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

Old Zhou, who also had a fiery temper, immediately retorted, "Do you think these things are cheap? Don't you think they'll wear out if you use them? These are all assets belonging to our brigade. If you use them, I'll definitely have to give the brigade an explanation. Do you think I'd let you use them for free?"

Qin Bowen was about to say something more when Zhao Lei stopped him, saying, "Bowen, do you even have a place to speak here?"

Then Zhao Lei turned to Old Man Zhou: "Uncle Zhou, don't take it personally with my brother-in-law, he just thinks it's too expensive."

"If you think it's too expensive, then go find someone else to rent from! Or you can have your brigade buy one themselves."

Zhao Lei immediately smiled and said, "Hey, Uncle Zhou, he thinks it's expensive, but I don't think so at all. I think the price is just right, very fair. It's 15 yuan a day. I estimate I'll need it for ten days to half a month, so how about I leave 100 yuan as a deposit with you first?"

Old Zhou looked at the pack of Hongmei brand cigarettes that Zhao Lei handed him.

He took it and nodded: "Okay, you're quite the go-getter. But let me tell you beforehand, these are all high-quality items. Check them now and point out any damage, so you don't have trouble assessing the damage later."

By the way, this 15 yuan is the rental fee for the loan. Any damage will be charged at cost; there's no room for negotiation on that.

Zhao Lei had no objection.

"Yes, yes, Uncle Zhou, your request is not excessive; it's all reasonable. After all, it should be borrowed intact and returned intact. If there is any damage, we will definitely compensate you as usual."

Old Zhou nodded in satisfaction: "That's right! If it weren't for Factory Director Li's guarantee, I wouldn't have lent our stuff to other brigades!"

Zhao Lei offered a few more compliments, making the other party very happy.

the other side.

Wang Zongbao and Qin Changlin were quite familiar with fishing tools, and they were responsible for checking the damage to the borrowed items.

After repeated confirmations by both parties, a verbal agreement was successfully reached.

Zhao Lei readily paid the 100 yuan deposit upfront.

The four men quickly loaded their belongings onto the oxcart, bid farewell to Old Man Zhou, and began their journey home.

On the way back, the group passed through Qingfeng Town from Sanhe Township, and Zhao Lei told them to wait where they were.

A short while later, Zhao Lei appeared in front of them on a 28-inch bicycle.

Qin Bowen's eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, you said you were going to town to buy something, what was it? You're not telling me it's this bicycle, are you?"

Wang Zongbao's eyes also lit up.

He is particularly enthusiastic about transportation and has long wanted to buy a bicycle to ride.

The more than 300 yuan I earned from hunting wild boar last time was more than enough to buy a bicycle.

But he was so eager to marry Qin Xiaocui that he suppressed his feelings and couldn't bring himself to do it.

When Wang Zongbao saw Zhao Lei riding his old-fashioned bicycle over, he was stunned and filled with envy.

"Brother Lei, you went to buy a bicycle? Hmm... But something's a little off about this old-fashioned bike, isn't it?"

After Wang Zongbao said that, Qin Changlin also realized that something was wrong.

Zhao Lei, who is over 1.8 meters tall, is riding on this old-fashioned bicycle, which looks unusually small.

Most importantly, the seat and center crossbar are both too low, making it look less like a men's motorcycle and more like a scaled-down women's motorcycle.

"Lei Zi, why is your 28-inch bicycle a little small?"

Zhao Lei parked the car in front of everyone and said with a smile, "Hehe, small is just right. This car isn't for my own use; I bought it for Yu Chan..."

Upon hearing that it was for his second sister, Qin Bowen jumped off the cart and circled the old-fashioned cart twice.

"Brother-in-law, you're really generous! Nobody in our village owns a bicycle yet. This must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Wang Zongbao also came over and carefully stroked the car body.

"Brother Lei, no wonder you were able to marry three wives! You really know how to spend money on your wives!"

"This is nothing. I just felt sorry for Yu Chan because she had to go back and forth to the village primary school several times."

"That's right, brother-in-law. My second sister goes to elementary school every day, and it takes her more than an hour to walk there and back. She'll definitely be very happy when she sees this gift."

Zhao Lei handed the car to Wang Zongbao and Qin Bowen for a brief discussion, then looked at the sky and urged, "Alright! It's getting late, if we delay any longer we'll miss dinner."

Qin Bowen mounted the old-fashioned bicycle: "Brother-in-law, let me try it out for my sister first. You guys take the oxcart, and I'll ride back, okay?"

Wang Zongbao cast an eager glance; he also wanted to ride a bicycle, but he had to drive the oxcart, so he had to give up.

And so, an oxcart was followed by a bicycle.

The group finally returned to the Peace Brigade as darkness fell.

As they parted, Zhao Lei instructed, "Uncle Changlin, let's go fishing first thing tomorrow morning. It's also time for our bi-weekly delivery. This is our first delivery with Director Li of Jinxiu Textile Factory, so we can't break our promise."

Qin Changlin readily agreed: "Don't worry, Leizi. With these good stuff, tomorrow's harvest will definitely be plentiful; delivering over a hundred catties won't be a problem."

After receiving Qin Changlin's affirmative reply, Zhao Lei felt relieved.

He then left with Wang Zongbao and Qin Bowen.

When they reached the fork in the road, he repeatedly urged the two of them to get up early and go fishing as soon as possible.

Perhaps it was because Zhao Lei was the first to buy a 28-inch motorcycle that the two young men envied him and inspired their desire to make money.

Both of them patted their chests and promised that they would go fishing tomorrow even if it rained knives.

Seeing this, Zhao Lei thought to himself that this was a good thing.

It can inspire everyone's desire to make money, making them more energetic when working.

Only after receiving affirmative answers from both of them did he feel relieved.

After waving goodbye to the two, Zhao Lei rode his old bicycle home alone.

Along the way, he encountered many neighbors returning home after finishing their work, and they were all shocked to see Zhao Lei riding a 28-inch bicycle.

"Hey? Zhao Lei, where did you get this 28-inch motorcycle?"

Zhao Lei pressed the bicycle bell triumphantly, producing a clear, ringing sound.

"Brother Zhou, didn't you realize? This is a brand new car!"

"Wow! So, Lei Zi, you just bought this? It must have cost a lot of money, right?"

"Lei Zi, you've really got some skills lately. I also heard you're planning to build a brick house, and now you've bought a 28-inch motorcycle. Looks like you made a lot of money hunting, huh?"

Zhao Lei cleared his throat: "Ahem, I didn't make much money. Everyone knows that hunting in the mountains depends on luck and involves risking your life, so I barely make ends meet..."

"Oh dear, Lei Zi, if you're barely making ends meet, how are the rest of us supposed to survive?"