Reborn in 1982: I Became the Richest Man by Repairing Cars

Old Wu didn't believe Jiang Hui could really fix that imported car, but many neighbors in Wudaoying Hutong had seen it with their own eyes.

Not only did people watch him fix the car, but they also heard the story of him accepting ten yuan for the repairs in great detail.

The news spread like wildfire, and in no time at all, it had reached every corner of the alley.

At the dinner table, Jiang Hui took out the brand-new "ten-thousand-yuan" bill from his pocket and handed it to his mother, Zhang Yuxiu: "Mom, from now on, I will pay ten yuan to the family for food every month. This is the first payment."

Zhang Yuxiu was eating when she saw the money and stared in surprise. "Where did this money come from? Don't you dare do anything reckless!"

She was busy cooking dinner for her family and hadn't heard about the car repair in the afternoon, so she naturally couldn't guess where the ten yuan came from.

"I repaired a car for someone this afternoon and earned the repair fee."

Jiang Hui spoke casually, as if it were just a trivial matter, without mentioning at all that the car was a rare imported Crown.

"You really fixed that imported car?"

When Jiang Dadong first entered the door, he heard the old and young men in the alley gossiping about this matter. He was skeptical and was wondering how to ask, but unexpectedly Jiang Hui brought it up first.

Jiang Yong, who was standing to the side, didn't say a word, but he stopped eating with his chopsticks and pricked up his ears, afraid of missing a single word.

"Yes, the air filter in the Toyota Crown is clogged, causing the engine to stall and not start."

"I took the filter out and cleaned it, and the car is fine now. I'll let him replace the filter himself later."

Jiang Dadong himself works in car repair, and as soon as Jiang Hui said that, he immediately understood where the crux of the problem lay.

But it was precisely because he was knowledgeable in the field that he found it even more incredible—this matter looked simple, but finding the root cause of the problem was the real skill.

"How can you be so sure it's a problem with the air filter? That Toyota Crown is a rare find; I've never even touched one in my life!"

In Jiang Dadong's eyes, his son's car repair skills were all learned from him doing odd jobs. Even he dared not touch imported cars, yet Jiang Hui could do them with ease.

"I've already memorized the contents of all those auto repair books I used to read."

"I know the ins and outs of engines and transmissions like the back of my hand. I can tell where the problem is just by touching the car a little."

If someone else had asked him this question, Jiang Hui might have been too lazy to answer, but since it was his own father asking, he had to give a plausible explanation.

Jiang Dadong frowned and pondered for a long time, feeling that this explanation was very mysterious, but he really couldn't find any other reason.

In the end, I could only sigh and say, "I'll borrow a few more auto repair books later. When you have time, study them more. It's always good to learn more about your craft."

"Second brother, I knew you could do it!"

As soon as the father and son finished speaking, Jiang Yu immediately came over, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

She and Jiang Hui had been close since childhood, and she had heard enough of the gossip in the alley lately, so she had been hoping that her second brother could prove himself.

"Hmph!" Jiang Yong sneered through his nose, speaking sourly, "I heard that many experienced mechanics dare not touch imported cars, but he went up and removed the air filter box."

"In my opinion, it was just luck this time. If he had really damaged someone's car one day, he probably wouldn't be able to afford to pay for it even if he sold himself!"

Jiang Yong actually felt that it was a good thing that Jiang Hui's repair stall was able to open, but when he said it, it sounded different.

Jiang Hui knew his older brother's sharp tongue but soft heart all too well. He was in a good mood today and didn't want to argue with him. After finishing the last bite of rice in his bowl, he put down his chopsticks and said, "I'm full. I'm going out for a bit."

When he returned, Lin Wanqiu hadn't finished get off work yet, so he went over to tell her about what happened that afternoon.

The atmosphere at the dinner table changed as soon as Jiang Hui left.

Zhang Yuxiu glanced towards the door, frowned, and asked Jiang Dadong, "Dadong, is the second brother running off to the Lin family next door again? Now that he doesn't need to study for exams anymore, what's with him going to their house every day?"

She wasn't blind or deaf; Jiang Hui's recent activities couldn't have escaped her notice.

