Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

"Ruiwa, hurry up, we've been waiting for you!" Zhao Youzhi shouted.

Zhou Rui gave him some face after hearing this, and pretended to jog a little.

"Who is this?" Lin Guoqiang was still chatting with Gu Dayong.

"Our village's newest hunting prodigy. Quick-witted, skilled, and an excellent shot. He's the best of these young rascals."

Lin Guoqiang's eyes lit up when he heard this.

"Forget about it. Zhou Rui's parents are both dead, and he has younger siblings. His older brother passed away, his sister-in-law ran away, and he's left behind a baby. There's no way he'd join the army."

"Alas...what a pity." Lin Guoqiang couldn't help but sigh after hearing this.

Upon seeing Zhou Rui join the team, Gu Dayong immediately said to Lin Guoqiang, "Old Company Commander, I'm going over too."

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Zhao Youzhi walked up to them.

"Everyone, please be quiet. Next, our county public security bureau chief, Comrade Hou Yong, will give a speech to our Jiaolongxia Production Brigade patrol team. Please welcome him."

Zhao Youzhi's voice was loud, instantly drowning out all the noise from the villagers. Afterwards, everyone clapped their hands in delight, a rare sight in the village.

Hou Yong was dressed in a neat navy blue police uniform, wearing a peaked cap and a military overcoat, looking very energetic.

"Ahem." Hou Yong coughed lightly twice and strode to the front of the line. His gaze swept over the group of militiamen and hunters who looked tired and were not dressed properly.

"Comrades! Today, on behalf of the County Public Security Bureau, I extend my highest respect to the Jiaolongxia Production Brigade Patrol Team!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Rui and Liu Qingguo, along with their fellow militiamen, immediately straightened up. The villagers also stopped talking and listened quietly.

"With rudimentary equipment and unwavering resolve, you not only apprehended nine armed bandits without suffering any casualties, but also killed three and seized a large quantity of weapons and stolen goods. This is not only an honor for the Jiaolongxia Production Brigade, but also a source of pride for the entire county!"

Zhao Xiaogang hid his hand, which was wrapped in white gauze, behind his back. The bureau chief said there were zero casualties.

"A month ago, a truck belonging to the county's medicinal herb company was hijacked, and the two drivers were brutally murdered. The provincial department directly supervised the case. Our frontline police officers tracked the case day and night, but we couldn't find any clues. But you... a group of ordinary militiamen, with the most rudimentary weapons, accomplished what we couldn't do on the most dangerous snowy night."

Hou Yong turned his gaze to Zhao Youzhi.

"Captain Zhao, the team you led has shown me what people's war is all about. Without your vigilance and your spirit of sacrifice, these criminals might still be at large. You have proven that true power lies not in guns and cannons, but in the hearts of the people."

"In view of the merits made by your Jiaolongxia Production Brigade, I have decided to apply to the county to give priority to equipping the Jiaolongxia militia with new weapons, and to commend you for your achievements."

Clap, clap, clap! The applause erupted. The sense of collective honor was incredibly strong in this era. This was a testament to the patrol team's achievement, and also an honor for the village.

After Hou Yong finished speaking, Lin Guoqiang ordered the soldiers of the armed forces department to escort the prisoners and stolen goods onto the trucks.

"Captain Zhao," Hou Yong said, shaking Zhao Youzhi's hand before leaving, "I'm heading back now; there's still a lot of interrogation work to do. But if the county's reward comes through next time, I'll come again. I want to personally present the reward to your brigade."

Hou Yong and Lin Guoqiang came and went in a hurry. The truck wheels left two deep ruts in the snow outside the village, and the village children followed far behind the truck.

"Qingguo, how many people did you arrest last night?"

"Zhao Xiaogang, how did you get injured? Did you fight those thugs?"

"Uncle Kai-Chih, were those bad guys really that heavily armed? You took down these thugs despite all that gunfire."

"Of course, you can go outside the village and take a look. There are still many bullet holes on the ice there. I braved a hail of bullets to hold off those bastards back then. Otherwise, how would Zhou Rui, Liu Qingguo, and Gu Jiacheng have had the opportunity to flank the enemy?"

Zhou Kaizhi was no longer frustrated by the overwhelming firepower he had experienced the previous night; he was now only smug.

"Zhou Rui, Zhou Rui." "Second brother, second brother, I'm here."

Zhou Rui yawned and walked towards the hopping little rabbit. Next to the rabbit stood a beautiful woman holding a doll.

"Zhou Rui, are you all alright last night? We were terrified when we saw those bad guys and those guns." Lin Qiuyue's tone was gentle, but with a hint of fear, quite different from the villagers' excitement.

"It's nothing. I just moved around a bit, I didn't get hit." Zhou Rui spoke very calmly, as if the bullet that grazed his side and hit the stone wall behind him last night had never happened.

"Zhou Rui, you guys are amazing! I've never seen so many bad guys get caught. But those people were all bloody and mangled, it was a little scary." Yu Sitian clung tightly to Lin Qiuyue, seemingly unable to forget what she had just witnessed.

Yang Ping raised her head: "It's alright, you two will sleep in the same bed with me tonight, I'll protect you. But Zhou Rui, you still need to be careful when you're on patrol, with so many guns, bullets don't have eyes."

"My second brother is the most... amazing, a great hero, he won't get hurt." An'an tugged at Zhou Rui's pants and looked up at Yang Ping.

"Hey...hey, ee-ya!" Little Rice Cake joined in the fun, waving her little hands and begging Zhou Rui to hold her.

"Oh, so Little Niangao thinks An'an is right? You little ungrateful thing, we've taken turns holding you for so long, and now you want to run away as soon as your second uncle comes, right?" Yang Ping stopped Little Niangao from being held by Zhou Rui.

"Ya ya, yi ya, hey." Little Rice Cake had a bad temper and was about to grab Yang Ping's big face, so she just grabbed her head.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Let go!" Yang Ping was in a lot of pain because Xiao Niangao grabbed a few strands of her hair.

"Let's see if you'll still tease her. Don't you know she has a bad temper?" Zhou Rui walked past Yang Ping, stretched out his hand, and Xiao Niangao finally let go of the strand of hair in his hand.

With her hands feeling lighter, Lin Qiuyue used her fingers to comb Yang Ping's hair.

"You never learn! How many times have you suffered at Little Rice Cake's hands?"

Yang Ping rubbed her head a couple of times, grimacing, "This little girl's grip is getting stronger and stronger."

"Let's go home. I need to sleep a little longer; we still have to continue our patrol tonight." Zhou Ruixiang gently pinched Xiao Niangao's cheek.

"Second brother, I want to be carried too." An'an clung to Zhou Rui's leg and refused to leave.

"Come on, climb onto my back yourself." Zhou Rui squatted down.

An'an's eyes lit up when she saw this, and she nimbly climbed up. But she didn't stop after reaching his back; she kept climbing while clinging to Zhou Rui's head.

"Hehe...haha..." Finally, An'an hugged Zhou Rui's head and sat on his shoulders.

"Are you seated securely?" Zhou Rui asked attentively, showing no displeasure whatsoever.

"It's settled, it's settled. Let's go, Dama, giddy up!"

Zhou Rui, holding Xiao Niangao, slowly stood up: "Don't move, let's go."

"Haha..." An'an perched on Zhou Rui's shoulder, her hair flying, her face blooming like a flower in the sunlight.

"He's so good to his sister." Lin Qiuyue sighed as she looked at the overlapping figures in front of her.