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

"An important person?"

Zhao Lei's three ex-wives spoke in unison, their faces filled with curiosity.

Clearly, they were all intrigued by Zhao Lei's cryptic words.

Zhao Lei was quite satisfied with the reactions of his three ex-wives, and continued, "Xinyue, you've already quit your job at the farm and spent the last month helping out at home. Now that the new house is finished, what do you want to do next? Do you have any plans?"

When this matter was mentioned, everyone's eyes turned to Jiang Xinyue.

Jiang Xinyue frowned; she really hadn't thought about it in detail.

She had always been pushed forward by tasks, and only now, when Zhao Lei brought up the topic of work, did she remember that it was indeed Zhao Lei who had asked her to quit her job at the pig farm and planned to find her a different job.

Unexpectedly, after so long, Zhao Lei still kept it in her heart, and a touch of tenderness appeared in her gaze as she looked at him.

After a long silence, she finally spoke: "Actually, I don't know what kind of work I can do in my current situation."

Everyone understood that Jiang Xinyue was referring to her family background. Her father, Jiang Dingtian, was a well-known capitalist in Kyoto and was currently being tried in Kyoto.

A few years ago, Jiang Xinyue's mother and younger brother were sent to work in the countryside. Jiang Xinyue was also implicated and sent to Heping Production Brigade in Tuanjie Township, which is how she came to have contact with Zhao Lei.

Over the years, Jiang Xinyue has endured criticism, accusations, and cold stares from others.

If Zhao Lei hadn't become the first ray of light in her life, she would hardly believe that she could have persevered until now and survived those most difficult days.

Over time, the villagers and neighbors gradually began to accept her, and with Zhao Lei's current abilities, many people came to flatter her.

Sometimes, Jiang Xinyue almost forgets that she was once a capitalist's daughter.

But now that Zhao Lei has brought it up himself, she has to face this problem again.

Zhao Lei and his two other ex-wives also understood what Jiang Xinyue was worried about.

Qin Yuchan spoke up, "Oh, Xinyue, are you still worried about your father?"

Jiang Xinyue nodded, and the main room fell silent for a moment.

Su Wanqing broke the silence first: "Sister Xinyue, you are yourself. The grudges of the previous generation are their business. No one wants to blame you now."

Jiang Xinyue knew perfectly well that everyone was trying to comfort her, so she said, "Sisters, please stop talking. Although I haven't taken it too seriously, my family background is still problematic. With such strict job reviews these days, there are many things I can't control myself."

Zhao Lei interrupted her, saying, "Xinyue, I'll be frank. I want to use my connections to get you a job at Jinxiu Textile Factory."

Upon hearing this, all three ex-wives looked shocked.

Zhao Lei continued, "What's so surprising? When we hold our housewarming banquet, most of the people we invite can lend a hand in making connections. Most importantly, I've already invited Deputy Director Li from Jinxiu Textile Factory, so we can find out about recruitment information then."

Qin Yuchan shook her head and said, "Sanshi, you're taking it too seriously. Not just anyone can get into Jinxiu Textile Factory."

Jiang Xinyue nodded in agreement: "Yes, these days you need a letter of introduction to even get a factory job, and there's a limited number of positions available. Most of the factory jobs have been passed down from generation to generation. How could I possibly get in?"

Su Wanqing also agreed with this statement: "That's right, Brother Sanshi. Besides, the political review for entering the factory is very strict, and you might be criticized because of your family's past experience of being sent to labor reform."

Zhao Lei waved his hand, already having made up his mind: "Alright, I know what you're worried about, and I've considered these issues myself. But things are what we make of them. Whether it works or not, we have to try. I'm definitely going to hold this housewarming party."

Qin Yuchan asked, "How many people will we need to invite? Neighbors and fellow villagers will all be coming, plus relatives and friends from all walks of life. We'll probably need to set up dozens of tables, right?"

Jiang Xinyue picked up the abacus and roughly calculated: "And the expenses are not small, the most important thing is the standard of the banquet. If we set up the same standard as the banquet we had a few days ago, it will cost a lot of money. Right now, we only have 600 yuan in the family account, which can barely cover a dozen or so tables. Any more and we won't be able to make ends meet."

After hearing this, Zhao Lei slapped his forehead: "Oh, I almost forgot about that. We're not exactly rolling in money at home."

He estimated that he would need to prepare at least 30 tables for his housewarming banquet, including relatives and friends, as well as a group of important figures he had specially invited.

He didn't have many relatives, but he had a lot of close friends, not to mention that each of his three ex-wives had a large number of relatives and friends.

The number of tables will most likely be more than expected, and may even exceed the limit.

After all, he has become very famous in the village recently, and many people want to take this opportunity to get to know him.

Furthermore, the banquet should not be too low-end; it should at least match the standard of the last time guests were entertained.

Otherwise, if those important figures attend and see that the food is shabby, wouldn't that be a public embarrassment?

Zhao Lei wasn't simply concerned about saving face; it was mainly because in this era, interpersonal relationships and social niceties were paramount in life.

Information was scarce, and everything relied on word of mouth.

It's no wonder that in the 21st century, the older generation still cares a lot about what others think.

In their minds, once bad rumors start circulating, the entire social circle will quickly find out.

Zhao Lei wasn't usually one to care about what others thought, but now that he had established a positive hero image in the village, he was taking advantage of this banquet to build his network of contacts, with his primary goal being to secure Jiang Xinyue's job at the factory.

Taking all factors into consideration, this housewarming party is absolutely necessary!

Zhao Lei said, "Xinyue, calculate carefully, if we follow the same banquet scale as last time, how much would it cost to set up thirty or forty tables?"

Jiang Xinyue picked up the abacus and started fiddling with it. Before long, she had calculated the amount: "Sanshi, according to the standard last time, the raw materials for each table alone will cost 30 yuan. Add in the candy and drinks, and it will cost at least a thousand yuan to prepare for thirty or forty tables."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yuchan immediately became anxious: "What? Over a thousand? That much?"

She immediately looked distressed and quickly advised, "Sanshi, is it really necessary to be so extravagant? Our family's life has only just started to improve, and you're already spending so lavishly. Do you want to repeat the mistakes of your past wasteful spending?"

Zhao Lei was speechless upon hearing this.

Su Wanqing, who was standing nearby, also chimed in, "Brother Sanshi, I think this housewarming party should be kept simple. There's no need for such a grand affair. It's hard to recoup the money spent on hosting a banquet."

In this day and age, if a banquet is held according to the meal budget set by Zhao Lei, it is destined to lose money.