Reborn at 80: From Village Scoundrel to Billionaire

"What do you want to ask?" Liu Bei turned around and glanced at the male staff member.

The male staff member glanced around, lowered his voice, and pulled Liu Bei behind a pillar, with his back to the counter.

"Um... comrade, if I may ask a question," he rubbed his hands together, "you really married three wives?"

Liu Bei nodded, "Mm."

The male staff member's pupils constricted sharply, and his mouth gaped open.

"Then...aren't you afraid of committing bigamy?"

"I'm divorced from all three of them. I'm single now, so what bigamy crime could I have committed?"

"what?"

The male staff member froze, and after a brief moment of surprise, he asked, "You're divorced... but still living together?"

"Yes. We're divorced but still living together. What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"Hiss~"

The male staff member gasped, gave a thumbs-up, and his eyes were full of awe.

"No problem. Absolutely no problem. Comrade, you are truly... truly a master! Can you teach me? How did you do it?"

"Well?"

Liu Bei finally understood everything. So that's what he was up to all this time.

He chuckled and leaned closer. "Brother, this is all about talent. I'm exceptionally talented, so I did it. As for whether you can do it, well... that depends on your own talent. You understand what I mean?"

After saying that, Liu Bei patted the male staff member on the shoulder, "Brother, that's all I can say. I'm off!"

With a smile, Liu Bei carried the bag of bras in one hand and the takeout box in the other, heading towards the door.

The male staff member remained stunned for a long time as he watched Liu Bei and his two companions leave.

Does it require talent?

Do you also need exceptional talent?

He immediately looked down at himself and sighed.

"It's almost done! Sigh!!!"

"What are you whispering about with him?" Suddenly, a female staff member walked over, tilting her head to look him over.

"Cough cough~"

The male staff member immediately composed himself, straightened his collar, and said seriously, "This is a matter between men. We can't talk about it."

"Men's business? Can't we talk about it?" The female staff member paused, then immediately rolled her eyes. "Hearing you say that, I know you're definitely up to no good. Humph!!!"

"..."

……

After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, Liu Bei led the two women into the town's only Xinhua Bookstore.

Zhao Chunyan looked puzzled: "Why did you come to the bookstore? Are you going to buy books?"

"Um!"

Liu Bei nodded, flipped through a few pages, pulled out a copy of the "Local Wildlife Protection Regulations," flipped through a couple more pages to confirm the contents, and then tucked the regulations under his arm.

Then he went to the stationery counter and picked out a few notebooks with grid lines, and also took two pencils.

"Why did you buy this?" Lin Wanqiu asked curiously as she walked over.

"Panpan is already eight years old this year. We were too poor to send her to school before, but now that we're better off, we can't delay her any longer. I'll buy some notebooks and pens to take home so she can practice at home first. When school starts in September, I'll take her to register."

"Um?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqiu was stunned, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.

In the past, Liu Bei would either gamble in casinos or drink alcohol. Whenever he saw Panpan, he would yell at her or curse at her, and he would even hit her from time to time.

I've never seen him, as a father, ask whether his daughter has eaten enough or is dressed warmly enough.

As for going to school, that goes without saying.

She remembered one time when Panpan saw the neighbor's child, who was a year younger than her, carrying a schoolbag and going to school. She stood at the gate of the yard and watched for a long, long time.

That night, Panpan asked her, "Mom, can I go to school?"

She didn't answer, but could only hold Panpan in her arms for a long time.

But now, Liu Bei bought Panpan a pen and a notebook, saying that he would send Panpan to school in September.

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqiu's nose tingled and her eyes reddened.

Two lines of clear tears silently slid down her cheeks.

"Wanqiu, why are you crying?" Liu Bei reached out and wiped the tears from her face.

"I'm happy." Lin Wanqiu tilted her head.

"Oh, really?"

Liu Bei understood Lin Wanqiu's words.

"Hmph." Zhao Chunyan, standing to the side, frowned, visibly jealous. "Panpan is pregnant. What about my little one?"

Liu Bei laughed, "How old is Xiao Bao? It's too early for him to go to school. I'll just buy him a toy."

"That's true!"

Zhao Chunyan thought about it and agreed.

Xiao Bao is not even five years old yet; it's definitely too early for him to start school.

But she still wouldn't let it go: "We still have to buy it! We can't just think about Panpan and not Xiaobao."

"Okay, okay."

Liu Bei rummaged through the toy section next to the stationery counter and picked out a small tin frog that could be wound up and bounce.

Then he chose a big windmill for his second daughter, Liu Nian, with five colorful blades that would spin around when the wind blew.

After paying, the three left the bookstore.

……

along the way,

Zhao Chunyan walked ahead, her pace quickening.

Lin Wanqiu walked beside Liu Bei, glancing at the notebooks and pencils in the bag every now and then, a bright smile on her face.

