Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

"Master, what exactly is going on?" Gu Shaofeng had no patience left and kept asking.

Wang Shouye glanced at Gu Shaofeng with disdain; he was too impulsive. Didn't he see that the third and fourth brothers weren't in a hurry at all, sitting there calmly?

"Don't you remember the blizzard a few days ago? The sheep on the high mountains were forced down. And probably because the blizzard came so suddenly, many flocks of sheep gathered together, which is why it's such a large-scale event."

"However, there's an unexpected situation this time: the person who provided the information doesn't want a one-time payment."

"He wants shares?" Zhou Rui was somewhat surprised, as this was the first time he had heard someone not directly asking for money.

"That was one of his demands. He wanted a quarter of the shares, or ten dollars for every sheep he caught."

Normally, people wouldn't make this request; they'd usually ask for tens to hundreds of yuan as payment. It seems this person highly regards Wang Shouye, knowing he'll reap substantial rewards, and prefers an uncertain income.

"Impossible, this person is asking for too much. Master, do you know what he does? Which mountains does he usually roam around in? Let's find him ourselves, we won't ask him for help."

Wang Shouye grabbed a tobacco pipe and knocked it across Gu Shaofeng's head.

"You think you're so smart, treating everyone else like fools. This man is Lu Cheng, a patrolman in Hongxing Town. Hongxing Town is so small, how could you possibly know which mountain he saw the herd of blue sheep on? Besides, if you don't take this job, he can just sell the information to someone else."

Wang Zhen and his three junior brothers watched Gu Shaofeng get a scolding with glee. With a brain like his, it would be a miracle if he didn't get a lesson from Wang Shouye one day.

"We can agree to his second option. He doesn't know how much our channels can sell it for. This is based on the black market price, which is one yuan per jin of mutton. We should still be able to negotiate."

Zhou Rui quickly calculated the pros and cons and concluded that the second option was the most cost-effective for them.

Wang Shouye was very satisfied with Zhou Rui's reaction. He could tell so quickly which plan was in his favor. He was indeed the smartest among his apprentices.

"Of course, I've already talked to him. He'll personally lead us up the mountain to hunt blue sheep. Each blue sheep costs six yuan, and after we've finished, we'll count the number on the spot and then pay him directly."

Lu Cheng is a bit clever, but he's still a bit short-sighted. He only wants to make money, not work. I'll just go with the flow and pay him off later; we can't let them know we're doing business with the government.

Zhou Rui nodded. The mutton was tender, even better than venison. It wouldn't be cheap at the forest farm canteen. Giving Lu Cheng a commission of six yuan per mutton was worthwhile.

"Red Star Town, Third Junior Brother, that's your territory." Gu Shaofeng winked at Zhang Shitou.

"Haven't you heard that your town produces blue sheep?"

"What do you mean my territory? I've only been learning to hunt for a few years. Besides, most of these blue sheep live in the high mountains. You know my skill level before. I wouldn't dare go to such a deep place in the mountains alone."

Wang Shouye agreed wholeheartedly: "Shi Tou is right. Shao Feng, you should learn from this. Hunting in the mountains puts us in danger, so we need to have a clear understanding of our own abilities and not rush headlong into the deep mountains."

"Come on, come on, let's eat. You guys stop chatting and try my cooking." Li Mei brought in the dishes at this moment, rescuing Gu Shaofeng.

"Wow, pork stew with vermicelli, I love this!" Gu Shaofeng hurriedly ran over to help; this heavy pot was no joke.

This is why Wang Shouye can make money now; otherwise, who would dare to eat like this at home? A slice of pork belly with skin weighs several pounds, while the cabbage and vermicelli look like very little in the meat.

At this moment, Wang Zhen followed Li Mei out of the kitchen and brought out two more dishes: candied sweet potatoes and braised pork ribs.

"Come and see. This is my sixth aunt's specialty, braised pork ribs in soy sauce. This sauce is made by my sixth aunt herself, a secret recipe, no one else can make it taste like this."

Zhou Rui took a sniff; it did indeed smell fragrant, indicating that a considerable amount of spices had been added. It wasn't that others couldn't make Li Mei's sauce; it was simply that they were limited by their economic circumstances and couldn't afford to buy the larger spices.

In an era when even oil was scarce, who would buy such a "luxury" as spices to keep at home?

Aside from the lack of alcohol, Gu Shaofeng and his companions thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The candied sweet potatoes were sweet and delicious, and the pork stew with vermicelli was thick and juicy; every bite was bursting with meat.

Each person gets a large bone, too big to pick up with chopsticks, so they just gnaw on it with their hands.

Zhang Shitou ate with the most gusto. His family couldn't afford to eat like this before. Even now, after making so much money, his parents still wouldn't dare do this.

After living frugally for so long, they became very careful with their money and dared not spend it recklessly. If Zhang Shitou hadn't bought some cloth and grain directly from the supply and marketing cooperative in town and brought them back, his mother wouldn't have wanted to spend a single penny; she wanted to save it all for Shitou's wedding.

Gu Shaofeng also ate quickly. It wasn't that his family couldn't afford it, but rather that the Gu family was large and had many members. If they were to eat like this today, they would have to cook over ten kilograms of meat and dozens of kilograms of large bones in one meal.

Only Zhou Rui ate with care, gnawing on a large bone for a full ten minutes. He was savoring the tender, flavorful meat on the bone, wondering if this flavor would suit An'an and Xiao Niangao, so he could try it in the future.

"Master's wife, can you teach me how to make this braised pork ribs? I want to make it for my little sister." Zhou Rui didn't mention the small rice cakes. The baby was too young; she didn't even have teeth yet, so she couldn't chew on these big bones.

Li Mei was overjoyed to hear this; it was recognition of her cooking skills. She even wanted to go back and cook it for her younger sister—she was truly a family man.

"Let me tell you, this braised pork ribs dish uses pork thigh bones as the main ingredient. First, you blanch them to remove all the blood..."

"You also need to add baijiu (Chinese liquor) to remove the fishy smell. I always use your master's Beidahuang brand."

"And this sauce, these soybeans were all handpicked by me, I wouldn't accept them if they were even slightly bad. First..."

Zhou Rui nodded frequently, silently memorizing the recipe and method.

"Ruiwa, eat quickly. Eat more, how can you go up the mountain if you don't eat your fill?" Wang Shouye urged.

"And wife, stop talking. Look at these boys, if they don't start eating soon, they'll lick the plates clean."

Li Mei didn't refute Wang Shouye. She reached out and picked up a piece of vermicelli with her chopsticks, knowing that this was her husband's way of showing her affection.

Looking at the table full of handsome young men, heartily enjoying the dishes she had prepared, Li Mei felt a mix of emotions. Her son and daughter were both grown up and had their own families. When would they be able to gather together again and taste the delicious food she had cooked?

But it'll be soon, Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and my youngest son will be coming home then. My grandson is a few months old now, but I wonder if it'll be cold enough, and if my daughter will bring him back.