All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Lei Dongbao was the leader of a group of children in Xiaolei Village from childhood. He was a troublemaker in Xiaolei Village since he was a child. It was this drive that enabled him to join the army. Although another soul had been merged into his mind, he was annoyed to see his brothers who had grown up with him all looking lazy and undisciplined.

Upon hearing Lei Dongbao's reprimand, a young man glanced at Lei Dongbao meekly and retorted in a low voice.

"Our Xiaolei family is already in this state, what else can we do? We're all just getting by, it won't make a difference if one more of us comes along!"

"What are you yelling about? Get the hell up! Seeing you cowards makes me angry. Listen to me, I just went to Uncle's house. The commune has decided to appoint me as the deputy secretary of Xiaolei Village Brigade. Whether as the secretary or as your elder brother, I have a responsibility to lead you bunch of cowards to live a good life!"

Upon hearing Lei Dongbao's words, the group's eyes lit up. One sharp-tongued young man stood up and said excitedly.

"Brother, you're really the Party Secretary now? That's great! With you protecting us, we brothers can walk around the village like we own the place!"

Lei Dongbao got angry when he saw the sharp-tongued guy in front of him, and kicked him in the groin while cursing and yelling.

"Sibao, you're such a rascal who likes to mess around with this stuff. Look how skinny you've become. If it weren't for the fact that you're my cousin, I would have kicked you to death. Do you even want to get married?"

Upon hearing the words "get married," their eyes lit up, and they all looked at Lei Dongbao with the eyes of old bachelors.

Chapter 4: Heartbreaking

Lei Dongbao got angry just looking at these guys. He thought about how they were childhood friends who had grown up together, and he didn't want to see them continue to waste their lives like this.

In the original novel, Lei Dongbao led the Xiaolei family to prosperity. He could have done it himself, but there was no need for him to be so selfless. Leading everyone to prosperity while living a good life himself was the right path!

Thinking of this, Lei Dongbao slammed his hand on the table and said solemnly.

“I’ve been thinking about this for the past few days. If I want to get rich, I can’t rely on that little bit of land and work points to make a living. I’ve been walking around the village these past few days. Didn’t our village have two brick kilns that were shut down? I’m going to reopen them. The first thing I’m going to do is to set up the brick kilns again, fire red bricks to sell, and make money by revitalizing the economy. That’s the right way!”

After Lei Dongbao finished speaking, he glanced at the group and found that they were still listless and dispirited, clearly not interested in his suggestion.

Lei Dongbao looked at the group of guys speechlessly. It seemed he couldn't talk to them properly and would have to use a stick to whip them from behind. With that thought, he stopped wasting words and simply said...

"Tomorrow, gather all the bachelors over twenty years old in the village to the brigade headquarters. I'm going to hold a meeting. Those who are willing to work for me, I guarantee they'll get married within two years. Those who aren't, get out of here as soon as possible. Don't ever say you're my brother Lei Dongbao again. Seeing you bunch of cowards makes me angry. I'm leaving!"

After Lei Dongbao finished speaking, he turned and walked out of the dilapidated house, leaving the group of people looking at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, Sibao finally asked somewhat nervously.

"Fifth Brother, Hongwei, what do you think?"

The other two exchanged a glance, and the fifth brother awkwardly scratched his head, saying nonchalantly.

"What else can we do? Brother Dongbao is the Party Secretary now, so of course we'll follow him. Besides, we're already in this state, where else can we go if we're poor? If we follow him, at least we can earn a little something!"

Hongwei nodded, but still spoke with some concern.

"You said that brick kilns weren't allowed to be opened in the first place, but now that Dongbao has reopened them, will that problem reappear?"

The group of people were worried, and none of them could answer the question. Seven years ago today, they, a group of young people, had just experienced the tide of the times. In this era, lying down was the safest thing to do.

Lei Dongbao was too lazy to explain to them what reform and opening up meant; he figured even if he did, these elementary school students wouldn't understand anything.

Believe it or not, the average education level of the young people in the village is only primary school graduation. The highest level of education in the village is currently held by Lei Shigen, a bachelor in his thirties, who has a high school diploma.

