Reborn in the 1980s: I made my fortune hunting wild game in Changbai Mountain

Just as Zhang Wenhui was establishing herself and gaining fame on the border, Xing'an Village, now in the twelfth lunar month, was already bustling with preparations for the New Year.

After dealing with their enemies, the Qiao family, Grandpa Wu went to live with Zhao Dashan at the mountain farm, while Yue Feng and his team members basically entered a state of rest and recuperation.

Xiaowu's injuries are gradually improving and he is able to walk normally. He will be fully recovered once the bruises disappear.

Yue Feng and his hunting team had already prepared the New Year's gifts for the hotel, the forest farm, and other related departments.

Back home, the brothers from the hunting team were busy preparing for the New Year, steaming buns, making bean buns, and filling vats with dumplings.

Some people who like to join in the fun will invite three or five friends to slaughter the pigs they've raised for a year and enjoy a lively feast of "pig-killing dishes."

After several years of hard work, everyone's lives have improved significantly, and they can say that they are living a very comfortable life.

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, it was the auspicious day for Xiao Tao to get engaged to his girlfriend, Yu Panpan.

The night before, Xiao Tao invited all his good brothers, including his eldest brother Yue Feng, to his home for a meeting, where the elders arranged the trivial matters of the engagement for the next day.

According to the customs and traditions surrounding Xing'an Village, the engagement of eligible young men and women actually consists of two parts.

In layman's terms, it's divided into two parts: small deposit and large deposit.

The general description is that the engagement is a preliminary communication between the two parties, and the man prepares the engagement gifts, including clothes, jewelry, food, money, and other daily necessities.

The groom's elders, along with their son and gifts, visit the bride's family. The bride's family then entertains the distinguished guests and prepares return gifts.

Once this process is completed, the marriage is considered settled.

When the appointed engagement day arrives, the groom's family will send almost all the male elders to the bride's house to present lavish gifts and finalize the wedding date and other details.

In more traditional families, the bride's family will give a return gift after receiving the generous gifts from the groom's family. There is also a custom of having the groom's family bring back the dowry in advance.

Because Yue Feng had personally visited Xiao Tao and Yu Panpan's home with his entourage beforehand, and they had made a verbal agreement and received a sum of money, the engagement ceremony was simplified and omitted.

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Xiao Tao, representing the groom's side, went to the bride's family in a grand procession to deliver the engagement gifts.

On the day of the engagement, Xiao Tao's team and family elders all came to Yu Panpan's hometown.

To make his younger brother's engagement a grand affair, Yue Feng personally approached the leaders of the township and the forest farm to borrow a car and a Liberation truck to transport the engagement gifts, creating quite a spectacle.

Two snowmobiles led the way, with military motorcycles flanking them on either side, followed by a car and a large truck loaded with various supplies for the engagement gifts.

Around 9 a.m., the convoy carrying the groom's elders and relatives set off in a grand procession, heading straight for Yu Panpan's hometown in Dashi Lazi Village, Huangnitang Township, along the country road.

During the time that Xiao Tao and Yu Panpan were dating, the Yu family also benefited greatly from their future son-in-law.

Yu Xiaoming's gambling debts were cleared, and the gang of hooligans who used to bother him disappeared. His family had a new look, and life was noticeably better.

Yu Shuanzhu, the brother-in-law, got a formal job at the forest farm, and his income increased significantly. As soon as December arrived, more than one matchmaker from the village started arranging blind dates for him to find a wife.

Although no one has been confirmed yet, it's safe to predict that resolving personal issues will be a piece of cake in the near future.

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Yu Xiaoming's house was tidied up even more neatly than it had been for the Lunar New Year.

Before dawn, the father and son would carry shovels and brooms to sweep the streets outside their old house, keeping everything neat and tidy.

Although the facilities in the yard are still a bit lacking, everything that needed fixing has been fixed, and everything that needed cleaning has been cleaned up.

The first impression of the engagement procession entering the courtyard was noticeably different from the dilapidated and desolate feeling of the previous visit.

The engagement procession stopped in front of the house, and the Yu family, hearing the commotion, rushed out of the house to greet them.

The wedding procession used firecrackers, with thousands of firecrackers exploding on the ground and scattering red debris everywhere.

At this point, Yue Feng, who had come along to exchange betrothal gifts, discovered that Yu Xiaoming was not living alone in the village; he also had relatives in the clan.

Everyone had heard that Yu Panpan had found a good husband, and many of the relatives who rarely visited her before, especially those of higher seniority, were present today to show their support.

"This must be Xiao Tao's father, right? Please, everyone, come inside!"

