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

"Come on! Good children, you're all good kids! This is a red envelope from your great-uncle to mark our first meeting. Whatever you want to eat or buy, your parents will get it for you!"

Zhao Lei was completely dumbfounded.

In just a few minutes, he casually pulled out forty yuan, which is equivalent to more than a month's salary for an ordinary worker!

In this era, the preference for sons over daughters was prevalent. Although Su Minggui favored his grand-nephew Xiao Shitou the most, it was already extremely rare that he could make sure everyone received a share, including both boys and girls.

If the villagers saw three children receiving a huge red envelope containing forty yuan, they would be green with envy.

Zhao Lei made numerous excuses, but Su Minggui wouldn't listen at all.

He had been alone for half his life, with no ties or worries. He had plenty of money but lacked the liveliness of children. Now, looking at a room full of well-behaved and adorable babies, he felt incredibly comfortable.

I decided to ignore the adults' polite formalities and focus on playing and having fun with the three children.

Soon, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of food, steaming hot, and a sumptuous dinner was ready. The family gathered together, ready to eat.

At the dinner table, Su Minggui frequently raised his glass, in an extremely good mood.

More than three years later, he finally found his beloved niece in Qingfeng Town, which made him extremely happy.

When he first heard that his beloved niece had married a man who had been married and divorced three times, he felt disgusted and resistant to Zhao Lei from the bottom of his heart.

But after spending the afternoon together, the more Zhao Lei looked at him, the more pleasing he became, and the more he got to know him, the more he liked this kid.

Su Minggui couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

No wonder my Wanqing fell for him!

If I were a young girl, I probably wouldn't have escaped this guy's clutches either!

She's so good at handling things, and she's really good with words!

Zhao Lei had no idea that his uncle was having so many thoughts running through his mind, and he kept calling him "Uncle" affectionately and respectfully.

He knew in his heart that Su Wanqing's relationship with this uncle was even closer than her relationship with her biological father, Su Mingtang.

The uncle was more than ten years older than Su Wanqing. When Su Wanqing was little, she was just a baby and would follow her uncle around all day.

From childhood to adulthood, whenever she was bullied or wronged, it was always her uncle who stood up for her and protected her.

Moreover, Su Minggui led a dissolute and unrestrained life, wandering from place to place, and never married or had children.

In his heart, Su Wanqing was no different from his own daughter.

Because of his love for his elder, Zhao Lei deeply respected and felt close to him.

After a few drinks, the two became increasingly congenial.

Before long, they were all drunk, putting their arms around each other's shoulders and calling each other brothers.

The three women standing nearby looked on with a mixture of helplessness and amusement.

It was getting late, and the children were getting sleepy.

Qin Yuchan first took the children back to the house to rest.

While they were drinking and bragging, Su Wanqing and Jiang Xinyue took the things they had bought in town that day and went to the new house to unpack.

The old house was already cramped; with the whole family living there, there wasn't enough room to move around. Zhao Lei was like a guerrilla fighter, sleeping in one room today and another tomorrow, so there were no extra guest rooms at all.

The two specially prepared a clean guest room, made a new bed, and reserved it for Su Minggui.

While the woman was busy tidying up the new house, Zhao Lei, emboldened by alcohol, finalized the matter of tracking down the stolen musk sachet.

With this family connection, Su Minggui patted his chest and guaranteed that he would definitely help him find the thief who stole the things.

Around 8 p.m., footsteps were heard outside the courtyard gate. Qin Bowen had come to visit late at night.

As soon as I entered, I heard cheerful laughter and the sounds of drinking coming from the courtyard. From afar, someone called out, "Brother-in-law! Why is it so lively at home?"

Upon entering the main room, he saw Zhao Lei chatting and drinking with a middle-aged man he didn't know. He immediately stopped, looking a little reserved.

When Zhao Lei saw that it was Qin Bowen, he quickly waved and said, "Bowen's here, come and sit down."

He then introduced, "Bowen, you should also call this uncle. He's Wanqing's uncle, and he just came from Yunchang."

Qin Bowen was startled, his face lighting up with delight: "Ah? Wanqing's family? My apologies! Uncle, let me toast you!"

Seeing the surprise in Su Minggui's eyes, Zhao Lei introduced Qin Bowen to him: "This is Yu Chan's younger brother, Qin Bowen. He is my most capable hunting partner. We usually go up the mountain together to trap and bring in wild game."

Su Minggui immediately understood and nodded with a smile.

Qin Bowen suddenly realized that the Yunchang medicine dealer, whom he and Zhao Lei had been searching for to buy large quantities of precious medicinal herbs, was actually Wanqing's sister-in-law's uncle!

It's truly a case of perfect coincidence; everything that happened was brought together by fate.

The initial barrier completely dissipated, and the group sat down to continue drinking and chatting, becoming more and more familiar with each other.

After chatting for a while, Zhao Lei looked at Qin Bowen and asked, "Bowen, is there something you need so late? Why did it take you so long to check the condoms up the mountain today? Why are you only coming down now?"

Qin Bowen instantly looked embarrassed, scratching his head and chuckling awkwardly.

Zhao Lei saw right through him: "Oh, you little rascal! It's already autumn and you're starting to get horny, aren't you? You're always so absent-minded, wandering around Sanhe Township again, aren't you?!"

Upon hearing this, Su Minggui immediately understood and burst into laughter.

Having all been through it all, the three men instantly found common ground when they started talking about women, which brought them much closer together.

After the laughter and joking around, Qin Bowen honestly reported the serious matter:

"Brother-in-law, I only found twenty-five snares when I went up the mountain today."

Zhao Lei raised his hand and gently patted him: "You brat, I've run all the mountain routes by heart, how could you forget them?"

Qin Bowen looked aggrieved: "Brother-in-law, there are many trees and dense grass in the mountains, and everything looks exactly the same. As soon as I entered the mountains, I was completely disoriented and couldn't tell which way was which."

Su Minggui laughed heartily, exclaiming, "Hahaha! You're quite something, young man! You dug the trap yourself, and now you can't even find it?"

Qin Bowen chuckled sheepishly, "Uncle, all mountains look the same, it's perfectly normal to get lost."

Su Minggui waved his hand and solemnly instructed him, "That won't do. There are rules for entering the mountains, and everything has its own path. I'll teach you the simplest method."

"First, before entering the mountains, identify the cardinal directions and determine the general direction. Find a fixed large reference point, such as a distant mountain peak, a large rock, or a large tree."

Once you're in the mountains, as long as you keep your bearings and don't lose your sense of direction, you won't get lost.

Zhao Lei nodded repeatedly as he listened.

This was the simplest, most direct, and effective method he used when he first started learning to go into the mountains. He never expected that Su Minggui would also be so knowledgeable about this.

Zhao Lei couldn't help but feel curious, and Su Minggui, as if reading his mind, explained with a smile:

"Nephew-in-law, do you think I've been collecting medicine all year round for nothing?"

I've gone into the mountains to collect herbs more times than you've gone hunting.

Unlike prey, herbs are not easy to find. If they are not yet mature, you need to remember their location, orientation, and soil type. If you miss them once, you are unlikely to find them again on your next trip into the mountains.

"I've been running in the mountains for years; these basic skills are all honed through practice."

Zhao Lei gave a heartfelt thumbs up: "Uncle, you're an expert! A true expert!"