Reborn as an 80s-aged woman, her unfilial son begs for forgiveness on his knees.

Shen Mingyuan accepted the hot tea Zhang Wenying offered, thanked her, and then quietly watched her busy at the stove.

She kneaded and stretched the dough in her hands, and in a few strokes it became noodles of uniform thickness. She dropped them into boiling water, then scooped them out and poured on a bright red tomato and egg sauce. The noodles were steaming hot and had a wonderful aroma.

Shen Mingyuan took the bowl of noodles, lowered his head and took a bite. The noodles were chewy and the braising sauce was sweet and sour, which made him, a person who was used to delicacies, feel a long-lost sense of comfort.

On the plate in front of her, Zhang Wenying thoughtfully placed a few thinly sliced ​​braised beef, its color deep and its texture clear.

Shen Mingyuan picked up a slice and put it in his mouth. The braised aroma was rich and mellow, the meat was tender yet still chewy, and the saltiness was just right.

He couldn't resist picking up another slice, savoring it carefully, a hint of surprise and admiration flashing in his eyes.

"Comrade Zhang, your braised beef skills are absolutely superb."

Shen Mingyuan put down his chopsticks and gave a heartfelt exclamation.

When I was young, I lived abroad, and the food there was simply inedible.

After returning to China, he had tasted the culinary skills of many famous restaurants, but this was the first time he had ever experienced such a comforting and satisfying taste from a simple bowl of noodles and a few slices of braised beef. This flavor carried the feeling of home and the warmth of life.

Zhang Wenying smiled and, without stopping, added another spoonful of topping to his dish: "Comrade Shen, you flatter me. These are just simple home-style dishes, hardly worthy of being served in a formal setting."

If you like it, eat more; there's still some noodles left.

"That's enough, that's enough."

"After finishing this bowl of noodles, my stomach feels warm, and my heart feels at ease." Shen Mingyuan said, then lowered his head and took another bite of noodles. His movements were unhurried, yet they revealed a sense of seriousness and appreciation.

After finishing his noodles, Shen Mingyuan put down his bowl and chopsticks, took out a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the corner of his mouth with a calm and natural gesture.

"Well then, Comrade Zhang, the food here suits my taste perfectly."

I'll give you two hundred yuan a month. You prepare two meals for me every day, lunch and dinner. Nothing too complicated, just something simple like today.

He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, I'm usually busy with work, so I might not be on time. Just make it and leave it there; I'll just heat it up and eat it myself."

Zhang Wenying paused in her work, looked up at Shen Mingyuan, and seeing his serious expression, which seemed more like a polite gesture, she smiled and shook her head: "Comrade Shen, two hundred is too much."

If you trust my skills, fifty a month will do.

He's almost fifty.

She noticed that Shen Mingyuan didn't eat very well.

He ate most of a bowl of noodles today, and only touched a few slices of braised beef.

This meal costs at most three cents.

She felt a little embarrassed to accept fifty yuan a month.

This person looked simply dressed, but his generosity was unlike that of an ordinary person.

"Take it, Comrade Zhang."

If you think that's too much, could you please clean my house every morning?

To be honest, I live alone and I'm not very good at tidying up, so my house is a mess.

"I'll add another hundred dollars to the tip each month, is that alright with you?"

tip?

Zhang Wenying was somewhat stunned.

It seems this person came back from abroad and is used to tipping.

She was overjoyed.

I never expected that I would encounter such a big customer just a few days after opening the store!

"Comrade Shen, there's no need for so much."

"I'll give you a hundred yuan a month for cooking and cleaning."

"Comrade Zhang, the price is settled."

Three hundred yuan, no more, no less.

If you refuse again, I won't dare trouble you any further.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Zhang Wenying could no longer refuse and could only nod: "Alright, we'll listen to Comrade Shen."

Don't worry, I will cook the meals with care and keep the house spotless for you.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Comrade Zhang."

Shen Mingyuan stood up, took out three stacks of brand-new ten-yuan bills from his pocket, neatly stacked them on the table, and pushed them in front of her.

Looking at the three stacks of money, Zhang Wenying couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in her heart.

She had served that family for half her life and had never seen so much money.

Women, once they can't find a good man, if they don't find a way to escape, they'll be trapped under someone else's roof for the rest of their lives, wasting away until they die.

Zhang Wenying took a deep breath, carefully put away the three stacks of money, and secretly made up her mind—life was finally going to get better.

Three hundred a month!

In an era when the average wage was only a few dozen yuan, this was an enormous sum of money.

Who would have thought that, not counting the shop's income, she could earn three hundred yuan a month just by cooking and cleaning for Comrade Shen?

No one would believe it if I told them.

Li Xiaojuan looked at the three stacks of money in Zhang Wenying's hand, feeling as if she were in a dream.

"Mom, this...this is too much!"

What exactly does that person do?

Why are you being so generous?

He said he was a researcher at his academy of sciences, but I don't know exactly what he does.

However, since they trust us, we should do our best.

We should take this money with a clear conscience.

When they got home that evening, Zhang Wenying and her daughter went to the night market and bought a lot of complete sets of comic books there. They included "The Romance of the Later Han Dynasty", "Stories of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms", "Capturing the Three Marshals", "The Complete Story of Yue Fei", "The Conferment of Prime Ministers by the Six Kingdoms", "The Peacock Flies Southeast", "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and "Water Margin". They spent less than ten yuan in total, but they could sell a set for at least five thousand yuan there, and many of them were worth tens of thousands.

Because the comic books here are all old editions and in good condition, they are highly sought-after and have great collectible value.

As Li Xiaojuan flipped through the comic books, she muttered to herself, "Mom, isn't this business of ours making too much money?"

You can find some secondhand items here and sell them for dozens or even hundreds of times more over there. The price difference is astonishing.

Zhang Wenying lowered her voice: "Don't make a fuss. This business is a gift from God. Let's just keep quiet and make a fortune."

Li Xiaojuan nodded, but her heart was surging with indescribable excitement.

In addition to comic books, Zhang Wenying also collected many old items from her neighbors and colleagues.

Many people used banknotes from the Republic of China era to wallpaper their walls, but she collected a large stack of them for just a few dollars.

And those old-fashioned grain coupons, cloth coupons, industrial coupons, etc., are even rarer there, and one can be exchanged for a lot of money.

She also found a stamp album at the night market.

The stamp album was in excellent condition, containing many commemorative stamps from the 1960s and 70s, and even a few misprinted stamps of the "All the Mountains and Rivers Are Red" stamp.

There are also more than a dozen stamps from the 1940s.

Zhang Wenying's hands were trembling as she looked through them. She knew how much this thing was worth over there... Just that one "red piece" could fetch millions at auction.