in a circle, heads together, whispering to each other.

The two brothers, Niu Da and Niu Er, sat on the stage, basking in the sun.

Judging from this situation, I wonder who will be the lucky one to be ruined in the mouths of these old women.

Hou Erzhu had nothing else to do, so he stood aside and listened.

As he listened, he became more engaged, because he knew he was hearing important information.

Jiming Mountain, Chen Wenfeng, contracting, chicken farm...

What's going on with Jiming Mountain? Why is it so complicated?

I remember that the third brother and I discussed raising the price so that Chen Shouyi could rent it, but somehow Zheng Dali offered a price and took it over.

But Zheng Dali didn't rent it later, did he? The third brother got beaten up for it and had to pay 200 yuan.

How come it's been contracted again, and it's still that kid Chen Wenfeng? Something's not right here!

He unconsciously joined the group chat.

As he listened, he understood: Chen Wenfeng had only contributed 30 yuan a year.

The third brother said that his nephew listened to him the most, so what's going on?

He wanted to go back and discuss it with Chen Shouxin as soon as possible, but he was also afraid that Chen Shouxin hadn't finished dealing with the matter.

After enduring it for a while longer, feeling that it should be over, I hurriedly headed back.

When he returned to the west room, the door was still tightly shut and he couldn't push it open. He could only hear heavy breathing coming from inside.

Is this still not over? Is the third brother some kind of workaholic?

It has such a strong aftereffect!

But who can understand the loneliness of being single?

After a while, there was finally no more movement inside.

The door opened, and Li Cuie emerged, her face flushed, her collar not yet fastened.

Hou Erzhu stared at her snow-white neck, his eyes scanning her up and down, and he couldn't help but swallow several times.

Li Cuie paid no attention to Hou Erzhu's actions.

She swayed as she went out, and as she reached the gate, she didn't forget to call out to the courtyard in a mocking manner:

"Auntie, I'll return the thimble to you in a couple of days!"

"Drama queen," Hou Erzhu cursed inwardly. Yet, he couldn't help but savor the scent of face cream that wafted from Li Cuie as she passed by.

Chen Shouxin emerged from the west room, satisfied, and upon seeing the stunned Hou Erzhu, said:

"Erzhu, you're back so soon."

"Third brother, you've been taking a long time."

Chen Shouxin smiled, sat down at the table in the main room, and casually picked up a leftover cornbread from the table.

The cornbread was dry and hard. He tapped the table and said:

"Erzhu, let me tell you, this is like eating this pancake. If you're in a hurry, you'll bite into the hard part. Whether it tastes good or not depends on personal preference."

If you're not in a hurry, you can put the pancake in a pot to heat it up. Once the steam rises, the pancake will become soft and fragrant, and that's when it'll taste really good.

Do you understand? Only Third Brother would explain this to you.

Hou Erzhu looked at Chen Shouxin with great shock. He had never imagined that there was such a profound truth hidden in this matter!

But then he remembered what he had heard on the stage and quickly said:

"Third brother, let's not talk about that now. I rushed back because of something. Did you know that your nephew Chen Wenfeng has contracted to raise chickens at Jiming Mountain?"

Then, Hou Erzhu told Chen Shouxin what he had heard from the stage.

Chen Shouxin had heard a little about Chen Wenfeng's contracting of Jiming Mountain, but he hadn't had time to think about it in detail since he had carried Li Cuie back from the watermelon field and gotten caught in a light rain, catching a cold and staying home for a few days.

Ever since the land was divided, he felt that Chen Wenfeng had suddenly become distant from him, not only threatening him but also acting like a completely different person.

He was very unhappy about Chen Wenfeng's "betrayal".

Everyone else is doing fine bad things, so why should you be the one to learn to be good?

"Damn it, that brat!"

Chen Shouxin couldn't help but curse when he thought of Chen Wenfeng's arrogant attitude when he threatened him.

We can't let this go! I, Chen Laosan, have never been treated like this before!

After much deliberation, Chen Shouxin decided to go to Jiming Mountain to check the situation. He would try to bring back anything of value, or destroy something if there was nothing to take.

Uncle San was very angry, and the consequences were severe.

Thinking of this, Chen Shouxin beckoned to Hou Erzhu and said:

"Erzhu, come here, we're going to Jiming Mountain tonight..."