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

Qin Sufeng shook her head: "I don't know the specific reasons, I only know that her father is a big shot, a big capitalist in Beijing, surnamed Jiang, I think his name is Jiang Dingtian."

Liu Fang and Sun Xiaolian exchanged a glance.

Qin Sufeng continued, "When she first arrived, she was thin and quiet. Life only got better after she started living with Zhao Lei. The two are divorced, but they still live together. It's quite unusual for Zhao's three ex-wives to live in the same courtyard and get along so well."

Liu Fang stopped listening to the idle chatter and had already made up her mind.

On the way back, Sun Xiaolian rode her bicycle while Liu Fang sat on the back, her mind replaying the information Qin Sufeng had given her.

Jiang Dingtian, a big capitalist, was sent to labor reform.

Even without knowing the full details of this person's background, these few pieces of information are enough to make a fuss.

It was dark when they returned to the county town. Liu Fang didn't go straight home; instead, she went to the factory's reading room to look through bound volumes of old newspapers.

Turning to the third book, I found a report from a few years ago about cracking down on economic crimes. It said that Jiang Dingtian, the founder of Dingtian International Trade, had all his property confiscated and was sentenced to labor reform.

Liu Fang stared at the report for a long time, searching for related news, writing down the key points on a piece of paper, and also noting down gossip about divorce and cohabitation.

When he arrived home, Sun Xiaolian was heating up food in the kitchen. She greeted him and asked, "Auntie, did you find out?"

Liu Fang handed the note to Sun Xiaolian, poured herself a glass of water, and sat down: "Jiang Dingtian, the boss of Dingtian International Trade, had his family property confiscated three years ago and was sent to a labor camp. His eldest daughter is Jiang Xinyue, it all matches up."

Sun Xiaolian read the note over and over again, her face lighting up with excitement: "Auntie, so what about her family background...?"

Liu Fang took a sip of water: "This alone is enough to get rid of her. The finance department is a core position; who would dare to let a capitalist's daughter manage public funds?"

Liu Fang sneered: "This matter will spread. A capitalist's daughter has infiltrated the finance department of a state-owned factory, and she's divorced but still lives with her ex-husband. Once the rumors get out, she won't be able to stay there anymore."

Sun Xiaolian nodded repeatedly: "Auntie, what's next?"

Liu Fang put down her water glass: "Tomorrow I'll talk to Section Chief Zheng first, and submit this information so he knows exactly who we've hired. Then I'll let some word out to our close colleagues, and once the rumors spread, she'll have no choice but to leave."

The sky outside the window was completely dark, and the streetlights in the county town were spaced far apart, casting a dim yellow light into the alleys.

Liu Fang sat by the window, reread the note, folded it, and put it in her pocket.

Jiang Xinyue is Zhao Lei's person.

When Liu Fang remembered that her husband, Fatty Chen, was still in the detention center and would not be released for another half month, the smile on her face completely vanished.

What a small world!

I never expected to run into Zhao Lei's ex-wife!

Fine, you mess with my man, I'll mess with your woman!

Subsequently, Liu Fang began to secretly make arrangements.

Meanwhile, the news that Jiang Xinyue had been admitted to Jinxiu Textile Factory spread, and the Zhao family was excited for several days.

When neighbors and relatives came to offer their congratulations, Qin Yuchan would brew two or three pots of tea a day to entertain the guests.

Women's Director Liu Hongxia was among the first to arrive. She held Jiang Xinyue's hand and kept praising Zhao Lei, saying that he was capable and had earned such a good job for the family.

Qin Mancang walked around the main room a few times with his hands behind his back, very satisfied with how well Zhao Lei had made the family's life prosperous, and said "good" three times in a row.

Jiang Xinyue, however, seemed somewhat uncomfortable, after all, she had always been criticized for being the daughter of a capitalist.

He still finds it hard to believe that he can now work at Jinxiu Textile Factory as a factory worker.

