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

Qin Mancang knew right from wrong and knew that the fault did not lie with his son. He only resented Qin Bowen for being too incompetent and thus suffering a loss and humiliation.

Qin Mancang glared at Qin Bowen, but ultimately did not raise his hand to punish him.

"That's enough. This time we encountered bad people. Be more careful when going up the mountain in the future, don't try to fight back, and know to ask for help in time."

The turmoil was thus quelled.

Zhao Lei gave a few more brief instructions, bid farewell to the Qin family, turned around, mounted his old bicycle, and hurried back to his new red-brick house with electricity.

Back home, the lights were on.

The others gradually returned to their rooms to rest. Qin Yuchan's expression was strange, her demeanor carrying a hint of ambiguity that was hard to define, and her gaze frequently fell on Zhao Lei.

As night deepened, the whole house gradually quieted down.

Once the other rooms were quiet, Qin Yuchan quietly pushed open the door and slipped into Zhao Lei's room with light footsteps.

The room was dimly lit by candlelight, and the door closed softly...

The next morning, the sky was bright and clear.

When Zhao Lei woke up, Qin Yuchan was no longer in the room.

Qin Yuchan was always diligent. She got ready at dawn and went to school with her eldest daughter, Zhao Yupei.

Su Wanqing also got ready early and went to the factory to start work in the early morning.

Inside the brand-new red brick house, the electric lights were off, and the warm sunlight outside shone through the window, casting a gentle light and shadow across the floor.

At the dining table in the living room, only Jiang Xinyue was left to have breakfast with the two little ones, Zhao Yuyuan and Zhao Yufeng.

The table was set with steaming hot porridge, steamed buns, and side dishes, exuding a warm and homey atmosphere.

Seeing Zhao Lei walk out of the room, Jiang Xinyue looked up and greeted him gently. She then took out clean bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard and placed them on the empty seat at the dining table. She also thoughtfully served him warm porridge.

"You're awake? Come and eat breakfast, it's just been warmed up and is still hot."

Upon hearing the noise, the two children immediately put down their small steamed buns and turned to look at Zhao Lei, their little faces full of soft, childish innocence.

Zhao Yuyuan blinked her big, round eyes, her voice tinged with a hint of disappointment: "Daddy, my eldest sister went to school early this morning. We miss her so much."

My brother and I also want to go to school.

The younger Zhao Yufeng nodded emphatically, echoing in his childish voice, "I want to go to school! I want to play with my big sister!"

The innocent and pure words of children instantly made the atmosphere in the room even warmer and more relaxed.

Zhao Lei walked to the table and sat down, reaching out to pat the two children's heads, his eyes full of gentle smiles.

"You two are still young. When you're two years older, your father will send you to school. Then you can go to school with your older sister every day."

Upon receiving the promise, the two little ones instantly beamed with joy, their eyes crinkling with happiness.

A moment later, Zhao Yuyuan's face drooped slightly, and her tone was tinged with worry.

"Father, does Uncle's face still hurt? I saw that Uncle was injured yesterday, and I've been worried about it ever since."

Zhao Lei felt a warmth in his heart; his own child was thoughtful, kind, and knew how to care for his family.

"Our Yuanyuan is so kind. Uncle is feeling much better; the pain isn't there anymore," Zhao Lei reassured him softly. "If you're really worried..."

"Later, Mom will take you to visit Grandpa's house so you can see your little uncle for yourself, okay?"

Upon hearing this, the two children cheered instantly, clapping their hands incessantly. Their previous worries vanished, replaced by childlike joy and excitement.

Jiang Xinyue looked at her two lively and sensible children, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and asked softly, "Are you going out later?"

"Hmm." Zhao Lei nodded, put down his spoon, and said slowly, "I plan to go to the Jinxiu Textile Factory in Qingfeng Town."

Go find Deputy Factory Director Li and ask about the situation, see if there's any progress on the previously discussed matters.

"Then drive carefully and be safe." Jiang Xinyue didn't ask any more questions, but gently reminded him, and silently tidied up the clutter on the table.

After a quick breakfast, Zhao Lei got ready, hopped on his old-fashioned bicycle, and headed straight for the Jinxiu Textile Factory in Qingfeng Town.

The textile factory gates were wide open, and workers entered the factory one after another in the morning, creating a lively and busy scene.

Grandpa Liu, who was guarding the gate, recognized Zhao Lei. When he saw Zhao Lei riding over from afar, he smiled and greeted him.

"Lei Zi, here at the factory again on business?"

Good morning, Uncle Liu.

Zhao Lei stopped the car and replied with a smile, "I wanted to ask, is Deputy Factory Director Li in his office?"

"Yes, I didn't go out this morning. You can go straight up," Grandpa Liu replied, waving his hand.

After thanking him, Zhao Lei locked his car and went straight into the office building.

I walked all the way to the door of Deputy Director Li's office, pushed it open, and found the room empty.

Presumably, he had to leave temporarily. Zhao Lei didn't wait long. He turned around, walked to the window in the office building corridor, took out a cigarette, lit it, and waited quietly.

The smoke rose slowly, and before long, a sharp argument suddenly broke out downstairs. The noise grew louder and louder, shattering the peace of the factory area in the early morning.

Zhao Lei frowned slightly and leaned down to look down from the windowsill.

A crowd of workers had gathered outside the finance department to watch the spectacle.

In the center of the crowd, Liu Fang, along with her niece Sun Xiaolian and four or five other young people who had failed the interview, were blocking the entrance to the finance department and arguing loudly.

Liu Fang's face was ashen, her tone sharp, and she stared intently at Section Chief Zheng in the finance department. Her voice was so loud that the whole building could hear it.

"Section Chief Zheng! You have to give us an explanation today! We all participated honestly in the recruitment interviews, and we were all rejected in the end!"

They hired someone from a capitalist family with dubious background! What exactly do you mean by this? Did you take bribes and engage in favoritism?!

Sun Xiaolian, standing to the side, echoed her sentiments, her face full of resentment and unwillingness. She joined the other unsuccessful candidates in a commotion, and the scene quickly became increasingly chaotic.

Zhao Lei stood by the window in the upstairs corridor, a cigarette between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the noisy crowd below.

More and more workers gathered downstairs, and many employees passing by on their way to work stopped and whispered among themselves.

Section Chief Zheng emerged from the finance department, his face grim. Facing the group of people gathered at the door, he suppressed his anger.

"Liu Fang, don't try to make trouble here. The recruitment assessment was all conducted according to procedure, and the results are all recorded. It's not up to me to decide."

Liu Fang wasn't buying it at all. She took another step forward and raised her voice even higher.

"Procedure? What procedure! Jiang Xinyue comes from a capitalist family, how can someone like that be hired into our state-owned factory!"

If you hire this kind of person and something political happens in the future, can you, Section Chief Zheng, bear the responsibility?

We come from honest, law-abiding families, and our performance in the assessment wasn't bad, yet we were eliminated. What else could it be but taking bribes?

Sun Xiaolian joined in, fanning the flames.

"Exactly! Why should Jiang Xinyue take the spot! We worked so hard to attend the interview, only to end up with nothing."

We must take this matter to the factory leadership today and demand justice.