Even Lei Shigen could only remain single, because Xiao Leijia was just too poor. The next brigade could earn 38 cents a work point, while Xiao Leijia only earned 7 cents a day, which was less than a fraction of what the other brigade earned. In such a situation, everyone just got by and made do.

When Lei Dongbao returned home, he saw his impoverished home and couldn't help but sigh. His mother, with her head hanging low, was busy in the kitchen. When she saw Lei Dongbao return, she quickly wiped her hands, ran out, took out a stack of photos from her pocket, and said to him.

“Dongbao, I’ve been asking Zhang the matchmaker to go to the nearby villages these past few days and found quite a few girls. These are all their photos. Take a look and choose one. You’re almost 25, not young anymore. You can’t end up like Sibao and Laowu, still a bachelor!”

Looking at his mother, Lei Dongbao sighed inwardly. She was a typical rural woman; seeing her son become the deputy secretary of the brigade, she was already eager to find a daughter-in-law.

In the original story, after Lei Dongbao found a wife, she found fault with her in every way and gossiped about her everywhere. This kind of mother caused Lei Dongbao a lot of worry.

Lei Dongbao took the photos from his mother's hand and frowned immediately after looking at them. What ugly things were these? They looked about the same age as his mother. And this one looked underdeveloped. Hmm, there was another one that looked good, but when he turned it over, he saw on the back that the woman's left leg was disabled and she was unable to do heavy work!

Lei Dongbao frowned as he looked at the photo, then handed it back to his mother and said with dissatisfaction.

"Mom, don't mess around with this anymore. Who does this matchmaker think she is? I, Lei Dongbao, am not good enough for such things. I have something to do now, so I won't be having lunch at home. Give me two sweet potatoes to take on the road!"

Lei's mother hesitated, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't. She could only helplessly go to the kitchen to get sweet potatoes. She knew her son well; he was a man of his word. Since her son had said he wouldn't let her find a matchmaker, then she had no choice but to accept it.

Lei Dongbao changed his clothes and tidied his makeup before taking the boiled sweet potato his mother handed him, putting it in his pocket, getting on his bicycle, and riding briskly towards Song Yunping's house.

If it weren't for his mother mentioning finding a wife, Lei Dongbao would have almost forgotten about it. He had been busy with village affairs these past few days and originally planned to visit Song Yunping's house in a few days, but now that a week has passed, it's about time.

Thinking of Song Yunping's sensible little face, Lei Dongbao felt a surge of heat in his heart, and he began to plan how to win the girl over.

Time flies when you're thinking about your girlfriend. Before you know it, you're at Song Yunping's house. After parking his bicycle, Lei Dongbao nervously shook his clothes before striding into the yard.

The courtyard was deserted. Under the shade of a tree at the far end, there was a row of wooden racks with several rabbits hopping around and eating grass. When Lei Dongbao saw this, he quickly looked around. They must have just been fed grass, so Song Yunping should be nearby.

Lei Dongbao glanced into the house, worried about running into Song Yunping's parents. He hadn't yet figured out what to say to the two elders, since they were his future father-in-law's family. He felt a little embarrassed to come empty-handed, especially since his house was bare and he didn't have much to bring.

Just then, he heard a sound coming from outside the courtyard. Lei Dongbao quickened his pace and looked outside. He saw Song Yunping carrying a load of water and swaying as she walked towards him.

Seeing Song Yunping's thin frame carrying two full buckets of water, Lei Dongbao felt a pang of sadness and heartache. He quickly ran forward and took the carrying pole from her shoulder.

Song Yunping looked up and saw that it was Lei Dongbao. Her face immediately showed gratitude, and she quickly said...

"Brother Lei, let me do it. It's your first time visiting our home, so you're practically a guest!"

Lei Dongbao picked up the buckets of water and quickened his pace toward the courtyard, replying with a smile.

"What are you talking about? What kind of guest am I? I just saw that your rabbits are doing quite well, and I was hoping to ask you for some advice on raising them."

When Song Yunping saw Lei Dongbao's simple and honest appearance, she burst out laughing and quickly jogged after him, saying as she did so.

"Brother Lei, thanks to all the knowledge you taught me, I was worried about this and that when I first started raising them. Now, after a week, seeing them lively and energetic makes me very happy. Brother Lei, could you please check if there's anything wrong with the hay I've been feeding them?"

