Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

It was just getting light when I arrived at my uncle's house.

Liu Guixiang: "Mingzi, you guys eat first, I'll get some porridge for your dad."

Lin Ming sat at the table in the main room, wearing a dark blue sweater.

Yao Jingjing sat next to him, wearing a maroon sweater. Her hair was still styled in big waves, and she wore light makeup, with her eyebrows drawn thinly and her lips painted with a light red lipstick.

The elderly couple were actually a little unaccustomed to Yao Jingjing's attire, but how could they be so bossy on their first visit?

Lin Weidong held the bowl of porridge, his gaze lingering on his son's face, hesitant.

"Akiko, that company you mentioned yesterday... what exactly does it do?"

He tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, feeling that his son's words sounded too good to be true.

Hearing his father's suspicions, Lin Ming put down his chopsticks, slowly took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and knew his father best. He knew how to make his father believe him.

"Dad, our company mainly does trade. We buy goods from the south and sell them in the north, making a profit from the price difference. I'm in charge of contacting suppliers."

"That must have cost a lot of capital, right?"

Lin Ming smiled and put the cigarette in his mouth:

"Dad, don't worry about the money. I have a solid foundation now, all I need is an opportunity. Once that opportunity comes, multiplying my investment several times over won't be a problem."

Lin Weidong hummed in agreement, didn't press further, but simply offered some instructions:

"Don't go astray."

Lin Ming's smile froze for a moment, then quickly returned to normal:

"Father, don't worry."

After finishing their meal, Yao Jingjing suggested going for a walk.

Then I went out.

She walked along the village road, her maroon sweater standing out starkly against the gray village houses, like a ball of fire moving across the snow. Her large, wavy hair swayed gently.

Several grown men were squatting under the wall, basking in the sun, smoking cigarettes and chatting idly.

Wang Lao Er was the first to see her. Her mouth was open, and she didn't even notice the cigarette falling from the corner of her mouth. She only picked it up after it fell to the ground.

"Whose house is this?"

Wang Lao Er's eyes were glued to her, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

The person next to him craned his neck to take a look:

"It seems to be Mingzi's wife from Uncle Weidong's family. She came back yesterday, didn't you see her?"

"Mingzi? He hasn't been back for years, and the first thing he brings back is such a stylish wife?" Wang Lao Er clicked his tongue, his eyes following Yao Jingjing's retreating figure.

Another person chimed in:

"City girls are just different. Look at their hair, it's curled like waves. The women in our village either have short hair or braids, none of them have hair like that."

Wang Lao Er clicked his tongue:

"Mingzi is capable."

Several people's eyes followed Yao Jingjing's retreating figure until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight, before they looked away.

As Yao Jingjing walked along the village road, she could feel the gazes swarming around her like flies. A slight smirk played on her lips, her eyes filled with a mixture of disdain and smugness.

She'd seen that kind of look many times before.

The village is full of oddballs, except for Lin Nuo, who is at least somewhat presentable.

……

Lin Nuo finished his meal, told Su Wanqing, and went out. Lin Jiang was waiting for him at the door.

"Second brother, I'm sorry. Your sister-in-law has been busy with her family lately. We promised to have you come over for dinner, but we haven't been able to."

Lin Jiang's voice was muffled, and he sounded somewhat embarrassed.

Lin Nuo waved his hand, his tone relaxed:

"It's alright, brother. We're family, don't worry about it. Your wife's situation is more important. We can eat anytime."

The two brothers walked towards the back of the mountain; they were going to the river to catch turtles today.

The snow along the riverbank had mostly melted, revealing black silt and withered grass roots. The ice was still thick, but the ice near the shore had loosened, cracking with a "crack" when stepped on.

Lin Nuo crouched down, searching for bubbles on the ice. After watching for a while, he pointed to a spot:

"Brother, there should be some goods down there, let's give it a try."

Lin Jiang came over with a pickaxe and smashed it down on the ice. With a "crack," the ice cracked open, and the water underneath rushed up, overflowing onto the ice and quickly forming a thin layer of ice.

Lin Nuo reached in; the muddy water was icy cold. His fingers groped in the mud for a while before touching a hard, curved shell. There was something there.

Lin Nuo smiled, carefully inserted his fingers under the hard shell, and gently pried it upwards.

