Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Zhou Rui was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) when he woke up from a dream, feeling a little breathless. Opening his eyes, he saw a round, plump body lying on top of him.

Zhou Rui went home quickly last night because things were handled very quickly after Zhao Youzhi arrived.

This kind of thing has happened a few times before in the village, so there's already a template. Besides, there are only a few surnames in the village, and most people are related, so these kinds of things are usually not reported to the commune; they're handled by the brigade.

That way, the news won't spread to other villages, and it'll be better for our reputation.

Zhou Rui wasn't too bothered by Zhou Ji's sudden incident last night, which interrupted his performance. After all, it didn't ruin his plans and might even have unexpected effects.

Zhou Dashan's plan yesterday to use Zhou Ji to divert everyone's attention is impossible.

To have something to talk about, Sister-in-law Shufen and Zhao Laigua would only link Zhou Ji and Zhou Dashan together, so that they would seem to have more information and more news.

Zhou Rui went through the events of last night in his mind, and then prepared to get up.

He carefully moved An'an to the side, afraid that any movement would wake her. Little Niangao slept even more soundly, her little mouth opening and closing.

Zhou Rui climbed up from the kang (a heated brick bed), and smoke began to rise again from the kitchen chimney...

With meat supplies replenished in the warehouse of Xiangyang Forest Farm, Zhou Rui lost his eagerness to go up the mountain. He planned to rest for a while and wait until Xiao Niangao's birthday was over before going hunting.

Her days were leisurely and relaxing. Besides teaching An'an to write, she would occasionally chat with Lin Qiuyue and the others who came to visit about their lives in their respective cities.

Zhou Rui did not lead the conversation; he simply listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with a few insightful remarks that showcased his extensive knowledge to the female educated youth.

That day, having nothing to do, he took An'an and Xiao Niangao to Aunt Changchun's house to discuss with Liu Kangri what dishes to cook for Xiao Niangao's first birthday.

Liu Kangri is a master of Shandong cuisine, a skill passed down through generations. Hearing that Zhou Rui's family had sea cucumbers and prawns from the forest farm, he immediately became interested.

He chatted with Zhou Rui for a while, saying that he would show off his skills and let him know what the master chef of Hongqi Town was all about.

Just as they were getting into the conversation, a loud voice came from outside.

"Fight the Japanese, fight the Japanese, brothers. Is Ruiwazi at your house?"

Everyone in the room was a little puzzled. Who is this? Why are they here looking for someone? Are they in such a hurry?

"Here you are! Come in," Liu Kangri replied.

Soon, two heavy footsteps reached the door one after the other. The door opened, and two burly men walked in, one after the other.

"Brothers in the fight against Japan, I'm sorry to bother you. We have urgent business with Ruiwa."

"Brother Gu." Liu Kangri stood up, and Aunt Changchun and Liu Mo also stood up.

Zhou Rui, holding An'an and Xiao Niangao in his arms, didn't stand up: "Uncle Dayong, Minister Lin, did you need something from me?"

Zhou Rui was somewhat puzzled when he saw Lin Guoqiang. He didn't think Lin Guoqiang had come to commend him with an award certificate; otherwise, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry. He could have just been drinking tea at the brigade headquarters and waiting for him to come.

When Zhou Rui asked the question, Gu Dayong took a step back and let Lin Guoqiang step forward.

Lin Guoqiang nodded to Aunt Changchun's family to express his apology, and then faced Zhou Rui.

"Comrade Zhou Rui, I have a favor to ask of you, it's a personal request."

Zhou Rui was even more puzzled now. He hadn't shown any other abilities in front of others, so what could Lin Guoqiang, as the deputy minister of the armed forces department and the section chief who was also responsible for the hidden network, possibly need his help with?

Zhou Rui tensed up immediately, put An'an on the kang (a heated brick bed), and then gave Xiao Niangao (a small rice cake) to Aunt Changchun to hold.

He then stood up and gestured with his right hand, "Minister Lin, shall we go outside to talk?"

Zhou Rui feared that Lin Guoqiang was referring to matters on the covert side, which were subject to confidentiality.

Lin Guoqiang waved his hand: "No need, let's talk here."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Rui immediately felt relieved; it shouldn't be something that required him to risk his life.

"To make a long story short, here's what happened: I have a childhood friend whose relative went into the mountains with a few young people, and they haven't come back yet after five or six days."

"His family was worried. Last night they went to the home of the guide who led them into the mountains. The guide came back on his own, saying he had gotten separated from his group."

"My childhood friend knew that I worked in Yunshui County and had some connections, so he contacted me and asked me to find some experienced hunters to go into the mountains to search for the person."

After listening, Zhou Rui paused for a moment before speaking.

"So, the person got lost in Yunshui County. But Uncle Dayong is the veteran hunter, right? I've only been hunting for a few days, and I haven't even figured out most of the mountains in Yunshui County yet. How did he find me?"

At this moment, Gu Dayong spoke.

"I'm going too. The old company commander initially approached me directly, but I recommended you instead." Gu Dayong spoke briefly, getting straight to the point.

Why?

"Because you're quick-witted, a good shot, and lucky."

Zhou Rui's mind went blank for a moment. That's it? If he hadn't seen Gu Dayong's serious expression, he would have thought they were making fun of him.

"The most important thing is good luck," Gu Dayong added.

Zhou Rui understood; they wanted to take advantage of his luck.

Who are the people in total?

"Gu Dayong brought you and Jiacheng along, and also invited two hunters from Taiping Town, because the person was lost in Taiping Town."

Lin Guoqiang explained the location.

"He didn't call me master, but he always bows his head in reverence."

"I don't know your master. That's why I came to Dayong first, hoping he could introduce me," Lin Guoqiang explained. After all, in Hongqi Town, Wang Shouye's reputation was much stronger than Gu Dayong's.

"But now that you're here, there's no need for Dayong to introduce you. It would be better if you told your master about it."

"But..." Zhou Rui hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Lin Guoqiang asked Zhou Rui.

He believed that finding the person wouldn't be too difficult; given Zhou Rui's ability to deal with spies, it shouldn't be too challenging.

"There are only five days left until Xiaoniangao's first birthday. I'm afraid I'll miss her first birthday."

Zhou Rui touched Xiao Niangao's little face, feeling conflicted. Xiao Niangao had lost her parents, and he didn't want to miss any important moments in her growth.

Lin Guoqiang looked at Xiao Niangao. He didn't know what the relationship was between this little girl and Zhou Rui, but he felt that Zhou Rui was paying too much attention to her.

Seeing that Lin Guoqiang was somewhat puzzled, Gu Dayong quickly leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words, briefly explaining Zhou Rui's family situation.

Lin Guoqiang then realized that Zhou Rui, at such a young age, was already the pillar of the family.

He pondered for a moment, then looked at Gu Dayong, hoping he could put in a good word for him.

Gu Dayong turned to Zhou Rui and said, "Rui, this is really urgent. These city kids have been in the mountains for six days, and they've been separated from their guide for three days. Saving them is like putting out a fire."

"The problem is that they don't know anything. It's too cold, and inexperienced people won't even be able to find food."

"Alright then, I'll go back and pack now."