alled morning fishing.

"Bah! Ask him? In his dreams," Secretary Fu, a tall man exuding reliability, scoffed.

"Dear, do you think I should get my driver's license and drive myself to outdo him?" He grinned smugly at the thought.

"Recently, Mrs. Dog came back from her maiden home, saying there's an iron ore discovered in the east. They bought the car for mining operations."

"Is that reliable news?" Fu stopped.

"That's the word around."

"And you tell me now?"

"You haven't been home lately! Where have you been? Come eat."

"Eat dirt! They want to soar, huh?" Fu's blood began to boil.

"You're so crude, just like before we were married," Mrs. Fu shook her head with a bitter smile. "How can you, Mr. Fu, who prides himself on steadiness, uphold your image?"

Shortly, the loudspeakers in the village came to life.

"Emergency announcement, emergency announcement: All West Village Committee members are to report to the village office immediately. Anyone not present within ten minutes, regardless of having heard this or not, will face the consequences. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—Secretary Fu is angry!"

The broadcast was by Old Stubborn, the caretaker of the village office and former street peddler, beaten during the Cultural Revolution for alleged profiteering, and saved by Secretary Fu. Old Stubborn was diligent and conscientious, though eccentric, hence his nickname. His true name and background were a mystery since he never disclosed it, nor did anyone ask.

Chapter 2: East Village and West Village

Twenty Years Later

It is said that he was once married and had a daughter. His family background was quite formidable, with a grandfather who was a famous capitalist and a father who was a high-ranking official in the Nationalist Party. People said that the jewelry and trinkets he sold as a peddler were actually from his own family. Of course, what everyone knew about Old Stubborn was mostly what he himself claimed, which nobody believed. They only remembered him as a cranky old man who was meticulous in his work.

Although no one wanted to get too close to him, they respected him greatly. During holidays, Old Stubborn became a member of Secretary Fu's family. His happiest moments were sitting together with Secretary Fu's family for the New Year's Eve dinner. The children called him "Grandpa," and he would smile and hand out red envelopes. Secretary Fu once scolded him for this, saying:

"Uncle, your salary is meant to improve your own life, so stop giving money to the kids." Old Stubborn would glare, lifting his scraggy chin defiantly.

"During working hours, you are the secretary. Outside of those hours, I'm your uncle. Didn’t you take red envelopes from me when you were little? Did old Secretary Fu ever criticize me for loving kids too much?"

"Uncle

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