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

Not long after, Zhao Lei met Su Wanqing.

At that time, Wanqing was harassed by Zhao Chenghu, a hooligan in Qingshuigou Village. He stepped in to resolve the trouble, and the two gradually grew closer and developed feelings for each other.

But at that time, Zhao Lei's family was dirt poor, his mother was seriously ill and bedridden, he was burdened with debt, and he had no skills whatsoever.

Wanqing was already disowned and completely rejected by her father, Su Mingtang, because she refused to study traditional Chinese medicine and insisted on studying Western medicine.

At that time, she was also blinded by love and married him against everyone's wishes.

Who knew that not long after the marriage, Zhao Lei would completely fall into depravity, hanging out with a group of shady characters and getting addicted to gambling.

The family's life was in complete disarray; they couldn't make ends meet and were getting worse and worse.

Later, he found some ridiculous reason to divorce Jiang Xinyue, and after accumulating a mountain of debt, he ran away to avoid his creditors, spending more than half a year on the streets.

Over the past six months, Qin Yuchan, Jiang Xinyue, and Su Wanqing, three women who shared the same plight, huddled together for warmth.

Three women, raising children, going to work, earning work points, and making a living, single-handedly shouldered the burden of the entire family.

It wasn't until more than two months ago, when Zhao Lei returned from outside, that he finally turned over a new leaf.

He stopped gambling, partying, and fooling around; he focused solely on earning money to support his family.

By hunting in the mountains, he turned his life around and earned enough in just over two months to build a new two-story red brick house, completely revitalizing his family's livelihood.

After hearing the whole story, Su Minggui remained silent for a long time.

He suddenly realized that he and Zhao Lei looked somewhat alike when they were young.

They were all handsome, young and carefree, reckless and foolish, and didn't know how to cherish what they had.

However, he realized this too late, only understanding how to live after the age of thirty-five, and ended up completely alone for the rest of his life.

Zhao Lei, on the other hand, fully woke up before he was thirty and took on the responsibility of his family, which is truly admirable.

In an instant, his anger towards Zhao Lei subsided considerably, and he even felt a sense of kinship with him.

Looking at Zhao Lei, who had completely reformed and was now hardworking and down-to-earth, he truly admired him from the bottom of his heart.

The anger subsided, leaving only a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, including regret and reflection).

Su Minggui looked at Zhao Lei, his tone softening: "Lei Zi, do you mind if I call you Lei Zi?"

Zhao Lei quickly shook his head, very respectfully saying, "Not at all! Uncle is an elder, you can call me whatever you want!"

Su Minggui was amused by his sensible and tactful manner.

He thought to himself: No wonder you're so popular with women, you're really good with words, even better than I was in my youth.

But he still kept a straight face and said seriously:

"I won't dwell on the foolish things you did in the past. Everyone makes mistakes when they're young. It's rare that you've turned over a new leaf, admitted your mistakes, and are still able to support your family. I appreciate that."

"It's fate that brought us together. We were originally doing business, but we ended up meeting Wanqing by chance. It's all arranged by God."

"The past is past. I don't want to ask anything else, I just want to see the children, where is my little nephew, Xiao Shitou?"

Now that he's middle-aged and has spent half his life alone and helpless, Su Minggui cherishes children the most.

He was filled with anticipation, eager to see the two-year-old baby in person.

Zhao Lei quickly explained, "Uncle, the child went to town with my two ex-wives and their two other kids to buy things for next week's housewarming party. Judging by the time, they should be back soon."

He glanced up at the old-fashioned wall clock in the main room; the hands were already pointing to a little past five in the afternoon.

The three uncles and nephews, who had not reunited for more than three years, sat in the main room and talked for nearly an hour.

The group chatted about their respective circumstances over the years, the misunderstandings they had missed, and Zhao Lei's plans for the future.

In front of Su Minggui, Zhao Lei solemnly promised that he would treat Su Wanqing well from now on, take good care of the children, live a down-to-earth life, and would never repeat the mistakes of the past.

Su Minggui could see clearly that his niece was wholeheartedly in love with Zhao Lei.

Zhao Lei is young and impetuous with many flaws, and his shortcomings are undeniable, but his strengths are equally impressive: he is hardworking, capable of turning things around, and responsible.

The deed is done, the child is grown up, and the family's life is getting better and better. He doesn't want to break up his niece's peaceful and happy life.

She repeatedly and sternly warned Zhao Lei that if he dared to bully Su Wanqing or betray her in the slightest, she would be the first to object and would not let him off the hook, no matter where he was.

As they chatted, the topic turned to the medicinal herb business.

Su Minggui finally understood that Zhao Lei's initial contact with Deng Changhai was not because he was in a hurry to ship the goods, but because he wanted to intercept the downstream of the medicinal materials and find the thief who stole the musk pouches.

No one expected that a case involving the investigation of thieves and the recovery of stolen goods would, by a twist of fate, lead to the reunion of an uncle and nephew who had been out of contact for three years, truly turning misfortune into blessing.

The group then started talking about Su Wanqing's father, Su Mingtang.

It was the first time in more than three years that Su Wanqing had learned about her family's recent situation from her uncle.

In the past three years, my parents have aged and become much more haggard, and the family's traditional Chinese medicine shop business has been sluggish. My eldest brother tried to make money by trading medicinal herbs, but lost a lot of capital, severely damaging the family's wealth. Now the family is struggling financially and no longer has the former glory and confidence of the Su family in Yunchang.

Upon hearing about the recent situation at home, Su Wanqing felt anxious and worried, her expression complex.

Zhao Lei quickly comforted her, "Wanqing, if you miss home, we can take some time to go back to Yunchang to see your parents another day."

Su Wanqing neither nodded in agreement nor shook her head in refusal; she simply remained silent, her eyes filled with conflict and concern.

Zhao Lei understood her thoughts and immediately changed the subject, turning to look at Su Minggui.

"By the way, Uncle, I asked you to help me find out who was secretly selling my stolen musk pods."

During their initial business meeting, Zhao Lei tried every trick in the book, making various promises and concessions, but Su Minggui weighed the pros and cons and resolutely refused to get involved.

But things are different now; they are real relatives.

Before him stood his most beloved niece; Zhao Lei's affairs were Su Wanqing's affairs.

Zhao Lei's move to strike while the iron was hot was perfectly timed.

As expected, Su Minggui agreed without hesitation, his tone resolute.

"Don't worry, Lei Zi! Things are different now! Your family's business is my niece Wan Qing's business! Wan Qing's business is my business! Uncle will definitely help you find that thief and won't let him sell your precious stolen goods for money!"

Zhao Lei still had some concerns: "Uncle, what about your business? Aren't you afraid of offending the sellers of the goods from other suppliers, which would affect your ability to collect medicine?"

Su Minggui waved his hand dismissively: "Hey! What's a little business in Qingfeng Town? I only come here once or twice a month, just to earn a little extra money on the side. My main business is all around the county seat, so it doesn't interfere with anything!"