Reborn in 80: Starting with hunting in the mountains to get rich

Chapter 24 Reunited with First Love, White Moonlight Lin Mei

Next to the family compound is the Lin family's mud-brick house.

Lin Mei's mother was the chief accountant at the forest farm, earning 51.5 yuan a month. Her father worked in the forest farm's security department, earning 32.5 yuan a month. In his younger days, Lin's father was a cook, and villagers would ask him to cook large feasts for weddings and funerals, earning him 10 yuan each time, plus two packs of cigarettes and a towel. Of course, cooking large feasts wasn't a frequent occurrence; it might not happen even once a month.

While the Li family was barely making ends meet, Lin Mei's family was considered a well-off family in the village.

When he was a child, he often lingered at the Lin family's house, reluctant to leave, and loved watching Lin Mei eat. It was the first time he had ever seen bright red prawns on a plate, and he was completely stunned, because the Li family had never bought prawns before. It was also the first time he had ever learned that you had to peel prawns before eating them.

After that incident, he fled in panic because he didn't know how to peel the shrimp.

Later he realized that Lin Mei was unattainable for him. So when he learned that Sun Weimin also coveted Lin Mei, he was furious. What was this lazy, good-for-nothing Sun Weimin anyway? He was just as poor as him, and he dared to dream of Lin Mei? So he had a fierce fight with Sun Weimin.

Li Ju'an looked at Lin Mei in front of him.

The Xingan Mountains are rich in resources and have clear water. Girls nurtured by this land are generally fair-skinned, beautiful, and have lovely figures. Lin Mei was the same age as him, with two braids, wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket and plain blue cotton shoes. In later generations' eyes, although the clothes were a bit rustic, they still possessed a refined and charming quality.

Lin Mei was smiling as she watched her nephew play on the sled. She saw Li Ju'an coming from afar and greeted him with a smile.

"Li Ju'an, where have you been again? How come you're covered in injuries?"

Everyone in the village knew that Li Ju'an couldn't stay idle. At this time in his previous life, besides working in the fields, he was always looking for work to make a living. A friend from the south asked him to buy scrap wood from the forest farm so he could bring it back to the city and process it into disposable chopsticks. He thought that over a few years, he could save up a small amount of money.

Unexpectedly, this friend from the south later betrayed him as a business partner, causing him to be imprisoned after being targeted by the police.

Having been given a second chance at life, he decided never to have anything to do with his cunning partner from the South again. If he were to encounter that scourge again in this life, he would definitely take revenge on him severely, so that he would have the guts to betray him, bleed him dry for money, and spend it all before he even has a chance to live!

Li Ju'an looked at his disheveled cotton overcoat and the thick wolf pelt that reeked of wild animal stench, took a small step back, and laughed.

"They went into the mountains to hunt."

Lin Mei, her two thick braids swinging, stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

She looked Li Ju'an up and down, noticing the filthy bloodstains covering his body, the fresh venison on the sled, and the fierce-looking hunting dog. Only then did she believe that he had truly gone into the mountains.

Lin Mei was still carrying the Lin family's hanging basket, wrapped in coarse cloth, with all the delicious food hidden inside. She couldn't believe it, and her speech quickened considerably.

"Li Ju'an, do you have a death wish? In such heavy snow during the White Storm, you dared to go into the mountains? You only have one hole in your head, are you out of your mind? You might as well just kill me with anger. If I tell your mother, see if she doesn't teach you a lesson."

Lin Mei lifted the coarse cloth from the basket hanging in her hand, took out two meat buns, and stuffed them into Li Ju'an's palm.

The meat buns were made by the Lin family. If it were a bun stall at the market in the county town, a meat bun would cost 5 cents if you had grain coupons and 8 cents if you didn't. In the area, being able to afford meat buns meant you were considered wealthy.

Is this enough? If not, get more.

Lin Mei kept stuffing meat buns into Li Ju'an's hands, her cheeks flushed, and she stuffed three or four into his hands.

In his previous life, Li Ju'an truly did not understand Lin Mei's thoughts.

But having lived a second life, he knows that a woman's blushing face is more beautiful than a thousand sweet words.

In his previous life, he was blinded by desire in the South, indulging in debauchery and womanizing for half his life. He never saw a girl blush again, only intoxication and weighing the pros and cons.

Now, with a steaming hot bun in his hand, he looked at Lin Mei, who seemed to want to say something but was just looking down, and he understood everything.

He took a big bite of the meat bun, his face full of satisfaction, and smiled at Lin Mei.

"These steamed buns are so filling and delicious!"

Lin Mei was somewhat surprised. She had thought that, given Li Ju'an's past behavior, he would definitely not accept the steamed bun so readily, and would surely rely on his male chauvinism to reject all her kindness, and then get into a fight with Sun Weimin.

She didn't expect that Li Ju'an would be so calm and collected as to accept the meat bun she handed him and start eating it.

Perhaps he was really hungry.

Lin Mei chuckled, her dimples sweet and charming, and said, "Eat slowly, I was wondering if you wouldn't take it. Is it good? I wrapped it."

Li Ju'an looked directly into her big eyes and asked curiously, "You wrapped it for me, how could I not take it? If I didn't take it, wouldn't I be letting you down?"

These words made Lin Mei so ashamed that she wanted to embarrass herself and couldn't find a single word to say.

She could only blush and retort, "Li Ju'an, you've changed. You weren't this glib before. I thought you were an honest man, but you're a sly one. Also, stop going up the mountain to recruit those things. Stop making people live in fear."

Her face flushed red, and she turned and ran away, not even caring about her nephew who was still playing with the sled.

Li Ju'an called his sister Li Xiao and asked her to send the Lin family's young nephew back home.

He watched Lin Mei's retreating figure, his heart filled with a myriad of emotions.

He and Lin Mei were childhood sweethearts, growing up together since they were little. Like these other children, they would sled on the snowy slopes every winter. In her previous life, her family arranged for her to marry into a family in the county town for a dowry. She married a car driver who worked for a government official.

But when her husband wasn't driving, he loved to gamble and drink, and he would beat her. In his past life, he felt sorry for her. After learning that she was having a hard time, he took a slow train back to Northeast China, went to her county town, and in a fit of anger, rushed over and started fighting with her husband.

However, she tearfully persuaded him to stop, and then complained that he had embarrassed her. In the end, he was almost sent to the police station by the Lin family.

She was a traditional woman, refusing to divorce even after marriage, and dared not disobey her family's wishes; a divorce would only bring shame to the Lin family, preventing her from returning to her parents' home for the New Year. Her refusal to divorce him left him heartbroken, and in a fit of anger, he resolved to forget her. After returning to the south, he continued to make money, engaging in speculation and profiteering, becoming increasingly audacious. With money, what kind of woman couldn't he have his way with? Why would he still care about her?

Thinking of the grudges and entanglements of his past life, Li Ju'an was filled with emotion.

He had lived two lives and encountered many women: some were intellectual and mature, some were alluring and charming, some were glamorous and innocent, and some were captivating college students. During that time, he saw many things more clearly and let go of his obsession with Lin Mei.

But now, he has a second chance at life, and he has the opportunity to change everything.

Lin Mei can only be his!