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

Su Mingtang was sitting in the main room drinking tea and sitting there in silence when he saw his fourth brother, Su Minggui, suddenly return. He merely raised his eyes slightly.

Before he could speak, Su Minggui suppressed his anger and directly questioned him:

"Big brother! Wanqing is in Qingfeng Town, isn't she?"

Su Mingtang's brows furrowed sharply, and his heart skipped a beat: "You ran into her?"

"That's right!"

Su Minggui nodded, his tone tinged with a mixture of heartache and helplessness:

"I happened to run into my own niece in Qingfeng Town while I was out collecting medicinal herbs in the countryside!"

"Brother, why have you lied to me for so many years? Every year you told me that Wanqing went to the north to be an educated youth and settled down there, rarely coming back!"

"So it turns out she's been in the neighboring town all along! Right under our noses!"

"That's your own daughter! Are you really planning to never acknowledge her, never see her again? Are you really going to sever all ties like this, father and daughter?"

Su Mingtang was speechless when asked the question, his face turning pale and then dark.

It wasn't that he wasn't suffering or missing his daughter; it was just that he was stubborn and inflexible his whole life.

Even over the years, he himself has felt that he has gone a bit too far.

But he's an elder, how could he possibly apologize to a junior?

Back then, the daughter insisted on defying the family and disregarding everyone's objections, determined to marry Zhao Lei, who had a bad reputation, a poor family background, and two previous marriages.

He lost face and was utterly humiliated!

Su Mingtang couldn't bring himself to do it, and he was convinced from the bottom of his heart that his daughter would suffer and regret marrying into the family.

After a long silence, Su Mingtang finally spoke curtly:

"Minggui, this isn't my fault. She ignored my advice and neglected her family, and she's only reaping what she sowed."

"I tried everything to stop her, but she was determined to marry that kind of man. Now that she can't take it anymore, she knows to complain to relatives and ask you for support? Serves her right!"

In Su Mingtang's mind, he had already assumed that Su Wanqing must have lived in poverty and suffered all kinds of grievances for the past three years, but she just endured it and dared not go home.

Seeing his elder brother's stubborn and prejudiced appearance, Su Minggui was so angry that he laughed.

"Brother, you've completely misjudged me this time."

"Wanqing not only didn't suffer, but she lived a more comfortable life than anyone else in our family!"

Immediately afterwards, Su Minggui sat down and patiently recounted everything he had seen and heard in the past few days.

They praised Zhao Lei for his complete maturity, for turning over a new leaf, and for being a reliable and family-oriented person.

They praised Zhao Lei for his boldness, meticulousness, hunting skills, quick thinking, and willingness to take risks, which enabled him to turn his life around and accumulate wealth in a short period of time.

They praised Zhao Lei for being sincere, respectful to teachers and relatives, sweet-talking, sensible and capable, and for his great tenderness and indulgence towards Wanqing.

Furthermore, we will elaborate on the key points:

Zhao Lei has now built a brand-new two-story red brick house, the only one of its kind in the entire village. He's really something.

Wanqing was well-fed and healthy by Zhao Lei, and did not suffer at all.

The more Su Mingtang listened, the more his brows furrowed, his face filled with disbelief.

The last time he saw Zhao Lei was three years ago, and he immediately thought the kid was timid, awkward, and shy.

His home was so poor that it was practically bare, and he seemed destined to be a penniless nobody for life.

How could someone change so completely in just three years?

How could he build a two-story red brick building by himself?

That's not a small amount of money, like tens or hundreds of dollars!

How could a country boy who only relied on farming to make a living possibly accumulate such a large fortune?

Su Mingtang couldn't help but question, "How could a country hunter like him have such great abilities? Building a red brick building? You're not being fooled by appearances!"

Su Minggui immediately became displeased: "Big brother, why do you always look down on people like that?"

"So what if he's a hunter? He earns a lot of money by working hard in the mountains! What's shameful about that?"

"Didn't our Su family ancestors also start out by gathering herbs in the mountains and making a living off the land? Now that you're living a stable life, you look down on those who work hard and suffer at the bottom?"

Su Mingtang's face stiffened, but he remained defiant: "I'm not looking down on people. I just think that a man who can't even last two marriages must have some character flaws."

"You only saw his current glamorous and respectable image on this trip, but you didn't see his inherent flaws! Wanqing will suffer sooner or later if she stays with him!"

The two brothers argued and neither could convince the other.

Lin Hui, Su's mother, who had been listening silently all along, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

Lin Huiren lived up to her name, being gentle, virtuous, soft-hearted, and family-oriented. She devoted her life to being a wife and mother, and to managing her household with forbearance.

For the past three years, though he didn't say it, he secretly cried countless times at night, missing his daughter day and night.

At this moment, her emotions were stirred by the brothers' argument, and her eyes instantly turned red, her voice choked with sobs.

She held onto Su Mingtang's arm, her eyes brimming with tears:

"Honey, you're just too stubborn! Too headstrong!"

"It's been three years! Three whole years since I last saw my daughter! You may not care or feel sorry for her, but I do! She's the apple of my eye!"

After saying that, she turned to look at Su Minggui urgently, grabbed his hand, and kept asking him questions:

"Fourth brother! Tell me! Tell your sister-in-law the truth!"

"Wanqing... my daughter, is she really doing well?"

"Has she...has she been wronged? Has she been bullied? Does she...hate us?"

Seeing that his sister-in-law Lin Hui's eyes were red from crying, Su Minggui quickly comforted her gently.

The story details Su Wanqing's peaceful life in Qingfeng Town and Zhao Lei's down-to-earth and ambitious nature.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry, Wanqing really didn't suffer any injustice. Zhao Lei has matured now. He knows how to love his wife and take care of his family. He's also hardworking and ambitious. He's incredibly considerate of Wanqing."

Now their family is living a prosperous life, with plenty to eat and wear, a bright and stylish new house, and well-behaved children. They are truly living a very good life.

After hearing these words, Lin Hui's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for three years, finally settled down, and a look of immense relief appeared on her face.

The daughter she worried about every day didn't suffer; instead, her life got better and better, and her son-in-law also lived up to her expectations and became more ambitious.

As a mother, there is nothing more reassuring than this.

Su Mingtang, standing to the side, still had a stubborn look on his face.

He was reluctant to agree easily and would occasionally refute her with a hint of sarcasm.

"In just two or three months, how could someone go from being destitute to building a small red-brick house and accumulating several thousand yuan in savings? Could a hunter in the mountains really do that? I doubt it's a legitimate way to make a living."

"It might just be a stroke of luck, or some windfall gained by exploiting loopholes. If the foundation isn't solid, trouble is bound to happen sooner or later."

Su Mingtang still viewed things with prejudice deep down, unwilling to let go of his old grudges.

Su Minggui, too lazy to argue with him, took the opportunity to bring up the most important purpose of his trip:

"Brother and sister-in-law, next Saturday is Zhao Lei's housewarming party, a big banquet for relatives and friends. I came back this time for two reasons: first, to let you know I'm safe and sound, and second, to invite you to come and have a look."

"Come with me to Qingfeng Town and see for yourselves Wanqing's life, meet your son-in-law and grandson. Seeing is believing, and it's better than you staying at home making wild guesses and worrying every day."