Chapter 23: Do Not Underestimate the Humble

After being reborn, his greatest wish was to bring his wife back to life, and he had already achieved this.

In his previous life, he had thrived in his career, but Lou Yanru had died young and never enjoyed any of it. Starting over this time, Liu Weidong not only aimed to make his career even more successful, but his primary mission was to ensure his wife’s happiness, caring for her in every possible way, both materially and spiritually.

He had initially worried that the money in his hands wouldn’t stretch far, but now that he could help the village sell timber, he no longer needed to worry about buying grain for the village.

Looking at his bare wrist, Liu Weidong felt it was time to buy a watch for both his wife and himself.

Binjiang City’s only Friendship Store was on the top floor of the Third Store. There was a tiger skin from the Northeast, various prized regional treasures like wild ginseng, famous domestic cigarettes and liquor, all kinds of national and provincial premium goods, and even a dazzling array of imported products.

Dressed plainly, Liu Weidong looked like a typical farmer, standing out awkwardly as he wandered around the Friendship Store.

After a circuit, he stopped in front of the watch counter, staring at the watches inside the glass case.

Back in 1978, the phrase “three spins and one chime” hadn’t yet become popular, but in a few years, it would become a standard for marrying a wife: a watch, a bicycle, a radio, and a sewing machine. Now that he already had a radio and a sewing machine, it was time to buy a watch for his wife.

“Salesman, could you please show me that Shanghai watch?”

Unexpectedly, the salesman ignored him, continuing to chat with a colleague.

“Salesman, I’m talking to you.”

“Don’t just look at expensive goods if you’re not buying. What can a bumpkin like you afford a watch for?”

The salesman looked at him with disdain and gave him a sideways glare, then turned away.

Liu Weidong glared back, “Looking down on people with dog eyes! What’s wrong with being a farmer? Can a farmer not buy a watch?”

The stout salesman was about to curse, but another salesman stopped him. She came over and took a men’s Shanghai watch from the counter.

“I’ll take the men’s watch. Also, bring me a women’s Plum Blossom watch.”

The salespeople were stunned.

The Swiss-imported Plum Blossom watch cost over three hundred yuan, and along with the Shanghai watch, nearly five hundred yuan in total — more than a state-owned worker’s annual salary.

Liu Weidong simply told her to prepare the receipt and went to pay. When he returned, the two sales clerks wore broad smiles, even somewhat obsequious.

“Comrade, dressing like this, are you just trying to experience life? Are you a leader or an actor?”

Liu Weidong snorted, “You two guessed wrong. I’m a genuine farmer. Farmers have the right to enjoy life too. Soon you’ll see — the farmers you look down on now will be beyond your reach later.”

Liu Weidong was not one to let farmers be underestimated.

The wave of layoffs starting in the 1990s forced countless state enterprise workers to start over from scratch, while farmers with land and homes remained untouched by enterprise restructuring.

Moreover, the massive urban renewal projects after 2000, involving land acquisition, made many farmers overnight millionaires.

Who dares to look down on farmers?

Perhaps provoked by that salesman, Liu Weidong bought himself a navy shirt and blue cloth pants on the second floor before leaving.

It wasn’t that Liu Weidong didn’t want to dress neatly, but his current identity was a farmer, and dressing too well for farm work would seem out of touch.

After entering the East City Bathhouse, getting a haircut, a shave, and a thorough wash, Liu Weidong looked like a different man in his new clothes.

Black short hair, a rugged face, a strong build — the only downside was his yellow rubber shoes, which were already rare in the city.

Clean and tidy, Liu Weidong strolled through East Market, lost in thought as he looked at the dilapidated houses lining the street.

The earliest beneficiaries of Binjiang’s real estate boom were the individual traders at East Market, where even the cheapest shopfronts cost at least one hundred thousand yuan. The first to take the plunge were mostly those affected by demolition, but no one expected property prices to multiply tenfold in just five years.

Now was the time to buy cheap bungalows, and Liu Weidong was already planning to establish a base in Binjiang.

There were no real estate agents back then. After two laps around Changsha Street, he couldn’t find anyone selling a house. It seemed he’d have to have a chat with Manager Wang.

Manager Wang was not only in charge of the Fourth Store but also the deputy director of the Commerce Bureau, which oversaw the Third Store.

With such a large enterprise, it certainly had good relations with the police station and the street office.

His wife wouldn’t finish class until nine, so Liu Weidong wandered East Market for a while before entering the City Chinese Medicine Procurement and Supply Station.

The packaging of ginseng and deer antlers behind the counter was still very basic, and there weren’t many customers.

Seeing him linger at the counter, the clerk was quite friendly.

“Comrade, are you here to buy medicine? We don’t sell sliced or patent medicines here. If you want to buy, you can go to the state-run pharmacy.”

“I’m not buying medicine. I’m from the Qianjin Commune. I want to ask if you’re buying medicinal herbs.”

The clerk smiled, “You want to sell herbs? We do buy them, but our requirements are strict — both in quality and quantity. If you don’t have much, it’s better to sell to the local supply and marketing cooperative; the price difference isn’t much.”

Seeing the clerk was approachable, Liu Weidong offered him a cigarette.

“Our commune was hit by floods, and a lot of land was damaged. I was thinking if we could get the members to gather herbs in the mountains, that would be another way to make a living. I just want to know what your requirements and prices are.”

The clerk was enthusiastic and gave Liu Weidong a price list for purchasing medicinal herbs.

After chatting for a while, Liu Weidong left the procurement station satisfied.

There were so many things to do with the Great Green Mountain nearby. The collective responsibility system hadn’t started yet, but once policies came through, contracting mountain land to grow medicinal herbs would be a path to wealth. He wouldn’t miss any chance to make money after being reborn.

By nightfall, he found a restaurant for a quick meal, then pushed his bicycle to the First Middle School. After his shave and haircut and donning new clothes, Liu Weidong stood straighter.

His brand-new 26-inch bicycle parked by the roadside drew a crowd of onlookers.

Many could afford bicycles by then, but the 26-inch step-through frame was hard to come by.

Seeing the envious gazes from passersby, Liu Weidong felt a thrill inside. If his wife rode this bike home, he wondered how her mother could still look down on him.

Before school let out, Liu Weidong arrived early with the bike at the school gates. Though Chen Hao still followed Lou Yanru, he no longer bothered her.

Seeing the completely transformed Liu Weidong, pushing a brand-new bike, Lou Yanru screamed with delight and ran over, circling the bike.

“Husband, you actually bought the bicycle? And wrapped it in plastic tape? Did you also make this little goldfish?”

Probably speaking loudly on purpose for Chen Hao to hear, Lou Yanru’s voice carried.

Soon, many classmates gathered around, asking questions about the bicycle. Liu Weidong pulled out the Plum Blossom watch from his bag.

“Wife, now that we have the ‘three spins and one chime’—only the sewing machine is left to be delivered—I wonder who would dare look down on farmers now.”

“A watch? Imported? How much did it cost?”

“Money’s nothing! Money is just a scoundrel. As long as you’re happy, I’m willing to spend whatever it takes. Come on, wife, I’ll take you out to eat.”

Amid the admiring gazes of the tutoring students, Liu Weidong rode the bike, taking Lou Yanru toward Beijing Road.

Among the crowd watching the couple was Chen Hao, his expression gloomy and his teeth clenched with anger.