Lei Dongbao readily agreed and carried the water into the house as if they were old friends. Seeing this, Song Yunping quickly led Lei Dongbao to the water vat.

After pouring the water, Lei Dongbao deliberately looked around and asked.

"Xiaoping, where are your uncle and aunt?"

Song Yunping poured water for Lei Dongbao while replying with a smile.

"My parents have been drying a lot of herbs recently, and the pharmacy in town is buying them, so my mom went with them!"

Lei Dongbao nodded, secretly pleased. This was perfect. A lone man and a lone woman were just the right time to develop feelings for each other. With that thought, Lei Dongbao spoke with admiration.

"Xiaoping, you're really amazing! Our whole family depends on you. If I can marry a girl as hardworking as you in the future, it must be a blessing from my ancestors! Haha!"

Upon hearing Lei Dongbao's words, Song Yunping blushed briefly, a fleeting thought crossing her face. She glanced at Lei Dongbao, realizing she had been overthinking things, and quickly handed him the water glass.

"Brother Lei, have a glass of water, thank you for earlier!"

Lei Dongbao took the water, waved his hand, and said.

"Don't mention it. I see you still need to carry a few more buckets of water to fill your water tank. Let me fill your tank first. You're a young woman, can your shoulders handle such heavy work?"

As he spoke, he gently blew on the boiling water, took a sip of the scalding water, put down the cup, picked up the two buckets, and walked out. Song Yunping, who was behind him, wanted to stop him, but Lei Dongbao's steps were quick as he ran out of the courtyard.

Song Yunping stood at the door, watching Lei Dongbao's hurried back. Her face was flushed. Seeing that no one was around, she covered her face with her hands and felt a burning heat. She blushed and quickly went back inside to start working.

Chapter 5: You and Lei Dongbao are not a good match

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was home at Song Yunping's house, Lei Dongbao offered his help in a fawning manner, doing all the housework that required physical labor.

In this day and age, guys who are good at sweet talk are definitely not as popular as guys who are hardworking and willing to endure hardship when pursuing girls. Lei Dongbao naturally understood this principle. He even went to great lengths to repair a table with a missing leg, putting all the skills he learned in the army to good use.

After working for two hours, Lei Dongbao finally finished all the chores around the house. Song Yunping tried to stop him several times, but to no avail, so she could only let him continue.

However, Song Yunping could understand the meaning behind Lei Dongbao's behavior and actions to some extent. After all, these days, everyone understands when a boy behaves like this.

She would often secretly glance at Lei Dongbao, feeling somewhat uneasy. In Song Yunping's heart, she felt that she was not good enough for Lei Dongbao.

Lei Dongbao had just said that he was now the deputy secretary of Xiaoleijia Brigade and was preparing to lead everyone to prosperity, which was why he came today to exchange and learn breeding techniques. Upon hearing Lei Dongbao's current status, Song Yunping felt a little hesitant.

Although she had read many books, her family background had always been a thorn in her side. Over the years, her parents' relatives had all avoided her because of this, and even her uncles and aunts, her closest relatives, were unwilling to visit her. Compared with Lei Dongbao's upright and respected family, her family was not even in the same league. Thinking of this, Song Yunping could only respond with silence.

When it was lunchtime, even though there wasn't much at home, Song Yunping specially prepared a river fish, tofu, and some greens to cook two dishes to entertain Lei Dongbao.

Lei Dongbao's eyes lit up when he saw the ingredients. Cooking was his forte, and he had to show off his skills.

So Song Yunping started the fire, and Lei Dongbao showed off his skills. In just over ten minutes, two delicious home-style dishes were served. Song Yunping especially liked the tofu and fish stew, and ate three bowls of rice before stopping.

Moreover, Lei Dongbao was very thoughtful and cooked an extra portion of both dishes for Song Yunping's parents to eat when they came back later.

Lei Dongbao's move completely won over Song Yunping's heart and stomach, but the more outstanding Lei Dongbao was, the more uncomfortable Song Yunping felt.

After lunch, Lei Dongbao asked Song Yunping for advice on breeding techniques, but she responded absentmindedly.

Lei Dongbao also sensed something was wrong. The more he tried to impress her, the more strange Song Yunping's attitude towards him became.

