Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

With everything settled, Zhou Dashu returned to the village only to find it deserted. Not only had he failed to help Zhou Chen, but he was also gossiped about by the villagers. He didn't even dare to stay for lunch and slunk back to the county town.

As expected, the police conducted a brief investigation and took Zhou Chen and his two companions back with a list of stolen items kept by Accountant Zhou, which was crucial evidence.

The people were taken away in front of all the villagers. Zhou Dashan and his wife, as well as Chen Qiang and his wife, all cried and wailed, but Chen Qiang's crying sounded a bit fake.

Zhou Rui glanced at the four men's expressions, then at Chen Datou who was winking at him, and immediately understood. Just you wait, Zhou Chen, the Chen brothers will teach you a good lesson in the interrogation room.

And that's not all. Once the news of Zhou Chen, Chen Dabiao, and Chen Erbiao's arrest spreads, debt collectors will probably be knocking on their door.

This hidden, underwater bomb is likely to devastate both companies, preventing them from recovering for over a decade.

Zhou Rui was pleased; his conspiracy… no, his scheme had all been carried out, and the final result was more or less satisfactory. Well, it was just that he couldn't talk about such a glorious moment with anyone, which made him feel a little stifled.

Alright, I'll go home and cook some good food, then invite Brother Dazhu, Sister-in-law Xinghua, and Liu Qingguo over to celebrate. We still have two bear paws left from the bear I killed last time, so I'll stew them.

Also, Lin Qiuyue and Yang Ping, who also contributed when fighting Hei Xiazi last time, should be called upon to join in.

After a few drinks, Zhou Rui considered the theft incident involving Zhou Chen and his two companions as a closed case. He couldn't keep focusing on a nobody like Zhou Chen; he had more important things to do.

Zhou Rui should focus on earning money to improve his family's living conditions and create a better future for his younger siblings and Xiao Nian Gao.

At the agreed time, Zhou Rui rode his big mule to Gu Shaofeng's house. He really didn't want to ride on the back of Gu Shaofeng's bicycle again. Riding a bicycle in the snow—wouldn't he fall and die?

Gu Shaofeng was riding his bicycle erratically on the ice, gripping the handlebars, and looked on with great envy at Zhou Rui ahead of him.

Although mules aren't fast, they're very stable, making them perfect for inexperienced riders like Zhou Rui.

"Ruiwa, where did you buy this mule?" Gu Shaofeng asked, drooling with envy.

"Bought it at the market in Hongxing Town next door?" Zhou Rui rode leisurely on the mule, and it was actually quite nice. The only downside was that it was a bit high up, and the wind was a bit strong.

"I wonder when the market in Hongxing Town will open. I'd like to go buy one too. But I want a horse. Your mule is too slow. A real man rides a fast horse."

Zhou Rui watched Gu Shaofeng shaking his head and indulging in fantasies, and couldn't help but want to pour cold water on him.

"You'd better think this through. This horse isn't cheap. See if your wife will buy it for you, or if your dad will break your legs."

"You bought one too, so why can't I?" Gu Shaofeng retorted.

"Hehe... I actually got a bargain with this mule. I bought it for 800 yuan because it was sick, but I cured it. Now it's worth at least 3,000 yuan. This horse is more expensive than the mule, at least 5,000 yuan."

Zhou Rui boasted to himself, omitting his intention to buy a mule with a calf, only saying that he had gotten a bargain.

"Besides, I have no parents to rely on, no wife to support me, I earn my own money and spend it myself, so no one can control me."

Gu Shaofeng glared angrily at Zhou Rui, who was preventing him from buying it.

"Is it a good thing that you don't have a wife? When you go home, there's no one to cook or do laundry for you, and no one to warm your bed at night. What's so good about that?"

"If my clothes get dirty, I'll just buy new ones. If no one cooks, I'll bring meat to Uncle Kang's house. He's a famous chef from all around, and I can order whatever I want. Anyway, I manage all the money, so I can spend it however I want. Spending money makes me happy."

Sleeping at night is even more comfortable; An'an and Xiaoniangao, two little stoves, are right next to me—it's so heartwarming.

When it comes to arguing, Zhou Rui is never afraid. How could someone who transmigrated from the future be afraid of a little Karami who didn't even finish middle school?

Gu Shaofeng gritted his teeth in anger at Zhou Rui, but finally let his hands hang limply. This is what it's like to have no control over the finances; his wife manages all the money.

Zhou Rui led the mule into Wang Shouye's house, and sure enough, his second and third senior brothers were there. The second senior brother, Wang Zhen, was there because he lived nearby, in the same village as Wang Shouye. Zhang Shitou was there because he was diligent and punctual—excellent qualities.

"This must be Ruiwa. I've heard Old Wang mention you recently, saying you're the smartest of all the students he's ever taught." A woman in her thirties walked in.

"Teacher's wife." "Sixth Aunt." "Teacher's wife."

Upon hearing Gu Shaofeng and the others' greetings, Zhou Rui realized that this quiet woman was his teacher's wife, whom he had never met before.

"Hello, Madam, I am Zhou Rui," Zhou Rui replied respectfully.

"Good, good. He's a well-behaved child," Li Mei replied gently. Li Mei liked all of Wang Shouye's apprentices very much. They each had their own distinct personalities, but they were all quite respectful and polite to her.

This time, an even smaller one came, and it looked quite polite.

Gu Shaofeng couldn't help but curl his lip upon hearing this. Zhou Rui is a good kid? Are you kidding me? I've never seen anyone with such a sharp tongue.

"Wife, make breakfast early today. We need to go up the mountain as soon as we finish eating," Wang Shouye said gently to Li Mei.

It's so good that my wife is back; everything is so organized now. When she went to the city to help our daughter with her postpartum care, I felt like my life was a mess. When I didn't feel like cooking, I'd go to my eldest son's house for a meal, but unfortunately, my eldest daughter-in-law's cooking wasn't as good as my own.

"Okay, I'll get right on it. You guys chat amongst yourselves," Li Mei replied calmly. The men were going out to make a living, so she had to take good care of their lives.

After Li Mei left, Zhou Rui and the others sat down around the kang table.

After everyone had sat down, Wang Shouye finally spoke: "How are you? Have you recovered after two days of rest?"

"No problem, I'm as strong as an ox now, I have inexhaustible strength." Gu Shaofeng was as boastful as ever.

"I'm fine." "I'm okay."

When Zhou Rui saw Wang Shouye's gaze sweep over him, he simply nodded and didn't say anything.

"It seems you all had a good rest. Let me tell you. We have two targets this time. I got information from an acquaintance that someone discovered a small herd of moose in a valley yesterday."

"The other one is a relatively hidden bear burrow that I've documented over the years. Bears might enter every year when it snows, but you have to search them one by one. What do you think is the best choice?"

"Sixth Uncle, I have no objections. I'll listen to you." Wang Zhen didn't care much about these things.

"Me too." Zhang Shitou was a man of few words, and his remarks were brief.

Gu Shaofeng stroked his chin, feigning profundity: "I think we can go raid the bear's den first. We can sell the meat to the canteen, and we can also sell the bear bile and hides for money. It's a great deal."

Wang Shouye finally turned his attention to Zhou Rui. Zhou Rui was quick-witted and sometimes had wildly imaginative ideas; his opinions were the most valued by Wang Shouye.