Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Wang Jianping skillfully started the engine with the crank handle, and then the car bumped its way out of the forest farm.

At this moment, Gu Shaoting, along with a group of uncles and brothers, was already waiting by the roadside outside the village. Several of the older ones were squatting on the ground smoking pipes.

"Brother Shaoting, is it really true that you get two yuan a day for wages, plus five jin of meat?"

A group of young men gathered around Gu Shaoting, one of whom was still somewhat puzzled, after all, the wages were quite high.

"Of course it's true. Didn't your brother explain it to you clearly? You're going to stay in the deep mountains and forests for two days."

"I told you, but I didn't expect such high wages. Even when villagers were selected as temporary workers at the forest farm, they didn't earn this much."

"It's different. You can work as a temporary worker at the forest farm for a few months, but for Fifth Brother and the others, it's a one-off deal."

"Shaoting, did Shaofeng and the others really hunt so many blue sheep? I've never heard of such a thing. How could just a few people hunt so many animals?"

"That's different. Who is Shaofeng's master? That's the famous Wang Pao from our town. He can lead a hunting party just like an ordinary person."

Gu Shaoting held Wang Shouye in high esteem. After all, Wang Shouye had already made a name for himself many years ago. His father had brought Gu Shaofeng to his door several times before they finally got their wish and he became Wang Shouye's apprentice.

"Brother Shaoting is right. Wang Pao is truly something else. He's not only the best hunter in our town, but he's also one of the top hunters in the county."

Then the group started chattering about which gunner in Hongqi Town was the best, and which hunter had gotten into trouble in the mountains last time.

So-and-so got a new big skin, and some lucky guy got a big stick.

Beep beep... The truck honked its horn from a distance and was slowly making its way towards Gujiatun.

"Coming, coming, get up quickly."

The truck arrived quickly, and about ten seconds later, a screeching sound of brakes rang out, and Zhou Rui jumped out of the passenger seat.

"Big brother, is everyone here?"

"Everyone who was notified has arrived; there are twenty-five people in total, including me."

Zhou Rui nodded; the number of people was about right. Then he suddenly turned his head: "Big brother, are you going too?"

"Go for it. Why not go if there's money to be made? Besides, you can check on how Xiao Wu is doing."

Zhou Rui immediately understood that it must have been the old man or the old woman who gave him the task.

"Alright, let's get in the car and go. Uncles and brothers, this truck just carried seafood, so the smell is a bit strong. Please don't mind."

Zhou Rui clasped his hands in a respectful greeting to everyone. These were all Gu Shaoting's relatives, each older than him and considered elders.

"This is Zhou Rui, Shao Feng's junior brother. Please forgive him if I haven't taken good care of him."

Gu Shaofeng stood by and helped out; this was one of the tasks the old man had assigned him—to support Zhou Rui.

"That's nothing. Back when we worked for the railway bureau, we were covered in machine oil and would just lie down and fall asleep."

"Third Brother is right. Back then, I cleaned up the village's latrines for days and nothing came of it. The newly reclaimed land in the village was so barren back then that our generation scraped all the latrines in the village clean."

Everyone echoed Zhou Rui's words, and not one of them complained about the stench in the car. Everyone was in it for the money; nobody cared about the environment.

"Alright, alright. Everyone get on the bus, let's not waste any time, we'll be back as soon as possible." Gu Shaoting interrupted the chatter, taking control of the pace.

After everyone got into the car, Wang Jianping stepped on the gas and headed towards Hongxing Town.

The truck kept accelerating, causing the group of people in the back to sway left and right. Not only did they not complain, but several young people even shouted excitedly.

The truck drove for more than two hours and finally arrived at the cave. Under Zhou Rui's direction, it stopped on an open space by the roadside.

The truck bed in the back was already silent. Zhou Rui got out and opened the side panel of the back bed. The more excited these men had been at the beginning, the more dejected they were now.

In the back of the truck, with no shelter, the group huddled together, their faces and heads covered in frost, having been exposed to the cold wind.

"Come on down. There's a hot spring inside; let's all go take a bath and warm up."

At this moment, Wang Jianping turned off the car, jumped out of the driver's seat, and looked up.

"Brother Zhou Rui, there are cliffs all around this road, and no way to climb it!"

"Haha... Brother Wang, wait a minute, you'll know how to get there in a bit."

Zhou Rui waited until everyone in the back of the truck got out before closing the side panel of the truck bed.

He walked up to Wang Jianping and quietly asked, "Brother Wang, is it okay to leave this car here on the side of the road?"

"It's alright. Who would dare to touch a government vehicle like that? Besides, I wasn't leaving for long, just for a little while, it's fine."

As Wang Jianping spoke, he pulled a pistol from a hidden compartment in the driver's seat. This car could be parked anywhere, but a gun still had to be carried at all times.

"Brother Wang, I didn't know you were carrying a gun?"

"They're provided by the farm. In Xiangyang Forest Farm, most of us long-distance drivers have them. Even though they're government vehicles, after driving all over the country for so long, there are always a few bad apples who do bad things."

Zhou Rui nodded in agreement. No matter how strict the laws are in the past or future, there will always be a group of people who will take risks for profit, without exception throughout history.

Zhou Rui led the group across the road to a dense vine-covered area opposite the truck. He parted the withered vines that had spread down the mountainside, and a hole about the height of a person immediately appeared in their eyes.

Zhou Rui took out several flashlights, kept one for himself, and gave the rest to Gu Shaoting to distribute.

Zhou Rui led the way, pulling Wang Jianping along, followed by more than twenty people who filed in like a long snake.

After passing through a cave several hundred meters long, the group felt as if they had arrived in a paradise. The valley was not only filled with green grass, but also had a hot spring with steaming heat.

"Quick, everyone, wash up!" So everyone rushed over to the pool and splashed water on their faces.

"Damn it, I was washing my face, and you put your stinky feet in the water?"

"Xiao Shunzi, what's wrong with you? Can't you see your uncle is washing his face?"

"Hehe...Aren't my feet frozen stiff? Bubbles, hehe, bubbles."

Having no other choice, the others could only move away from him and wash themselves first. After washing, they all called on Shunzi, the young man, to put his feet in the pool, looking quite content.

"Brother Wang, why don't you go take a shower?" Zhou Rui asked curiously.

After all, it's not easy to find a hot spring in the mountains on such a cold day. Most people would go up and take a look as soon as they see it.

"Let them shower first; we need to get going soon. I'll go in and have a good soak after they leave."

Zhou Rui gave a thumbs up: "Brother Wang, you really know how to enjoy yourself."

"Enjoy what? Actually, if there weren't government cars parked outside, I'd like to go up the mountain with you guys. Hunting in the mountains is much more fun."

"That's true. Protecting the nation's vital assets is of paramount importance, but it will be hard on you, guarding them all by yourself."

If it weren't for the lack of a guide on the way up the mountain, I would have stayed here with you. There are some small creatures to hunt in this valley.

After resting for about ten minutes, the fatigue in their legs dissipated, and they were preparing to pack up their things and head up the mountain. At that moment, a dark shadow appeared in the mist that filled the valley.

"Who's there?"