He carefully recalled the original work, and it seemed to have unfolded quite naturally. It was just that he had sped up his pursuit, so logically he shouldn't have upset the other person much.

Lei Dongbao felt uneasy until the problem was resolved, so he seized an opportunity and made an excuse to rest for a while. The two sat at the door, drinking tea and starting to chat.

Lei Dongbao scrutinized Song Yunping's small face and noticed that she kept glancing at him. He immediately understood what was going on. He coughed lightly and said with a hint of guilt in his voice.

"Xiaoping, to be honest, my heart started racing the moment I saw you. I've been thinking about coming these past few days, but I lacked confidence. I always felt unworthy of such an outstanding girl like you. But coming here makes me feel terrible, and I can't stop thinking about you, so..."

Before Lei Dongbao could even speak, Song Yunping's face was already flushed. She covered her face in embarrassment. Seeing Lei Dongbao becoming more and more intimate, she couldn't help but speak up.

"Brother Lei, please...please stop. I'm not good enough for you. My family's class background is bad. You're much better than me and deserve better girls. I'm sorry...!"

As she spoke, a look of sadness and sorrow appeared on her face. She stood up and ran into the house.

Seeing this, Lei Dongbao immediately understood what was going on. He breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, a sense of pride welled up inside him. His performance had indeed made the young girl feel inferior. This was a good thing, and he had to strike while the iron was hot.

Thinking of this, he quickly stood up, looked around, and seeing that no one was around, he hurriedly ran into the house. The moment Song Yunping entered the inner room, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly. Before she could scream, he quickly whispered something in her ear.

"Xiaoping, I like you, I like you so much. I want you to be my wife. I don't care about family background or gossip. I only care about you. From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were my wife, Lei Dongbao's wife. Have you ever heard of love at first sight? This is the feeling!"

Song Yunping was stiff all over, and her forehead was covered in sweat from nervousness. Lei Dongbao's behavior was simply too thuggish in this era. If Song Yunping hadn't had feelings for Lei Dongbao, this action alone could have put him in jail for several years.

Lei Dongbao's final confession struck a chord with this girl who had never been in a relationship before. She already had feelings for Lei Dongbao and was also a little insecure. At this moment, the boy she liked confessed his love so passionately. What girl could resist that?

So, Lei Dongbao successfully hugged Song Yunping for a little over a minute. Song Yunping calmed her excited heart and realized that the two were too intimate. She quickly broke free, ran into the house, and closed the door.

No matter how Lei Dongbao tried to coax her, he couldn't get her to open the door. He could only confess his feelings to her through the door, but there was no response from inside. Song Yunping didn't say anything either. Lei Dongbao talked to himself for half an hour until he suddenly heard voices outside.

Hearing the noise outside, Lei Dongbao was startled and immediately guessed that Song Yunping's parents must have returned. He quickly knocked on the door quietly and told them about their return.

Upon hearing that her parents had returned, Song Yunping opened the door without saying a word and hurriedly walked outside, with Lei Dongbao awkwardly following behind.

When they got outside, they saw Song Yunping's parents carrying empty baskets as they entered the yard. Upon seeing this, Song Yunping quickly went to help them. The two elderly people looked up and saw Lei Dongbao behind Song Yunping.

Seeing this, Lei Dongbao quickly put aside his thoughts and said something.

"Uncle and Aunt, hello. My name is Lei Dongbao, and I am the deputy secretary of the brigade in Xiaolei Village. I heard that Comrade Song Yunping is raising Angora rabbits, so I wanted to come and learn from her experience so that the women in our village can also raise them in the future!"

After listening to Lei Dongbao's words, the two elderly people nodded, but Song's father clearly had some doubts in his eyes and didn't say much. He asked Lei Dongbao to sit down, and Lei Dongbao was also a little embarrassed, especially when he saw that Song Yunping's face still had a flush that hadn't faded. In the current situation, retreating was the best option. Thinking of this, he quickly waved his hand and said.

"Uncle, it's getting late, so I'll head back now. I'll come back when I have time. I think that raising Angora rabbits is only profitable if it's done on a large scale. I'll discuss it with everyone in the village when I get back, and then I'll come back to ask Comrade Song Yunping for advice!"