Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

After a satisfying meal, Wang Shouye led his apprentices to Hongxing Town. Lu Cheng wasn't from the town; he had only gotten a job as a mountain patrolman because a relative in the commune had helped him.

Although this job has a formal position and a salary, the salary is really not high.

If other rangers had this job, they would naturally be living a life of luxury thanks to their hunting skills. But Lu Cheng really didn't have that talent, had never apprenticed under a master, and didn't know anything about herbs, so he hadn't been able to get rich.

However, he was daring and carried an old rifle around everywhere. He knew all the happenings in the mountains and made a little money by selling this information.

He was lucky this time, discovering such a large herd of blue sheep. However, the hunters he knew were all too stingy, usually giving him only a pittance and looking down on him, which is why he asked someone to find Wang Shouye.

Wang Shouye, the gunner, was renowned for his warmth and generosity, which led to this "two-way trip."

dong dong dong.

A knock came at the door of an old house on the outskirts of Hongxing Town. This house certainly didn't belong to Lu Chengde; he was just renting two old rooms there, without a courtyard. And it was cheap, of course, only three yuan a month.

"Wang Pao, you're here. Come in, come in quickly."

The door opened, and a young man in his early twenties came out. Seeing so many people, guns, dogs, and a large mule, he was first stunned, then overjoyed.

It seems Wang Shouye is preparing for a big operation. Good, good. Anyway, it's already agreed that his payment is calculated per sheep; the more he catches, the more he earns. Now, that should be enough for the bride price to marry Ah Xiang, right?

Looking at Lu Cheng's beaming face, everyone could hardly guess what he was thinking, assuming he was just happy about the money he was about to earn.

They tossed the dog and the mule outside and filed in. The outer room wasn't very big, and it felt a bit cramped once the group of people entered.

While Lu Cheng was pouring water for the group, Zhou Rui took the opportunity to look around. The room was small and didn't have many large pieces of furniture; some commonly used items were scattered haphazardly.

Bowls of hot water were being poured, but when it came to Wang Zhen, there were no bowls left, and the thermos was empty.

"Wang Pao, I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to bring so many people. We really weren't prepared at home." Lu Cheng rubbed his hands awkwardly.

"There's no need for such formalities. These four are all my apprentices; two bowls are enough for the four of them."

Wang Shouye took a sip of hot water and dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. That was Wang Shouye's character; he was there to cooperate, not to gloat.

"But you should also get married soon. Only then can the house be kept clean and life more comfortable, right?"

Wang Shouye was a pleasant-speaking and open-minded person, and Lu Cheng was happy to chat with him.

"Hehe... I do have a sweetheart, she's the prettiest girl in our village, named A Xiang. But her family isn't well-off, she has a lot of younger siblings."

Her mother demanded a high dowry, and I haven't been able to save enough over the years, otherwise I would have married her long ago.

Zhang Shitou and Zhou Rui took the bowls of water from their two senior brothers without hesitation, downing them in one gulp as if they were drinking alcohol. Mainly, Lu Cheng was talking about her boyfriend, and such juicy gossip was too good to pass up.

Moreover, he noticed Zhang Shitou's eyes were shining, indicating he was listening very attentively. Mainly, he heard Zhang Shitou say that he had gone on two blind dates when he went home, but was dissatisfied with both.

The woman's family looked at his dilapidated old house and meager belongings, and disliked his family's poverty, leaving without even mentioning a bride price.

He couldn't just display the banknotes directly; that wouldn't be showing off, it would attract thieves.

"Brother Lu, your girlfriend is very beautiful, isn't she? How much dowry does your family want?" Zhou Rui interrupted directly.

"Of course. My girlfriend is incredibly beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the whole area. She has a slender waist and legs, comparable to the female educated youth who were sent down to the countryside. She's hardworking and filial to her parents."

Lu Cheng got really excited when he talked about this, but his face immediately fell.

"It's just that her mother is a bit... a bit materialistic, and the dowry she asked for was a bit high. If I weren't short of money, I would have married her long ago."

"Which village is Ah Xiang from? How much dowry is her family asking for?" Zhou Rui asked the dowry question for the second time.

"What? You want to take Ah Xiang from me?" Lu Cheng's expression changed, and he became somewhat wary.

Seeing this, Zhou Rui quickly waved his hand; "No, no. Have a smoke."

Zhou Rui handed out one to each person, lit it, and took a light puff.

"Didn't you tell me that Ah Xiang has a younger sister? Ah Xiang is beautiful, so her sister must be pretty too. My third senior brother is also going on blind dates recently. If her sister is good-looking, maybe you two can become brothers-in-law."

Zhou Rui finished speaking in one breath, without even pausing for breath. Everyone thought he was trying to poach someone else's girlfriend, and he couldn't let anyone misunderstand.

Lu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this; at least it wasn't someone trying to steal his wife.

He saw Wang Shouye and his men when they came in; they were all wearing military overcoats and carrying military backpacks. They had several Type 56 rifles and were accompanied by so many dogs and mules—they were definitely not short of money. If they really tried to take Ah Xiang from him, he wouldn't have a chance.

"Our village is located in the northwest of Hongxing Town, called Aoshan Village, which is also a poor place. Axiang's surname is Li, and her name is Li Xiang. Her mother said that if you want to marry Axiang, you have to pay a dowry of 180 yuan, a bicycle, and 10 jin of fatty pork."

"Good heavens, that's expensive. This dowry is enough to buy a wife in this county town. Haven't you thought about finding a wife in Hongxing Town?" Gu Shaofeng blurted out.

Zhang Shitou was also somewhat astonished. In their village, getting a wife only required a dowry of twenty yuan plus ten jin of rice or flour. He never expected that this Ah Xiang would be so expensive.

"How can that be the same? Can there be a woman as beautiful as Ah Xiang in this town?" Lu Cheng said somewhat displeased. "My Ah Xiang is worth this dowry. Otherwise, why do you think I've waited so many years?"

Zhou Rui looked at Lu Cheng, who was twenty-four or twenty-five years old, and nodded. It seemed that Ah Xiang was indeed a great beauty. Otherwise, Lu Cheng wasn't bad-looking, and he even had a job in town. There was no other reason why he wasn't married yet.

"It's okay. As long as you see Qingyang this time, I guarantee you'll marry Axiang."

Zhou Rui patted Lu Cheng on the shoulder, giving him plenty of confidence: "By the way, how old is Ah Xiang's eldest sister, and what's her name?"

"Second sister Li Yun, eighteen years old. No, are you really going to arrange a blind date for your third senior brother? Let me tell you, the bride price is really not low."

Lu Cheng glanced at Zhang Shitou. Although he was dressed well, he wasn't as handsome as Lu Cheng, and he didn't have a job in town. He didn't have any advantages.

"Alright, stop chatting. It's getting late, let's head up the mountain." Wang Shouye put down his bowl.

Any problems can be discussed on the way; hunting is the top priority right now. Even though the herd of blue sheep is so large and deep in the mountains, it's not entirely safe.

If a hunter spots them first, their trip will be in vain.

"Oh, you're leaving already? You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go make some food right away."

"We've all eaten, and we brought some big steamed buns with us. If you haven't eaten, you can eat them on the way."

"This..." Lu Cheng hesitated. Everyone else had eaten, but he hadn't, which felt a bit unfair.

"Village beauty Ah Xiang!" Zhou Rui whispered in his ear, hitting the mark precisely.