Reborn at 80: From Village Scoundrel to Billionaire

"..."

Liu Bei's lips twitched slightly.

"Forget it! I don't want to think about it anymore. Getting down to business is more important!"

Over the next few hours, Fan Ha'er practiced like crazy, recklessly, under Liu Bei's guidance.

Splash water, etc., clamp.

Although only three or four out of ten attempts would succeed, Fan Ha'er was already quite satisfied.

By the time the moon hung above the willow branches, Fan Ha'er had finally gathered a small half-basket, containing about twenty eels and a dozen loaches. This was roughly one-third of Liu Bei's daytime catch.

"Brother Bei! Twenty-three!"

"I can't take it anymore... my back is ruined... my arms are ruined too... I need to lie down for a while..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fan Ha'er's legs went weak, and he fell backward, sprawling on the grassy edge of the field.

Liu Bei sat down to catch his breath and rubbed his aching wrists.

Suddenly, a thick arm wrapped around his waist from the side.

Fan Ha'er, with her eyes closed and a smile on her face, said, "So comfortable..."

"grass!"

Liu Bei suddenly got goosebumps all over.

"Get out of my way!" He elbowed Fan Ha'er away. "What are you hugging for? If you want to hug someone, go hug your wife!"

"Brother Bei, I don't have a wife."

"Then work hard to earn money and marry one."

Fan Ha'er's eyes lit up, and he sat up abruptly.

"Brother Bei! I'll work with you! Once we've made enough money and gotten married, you'll teach me how to have kids with her!"

"Can't you do it yourself?"

"How could I?" Fan Ha'er said sincerely. "I've only ever seen my dad spank my mom once. But I'm thinking, childbirth isn't done by spanking, is it?"

"..."

"Brother Bei, you're different. You've married three beautiful sisters-in-law and had three children with them. You should be very experienced. When my wife and I consummate our marriage, you can stand by and give me some pointers. I guarantee—"

"stop!"

Liu Bei quickly covered his mouth.

He didn't dare to imagine him standing on the sidelines giving Fan Ha'er on-site guidance.

"One should not covet a friend's wife," Liu Beidao said.

"If you dare utter even a single word of that, I'll beat you up."

Although she didn't understand why Liu Bei said that, Fan Ha'er still covered her mouth and nodded obediently.

Liu Bei then let go of his hand, and the two sat back to back, forming the shape of the Chinese character "人" (person).

The night breeze carried the fishy smell of water plants, and in the nearby fields, frogs croaked. In the village further away, only a few kerosene lamps remained lit, as most villagers had gone to do their nighttime chores.

Before long, Fan Ha'er began to snore evenly.

Liu Bei leaned against Fan Ha'er's broad back and closed his eyes.

……

When Liu Bei woke up, it was still dark.

He nudged Fan Ha'er, "Keep an eye on the basket. I'll go home and get some things, then we'll go to town together to sell them for money."

"good!"

Not long after, Liu Bei returned home. When he entered the house, the yard was quiet.

He crept into the storeroom, grabbed two wolf skins and the bowl of pangolin scales, and was about to leave.

"ah--!"

Suddenly, a scream came from the outhouse.

"That's my second wife's voice. Is someone spying on her? Damn it! My woman, only I can see her!"

Liu Bei spat out a curse and immediately ran over.

When he arrived, he found that the wooden door to the outhouse was half-closed.

The second wife, Su Yuehe, slumped to the ground, one hand bracing against the wall, her face looking unwell.

"My legs are numb from squatting... I can't stand up..."

"I see. At least no one was watching. Otherwise…"

Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped forward to support Su Yuehe's arm, slowly pulling her up.

Just then, Su Yuehe's pants, which she hadn't had time to fasten her belt, slipped down, revealing a section of her fair skin.

Liu Bei was stunned.

Su Yuehe looked down in confusion, following Liu Bei's gaze.

"what……"

"What's wrong?"

"Did a thief break in?"

"Where?"

Upon hearing the noise, Zhao Chunyan, Zhao Da'e, and Lin Wanqiu quickly put on their clothes and left the room.

Zhao Chunyan rushed to the front, grabbing a stick, her unkempt hair standing on end, her eyes filled with murderous intent, and she quickly followed the sound to the side of the latrine.

When she saw Liu Bei supporting Su Yuehe, and Su Yuehe's pants had slipped down to her knees, her eyes widened in shock.

"Liu—Bei—you—beast!"

After a loud shout, Zhao Chunyan grabbed a stick and was about to strike.

Liu Bei immediately released Su Yuehe, grabbed the stick, and explained.

"Yuehe's legs went numb from squatting, and she fell when she stood up! I was helping her up! I wasn't doing anything else. Chunyan, you've misunderstood me!"

"Help her? You helped her up, and you ended up pulling her pants down? Is that how you help someone up?"

