Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

An urgent cry came from outside the yard, immediately drawing the attention of those inside the house.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Zhou Dashan, as if grasping at a straw, shouted loudly outside. As long as he could divert everyone's attention, no matter what the matter was, it couldn't be worse than being unfilial.

"Oh no! Zhou Ji has been arrested!"

Like a bolt from the blue, the sudden shock left Zhou Dashan and Tian Xiuying reeling. Zhou Chen had only recently been arrested, and now Zhou Ji had been arrested too. What had his family done to deserve such misfortune?

"Jill? What's wrong with my Zhou Ji?"

Tian Xiuying roughly pushed aside the people blocking the gate and rushed out in a panic. She didn't even know who the person who came to deliver the message was, so she hurriedly asked.

"Huff, huff..." The person had been running too fast and was now a little out of breath as soon as they stopped.

"Tell me quickly!" Tian Xiuying was so anxious she was jumping up and down.

"Huff... Brother Zhou Ji, he... he went to Widow Zhao's house tonight..."

Zhou Dashan came out at this moment and suddenly interrupted the other person: "Why did you go to Widow Zhao's house? Wasn't he going to invite you for drinks?"

Zhou Dashan recognized the person who brought the message; he was a nephew from his own clan, one of the few people Zhou Ji could get along with.

"I don't know either. He was drinking with us guys. After we finished eating, he said he wanted to go home, and we didn't stop him."

"Later, we were all about to turn off the lights and go to sleep when we heard a commotion outside. When we went out to see what was going on, we found a lot of people gathered around Widow Zhao's house."

"We went up to see what was going on and found that Brother Ji was trapped in Widow Zhao's bed, without even wearing clothes."

"Wow, my goodness."

"What's going on? How old is Zhou Ji? How could he do something like this?"

"What else could it be? Like father, like son."

"You mean?"

"I didn't say anything." The man glanced at Zhou Dashan as he spoke.

Zhou Dashan, holding onto Tian Xiuying's shoulder, suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell over.

Zhou Chen is already going to prison, and he'll be over thirty when he gets out. It's uncertain whether he'll even be able to find a wife then. Now, with this incident involving his second son, it's going to cut off Zhou Dashan's lineage.

"He, he...who captured him?" Zhou Dashan felt like he couldn't breathe.

"The militia has already gone."

When Sister-in-law Shufen looked up, she saw the lazy man walking out, and his pace was getting faster and faster.

"Zhao Laigua, where are you going?"

"Go to Widow Zhao's house, where else would we go?"

"Yes, let's hurry up and go, or we won't even get a hot meal."

"Pah! We're here to watch a show, who's going to eat shit?"

"Don't worry about that, let's go."

The intelligence center personnel surged out of Zhou Dashan's courtyard in a noisy, overwhelming even the gate.

"Let's go, let's go too," Zhou Dashan urged Tian Xiuying eagerly.

Zhou Rui glanced at the two unsteady-footed people, then carried An'an on his back and turned back to the east room.

He slowly and deliberately put the lid on the pottery jar, glancing at Zhou Jiutian and Zhao Xiumei with an expressionless face. An'an's eyes were unfocused; her gaze swept over the two of them as if she were passing through a wisp of air.

Zhou Rui turned and left. Now that he had used up his two tools, he was too lazy to continue the charade.

Zhao Xiumei stared blankly at Zhou Rui's departing figure, somewhat at a loss, as if everything that had just happened inside the room was a dream.

"The...the head of the household?" Zhao Xiumei squeezed out a few words, her voice hoarse beyond belief.

"Huh? What?" Zhou Jiutian was stunned for a moment, not yet able to come to his senses.

Seeing his wife looking at him pitifully, Zhou Jiutian sighed.

"Sigh... Eat, then go to sleep. Don't think about anything else."

Zhou Jiutian knew what his wife wanted to ask, but he couldn't give her an answer. At first, he also thought Zhou Rui genuinely cared about them, until that final, cold glance.

The Ruiwa family has been completely heartbroken by them; there's no way to warm their hearts anymore.

"You eat, I'm full." Zhao Xiumei handed over the bowl.

Looking at his wife's withered fingers and the half-full bowl of soup left in the bowl, Zhou Jiutian couldn't help but feel a strange emotion.

It seems that neither sons nor grandsons can be relied upon; my wife and I may have to leave together someday.

He picked up the bowl, took a small sip, and then handed it back.

"I have a sensitive stomach and can't drink too much."

This was the first time Zhao Xiumei had seen her husband like this. He was never polite before and always put himself first.

"Master, should we... take care of Zhou Ji's situation?"

"Stop talking." Zhou Jiutian's voice suddenly became sharp.

Zhao Xiumei was startled and stopped drinking the soup, unsure whether she should drink it or not.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Jiutian's voice immediately softened.

"From now on, let the Dashan family handle their own affairs; we won't interfere anymore. We don't have much left to lose, so let's keep some for ourselves."

Zhou Jiutian felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled how his son and daughter-in-law had tried to snatch the meat soup from his hands.

"Don't mention the stuff we still have left. If something really happens, take your belongings and go...go to Ruiwa's to exchange some."

Zhou Jiutian closed his eyes and finally uttered that name. It was something he hadn't wanted to mention; he had misjudged the person.

As for what to exchange, Zhou Jiutian didn't say, but Zhao Xiumei had been with him for most of her life, so she should understand what he meant.

Zhou Rui carried the earthenware jar and strolled slowly down the alley, heading towards Widow Zhao's house.

It doesn't matter when it happens, it's already happened anyway, I just need to see the ending. If I walk slowly, at least An'an on my back won't feel the bumps.

"Second Brother."

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

"Let's not come to their house anymore, okay?"

Zhou Rui paused, realizing that An'an might have been recalling some unpleasant memories.

"Okay, I'll do whatever An'an says."

Zhou Rui's gentle voice drifted over and seeped into An An's heart.

An'an didn't say anything more, but she tightened her grip on Zhou Rui's neck.

Even if Zhou Rui walked slowly, he would eventually arrive. The courtyard of Widow Zhao's house was already surrounded by a crowd. The noise was so loud that many people had to get out of bed, showing just how eager the villagers were to see what was going on.

When Zhou Rui walked to the edge of the crowd, he saw Widow Zhao and Zhou Ji wrapped in blankets, kneeling in the courtyard. Next to them was a middle-aged man in his thirties holding a pile of clothes, cursing loudly.

Zhou Rui noticed that there were mostly elderly men and women around him, and their discussions mainly revolved around the two men's scandalous behavior and alleged infidelity. However, they couldn't explain the specifics of what happened.

He glanced around and quickly spotted Chen Datou.

He strode towards Chen Datou. Zhou Rui knew that Chen Datou definitely knew things that others didn't.

Moreover, he has clear logic and a better understanding of interpersonal relationships.

"Big Head. Come on, have a smoke."

Zhou Rui handed one over before he even reached the edge. He knew Chen Datou was very concerned about his image, and this gesture would make Chen Datou feel valued.

Sure enough, Chen Datou took the cigarette and even showed it off in front of everyone. Although Zhou Rui had offered cigarettes to everyone else, he was the first one.

"Big Head, what's going on?"

"What else could it be? Jealousy between them."