Reborn at 80: From Village Scoundrel to Billionaire

All that could be seen was a withered leaf covering a rotten tree stump.

Something grew from the base of the tree stump.

Liu Bei squatted down and used his hands to clear away the withered leaves and loose soil. Moonlight streamed in through the gaps, illuminating something.

The thing was dark brown, with a round, thick cap covered in rings of wood grain, its edges slightly curled, and a faint yellowish powder on its base. Its thick rootstock was embedded in the rotten wood, and it was larger than Liu Bei's two hands put together.

"It's actually... Ganoderma lucidum!!!"

Upon seeing it clearly, Liu Bei's hand trembled violently, and his eyes lit up.

In his previous life, he had worked with medicine dealers for a few years, so he knew a little about identifying medicinal herbs.

Judging from the thickness of the cap, the cracks on the surface, and the almost invisible layer of powdery spores on this Ganoderma lucidum, it must be at least fifty years old.

This year's Ganoderma lucidum is definitely worth a lot!

He immediately and carefully took out his dagger and slowly cut into the joint between the root and the rotten wood, pushing it in little by little.

The blade was carefully circled all the way around before the intact root was detached from the rotten wood.

"It's done!"

Liu Bei quickly lifted the Ganoderma lucidum with both hands. It felt heavy in his palms, and he estimated it to weigh four or five pounds.

"Goodness."

Liu Bei smiled happily.

With Ganoderma lucidum, the money to build the house is one step closer, which is wonderful.

No wonder that red dot was so dark and kept flashing.

It turns out that the Golden Finger can not only mark living things, but can even sense precious medicinal herbs growing in the ground.

Liu Bei carefully wrapped the Ganoderma lucidum inside his coat and then walked back.

A moment later, Fan Ha'er was the first to come up to him, "Brother Bei! How's it going? Did you spot another leopard?"

"It's not a leopard."

"If it's not a leopard, what is it?" Li Dazhuang and Fan Shuanzhu also came over.

Liu Bei lifted his coat, and the moonlight shone directly on the dark brown cap of the Ganoderma lucidum.

"This is... Lingzhi?" Fan Erhe was the first to react, and he rushed over and squatted down to take a look.

He circled the Ganoderma lucidum in Liu Bei's hand for a while, then gently touched the edge of the cap with his finger. "My goodness, look at the thickness, the texture... it must be at least forty or fifty years old, right?"

"More than that," Liu Bei said. "I'm estimating fifty years or more."

Fan Shuanzhu swallowed hard. "How much is this thing worth?"

"It's hard to say," Fan Erhe said, "but I know that you should never sell this in town."

Why?

Liu Bei was somewhat puzzled.

"The pharmacies in town are all affiliated with the supply and marketing cooperative. They sell Ganoderma lucidum by weight, regardless of its age, and you'll only get about ten yuan a pound at most. But it's different in the county town. There are private Chinese medicine shops there that specialize in buying these older, better quality products. A fifty-year-old Ganoderma lucidum will fetch at least three figures from knowledgeable people."

"Three digits? That many?" Li Dazhuang gasped.

Fan Ha'er went even further, jumping up and shouting, "Brother Bei! You've struck it rich! You've struck it rich!"

"Okay. I'll do as you say. I'll go to the county town tomorrow." Liu Bei wrapped the Ganoderma lucidum up again.

Fan Erhe nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two leopards and the little deer on the ground.

"We've killed the leopard, and we also lost a muntjac cub. Xiao Bei, what are you going to do with these?"

Liu Bei's gaze met Fan Erhe's for a moment before he said, "Director Fan, to be honest, I've been hunting and going up the mountain these past two days, and I'm really exhausted. I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of these two leopards and the muntjac cub."

"Uncle Shuanzhu, Brother Dazhuang, could you please help me take it to town to sell? The leopard skin is valuable; try asking at the purchasing station. Just sell the muntjac meat. After that, split the money five ways: one for Uncle Shuanzhu, one for Ha'er, one for Brother Dazhuang, one for me, and one for Manager Fan."

"No, no, no!" Fan Erhe waved his hands three times. "I work for the forestry farm; this is my job. What kind of logic is it to take your money?"

