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

"Yes, your second sister is going back to school today, and I happen to be on vacation."

Qin Bowen took the bowl of water and took a big gulp, then urged, "Sister Wanqing, you must have heard at the clinic, right? My brother-in-law is now the sharpshooter of our Heping Production Team. It would be such a waste if he didn't go out and show off his skills!"

Su Wanqing took the empty bowl. "Bowen, you've studied for so many years, don't you know that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind?"

Hearing this, Zhao Lei also perked up his ears.

Qin Bowen scratched his head. "Sister Wanqing, you're not going to say that my brother-in-law is too famous now, and someone is trying to trip him up, are you?"

Su Wanqing nodded. "That's hard to say. Sanshi has become famous this time and has even received a lot of bounty money. He might have taken away someone else's share and become the target of jealousy!"

Zhao Lei raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

Eh?

Wanqing is right!

Making 260 yuan in one day is certainly enough to make people envious.

The mountains are sparsely populated, and anything can happen...

So you were worried about me?

But Zhao Lei thought about it again.

Although we've paid off our debts and still have a little over a hundred yuan left, we can't just sit around and do nothing.

The three children are still somewhat malnourished and need to continue hunting wild game to supplement their diet.

Finally, Zhao Lei made up his mind and stood up abruptly.

"Okay, let's go!"

Qin Bowen was overjoyed. "Brother-in-law, you agreed? That's right! That's how it should be. Let's strike while the iron is hot and get some more meat to eat!"

"That makes sense! Let's hurry, or we'll be left with nothing."

Zhao Lei went inside to get his bow and arrows, said a few words to Su Wanqing, and then led Qin Bowen toward Qingfeng Mountain.

……

As soon as Zhao Lei and his companion left the village, they discovered that Lai Mazi and two accomplices were following them not far behind.

Qin Bowen looked dissatisfied, but Zhao Lei didn't take Lai Mazi and his two companions seriously and simply ignored them.

However, when Lai Mazi saw that Qin Bowen had discovered them, he stopped pretending.

The three men, carrying machetes and bows and arrows, quickly followed.

"Hey, Lei-ge, going up the mountain?"

Lai Mazi's sarcastic voice came from behind, "Making so much money and still working so hard, you're truly the village's model worker!"

Qin Bowen's face darkened, and he turned around to curse.

"Lai Mazi, are you guys just bored out of your minds? If you really can't manage, why don't you go to the fields and earn some work points? What are you doing following us?"

"Hey? Qin Sanwa, aren't you being disrespectful? You should call my mom 'aunt,' because by seniority I'm still your Uncle Lai. How come you've become so ungrateful after just a little education?"

"Did you get so engrossed in reading that you developed psoriasis?"

Qin Bowen may only be seventeen years old, but he's as strong as a calf.

For Lai Mazi, who is 1.6 meters tall, he is a head taller.

Enraged by this, he grabbed the man by the collar and yelled, "You scoundrel, Lai Mazi, you think you can reason with me? Don't think I don't know what you're up to!"

Lai Mazi kept saying that the three of them hadn't done anything wrong, and that the road was right under their feet, so why would they stop them from walking?

Immediately, Lai Mazi's two gang members panicked and reached for the machetes at their waists...

Zhao Lei's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stepped forward to pull the two apart.

"Bowen, let him go. We're just going the same way into the mountains, and once we're in, we'll go our separate ways..."

Qin Bowen may act arrogantly and domineering in public, but he is exceptionally obedient to Zhao Lei.

After some persuasion, Qin Bowen turned away angrily, ignoring the three of them.

Even without any conflict, Qin Bowen remained wary of the other party throughout the journey.

Only Zhao Lei touched the hunting rifle on his back, revealing an expression of complete control.

Lai Mazi never visits the temple without a reason; he's usually up to no good!

Zhao Lei recalled Su Wanqing's words when he left: "The tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind," and he immediately understood.

It seems they're envious...

If you think you can reap great rewards by following me, then just wait and see!

Before long, the group of people entered the mountain one after the other.

Once inside the woods, Lai Mazi immediately approached.

"Brother Lei, I heard you're really good at hunting, why don't you teach the brothers a thing or two?"

"Exactly, we can't eat meat ourselves while our brothers can't even get soup, can we?"

Qin Bowen, who had been holding back all the way, finally couldn't take it anymore: "Lai Mazi, are you trying to get away with this?!"

"Wow, this kid's got quite a temper even though he's barely grown any fuzz!"

"Your dad's the brigade leader, but the mountain road isn't yours to control. We can't just go wherever we want!"

Zhao Lei's goal was not to argue with the other party; instead, he focused more on searching for prey in the forest.

The group walked into the mountains for another half hour.

Zhao Lei confirmed that they had left the outer perimeter, meaning there were no other hunters around them now.

Just as Zhao Lei was about to deal with the troublesome Lai Mazi and his two companions, he suddenly noticed signs of prey activity not far away.

Lai Mazi also noticed what was in front of Zhao Lei and immediately exclaimed in alarm, "There are pheasants over there!"

boom!

Instantly, Lai Mazi's shout startled the pheasants, which took flight and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Qin Bowen's face turned green with anger upon seeing this: "Lai Mazi! You did this on purpose!"

Lai Mazi shrugged: "Was I trying to be helpful by reminding you? Who knew you'd be so slow?"

Zhao Lei slowly turned around and looked at Lai Mazi with a cold gaze.

Are you trying to cause trouble?

Fuck!

Zhao Lei endured it again and again, just because he didn't want to break off relations with the other party.

After all, they were all from the same production brigade, and he didn't want to cause his wife and children too much trouble.

But the trouble just keeps coming back to haunt me!

Since that's the case, we can't give him any more face!

Zhao Lei abruptly raised his hunting rifle and aimed it at Lai Mazi's ugly pockmarked face.

Lai Mazi trembled violently: "Zhao Lei! What...what are you doing?"

"What are you doing? I'll fuck your ass! I've been putting up with you for ages!"

Lai Mazi broke out in a cold sweat: "Zhao Lei! Don't do anything rash! Murder is a crime!"

"I know... but it seems like nobody in these deep mountains and forests would know, right?"

After Zhao Lei said that, Lai Mazi realized that he had unknowingly entered the primeval forest.

The surrounding area is lush with vegetation and sparsely populated. Even if someone died here, no one would probably know for a month.

The more Lai Mazi thought about it, the more terrified he became.

"Damn it... we've fallen into Zhao Lei's trap! That bastard definitely led us in here on purpose!"

"I knew he'd been silent the whole way; he'd been planning this all along!"

"Wait... We have one more person, but the other side has guns. We can't fight them head-on..."

Thinking of this, Lai Mazi immediately backed down, "Brother Lei...Brother Lei, it can't be that bad...it can't be that bad, right?"

"Huh? Murderers pay with their lives, this little thing shouldn't cost me my life, right?"

"Since you don't like us learning hunting with you, Brother Lei, then we'll leave... Sorry to bother you, Brother Lei."

After saying that, Lai Mazi turned to leave.

Zhao Lei sneered, "Too late!"

boom!