Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Zhou Rui and Liu Gu tied the rope of the fishing net to the winch, and the ox and the mule pulled the winch to move the net out of the water.

"Watch out, it's about to start, don't let the fishing net get tangled."

"Smack..."

Liu Gu cracked his whip, producing a crisp sound. The three oxen and the mule took their first steps, the winch making a rattling sound.

The winch moved at a very steady speed, neither too fast nor too slow. This was the result of Liu Gu controlling the movement of the livestock; no one else had this skill.

Everyone stared intently at the cave entrance, eagerly awaiting the moment when the fishing net would emerge from the water.

Two minutes later, the first section of the fishing net was slowly pulled out of the hole. Along with it emerged from the water a large grass carp weighing over three kilograms, which had been stuck in the net and was thrashing its tail, trying to break free.

"Hurry, hurry, the fish are out! Spread out the net before it gets tangled up, we'll need it next year."

People near the cave entrance quickly stepped forward and pulled the fishing net apart from both sides.

As the fishing net was stretched longer and longer, more and more fish were caught in it, and the weight became heavier and heavier. The winch made a strained sound, like an old ox pulling a broken cart.

"Quick, everyone lend a hand, the fish is too heavy, the winch might not be able to hold up."

So all the men waiting on the side grabbed both sides of the fishing net and pulled it towards the shore like a rope. The longer it took, the longer the line became.

"Heave-ho... Heave-ho..."

Oh... a whole bunch of kids rushed up and picked up the fish that jumped out of the net. There were bighead carp, grass carp, common carp, and crucian carp. The fish in the net were like water droplets falling into a hot oil pan, splattering and splashing. Many of them jumped onto the ice and froze solid in no time.

Most of the male and female educated youth had never seen such a scene before, and they rushed up with the children to pick up the fish caught on the ground.

Yu Sitian held Lin Qiuyue's hand, overjoyed. As southerners, this was the first time they had ever witnessed such a scene.

Some male educated youths didn't know the steps of fishing and even reached into the fishing net to scoop fish out of it.

"Move aside, don't block the way."

Zhao Youzhi was driving these male educated youths away, which was really nonsensical. He clearly saw the villagers putting a lot of effort into pulling the fishing nets, but he still tried to block them.

"Heave-ho... Heave-ho..."

The veins in everyone's hands bulged, and they practically shuffled forward. The ice offered little support, so they had to rely on their completely tilted bodies to maintain momentum.

Fortunately, no matter how slow it was, the fishing net was only so long. In about ten minutes, the entire net was brought out of the water, creating a black and white strip of fish on the ice.

"Quickly, gather the fish together. Put the fish weighing over a pound together, and put the ones under a pound separately. The supply and marketing cooperative doesn't want them," Zhao Youzhi shouted to the group, directing them to work together to prepare the fish.

Everyone in front of the net untied the fish and threw them behind them, while those not in front of the net and the older children sorted the fish. Each type of fish had a different price, so they naturally had to be distinguished. If they were all mixed together, the supply and marketing cooperative wouldn't accept them.

"Ah... little tree, little tree."

"Chen Huaishu, hold my hand."

"No, little tree! Ah... someone come quick!"

Zhou Rui was guarding the winch, wiping the sweat off the livestock with Chen Gu, when a commotion suddenly broke out at the end of the fishing net.

Zhou Rui threw the towel in his hand on the ground and rushed out like lightning, because he heard Zhou Ping's voice among the group of people.

Those who were nearby quickly figured out what was happening and began to gather near the ice cave. Those behind them didn't know what was going on, but their love of watching a spectacle made them follow the crowd.

Zhou Rui noticed a large group of people blocking his path and became anxious. He immediately sped up, drawing an arc on the ice to get around them.

"Pingwa, what's wrong?" Zhou Rui accurately located Zhou Ping by his voice.

Zhou Ping turned around and saw that it was his second brother. He immediately felt a sense of security and pulled Zhou Rui to the edge of the ice cave.

"Second brother, the little locust tree fell down. He was picking up fish next to it, slipped, and fell down with the fish, and he's gone."

Having spent a lot of time with Zhou Rui, Zhou Ping has gradually learned Zhou Rui's calm and composed demeanor, and he can sketch out the events in just a few words.

Zhou Rui looked at the hole, which was more than half a meter wide, with dark, flowing water below, and he couldn't even see a person.

The little locust tree by the cave lay there, tears streaming down its face, its eyes empty and devoid of color. Helplessly, it stretched out a hand, hoping that a hand would suddenly emerge from the water and hold it tightly.

Zhou Rui glanced around and his heart sank. Chen Huaishu wasn't near the cave entrance; it seemed the underwater current had swept him away.

Zhou Rui bit his lip; time was of the essence. It wasn't just the lack of oxygen and the drowning problem, but also the bone-chilling temperature. In this situation, no one else could help; only he could still feel it.

Zhou Rui stepped forward, grabbed Huaihua by the neck with one hand, and threw her into Zhou Ping's arms behind him.

"Pingwa, keep an eye on her."

Zhou Rui grabbed his coat collar and pulled hard, popping all the buttons off. With lightning speed, he stripped himself naked in just ten seconds, leaving him only in his underwear.

"Ruiwa, what are you doing?"

"stop……"

"Don't jump."

With a splash, water sprayed everywhere, and Zhou Rui's figure disappeared from the ice surface in an instant.

Zhao Youzhi finally managed to squeeze through and saw Zhou Ping desperately dragging Chen Huaihua, who was about to rush towards the cave entrance, with a pile of clothes left on the ground.

"What happened?"

"Village chief, a child has fallen down, and Ruiwa jumped down after him."

"It looks like the small tree from Huaihua's house."

"Ruiwa is really brave. She went down in this cold weather and doesn't even know if she could make it back up."

The adults who were closest to the scene didn't know who had fallen, but they knew what had happened.

*Slap.* "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Someone nearby saw that this person was speaking without considering the situation and immediately slapped him on the head, saying, "Didn't you see that Chen Huaihua and Zhou Ping are still here?"

"Then what are you all doing standing here? Hurry up and think of a solution!" Zhao Youzhi shouted loudly, his mouth blistered with anxiety.

None of these guys are capable; they just know how to watch the show.

At this moment, Gu Dayong squeezed through.

"Everyone, disperse. Go and guard each cave entrance, see if anyone is there. The rest of you, take your tools and dig out a few more holes."

"Also, keep a close eye on your children. Don't let them go near the hole again."

Gu Dayong, as expected of a former soldier, has excellent organizational skills. With just a few words, he managed to disperse everyone in an orderly manner, preventing them from crowding together.

"Quickly, quickly, everyone get moving and do as Dayong says." Zhao Youzhi immediately ordered his men to disperse when he saw that Gu Dayong had proposed a solution.

After most people ran to the other holes, leaving only a few people around, Zhao Youzhi asked again.

"What do we do next?"

Gu Dayong frowned: "Send the poles we use to pull the fishing nets out in several directions. If Zhou Rui finds someone, we can let him know which direction the hole is in."

Gu Dayong paused for a moment, swallowed, and said, "Also, have Liu Gu drive the livestock over, choose the fastest one, tie it to a sled, and send it to Changhai in the village as soon as the people get on."

Zhou Rui plunged to the bottom of the pond, the water rushing into his ear canals and immediately blocking out all sound.