When Yu Xiaoming met Li Wentong, he was very enthusiastic and took his father-in-law's hand to welcome him into the house.

Li Wentong, who was originally quite calm and composed, greeted his in-laws warmly upon meeting them and then followed them into the house to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Xiao Tao, dressed neatly, followed his father into the yard, where his wife, Yu Panpan, greeted him with a smile.

Yu Panpan: "You must be freezing on the way here! Quick, tell Feng and the others to come inside and warm up!"

Xiao Tao grinned slightly: "Hehe, I came by car, so it's not cold! There are gifts in the car, where should I put them? I'll arrange it with the workers first!"

Yu Panpan glanced at the various gifts on the Jiefang truck: cigarettes, alcohol, candy, tea, food, clothing, and daily necessities. The gifts were almost as numerous as those on a department store shelf; it was quite a grand display.

"Let's unload them in the yard first? We'll be eating inside later, and there's nowhere to put them! Stacking them in the yard will look festive!"
Don't worry, my brother and dad have cleaned the whole yard!
Oh, right, there are some pre-sewn burlap sacks on the floor in the storeroom, I'll go get them!

"I'm with you!"

Xiao Tao wasn't shy at all; he took his wife's soft little hand and they went into the storeroom together.

The young couple took out the paving stones that the mother-in-law had prepared in advance, unfolded them, and laid them out in the yard. Xiao Tao greeted Xiao Wen and the others, and the brothers immediately lent a hand to help unload the gifts.

Considering the pressure on the Yu family to entertain guests, the car was loaded with supplies that would be needed that day, such as cigarettes, alcohol, and tea. Xiao Tao gave Xiao Wen a look, and Xiao Wen took these items inside the house so that they would be more convenient to retrieve later.

As a remote village with poor transportation, Dashi Lazi Village didn't even have the grand scale of today's wedding for the village secretary's children.

As the convoy entered the village, villagers gathered around Yu Xiaoming's house to watch the spectacle. Many relatives and acquaintances spontaneously began to help with the arrangements.

Inside the house, important guests were served tea on the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room. In the courtyard, cooks and women were busy boiling water and preparing dishes. The small courtyard was bustling with activity. The engagement gifts brought by Xiao Tao were placed in the middle of the courtyard, the various supplies almost piled up into a small mountain.

No matter which onlooker walked to the door and glanced at the scene, they couldn't help but frown and sigh at how extravagant the new son-in-law of the Yu family was in presenting the engagement gifts.

Inside the house, the head of the household and the distinguished guest had already taken their seats on the kang (a heated brick bed). The Yu family showed their utmost sincerity in entertaining the honored guest. Yu Xiaoming spoke with a smile, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

Leaving aside the polite greetings from the elders, Xiao Tao went inside and sat on the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room to talk with his father and father-in-law.

Yue Feng and the Zhang brothers were seated on the kang (heated brick bed) in the west room.

The kang (heated brick bed) inside was quite warm, and there were snacks such as melon seeds, peanuts, and roasted soybeans on the kang table. Xiao Tao's brother-in-law, Yu Shuanzhu, was very hospitable to Yue Feng and his companions.

"Brother Yue, your parents are doing well lately! Here, have some tea!"

Yu Shuanzhu poured tea for Yue Feng with a bit of restraint. After finishing the tea, he pushed the plate of melon seeds forward.

Yue Feng had seen this kind of scene many times before, so he wasn't at all reserved. He picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Brother Shuanzhu, there's no need to be so nervous!"
We're all about the same age, but in terms of age, you're actually a few years older than us brothers! Young people don't need so many rules!

“That’s true, but you’re not just anyone! You’re my brother-in-law’s older brother, so logically, you should also be assigned to the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room!” Yu Shuanzhu said, scratching his head.

He didn't say the second half of the sentence, but Yue Feng had already figured it out.

The old house is quite narrow, and the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room is small, so it can't seat many people. That's why guests of the same generation as Xiao Tao are arranged to sit on the kang in the west room.

Yue Feng grinned: "Engagement is a big deal. In terms of occasion, it should be arranged according to seniority. Besides, it's so relaxing for us young people to chat in one room. In front of our elders, we still have to follow the rules!"

Hey, Shuanzhu, what's the situation with your shift at the forest farm?
I haven't had a chance to contact you since we last met. My silly buddy of mine is a bit of a goofball and sometimes doesn't think things through! Please don't take it personally!

When the topic of his work came up, Shuanzhu immediately had something to say.

"I am very satisfied with my job! Thanks to you, I was able to get a job at the timber yard in the forest farm!"
The leaders at the forest farm took good care of me.

