Reborn in 1981, starting by smashing my iron rice bowl.

Wang Shujuan repeatedly warned Liu Weidong not to be deceived by Li Yinfeng, but he couldn't bear to hear even the slightest bad word about his sweetheart. Every time Wang Shujuan kindly reminded Liu Weidong, she would be beaten up in return, and gradually he dared not say anything more.

Liu Weidong had been treating Wang Shujuan very well these past two days, which made her lower her guard and let her guard down. When she came to her senses, she was terrified, fearing that Liu Weidong would beat her up again.

Looking at the pitiful Wang Shujuan, Liu Weidong was filled with remorse. He couldn't understand what he had been thinking, actually scaring such a good woman like this. What a jerk he was!

"Sister, you're absolutely right!" Thinking of this, Liu Weidong quickly comforted Wang Shujuan: "Don't be afraid, I promise I won't hit you again. Let's live a good life from now on, and our family will become more and more prosperous. Trust me!"

Although Liu Weidong spoke sincerely, Wang Shujuan was still a little scared and nodded timidly, saying, "Yes, I...I believe you."

Liu Weidong realized this as well, and knew that words alone were useless; he needed to persuade Wang Shujuan with concrete actions. So, early the next morning, Liu Weidong rushed to the county town, intending to rent a room to roast melon seeds.

However, renting a house in the early 1980s was not easy. There were no real estate agents at the time; if you wanted to rent a house, you had to go door to door and ask.

Moreover, many people are hesitant to lend out their vacant rooms, fearing trouble if others find out. Even if they do rent out their rooms, landlords will claim they are lending them to relatives temporarily and will never admit to receiving money. Tenants and landlords have to exchange secret signals when they meet, making it seem like a secret rendezvous between spies.

Liu Weidong asked several households, but not only did he fail to borrow a house, he also aroused the suspicion of two middle-aged women wearing red armbands, who stopped him and questioned him for a long time.

Fortunately, Liu Weidong spoke with a local accent and had a pleasant voice, so the woman didn't mistake him for a suspicious person and take him to the police station.

Having learned his lesson, Liu Weidong had no choice but to seek help from the only person he knew in the county town—Wei Guohui.

School has recently started its winter break, and Wei Guohui is quite free. Liu Weidong found him again at the street corner where the two had met last time.

The old man was watching someone play chess. After learning why Liu Weidong had come, he couldn't help but ask him curiously, "Can't you roast melon seeds at home? It's convenient and saves on rent. Why do you still need to rent a place in the county town?"

Liu Weidong frankly said, "Teacher Wei, as you know, the people in the village are quite conservative. If they find out I'm doing business, someone might report me. It's better to rent a house in the county town, where no one knows each other, which will save a lot of trouble."

Wei Guohui nodded and said, "Hmm, you're quite thoughtful for your young age. I happen to have a spare room, you can use it for now."

"That's wonderful, thank you, Teacher Wei!" Liu Weidong was overjoyed by the good news and immediately asked Wei Guohui, "How much is the rent?"

Wei Guohui shook his head and said, "I don't need that little bit of rent. Anyway, you're only borrowing it for a month. I'll just give you the key!"

“Teacher Wei, this won’t do!” Liu Weidong said seriously, “Normal expenses in business cannot be cut back. Only in this way can I know whether I have the ability to do business.”

Thinking Liu Weidong's words made sense, Wei Guohui agreed with him that the rent for the house would be six yuan per month. In hindsight, this rent seems like a joke, but rent was that cheap in the early 1980s.

Wei Guohui took Liu Weidong to see the house. The house was only about ten square meters in size, with a small yard. Although it wasn't big, it was enough for roasting sunflower seeds.

Liu Weidong was very satisfied with the house and immediately rented it to Wei Guohui. There was no such thing as a deposit back then; after paying six yuan, he gained the right to use the house for the next month.

However, having a place to roast sunflower seeds isn't enough; you also need a stove and a pot. The pot isn't a problem—a large pot from a traditional earthen stove at home will suffice—but the stove is more of a hassle. Roasting thousands of pounds of sunflower seeds definitely requires a large wood-fired stove, which these days isn't even available in the city.

Fortunately, Liu Weidong had worked in a machinery factory in his previous life and knew where he could get the furnace he needed.

After parting ways with Wei Guohui, Liu Weidong took a bus to the machinery factory in the city. The bus ride took more than an hour, but the fare was only 15 cents.

Liu Weidong handed a cigarette to the gatekeeper and said, "I'm looking for Master Huang Zhigang in the machine repair shop. Could you please pass on my message?"

"Wow, Daqianmen!" The gatekeeper took the cigarette, sniffed it, and then tucked it behind his ear with satisfaction. "Wait a moment, I'll go call the machine repair shop!"

Not long after, Huang Zhigang hurriedly came out and asked Liu Weidong with a puzzled look, "Young man, do we know each other?"

"Practice makes perfect, and now we know each other!" Liu Weidong smiled and handed Huang Zhigang a cigarette, saying, "Master Huang, actually I came to buy something from you today."

Huang Zhigang said anxiously, "You can't just say things like that. What do I have to sell you?"

"A stove!" Liu Weidong said in a low voice, "Master Huang, I need one of those big stoves made from oil drums, the sooner the better, name your price!"

In his past life, when Liu Weidong worked at the machinery factory, he knew that Huang Zhigang in the machine repair workshop used factory materials for private work. He made a lot of wood-burning and coal-burning stoves and sold them to people outside the factory. About two years later, he was arrested and sentenced to several years in prison. If you wanted to buy a large stove right now, Huang Zhigang was definitely the best choice!

Sure enough, after hearing Liu Weidong's words, Huang Zhigang also lowered his voice and said, "Young man, this big furnace isn't cheap. Do you really want it?"

"Of course I want it, just name your price!" Liu Weidong answered without hesitation.

Huang Zhigang pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fifty-five, no less!"

"Deal!" Liu Weidong immediately agreed, then made a request: "However, you have to deliver the goods to Linmen County. Pay a deposit of twenty yuan first, and then pay the rest after the goods are delivered."

“It’s a deal!” Huang Zhigang was quite straightforward. He arranged to meet Liu Weidong in the county town the next day, then happily accepted the money and left.

To Liu Weidong's surprise, Huang Zhigang delivered the furnace the next day in a truck from the machinery factory. It seems he had quite a wide network of connections within the factory; no wonder he was only caught after years of embezzling public funds.

Putting aside Huang Zhigang's character, his craftsmanship is undeniably excellent. The stove is both sturdy and lightweight, with a fireproof brick core—truly excellent value for money. It's only because Huang Zhigang used factory-sourced materials that he essentially made a profit without any investment; otherwise, the stove would definitely cost much more!

Liu Weidong was very satisfied with the stove. He handed the remaining thirty yuan to Huang Zhigang and said, "Master Huang, thank you. Please keep this money!"

"I should be thanking you." Huang Zhigang was also very happy to receive the money, and said with a big smile, "From now on, we're friends. If you need any help, just ask. As long as it's within my power, I, Old Huang, will definitely not refuse!"

Since Huang Zhigang had already put it this way, Liu Weidong smiled and said, "Master Huang, actually... I really do have something I need to trouble you with!"