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

"Three hundred and thirty-four yuan and seventy-six cents! Brother Lei, I love you to death! With this money, I can finally marry Xiao Cui."

After receiving the money, Wang Zongbao was so excited that he jumped up and down and bowed repeatedly to Zhao Lei.

"Zongbao, you really should hurry up and get your marriage arranged with Xiaocui. You've gone through the motions of getting pregnant first and then buying the ticket later. If Uncle Changlin finds out, he'll break your legs!"

Qin Dashan chimed in, "That's right, Zongbao. This is our family's sister, and she ended up going into the woods with you. You have to take responsibility for that."

"Don't worry, Brother Dashan, Brother Lei, I really like Xiaocui. I used to be afraid that Uncle Changlin wouldn't approve because I couldn't earn enough money. But now it's great. I can earn the money my family would have earned in two or three years in just one day working for Brother Lei. I'm not afraid that Uncle Changlin won't approve."

Qin Dashan thought for a moment.

Also!

Although Wang Zongbao was a bit cunning, it was rare that he had the intention to marry Xiao Cui.

Upon hearing Wang Zongbao's words, Qin Dashan suddenly turned his head and looked at his younger brother, Qin Bowen.

Seeing that the silly boy was still happily counting his money, he snatched it away, put the three ten-yuan bills in his pocket, and returned the remaining change to Qin Bowen.

Qin Bowen immediately shouted, "Hey bro, what are you doing? This is my money!"

"What do you mean, 'your money'? Even Zongbao knows to save up for his wife, so shouldn't you save some too? Giving you so much money would just lead to it being wasted. I'll manage it for you; you'll need it when you get married."

"Hey bro! I know what I'm doing, just give me the money."

Seeing this, Zhao Lei came over and patted Qin Bowen on the shoulder: "Bowen, what Brother Dashan said makes sense. In a couple of years, you'll be getting married, and that'll cost money. Besides, what money do you need now, a young man like you?"

Seeing that his brother-in-law had spoken, Qin Bowen could only lower his head dejectedly.

And so, the brothers worked hard and were naturally happy to share the money.

After distributing the money, Zhao Lei waved his hand and said loudly, "Alright, now that the money's all gone, let's find a place to treat ourselves, brothers. It's on me today!"

Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"Brother-in-law is so generous!"

"Brother Lei is awesome, I'm starving!"

The four men drove the oxcart to the side of the road, tied it up, and found a small restaurant in town.

Having money in hand brings peace of mind.

Restaurants in town are expensive, but Zhao Lei has over 1,700 yuan in hand.

With a wave of his hand, he told everyone not to be shy and to order as much as they wanted.

Qin Bowen didn't stand on ceremony with his brother-in-law. He took the menu and quickly ordered six dishes and four bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).

Seeing this, Qin Dashan advised, "Bowen, we still have to catch the train back later, don't drink too much."

"Don't worry, bro, this little bit of alcohol won't get you drunk. Besides, we've been working all day, we should have a drink to celebrate."

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set, Zhao Lei nodded in agreement: "That's right, brother-in-law, let this kid order. Let's eat and drink to our hearts' content today. Only Zongbao should drink less later, and you'll have to be responsible for driving the carriage back."

Wang Zongbao patted his chest with a smug look on his face: "Leave it to me, Brother Lei. It's okay if you're all drunk. I'll pull the oxcart and get you all home safely, one by one."

Qin Dashan gave a thumbs up: "Okay, with you saying that, let's drink to our hearts' content."

And so the brothers drank and ate heartily, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Qin Bowen, having drunk too much, kept pulling Zhao Lei along, saying, "Brother-in-law, if there's ever a good job like this again, remember to call me. I, Qin Bowen, don't have any great skills, but I have one thing: I'll follow your orders and win battles."

"Yeah, yeah, Lei-ge, me too, me too."

Zhao Lei, not wanting to be outdone, said, "Don't worry, brothers. A hero needs three helpers. I, Zhao Lei, will rely on you brothers in many ways in the future. Although hunting may not be a lifelong profession, we will have many more opportunities in the future. I will strive to ensure that all the brothers and their families live a good life."

"Oh right! Brother-in-law, that's exactly what I've been waiting for you to say."

"Come on, Brother Lei, let's toast you."

"Lei Zi, I'm older than all of you as your brother-in-law, but I'm not as good at making money as you are. I'll listen to you in this regard from now on."

The brothers exchanged smiles, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

While drinking and eating with everyone, Zhao Lei was also thinking about future development.

It is June of 1978 now. If I remember correctly, the reform and opening up should be implemented by the end of the year, and then opportunities will be everywhere in the country.

If we want to grow bigger and stronger, we need our own team. These brothers who are related to us are invaluable founding team members for my future.

Zhao Lei had a more far-reaching plan and a clearer understanding of the people present.

Qin Dashan is calm, experienced, and reliable.

Qin Bowen is daring, ambitious, and full of youthful vigor.

Wang Zongbao is shrewd, quick-witted, and eloquent.

These people are all rare talents.

And so, the brothers found themselves getting along very well.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

By the time he paid the bill, Zhao Lei was already a little dazed.

I vaguely heard the shopkeeper say that the total cost was fourteen dollars and thirty-six cents.

This sum of money is equivalent to more than half a month's wages for a worker in the city, but for him now it's just a drop in the ocean.

By the time the brothers left the restaurant, it was already evening.

They helped each other up and stumbled onto the oxcart.

Wang Zongbao remained quite restrained throughout the meal and did not drink too much; a gust of wind sobered him up considerably.

He drove the oxcart, and all the men were drowsy, lying on the cart.

It was two hours later when they returned to the Peace Production Brigade.

It was getting dark by then.

In the evening, Wang Zongbao first went to Zhao Lei's house and patted Zhao Lei, but Zhao Lei was already fast asleep and couldn't be woken up even after turning over.

Wang Zongbao called to Zhao Yupei, who was playing with her younger siblings at the door, and said, "Peipei, hurry back and call your mothers out so you can take your father back to sleep."

When Zhao Yupei looked, she saw her father fast asleep on the oxcart.

She obediently nodded in agreement, then rushed into the yard shouting, "Mommy, something terrible has happened! Daddy's been brought back in an oxcart!"

boom!

These words should have been kept quiet, because when Zhao Lei's three ex-wives heard the news, they instantly exploded!

One by one, they dropped what they were doing and rushed out of the house.

"What? Peipei, what did you say?"

"Peipei, say it again, what happened to your dad? How did someone manage to bring him back?"

Jiang Xinyue leaned against the door frame, feeling as if she had been struck by lightning.

What I feared most came to pass.

Since Zhao Lei didn't come home all night last night, her eyelids have been twitching nonstop.

She knew that Zhao Lei had gone to Qingshuigou to hunt wild boars, mainly to earn more money to raise three hundred yuan to save her younger brother from her mother's family.

She felt guilty about this and was restless at work during the day. She even got two or three cuts on her hands while chopping pig feed.

When she heard Zhao Yupei say that Zhao Lei had been brought back in an oxcart, her heart sank.

How could this happen?