He pulled out a turtle, about the size of a palm, its shell a dark bluish-black that gleamed dimly in the sunlight. Lin Nuo weighed it in his hand; it was a little over a pound. Lin Jiang, watching from the side, had his eyes light up.

"In stock!"

"Big brother is lucky, he won on his first try."

Lin Nuo put the turtle into the basket and then felt around in the water. This time, he felt around for a long time but couldn't find anything.

The two walked along the riverbank for half a mile and found another place with bubbles. This time, they found a smaller one, weighing about seven or eight ounces.

Lin Nuo placed the two turtles side by side in the basket, covered them with an old cloth, and patted the mud off his hands:

"That's enough. Go back and leave it there. Tomorrow, brother, you'll come with me to town to sell it."

Just then, a woman's voice came from behind, soft and with a southern accent:

"Noko."

Lin Nuo's back stiffened. He slowly turned around and saw Yao Jingjing standing on the riverbank, her maroon sweater shining brightly in the sunlight.

Lin Jiang also looked up at the woman, paused for a moment, and asked Lin Nuo:

"Who is this?"

Lin Nuo had no choice but to bite the bullet and introduce:

"Big brother, this is Mingzi's wife."

Then he turned to Yao Jingjing, his tone polite but distant:

"Sister-in-law, what brings you here?"

Yao Jingjing walked over, glanced down at the turtles in the basket, her eyes lit up slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned up:

"Nuozi's quite capable. Turtle is expensive in the city, it must sell for over ten yuan a pound, right?"

"Not that much, sister-in-law, you can continue shopping, we'll head back now."

Lin Nuo smiled, picked up the basket, and slung it over his shoulder:

"Brother, let's go, we still have to pack up when we get back."

Lin Jiang glanced at him from the side, then at Yao Jingjing, and felt that his younger brother's attitude was a bit strange, but he didn't ask any questions and followed Lin Nuo home.

Yao Jingjing stood on the riverbank, watching the two figures from behind, without saying a word.

This Lin Nuo is really quite capable. I heard Lin Weidong mention before that he sold a wild boar he hunted for over a hundred yuan; he can also dig for medicinal herbs.

Now they're touching turtles again; these things are in high demand in the city, and one can sell for over ten yuan.

With such competence, Lin Nuo must be quite wealthy.

She curled her lips slightly, a calculating glint in her eyes.

She'd seen plenty of these hypocritical peasants. All men were the same—pretending to be respectable on the surface. Heh, she had plenty of ways to get money out of their pockets.

When Lin Nuo arrived home, Zhao Xiuying saw him and wiped her hands with her apron.

"Your uncle's family is calling for dinner again, hurry up and go, don't keep them waiting."

Lin Nuo nodded, leaned the musket against the wall, washed his hands, changed into a clean cotton-padded jacket, and headed towards his uncle's house.

The main room was already full of people. Lin Weidong sat in the head seat, and Lin Jiang sat to Lin Weiguo's left, both drinking tea silently, their faces half-hidden by the teacup, making their expressions unreadable.

Lin Ming and Yao Jingjing sat opposite each other, and Lin Ming was talking about something.

Liu Guixiang carried a pot of stewed chicken out of the kitchen, placed it in the middle of the table, and said with a smile:

"Come on, eat it while it's hot. Mingzi, eat more. You can't find chicken like this anywhere else."

Lin Ming picked up a chicken leg and put it in Yao Jingjing's bowl.

Lin Jiang and Lin Nuo both seemed somewhat distracted.

Lin Weiguo took a sip of his drink, smacked his lips, and finally couldn't resist:

"Mingzi, those jeans you mentioned yesterday, you bought them for eight yuan a pair and sold them for twenty-five? Is that still a viable business?"

Lin Ming put down his chopsticks, his expression turning serious, as if he were a different person. He took out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and pulled one out:

"Uncle, it's certainly possible to do it now, but you have to find the right channel. I know a friend who specializes in getting goods from Hong Kong; he gets large quantities at low prices. If you can gather a batch of goods and sell them in the county or city, the profit will be quite good."