Jiang Dadong's face darkened. He shoveled rice into his bowl and retorted irritably, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

He knew the Lin family's situation very well—Lin's mother was bedridden, Lin Yuanwu had difficulty walking and was blind in one eye, and the entire burden of the family rested on the shoulders of Lin Wanqiu, a young girl.

Lin Wanqiu is a good girl, but if her son really dates her, will he have an easy life in the future?

Jiang Dadong's mind was in turmoil; he himself didn't know whether he should oppose or support it.

"Mom, my second brother always does things in a measured way, so don't worry about it."

Jiang Yu put down her chopsticks and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Look, he made ten yuan repairing a car today. If he only repairs two cars a month, he'll earn more than he would as an apprentice in a factory!"

"If we can land a few more deals, who knows, my second brother might become the highest earner in the family!"

Fourteen-year-old girls are naturally more mature than boys, and she had long seen through Jiang Hui and Lin Wanqiu's intentions.

However, since the matter wasn't at the point of being discussed openly, she could only quickly change the subject.

Zhang Yuxiu's attention was indeed drawn to these words, and she couldn't help but scoff, "Do you think repairing cars is like repairing bicycles? Do you think people come knocking on your door every day?"

"Didn't you see your second brother squatting under the big poplar tree the other day, guarding an empty stall every day, without even a cartwheel coming in!"

The family chatted amongst themselves around Jiang Hui's repair stall.

At this moment, Jiang Hui was already standing at the entrance of the Lin family's courtyard.

"Auntie, Brother Yuanwu, Sister Wanqiu, are you still eating?"

Seeing that Lin Wanqiu was at home, Jiang Hui secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

These days, more and more educated youth are returning to the city, making job opportunities in the city already scarce.

With so many people unemployed, it's inevitable that some shady characters will loiter on the streets, and public security is getting worse day by day—otherwise, why would there be a crackdown next year?

Lin Wanqiu was beautiful, and Jiang Hui was worried about her, fearing that she might not be safe on her way home alone.

"Xiao Jiang is here? Come in and have a seat."

Lin's mother was lying on the earthen bed in the inner room, and Lin Wanqiu was feeding her porridge spoonful by spoonful from a chipped enamel bowl.

"Late Autumn, take Xiao Jiang to the inner room to talk. I'll feed him here."

Lin Yuanwu nodded to Jiang Hui, his voice low and sparse, as usual.

Jiang Hui didn't feel awkward at all, knowing that he was a man of few words.

Although the Lin family lived a frugal life, the living space per person in this large courtyard was not small.

There are three rooms in the courtyard. The middle room is Lin's mother's bedroom, and it is also where the family eats.

A small room was set up on each side, one for Lin Wanqiu and one for Lin Yuanwu.

Lin Wanqiu led Jiang Hui into her small room. The room was simply furnished with a wooden bed, a desk with peeling paint, and a few stacks of books in the corner, but it was kept clean and tidy.

She poured Jiang Hui a bowl of water and asked somewhat nervously, "Did something happen?"

"It's nothing, I just came to let you know that my car repair stall finally opened for business today."

Jiang Hui couldn't help but laugh when he saw her nervous expression.

Lin Wanqiu finally breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes instantly brightening, her tone full of joy: "I knew it! Someone would definitely come to you to fix their car!"

During this time, Jiang Hui's car repair stall was closed, and the gossip in the alley never stopped. People said that he gave up his secure job at the repair shop and insisted on setting up a stall, which would eventually lead to his downfall.

Lin Wanqiu had heard these words more than once, and she was more anxious than anyone else.

She knew that Jiang Hui had given up his stable apprenticeship to set up a stall in order to earn more money, and that most of that money was for her.

"Today, an imported Toyota Crown broke down near the Yonghe Temple."

"The driver contacted several mechanics, but none of them could fix it. In the end, he had no other choice but to try my help and came to me."

Jiang Hui looked at her, a hint of smugness in his voice, "And the result? I got it done in less than five minutes."

He wasn't deliberately trying to show off in front of Lin Wanqiu; he just wanted to reassure her that he hadn't made a mistake on this path.

Of course, these words weren't just meant for Lin Wanqiu.

The door to the side room wasn't closed properly, so Lin's mother and Lin Yuanwu in the outer room could probably hear everything clearly.