Reborn at 80: From Village Scoundrel to Billionaire

"Hello, Manager Fan."

Liu Bei extended his hand.

Director Fan grasped his hand and got straight to the point: "Comrade Liu Bei, Da Zhuang told me about your marksmanship. You took down a 200-pound wild boar with one shot and also took down two adult gray wolves. I haven't heard of anyone else in the surrounding villages who can do that."

"Just a bit luckier!" Liu Bei smiled slightly.

"Comrade Liu Bei, you're too modest. It's like this. Recently, we've had several sightings of leopards in the western slope area of ​​our Da Liu Shan Forest Farm. Last week, a leopard almost attacked one of our loggers. The night before last, another one killed three of the forest farm's guard dogs."

"Of the more than sixty workers at the forest farm, none of them dare to go to the west slope now. All the work has stopped."

"A leopard?" Fan Ha'er's eyes lit up immediately. "Brother Bei! A leopard! That's a good thing—"

"Slap!" Fan Shuanzhu slapped him on the back of the head. "Shut up! A leopard isn't a mythical creature like a four-legged beast, and a deer, that herbivorous thing? Those eat people! Don't go jumping on any bandwagon!"

"Fine, don't go then! Why hit someone? Honestly!"

Fan Ha'er covered the back of his head and pouted.

"Director Fan, please continue!" Liu Bei ignored Fan Ha'er.

"Alright. I won't beat around the bush. I'd like to ask you to help us hunt down the leopard at the forest farm. If you're willing to help, you can keep all the leopards you hunt; the forest farm won't take any of them. Also, I personally owe you a favor. If you need any help in the future, just let me know."

"A favor?"

Liu Bei hesitated.

He wants to build a new house, and he'll definitely need wood then.

We need a lot of good timber, and the only place around here is Daliushan Forest Farm.

This favor is valuable.

"Okay. I'll take it."

"Xiao Bei!" Fan Shuanzhu pulled Liu Bei aside. "Leopards are different from wild boars and wolves! Those things are incredibly fast; one swipe of their paw and they'll rip your guts out! You have elderly parents and young children to support, what if—"

"Uncle Shuanzhu," Liu Bei said with a smile, "Fortune favors the bold. If you want to make big money, you have to take some risks."

"But--"

Fan Shuanzhu opened his mouth, wanting to persuade him further, but when he looked into Liu Bei's calm eyes, he swallowed back what he was about to say.

Because Liu Bei's eyes revealed something to him.

Liu Bei is really different from before.

Director Fan was overjoyed: "Great! When is a convenient time?"

"Leopards are nocturnal, so going into the mountains during the day won't be very effective. I'll pick a suitable day and have Brother Dazhuang let you know then."

"Okay! It's settled then!" Director Fan squeezed his hand again, then turned and left with Li Dazhuang.

After watching the two leave, Liu Bei turned back to look at Fan Shuanzhu and his son.

"Uncle Shuanzhu, Ha'er, don't tell anyone about this when we get back. If my family finds out, they'll cause a huge uproar."

Fan Shuanzhu sighed. "Don't worry. We won't talk nonsense."

Fan Ha'er picked at his ear: "What? What did you guys just say? I didn't hear anything."

"..."

Liu Bei glanced at him. What's wrong with him? He's actually quite clever!

"You've been busy all morning, are you all hungry? Let's go to the state-run restaurant!"

"Oh? That must be quite expensive?"

Shuanzhu said, "It's my treat, eat as much as you want!"

"Dad, listen to Bei-ge. You're weak anyway, and you don't have much stamina when fighting with Mom. Eat some good food to help you recover!"

"..."

……

Soon, at the state-run restaurant, a table was filled with dishes.

There was braised pork, scrambled eggs, braised pig's trotters, steamed buns, and a pot of pork rib soup, among other things.

Niannian had never seen so much delicious food before; her mouth was practically watering.

Liu Bao ate his rice in silence, his chopsticks making a loud thud against the bottom of the bowl.

Panpan glanced towards Liu Bei's direction.

Liu Bei put a piece of pig's trotter into Panpan's bowl: "Eat it."

"Um!"

Panpan lowered her head and chewed silently.

Fan Ha'er ate the most, stuffing half a steamed bun into his mouth in one bite, his cheeks bulging like a toad.

While eating, he urged Fan Shuanzhu, "Dad, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and eat. Once you're full, you'll be able to hold your own when you go back and fight with Mom!"

"..."

More than an hour later, Liu Bei and his friends finally finished their meal.

He then took his three children to the supply and marketing cooperative shopping mall.

One bag of White Rabbit milk candy for each of the three children.

Nian Nian has a new set of clothes, red with small floral patterns.

Liu Bao has a new cotton-padded jacket.

Panpan chose a pair of blue corduroy pants and a white shirt with small floral print.

Then, Liu Bei bought four more skirts.

Su Yuehe's was made of light green fine cotton cloth.

Lin Wanqiu's is navy blue with white dots.

Zhao Chunyan's is a dark red khaki.

The mother, Zhao Da'e, wore a black blouse with a dark floral pattern and a diagonal placket, paired with dark gray trousers.

Fan Shuanzhu stood aside watching Liu Bei frantically pull out money, and his lips twitched twice.

After his visit, Liu Bei hired an oxcart to return to the village.

Along the way, the oxcart swayed and rocked, and Nian Nian fell asleep nestled in Liu Bei's arms.

Liu Bao leaned on his shoulder and closed his eyes.

