Back To The 80s-Chapter 566 - 558: Tracing Back_1

The man talking to Xu Yanhong was Duo Ji, the younger brother of Jia Yang, a drug dealer leader who was killed by Lu Zhanguo four years ago during the rescue of a widow of a narcotics officer.

Duo Ji was born in the Tibetan area of Southern Sichuan. Orphaned young, he grew up dependent upon his older brother Jia Yang.

Upon growing up, Jia Yang, in order to make a living, took Duo Ji to the southern border, where they heard that foraging for wild medicinal herbs was profitable.

Two youngsters, deprived of parental guidance and used to a hand-to-mouth existence, lacked any proper understanding of life. Their only aim was to have their fill of meals and to survive.

At the border, Jia Yang met the drug lord Ye Tianbao.

Seeing desire and ambition in Jia Yang’s eyes, Ye Tianbao tempted him with benefits to join his business.

In order to ensure Jia Yang’s loyalty, Ye Tianbao adopted 10-year-old Duo Ji as his godson.

In Duo Ji’s heart, Jia Yang was like a father to him. Whenever there was food, he always made sure to feed Duo Ji first, caring for him in every possible way.

However, four years ago, Jia Yang was killed by Lu Zhanguo’s gunshot.

Though Duo Ji held a grudge against Lu Zhanguo, he couldn’t find him. Ye Tianbao somehow managed to acquire Lu Zhanguo’s information, along with a newspaper clipping featuring a picture of Lu Zhanguo’s happy family of four.

Whenever Duo Ji looked at the happy smiles on the faces of Lu Zhanguo’s family in the photo, his hatred deepened. Why should Lu Zhanguo live a happy life while his brother had to die?

Duo Ji knew he couldn’t kill Lu Zhanguo, but he could kidnap his children and become an honor offering to his brother’s grave.

Hearing Xu Yanhong’s words now, Duo Ji glaring with bloodshot eyes, said: "What do you want with those two children? I tell you, I am going to catch his son and rip out their hearts in front of my brother’s grave. I will avenge my brother."

His vicious words made Xu Yanhong shiver in disgust, she replied scornfully: "You are a sicko. I’ll tell you, the old man assigned me to take charge of this operation in the provincial capital. You better keep out of trouble. If anything goes wrong, you’ll see!"

Duo Ji sneered disdainfully: "Don’t try to intimidate me with the old man, you are nothing more than a bed warmer for him. You cannot compare to me."

Not angry, Xu Yanhong laughed and replied, "Don’t be too confident, how much do you know about the old man’s affairs? Do you know when the old man will come out?"

Duo Ji responded triumphantly, "Of course I know... Are you trying to trick me? Not a chance!"

Xu Yanhong shrugged, prepared to leave, but before leaving, she said, "Don’t approach me ever again. I’m telling you once again, those two kids are very important. Don’t act rashly. Otherwise, even the old man won’t let you off." After finishing her piece, she left the scene in a relaxed manner.

With a furious kick, Duo Ji crashed into a column of the stage. The framework collapsed with a loud crack.

...

After Zhou Siping left, Ji Xiangdong’s family moved back to the small courtyard.

Every day, Gu Xiaobei takes the two kids to the small courtyard and then returns to the family compound after lunch.

Upon seeing Mo Wang, who had grown much taller, Bai Xiaolan remarked, "Mo Wang is becoming more and more like his elder brother. He is even half a head taller than Xiaopang."

In contrast, Gu Xiaobei looked at Xiaopang with a worried expression, "Mo Wang has already crossed the one metre mark in height, but Xiaopang is still just above 90 centimeters. Will he be short like me?"

Bai Xiaolan laughed, "Why do you need to be tall? It just means spending more on clothes." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Wen Xiuqing, who had been busy making cotton shoes for rest of the children that winter, joined the conversation while doing needlework, "Some kids grow early, some grow late. I reckon our Xiaopang will be tall when he grows."

While the adults sat and chatted on the kang bed, Xiaopang and Mo Wang were playing with poker cards. Each had a stack, and they played a card each. The person with the matching number card won and got to take all the cards on the platform.

Gu Xiaobei taught them this game to help them recognize the numbers on the cards. By now, the two were able to distinguish the symbols and colors clearly. However, they couldn’t quite grasp the concept of winning or losing the game. Usually, Mo Wang won, but Xiaopang was always keen to collect the cards.

Doudou, curious, sat to one side to watch them play. Every time Xiaopang collected the cards, he would also pounce, assisting Xiaopang, acting like Xiaopang’s loyal assistant.

Seeing the kids play happily, Wen Xiuqing couldn’t help but smiling, "Doudou has a good temperament. Every time he watches them play, he never loses his temper, he’s always smiley."

"He must have taken after my older brother," Gu Xiaobei agreed.

Bai Xiaolan was slightly upset, "Isn’t my temper good? I also have a good nature."

Gu Xiaobei laughed, "Do you believe that yourself?"

Bai Xiaolan laughed out loud.

This conversation was interrupted by the guard dog’s frantic barking in the yard, followed by the sound of the door opening by Lu Songyuan.

Curiously, Wen Xiuqing peeked out the window, "Who’s visiting at this chilly hour? Oh, it’s Jiujiu and her mother."

Wrapped in a red cotton coat and white scarf, Ou Ruoshui came into the courtyard with Jiujiu.

Lu Songyuan welcomed them into the house with a smile.

Descending from the kang bed, Gu Xiaobei greeted Ou Ruoshui and Jiujiu as they entered, curiously asking, "Jiujiu, aren’t you supposed to be in school today?"

Sweating with a rosy face, Jiujiu answered with a twinkling smile, "I am here to invite you and my uncle to dine at my house."

"Is there a celebration?"

Taking off her scarf and greeting Wen Xiuqing, Ou Ruoshui answered with a laugh, "Nothing special to celebrate really. It’s just that Ou Tiannan plans to dine at our house this evening. Jiujiu insisted on inviting you and Zhanguo over."

Confused by her request, Gu Xiaobei replied, "Jiujiu, for this kind of thing, it doesn’t seem necessary for your aunt and uncle to come, does it?"

Jiujiu was insistent, "Aunt, I wish for you and my uncle to attend." In her heart, Lu Zhanguo was an invincible hero who could discern whether Ou Tiannan was a good man or not.

Jiujiu’s thinking was simple, if her aunt and uncle approved of a person, then that person must be good. But if they disapproved, then that person must be bad.

Deep down, she felt that Ou Tiannan was a bad man.

Smiling, Ou Ruoshui said, "Come on, bring the children along too."

Thinking about the cold weather in the evening, Gu Xiaobei replied, "Let’s wait for Zhanguo to return, the two of us will go. We won’t take the kids, it would be too cold and they might catch a cold."

On receiving Gu Xiaobei’s assurance, Jiujiu satisfiedly told Ou Ruoshui, "Mom, why don’t you go back first? I will go home with my uncle and aunt."

Gu Xiaobei suggested Ou Ruoshui to sit for a while, "That’s alright, you can go back if you are busy, we will go there a bit later with Jiujiu."

Ou Ruoshui looked at Jiujiu and agreed, "Alright then, I have to go buy some groceries. I won’t wait for you."

Jiujiu was relieved, and she joined Xiaopang and Mo Wang to play on the side of the kang bed.

Ou Ruoshui spent a little over ten minutes, then left in a hurry to buy groceries.

Gu Xiaobei walked her out.

Just before she left, Ou Ruoshui suddenly said to Gu Xiaobei, "Jiujiu must want your help to figure out what kind of person Ou Tiannan is. She has a very negative impression of him."