He gestured with his hand on the table:

"For example, if you need to buy 500 pairs of jeans, they won't ship if you buy less. The cost price is eight yuan per pair, so that's four thousand yuan. If you sell them for twenty yuan each, that's ten thousand yuan. After deducting shipping and losses, you make a net profit of over five thousand yuan."

Lin Weiguo's eyes lit up again. He picked up the wine cup, took a sip, his Adam's apple bobbed, and a little wine spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"Over four thousand yuan... how many people would it take to scrape together that?"

His voice was a little strained, as if he was calculating whether he could get involved.

Lin Ming smiled, his gaze shifting from Lin Weiguo's face to Lin Nuo, then back to Lin Weiguo, and he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Uncle, there's no rush. I was just saying it casually; we'll have to see how things go. I'll let everyone know when I've got a good idea."

Lin Nuo knew perfectly well that Lin Ming was casting bait, waiting for the fish to bite. Today he'd say "we've gathered five hundred," tomorrow he'd say "we've already gathered three hundred, just two hundred more to go." He'd seen this kind of trick far too many times in his past life.

After the meal, the women cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen. The kitchen was steaming, and the bowls were stacked in basins.

Zhao Xiuying, Liu Guixiang, and Su Wanqing were all busy.

Yao Jingjing stood at the kitchen door watching them work. Her gaze swept around the kitchen and finally landed on Su Wanqing.

"Sister-in-law, your red scarf is really beautiful."

Su Wanqing paused for a moment, looked up at her, and said in a clear and crisp voice:

"Thanks."

Yao Jingjing took a step forward, her gaze sweeping over Su Wanqing's face, a hint of jealousy in her eyes:

"I heard from Dad that you started a school in the village to teach children to read? That's really amazing. There are so many girls your age in the city who aren't married yet."

These words sound like a compliment, but there's an indescribable undertone in the tone, as if it's a compliment, or a reminder that "it's a waste for you to stay in the village."

Zhao Xiuying was chopping vegetables nearby. The knife made a "thud" sound as it hit the cutting board. She didn't look up, but her lips twitched slightly.

Su Wanqing's smile remained unchanged:

Everyone has their own way of living.

Yao Jingjing smiled again, picked up her water glass and took a sip. Her gaze lingered on Su Wanqing's face for a moment, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes.

I never expected Lin Nuo's wife to be so beautiful.

Zhao Xiuying waited until she was far away before whispering:

"Ignore her. She's from the city, and she talks in a sarcastic tone."

Liu Guixiang deeply agreed, but she pretended not to hear.

As dusk approached, Lin Nuo and Su Wanqing returned to the east room. Su Wanqing sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), seemingly lost in thought.

Lin Nuo took off his cotton-padded coat, sat down next to her, and looked at her face:

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

Su Wanqing remained silent for a moment:

"That Yao Jingjing spoke to me a few words today."

Lin Nuo's heart skipped a beat:

"What did she say to you?"

"They said my scarf was pretty, that I was amazing teaching in the village, and that there are so many girls my age in the city who aren't married yet. It's all so ridiculous."

She didn't embellish the story; she simply repeated it.

Lin Nuo frowned. This woman didn't look proper, so naturally she wouldn't say anything nice.

"She's just deliberately trying to disgust people, don't take it to heart."

Su Wanqing turned to look at him, her eyes bright:

"I didn't take it to heart. It's just... I felt uncomfortable."

Lin Nuo pulled her closer to him, resting his chin on the top of her head, her hair brushing against his chin, tickling him.

"If you're not feeling well, try not to talk to her. Don't pay attention to anything she says, I'm here for you."

Su Wanqing hummed in agreement, leaned on his shoulder, and slowly relaxed.

After a while, she spoke again:

"Lin Nuo".

"Um."

"Do you think it's a bit inappropriate for me to teach in the village?"

Lin Nuo paused for a moment, straightened her up, looked into her eyes, and said very seriously:

"Who said that? How can something you like be bad? Don't listen to that woman's nonsense."

Su Wanqing looked into his eyes, knowing he was speaking from the heart, and a slow smile crept onto her lips as she nodded gently. He took her hand.

Lin Nuo kissed her forehead and lowered his voice:

"If she talks to you again, come find me. I'll talk to her and make things clear."

Su Wanqing shook her head, her tone calm:

"No need. I can handle my own affairs."

