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

Zhao Lei turned to look at Qin Bowen, his tone gentle yet exceptionally firm.

"We're family, no need to thank me. Don't be afraid of anything happening outside in the future. With me here, no one can bully our family."

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the courtyard, and the gentle glow spread over everyone.

The atmosphere in the courtyard completely relaxed, and the previous anxiety and fear dissipated, leaving only peace and warmth.

Everyone truly felt that with Zhao Lei around, the family always had a pillar of support.

There will always be someone to shelter your family from the wind and rain, and to support you in your endeavors.

After Zhao Lei calmed everyone in the courtyard, the sky gradually darkened.

Zhao Lei then left Zhang Sangong's house with his family.

Night fell over the entire village, and most houses were lit only by dim kerosene lamps. Only Zhao Lei's newly built red brick house had electricity, with incandescent light bulbs hanging from the roof beams, illuminating the whole house.

Qin Yuchan and Su Wanqing had both finished get off work and returned home.

After the start of the school year, Qin Yuchan was busy with school affairs and had no time to spare. As soon as she stepped into the house, she saw that Qin Bowen's face was covered with bruises and swelling.

Qin Yuchan's face immediately darkened, and she quickly walked to Qin Bowen's side.

"Bowen, what happened to the injury on your face? Who hit you?"

The pent-up grievances welled up all at once, and Qin Bowen recounted his entire encounter with Ma Guohua and his gang on the mountain.

While speaking, they kept spitting and cursing, the two siblings taking turns to denounce Ma Guohua for his barbaric and vicious behavior.

Qin Yuchan was hot-tempered to begin with, and after hearing this, her anger surged to the top of her head. She turned around and was about to rush out, taking very fast steps.

"They've got some nerve! How dare they hit my brother! I'm going to find Ma Guohua right now and demand an explanation!"

Just then, Zhao Lei came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of stir-fried dishes. Seeing Qin Yuchan about to rush out, he quickly stepped forward and stopped her.

"Yu Chan, where are you going?"

"Don't stop me! I have to go out and avenge my brother!" Qin Yuchan tried her best to break free from Zhao Lei's arm.

"By the time you run off to seek revenge, I've already taken care of everything."

Qin Yuchan abruptly stopped, her face filled with astonishment, and looked up at Zhao Lei.

Zhao Lei briefly recounted what happened on the mountain, from encountering Ma Guohua who tried to steal his condoms and injured people, to leading Qin Dajun and several others into the mountain for a standoff and fight, disarming the other party of his dagger, and giving the group a severe beating. He told everyone in the room the whole story.

After hearing the whole story, Qin Yuchan's anger subsided considerably, and she looked at Zhao Lei with admiration in her eyes.

"Well done, that's how you teach these bullies a lesson. If you keep tolerating them, they'll only get more and more demanding."

Standing to the side, Su Wanqing's brows remained furrowed, her face etched with worry.

"Ma Guohua has been entrenched in Hongyan Town for many years and has many acquaintances under his command. He must be holding a grudge after suffering such a great loss today."

I'm afraid Ma Guohua might do something malicious behind our backs and find an opportunity to retaliate against our family.

Several people sat around the dining table and began to talk about the matter.

Jiang Xinyue agreed with Su Wanqing's concerns.

"Wanqing is right, we can't let our guard down. However, Zhao Lei has already warned them that Ma Guohua and his group are all injured, and they shouldn't dare to cause trouble again anytime soon."

We'll just be more careful when we go out in the future.

Qin Bowen sat on the stool and reached out to touch the swollen and painful area on his face.

"If my brother-in-law hadn't come today, I don't know how badly I would have been bullied. But after this incident, I'll have to be much more careful when I go up the mountain to set traps in the future."

Zhao Lei poured himself a small half-glass of baijiu and then filled the glasses of the other men at the table.

"There's no need to be too timid. We're in the right, and we're not actively provoking anyone. If Ma Guohua dares to cause trouble again, I naturally have ways to deal with it."

Zhao Lei picked up his wine glass.

"Let's not talk about these upsetting things. It's better for everyone to be safe and sound at home than anything else."

The group raised their glasses and gently clinked them together, producing a crisp sound. The wine entered their mouths, its spicy flavor spreading outwards.

The white light from the electric lamp shone on the dining table, and the steam from the food rose slowly.

Outside, it was dark and quiet; inside, the family sat together.

After dinner, the dishes and chopsticks on the table were cleared away. Night had completely fallen, and Zhao Lei pulled out his old bicycle, intending to take Qin Bowen back to his home.

Qin Bowen sat astride the back of the bicycle, remaining silent the entire way. After traveling some distance, he finally spoke, his voice very low.

"Brother-in-law, it would be too embarrassing for me to go back with my face covered in bruises. How about I stay with you for a few days until the bruises fade a bit? Anyway, Dad doesn't usually care about me much."

Zhao Lei pedaled the bike, and it glided forward smoothly.

"The truth will out. With such a commotion on the mountain today, the news will reach Qin Mancang's ears sooner or later. You can't escape it."

You don't need to be afraid. Your father won't scold you for being taken advantage of or beaten. At most, he'll criticize you for being incompetent and unable to beat outsiders. Don't you know what kind of person your father is?

Qin Bowen thought it made sense, but he was still apprehensive.

"I understand, brother-in-law, but you have to protect me. If Dad raises his hand to hit me, I'll just hide behind you, and if that doesn't work, I'll run back to your house."

"You brat, I think you're just asking for a beating," Zhao Lei said with a laugh.

Before long, the bicycle stopped outside Qin Bowen's courtyard gate. Inside, the lights flickered, and Qin Mancang, Chen Xiumei, Qin Dashan, along with his pregnant sister-in-law and niece, were having dinner around the table.

The courtyard gate wasn't closed properly, and Zhao Lei pushed the cart and led Qin Bowen inside.

Everyone in the room looked up and immediately saw the bruises all over Qin Bowen's face.

Qin Mancang slammed the bowl and chopsticks he was holding onto the table, his face immediately darkening.

"Bowen! Where did all those injuries on your face come from?"

Qin Bowen instinctively shrank back behind Zhao Lei.

Zhao Lei stepped forward, blocking Qin Bowen's path, and preemptively recounted what had happened on the mountain.

The text recounts the entire process of Ma Guohua and his gang seizing hunting snares, assaulting Qin Bowen, and how he led his men into the mountains to settle the matter.

"Father, the fault doesn't lie with Bowen. Bowen went up the mountain to set a trap, and the prey was targeted by Ma Guohua and his gang of thugs. They took advantage of their numbers to attack and hurt people."

Bowen suffered losses at the hands of outsiders, not by causing trouble outside himself.

Qin Dashan, who was standing to the side, also chimed in to support him.

"Dad, that's exactly what happened. Ma Guohua and his gang are notorious in the area; they specifically target honest people."

Even someone else might not be able to handle it in that situation, so it's not entirely Bowen's fault.

Chen Xiumei looked at the injuries on her son's face and felt heartbroken. She also tried to persuade Qin Mancang not to get angry.

Qin Mancang's expression shifted between anger and rage, but after hearing the whole story, his anger gradually subsided.