After being reborn, the school beauty's entire family knelt down to repent.

Chen Ming looked at Zhang Lingqian's attentive manner, but he was a little puzzled.

Although Zhang Lingqian in her previous life also had a crush on him, she wasn't this proactive.

Could it be that he changed something after his rebirth, causing Zhang Lingqian to change as well?

After dinner, Zhang Lingqian got up to say goodbye.

Chen Ming escorted her to the door. The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, made her shiver.

Zhang Lingqian rubbed her hands together and breathed on them. "Brother Chen Ming, I'm leaving now. You should get some rest."

She looked up at Chen Ming, a hint of expectation in her eyes. Chen Ming nodded: "Be careful on the road."

After closing the door, Chen Ming returned to the room, where Chen Yitian was still praising Yang Lingqian.

"This girl is really great, beautiful and capable, much better than those pretty but useless vases." Chen Ming listened to his father's grumbling...

Over the next few days, Chen Ming was busy contacting people about electric blankets while also keeping an eye on the fishpond.

The cold wave arrived as expected, and the temperature plummeted. Many fish in the village's other fishponds froze to death.

Chen Ming's fishpond, however, remained unharmed, its fish lively and energetic, much to the envy of the other villagers.

......

The next morning, Chen Ming was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Chen Ming! Chen Ming! Open the door quickly!" It was the voice of the director of the Agricultural Trade Bureau, filled with barely concealed excitement.

Chen Ming opened the door, and before he could even greet the director, the director grabbed his hand and said excitedly:

"Xiao Chen, you're truly our savior! You've solved our biggest problem!"

"Your cold-weather aquaculture technique is simply amazing! In the past few days, the fishponds in our county have all doubled their yields!"

"There were almost no losses on the fish fry! Everyone made a fortune! I've been praised so much these past few days that I'm practically deaf!"

Before Chen Ming could reply...

The director of the agricultural trade bureau then took out a thick wad of cash and some gifts, saying that the agreed-upon profits were now being fulfilled.

"Comrade Chen Ming, this is what you deserve, it's not too much at all! If you need anything in the future, just come to me!"

Chen Ming was overjoyed as he looked at the piles of banknotes in front of him.

He didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it readily.

When Chen Yitian got home, he stared wide-eyed at the pile of banknotes and gifts covering the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Xiaoming, where...where did this come from? You...you didn't do anything illegal, did you?"

Chen Ming explained the whole story with a smile, and Chen Yitian was finally relieved, bursting into tears of joy.

"Thank God! My son Xiaoming has finally made something of himself!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire village.

The patriarch of the Chen family ancestral hall arrived in a grand procession, personally paying a visit.

They want to include Chen Ming's name in the family genealogy, saying they want to properly commend this genius who has brought honor to the village.

We must ensure that future generations learn from Chen Ming's wisdom and intelligence.

The clan chief stroked his beard and said proudly, "I knew it! Every one of the Chen family boys is a dragon among men! Chen Ming, you have truly brought honor to our Chen family ancestors!"

The clan chief immediately decided to hold a banquet in the village to celebrate Chen Ming's achievements and have a good time.

He waved his hand and ordered his clansmen: "Hurry up and make preparations. This banquet must be a grand affair, lasting three days and three nights, until everyone is drunk!"

So the whole village was mobilized, slaughtering pigs and sheep, preparing ingredients, hanging lanterns and decorations, and setting up the venue.

Once the banquet begins, people of all ages from the village come to share in the joy, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

Everyone raised their glasses to toast Chen Ming, saying, "Chen Ming, you are truly the pride of our village!"

An elder raised his glass, his cloudy eyes gleaming with excitement.

"You've really brought honor to our Chen family this time!" another villager chimed in, his voice full of pride.

"Come on, Xiaoming, let me toast you!" Brother Yang raised his wine bowl and laughed heartily, "I wish you all the best in the future, and that you'll lead us all to wealth!"

"Young people have ideas, dare to think and act, that's amazing!" Aunt Li raised her glass, beaming from ear to ear.

Chen Ming warmly responded to everyone's blessings, and for a time, laughter and toasts filled the air.

In the crowd, Zhao Rou and her mother looked ashen-faced as they watched Chen Ming being surrounded by the crowd, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

Zhao Rou's mother said sarcastically, "Oh, isn't this Chen Ming? He's become quite the big shot in just a few days! Truly, one should look at a person with new eyes after three days' absence!"

Zhao Rou looked aggrieved and on the verge of tears, saying, "Chen Ming, you used to be so good to me, why have you changed like this now? Why are you ignoring me?"

"Have you forgotten how you used to pursue me? Have you forgotten how you used to buy me things and give me gifts? You look down on me now, don't you?"

She deliberately raised her voice, wanting everyone to hear.

"Yeah, Chen Ming, you used to be all over my Xiao Rou, practically giving her your heart! Now that you're successful, you've turned your back on me?"

Zhao Rou's mother said sarcastically, "What an ingrate!"

People around him began to whisper among themselves, and their gazes toward Chen Ming became more inquisitive.

Chen Ming sneered. He knew that the mother and daughter were deliberately trying to cause trouble.

Zhao Rou looked aggrieved, on the verge of tears, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"I...I used to be so good to him, how could he...how could he treat me like this..."

Chen Ming watched Zhao Rou and her daughter's performance.

In my past life, I was deceived by the sweet words and hypocritical masks of this mother and daughter, ultimately leading to the destruction of my family and the death of my loved ones.

In this life, he will never repeat the same mistake!

He picked up his wine glass and walked up to Zhao Rou: "Zhao Rou, what you're saying is quite interesting. You know perfectly well how I treated you before!"

"Also, I remember those things I gave you before, shouldn't I return them to you?"

Zhao Rou's expression changed, and she stammered, "What...what nonsense are you talking about? I...I don't understand..."

Chen Ming sneered and raised his voice: "Don't understand? Then let me make it clear! Those gold necklaces, jade bracelets, and that mink coat your mother is wearing, I bought them all with my own money!"

"Now that I'm successful, shouldn't you show me some appreciation?"

The surrounding villagers immediately erupted in discussion.

"I never expected the Zhao mother and daughter to be so shameless..."

"They actually took Chen Ming's things for free and kept him hanging on."

Zhao Rou and her daughter's faces flushed red and then turned pale, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

Zhao Rou's mother blushed, pointing at Chen Ming and trembling, unable to speak: "You...you...you ungrateful wretch! Our Xiao Rou used to be so good to you, and you...you actually slandered us like this!"

"Ungrateful? Auntie, it's really ironic to hear that from you." Chen Ming scoffed.

"Her 'kindness' to me was just a pretext to have people cause trouble at our fishpond and even have Wang Mian injure my father."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

The villagers looked at Zhao Rou and her daughter with disdain and disgust.

The villagers who had previously questioned Chen Ming now turned their attention to criticizing Zhao Rou and her daughter.