Reborn at 80: From Village Scoundrel to Billionaire

Half an hour later, Liu Bei and his group came out of the police station.

They saw that Fan Shuanzhu and the others had been waiting outside for a long time.

"Xiao Bei, you're finally out. Are you alright?" Fan Shuanzhu was the first to greet him.

"Uncle, it's alright. Everything's fine! It's just that Wang Mazi and the others will have to stay locked up for a few more days!"

"Xiao Bei, you've offended Wang Mazi and his gang so badly, aren't you afraid of their revenge?"

"Uncle Shuanzhu, a kind person is often bullied, and a good horse is often ridden. The more you fear a scoundrel like Wang Mazi, the more he will bully you. On the contrary, if you scare him, he won't dare to cause trouble anymore. Don't worry, everything will be alright."

"Just keep it in mind!"

"Don't worry, there is." With a smile, Liu Bei took out six yuan and handed it over: "Uncle Shuanzhu, this is for you and Ha'er!"

"Thanks, Xiao Bei!"

"Uncle Tan, these six pieces are from your family!"

"Xiao Bei, from now on, if there's any work, Uncle will be there whenever you call!"

"Big Zhuang, these three pieces are yours!"

……

As dusk approached, Liu Bei still hadn't returned.

In the Liu family courtyard, Lin Wanqiu rolled up her sleeves and chopped firewood.

With a swift and precise chopping motion, the wood was neatly stacked at his feet.

Su Yuehe was feeling much better than she had been a couple of days ago, and the color had returned to her face. She was resting on a bamboo armchair under the eaves of the main room, holding a palm-leaf fan in her hand and fanning herself idly.

Three children were playing "eagle catches chicks" at the other end of the yard.

Liu Panpan played the eagle, while Liu Nian and Liu Bao huddled behind a wooden stake, giggling.

The setting sun cast its last rays on the three little faces, making the three children look radiant.

Zhao Da'e squatted by the well, washing clothes. She would wash one garment, glance at the yard outside, wash another, and then glance at the yard again.

Zhao Chunyan did not do any work.

With her hands on her hips, she swayed from the east end of the yard to the west end, and then back again.

He walked back and forth seven or eight times, his pace quickening, and he muttered to himself from time to time.

Lin Wanqiu chopped a piece of firewood, stopped, and glanced at Zhao Chunyan.

He chopped off another piece and took another look.

After chopping the third section, she stuck the machete into the stump, looked up at Zhao Chunyan,

"What are you shaking?"

Zhao Chunyan paused, "Who staggered? I'm walking."

"I've been walking for half an hour, and I've almost worn potholes out of the yard." Lin Wanqiu pulled the towel draped over her shoulder to wipe her forehead. "Weren't you worried when he left? Now you're all anxious? If you're really worried, go to town to find him. Don't hang around me. You're making me dizzy."

"Who's worried about him?" Zhao Chunyan rolled her eyes. "I'm just digesting my food!"

"Digestion? You've already digested eight times your usual amount, and you still want to digest? Who would believe that?!"

"What's it to you how many rounds I play?" Zhao Chunyan spread her hands and raised her chin. "That's just who I am, Zhao Chunyan. Is it any of your business? On the contrary, it's you—"

"He went hunting in the mountains last night and didn't come back all night. You got up five times and looked outside five times. Five times! You say you're worried about him, but you're the one who's most worried!"

Lin Wanqiu put the wood-chopping knife aside.

"Really? Then last night, I wonder who it was, tossing and turning in their sleep, constantly talking about the master... the way they talked... tsk tsk, and that wasn't enough... you also..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhao Chunyan's face flushed red, all the way to the roots of her neck. She quickly explained, "You've got it wrong. You must have gotten it wrong, it's definitely a mistake!"

"A mistake?" Lin Wanqiu sneered a few times. "I'm not some old, blind, or deaf person. How could I be wrong? What's done is done. Don't deny it!"

"you--"

Zhao Chunyan was so angry that she had nothing to say, and she turned around and walked towards the house.

Upon hearing this, Su Yuehe froze, her face inexplicably burning. She quickly lowered her head, pretending to look at the ants on the ground.

