Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

"What if Zhou Dashan tries to pin the blame on Da Biao or Er Biao? My family doesn't have any connections in the police. Wouldn't that be even worse?" Although Chen Datou didn't say it, Chen Qiang kept thinking about it, making himself anxious.

"What to do? What should I do? What should I do..." Chen Qiang kept muttering the same old thing, but he couldn't come up with a solution.

Chen Qiang was racking his brains, but couldn't come up with a solution. He glanced up and saw Chen Datou sitting across from him, completely at ease. Although he figured Chen Datou wasn't as smart as him and might not have a solution, maybe…

"Big Head, look, Da Biao and Er Biao are still your nephews, no matter what. You... do you have any ideas?"

Chen Qiang searched his body for a while and pulled out a deflated cigarette box with a few cigarettes inside. He carefully took one out, handed it to Chen Datou, and lit it with a match.

Chen Datou took a drag of his cigarette, his eyes narrowed slightly, and hissed... The cigarette was so-so, a bit bitter, not as good as the high-end cigarettes Ruiwa gave him, but this feeling... was great.

"There is a solution, but you have to take some risks."

"What method? Tell me." For his son, Chen Qiang was willing to go all out without any hesitation.

"Go to the brigade headquarters in the middle of the night and see who's holding Da Biao and the others. See if there's anyone you're close to, and give them some benefits..."

"You mean you let them escape?" Chen Qiang took a deep breath and interrupted Chen Datou impatiently.

"What are you thinking?" Chen Datou glanced at Chen Qiang with disdain. This guy was too stupid, not even in the same league as Ruiwa.

"Do you want your kid to become a fugitive and never be able to go home? I mean, give him some benefits so he can let you in and have a private talk with Da Biao and Er Biao."

"Speak? What's the use of saying anything?" Chen Qiang was extremely anxious, and his speech became a little fast.

"Tell Da Biao and Er Biao to remember that they went to Zhou Rui's house with Zhou Chen to steal things. Zhou Chen was the one who came up with the idea and the plan. They didn't want to go at first, but Zhou Chen forced them. I don't know how he forced them, you can figure that out yourselves, but that's the gist of it."

Chen Qiang considered the words in his mind, and it seemed like it might work.

So his tone became even more sincere: "Big Head, is there any more?"

"If possible, it's best to earn some credit during police questioning. For example, report someone for theft or murder—basically, report someone's criminal information. Remember, the bigger the crime you report, the greater the credit, and the longer your sentence will be reduced."

"But remember one thing: the information you report must be true. You can't make it up, or you'll be detained for even longer."

Chen Qiang nodded, thinking that Chen Datou's idea was really good. Although this guy was lazy, he was still useful. After this matter was over, he would have to treat him to a good drink.

So Chen Qiang asked some more detailed questions, and the two chatted for a long time on the kang table, eating Lao Baigan liquor and peanuts, until late at night.

In the middle of the night, shadows loomed outside the brigade headquarters. Chen Qiang walked along the shadows at the base of the wall, avoiding the moonlight.

Although he walked with trepidation, he never dared to loosen his grip on his chest. Inside were things he had painstakingly borrowed from a close friend the night before.

A bottle of aged liquor and two packs of cigarettes in their cases. They weren't anything fancy, but they were extremely rare in this rural area.

Chen Qiang gently knocked on the door of the brigade headquarters. There were three people inside. There was no kang (heated brick bed) in the brigade headquarters, so the three of them had to start a fire to get through the cold winter night.

Half an hour later, Chen Qiang left the brigade headquarters. Perhaps because he was carrying something less, or perhaps because a heavy weight had finally been lifted from his heart, Chen Qiang's steps became lighter. His hunched back straightened compared to when he arrived, and his steps became more agile.

The next morning, before dawn, a figure carrying a flashlight appeared outside Zhou Rui's gate. The figure had a stubble beard, frost on his hair and eyebrows, bloodshot eyes, and was breathing heavily, looking like he was about to die.

"Zhou Rui, Zhou Rui." A hoarse shout and a knocking on the door rang out at the same time.

Zhou Rui was lying on his kang (a heated brick bed) in his own home, fast asleep, but years of vigilance still woke him up at the first sound. He listened carefully and heard someone calling him, but the voice was unfamiliar, and the hoarse tone made it impossible for him to identify who it was.

"Honestly, can't a person get a good night's sleep?" Zhou Rui grumbled as he got out of bed. He couldn't let the people outside keep shouting, or they would wake up Xiao Niangao.

Zhou Rui simply threw on a coat, opened the door, and went out.

Zhou Rui didn't use a flashlight; the faint starlight was enough for him to identify who was within thirty meters.

"Zhou Dashan? What are you doing here?" Zhou Rui was very impatient, not expecting it to be this guy shouting outside the door.

"Ruiwa, no matter what, I'm still your uncle. How can you call me by my name like that?" Although Zhou Dashan was trying to be conciliatory, he still maintained the airs of an uncle.

"Alright, just say what you have to say, or I'm going back to sleep." Zhou Rui raised his chin and looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Your third uncle is back. He wants you to go to the old house to see him. He has something to tell you." Zhou Dashan quickly explained his purpose when he saw Zhou Rui turn to leave.

Zhou Rui chuckled lightly. Had the monkey brought reinforcements? He even went to the old house to see him, showing off his power.

Zhou Rui had absolutely no feelings for his cold-blooded third uncle, and he would never let them lead him by the nose.

Moreover, they went to the old house, which was their pre-arranged battlefield, not their own.

Zhou Rui could already picture it: going to the old house, there were a bunch of Zhou family elders inside, plus Zhou Dashu who had returned from the county town.

A group of people surrounded him and bombarded him with advice, urging him to prioritize his family's reputation, that they were all blood relatives, and that harmony was paramount. They even tried to get him to drop the case.

This group of people has never stood up for him, and they even try to persuade people from outside the family. Zhou Rui doesn't want to waste his breath arguing with them.

He only wanted to go to the brigade headquarters and, in front of the village officials and all the villagers, tear off all the fig leaves these people were hiding.

"I'm busy. I have to go to the village office after I eat. I need to see how the police take the thief away. Maybe the police will need me to provide some evidence or something. If he has something to say, tell him to come to the village office."

Zhou Rui showed almost no respect to his uncle Zhou Dashan. Not only did he not intend to go to the old house, but he also kept calling him a thief, completely disregarding Zhou Dashan's dignity.

Seeing that Zhou Rui went inside as soon as he finished speaking, without giving him a chance to speak, Zhou Dashan had no choice but to turn around and leave helplessly.

This little beast has grown so much that he's no longer someone Zhou Rui can control. He can't beat him in a fight, and he can't even talk to him. He's afraid that if he does, Zhou Rui will slap him and he'll have nowhere to hide.

"Forget it, I'll go back and think of another way." Zhou Dashan turned away dejectedly and disappeared into the vast expanse of white snow.