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

"Dajun, I remember you and your friend went to someone's house to steal hens before, and the sheriff registered it. Is that true?"

Qin Dajun's expression suddenly changed, and he immediately became tense.

"Brother-in-law, how did you know? That matter was resolved a long time ago."

Zhao Lei didn't beat around the bush and told him the truth about the theft of the musk from his home and that he had already reported it to the police.

I told him my plan, and asked if he knew anyone who was still dishonest and wanted to help me find out information.

Qin Dajun quickly waved his hand: "Brother-in-law, those were all foolish things I did last year when I was young and ignorant. I earn money honestly now, and I haven't touched those crooked ways for a long time."

Zhao Lei quickly explained, "I'm not here to investigate your past; I just want to find the thief who stole from my house. I know you have many friends, so I'm asking if you know anyone in this field who can help me inquire. If we can recover our losses, I will reward you handsomely."

After hearing this, Qin Dajun breathed a long sigh of relief. It turned out they weren't here to cause him trouble.

He did indeed hang out with a lot of idle people when he was young, and he still has quite a few drinking buddies now. He certainly has a lot of connections and information.

Zhao Lei is now a big money-maker in the village, and Qin Dajun wants to get along with him.

If I can help, I might get some benefits in the future.

He stopped hiding his true feelings and spoke frankly: "Brother-in-law, to be honest, I do know a few people like that. Leave this to me, and I'll do my best. But I can't guarantee whether I can get any information out of them; it depends on whether they're willing to talk."

Zhao Lei patted him on the shoulder: "Then I'll have to trouble you. Tonight, find them, set up a table, and subtly gather information. Remember, under no circumstances should you reveal that I'm the one investigating, understand?"

Qin Dajun nodded repeatedly: "I understand. I'll treat it as casual conversation and subtly try to get information out of them."

Zhao Lei was very satisfied.

He searched through his pockets. Yesterday, he had earned 280 yuan from selling wild boar cured meat. He had given 200 yuan to Jiang Xinyue, and today he had spent another 40 or 50 yuan on gifts, cigarettes, and alcohol. He only had 25 yuan and 68 cents left in cash.

He stuffed all the money into Qin Dajun's hands at once.

"Dajun, take these and use them to treat everyone to a meal. This is all I have left. If it's not enough, come back home for more."

Qin Dajun quickly declined, saying, "Brother-in-law, this is too much money. Treating those people to a meal will only cost a few dollars at most."

He only took out fifteen yuan, intending to return the rest to Zhao Lei.

Zhao Lei waved his hand to stop him: "The rest is yours. If you find any reliable information, I'll reward you handsomely. I'm leaving this matter to you."

Overjoyed to be valued so highly by Zhao Lei, Qin Dajun readily agreed and took the responsibility upon himself.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Qin Dajun, seeing that it was getting late, hurriedly took his leave to meet up with his friends.

Watching Qin Dajun's hurried departure, Zhao Lei felt a great weight lifted from his heart.

This kid is pretty sensible when it comes to handling things.

After saying goodbye to Qin Dajun, Zhao Lei rode his bicycle home.

He silently made plans along the way.

The black market contacted Deng Changhai, entrusted Liu Yishou, and also asked Qin Dajun to inquire within the local circles.

He has arranged everything that can be done.

Now, all we can do is wait quietly for news from all sides.

Clutching the 25.68 yuan Zhao Lei had given him, Qin Dajun hurried home.

Overjoyed, he kept muttering to himself.

"My cousin-in-law entrusted this to me, so I must handle it flawlessly!"

Over the past six months, he has witnessed the plight of everyone around him, and his heart aches terribly.

Who doesn't know that Zhao Lei is now the most capable person and the most influential figure in the entire Heping Brigade and even the surrounding towns?

Even Wang Zongbao, who used to have nothing and only knew how to herd cattle, not only got to ride a brand-new bicycle after following Zhao Lei, but also successfully became friends with Qin Xiaocui.

A few days ago, news even spread that Wang Zongbao had actually acquired a horse-drawn carriage!

In this day and age, a horse-drawn carriage is the epitome of grandeur!

The more Qin Dajun thought about it, the more alarmed and regretful he became.

Not only Wang Zongbao, but also Qin Dashan and Qin Bowen from Uncle Mancang's family have undergone a complete transformation in just a few months following Zhao Lei. Their lives are thriving, and it is said that the Qin family is even preparing to rebuild a new red brick house.

There's also Uncle Changlin, who earned enough savings that others couldn't accumulate in several years by working with Zhao Lei.

These people included close relatives, neighbors, and even outsiders like Wang Zongbao, all of whom took advantage of Zhao Lei's influence to completely turn their lives around.

Looking at myself, I only have the title of being a relative of the Qin family, but I have never been able to keep up with their pace.

This was the first time Zhao Lei had taken the initiative to entrust him with an important matter; it was his only chance to turn things around.

It was also his ticket to squeeze into Zhao Lei's inner circle!

Qin Dajun gritted his teeth, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

Twenty-five yuan and sixty-eight cents is more than enough to treat those idle cronies to a meal, and you might even have a dozen yuan left over.

But he didn't want to do it half-heartedly; he wanted to spend a lot of money to accomplish something big, to show his utmost sincerity, and to do it thoroughly and properly!

He rushed home, ransacked the place, and pulled out all the money he had saved up over the past six months, hiding it in cracks in the walls, in earthenware pots, and under the bed.

He smoothed out the loose change, coins, and bills, and added the twenty-five yuan and sixty-eight cents that Zhao Lei had given him, which brought him a total of more than fifty yuan.

Clutching the heavy wad of cash, Qin Dajun's anger surged. He cursed under his breath, "Which blind fool dared to steal from my cousin-in-law! Do they think our Qin family is helpless? I'm back in action today, and I'll find them no matter what!"

Just as he finished packing and was about to leave with the large sum of money, a figure suddenly blocked his way at the door.

It was his wife, Wang Xiaoli.

Seeing his excited expression as he rummaged through drawers and cabinets, Wang Xiaoli's heart skipped a beat. Her face filled with wariness and grievance, she said, "Qin Dajun, are you crazy? What are you doing searching the house like this? Are you going out to fool around again?"

"You silly woman, get out of my way! Don't delay me from doing my business!" Qin Dajun said impatiently, reaching out to push him away.

Wang Xiaoli, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed the large wad of cash peeking out of his bulging pockets. Her composure crumbled instantly, and her eyes welled with tears: "Qin Dajun! I was blind to marry you! I thought you'd settled down, but it turns out you're going to go out and squander the family's hard-earned money again!"

His shrill cries instantly irritated Qin Dajun.

He reached out and covered Wang Xiaoli's mouth, his eyes fierce: "Shut up! What are you yelling about! If you keep making a sound, see how I deal with you!"

"I told you, I'm out on serious business! It's something that could make our family rich and powerful! Don't cause me any trouble!"