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

At first, Wang Shujuan didn't think too much about it and nodded seriously, saying, "It's better now. It was jumping really fast just now, like it was going to jump out of my throat..."

"Hey, what are you doing!" However, before Wang Shujuan could finish speaking, she noticed that Liu Weidong's large hand was about to press on her chest. She instinctively exclaimed and slapped away his restless hand.

"Sigh, just a little bit short!" Liu Weidong sighed inwardly. It was truly a case of failing at the last hurdle!

However, on the surface, he looked surprised and puzzled, saying to Wang Shujuan, "What? I just wanted to know how fast your heart is beating. Come on, let me feel it!"

Wang Shujuan was simple-minded but not stupid. She could tell that Liu Weidong was trying to take advantage of her. Her pretty face flushed red as she glared at him and said, "Ugh, I'm ignoring you. I'm going to cook!"

Looking at Wang Shujuan's tall and slender figure, Liu Weidong couldn't help but smile. His relationship with his sister was becoming more and more harmonious; as long as it continued like this, he would achieve his wish sooner or later.

However, Liu Weidong was also very clear that he needed to continue working hard if he wanted to live a happy life for himself and his sister. So early the next morning, Liu Weidong set off with a thick wad of cash and more than ten kilograms of grain coupons.

Before leaving the village, Liu Weidong went to see Hao Jianjun. He left Hao Jianjun 1,000 yuan in cash, asking him to help him buy matsutake mushrooms and truffles from the villagers.

Besides Wang Shujuan, Liu Weidong trusted Hao Jianjun the most in the village.

However, Wang Shujuan is gentle and introverted, not very good at dealing with people, so doing business would be even more difficult for her. Therefore, it would be better to leave this matter to her childhood friend, which would not only put her at ease but also allow him to earn some extra income.

After listening to Liu Weidong's explanation, Hao Jianjun patted his chest and said, "Brother Weidong, don't worry, I will definitely ensure the quality and handle this matter properly for you!"

"Of course I trust you to handle things, but apart from quality, don't be too strict about other aspects. Offer everyone a little something extra." Liu Weidong instructed Hao Jianjun, "Right now, Wang Deli and I are trying to gain everyone's support, so we not only need to make money but also earn a good reputation, understand?"

Hao Jianjun suddenly realized and said, "I understand, Brother Weidong, you're really cunning!"

"What do you mean cunning? This is called being strategic!" Liu Weidong corrected his childhood friend's statement, then said seriously, "Matsutake mushroom trading is big business. From now on, I'll give you a fixed salary of three hundred yuan every month, plus a bonus at the end of the year! Work hard for a year, and you can build a new house and get married!"

Hao Jianjun was surprised to learn that he could earn three or four thousand yuan a year, feeling that Liu Weidong was giving him far too much.

However, Liu Weidong didn't give his childhood friend a chance to refuse. He just told him to do his job well and then left the village in a hurry.

After leaving the village, Liu Weidong first took a bus to the county's long-distance bus station. He bought a ticket for 1.5 yuan and, after several hours of bumpy travel, finally arrived in the neighboring city of Xichun.

Actually, if you take the train, it only takes a little over an hour to get there. However, in the early 1980s, buying train tickets was not as easy as it would be decades later, when you could book tickets online.

Back then, you had to queue at the train station ticket window to buy tickets, often for several hours. Sometimes, you'd only find out the tickets you wanted were sold out when you finally got to the window, which was incredibly frustrating. So Liu Weidong preferred the more arduous journey of taking a long-distance bus, at least it saved him a lot of time.

After arriving in Xichun City, Liu Weidong asked several people along the way and finally arrived at Hualong Nursery, located on the outskirts of the city.

This Hualong Nursery is the largest nursery in several nearby cities, covering several hundred acres. Almost any plant that can adapt to the local climate can be found here.

This was a characteristic of the 1980s, when land was cheap, which is why such a large nursery could be located right next to the city center. Liu Weidong remembers that just over a decade later, the nursery was bulldozed and turned into a commercial residential area.

Back then, new apartments sold for around a thousand yuan per square meter, and many people said the developers were crazy—only a fool would buy such expensive houses. However, they soon realized they were the fools; they would never be able to buy houses that cheap again!

Liu Weidong was definitely not there to buy a house. After asking the gatekeeper, he quickly found Guo Yang, the manager of Hualong Nursery, in a simple office.

Back then, there were no private nurseries. Although Guo Yang was considered a cadre, he was essentially someone who made a living by farming.

Therefore, Guo Yang also possessed the straightforwardness and honesty of a farmer. After exchanging pleasantries, he directly asked Liu Weidong, "Comrade Liu, our nursery only has some flowers and plants. In the past, only government units would come to buy some. Since you are not a government employee, what brings you here?"

Liu Weidong laughed and said, "Manager Guo is really straightforward. As you said, there are only flowers and plants here, so of course I came here to buy some plants to take home."

Guo Yang then became interested and quickly asked Liu Weidong, "Comrade Liu, what would you like to buy?"

Liu Weidong smiled slightly at Guo Yang and said slowly, "Clivia miniata!"

Those who lived through that era know that there was a surge in speculation on Clivia plants in the early 1980s. At that time, some people began to become wealthy, but they had nowhere to invest their money, which provided favorable conditions for speculating on Clivia plants.

The hype surrounding clivia plants started in Northeast China and quickly spread throughout the country. In just over half a year, clivia plants that originally cost a few yuan each were being sold for hundreds or even thousands of yuan, a price increase of over a thousand times!

Liu Weidong remembers clearly that the price of clivia started to rise rapidly from the middle of this year, and by the end of the year it was selling for several hundred yuan a plant! And the price will reach its peak in the first half of next year, with a single clivia plant priced at over a thousand yuan and still not available for sale. Even if you have the money, you may not be able to buy one!

However, this hype came and went quickly. By the second half of next year, the price of Clivia began to plummet, returning to its original level within a few months. Many people who followed the hype bought in at prices of several hundred or even thousands of yuan, all of whom lost everything, leading to a number of people jumping off buildings in despair.

In his previous life, Liu Weidong also borrowed money from relatives and friends at the end of this year to buy several clivia plants. He thought he could get rich from them, but by the following year he had lost everything, not even his underwear. It took him several years to pay off his debts, leaving him severely weakened.

This experience left a deep impression on Liu Weidong. Now that he had a second chance, he certainly wouldn't lose money again. Although Liu Weidong certainly didn't have enough funds to operate the business, he was more than capable of making a killing by taking advantage of the situation!