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

Sun Libing was a notorious good-for-nothing in the village. He was lazy, thieves, and a universally disliked fellow.

People like this certainly wouldn't put in the effort to go up the mountain to find matsutake mushrooms, but they get envious when they see others making money selling dried matsutake. So, when the neighbors aren't looking, they steal matsutake mushrooms that others are drying and sell them to Hao Jianjun.

When someone does something like this too often, they're bound to get caught. The villagers who suffered losses certainly won't let Sun Libing off the hook; they catch him and give him a good beating.

However, Sun Libing continued to steal even after being beaten, showing no sign of restraint. Neither the village committee nor the villagers had any good solutions for this kind of scoundrel.

These days, people have a poor sense of the law, and no one would call the police for a few matsutake mushrooms. As a result, this guy's arrogance is further emboldened, and he has stolen matsutake mushrooms from many people who were drying them.

Upon learning that matsutake mushrooms grew in the woods near the village, Sun Libing was overjoyed. Searching for matsutake mushrooms in the mountains was too arduous and tiring, but if he could simply bend down and pick up a good amount in the woods near the village, he, Young Master Sun, was willing to give it a try.

Therefore, Sun Libing was one of the very few people who insisted that the village take back that forest, indulging in the piped dream of getting rich without lifting a finger.

However, reality shattered Sun Libing's dream. The village committee quickly announced that the produce of that forest belonged entirely to Liu Weidong and had nothing to do with anyone else.

What surprised him even more was that the vast majority of people in the village actually agreed with the decision, and no one stood up to "uphold fairness"!

This infuriated Sun Libing, who felt that everyone in the village was flattering Liu Weidong, even the new village chief. These people were afraid of the wealthy Liu Weidong and were deliberately sacrificing the village's interests to curry favor with him!

Sun Libing grew angrier the more he thought about it, often complaining to others and feeling he had been wronged. One day, he stole a bicycle from a neighboring village, sold it, and after making some extra money, bought some bulk liquor and drank it in his yard.

After a few drinks, Sun Libing forgot even his own surname. He slammed his fist on the table and started cursing, "Damn it, that little brat surnamed Liu dared to steal my benefits! That's too much!"

Sun Libing cursed a few times, downed another glass of baijiu, and said viciously, "Others may be afraid of his father, but I'm not. I can go to that damn forest whenever I want, and no one can stop me! When the matsutake mushrooms grow big, I'll pick them all and sell them for money! If they don't make money right in front of them, then all those people in the village are fools!"

The more he thought about it, the smuger he became. Before he knew it, he had finished a whole pound of bulk liquor and was fast asleep in the main room. Anyway, he was a bachelor, so he could do whatever he wanted, and no one at home cared.

However, Sun Libing, who was drunk, had a very loud voice, and his words were overheard by the neighbors outside the yard. This guy was a petty thief, and of course he wouldn't let the neighbors off the hook; he had already stolen quite a few things from them. Now, hearing that he was planning to steal matsutake mushrooms from the woods, the neighbors immediately went to find Liu Weidong.

Liu Weidong was also having dinner with Wang Shujuan when he saw that it was someone from the same village looking for him. So he smiled and asked, "Brother Li, is there something you need?"

"Yes, yes!" The villager nodded repeatedly and whispered to Liu Weidong, "That bastard Sun Libing just drank a few cups of horse urine and was cursing you in the yard! He said he'd pick the matsutake mushrooms in your grove when they're big enough, and then go find Jianjun to sell them for money!"

To be honest, Liu Weidong didn't care if Sun Libing said a few bad things about him behind his back. As long as the guy didn't go so far as to curse him to his face, he couldn't be bothered to argue with him.

But Sun Libing actually wanted to steal matsutake mushrooms from the woods, which Liu Weidong absolutely would not allow. He immediately frowned and asked, "Brother Wang, are you sure you didn't hear me wrong?"

“Absolutely right!” the villager said firmly. “My wife and I both heard it, and that guy’s voice was incredibly loud; several households nearby could hear it. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the other neighbors!”

The fact that this villager was willing to speak so frankly meant he wasn't lying. Liu Weidong sneered and said, "Heh, this Sun Libing is quite bold. He dares to interfere in a decision made by the village committee!"

The villager said, "You know what kind of person Sun Libing is. He's shameless for money! Right now, the matsutake mushrooms in that forest are just starting to sprout, so of course that kid won't do anything. But in a few days, when the matsutake mushrooms have grown bigger, it's really hard to say!"

Liu Weidong knew, of course, that the villager wasn't lying. He nodded slightly to him and said, "Brother Wang, I understand. Thank you for telling me; you've saved me a lot of losses!"

The villagers said happily, "It's good that you can help. Our village's prosperity depends on your guidance. That kid surnamed Sun is trying to take advantage of you, but the whole village won't stand for it!"

This is the benefit Liu Weidong gained from raising the price of dried matsutake mushrooms: it secured the support of the vast majority of people. Even if a very small minority tried to cause trouble, others would immediately inform Liu Weidong, allowing him to prepare accordingly.

Liu Weidong casually took two bottles of orange juice from the refrigerator and handed them to the villager, saying, "Brother Wang, take these back for your child to drink. I'll talk to the village chief later and see how to handle this matter."

The villager left happily, but Wang Shujuan asked Liu Weidong with concern, "Weidong, that Sun Libing is unreasonable and shameless. What if he really steals our matsutake mushrooms?"

"Sis, don't worry about this, I'll handle it." Liu Weidong comforted his sister with a smile, looking her up and down and saying, "This outfit is beautiful today, it suits you perfectly!"

Liu Weidong's praise always made Wang Shujuan very happy. She smiled at him and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Isn't this outfit the one we bought together last time? You didn't say that then."

"This just means you're getting more and more beautiful, so even wearing your old clothes makes me look good!" Liu Weidong said to Wang Shujuan without hesitation, and earnestly added, "But... it's cooler to wear a dress in the summer. The dress I bought you last time was perfect!"

Wang Shujuan's pretty face immediately turned red, and she lowered her head and whispered, "That dress is too... I'm embarrassed to wear it in front of strangers!"

Liu Weidong was just waiting for these words, and immediately said with a smile, "Then wear it in front of me, otherwise it would be a waste to buy it and not wear it!"

In the end, Wang Shujuan couldn't resist her younger brother's insistence. After closing the courtyard gate, she obediently changed into the tight-fitting dress. The dress perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure, and coupled with her pretty face and shy demeanor, it truly delighted Liu Weidong, who couldn't help but find various opportunities to take advantage of her.

However, Liu Weidong did not forget the main business. The next day, he went to Hao Qiang to discuss and begin arranging various measures to protect the matsutake mushrooms.