Forty minutes later, at the Liu family's house.

As soon as she arrived at her doorstep, Zhao Chunyan was the first to rush into the yard.

"Mom! Panpan! Niannian! Xiaobao! Come quick!"

Zhao Da'e was watching her three grandsons play when she heard this and looked up to see Zhao Chunyan rushing in carrying two aluminum lunch boxes, followed by Lin Wanqiu and Liu Bei.

"What are you yelling about?"

Zhao Chunyan opened the aluminum lunchbox lid.

Suddenly, a variety of delicious dishes, including Dongpo pork, braised wild duck, half a plate of sweet and sour mandarin fish, lotus root and spare ribs, etc., were displayed in front of Zhao Da'e and her friends.

Although it had long since lost its heat, it still looked appealing, and the aroma instantly filled the courtyard.

Wow~

The three children, with six eyes, stared intently at the food in the lunchbox, their mouths drooling.

Xiao Bao reached out to grab it.

"Go away! Did you wash your hands?" Zhao Chunyan slapped his hand away.

Zhao Da'e walked over, glanced at the lunchbox, and her expression changed: "Dongpo pork? Mandarin fish? You've gone to a restaurant?"

"We ate at a state-run restaurant." Liu Bei put the food down.

"What a waste!" Zhao Da'e's face fell. "We have vegetables and rice at home, why don't you eat them and instead go to a state-run restaurant to squander money? Do you think you are—"

"Mom, we signed a contract with the county supply and marketing cooperative today. From now on, we won't need to set up a stall to sell fried grasshoppers anymore. We'll supply them directly by weight, at one yuan per jin. And it'll be a long-term supply."

"What did you say? Long-term...long-term supply?"

"Yes. Every morning, it's delivered to the town's supply and marketing cooperative, weighed on the spot, and payment is made immediately."

"Is...is this real?"

"Of course it's true. The contract is already signed!"

"Great, that's wonderful!"

Zhao Da'e slapped her thigh excitedly: "Then what are we waiting for? Let the children eat!"

Soon, the three children, as if granted a pardon, grabbed food with their hands and used chopsticks as they frantically began to eat.

Panpan picked up a piece of lotus root, Niannian nibbled on a fish tail, and Xiaobao held a piece of Dongpo pork, his mouth glistening with oil.

Zhao Da'e stood by, watching her three grandchildren eat heartily, and smiled with satisfaction.

Twenty minutes later, after seeing that the three children had finished eating, Liu Bei took out a small tin frog from the bag and waved it at Xiao Bao.

"Xiao Bao, come here for a second."

Xiao Bao slowly walked over, looked at the tin frog, and his eyes lit up. "A frog?"

At this moment, Liu Bei wound up the spring, and then suddenly his hand loosened.

"Tap tap tap tap~"

The tin frog immediately jumped up and down on the ground, once, twice, three times...

"Wow!!!"

Seeing this, Xiao Bao clapped his hands and laughed happily.

He grabbed the frog, held it in his arms, and ran out.

Niannian watched her younger brother run away with longing eyes, then looked back at Liu Bei, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Niannian, you have one too!" After saying that, Liu Bei took out a large windmill from the bag.

Niannian's eyes lit up immediately.

She took the windmill, turned around, and ran into the yard, raising it high as she ran, and the windmill immediately started spinning.

Watching her younger brother play with the frog and her younger sister spin the windmill, Panpan looked at Liu Bei with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

Liu Bei walked up to her and took out several grid notebooks and two sharpened pencils from his bag.

"Panpan".

He shoved the notebook and pen into his daughter's hands.

"School starts in September. These are the notebooks and pens I bought for you. Practice at home first. When school starts, Dad will take you to register."

"What?"

Panpan stared blankly at the notebook and pencil in her hand.

After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence:

"Can...can I go to school?"

"Of course you can." Liu Bei patted the back of his eldest daughter's head.

"Really...really..."

Upon hearing this, Panpan burst into tears.

Clutching her notebook and pen, she laughed and cried at the same time, then jumped up and ran around the yard, shouting, "I can go to school now! I can go to school now!"

Seeing her daughter's happy expression, Lin Wanqiu turned her head away and wiped the corner of her eye with her sleeve.

Watching her eldest granddaughter jumping and skipping around in the yard, Zhao Da'e's nose tingled with tears.

She turned her head away and secretly wiped her eyes.

Old man, did you see that? Our eldest granddaughter is going to school soon.

My son is doing well, and my children have something to look forward to.

Our Liu family has finally gotten through the hard times.

If we could build a new house, settle the affairs of our three daughters-in-law, and have a few more grandchildren... our Liu family would be even more perfect!

Zhao Da'e felt increasingly pleased with herself.

"Brother Bei! Brother Bei! You're finally back. Did you know Zhao Liuzhi's brother got into trouble?"

Suddenly, Fan Ha'er rushed in.