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

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lei remembered Uncle Changlin, who had come to his house at noon, and couldn't help but shudder.

"Zongbao, you've completely won over Xiaocui now. She's even started taking things from home. Aren't you afraid Uncle Changlin will find out and break your legs?"

"Oh, Brother Lei, this is all from Xiao Cui. She heard that I made money with you, and now that I have money to marry her, she's happy. Besides, after we go hunting in the mountains a few more times and raise enough money for the betrothal gifts, I'll go directly to her door to propose marriage. Uncle Changlin won't do anything to me then, right? Anyway, I'm already in the car."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Qin Xiaocui's cheeks flushed red, and she buried her head behind Wang Zongbao.

On the other side, Qin Bowen picked up a large grass carp, weighing five or six pounds, which was still jumping around in the bucket.

"Brother-in-law, sister, look! This big grass carp is what Dad brought back from the meeting in the countryside. I heard that the reservoir in Qingshuigou opened its gates and a lot of big fish were washed out."

Qin Yuchan was both amused and exasperated, and scolded, "Bowen, did you even ask your father before sending it to me?"

"What's the big deal? We're family, and family doesn't need to speak like strangers."

Qin Dashan, who was standing to the side, also held up the vegetables and liquor he was carrying: "These vegetables were picked from the fields of the neighbors nearby, and this bottle of liquor is a good liquor that someone wanted to join the militia. I just brought it all over today."

After listening, Zhao Lei gave Su Wanqing a thumbs up: "So, Wanqing, you didn't spend a single penny on this trip?"

"Yes, I was going to give them money, but they all refused to accept it. And Brother Sanshi, the whole village has heard about you and Brother Dashan going to Qingshuigou to hunt wild boars, and many people have been pulling me aside to ask for more information."

Hearing that we're preparing a meal for guests, many people have offered to bring food over, hoping I can put in a good word for them and ask if they can bring their husbands along on a hunting trip in the mountains.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lei immediately frowned: "Wanqing, you absolutely mustn't accept their gifts! Hunting in the mountains is extremely risky; it's not something anyone can just do."

Su Wanqing chuckled: "Of course, I know what I'm doing. They want to curry favor with you, so how could I dare to agree to anything without their consent?"

"Yes, well done, Wanqing."

Zhao Lei then turned to Jiang Xinyue: "Xinyue, has the money been sent out?"

"Yes, it's already been sent. It should take three to five days to arrive."

"That's good. This matter is finally settled. Now you can rest assured."

Jiang Xinyue nodded and pulled Su Wanqing toward the kitchen: "Wanqing and I will go to the kitchen to help with cooking."

Seeing this, Wang Zongbao nudged Qin Xiaocui beside him: "Xiaocui, why don't you go and lend a hand to the other women?"

Qin Xiaocui quickly followed, saying, "Sister-in-law, let me help you."

Qin Yuchan served tea to everyone and also laid out some roasted pumpkin seeds, letting the men chat leisurely.

Then he took a few children to help in the kitchen.

Preparing a large meal requires a lot of work and time.

The women and children all gathered in the kitchen, cooking and chatting at the same time;

Only a few men remained in the main room.

Zhao Lei got straight to the point, stating his plan to build a red brick house.

hiss......"

Qin Dashan gasped and quickly tried to dissuade him, "Lei Zi, are you really planning to build a red brick house? That's a considerable expense. Besides, no one in our brigade has built a red brick house yet. If you build the first one, it will be too ostentatious."

Qin Dashan was older than everyone else present and had been dealing with people in the village for many years, so he had a clear understanding of human nature.

The Qin family wasn't incapable of building a brick house, but they had been delaying construction for a long time because they believed that the first bird to stick its head out gets shot.

Qin Mancang was the brigade leader, Qin Dashan was the militia captain, Qin Yuchan taught at the village primary school, and Bowen had a high school diploma.

Once you build a red brick house that's unique in the whole village, it's easy to attract jealousy and resentment.

Qin Dashan knew that although the villagers seemed simple and honest, they were actually sensitive and couldn't stand seeing others living better lives, so they would inevitably try to trip them up behind the scenes.

The Qin family has always kept a low profile.

This is why his father was able to remain as the brigade leader for many years, and he himself was able to become the militia leader smoothly.

Now that Zhao Lei has declared he will build a red brick house, Qin Dashan is filled with worry.

Zhao Lei's three marriages and three divorces had already made the villagers both envious and resentful, causing a lot of unnecessary gossip.

Building the first red brick house in the village now would only make us the target of everyone's criticism.

Qin Dashan spoke from the bottom of his heart, explaining the pros and cons to Zhao Lei in detail.

Upon hearing this, Qin Bowen immediately retorted, "Oh, brother, you're overthinking it. Just like our father, you're afraid of everything and end up hurting your own family. What's wrong with my brother-in-law building a brick house? He didn't spend a penny of anyone else's money, so what right do they have to gossip?"

Wang Zongbao chimed in indignantly, "That's right! Let's see who dares to gossip! Building a brick house is Lei Ge's own skill, and marrying three wives is also due to his exceptional abilities. Do you think they'd dare to come and demolish his house?"

Zhao Lei remained silent throughout, pondering to himself.

My brother-in-law's words do make some sense.

He was already a prominent figure in the entire Tuanjie Township, and he no longer cared about what others were saying.

If they cared about their reputation, they wouldn't have married and divorced three times in the first place...

Moreover, he has three ex-wives living with him, and the neighbors have been pointing fingers and gossiping about him all year round, but none of them have left.

Now that the news of his hunting success has spread throughout the village, rather than carefully accommodating gossipy women, he should be more assertive so that others have nothing to say and can't do anything to him!

After thinking it through, Zhao Lei looked at the arguing group and raised his hand to stop them: "Alright, stop arguing. I've made up my mind. I understand your reasoning, but ultimately, you have to be strong yourself."

The neighboring Taiyang Brigade and Qingshuigou Brigade every household has a red brick house, but our production brigade lags behind in every way.

Zhao Lei suddenly looked at Qin Dashan: "Brother-in-law, as the militia captain, you know best. Every member of our brigade is hardworking, but in the end, they get the least benefit. Do you know why?"

Qin Dashan shook his head: "I don't know."

"The root cause is that our dad never liked to compete for anything. Take the red brick kiln of Taiyang Brigade, for example. It could have been our brigade's turn, but our dad had many concerns and ultimately gave it up to Taiyang Brigade. And the experimental crop field in Qingshuigou, we couldn't get it either..."

"So even though everyone in our brigade works themselves to the bone, we're still not as well-off as the other two brigades. And I can sense that this current model of collective production will soon change; in the future, those who are capable will definitely be the first to live a better life!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Dashan couldn't help but gasp.

Zhao Lei makes a good point!

Qin Dashan felt that Zhao Lei had really seen the world after being away for more than half a year.