Zhao Da'e, who was washing clothes by the well, paused, glanced at her two daughters-in-law, and shook her head.

"You two... the more you fight, the happier I am."

"The more you fight, the more it proves you still care about my damned son. Good thing. Very good thing."

Just then—

"Is there anything to eat? I'm starving!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Bei strode into the yard, patting his belly and shouting.

His face was still covered in dust from his journey, and there were a few drops of dark red bloodstains on his clothes that hadn't been washed off. He looked both tired and energetic.

Seeing Liu Bei return, Lin Wanqiu quickly went to greet him.

"You're back? Was the journey smooth?"

"Smooth. Too smooth." Liu Bei grinned.

Su Yuehe shifted her position on the bamboo chair, her lips parted as if she wanted to stand up. But she hesitated, then pulled her legs back, gripping the handle of her palm-leaf fan tightly as she fanned herself, her gaze fixed on Liu Bei.

Zhao Chunyan was feeling awkward when she heard Liu Bei's voice. She immediately turned around, intending to greet him, but before she could, Lin Wanqiu had already gotten there first. So she turned back around and walked into the house, swaying her voluptuous hips.

"Did you sell the meat?" Lin Wanqiu asked.

"Sold out completely. Not a single piece left."

"How many did you sell?"

"The four-legged beast sold for 120 yuan, pork for 140 yuan, and venison for 140 yuan. That's a total of 400 yuan. We gave 21 yuan to Uncle Shuanzhu and the other six people, so we have 379 yuan left."

"How much? Three hundred and seventy-nine yuan? That much?"

Upon hearing this, Su Yuehe's mouth gaped open, and she didn't even notice the palm-leaf fan slipping from her hand.

Three hundred and seventy-nine yuan.

She had been married into the Liu family for three years, and the most she ever held in her hand was two yuan and fifty cents.

In the room, Zhao Chunyan was about to lie down to sleep when she heard a noise. She peeked out through the small window and saw Liu Bei shaking a stack of money in his hand. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh dear!" Zhao Da'e darted over from the well, not even bothering to dry her hands, and snatched the money from Liu Bei's hand.

"Let me count! Let me count!"

"Ten...twenty...thirty-five...fifty..."

When she counted up to over a hundred, Zhao Da'e started to get confused.

"Did they calculate it or not...?"

She turned the crumpled bills over and over, the more she counted, the more confused they became.

"Late Autumn! Help me count!"

"Um!"

Lin Wanqiu walked over, gathered the scattered money, and counted it one by one.

Ten-yuan notes, five-yuan notes, two-yuan notes, one-yuan notes, and a few small denomination notes.

"Mom, it really is three hundred and seventy-nine yuan."

Lin Wanqiu neatly stacked the money and handed it to Liu Bei, saying, "Here you go!"

Zhao Da'e was taken aback: "Why are you giving it to him? Give it to me! I'm his mother!"

Lin Wanqiu said calmly, "Mother, he hunted the game and earned the money. Let him decide how to spend it."

Zhao Da'e rolled her eyes twice, and suddenly understood something.

This girl is testing her son.

Zhao Da'e quickly winked at Liu Bei.

That look, translated into plain language, means: If you dare to put that money in your pocket, I'll break your legs today.

Liu Bei understood immediately, walked up to Lin Wanqiu, and stuffed the entire stack of money into her hand. "Here, take it!"

Lin Wanqiu was stunned, her face full of confusion.

"What are you going to do for me?"

"This money is what we saved to build our house." Liu Bei looked at her and said, emphasizing each word, "Among the family members, you're the best at keeping accounts. I feel at ease leaving the money with you."

Lin Wanqiu looked down at the stack of money in her hand, held it for several seconds without saying a word.

This man has gambled away far more than a few hundred dollars in the past.

Today, he actually gave the money he earned to her, instead of his mother-in-law Zhao Da'e, or to Su Yuehe and Zhao Chunyan.

Instantly, she felt a warmth in her heart.

"I can manage your money for you. But I have something to say first—"

"I hope this isn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision; I hope it's something you'll stick with."