Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Zhou Rui got up very early today and was feeding the big mule, making sure it was well-fed. The village chief had already asked Zhou Ping to inform him that the fish in the village's fishpond were to be caught today, and the big mule would be taken along to haul in the fishing nets.

"Second brother, are we going to catch fish today?" An'an asked as she came out of the house, dressed neatly.

"It's not us, it's me and your third brother going." Zhou Rui put An An's roe deer fur hat on her head, and the two little horns on her head looked adorable.

"Can't I go?" An'an's face instantly darkened, as if she had been abandoned.

Zhou Rui squatted down and took An'an's little hand: "Because Xiao Niangao is too young, she can't go. So, as her aunt, shouldn't you take good care of her? Also, Sister Xinghua is home alone with Xiao Yan'er today, shouldn't you help her?"

Zhou Rui didn't tell An'an directly why she couldn't go, but instead entrusted her with a heavy responsibility.

Today is an important day for Jiaolongxia Village. The village's annual income, besides the surplus grain sold to the grain station, comes from the fish purchased by the supply and marketing cooperative. Therefore, almost all the men in the village go out on this day.

Actually, this income didn't exist before. Because a stream flows through the village, the villagers don't lack fish to eat; it's just that there's no money for oil, so almost no one eats fish. But the fish from the stream aren't enough to sell to the supply and marketing cooperative; even a few hundred kilograms wouldn't be enough for them to buy.

Ten years ago, Zhao Youzhi overruled objections and gathered all the villagers to dig a pond of nearly twenty acres on a saline-alkali land beside Jiaolong Creek to raise fish. Every year, it produces tens of thousands of kilograms of fish, providing a considerable income for the village.

In this day and age, most people are not afraid of putting in physical effort; they are only afraid of not getting anything in return for their efforts. This fishpond produces tens of thousands of kilograms of fish every year, which are sold to the supply and marketing cooperative—that's real money.

"Ruiwa, how's the mule feeding going?" Liu Gu greeted Zhou Rui, bringing three large yellow oxen with him.

"Uncle Gu, look at this belly, so round and plump, it's sure to have a full breakfast." Zhou Rui patted the mule's back.

"That's good. These four will have to put in a lot of effort today, otherwise it would be too much work for people to pull them." Liu Gu looked at the oxen and mules with satisfaction.

Having raised livestock his entire life, he had long developed a deep affection for cattle and horses. In his eyes, these animals were far more precious than people.

While Zhou Rui and Liu Gu were chatting, Zhao Youzhi was also checking out the location for setting the net with Lao Zhima. Lao Zhima, Chen Zhi, was one of the four extraordinary people in the village, not only accurate in his weather forecasts, but also an expert at spotting fish.

Chen Zhi selects fishing spots based on hydrological conditions, temperature, and fish distribution. Without Chen Zhi's help each year, fishing would be significantly more complicated.

Perhaps Zhou Rui can also do this job through perception now, but he will never stand out and can only hide his abilities deep inside.

"Brother Sesame, how's it going?" Zhao Youzhi asked, noticing Chen Zhi had stopped.

Chen Zhi tapped the spot where she was standing with her cane: "Using this place as the center, extend to the northeast and northwest, and enclose this area in front of me, with a hole every twenty meters."

"Okay, I'll call someone right away."

Soon, along this line, Zhao Youzhi arranged thirty people, three people per position, for a total of ten holes.

"Let's begin..."

With a loud shout, ten burly men simultaneously slammed their ice chisels into the ice. Two men took turns drilling holes in each spot, while one scooped out the ice, the three working in perfect coordination.

"One strike and ice flowers fly, two strikes and fish fill the air..." With each shout, the ice cave gradually deepened.

Zhou Ping and a group of teenagers blushed and shouted loudly, wishing they could rush forward and snatch the ice shovel from the adults' hands.

"Heave-ho... Heave-ho..." The villagers next to them kept chanting, and some people stepped forward to take over in order to speed things up.

Half an hour later, the ice layer, which was half a meter thick, was broken, creating ten ice holes, each about fifty centimeters in diameter.

Then, a group of people brought in a large net. The net wasn't very long, only about two hundred meters, since their pond was less than two hundred meters long.

Then, the men in the village used special wooden levers to pull the large net from one hole to another under the ice, eventually forming a circle that surrounded the entire area.

"Alright, just wait. Our water surface is small; it should be ready in about an hour," Chen Zhi said, turning to Zhao Youzhi.

Zhao Youzhi quickly helped Chen Zhi up: "Alright, Brother Sesame, I'll have someone send you back first, I'll keep an eye on things here."

Chen Zhi is ten years older than him, almost seventy. His body can't withstand being out here for too long.

This is a treasure for their Jiaolongxia Village. Every year, the rain during spring planting, the sun during autumn harvest, and the blizzards in winter all depend on Chen Zhi's predictions. And the fish caught in winter—if Chen Zhi hadn't helped him find and spot the fish, he wouldn't know what to do.

"No need, I'm fine, I can walk back by myself." Chen Zhi pushed Zhao Youzhi's hand away.

"That won't do." Zhao Youzhi ignored what Chen Zhi said: "Xuejun, Zhao Xuejun, here. Take Sesame Grandpa back."

When Zhao Xuejun saw Zhao Youzhi greeting him, he immediately ran over and said, "Grandpa, I know."

"Walk slowly and carefully."

"Okay."

Some fires rose on the ice, and the men, sweating from their work, warmed themselves by the fires. Only the group of mischievous children, unfazed by the cold, played on ice skating sleds and spun tops on the ice in the distance.

The adults didn't care, as long as the children weren't allowed near the opening, since the opening was so big that it would be easy for someone to fall in.

"Village chief, how many fish will we catch this year?"

"Isn't it about the same every year? Our fishpond is only so big, how much more can it get?" Zhao Youzhi took a puff of his pipe, quite nonchalantly.

"That's about the same amount as last year's distribution," the man said, counting on his fingers.

"It might be a little less than last year. The village got a big new addition this year; that cow cost a lot of money," someone nearby chimed in.

"So little?"

"You're not calculating it correctly," Zhou Shumin interrupted the man, holding an account book in his hand.

"We received less money this year because we bought cattle. But with three cows and the big mule that Ruiwa bought, we can cultivate more wasteland and harvest more next year. We'll get more money next year."

"That's the correct way to calculate it, but I want to find a wife for my second son at the end of the year. We don't have any money at home, so I'm not confident about it."

"Of course you do! Why don't you describe the prospects for next year to the girl's parents? Not only will we not go hungry next year, but we'll also have extra money to buy some things for the house."

"That's right, you're correct, life in our village seems to be getting better and better..."

Time flew by, slipping away quietly amidst the villagers' anticipation of better days. Zhao Youzhi glanced at his watch; it was almost time.

"Time to catch the fish..."

As Zhao Youzhi's loud voice rang out, everyone stood up.