"Yuehe's belt wasn't fastened properly and it slipped down by itself! It's not my fault!"

"You think it's none of your business? Then why are you staring around like that? I bet you're deliberately trying to take advantage of Yuehe. I'll beat your legs to a pulp!"

"Don't do anything reckless. You'll get away with smashing my leg, won't you?"

"How dare you say that!"

"She murdered her husband!"

As Liu Bei spoke, he dodged and grabbed the wolf skin and scales leaning against the wall, then climbed over the low wall and ran away.

"Liu Bei! You stop right there!"

……

Hearing Zhao Chunyan chasing after them, Zhao Da'e and Lin Wanqiu arrived just as Su Yuehe had already pulled up her pants.

She huddled in the corner, her head bowed low, her neck and ears flushed crimson.

"Yuehe, what happened?" Lin Wanqiu stepped forward to help Su Yuehe.

Su Yuehe quietly recounted what had happened.

Lin Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.

I thought that person had lost their bestial nature.

Zhao Da'e patted her chest, "That bastard... he almost scared me half to death."

Zhao Chunyan couldn't catch up with Liu Bei, so she had to turn back, just in time to overhear Su Yuehe's words.

"Hmph! Even if it wasn't intentional, you still saw something you shouldn't have! Yuehe, next time you go to the outhouse, remember to bolt the door tightly! Otherwise, if that beast suddenly pops up again, what will you use to stop him?"

"Chunyan is right. Remember to keep her tied up tightly from now on. Don't let that scoundrel take advantage of you again. Come on, Mother, let me help you back to the house!" Zhao Da'e stepped forward and helped Su Yuehe walk into the house.

Throughout the journey, Su Yuehe kept her head down and didn't say a word, but her ears were burning red.

She remembered that when Liu Bei helped her up just now, his hand was very steady...

……

On this side, Liu Bei ran all the way to the edge of the field, panting heavily, his face completely red.

"Brother Bei, why is your face red?" Fan Ha'er sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"It's hot. Enough talk, let's go to town."

The town is not far from the village, only eight miles away.

The two carried their baskets for an hour and arrived in town just in time for the morning market.

The streets were bustling with people and filled with shouts and calls.

There was more than one shop that bought aquatic products. In his previous life, Liu Bei had only ever gambled or drunk money in town; he was completely unfamiliar with any legitimate business avenues.

Just as I was hesitating, my view suddenly changed.

This time it's not red.

It is purple.

Several purple dots of light were scattered on the storefront on the east side of the market, some in shades of purple.

Liu Bei was somewhat puzzled.

If red represents prey, then what is purple...? Does it represent wealth?

If so, what does depth mean?

Liu Bei couldn't understand it.

He shook his head. "Forget it, I'll just try them one by one and see!"

"Hey, keep up."

The two turned into an alley on the east side.

The first purple dot landed on a seafood stall; its color was somewhat light.

The shop wasn't big, and behind the counter stood a woman in her thirties. She wore a floral-patterned fitted blouse, her hair was styled in a bun, and her lips were painted a light red, making her very eye-catching.

Fan Ha'er only glanced at it before he was unable to move.

His gaze moved down from the woman's face, stopping at the bulge in her chest, and he almost drooled.

Liu Bei didn't notice his childhood friend's appearance behind him; he walked straight up to him.

"Boss lady, do you buy eels? Grass carp, black carp, loach, and frogs are all available, all wild."

The young woman glanced at the goods in Liu Bei's basket; there was indeed a considerable quantity, and they were very fresh, clearly wild.

"Of course I buy them. My purchase prices here are: one yuan for eels, seven mao for grass carp, nine mao for black carp, eight mao for loach, and six mao for frogs."

Liu Bei gave a cold laugh.

The retail price at the supply and marketing cooperative was 2 yuan for eels and 8 yuan for grass carp. But she cut the purchase price by a huge margin.

"That's too little, add some more."

"That's the price." The young woman leaned against the counter. "Take it or leave it."

"Let's go. Let's find another place." Liu Bei got angry at the young woman's indifferent attitude, turned around and pulled Fan Ha'er to leave.

He pulled a few times, but found that Fan Ha'er didn't move. He followed Fan Ha'er's gaze.

This simpleton is still staring at her, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Snapped!"

Liu Bei slapped the back of his head and lowered his voice: "What are you looking at? The more alluring a woman is, the darker her heart is, don't you understand?"

The young woman noticed Fan Ha'er's gaze, but instead of being annoyed, she smiled and waved at him, even giving him a flirtatious wink.

"Young man, are you selling the goods in your basket?"

"Not for sale."

Liu Bei grabbed Fan Ha'er and pulled her away.

"Brother Bei! That lady is so pretty—"

"Shut up."

Liu Bei dragged Fan Ha'er toward the house next door.

Because that woman was even more alluring than the young woman...