Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

"Zhou Rui, what brings you here? You must have something to discuss with me so early in the morning." Zhang Zhenbei was quite surprised to see Zhou Rui. He had thought that his relationship with Zhou Rui was just a one-time transaction and that they would never cross paths again, but he didn't expect to see Zhou Rui in his office as soon as he arrived at work.

Because the security guard had called Zhang Zhenbei's office last time to confirm, he assumed Zhou Rui was Director Zhang's nephew. This time, he let Zhou Rui in without asking, which is why Zhou Rui appeared directly in the office.

"Uncle Zhang, it's nothing. I went up the mountain yesterday and shot down something big with the gun you gave me, and I also picked some medicinal herbs. I'm going to the supply and marketing cooperative in town to ask about the price, and I'll bring back some fresh game for you to try." Zhou Rui said, taking a deer leg out of his basket, and then pulling out something wrapped in oil paper. "This was shot with a Mauser rifle from over there."

Zhang Zhenbei stared at the bare, skinless deer leg, still unable to recognize what animal it was, until he unwrapped the oil paper, revealing the entire deer penis and the tuft of hair on it. "This is a deer's... a deer penis?"

"Yeah, a full-grown sika deer. I shot it right in the head. Uncle Zhang, let me tell you, that shot was really powerful. At a distance of over a hundred meters, one shot took it down."

Zhang Zhenbei didn't hear what Zhou Rui said clearly, only that Zhou Rui said it was a sika deer, and quickly grabbed Zhou Rui's hand. "What about the other parts? The antlers, the heart?"

"Um...it's in the basket." Zhou Rui thought Zhang Zhenbei might need it, but he didn't expect him to be so excited. Could it be that he's impotent? Zhou Rui's mind raced with all sorts of thoughts.

Zhang Zhenbei certainly didn't have that kind of problem, but he did have another, incurable flaw: an insatiable thirst for power. However, Zhang Zhenbei didn't have much of a background, so he could only curry favor with his superiors by frequently solving their problems. The last time he bought Zhou Rui's job quota was to ingratiate himself with his boss's wife. Although Xiangyang Forestry Farm occasionally managed to hunt or acquire sika deer, none of them ever reached Zhang Zhenbei's hands; they were immediately divided up by the other leaders of the forestry farm.

If I had these treasures from the sika deer, the city's higher-ups and their wives would be very satisfied, and getting promoted one or two ranks wouldn't be a problem at all.

"What about deer blood? With deer blood, you could make a few jars of deer blood wine, and the effect would be..."

But before Zhang Zhenbei could finish his fantasy, Zhou Rui shattered it. "No, we don't even have any containers at home, there's nothing to put it in, it's all wasted on the mountain."

"Oh dear, what a pity, why didn't you bring a military water bottle?"

"Without industrial tickets, you can't buy them."

"I'll give you one when you leave; I have extras."

"How could I possibly take your things for free? I'll pay for them in return," Zhou Rui said politely.

"Don't worry about the money, consider it a gift from your Uncle Zhang. Remember to bring some next time you go up the mountain, otherwise all that deer blood will be wasted."

"By the way, why didn't you bring more venison?"

"I was just planning to bring some herbs to sell to the supply and marketing cooperative, but they don't accept wild animals. Going to the black market would just be speculation, wouldn't it?"

"What black market? Did I tell you to go to the black market?" Zhang Zhenbei nudged Zhou Rui. "Aren't you a temporary purchasing agent for Xiangyang Forest Farm? Deliver directly to the forest farm canteen. I'll give you a formal slip later, and from now on, all the game you hunt will be priced at market value. Just go directly to Manager Deng at the canteen."

The canteen manager at the forest farm is under the supervision of Director Zhang, and is considered a formal purchasing agent for the forest farm.

Zhou Rui scratched his head. "Hehe, okay then, I'll listen to Uncle Zhang."

Zhang Zhenbei looked at Zhou Rui's "simple-minded" appearance, smiled, pointed at Zhou Rui, and said, "You little rascal..."

Then he looked at the various parts of the sika deer on the table, but didn't even glance at the other herbs in the basket. After all, Zhang Zhenbei wasn't a doctor and didn't recognize them.

