Reborn in 1991, I opened supermarkets all over the world.

The rain in the sky seems to have stopped.

A brilliant sunset glowed on the horizon, its vibrant red mingling with the chirping of birds.

Qiao Ling was wearing Lu Zifeng's oversized T-shirt. She sat in the yard chatting with Lu's mother and Lu Zhenzhen. Naturally, the conversation revolved around Lu Zifeng's past "misdeeds".

Lu Zifeng's current sensible nature is largely thanks to Qiao Ling, his mother believes.

After all, the timing is quite right.

Lu Zhenzhen nestled on her mother's shoulder, softly humming, "We sit beside the tall haystack, listening to Mother tell stories of the past..."

Lu Zifeng scootered into the courtyard and asked, "Who's sitting next to the tall pile of ashes?"

Qiao Ling said, "Zhenzhen is singing about her and her mother. Are you implying that I'm just a pile of ashes?"

Lu Zifeng smiled and pointed to Qiao Ling's short-sleeved T-shirt, saying, "I have one of those too. Let's wear matching outfits another day."

Qiao Ling got up, took the travel bag from Lu Zifeng, and lightly punched him in the chest.

Lu Zhenzhen smiled and gave her mother a meaningful look.

Lu's mother slapped Lu Zhenzhen's arm: "What do you know, you're just a child?"

Jiang family.

Jiang's father finished eating rice early and left the table, while Jiang's mother peeled an egg and put it into Jiang Ce's bowl.

"Actually, your father and I don't really oppose what you're doing. It's just that you're still young and don't have much social experience. Yes, Lu Zifeng seems to have made some money, but these days, countless merchants rise and fall. How much do you really know about him?" Jiang's mother said.

Jiang Ce put down his chopsticks and said, "You all know Gu Quan, right? He was an even more ruthless person than Lu Zifeng used to be. Look at him now, how much he's changed."

Jiang's mother smiled: "You didn't understand what I meant. It's natural to change after seeing the world. But how do you know Lu Zifeng's business is guaranteed to make money? Speaking of business, his warehouse is almost finished being renovated, right? Why hasn't it opened yet? Is his supply chain blocked, and he hasn't found a channel yet?"

Jiang Ce said, "They've already prepared their supplies; they're intentionally waiting for July 1st to open."

"Ready?" Jiang's mother slowly put down her chopsticks. "Didn't the supply and marketing cooperative cut off his supplies? Where did he find the goods? Such a big shopping mall, a few suppliers probably aren't enough, are they?"

Jiang Ce said, "How could there only be a few? There are at least dozens."

"Dozens? Are they reliable? Do you know which well-known manufacturers they are?" Jiang's mother asked.

"For example..." Jiang Ce suddenly paused, looked up and stared at his mother.

A few seconds later, Jiang's mother laughed awkwardly: "Heh, stop talking and eat more vegetables."

"I'm full." Jiang Ce got up to go to the bathroom, wiped his mouth with a washcloth, and then went out.

Jiang's mother shook her head helplessly: "When will this child realize that we're doing this for his own good?"

Jiang's father sighed, "That's right. They don't know how to live a peaceful life. They have to be like Lu Zifeng. I think they'll only realize the fragility of their business when Lu Zifeng loses money and is drowning in debt."

Jiang's mother did not respond to this.

But she knew in her heart that Zhou Hai was the head of the Dongxian No. 1 Factory, and Su Min's father was the general manager of Huidong Department Store. If they were to clash with them, it would only be a matter of time before Lu Zifeng fell from power.

Although Jiang Ce refused to reveal Lu Zifeng's supply channels, he was determined to open his business eventually.

Once the product is listed, this information can also be obtained.

It's just that he's a step too late; he'll be able to supply his goods in the next round.

Under the intense control of his parents, Jiang Ce almost became depressed.

The only thing that can comfort him now is Zhong Qin.

But he searched all over Zhong Qin's place and the nearby streets, but couldn't find her.

He was in a hurry, so he had no choice but to run to find Lu Zifeng.

Lu Zifeng had just brewed a pot of green tea, filled a glass with the tea, placed it in front of Qiao Ling, and then poured himself a large portion.

"From now on, you should drink more tea and less alcohol," Qiao Ling said.

"They're different. Alcohol is for livening up the atmosphere, while tea is for connecting with others," Lu Zifeng said.

"So, are you now planning to open up to me?"

"The main thing is, you don't drink either!"

Qiao Ling held the glass in both hands and gently blew away the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water.

Then Lu Zifeng said, "Sign the contract I gave you before."

Qiao Ling looked up at Lu Zifeng and said, "Are you still going to treat me like family? Or are you still unwilling to consider me one of yours?"

Lu Zifeng laughed and said, "Besides this self-service supermarket in Dong County, I also have a New Era Trading Company. If I unfortunately go bankrupt in the future, it won't be your responsibility to settle accounts. I hope Sister Ling will lend me a hand then."

"Okay, then I'll sign it."

As they were talking, Jiang Ce rode in on his bicycle.

Lu Zifeng raised his hand and beckoned, "Come, have some tea."

Jiang Ce pulled up a stool and sat down, saying, "Brother Feng, you need to be careful of Zhou Hai. He might try to cut off your supply."

Lu Zifeng simply smiled calmly: "It's alright. Business is bound to have its ups and downs. Besides, Huidong Department Store mainly deals in electrical appliances, which doesn't overlap with most of our suppliers, so he can't control me."

Qiao Ling was still somewhat worried: "Aren't you afraid he'll send someone to cause trouble?"

Lu Zifeng said, "I've taken care of everything—business registration, taxation, fire safety, and sanitation. If what you call 'troublemaking' is the lowest level of pretending to be a customer and causing trouble, ask Jiang Ce if anyone in Dong County dares to cause trouble on my turf."

Jiang Ce sighed, "Brother Feng is so thoughtful, he thought of all the possible problems in advance. Unlike me, I can't do anything right."

Qiao Ling poured Jiang Ce another glass of water and comforted him, "Take it slow."

Jiang Ce looked up and asked, "Sister Ling, do you know where Zhong Qin went? I can't find her."

"Uh..." Qiao Ling glanced at Lu Zifeng hesitantly.

Lu Zifeng said, "If you know, just say so."

Qiao Ling put down the teapot and sat down before slowly saying, "She told me not to tell you. Just keep it to yourself and don't question her about anything."

"Okay, Sister Ling, tell me quickly."

"Actually, the mall hasn't opened yet. During the day, she comes to help with some odd jobs, and Zifeng pays her for them. But you know her family's situation, so now she washes dishes at a restaurant when she has time, and she can earn an extra two or three yuan every night."

Lu Zifeng grabbed Jiang Ce's hand, afraid that he might not understand and would slap himself again.

This time, however, Jiang Ce remained relatively calm.

He was depressed for only a few minutes, then said, "Brother Feng, help me get rich. I'll resign tomorrow."

Lu Zifeng smiled and said, "I can't guarantee whether you'll get rich. But if you're willing to learn and work hard, it'll be better than earning a fixed salary in a factory."

Jiang Ce nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Brother Feng, for giving me this opportunity."

Qiao Ling laughed and said, "We're all family, no need to thank me."

Lu Zifeng raised his teacup and said, "This opportunity wasn't given by me, but by this wise and great era. Come, let's toast to this era that is both innocent and wild!"