I worked as a lumber yard lumber sorter for less than a month. Then there was a vacancy, so they transferred me to be a measuring officer!

I didn't even finish junior high school, so I shouldn't be able to be a measuring officer. But the leader is very considerate of me because of you, and he has a senior employee who is about to retire teach me step by step!

During this time, I have been able to independently perform measurement and take over the job!

You know what kind of job this surveyor does; besides the salary, there's a lot of extra income from favors and personal connections..."

Hearing this, Yue Feng smiled and nodded.

He personally approached the second-in-command of the forest farm, knowing that given Yue Feng's relationship with the forestry bureau leaders, they would definitely give him that much face.

In this era, the so-called job and education thresholds are actually quite vague. Many times, it's just a matter of a leader's word. After all, those with real talent and ability are in the minority.

"A measuring officer? That's a lucrative job!" Xiaowen, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but chime in.

Yu Shuanzhu didn't mince words: "It's definitely a lucrative position! I'm in charge of my dad's cigarettes now, he doesn't even have to pay for them himself! And every few days, people bring him gifts!"
However, the job of a measuring officer comes with great power and great responsibility!
"I'll try my best to arrange for those around the standard quality, but if you're trying to pass off inferior goods as superior ones and take advantage of the country, no amount of money can change that!"

Hearing his brother-in-law's somewhat stiff statement, Yue Feng was slightly taken aback: "Oh? That's good enough, why be so serious!"

Yu Shuanzhu shook his head: "It's not about being serious, it's about not letting me down and embarrassing you and my brother-in-law!"

I'm an adult now. If I make a mistake at work that violates principles, and you guys have to help me smile and clean up my mess, my dad would skin me alive if he found out!

Don't laugh at me, but in all my life, I never dreamed I'd one day have a government job at the forest farm, doing such a low-stress job as a surveyor!

Yu Shuanzhu's attitude actually increased Yue Feng's goodwill towards him.

Xiao Tao, at least, knows right from wrong; he's not the kind of person who takes advantage of connections and doesn't know what's good for him.

"Haha, let's get started! We can explore other opportunities later. Our hunting team has a good relationship with the leaders of the forest farm, and we also have acquaintances in the Forestry Bureau!"
Over there, it's a one-person-one-position system. If you want to move up, you need a suitable position! If the old ones don't retire, the new ones don't have much of a chance!
"By the way, how's the old man doing lately? Since he was discharged from the hospital, has he been hanging out with those gambling dens again?" Yue Feng chuckled and changed the subject.

Yu Shuanzhu shook his head repeatedly: "No! Ever since my dad was discharged from the hospital and recovered from his hand injury, he's been like a completely different person!"

Other villagers also invited him to play cards and drink, but he refused them all, completely severing ties with those people!

He had originally planned to ask me to help him find some temporary work, like a farmhand, to earn some money to build a house for me to get married.

He's not very skilled yet, so I didn't give him any work!
My sister and I discussed it, and we'll let him rest for a few months this winter to fully heal his hand injury. If he's willing to work next year, we'll find him a job he can do again!

To demonstrate his resolve to quit gambling, Yu Xiaoming cut off his little finger with a kitchen knife right in front of Yue Feng. Yue Feng later took him to the hospital for treatment.

The fingers definitely can't be reattached, but fortunately the little finger doesn't have much of an impact on daily grasping.

Judging from this, Xiao Tao's father-in-law, Yu Xiaoming, has done quite well. Ever since Yue Feng helped him deal with those messy things last time, Yu Xiaoming has turned over a new leaf.

"Okay, let's keep him on this for now. When it gets warmer next spring, if my uncle is willing to do it, we'll try to find him a job or something!"

He's a year younger than my dad. After working for a few more years, he'll retire and receive a pension, which will give him some security in his old age!

Upon hearing this, Yu Shuanzhu's eyes lit up: "You really can help my dad find a proper job? That's not really appropriate... My job is already enough of a burden for you!"

Yue Feng grinned, already sensing the other person's interest in his words.

"I am Xiao Tao's older brother, and he is my younger brother! Now that Xiao Tao and Panpan are married, we are family!"

We're family, so let's not be formal. My uncle is getting on in years, so it's unrealistic to expect him to get a cushy job like a surveyor like you. But finding him a less strenuous job shouldn't be a problem!

If it's difficult to make arrangements at Hongxing Forest Farm, we can also consider the coal mining system, specifically the Mining Bureau; we have people there too!
It's just a regular job; it's all a matter of a single sentence! (End of Chapter)