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

Thinking of this, Liu Weidong said to Ma Yongxian, "Village Chief Ma, I've come here today to discuss something with you. From now on, I will only accept dried matsutake mushrooms. I'll need everyone's help to dry the matsutake mushrooms."

Ma Yongxian nodded and said, "It's not a big deal. Anyway, it will last longer once it's dried, so there's no need to worry about it spoiling."

"It's good that you have no objections." Liu Weidong nodded, then announced loudly, "To thank everyone for their support, I've decided... to raise the purchase price of dried matsutake mushrooms from five yuan to twenty yuan per kilogram!"

Ma Yongxian was shocked and asked, "How much?"

"Twenty yuan, I promise!" Liu Weidong didn't waste any words and immediately took out a stack of ten-yuan notes and gave them to Ma Yongxian: "Village Chief Ma, here is two thousand yuan, consider it my deposit for buying dried matsutake mushrooms, count it and see if it's correct!"

Ma Yongxian quickly took it and counted it twice, repeatedly saying that the number was correct and that there were exactly two thousand yuan here.

When everyone first heard Liu Weidong's price, they thought he was talking nonsense. These days, a pound of matsutake mushrooms sells for at most ten cents at the market; his price was outrageous!

However, when Liu Weidong publicly handed two thousand yuan to Ma Yongxian, everyone's doubts vanished instantly. No matter the era, real money is always more convincing than empty promises.

So the villagers were all beaming with joy, eager to go up the mountain to find matsutake mushrooms.

Twenty yuan a pound for dried matsutake mushrooms? That's way too expensive! You can't earn that much even after a month of hard work in the fields. No wonder everyone's so eager to try it.

Ma Yongxian was overjoyed and tightly grasped Liu Weidong's hand, saying, "Comrade Liu, thank you so much! Thanks to you, everyone's lives are getting better and better!"

"Village Chief Ma, you're too kind. This is beneficial to all of us." Liu Weidong said modestly at first, but then his face darkened and he said loudly, "I'm a man who always distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. I remember your and everyone's hard work in providing me with matsutake mushrooms and pig mushrooms. However, if anyone goesssips behind my back and damages my reputation, I will absolutely not let them get away with it!"

Everyone knew who Liu Weidong was talking about, and all eyes fell on Huang Dafu, making the guy feel very uncomfortable.

Liu Weidong didn't mince words and quickly added, "Village Chief Ma, I'll accept all the matsutake mushrooms and pig mushrooms that others bring, but not this person's. I don't keep ungrateful people around here!"

Huang Dafu's expression changed drastically, and he was filled with regret. Liu Weidong's words meant that Huang Dafu would lose at least several tens of yuan a year, which would be painful for anyone.

Many people cast sympathetic glances at Huang Dafu, and even Ma Yongxian looked distressed, feeling that it was too unfair to Huang Dafu.

However, Liu Weidong didn't see anything wrong with this. Since Huang Dafu wanted to ruin his mushroom business, he had to pay a heavy price. If he let Huang Dafu off easily today, others would surely come and cause trouble in the future. Would he still be able to do business then?

Seeing that Ma Yongxian didn't immediately agree, Liu Weidong pressed on relentlessly, "Village Chief Ma, did you hear what I said?"

"Village chief, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and agree!"

"We'll keep an eye on things for you, Comrade Liu, don't worry."

"Village chief, we can't let the whole village suffer poverty just because of Huang Dafu!"

Before Ma Yongxian could even speak, the other villagers couldn't help but express their agreement with Liu Weidong's decision.

Everyone had the same idea: sacrifice Huang Dafu to ensure the others could make money. After all, that kid was so ambitious, wanting to replace Village Chief Ma.

Seeing that everyone agreed with Liu Weidong's decision, Ma Yongxian secretly weighed the pros and cons and ultimately decided to protect the interests of the majority.

So Ma Yongxian gritted his teeth and said to Liu Weidong in a deep voice, "Fine, the village will no longer accept matsutake mushrooms from Huang Dafu!"

Huang Dafu not only offended the village chief today, but also lost the opportunity to earn extra money, and even stood on the opposite side of the entire village. He suffered a complete defeat.

Huang Dafu, his face ashen, couldn't utter a word and slunk away amidst the disdainful gazes of the crowd.

But Liu Weidong wasn't finished yet. He loudly asked the villagers, "Don't be shy, everyone. Just say what you think. Are you satisfied with the price I offered?"

Everyone expressed their satisfaction with the price. A pound of dried matsutake mushrooms is almost equivalent to half a month's salary for a regular worker; the price is unreasonable no matter where you look at it.

"Since everyone is satisfied, I'm relieved." Liu Weidong nodded with a smile, then suddenly changed the subject, saying, "However, I'm only offering such a high price because of Village Chief Ma, so I only accept him! If Village Chief Ma stops handling this matter and someone else comes to do business with me, then the price definitely won't be this high. Does everyone understand?"

The villagers immediately declared that they would let Ma Yongxian continue to manage this matter. This meant his position as village chief was very secure; anyone who tried to take the position would face opposition from the entire village!

Ma Yongxian understood Liu Weidong's intention, and was extremely moved. He quickly said to him, "Comrade Liu, this... this is too kind of you."

"Village Chief Ma, don't be so polite with me, we're all friends!" Liu Weidong said with a smile, "I also need your help to ensure the quality of the dried matsutake mushrooms. After all, the price is so high, if the quality isn't good, I won't be able to explain it back home, don't you think?"

Ma Yongxian quickly assured him that he would ensure quality control and would absolutely not let Liu Weidong suffer any losses.

The reason Liu Weidong strongly supports Ma Yongxian is because Ma is honest and reliable, making it easy to do business with him. Ma Yongxian's position in Gonggeng Village is currently very secure, which is also beneficial to Liu Weidong, as he no longer needs to worry about the quality of the matsutake mushrooms and truffles.

Liu Weidong chatted with Ma Yongxian for a few more minutes, agreeing to come back in a while to transport the dried matsutake mushrooms away, and then said goodbye and left.

The villagers witnessed Liu Weidong giving Ma Yongxian two thousand yuan, so naturally they had no objections to his departure. Many even greeted Liu Weidong warmly, showing great enthusiasm for this "god of wealth."

Only Huang Dafu watched Liu Weidong leave from afar, his face filled with resentment. However, now the whole village supported Liu Weidong and Ma Yongxian, and this guy could do nothing but sulk.

Liu Weidong rode his bike home and found that the wound on his leg didn't hurt at all. He couldn't help but marvel at how wonderful it is to be young; the recovery speed was amazing!

However, when Liu Weidong arrived home, his good mood vanished instantly. Wang Deli had been released and was glaring at him menacingly at his doorstep!