Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

"I don't go looking for trouble, but I'm not afraid of trouble either." Zhou Rui tapped the table twice with his other hand, and a crack appeared on the tabletop after the tapping.

"We don't touch used guns. If you have any real, effective ones, we'll buy them at your price plus 10%."

"If it's all this junk, we'll just turn around and leave, and pretend today never happened."

"If we really get physical, your mud-brick house might not be able to withstand my punches. In the end, you can decide for yourself who suffers the loss."

The two burly men blocking the door exchanged a glance, but neither dared to rush forward.

The pockmarked man's wrist was throbbing with pain and he broke out in a cold sweat. He stared into Zhou Rui's eyes for half a minute, then suddenly grinned. This time, the missing teeth he revealed didn't look so fierce.

He pulled his hand back, shook it off, turned around and rummaged through the pile of dusty old guns against the wall, dragging out a locked iron box from the very back, and clicked it open.

Inside lay three guns, worn black from constant use. The gun bodies had no new paint on them, but the barrels were polished to a shine, clearly old items that had been used properly.

"That box was just for show, for laymen." The pockmarked man pushed one of the bottles in front of Zhou Rui, his clear voice now tinged with admiration.

"I knew the people who came in today wouldn't get along, but I didn't expect them to be so knowledgeable."

These are some of my best stock from the north. I'm not raising the price by 10%, consider it an apology to my brother.

Hu Dongmu's heart finally settled down. Although he didn't let go of the machete, he loosened his grip.

Tong Lei quickly stepped forward, lit a cigarette, and handed it to him.

"Why didn't you just agree to this earlier? Although I don't work for the big boss, I often get my goods from the second boss, so we're practically acquaintances in the market. It's like we became friends after a fight."

"As long as your weapons are tough enough, I'll bring more people to your side in the future."

The pockmarked man raised his eyes, his gaze lingering on Tong Lei's face for a few seconds, as if trying to etch that face into his mind, before waving his hand to dismiss the two burly men.

The second boss's main business is debt collection. All the items he deals with are items pawned by gamblers. Anyone who can get goods from him is a veteran who has been in the black market for many years.

Tong Lei was exchanging pleasantries with the pockmarked boss, but Zhou Rui seemed not to hear him at all. He bent down and took out the three old guns covered in a thin layer of dust from the corner of the wall.

Two gleaming hunting rifles and a rugged old-fashioned rifle.

He sat on the wooden stool, his fingertips slowly tracing the grain of the stock, pulling the bolt open and closing it, even removing the firing pin, and carefully examining the wear and dents on the surface by the light from the window.

Five minutes later, he handed the relatively lightweight single-barreled shotgun to Hu Dongmu, who had been standing quietly to the side: "Choose this one; it's more comfortable for you to use now."

Hu Dongmu subconsciously took the gun, but his eyes never left the rifle.

Just now, he stared at the outline of the gun, which looked very similar to the one Zhou Rui had used. He had already imagined himself wielding this gun and wreaking havoc in the forest.

"Brother Rui, that one..." His voice was a little strained, and he gently lifted his fingertips toward the rifle.

Zhou Rui followed his gaze and said calmly, "That's the Type 53 carbine, which is a copy of the Soviet Mosin-Nagant M1944 carbine produced in my country. It's what the older generation often calls the 'water-type rifle'."

"Its rate of fire is too slow, and the recoil and handling are too difficult, so it's not suitable for a beginner like you."

"If I could find a five or six half here, I would definitely recommend you give it a try. As for this one, forget it."

"I've checked this one. The sights are sharp and the recoil isn't too bad. A beginner can practice for half a month and hit it accurately. Plus, it can be loaded with shotgun shells, so it can hold its own against a pack of wolves."

"Young man, all made your choice? Pretty good gun, huh?"

The shop owner, who had been listening intently to the commotion, came over with a warm smile on his face, a stark contrast to the indifferent attitude he had shown when Zhou Rui and his companions first entered.

"Not bad, this will do." Zhou Rui pointed to the hunting rifle in Hu Dongmu's hand: "Also, add some bullets, two hundred slugs and one hundred shotgun shells. Boss, give me a fair price."

"Sure. This gun is three hundred, bullets are extra. Slugs are three mao each, shotgun shells are two mao. So, when you calculate it like this..."

The shopkeeper's abacus beads rattled erratically as he looked up and smiled, "Three hundred and eighty yuan in total, I'll give you the cost price."

Zhou Rui frowned slightly. The price was obviously inflated, but he wasn't sure about the current market situation, so he subtly gave Tong Lei a wink.

Tong Lei immediately understood and stepped forward, saying, "Boss Lu, this price is unfair. How much does a new gun cost? Your gun is quite old... Besides, the bullets weren't even this cheap when Boss Lin was here."

"Brother Tong, you can't say that. This gun looks old, but I had a mechanic take it apart and maintain it. On the shooting range, it'll be just as good as a new one. As for the bullets, I have some cheap reloadable rounds here, half price. Are you willing to use them?"

Since the task of negotiating the price was entirely entrusted to Tong Lei, Zhou Rui and Hu Dongmu completely stepped aside.

One person bent down and repeatedly stroked the texture of the gun, while the other turned to look at the other items on the shelf.

"Done, that's three hundred and twenty-eight in total, for good luck." Tong Lei walked over with a smile, his voice a little hoarse, clearly having wasted a lot of breath earlier.

Zhou Rui patted Tong Lei on the shoulder with a smile: "Okay, thanks for your hard work. Once Dongmu hits some wild animals with this new gun, I'll definitely save the first good piece of meat for you."

"Of course. I'll bring the prey right to your doorstep, fresh and hot." Hu Dongmu held his new gun, his smile never fading.

After leaving the dilapidated house, the area became much more lively, with stalls set up and many more people around.

"Rui-ge, shall we go for another walk? It looks lively here with people coming and going."

Zhou Rui glanced at Hu Dongmu, and he could easily see through Hu's thoughts. Just like when he first made a lot of money, the money was burning hot in his pocket, and he wanted to bring home everything he saw.

However, forcing him to listen at this point would only hurt their brotherly feelings, and saying too much would only make him unhappy.

"I won't go. I'm afraid my wife will worry if I get home too late. You should also take it easy and keep your money in several places. Don't flaunt your wealth."

When Zhou Rui rushed back to Jiaolongxia Village under the silvery moonlight, the entire village in the mountain valley had long been shrouded in darkness, with only a lone lamp like a warm star nailed in the dark night.

He lightly touched the courtyard gate with his fingertips, and the hinges turned silently. The door was not bolted; it was left there especially for this person returning late at night.

Zhou Rui greeted Mao Mao in the yard and went straight into the house.

The oil in the old oil lamp in the inner room was almost gone, but in its dim light, one could clearly see a person lying on the kang table, with an unfinished garment beside them.

"Second brother, you're back? What delicious food did you bring...?"

As Zhou Rui stepped across the threshold, he thought his heavy footsteps had woken his little sister. But when he looked up, he saw that An'an was not awake at all. She had just turned over in a daze, and her little mouth was making such a soft smacking sound that it was almost inaudible.

Zhou Rui couldn't help but laugh. So this little girl was talking about food even in her sleep.

He tiptoed over, moved An'an a little further into the kang (heated brick bed), and then pulled over a small quilt and draped it over An'an and Xiao Niangao's bellies to keep them warm at night.

Then he half-squatted down, carefully supported the back of Lin Qiuyue's head, and slowly and steadily placed her head on the pillow so that she could sleep more soundly.