Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Gao Zhiqiang dropped the large bottle of liquor he was holding with a thud at his feet, rolling several times forward. He didn't even bother to pick it up, his eyes wide open.

"Ruiwa, what did you say? A permanent employee? Or from the forestry farm's supply and marketing cooperative?"

Zhou Xiaolan stood up abruptly, took two steps forward, and grabbed Zhou Rui's wrist, her knuckles turning white from the tension.

"Ruiwa, this is no joke. Regular employees get government-subsidized food rations; so many people are fighting tooth and nail for them. You really saved it for Daya?"

Daya stood there, her ears ringing. The disappointment of not being able to ride the bicycle earlier had long since vanished.

Her face flushed red, her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, and she even held her breath, afraid that if she made a sound, this wonderful opportunity would be ruined.

"Uncle, Aunt, how could I joke about something like this?" Zhou Rui picked up the cigarette that had fallen to the ground, flicked off the ash with his fingers, and handed it back to Gao Zhiqiang.

"I contacted Zhang Zhenbei last week. The quotas have all been registered. I just need to go there, fill out a form, and report to the forest farm next month."

"The monthly wage is twenty-eight yuan, and the grain and cloth coupons are all issued along with the work orders. It's better than earning work points in the village."

Gao Zhiqiang took a deep drag of his cigarette, the smoke making him cough, but his eyes reddened. He raised his hand to wipe his face, his voice trembling.

"You silly child... How could you not tell us about something this big beforehand? My husband and I have worked in the fields our whole lives and never dreamed that our daughter would become a full-time worker."

Zhou Xiaolan was initially overjoyed, but then her brows furrowed, and she moved her lips worriedly, asking, "Do your grandparents know about this?"

"Hmph!" Zhou Rui twitched his nose. "What does this have to do with them? I found the job, and I can give it to whomever I want."

"But...but I'm afraid my older brother will make a scene if he finds out."

"Make a scene? Who are you going to make a scene with? If you come to me, aren't you afraid I'll kick him out again?" Zhou Rui shook his head and chuckled. "If you want to come to me, just say that your uncle's relatives helped you find the job."

"Sigh... They won't believe it. Your uncle doesn't have any relatives in official positions." Zhou Xiaolan was conflicted, feeling both a desire for the job and a fear of falling out with her family.

Gao Zhiqiang suddenly patted the corner of the stool: "No need, Ruiwa. If your brother wants to cause trouble, let him come to me. Why should I give my daughter's job to him?"

Gao Zhiqiang is honest, not weak. He didn't dare to speak loudly at Zhou Dashan's house before because he was poor, so poor that he lacked confidence.

Now, for his daughter's sake, he dares to straighten his spine and endure it.

"There's no need. Just say that I insisted on giving the job to Daya, and that she's my sister." Zhou Rui said this with absolute certainty and unwavering resolve.

"Brother Rui, you're so kind." Gao Daya was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes, and she rubbed against Zhou Rui's arm.

Zhou Rui rubbed the girl's head vigorously, which was reassuring.

Zhou Xiaolan turned away to wipe her tears, and when she turned back, she still had a smile on her face. She reached out and pulled Daya to her side, patting the back of her hand and saying...

"Quickly, quickly kowtow to your cousin. This is an immense favor, and our family will never forget it in this lifetime."

Just as Da Ya was about to squat down, Zhou Rui stopped her with his hand: "Auntie, we're all family, why bother with all this formality?"

"Da Ya is a meticulous and hardworking girl, she's perfect for being a sales clerk at the forest farm store."

"However, Daya still needs to pick up the textbook again and learn more words so that she can have a better future."

"Okay, brother, I'll listen to you." Da Ya nodded repeatedly, and whatever Zhou Rui said went.

Zhou Rui paused for a moment, then changed the subject again: "However, there is something I need to make clear to you in advance. This spot is hard to come by, and things are tense lately, so please don't spread it around."

Just tell the villagers that Da Ya went to work at the forest farm. We can tell others later, once all the official paperwork is finalized.

"We understand. We understand." Gao Zhiqiang stubbed out his cigarette on the sole of his shoe, straightening his back instantly.

"I won't let a single word out! If anyone asks, I'll just say I'm doing odd jobs, and I absolutely won't cause you any trouble."

Just then, a commotion suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, and Gao Jin's wailing voice drifted in.

"Xiao Jin, what happened to you? Did your second sister and third brother beat you up?"

The child was the youngest, and everyone thought he was being bullied by the older ones.

"Waaaaah... They promised to help me with my bike, but as soon as I pedaled, they all ran away. I fell off the bike, and the bellows hit a clod of dirt, scraping my skin, waaaaah..."

"Oh dear, why are you crying like that? Stop wailing and tell me the truth, did you damage your cousin's car?"

Zhou Xiaolan's first reaction was not to her youngest son's injury. In her eyes, a teenager's scrapes and bruises would be fine in a couple of days.

This brand-new 28-inch motorcycle I just got is much more valuable than my son's minor injuries.

Gao Chuang's crying abruptly stopped half a beat, tears clinging to his eyelashes, his mouth agape, frozen in place, forgetting even to cry.

He never expected that going home to complain would result in this outcome; he was less important than a bicycle.

Zhou Rui walked over, brushed the grass clippings off his back, pinched his swollen knee, and turned to wave to Zhou Xiaolan with a smile.

"Don't panic, Auntie. A car is just an inanimate object. If it crashes, it's fine. It's not a big deal."

"Look, this kid's knee is bleeding. Let's find him a clean cloth to wipe it clean and sprinkle some anti-inflammatory powder on it, so it doesn't get infected later."

Gao Zhiqiang sat on the stool with his arms crossed, not moving an inch, showing no intention of intervening.

My family has five half-grown mischievous kids who spend all day rolling around in the mud along the ditches and ridges of the fields.

If someone gets extremely nervous after falling down and howling a couple of times, they won't be able to take care of their work in the fields or their livelihood at home.

"Ruiwa, you absolutely can't leave tonight. Have your aunt go to the kitchen to cook some rice, and then cut down that piece of cured meat hanging on the beam to stir-fry a couple of dishes. We can have a good drink with the hot food."

Zhou Rui quickly waved his hand: "Uncle, it really won't work tonight. I got an urgent job when I came to town, and I have to go to my third senior brother Zhang Shitou's house to borrow a gun later. I'll just grab a couple of cornbreads at his place and make do."

"You have to eat before you can borrow a gun."

Gao Zhiqiang raised his voice and shouted towards the kitchen, "Xiao Lan! Hurry up and start a fire to cook, take out all the rice in the house and let it simmer."

"Da Ya, hurry to Zhang Shitou's house and call his whole family over. Tell them Ruiwa is here, and we're having a feast tonight!"

He was truly triumphant now. His daughter's permanent job at the forest farm was secured, and he was determined to bring out all the good stuff he had saved up over the past six months and splurge on her.

Just as Zhou Rui was about to try to persuade him again, Gao Zhiqiang held his hand tightly and wouldn't let go. Da Ya was already grinning from ear to ear and took off running towards the west end of the village.

Because of his friendship with Zhou Rui, Zhang Shitou often sent wild game he had hunted to the Gao family, and the two families visited each other more frequently than relatives.

Rui came this week, so it was only natural for the two families to have dinner together.