Lin Nuo looked at her face and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

His teacher, Ms. Su, was never someone to be trifled with.

there.

After finishing his meal, Lin Ming told Lin Weidong and left with the mahjong set. He was going to Liu Jian's house to return the mahjong tiles.

The gate to Liu Jianguo's courtyard was open, and the main room was lit with smoke. Several people were playing cards around a table. Wang Er and Yang Sanshun were there. On the table were several dishes of peanuts, and several bottles of bulk liquor, most of which were already drunk, were leaning against the side of the table, with liquid still dripping from their mouths.

When Liu Jianguo saw Lin Ming enter, he quickly stood up to greet him:

"Ming-ge is here? Please have a seat. Just put the mahjong tiles over there, no rush."

Lin Ming placed the mahjong set on the cabinet and turned to leave. Liu Jianguo politely stopped him.

"Since we're already here, let's play a few rounds. We're one short for mahjong, and we were just worried about not having anyone else."

Lin Ming hesitated for a moment, glancing at the card game on the table, then at Wang Er and Yang Sanshun, a barely perceptible smile flashing in his eyes. He smiled, then sat down.

"Okay, let's play two laps then."

After several rounds, Lin Ming had won and lost, but nothing was outwardly apparent. He chatted as he played cards, sticking to his usual routine:

"To do this, you need at least one share, worth five or six hundred dollars, but if you make money, it can be several times that amount."

After saying that, he stopped talking about it and focused on playing cards, as if it were just a casual remark.

But the speaker meant it, and the listener meant it even more; Lin Ming believed that these words would soon spread.

That was his goal.

Sure enough, the news spread throughout the village the next day, and everyone knew that Lin Ming owned a company outside and that his investments were guaranteed to make a profit.

Lin Nuo had just stepped out when Liu Jianguo called him back.

"Nuozi, your cousin Lin Ming is quite capable."

Liu Jianguo's voice was very low.

Lin Nuo looked at him:

"What's wrong?"

Liu Jianguo put the cigarette in his mouth, took out a match from his pocket, struck it, lit it, took a drag, and exhaled a puff of white smoke.

"We were playing cards at my house last night, and he said, 'You know about the jeans thing? If you pool together five or six hundred yuan, you can make several thousand.'"

Lin Nuo's face immediately darkened. He didn't answer Liu Jianguo's question, but instead asked:

"Who did he tell?"

"Wang Er, Yang Sanshun, and me. Who wouldn't be tempted by the profits he mentioned?"

Liu Jianguo looked at Lin Nuo's expression:

"Nuozi, I just wanted to tell you."

Having almost been fooled before, Liu Jianguo was more cautious than others.

Lin Nuo nodded, clenching his fist. This Lin Ming wasn't just trying to swindle money from his own family; he wanted to swindle money from the entire village. If he really pulled this stunt in the village, how could the Lin family stay in Liujiagou afterward?

Just then, a figure walked towards them.

Cheng Youtian. He was wearing a drab gray cotton-padded coat and a Lei Feng hat on his head. His face was red from the cold. When he saw Lin Nuo, he quickened his pace and walked over.

"Noko!"

Cheng Youtian had a smile on his face:

"That trader from the south has arrived. Are you free tomorrow? Shall we go check on him together?"

Lin Nuo shook his head:

"Brother Cheng, I'm busy tomorrow. Let's do it another day, I'll come find you then."

Cheng Youtian glanced at him, noticing his strange expression, but didn't ask any further questions:

"Okay, come find me when you're done with your work."

He patted Lin Nuo on the shoulder, then turned and left.

When Lin Nuo found Lin Ming, Lin Ming was squatting by the river smoking. He was wearing a dark gray trench coat with the collar turned up, and the cigarette butt flickered in the morning light.

Lin Nuo walked over and squatted down next to him:

"Brother Mingzi, some things can't be taken too far. Your uncle still needs to live in the village."

Lin Ming paused in his smoking, then turned and smiled, saying:

"Nuozi, what are you talking about? I don't understand."

Lin Nuo didn't look at him. Instead, she took a deep breath and spoke in Cantonese:

"What are you and that woman up to? Do you think I don't know?... (What are you and that woman planning? Do you think I don't know?)"