Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

While the two were having dinner, Da Huang lay down by the fire, resting his chin on his paws with his eyes half-closed.

This dog looked as if it had been working with Zhou Rui for a long time. While its owner was eating, the hound would quietly stay by his side, listening to the sounds from the forest.

After finishing their meal, Zhou Rui put out the fire, and Zhang Shitou packed his bags and prepared to leave.

Without any prompting, Big Yellow wagged its tail and stood up, as if it had been preparing for a long time. Its gaze was somewhat like a wolf's, yet also somewhat like An'an's, carrying a tender and affectionate emotion.

"Big Yellow, clear the way."

Zhou Rui lightly pointed his finger into the depths of the forest, and Da Huang's shadow disappeared into the shadows in a flash. Without the slightest hesitation, he even timed his footsteps perfectly, making no sound as he stepped on the decaying leaves.

With Dahuang leading the way, Zhou Rui and Zhang Shitou were finally able to relax. They no longer had to squat in the mud searching for hoofprints in the grass or try to find their way by moonlight at crossroads. They could simply follow Dahuang's wagging tail.

The mountain breeze was a bit chilly in the middle of the night. Zhou Rui and Zhang Shitou, keeping track of the time they had calculated beforehand, followed Da Huang in the dark towards the shady slope.

After walking for more than two hours, the big yellow dog in front suddenly turned around and let out a very low whimper.

"We've arrived," Zhou Rui whispered.

He had already scanned the area with his senses, and the location of Big Yellow was exactly where it was. Besides being a fierce hunter, Big Yellow also had an excellent sense of smell.

The two men crept along the meadow downwind, barely breathing, where seven wild goats were huddled together in a rocky hollow, dozing off.

The three gunshots rang out almost simultaneously. The male goat collapsed before he could even stand up, and the two female goats followed suit, slumping to the ground.

Big Yellow darted out like an arrow released from a bow, and in less than half a minute it came running back with a half-grown lamb whose legs were trembling with fear in its mouth. The lamb was still gently kicking its legs in its mouth.

"Hehe... This is good, this is good, it's perfect for nourishing my wife's body."

Zhang Shitou, who was preparing to tidy up the wild goat skin, looked up and stared at the plump little lamb, his eyes narrowing into slits with laughter.

Ordinary hunting dogs can catch their prey after a hunter fires a shot, let alone a wild king like Dahuang.

Big Yellow steadily placed the lamb in front of Zhou Rui, its tail rustling against his trousers.

Zhou Rui chuckled and rubbed its head. He swiftly drew his hunting knife from its sheath and, without hesitation, finished off the lamb that had been paralyzed with fear.

The sun climbed past its zenith, and a few cotton-like clouds floated in the clear blue sky. A gleaming old-fashioned motorcycle sped down the earthen slope.

The cart wheels rolled over the sun-warmed bluestone slabs, carrying Zhou Rui and Daya on the front bar, and steadily entered the street entrance of Hongxing Town.

Gao Daya sat sideways on the front beam. The hard iron bar made her buttocks go numb, but she didn't feel the slightest pain. Her mouth was almost stretched to her ears in a grin.

A burlap sack was tied to the back rack of the bicycle, emanating a strong, pungent smell, but it couldn't dampen the two men's joy.

The back gate of Old Man Lang's house was ajar, and a rotten smell could be smelled even through the courtyard wall.

Zhou Rui set up his bicycle, raised his hand and knocked on the door: "Old Lang, open the door, I'm here."

The door creaked open, and Old Man Lang, with his pipe in his mouth, was about to curse when his gaze swept over Zhou Rui, then fell on the big yellow dog following behind him.

Old Man Lang was so frightened that he staggered back a step. The dog's eyes were as fierce as a wolf that had been raised in the mountains, and his gaze made him break out in a cold sweat.

Zhou Rui quickly stepped forward to help him up: "Grandpa, don't be afraid, this is my hunting dog, Dahuang."

Afterwards, everyone went into the courtyard. Zhou Rui carried a sack and followed Old Man Lang into the inner room. When he came out alone, the sack in his hand was much smaller, but he couldn't stop smiling.

"Zhao Xiaogou, you stop right there!"

"Chen Big Nose, don't run away. Maoqiu, Maodou, Maotuan, stop them for me!"

An An's loud voice rang out by the stream, her face contorted with anger as she chased after several mischievous villagers.

Although the three dogs, Maoqiu, Maodou, and Maotuan, were chasing and blocking the enemy under An'an's command, they didn't dare to actually bite, so it wasn't very effective.

A group of women washing clothes by the river watched happily, and no one paid any attention to them.

Zhou Rui's dog looks fierce, but it has never bitten any of the village children, so everyone feels at ease.

"What's going on? Who upset An'an again?" Tie Niu's mother came over with a basin in her hand. Since she had just arrived, she was not yet aware of the situation.

"Hehe, An'an was just standing by the pile of mud, showing off to Yanzi that it was her two-story house. Then a bunch of naughty kids, I don't know which one of them was so greedy, just destroyed the little girl's house. And look what happened."

"Haha... This little girl has quite a temper. But she's also quite bold, daring to chase after several boys all by herself."

"Look at what you're saying. Who in this village would dare to really bully An'an? If they dare to fight back, not to mention Zhou Rui, Pingwa and his friends could beat these hotheaded kids to a pulp."

The women chattered away, but their hands were working quickly.

"Then, who built that mud house?" Tie Niu's mother asked, instantly silencing the entire scene.

"Who else could it be but Widow Zhao's stupid son?" One of the newly married wives blurted out, completely disregarding everyone's reaction.

"Well, isn't it a bit inappropriate for such a respectable family like Zhou Rui's to get involved with that slut? Could it be that Rui-wa is also involved with Widow Zhao?"

"What are you talking about? How could such an upright young man like Zhou Rui have any connection with that slut Zhao the widow? His wife is so beautiful, and she was even an educated youth sent to the countryside."

Although the women in the village loved to gossip, they kept their voices down. After all, Zhou Rui had accomplished quite a few major things in the past two years and had accumulated some prestige in the village.

"An'an, An'an, your second brother is back, and he brought your cousin Daya with him." On the ridge by the riverbank, Chen Huaishu clasped his hands together and shouted at the top of his lungs.

An'an's chasing steps suddenly stopped. She stopped chasing those mischievous monkeys and her face instantly brightened, a big smile spreading across her muddy face.

"Brother Locust Tree, my second brother is back? Where is he?"

"I just ran into them at the village entrance. They should be heading home by now." The two of them, one on the edge of the field and the other on the riverbank, shouted at the top of their lungs, not minding the trouble at all.

An An immediately abandoned everyone and rushed home, while the three dogs hesitated for a moment before following behind.

Although we had a lot of fun just now, with a large group of children playing with us, protecting An'an is the top priority, and everything else can be put aside.

"Da Ya, wipe your face. Are you tired from the journey? Are you hungry?"

Lin Qiuyue showed no impatience at Gao Daya's arrival; her enthusiasm made Daya feel flattered.

"Second, second sister-in-law, I, I can do it myself."

"I'm not hungry at all. On the way here, my second brother bought me some big steamed buns from a state-run restaurant."