Reborn in 78, I made my fortune by working in the mountains, supporting three families on my own.

Seeing this, Zhu Kaitian quietly tugged at Qin Mancang beside him, signaling him to also help persuade him.

Qin Mancang said helplessly, "Lei Zi, building houses isn't something that can be done in a short time. If there are fewer people, it'll be slower. But eliminating pests and protecting the grain can't be delayed! Besides, this is a good thing; everyone will remember your kindness."

Since his father-in-law had said so, Zhao Lei had no reason to refuse.

He nodded and said, "Alright, Dad, since you've said that, it must be very urgent."

Zhou Defu and Zhu Kaitian were both very happy to hear Zhao Lei agree and showered him with compliments.

One person held Zhao Lei's hand and thanked him profusely.

"Thank you, Comrade Zhao Lei! On behalf of all the villagers in our production brigade, I thank you!"

Zhao Lei waved his hand: "Alright, I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."

Zhou Defu quickly said, "Comrade Zhao Lei, if possible, it would be best to go tonight. These guys are out more often at night."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lei quickly began to make plans in his mind.

He figured this was actually a good thing.

Normally, hunting requires a lot of time and energy just to find prey.

Now that these beasts have not only come down from the mountain, but are also appearing in the areas where villagers live, they are much easier to deal with.

As long as your marksmanship is decent, you're sure to reap some rewards!

Moreover, Zhao Lei has been spending money on building materials, hiring workers, and ordering sand, gravel, and cement. How can he not make money?

So this trip is not only about eliminating pests for the community, but also a great opportunity to make money.

With that in mind, Zhao Lei immediately agreed.

After finalizing the agreement, Zhou Defu and Zhu Kaitian made an excuse that they needed to go back and make some preparations, and left first.

Qin Mancang was invited by Zhao Lei to have some dinner, and they also drank some wine during the meal.

Qin Yuchan, Qin Dashan, Zhang Sangong and the others were all asking Zhao Lei what had happened.

Zhao Lei didn't hide anything and briefly explained the situation in Sanhe Township, and decided to go hunting there that night.

Upon hearing this, Qin Bowen immediately perked up.

He's been working so hard these past few days that his whole body aches, and he's been wanting to change jobs for a while now. Hunting is the only thing that can really ignite his fighting spirit.

He immediately shouted, "Brother-in-law, I'll go with you!"

Zhao Lei nodded, and then called Qin Changlin, Wang Zongbao and Qin Dashan over.

The five-person hunting team made the decision on the spot.

Zhao Lei instructed Jiang Xinyue, "Xinyue, we'll probably be in Sanhe Township for the next few days to control pests and protect the grain. Please keep a close eye on things at home."

Jiang Xinyue nodded: "Sanshi, please be careful. Don't worry about things at home."

Su Wanqing also gently reminded Zhao Lei to be careful on the road.

This time, Qin Yuchan, the ex-wife, didn't refute it again. After all, this was someone her father had personally brought over, so she couldn't say anything.

He simply said in a low voice, "Be careful, and come back soon."

Zhang Sangong chimed in, "Lei Zi, you guys go ahead, protecting the collective's grain is the priority. A longer construction period is fine; I'll keep an eye on the foundation, nothing will go wrong."

Zhao Lei responded, and then the group went home to pack their things.

At 7:30 p.m., the five people gathered in front of Zhao Lei's house.

Wang Zongbao carried Qin Changlin on his back, Qin Bowen led his elder brother Qin Dashan, and Zhao Lei rode a 28-inch bicycle by himself, making a total of three vehicles.

Everyone carried a homemade hunting rifle and a hunting knife, fully equipped.

Zhao Lei waved his hand: "Let's go!"

Three old-fashioned motorcycles filed out and sped off toward Sanhe Township.

Sanhe Township is nearly two hours away from Zhao Lei's home, but fortunately the five of them were riding bicycles, which made them much faster.

It was dusk.

In summer, it gets dark late, usually around nine o'clock.

Having a bicycle makes getting around much faster.

As they pedaled, the group discussed their hunting plans after arriving in Sanhe Township. In less than forty minutes, the five of them reached the border of Sanhe Township.

They first went to Zhoujia Village, which was nearby.

After making inquiries, Zhao Lei and his companions found Zhou Defu's house. When they knocked on the door, Zhou Defu was stunned.

He had only been back for less than an hour, barely had time to sit down, when Zhao Lei and the others caught up with him one after the other.

"Comrade Zhao Lei! You've arrived so quickly?" Zhou Defu greeted him with delight.

Zhao Lei patted the old-fashioned bicycle he was sitting on: "Look, it's much faster than walking."

Zhou Defu looked on with envy.

He and Zhu Kaitian walked back from Zhao Lei's house around 6 o'clock, but it took them almost two hours, and they got blisters on the soles of their feet.

Zhou Defu quickly invited Zhao Lei and the others inside for a drink of water: "Brother Zhao Lei, come in and have some water, rest a bit!"

Zhao Lei waved his hand: "No need, Captain Zhou. We're here to help the villagers rid themselves of this menace. Let's not waste any time, let's go now. It'll be dark soon, and those guys will probably be coming down the mountain soon."

Zhou Defu greatly admired Zhao Lei's decisive and efficient attitude.

He didn't even bother to eat dinner before turning around to lead Zhao Lei and the others to the threshing ground.

Just then, a young woman ran out of Zhou Defu's house.

She looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, a vibrant and youthful age, with two thick, long, jet-black braids that bounced behind her.

The girl called out anxiously, "Dad, what's the rush? Have dinner first, then take them over! You haven't had a hot meal since you left this afternoon!"

Qin Bowen, standing behind Zhao Lei, was completely stunned when he saw this beautiful young woman appear.

My eyes were practically glued to the screen.

Two jet-black, glossy braids swayed in the lamplight. He moved his throat, but couldn't utter a word.

However, everyone was talking to Zhou Defu, and no one noticed his unusual behavior.

Zhao Lei said, "Captain Zhou, it's so late, you can't go hungry. You eat first, we'll wait a bit, it's not a rush."

Zhou Defu was quite stubborn. No matter how much his daughter and wife called out to him, he waved his hand and said that work was the priority.

"No, no, Comrade Zhao Lei, you've come all this way, how can I let you wait around?"

Qin Bowen, having regained his composure, quickly added, "Captain Zhou, why don't you go eat first? We can rest outside for a bit."

Zhao Lei added impatiently, "Captain Zhou, I know you're very dedicated to your work, but health is the most important thing. You've been arguing with me for several minutes now; you could have finished your meal in that time."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Defu chuckled awkwardly twice.

He quickly ran back into the house, picked up the bowl, and began shoveling food into it with ferocious speed.

yard.

Zhou Defu's daughter, Zhou Qingqing, politely brought out long benches for the group and poured tea for each of them.

"Brothers, have some water and rest for a bit..."