Therefore, he didn't say much, just sat to the side listening to everyone talk, with a faint smile on his face.

Zhao Lei has been in a great mood these past few days.

His efforts to cultivate a relationship with Deputy Factory Director Li were not in vain.

I had to give gifts several times and spend a lot of money and effort before I was able to get this matter done.

Fortunately, the outcome was good.

Zhao Lei himself and Jiang Xinyue are capable, but they lack opportunities to showcase their talents.

He didn't do much; he just needed to give Jiang Xinyue a chance.

Jiang Xinyue stood out from so many competitors during the interview by virtue of her talent.

The following days were relatively leisurely.

Aside from Zhao Yupei's schooling, there weren't any major events at home.

Fortunately, Qin Yuchan was a teacher, so Zhao Lei didn't have to worry about anything related to taking Peipei to school.

Zhao Lei was still a little unaccustomed to the sudden absence of a child's fuss at home.

He hasn't been going into the mountains much these past few days, he's been preoccupied with Jiang Xinyue's work.

They were afraid that something might change and they wouldn't be able to handle it in time.

So Zhao Lei has been getting up early every day for the past few days to sweep the courtyard and stack the chopped firewood.

Whenever I had a spare moment, I would go with Bowen to the back mountain to check on the bee colonies.

The bees had already taken root and were busily moving about, looking thriving and just waiting for the harvest.

Finally, one evening a few days later, someone came to our house.

At that moment, Zhao Lei was squatting in the yard repairing a broken stool when he heard the sound of a bicycle bell coming from outside the yard.

Then two old-fashioned motorcycles stopped one after the other in front of the Zhao family's gate.

The two men, dressed in dark blue uniforms, had serious expressions and were carrying briefcases.

Granny Zhang, who was shelling beans in the courtyard next door, also noticed the newcomer.

Seeing that it was a new face, they curiously looked into Zhao Lei's new house.

Some neighbors who had nothing to do also followed the bicycles to the gate of Zhao Lei's yard.

Someone muttered quietly, "Who are those people in uniform?"

"They came straight to Zhao Lei's house?"

"Could Zhao Lei have done something wrong?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Zhao Lei has powerful connections. At the housewarming party a few days ago, Sheriff Li was there too. Didn't you see him?"

"That seems to be true, but I have a feeling they're up to no good."

People had all sorts of opinions, and there was a lot of chatter and discussion.

Two officials locked their car and walked to the gate. The tall man scanned the yard and asked, "Excuse me, is this Zhao Lei's house?"

Zhao Lei put down the stool and stood up: "That's me. What brings you two here?"

The tall man pulled out his identification and handed it over: "Jinxiu Textile Factory Inspection Department. My surname is Wu, and this colleague's surname is Zhou. There are some things we need to verify with you."

After checking the documents, Zhao Lei returned them to the other party: "Officer Wu, Officer Zhou, hello, please come inside to talk."

Zhao Lei stepped aside to invite the person into the main room and called out to the kitchen, "Xin Yue, come here for a moment."

Jiang Xinyue walked out of the kitchen, her hands still wet, and wiped them clean with her apron before entering the main room.

Qin Yuchan was boiling water in the kitchen when she heard the noise, so she put down the fire tongs and went to stand at the door of the main room.

A number of villagers gathered at the entrance of the courtyard, all peering out.

Zhang Sanpo unknowingly arrived at the door of Zhao Leixin's new house.

Aunt Li grabbed Granny Zhang's arm: "What happened? Why are factory officials coming to our door?"

Granny Zhang shook her head: "I don't know, she looks very pale."

More villagers heard the commotion and gathered around, whispering among themselves outside the low wall.

Qin Yuchan looked at the crowd of onlookers outside the courtyard, her face darkened, and she strode to the gate.

"Everyone, please leave if you have nothing else to do. This is a private family matter; there's no need to gather here and watch the spectacle."