Panpan sat opposite, holding the new clothes in her arms, looking at the distant fields, with a small smile on her lips.

Fan Ha'er sat at the back of the car, swinging his legs and humming an off-key song.

The oxcart drew closer and closer, and the village entrance was now in sight.

……

Fanjiacun Village, under the big locust tree at the village entrance.

"Oh my goodness! Uncles and aunts, do you know what big thing happened in town today?"

"Liu Bei, along with Fan Shuanzhu and his son, were caught red-handed by the local industry and commerce bureau for engaging in speculation and profiteering in town today!"

"Not only were all the buckets of fish confiscated, but the people involved were also detained! I heard they're going to be sent to a labor camp!"

"Really?"

"I saw it with my own eyes!" Zhao Liuzhi patted his chest. "Six patrolmen surrounded them completely! Fan Shuanzhu's legs went weak! If it weren't for me and Brother Northwest taking pleading for him, he probably would have been handcuffed on the spot!"

Fan Xibei sighed, looking regretful.

"Sigh, although Liu Bei and I don't get along, we're from the same village, and it's hard to bear seeing him get arrested. But speculation and profiteering are serious offenses; once you break the law, no one can protect you."

"I heard that labor reform is at least three years. Liu Bei's three ex-wives and three children are going to have a tough time from now on."

Sure enough, the villagers were in an uproar.

"Really? Liu Bei just started learning..."

"Speculation and profiteering? That's no small matter. Last year, Zhang Laosi from the next village was imprisoned for two years because of this."

"It's already abnormal that all three wives are divorced and still living together. Now that he's been arrested, this family is probably completely broken up."

……

The news spread like wildfire throughout the village.

Before an incense stick could burn, someone knocked on the gate of Zhao Da'e's courtyard.

"Sister Da'e! Sister Da'e! Something terrible has happened! Your son has been arrested!"

Zhao Da'e was chopping firewood in the yard.

Upon hearing this, he dropped the machete in his hand.

Zhao Chunyan was the first to rush out.

"Liu Beibei was arrested? Who said that?!"

"That's what Fan Xibei and Zhao Liuzhi said!"

"That's utter bullshit!"

Zhao Chunyan went into the kitchen and picked up a cleaver.

"Chunyan! What are you doing?" Zhao Da'e shouted.

"Chop those two gossiping bastards up!"

Zhao Da'e paused for half a second, then took the pestle off the wall. "Wait for me, old lady. Let's go together."

Lin Wanqiu came out of the side room and casually grabbed a bamboo pole.

Su Yuehe was the last to come out.

She stood on the threshold, hesitated for a few seconds, and then grabbed a thin wooden stick.

Soon, Zhao Chunyan was the first to rush to the base of the big locust tree, and without saying a word, she slammed her knife into the stone block less than three inches from Fan Xibei's hand.

Fan Xibei was so frightened he almost fell over.

"Zhao Chunyan! Have you gone mad?!"

"I'm asking you!" Zhao Chunyan's eyes were blazing with anger. "Did you personally witness Liu Bei being arrested?"

"Of course..." Fan Xibei took two steps back. "Six Fingers and I both saw it!"

"Bullshit!" Zhao Da'e squeezed in, slammed her club on the ground, and pointed at Zhao Liuzhi, cursing, "You two bastards are spreading rumors here! Believe me, I'll beat your rotten mouths to a pulp right now!"

"Damn! They're all tigresses!"

Zhao Liuzhi shrank back in fear, but after glancing at the villagers surrounding him, he regained some courage.

"Auntie, we're not spreading rumors. Not only did we see it, but many people at the market saw it too. You can go ask around in town if you don't believe me!"

"Besides... Auntie, don't try to scare people with knives and sticks. Brother Northwest and I haven't broken the law. But your family members, all of them rushing in with knives and sticks, will be in jail if anyone gets hurt!"

"I--"

Zhao Da'e froze, her mallet hovering in mid-air.

Taking advantage of this opening, Fan Xibei took a step back.

"Auntie, I know you're worried. But Six Fingers and I were just trying to warn the whole village. Speculation and profiteering are illegal! Even if we don't say anything, what will your whole family do when the police come to arrest us?"

"We're afraid you'll be kept in the dark!"

Zhao Liuzhi quickly chimed in, "That's right! If we really wanted to harm Liu Bei, we wouldn't have pleaded for him in town today!"

"That makes sense... Maybe they really meant well."

"Liu Bei used to be a gambling addict and a good-for-nothing, with a mountain of debt he never repaid. Now he's suddenly fishing and selling fish; who knows if he's gone astray?"

Some villagers started talking at once.

"you--"

Zhao Chunyan was so angry that she couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Wanqiu leaned on the ground with her bamboo pole, her face pale and her lips tightly pressed together.

Su Yuehe huddled behind Zhao Da'e, her fingers turning red from gripping the thin wooden stick.

Seeing the four women's embarrassed expressions, Fan Xibei's lips curled into a wide smile.

"Whoa—"

Just then, the sound of an oxcart stopping came from the village entrance.

"Fan Xibei, Zhao Liuzhi, you two bastards, get out here! I'm not a fool if I don't crush your balls today."

"..."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look.

On the oxcart, Liu Bei was holding Niannian in one arm and had his other arm around Liu Bao's shoulder.

Panpan stood by the car, holding several sets of new clothes in her arms.

The cart was piled high with bags and packages.

"Impossible! Weren't they arrested? Brother Northwest, what's next?"