"Director Fan, if it weren't for you taking the lead tonight, I wouldn't even have been able to get into the forest farm. You deserve this money."

"I said no, and that's final—"

"Manager," Liu Bei smiled, "if you won't accept them, then I'll have no choice but to give them all away. I'll use them all to buy medicine for my mother. What do you say?"

"this--"

Upon hearing this, Fan Erhe choked.

He stared at Liu Bei for a while, then shook his head and laughed, "You little rascal... alright, then I'll shamelessly accept it."

But secretly he thought to himself, "This young man has really changed."

Not only is he a great marksman, but he's also incredibly shrewd in his speech and actions.

Knowing who to give money to, how to give it, and what to say to make the other party have no choice but to accept—that takes skill.

This person is no ordinary individual; we should associate with him more often in the future.

Li Dazhuang's eyes were a little red. "Brother, I didn't fire a single shot tonight, not a single one. I shouldn't have gotten this money..."

"Brother Dazhuang," Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder, "If you're not here, who will take the blame for me if something happens? Stop talking nonsense, you have to take a share of this money, or you won't consider me, Liu Bei, a brother."

"Okay. I'll take it!"

Li Dazhuang nodded heavily.

Fan Shuanzhu looked at Fan Ha'er.

"Xiao Bei, you saved Ha'er's life tonight. I'll remember that favor. As for the money, we'll split it."

"Uncle," Liu Bei walked over, "Ha'er is my brother. It's only right that I save him. If you're going to conflate these two things, that's a slap in my face."

"you--"

Fan Shuanzhu opened his mouth, then sighed, "If I hadn't watched you grow up, I would have thought you were some rich kid from a high-ranking family."

"Haha~"

Fan Erhe and his men burst into laughter.

Soon, after the profits were divided, the group started working.

Two leopards and a muntjac were lifted onto the oxcart together.

Fan Erhe got off the car at the intersection of the forest farm road, patted Liu Bei on the shoulder, said nothing, and turned to leave.

When Liu Bei and his group finally arrived in the village in their oxcart, it was already midnight.

By this time, Fanjiacun Village was already completely dark.

Liu Bei jumped out of the car.

"Uncle, don't alarm the villagers. Go directly to town, handle the situation, and come back later. Otherwise, some people will be jealous."

"Okay. Don't worry."

Soon, Fan Shuan and the other two disappeared into the night at the end of the village in an oxcart.

Liu Bei returned home alone and gently pushed open the courtyard gate.

The house was quiet.

The lights in several rooms were all off.

After closing the door, he first went to the kitchen to fetch a bucket of cold water, and then took a shower in the corner of the yard.

A night breeze blew, and all my fatigue washed over me like a tidal wave.

A moment later, he entered the room, placed the wrapped Ganoderma lucidum on the side, and without even taking off his shoes, he collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.

……

"dad."

"dad!"

"Dad, get up!"

After an unknown amount of time, a pair of small hands suddenly reached under Liu Bei's clothes and started scratching.

Liu Bei jumped up from his dream and almost fell off the bed.

When I opened my eyes, I saw my little daughter, Niannian, kneeling on the edge of the bed, her little hands still in a tickling position, her round eyes smiling like crescent moons.

"Dad! Mom said it's time for you to get up and eat breakfast!"

Liu Bei scooped the little girl up and kissed her on the cheek.

Nian Nian giggled and shrank back.

"Let go!"

Lin Wanqiu appeared at the door at some point and scooped Niannian up in her arms.

"You haven't rinsed your mouth yet, your breath stinks. Don't let it bother the girl."

"..."

Liu Bei was stunned for a moment, touched his nose, and had no choice but to obediently get up to brush his teeth and wash his face.

A few minutes later, just as he sat down at the table in the main room to eat breakfast, Zhao Chunyan came over and sat down.

"Liu Bei".

"Didn't you say you were going to hunt wild boar?"

"Where's the wild boar? Where is it? I can't see it."

"Are you lying again? Tell me honestly, did you not go to the forest farm at all last night, and instead went out to fool around again?"

"ah!!!"

Just then, a scream came from Liu Bei's room...