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

"Cousin, I need to see your husband. It's urgent."

"He's inside, talking to Bowen."

Qin Dajun stepped into the house, where Zhao Lei was discussing something with Qin Bowen.

Should we stay home and wait for news, or go up the mountain to check on the forty animal traps?

Upon seeing Qin Dajun approach, both men stopped talking.

"Brother-in-law, Bowen's cousin."

"Cousin Dajun? What brings you here?"

Qin Dajun glanced around and gave Zhao Lei a coded signal with his eyes.

Zhao Lei nodded slightly, indicating that everyone in the room was one of his own and there was no need to be discreet.

Qin Dajun then recounted in detail what he had learned the previous night.

Upon hearing this, both Zhao Lei and Qin Bowen's faces lit up with joy. After a long day of running around, they finally had some progress.

Zhao Lei stepped forward and pressed, "Do you know who's behind this information? Have you confirmed whether they're looking for musk?"

Qin Dajun shook his head: "Brother-in-law, I only came here after receiving a message from my subordinates. I don't know the specific details yet; they are still digging for clues."

Zhao Lei reached out and patted Qin Dajun on the shoulder, his nose catching a strong smell of alcohol on him.

I knew in my heart that this kid had really gone to great lengths to get things done yesterday.

"Dajun, thank you for your hard work."

Zhao Lei's opinion of Qin Dajun changed considerably. Although Qin Dajun had been muddle-headed before, he was truly dedicated to the tasks assigned to him.

He turned and quietly pulled Qin Bowen aside.

"Bowen, take out thirty yuan."

Qin Bowen had a couple hundred yuan on him, and his savings were more than Zhao Lei's.

"Brother-in-law, I'll pay you back later."

Qin Bowen waved his hand: "No need, brother-in-law. The money I earn comes from you anyway, so you can take it and use it. Is that enough? If not, I have more here. Just leave me fifty yuan."

Zhao Lei knew that Qin Bowen's mind was on Zhou Qingqing lately, so he needed to keep some money for himself and didn't take more than he was entitled to.

He took the thirty yuan, turned around and walked up to Qin Dajun, stuffing the money directly into his hand.

Qin Dajun quickly withdrew his hand, repeatedly declining, "Brother-in-law, this is unacceptable! We are family, how can I take your money for a favor?"

It took Zhao Lei and Qin Bowen a lot of persuasion to convince him to accept it.

"Dajun, you must take this money. I smelled alcohol on you; you must have spent a lot on dinner yesterday. This is for your reimbursement."

"Brother-in-law, you're being too polite by saying that."

"Let's keep things separate. I, Zhao Lei, never mistreat those who work hard. Your family is already struggling financially, and you and Xiaoli have just started a family, so there will be many expenses in the future. Take this; if I find a way to make money in the future, I will naturally help you."

Hearing these words, Qin Dajun felt both excited and thrilled.

My cousin's husband has truly accepted me!

Yesterday, he paid for it himself, spending over forty yuan in total. Zhao Lei had only given him twenty-five yuan and sixty-eight cents, so he ended up losing quite a bit.

But now that he has received these thirty yuan and heard Zhao Lei's promise, he not only doesn't feel like he's lost out, but he also feels that this is the most worthwhile deal he has ever made in his life.

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

"No need for pleasantries. You've handled things beautifully, but it's not over yet. Keep a close eye on things afterward. If you have any difficulties with spending money, come directly to me. I won't be home, so ask your cousin for the money first; I'll put in a good word with her."

"Don't worry, brother-in-law, I'll definitely handle this properly!"

"Hold on tight, once the thief gets rid of the item, it will be extremely difficult to get it back."

"Understood! I'll go find Erwa and the others now to keep an eye on things. Come back and report as soon as you have any news."

Qin Dajun took his leave, said goodbye to Qin Yuchan, and quickly departed.

After Qin Dajun had gone some distance, Qin Bowen looked at Zhao Lei and said, "Brother-in-law, now that we have a lead, we can't just wait around. Why don't we go out and investigate too?"

Zhao Lei shook his head: "No. If we show ourselves rashly, we'll easily alert them. If they sense something's wrong and hide the goods, or even try to escape to Yunchang County, that would be troublesome. You heard Dajun say that the thief is already inquiring about the route to Yunchang County."

In this day and age, you have to register before you can travel far. If you don't have the necessary paperwork, you'll be deported if you're caught.

If it were later, when people could move freely, the thieves would have long since fled and could never be found again.

Qin Bowen nodded and then asked, "So what are we going to do today?"

Zhao Lei frowned, feeling caught in a dilemma.

He is now caught in a dilemma, being pulled between two sides.

On one side were the thieves who stole the musk, eager to sell the stolen goods. On the other side, he had to stay at home, waiting for news from Qin Dajun and Liu Yishou, and not miss the opportunity to make the arrest.

Forty animal traps have been set up on the other side of the mountain and have been left there for a day.

If you don't check on it every two or three days, the trapped prey may rot and die, or it may break free and escape, or even be eaten by other wild animals.

I'm caught in a dilemma, unable to be in two places at once.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Lei gave the instructions: "Bowen, go up the mountain and check those snares. Bring them back if you find any prey. I'll stay home and keep watch, so I can deal with any news immediately."

Qin Bowen felt a little apprehensive. Although he had followed Zhao Lei for more than two months and knew a bit about hunting, he still didn't feel confident going into the mountains alone.

After Zhao Lei's words of comfort and advice, Qin Bowen finally made up his mind to go up the mountain alone to check the traps.

After Qin Bowen left, Zhao Lei was the only one left in the huge courtyard.

He was filled with anxiety, worried about Qin Bowen on the mountain and fearing that he might encounter a wild beast and have an accident.

He was also concerned about the progress of Qin Dajun's side, and wondered if Liu Yishou had responded, as well as when the rumored drug dealer from Yunchang County would finally show up.

Various thoughts swirled in my mind, making me restless.

So he picked up an axe and went to the yard to chop firewood, using physical strength to vent his anxiety.

Qin Yuchan and Jiang Xinyue saw that in just half a day, two tall stacks of firewood had been chopped up in the yard.

"Sanshi, I know you're anxious, but don't take it out on the firewood. If you chop so much, how long will it take us to burn it all?"

Zhao Lei was covered in sweat, swinging his axe and chopping away incessantly. Firewood piled up under the eaves, almost forming a wall.

"I feel anxious, and if I don't do something, my mind just keeps wandering."

Jiang Xinyue stepped forward and advised, "Sister Yuchan, don't try to persuade him anymore. We have important things to do. Let's go to town and order the things we need for the housewarming banquet."

Qin Yuchan looked at the children playing at the courtyard gate, her face showing concern: "What will happen to the children?"

"Just play near your home, say hello to Granny Zhang, and ask her to watch over things for a while."

Qin Yuchan was relieved and got on her tricycle; the two of them headed to Qingfeng Town together.

Only Zhao Lei remained in the courtyard, still engrossed in chopping wood.

I was busy until after 3 p.m., but there was still no news from any party, and I had already chopped all the firewood at home.

Finally, things took a turn for the better...