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

Matsutake mushrooms grow very quickly this season. They often become too old to be harvested and eaten within just a few days.

So Liu Weidong got up very early that day to check on the growth of the matsutake mushrooms in the woods. If they were the right size, he would immediately arrange for people to pick them.

However, Liu Weidong was still halfway there when he saw an elderly forest ranger rushing towards him. The ranger shouted loudly, "Weidong, something bad has happened!"

Seeing that the old man was very agitated, Liu Weidong was afraid that something might happen to him, so he quickly comforted him, "Uncle Wang, don't worry, tell me slowly, I'll take care of you even if the sky falls."

The old man calmed down a bit and, panting, told Liu Weidong, "I was patrolling over in the woods when I heard someone screaming inside!"

The animal trap had only been set for a few days, but it actually worked, which surprised and delighted Liu Weidong. All his efforts had not been in vain!

Liu Weidong, of course, wouldn't reveal his true thoughts. Instead, he asked the old man with feigned concern, "The one who ran into the woods isn't one of our village's children, is it?"

"Definitely not, the voice sounds like a grown man!" The old man shook his head repeatedly, then told Liu Weidong, "Didn't you say that no one should go into the woods casually? So I didn't go in to check. I just had Old Zhang keep watch outside the woods, and I was just about to go look for you!"

Seeing that everyone had taken his instructions to heart, Liu Weidong was also very satisfied. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Don't rush, I'll go to the woods first. Please go to the village committee and call the village chief and the others to be witnesses."

The old man nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go right away!"

"Don't rush, just walk slowly!" Seeing the old man about to run again, Liu Weidong quickly gave him a word of advice, and then walked slowly toward the woods.

As long as it's not a child from the village who gets hurt, Liu Weidong isn't worried at all.

The child is young and doesn't know any better. If he gets injured in the woods, Liu Weidong will have to bear some responsibility, which is something he doesn't want to see!

Now the whole village knows that the grove belongs to Liu Weidong. If an adult were to break in, they'd definitely be trying to steal the matsutake mushrooms, and if anything happens, they deserve it!

So Liu Weidong didn't even quicken his pace, leisurely arriving at the edge of the woods, where he indeed heard screams coming from within. However, the screams were weak and feeble, indicating that the injuries had been ongoing for quite some time.

Another member of the elderly forest ranger team was waiting by the edge of the forest. Upon seeing Liu Weidong, he hurriedly came up to him and said, "Weidong, you've finally arrived! I wonder what happened in the forest? Come in and take a look!"

Liu Weidong laughed and said, "Uncle Zhang, don't worry. Judging from the sound, that person won't die anytime soon. Let's wait for the village chief and the others to arrive before going in together."

Uncle Zhang didn't object, but he whispered to Liu Weidong, "Weidong, with something like this happening in the woods, the village... won't take this forest back, will they?"

Liu Weidong immediately understood what Uncle Zhang meant: he was worried that if the village took back the forest, he would definitely lose his job.

Just by occasionally strolling around the woods, you can earn thirty yuan a month. Where else can you find such a good job? No wonder Uncle Zhang's first thought was this, worried that the village would take back the woods.

Liu Weidong laughed and said, "Uncle Zhang, don't worry about that. Think about it carefully. The matsutake mushrooms in this forest are almost ready to be harvested. Why would someone sneak in like that?"

Uncle Zhang slapped his thigh and said, "Is there even a question? They're definitely trying to steal matsutake mushrooms!"

"That settles it!" Liu Weidong said seriously, "Since this guy is a thief, he deserves to be injured. Even if the police come, they won't blame us, and the village will definitely not take back the forest!"

Uncle Zhang was relieved and nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's good, that's good! My son is twenty-five now, and I'm counting on this job to find him a wife next year. This forest must not have any accidents!"

Uncle Zhang's words made Liu Weidong nod secretly. As long as he could use this forest to tie his interests together with those of the majority of the village, he wouldn't be afraid of a few people causing trouble!

In just a short while, village chief Hao Qiang and several members of the village committee arrived in a hurry.

The group's faces paled as soon as they arrived, hearing screams coming from the woods. They hadn't expected that despite all the measures they'd taken, someone would still sneak into the woods; their intentions were obvious.

Hao Qiang frowned and said, "Wei Dong, let's go in and see who's so bold as to dare to steal matsutake mushrooms from the woods!"

"Alright!" Liu Weidong agreed without hesitation, then took a wooden stick and walked into the woods with the others.

After these past few days, the matsutake mushrooms that were previously just sprouting from the ground have grown quite large. At this rate, harvesting them should be a matter of just a few days.

This made everyone nod in agreement, and they understood even more why that guy would sneak into the woods at this time; he must have come for these matsutake mushrooms.

Liu Weidong took the lead, memorizing the locations of the animal traps in the woods and using a stick to poke and trigger them one by one. He didn't want the traps to hurt anyone else, so it was better to poke them all out.

Liu Weidong kept poking and prodding as he went, and soon he had opened all the animal traps. Then he saw a person lying not far ahead, groaning in pain.

This guy really did step into a bear trap, and the kind that catches wild boars at that. Looks like his luck is exceptionally bad. Getting caught in such a huge trap is incredibly lucky if your leg isn't broken; you could very well end up with a lifelong disability.

Upon hearing Liu Weidong and the others' footsteps, the guy immediately yelled, "Oh no, help! My leg is broken!"

Liu Weidong quickened his pace and stepped forward, then frowned and said, "Sun Libing, it really is you!"

The guy who got caught really was Sun Libing, which made the others secretly sneer. This guy really can't change his ways; he actually went to steal from Liu Weidong's woods. He's going to be in trouble now.

Sun Libing also saw Liu Weidong and immediately shouted, "Liu Weidong, you brat, you actually set animal traps in the woods! Do you know how dangerous that is? This isn't over! If you don't pay me a large sum of money, I'm going to the police station to report you!"

This guy was caught red-handed, yet he still tried to shift the blame, demanding compensation from Liu Weidong. He was utterly shameless. Hao Qiang and the other village committee members all frowned, thinking this kid was a real scoundrel!

Liu Weidong glanced around and quickly spotted a basket filled with matsutake mushrooms, clearly picked by Sun Libing after he sneaked in.

Liu Weidong then stepped forward, staring blankly at Sun Libing, and said, "You want me to pay you back?"

“Yes, my leg is broken, I don’t have two thousand, no, five thousand, this matter…” Sun Libing continued to make exorbitant demands, but before he could finish speaking, Liu Weidong kicked him hard in the face, immediately interrupting his words.