Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Wang Zhen gave a thumbs-up, but even when praising others, he didn't forget to boast about himself.

Zhang Shitou nodded. His junior brother was an excellent shot and also a master with a slingshot, which Zhang Shitou greatly admired.

"It's nothing, you'll get the hang of it with practice. You've upgraded your guns, and you have enough bullets now, so just keep firing and your aim will improve."

Zhou Rui humbly replied that there was no need to show off in front of his senior brother.

"Ruiwa is right. You two didn't dare to practice much before because your guns weren't good enough and bullets were too expensive. Now that bullets are plentiful, you two still need to improve your marksmanship. When you're hiking in the mountains, a gun is the most fundamental guarantee of your safety."

Gu Shaofeng was standing to the side watching Wang Shouye educate Wang Zhen and Zhang Shitou when Wang Shouye suddenly turned around and remembered him.

"And you, Shaofeng. You've been using this Type 56 semi-automatic rifle for four or five years now, and your marksmanship hasn't improved at all. If you're bad, practice more."

"Practice makes perfect," Wang Zhen said, making a face at Gu Shaofeng.

Everyone collected all the hazel grouse that Zhou Rui had hunted, and the dogs also caught some.

Wang Shouye estimated: "Looks like there are more than twenty, enough to eat."

"There's another one here." Wang Zhen brought over a hazel grouse upside down; it was still alive and flapping its wings incessantly.

"You caught up with him?" Gu Shaofeng looked at Wang Zhen's plump body with some disbelief.

"I don't have that ability. This flying creature burrowed headfirst into the snowdrift, perhaps it went a little too deep, and the dogs missed it."

"Uncle Wang, we don't need to eat all these flying dragons. I'll go and get some other things before we go camp tonight."

Wang Shouye looked at Zhou Rui: "What, what are you thinking?"

"This pheasant is considered a rare delicacy in our Changbai Mountain area. We're currently working for the forest farm, right? I was thinking of sending some to the canteen, the finance department, and Director Zhang; that would make things smoother in the future."

Wang Shouye nodded, Zhou Rui was indeed quick-witted, he understood the intricacies of interpersonal relationships very well.

"Okay, we'll do it your way."

Zhang Shitou put all the hazel grouse on the mule's back. There were more than twenty hazel grouse, which looked like a lot, but they actually didn't weigh much. Each one weighed less than a pound, and they only weighed about ten pounds in total.

"We need to hurry, the wind is so strong it's blown away all the footprints. Ideally, we should find the place where the moose rested yesterday before dark, so we can know which way they went."

Wang Shouye looked into the distance, where the north wind made the bare branches of the trees whistle.

Wang Shouye's sources were quite accurate, and the location description was very precise. The spotted leopard, following the footprints, even found the moose's den where it had slept the previous night.

"Master, it's getting dark. I think we should rest here for the night." Zhang Shitou led Zhou Rui's mule up.

"Alright, the campsite is ready. Moose usually find good spots that can shelter them from the wind and snow."

"Master, I'll go chop some firewood and come back."

"Go ahead, find a fellow disciple to go with you, don't go alone."

Wang Shouye patiently reminded his apprentices repeatedly to prevent them from being careless. They were all his apprentices who followed him up the mountain to make a living; any injury to any of them would be disastrous.

Gu Shaofeng and Zhou Rui went to find food, while Wang Zhen and Zhang Shitou went to chop firewood. Gu Shaofeng didn't like doing heavy work and only liked tangible results.

Suddenly, Zhu Yue in front of him called out softly, and Zhou Rui quickly looked over.

"Junior brother, those are rabbit footprints."

Seeing Gu Shaofeng approach, Zhou Rui quickly said, "Yes."

However, seeing that the footprint was in both directions, it was impossible to know which way it went; Zhou Rui's experience was still insufficient.

"Senior brother, do you know which way the rabbit went?"

"Ha..." Gu Shaofeng chuckled awkwardly, "This rabbit doesn't have much meat, I don't usually remember it."

Zhou Rui gritted his teeth, feeling a slight toothache. Why was this senior brother so unreliable?

But no worries, Zhou Rui still had his senses. Zhou Rui pretended to stand up and observe his surroundings, activating his senses, but strangely, the wild rabbit wasn't nearby.

"How could that be? Wild rabbits usually don't stray too far from their burrows." Zhou Rui glanced through his veil. "There must have been no food nearby, which is why the rabbit ran off."

"How about this, we'll each take two dogs and split up. We'll come back and meet up again after we've caught some."

"Alright, Gale and Iron Head, come with me." Gu Shaofeng directly ordered the dogs. They needed to hurry; Zhou Rui's disdainful look earlier had made him feel genuinely ashamed.

Watching Gu Shaofeng's hurried footsteps, Zhou Rui frowned slightly and walked slowly with Da Mao and Zhui Yue.

Beneath this vast expanse of snow lies a danger that is not as serene as it appears on the surface. Sometimes, unexpected hazards lurk beneath. For your own safety, it is best to walk slowly.

The two dogs, Da Mao and Zhui Yue, kept running around Zhou Rui's feet without sounding the alarm.

Bang... A gunshot rang out behind them. Zhou Rui had no choice but to turn back with Da Mao and Zhui Yue.

"Ruiwa, look, one shot to the head." Gu Shaofeng saw Zhou Rui and showed off the wild rabbit from afar.

"Not bad. Let's continue. Just one isn't even enough to fill the teeth of these dogs." Zhou Rui glanced at it calmly.

"Hehe." Gu Shaofeng happily carried the rabbit on his back. As he walked, the rabbit kept swaying, just like a fisherman from later generations.

A few more gunshots rang out in the mountains shortly afterward, all fired by Gu Shaofeng. Zhou Rui had a slingshot, so there was no need to waste bullets on these small creatures.

When Zhou Rui and Gu Shaofeng returned to the camp with the greyhound, rabbit, and pheasant, they suddenly discovered that there were more than just Wang Shouye and his two companions in the camp.

"Master." "Uncle Wang."

Zhou Rui and Gu Shaofeng sized up the two strangers but did not ask any questions.

"Yes, I'm back."

"Are these your other two apprentices, brother? They both look quite dignified. They're both heroes."

The person who spoke was a mixed-race individual with Russian features, speaking with a thick Northeastern accent. But Zhou Rui found it strangely awkward.

"Yes, they're all my apprentices. They haven't improved much, so I'm bringing them out to practice more," Wang Shouye said with a laugh.

"Come, come. You two young men, come and warm up. I brought some homemade sorghum liquor, come and have a drink with me." The man next to him didn't say anything; it was this mixed-race man who was making the arrangements.

Gu Shaofeng didn't stand on ceremony and took the man's leather bag and took a bite.

"Ha...that's intense, that's awesome."

"I'll pass, I won't." Zhou Rui refused the wine cup that Gu Shaofeng offered.

Seeing that Gu Shaofeng was about to speak, Zhou Rui glared at him, making him swallow his words.

The game they brought back was handed over to Zhang Shitou to process, while Zhou Rui sat down right by the fire, taking off his wet shoes to dry them, looking rather lazy. But Zhou Rui's nerves remained tense, without the slightest sign of relaxation.

Besides the strange thing the mixed-race man said, Zhou Rui was also bothered by the muscular man sitting next to him who hadn't said a word.

Although the man looked like an honest farmer, Zhou Rui always felt that he was not an ordinary person.