Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Zhang Zhenbei, Wang Shouye, Gu Shaofeng, and their group of apprentices all turned to look. What was wrong with Zhou Rui? He wasn't usually such a stingy person.

"My niece is turning one year old next month, and I'm going to throw a few tables. I need to save some bear paws. Otherwise, when you come over for drinks, I won't have any good food to serve you."

"Oh, your brother's child is turning one next month? That'll require a big feast. But Ruiwa, your standards are a bit high, comparable to the state-run restaurant in the county."

Although Zhang Zhenbei had never met Zhou Rui's family, he knew about their situation. He never expected that Zhou Rui would go to such lengths for his niece.

"Yes, yes, yes, we should have a big celebration for Little Rice Cake's first birthday. Next time we go up the mountain, we should find some flying dragon and venison to store up and make a proper feast."

Wang Shouye echoed this sentiment, knowing that Zhou Rui always cared about his family and would always keep some of the good stuff he caught to take home.

"Wang Pao, your standards are getting higher and higher. Looks like I'll have to prepare a few bottles of good wine in advance, or I'll be too embarrassed to come over."

"Haha... Director Zhang, just bring your mouth when you come to my door. I have some leopard bone wine that I brewed a few days ago. I guarantee you'll enjoy it to the fullest."

The group left Zhang Zhenbei's office, and it was time to divide the money. The bear bile sold for 6,800 yuan, and the more than 2,000 jin of bear meat sold for more than 3,000 yuan, bringing the total to just over 10,000 yuan.

Wang Zhen and Zhang Shitou were already used to it and weren't as excited as the first time. Anyway, they could make a lot of money by following their master and junior brother.

However, when the group arrived at Old Man Xing's place, they unexpectedly received some news.

"Wang Pao, I have another order here. Could you do it for me?" Old Xing held 950 yuan in his hand, but didn't rush to pay.

Wang Shouye didn't care about any of that and snatched the money directly from Old Man Xing's hand. This money was for three black bear skins and one very large brown bear skin, and had nothing to do with any mission order; he wouldn't be blackmailed.

"Tell me, can I accept this?"

"That's right. The shopkeeper who bought the leopard skin last time wants some top-quality mink and fox fur this time, preferably pure white. Of course, he'll still pay a high price."

Old Xing didn't have any other tricks up his sleeve; he could only attract people with his prices each time.

"Pah, no time." Wang Shouye spat on his hand and started counting the banknotes in front of Old Man Xing.

Wang Shouye counted the money not because Old Man Xing gave him a lot, but because Old Man Xing was a businessman who believed in a clean transaction and that all money had to be counted in person.

Unlike Zhang Zhenbei, who could easily pocket tens of thousands of yuan.

"No, don't be so quick to refuse! You haven't even heard me say how much it costs yet!" Old Xing said anxiously, not expecting Wang Shouye to refuse so decisively.

He had originally planned to put on a tough front so he could negotiate a lower price later, but Wang Shouye didn't play by the rules at all and casually refused. Could this be Wang Pao's strategy?

Old Xing was still pondering, thinking that Wang Shouye was trying to control him. Little did he know that Wang Shouye hadn't even considered that possibility; he genuinely didn't have the time.

Mink and foxes are already scarce in Northeast China, and since guns can't be used, traps are the only option; otherwise, the pelts would be ruined. Setting traps requires waiting, and there's no guarantee of a good catch, making it a huge waste of time.

Moreover, the task of the forest farm canteen cannot be delayed. This is a long-term relationship and is considered Zhou Rui's core business. We cannot afford to lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains.

Moreover, Old Xing insists on specifying the color, which makes it even less cost-effective. Right now, top-quality mink fur on the market only costs a few hundred yuan; it's more profitable for him to hunt a few wild boars and send them to the forest farm.

"Old Xing, we really don't have time to deal with this this winter. We promised to do other things. You know I, Wang Shouye, am a man of my word, and I would never break my promise."

Wang Shouye counted the money and handed it to Gu Shaofeng, then explained the situation to Old Man Xing. After all, they would still be doing business together in the future, and he couldn't afford to ruin their relationship.

Besides, Old Man Xing isn't indispensable to him. He's the kind of guy who casts a wide net and trades with whoever has the goods. He won't be stuck with just one person.

"What's going on? Who placed the order? Is there an even bigger order than this? Let me tell you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Each piece of leather is at least 20% more expensive than the market price. You'd better think it through."

Old Xing's tone was full of seduction, and he was subtly trying to get information out of Wang Shouye.

Unexpectedly, Wang Shouye didn't take the bait: "I won't say whose order it is, it's a secret. It's just that it really takes a lot of time. Even so, I had to ask my apprentices for help to finish it."

"In that case, you don't need to go looking for it specifically. Just remember this. If you happen to encounter it on the mountain, just put in a little effort to catch it. I won't treat you unfairly."

Old Xing knew he couldn't persuade Wang Shouye, so he had to settle for second best, as long as Wang Shouye would help him during the hunt.

Moreover, these words were also meant for Zhou Rui and his group. If any of Zhou Rui's group were greedy, it would be even better if they could speak up for Wang Shouye at a crucial moment.

"Okay, I understand. If I happen to catch him, I'll definitely bring him to you." Wang Shouye didn't make any absolute statements, leaving himself plenty of room for maneuver.

Once everything was sold, everything was fine. Next, naturally, it was time to divide the money and go home.

However, Zhou Rui also asked Zhang Shitou for a favor this time. After talking with Zhang Shitou a few times, Zhou Rui learned that Zhang Shitou was actually from the same village as his uncle.

This time, the purpose of parting was naturally to have Zhang Shitou pass on a message to his aunt, inviting her family to Jiaolongxia Village for a feast next month. Zhang Shitou would also come along, so he could get acquainted with her family.

"Ruiwa, let's go. Are we still going to the supply and marketing cooperative?" Since meeting Zhou Rui, Gu Shaofeng has been much more relaxed with his money. Of course, this is also because having money in his pocket has given him a lot more confidence.

"Of course I'll go. But I should go find Tong Lei first, otherwise it'll be a waste of time if I go without tickets, and I'll just be watching from the sidelines."

Zhou Rui always makes a point of visiting Tong Lei whenever he comes, but this time he mainly wanted to gather information. He wondered if there had been any results regarding the matter he had asked Tong Lei for last time.

Tong Lei's place is nearing the end of the year, and they've accumulated quite a few tickets. Many of them were sold by factory workers who couldn't bear to use them.

Tong Lei now has more money and is more willing to hoard these receipts than before, when he only had a pittance.

Zhou Rui and his companion practically snapped up all the tickets, then split them roughly in half. Gu Shaofeng didn't know why he needed so many tickets; he just wanted them because Zhou Rui wanted them, so he could give them to his wife when they got home and let her buy them herself.

Zhou Rui then took the opportunity of going to the toilet to pull Tong Lei aside.

"Brother Tong, any news about what happened last time?"

"Brother Rui, we have some news, but we haven't got any leverage yet. Should I tell you first?"

Their way of addressing each other is quite confusing; they both call each other "brother." Zhou Rui calls him "brother" because Tong Lei is older than him. Tong Lei calls him "brother" because Zhou Rui is a better hunter and also smarter than him.

"Then tell me about it first."

"This chef's name is Zhang Hongbo. He used to be just a farmer. Since he married his current wife a few years ago, he got a job as a chef at the town's woodworking factory thanks to his father-in-law's connections."

"So he's a gigolo of this era?" Zhou Rui muttered to himself.