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

If it were my elderly self in my past life, I wouldn't have known how to handle 180 pounds of wild boar meat.

Qin Bowen stepped forward to help, but Zhao Lei waved his hand and said, "You string those piglets together, you carry the little ones, and I'll carry the big ones."

Qin Bowen nodded in agreement, gathered the eight piglets, cleaned their internal organs, and put them into his backpack, piling them together with the wild fruits he had picked earlier, weighing a total of 120 to 130 jin.

He was young and strong, so carrying him on his back was effortless.

Zhao Lei looked up at the sun and estimated that it was already two or three o'clock in the afternoon.

Although they still had plenty of time to continue searching for prey in the mountains, the two of them were already at their limit with their loads. If they hunted another wild animal, they would definitely not be able to carry it down the mountain with them.

The two decided to call it a day and head down the mountain, one after the other, along the mountain path.

The sun was scorching, and the dense forest was unbearably hot and humid.

Sweat dripped incessantly from their foreheads, mingling with the blood of their prey and soaking their clothes. Their bodies reeked of sweat and the pungent, unpleasant stench of wild animals.

The wind in the mountains was quite strong. After my clothes were soaked through, they were dried by the wind, leaving me feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over.

Several hours had passed by the time the two returned to the place where the 28-meter-long sledgehammer was hidden.

The two brothers were so exhausted that they leaned against the shade of a tree to drink water and rest. After smoking two cigarettes, Zhao Lei finally got up and pushed the old-fashioned bar out of the bushes.

Zhao Lei had anticipated that he wouldn't return empty-handed from his mountain trip, so he had tied two flat wooden planks to the back of his old-fashioned motorcycle beforehand.

He and Qin Bowen worked together to lift the sow up and tied it securely with thick rope.

Qin Bowen did the same with his bicycle, the back bag full of prey tightly strapped to the back seat.

After getting ready, the two brothers rode their bikes to the production brigade.

Although they were covered in a fishy and sticky smell, the two of them felt exceptionally happy and fulfilled on the way back.

If they sold the game, they could each earn at least a hundred or two hundred yuan. If they asked Wang Zongbao to deliver it to the county town for sale, the price could be increased even further.

Two large, old-fashioned trucks, fully loaded with their prey, drove along the dirt road, making a clanging and rattling noise that immediately attracted the attention of many villagers along the way.

Now, the members of the Peace Brigade don't even need to look up to hear the sound; they know it's Zhao Lei leading his men back from hunting and making money.

Several young men working in the field began to whisper among themselves.

"Hey, listen to that car. No need to look, it's definitely Zhao Lei and his gang again."

"Do you even need to tell me? Everyone in our brigade who can ride a 28-inch bicycle made money by hunting with Zhao Lei. It's really enviable. I want a bicycle too."

"Erwa, don't overthink it. I went to the supply and marketing cooperative in Qingfeng Town a while ago and asked around. A 28-inch motorcycle costs 160 yuan! We work in the fields every day to earn work points, which is only a dozen yuan a month. It would take us more than a year of saving up without eating or drinking to afford one."

The men chatted and lost all interest in working in the fields. They put down their hoes, rolled up their cigarettes, and squatted down to smoke, watching Zhao Lei and Qin Bowen ride their bicycles toward them.

The back seat was heavy, and I couldn't see what was inside.

A young man squinted and peered out: "Hey? What did Lei and the others get today? What's that huge pile of stuff?"

Upon seeing it clearly, Liu Erwa slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Wow, another wild boar! It's quite heavy, even bigger than an adult pig raised in a farm!"

The others looked closely and saw that it was indeed so.

Zhao Lei rode in front, with a large wild boar weighing about 200 pounds lying across the wooden plank of the rear frame.

Qin Bowen followed behind, his back seat pocket crammed full. Two wild rabbits and two pheasants couldn't fit, so they were hung directly on the side of the car, swaying back and forth, attracting a lot of attention.

Just then, the two rode their bicycles along the ridge between the fields, and Qin Dajun, who was leading the way, took the initiative to speak: "Brother-in-law, you went up the mountain again? You brought back such a big wild boar!"

Zhao Lei recognized him as Qin Dajun, Qin Yuchan's distant cousin. The boy had helped out for a couple of days when his family was building their new house.

He stopped the vehicle, as pedaling with the heavy wild boar was already strenuous, and this was a good opportunity to catch his breath.

Qin Bowen, who was behind, also parked his car and greeted him with a smile, "Hey, Cousin Dajun, going to work in the fields?"

"Hey, Bowen, you've been up the mountain with your cousin-in-law again, enjoying the good life. What good stuff did you hunt today?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several young men surrounded him.

Zhao Lei pulled out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes, smoked one himself, and tossed the rest to Qin Dajun: "Dajun, take this, everyone come and have a smoke."

Qin Dajun hurriedly caught it, feeling flattered and overwhelmed.

Daqianmen cigarettes weren't cheap; a pack cost over three mao at the supply and marketing cooperative, which was almost equivalent to half a day's work points.

"Oh my, thank you, brother-in-law!"

Qin Dajun kept calling him "brother-in-law," his sweet talk making Zhao Lei feel very comfortable.

He didn't keep any for himself. Following Zhao Lei's instructions, he gave one to each of the brothers who worked with him, and put the remaining four or five into his own pocket.

A group of young men surrounded the bicycle, staring at the prey on it.

After counting them, Liu Erwa couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Brother Lei, you wiped out the whole wild boar litter! There were even eight piglets!"

Qin Bowen chuckled and said, "Hehe, these kinds of beasts are just a nuisance to crops. It's fine to beat them up. A family should be kept together."

Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this.

"Brother-in-law, if you need more people to go hunting in the mountains in the future, please call us. We also want to go into the mountains with you to earn money."

Zhao Lei smiled and advised, "Dajun, hunting is a very dangerous profession. Look at me and Bowen, we're covered in sweat and blood, we earn our money through hard work, and today we were almost charged by a mad wild boar in the mountains."

Qin Dajun understood the danger involved as soon as he heard it.

Hunters often told me stories of people falling and getting injured in the mountains, being bitten by wild animals, and even someone from the neighboring Taiyang Production Brigade being bitten to death by a venomous snake.

Hunting is far more complicated than what others imagine—carrying a gun into the mountains and making a fortune effortlessly.

But he still cheerfully said, "Hehe, brother-in-law, if there's any heavy work to be done in the future, just call on us brothers."

Zhao Lei nodded: "No problem, let's all make money together, and let the rich help the poor."

Upon hearing this, the young men nearby crowded around to make friends, showering him with praise.

"Brother Lei, you're amazing!"

"Brother Lei is our role model!"

"I'll learn from you and make our lives prosperous, and I'll marry three wives!"

Mentioning his three ex-wives brought another round of laughter.

Everyone knows that Zhao Lei has had three marriages, and all three ex-wives were outstanding girls from the surrounding villages.

In casual conversation, many young men would joke about this, saying they wanted to marry three wives in the future, but when it came to reality, they all chickened out.

They struggled to support their own families, let alone three. Zhao Lei naturally became a role model and idol for everyone.