"Alright, I'll price the deer antlers at market price: eighty yuan each, one pair for one hundred and sixty yuan. The other parts—deer heart, deer liver, and deer tendons—will be bundled together for forty yuan. Deer penis…"

Zhou Rui quickly interrupted, "The deer penis and meat don't count. I already said they're gifts for you. Aren't you my uncle? Isn't it only right that I bring you something nice to show my respect?"

"You'll regret this. I estimate this deer penis will fetch around thirty yuan, which isn't cheap."

"How could I go back on my word? Since I said I'd give it to you, I don't care about the price. Uncle, I may be young, but I know that a man's word is his bond." Zhou Rui patted his chest.

"Alright, since you put it that way, I guess your Uncle Zhang is taking advantage of you, the younger generation." Zhang Zhenbei agreed with a smile. "Then the deer antlers and deer heart will cost you two hundred yuan in total. Wait here, I'll get the money for you."

After saying that, Zhang Zhenbei took out a wad of cash from the drawer, counted out twenty large bills, and gave them to Zhou Rui.

Zhou Rui didn't even count the money; he just rolled it up and stuffed it into his pocket. "Uncle, I'll be going now if there's nothing else."

"Why are you leaving? Let's eat in the cafeteria first."

"No, Uncle Zhang, I still need to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to sell herbs, and I also need to buy some daily necessities for the little ones at home. Next time, when I catch something good, I'll definitely try the cooking of the forest farm's chef."

"In that case, I won't keep you any longer. Next time, I'll definitely stay for dinner and have a couple of drinks with your Uncle Zhang."

Zhou Rui, carrying his newly acquired military water bottle and having filled it with boiling water, bid farewell to Zhang Zhenbei and left.

As I left Xiangyang Forest Farm, I offered the gatekeeper a cigarette and chatted for a bit. I mainly mentioned that I'd gotten a temporary job as a purchasing agent and would be frequently delivering game to the farm, asking the gatekeeper for a favor.

The gatekeeper glanced at the military water bottle Zhang Zhenbei had given him and thought, "This kid seems to be favored by Director Zhang; he must be a real relative." Then he noticed the half-empty pack of cigarettes left in the guardhouse and muttered to himself, "This kid really knows how to handle things. He doesn't look down on people just because he's related to the director. Unlike some people..."

Zhou Rui was unaware of the gatekeeper's thoughts after he left; his actions were entirely based on his own whims. In his previous life, he often chatted with the gatekeeper over a cigarette, and the gatekeeper would gossip about various things in the neighborhood—nothing serious. But he didn't know that the gatekeepers at his workplace were completely different from those in his future residential community. They were not only officially employed but also part of the forestry station's security department, authorized to carry firearms.

Zhou Rui carried the herbs to the side gate of the supply and marketing cooperative. This was a special purchasing window opened by the cooperative to buy agricultural products and medicinal herbs from the mountains.

There were few people at the window, only a few carrying eggs and herbs. Zhou Rui was soon called. He put down his basket and took out dried Ganoderma lucidum and Atractylodes lancea.

The purchasing agent, around forty years old, casually flipped through the items: "Second-grade Ganoderma lucidum, fifteen yuan per jin. Third-grade Atractylodes lancea, two yuan and twenty cents per jin."

"So cheap?" Zhou Rui was somewhat dissatisfied. Leaving aside the Atractylodes macrocephala, perhaps it was harvested at the wrong time of year. But the Ganoderma lucidum was top-quality, and even second-grade was far too cheap.

"This is the price. Take it or leave it. I didn't set this price. If you want a higher price, go to the state-run pharmacy in the city. I don't specialize in buying medicinal herbs here," the buyer said impatiently.

"Fine, let's sell it." Zhou Rui was dissatisfied but had no choice. This supply and marketing cooperative's purchasing station wasn't privately owned, so there was no room for bargaining. But next time he found wild ginseng, he absolutely couldn't sell it here; he'd lose a fortune.

"Six ounces and three mace of Ganoderma lucidum, nine yuan and forty-five cents; five catties and three ounces of Atractylodes lancea, eleven yuan and sixty-six cents; the total is twenty-one yuan and one mace." The purchasing agent calculated as he weighed the items. Finally, he wrote out a purchase order and handed it to Zhou Rui, telling him to go to the finance office to get the money.