Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Just as Zhou Dashan was thinking of going to town to find Zhou Dashu, Chen Datou arrived at Chen Qiang's house with wine. In order to successfully complete the task given by Zhou Rui, he even took a bath to avoid being kicked out by Chen Qiang because of the smell.

Moreover, he not only brought the bottle of strong liquor, but also reluctantly bought two ounces of peanuts at the village's sales point, just so he could start a conversation with Chen Qiang.

"Brother Qiangzi, Brother Qiangzi, are you there?" Chen Datou kept calling out in the yard.

"Who is it?" came the weak, desolate voice from inside.

"It's me, Da Tou, I've come to see you and want to talk to you."

"Come in." After a moment of silence, there was a response from inside the room.

Chen Datou entered the house and saw Chen Qiang and Li Xiujuan sitting opposite each other, looking dejected. Chen Qiang had lost his usual arrogance, and Li Xiujuan was less haughty.

"Big Head's here? Have a seat. I'll boil some water for you to make tea." Li Xiujuan got up to pour water for Chen Datou.

As a member of the same generation as Chen, Chen Datou was looked down upon by everyone in the past. If Chen Qiang's two sons hadn't gotten into trouble, Chen Datou would never have been able to enter this door.

Now that Chen Dabiao and Chen Erbiao have gotten into such a big mess, Chen Qiang's relatives and friends are all avoiding him. Chen Qiang has nowhere to confide his frustrations, which is why Chen Datou, this perpetually lazy guy, was able to come in.

"Brother Qiangzi, don't keep it bottled up. Come on, have a couple of drinks to relax. Maybe we'll come up with a solution soon." As he spoke, Chen Datou pulled out a bottle of strong liquor and a small packet of peanuts wrapped in oil paper from his pocket.

Chen Qiang, his eyelids drooping, glanced weakly at Chen Datou: "Thanks, Datou. After Da Biao and Er Biao got into trouble, all these brothers and friends have been avoiding me. I don't even have anyone to talk to. It's only thanks to you that you came to see me and keep me company."

Chen Datou didn't pretend to be polite, and sat down directly, unscrewing the bottle cap. Then he looked around but couldn't find any cups. There were only two teacups on the kang table, half-filled with water, which seemed to belong to Chen Qiang and his wife.

Chen Datou poured the water from his cup onto the ground, filled two cups with wine, and handed one over.

"Come on, have a drink. Life is tough these days, but there's no hurdle you can't overcome. Since it's already happened, things will eventually turn around."

Chen Datou wasn't very educated. He spent most of his time hanging out and learned a bunch of random words, which he would just put together to comfort people.

Chen Qiang didn't care about these things; he couldn't understand anyway, and having someone to talk to was enough. But after a glass of wine, he became even more worried.

"Sigh... what other options are there?"

Chen Datou opened the oil paper package. Since he didn't have chopsticks, he pinched a peanut with his hand. He chewed it, and thought, "Mmm, it's quite fragrant."

What are Zhou Dashan's family's plans?

Chen Qiang raised his hand and downed the remaining half-glass of liquor in one gulp. The strong liquor stung his throat, but it was exactly what he needed.

"Why would he tell me what his plans are? When I went up to ask him, he complained that my two kids had corrupted his precious children. Pah! That good-for-nothing, only my Da Biao and Er Biao are naive, following Zhou Chen around blindly, and now he's ended up in jail."

In Chen Datou's eyes, neither family's child was any good. There's a saying, "Birds of a feather flock together," and this was it.

"Both of your families got into trouble at the same time, and Zhou Dashan didn't even consult you. Does he want to shun you and only care about his Zhou Chen?" Chen Datou said as he filled Chen Qiang's glass with wine.

"How is that possible? All three of them were arrested together; there's no way they can be separated. Does he think he can get Zhou Chen off the hook? The villagers and the police aren't blind."

"Come on, have another sip." Chen Datou picked up his glass and clinked it with Chen Qiang's. Chen Qiang downed half a glass in one gulp, while Chen Datou only took a small sip and ate a few peanuts to calm his nerves.

"Let me tell you, don't be careless. Although Zhou Dashan can't exonerate Zhou Chen, it's still possible to reduce his sentence."

Unexpectedly, Chen Qiang became excited upon hearing this, grabbed Chen Datou's wrist, and a few peanuts fell to the ground and rolled on the table.

"What did you say? That it could lessen the charges?"

"Hey, hey, be gentle, be gentle." Chen Datou freed his wrist from Chen Qiang's grasp. This Chen Qiang is a skilled worker, but I didn't expect him to have such a strong grip.

"Tell me quickly!" Chen Qiang was extremely anxious, like a person about to sink suddenly grabbing a piece of wood.

"Come on, have another one. I'll tell you slowly." Chen Datou had piqued Chen Qiang's interest but suddenly put on airs.

Chen Qiang wanted to listen, but he couldn't force Chen Datou to speak, so he picked up his wine glass, downed it in one gulp, and slammed the glass on the table with a bang.

Chen Qiang drank two cups on an empty stomach without eating a single peanut, and his mind was already somewhat hazy.

"You've always stayed in the village and rarely go out, so you don't know the police's procedures for handling cases." Chen Datou said, shaking his head as he spoke. "Actually, when the police arrest someone, they interrogate them and then punish them according to the severity of each person's crime."

Chen Datou ate his peanuts, finding them increasingly delicious. Finally, someone was willing to listen to him, and even to ask him for advice; it felt wonderful.

"In other words, Da Biao and Er Biao were arrested along with Zhou Chen, but their final sentences were different."

"How are they different? Explain in detail. How do you know so much about it?"

Chen Qiang grabbed the bottle and poured wine for Chen Datou, filling the glass to the brim since it was still half full. Chen Qiang then realized that he had to flatter Chen Datou before he would reveal any valuable information.

"My friend went in there once, and he told me about it when he came out. When the police handle a case, they have to interrogate the suspect, look at the evidence, and then determine the principal offender and the accomplice."

Let me put it this way: Zhou Chen and his two friends went to Zhou Rui's house to steal things, so there has to be a leader, right? Who came up with the idea? Who led the group? We need to figure that out, right?

The ringleader is the mastermind, and their crime is more serious, resulting in a heavier sentence. Those who follow are accomplices, and their crimes are less serious, leading to lighter sentences. If an accomplice can provide evidence of the mastermind's crimes, they might be able to get a reduced sentence and perhaps only spend a few months in prison.

Chen Datou had talked so much in one breath that his mouth was a little dry. He picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp. Ah... refreshing.

After listening to Chen Datou's long explanation, Chen Qiang was momentarily stunned. Perhaps he had drunk too much, as Chen Qiang shook his head vigorously, trying to sober up.

Chen Datou didn't urge him, but just silently ate peanuts and drank Lao Bai Gan. These were things he brought himself, and he couldn't let Chen Qiang waste them all; he had to use them himself.

It took Chen Qiang a while to come to his senses.

"You mean, Zhou Dashan might find someone to shift all of Zhou Chen's responsibility onto my son, so that he can be reduced from the principal offender to an accomplice and receive a lighter sentence?"

Upon hearing Chen Qiang's words, Chen Datou hurriedly explained. Although he was indeed trying to sow discord, he couldn't let himself get involved. If Chen Qiang told Zhou Dashan that he, Chen Datou, had spoken ill of the Zhou family behind their backs, wouldn't that be terrible?

"I didn't say that. I meant that this is how the police process for handling cases. Stealing, even if it's expensive, doesn't usually result in a long sentence. The main culprit gets three to five years, while an accomplice might only get out in three to five months."