Reborn at 80: From Village Scoundrel to Billionaire

As she laughed, Zhao Da'e seemed to see herself holding a little grandson eating candied hawthorns in her left arm and a little granddaughter playing with a windmill in her right arm.

On each of her legs sat a grandson playing with a whip and a granddaughter looking at a comic book.

On the muddy ground in front of them, two granddaughters were kicking shuttlecocks.

Each grandchild had a great time playing.

The more she looked, the happier she became, and the more she felt that her life had been worthwhile.

"Xiao Bei, you'd better work harder and not fall behind the oxen in the fields. Do more work! Your mother is hoping you'll plant more seeds..."

……

This side.

More than twenty minutes later, Liu Bei and his group finally arrived at the market in Da Liu Town.

Liu Bei parked the pedicab.

"Late Autumn, Spring Swallow, Moon Lotus, the three of you go to the supply and marketing cooperative and hand in the fried grasshoppers. I'll go to the market and set up the stall!"

"Okay!" Nodding, Lin Wanqiu, Zhao Chunyan, and Su Yuehe carried their baskets and walked towards the town's supply and marketing cooperative.

After watching his three ex-wives leave, Liu Bei carried spicy shrimp to the market and walked towards an empty seat.

By now, there were already quite a few people next to the empty seats.

There were three breakfast stalls: one sold fried dough sticks and guokui (a type of flatbread), one sold fried dumplings and layered pancakes, and one sold soy milk, white fungus soup, and black rice porridge.

The man selling fried dough sticks and guokui (a type of flatbread) was a middle-aged man in his fifties, surnamed Zhou.

The man looked quite amiable, but his eyes were sharp. As soon as he saw Liu Bei coming over with several baskets, he immediately looked him over warily.

The shopkeepers selling soy milk, white fungus soup, and black rice porridge were an elderly couple in their sixties. When they saw the main customer approaching, the couple smiled and nodded.

The woman selling fried dumplings and layered pancakes was in her thirties. She was slightly plump, with a round face that looked somewhat kind. She was very quick-witted and could strike up a conversation with anyone.

Liu Bei walked to the empty space, put down the basket, and lifted the floral cloth covering it.

A burst of hot air shot out, carrying a spicy and numbing aroma, along with the scent of shrimp, and soon it wafted far away.

The middle-aged man selling fried dough sticks and guokui frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

The elderly couple selling soy milk, white fungus soup, and black rice porridge sniffed the air and glanced at it sideways.

The woman selling fried dumplings and layered pancakes spoke up, "Hey, young man, how did you make your shrimp? They smell really good!"

"Spicy shrimp!" Liu Bei smiled, picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks, and handed it over. "Big sister, please try some!"

"Oh dear, this...this is so embarrassing..."

The woman was polite in her words, but her chubby hand had already reached out.

"Click-clack~"

She immediately took a bite, chewed it a few times, and her big, round eyes lit up.

"Wow...it's so delicious! It's not too numbing, and it's not too spicy either. It also has the original flavor of shrimp. The three flavors blend together really well. You're a great cook, buddy!"

"Your cooking is even better than what the chefs at the state-run restaurants in town make!"

"You flatter me, sister-in-law. My wives made this!"

How much do you sell it for?

"Three mao a jin!"

"Three cents a pound isn't expensive at all. A plate of this kind of dish would cost at least five cents at a state-run restaurant. The thing is, it's not even as good as yours!"

The woman swallowed the shrimp in a few bites. Perhaps wanting more, she even licked her chubby fingers after finishing, saying, "It was really delicious! Young man, you can just keep your stall here. We won't clash. You sell your spicy shrimp, and I'll sell my layered pancakes and fried dumplings!"

"Um!"

Liu Bei smiled and placed a piece of cardboard that he had prepared beforehand in front of him.

The sign only read: Spicy Shrimp, 30 cents a pound. If it's not good, you'll get 60 cents back if you buy it for 30 cents.

The woman glanced at the piece of paper and looked somewhat surprised.

The elderly couple paused for a moment, then stopped paying attention.

The middle-aged man surnamed Zhou narrowed his eyes, thinking that Liu Bei was just trying to attract attention, and stopped paying attention.

After ten minutes,

More and more people are coming to the market.

Because Liu Bei's empty seat was not very conspicuous,

At first, no one noticed him.

But Liu Bei wasn't in a hurry at all.

He first lifted the cloths covering the baskets one by one to let the fragrance spread more.

Then, he held the piece of paper high in one hand and waved it around incessantly with the other, without saying a word.

His unusual behavior soon attracted the attention and curiosity of some people.

A moment later, a middle-aged woman came over. She smelled the aroma from the basket and said, "Spicy shrimp? This is the first time I've ever heard of this name."

"Auntie, would you like to try some? If you don't like it, not only will it be free, but I'll also give you double the money back!"

"really?"

"Of course. I'm right here, with so many people watching, how could it be fake?"

"Okay, I'll buy one pound first!"

The middle-aged woman hesitated for a moment but was still tempted. She took out three cents and bought a pound of shrimp. Then she casually grabbed a shrimp and put it in her mouth and took a bite.

"Um?"

She had only chewed a couple of times when her eyes lit up.

"Huh..." She paused, looking at the spicy shrimp in her hand, "These shrimp do taste really unique. They're a hundred times better than what we get in the company cafeteria!"

"I'm glad you like it, ma'am!"

"Young man, give me two more pounds!"

The middle-aged woman pulled out another six cents. "I'm not eating anything today, just shrimp!"

"Okay!"

After taking the money, Liu Bei weighed out two more kilograms for the middle-aged woman.

"Take care, ma'am! We welcome you to come again next time!"

"You've got a sweet tongue, young man! Okay, I'll definitely come next time!"

……

Once you have the first customer, you'll get the second.

Passersby who were watching the commotion saw the woman buy three jin (1.5 kg) in one go and curiously came over to ask her questions.

Liu Bei didn't say anything, but simply handed each person a shrimp to try for free.

Sure enough, the free tasting tactic worked every time.

Anyone who has tried it will not hesitate to buy a pound.

Although crayfish are now ubiquitous in rural areas

It's for feeding pigs.

But Liu Bei's shrimp had been specially processed, leaving only the tail section, which looked very clean.

In addition, it has a unique and delicious flavor, and the price is not expensive, only three cents a pound, which is affordable for many people in the town.

In less than an hour, all six baskets of spicy shrimp were sold out.

When he was selling the last few kilograms, several of his coworkers from a nearby factory came over to inquire. Liu Bei could only apologize and say, "Sorry, that's all I have. If you want some, you'll have to come earlier tomorrow!"

He counted the money... he sold the five baskets for a total of 18 yuan.

Although the money wasn't much, the crayfish didn't have any cost; he only spent money on seasonings, so the profit was too high, making it a very worthwhile deal for him.

"Young man, you're not only handsome, but you're also doing quite well in business. I... I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Would you be willing?"

Watching Liu Bei count the tiny bits and pieces of each item, the woman selling fried dumplings and layered pancakes brightened up, her face beaming with smiles, and she eagerly approached him...