"The richest man in the county?!"
The title felt a bit too exaggerated for Qin Chuan's liking, almost unreal.
For starters, he knew of at least one person in the county who was wealthier than him. That guy's surname was Han, and he hadn't been around for a while!
Without Han Shifei, Qin Chuan felt a tinge of loneliness. Ever since he'd led a group to find Han Shifei's lair and fought there, the man had vanished.
He wondered where that old fellow had disappeared to lately, but he was definitely not in the county.
"Qin Chuan!"
"Xiao Chuan!!"
Just then, a medley of voices suddenly erupted. Qin Chuan turned his head and saw a group of young people around his age.
Their faces were familiar yet strange. Qin Chuan paused for a moment, but quickly, memories from deep within his soul allowed him to blurt out many names.
"Zhou Erwa!"
"Heimao!"
"Xie Jun!"
"Aping!"
These people were all from the same village, the same group that Qin Chuan had grown up playing with. However, many of them had gone to big cities to work. This was the first time Qin Chuan had seen them since his rebirth.
Seeing them brought back even more distant memories.
In his previous life, after a great upheaval in his family, the Qin family had incurred a massive debt. Qin Chuan had even approached these people to borrow money, hoping to help his family through the tough times.
Alas, he had been poor and destitute then, trapped in a sea of hardship. He hadn't received any timely help. Everyone he asked for a loan either didn't reply or simply disappeared.
Qin Chuan had gradually come to understand that when you achieve success, people will flock to you and offer help, trying to build connections, even if you don't ask.
But when you are down and out, the people truly willing to lend a hand are few and far between.
This was human nature!
So, when Qin Chuan recognized this group of childhood friends and classmates, he wasn't overly excited.
However, having lived two lives, he didn't feel any other emotions, such as annoyance, desire for revenge, or a condescending smile – all those childish actions.
His face held his usual gentle smile, which was very pleasant. He took out cigarettes and distributed them to his companions one by one.
"Qin Chuan, not bad! It's only been a year, and you've become a big boss!"
"Ever since we got back to the village, we've heard people praising you everywhere we go!"
"We're almost numb from hearing it!"
As Qin Chuan handed out the cigarettes, a dark-skinned, tall and sturdy young man spoke up.
His name was Xie Jun, from Nanyang Village, and he had gone to school with Qin Chuan from elementary to junior high.
Strictly speaking, in many romance novels, this kind of relationship would be that of childhood sweethearts and best friends.
"Yeah, ever since I came home, my parents talk about you non-stop, praising how capable Xiao Chuan is, how he's building houses and opening supermarkets in the county..."
"He's so much better than us who went out to work..."
Another young man chimed in. His name was Zhou Erwa, also a childhood companion of Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan listened to their words, his smile unwavering.
"Xiao Chuan!"
At this moment, a young man with slightly fairer skin casually put an arm around Qin Chuan's shoulder, his demeanor intimate, like old friends reunited after years.
"We heard about what happened to your family last year. I was away at the time. Why didn't you call me?"
"We're brothers who grew up together, best friends. How could we stand by and do nothing when your family faced such a big problem?"
Qin Chuan turned his head and looked at the young man speaking to him.
The other man was named Aping, surnamed Wu. Qin Chuan distinctly remembered that in his previous life, when he had asked Aping for a loan, the latter had readily agreed, called him brother, and his words were sweeter than any song.
The end result was that Qin Chuan had paid for that meal, and Aping never lent him any money, simply disappearing afterward...
"Yeah, Xiao Chuan, why didn't you contact us brothers back then?"
After Aping finished speaking, a chorus of agreement followed, with many people chiding Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan's cigarette pack suddenly slipped to the ground. He bent down to pick it up, and by the time he stood up, he had sidestepped Aping's arm around his shoulder.
"What happened back then was too sudden. I was so overwhelmed, I couldn't think of anything else."
Facing the 'chiding' from his group of friends, Qin Chuan said with a smile.
"But fortunately, our family is resilient, and heaven has looked after us. We're all doing well now!"
His words were immediately met with a wave of flattery, all praising the Qin family for this and that.
"Xiao Chuan, is this your girlfriend? She's so beautiful!"
Wu Aping suddenly shifted his gaze to Li Ya.
In truth, they had noticed her earlier. Li Ya was so beautiful that amongst this group, she stood out like a swan in a flock of chickens, prominent and eye-catching. It was impossible not to notice her.
"Yes, she's my girlfriend, Li Ya!"
Qin Chuan introduced her.
"Hello everyone!"
Li Ya greeted them all with grace.
"Uh... hello!"
Many of the young men, caught by Li Ya's sparkling eyes, instinctively became nervous, a sensation like an electric shock coursing through them.
They had never seen such a beautiful woman. Compared to her, the women working in the factories or restaurants they frequented seemed worlds apart, incomparable.
"Xiao Chuan, let's go home. We still have to go offer sacrifices at the graves later!"
Just then, Qin Shuren's voice called from not too far away.
Qin Chuan apologized to everyone with Li Ya and the group. Under a multitude of gazes, two Audis and a Mercedes-Benz slowly set off, heading towards the old Qin family residence.
Watching the three luxury cars drive away, the villagers standing by the roadside displayed envious and jealous expressions.
"Damn it, what kind of incredible luck did Qin Chuan hit to become so rich in just over a year?"
Wu Aping watched the receding backs of the luxury cars and couldn't help but mutter softly.
"Even the woman he found is so stunning, so much better than the girls we find!"
"If we could even just have one night with a woman like that, we'd willingly lose ten years of our lives!"
Someone beside him immediately echoed in a low voice.
"Who isn't? My mom said the ancestral graves of the Qin family must have emitted smoke. That land must be a geomantically blessed spot. I'm thinking of moving our family's ancestral graves to a nearby mountain..."
"Did you guys recognize the car brands they're driving? They look like the legendary Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Each one is worth two to three hundred thousand!"
Another person chimed in.
"So expensive, tsk tsk!!"
The group's expressions were varied, their eyes shifting uncertainly, as everyone pondered their own hidden agendas...
"Xiao Chuan, were those people just now your childhood friends?"
At this moment, inside the Mercedes-Benz, Li Ya, seated in the front passenger seat, suddenly asked.
"More or less. But many of them, after graduating from junior high, we lost touch. Some went to work in other places, some went to learn technical skills, and we haven't been in contact for years!"
"We only see each other occasionally during the Chinese New Year, and the relationship is just so-so!"
Qin Chuan replied.
Li Ya said "Oh" and remained silent.
"What's wrong?"
Qin Chuan asked, a little surprised.
"It's nothing, I was just asking."
Li Ya said.
"If something's on your mind, just say it. Do you think my eyes are just for show?"
Qin Chuan said with a smile.
Li Ya hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Then I'll say it! If I say anything wrong, you can't get angry!"
"Speak!"
Qin Chuan quickly twisted the steering wheel as they approached a sharp turn.
"I just have this feeling that your friends are nowhere near as good as Brother Dao, Yao Dong, let alone Big Brother or Second Brother. The way they looked at me made me very uncomfortable."
Li Ya said, then immediately stole a glance at Qin Chuan's face.
She found Qin Chuan's expression very calm.
Just as Li Ya thought she had said something wrong and upset Qin Chuan, he spoke, "If you feel uncomfortable, then don't interact with those people in the future!"
"We're here!"
"This is my home!"
Li Ya looked up and saw that the car had stopped outside the dirt walls of a large courtyard.
Sister-in-law Wu Yanyan was unlocking the main gate, while Qin Yang, Qin Gang, and their parents were already unloading things.