Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Qin Zhan's family is large and powerful, and they are currently at a critical juncture of internal power consolidation. Only the rare and precious mountain products from the depths of the mountains can serve as the key link to maintain relations between the various parties and stabilize the situation.

Zhou Rui, a young man who has thoroughly explored the mountains, is the most reliable anchor that the Qin family can hold in their hands right now.

"That's perfect. You'll be in charge of the forest farm's supply and marketing store, and my cousin just happened to get a sales clerk job. Please help her out from now on."

"No problem, your cousin is my own cousin, I promise to take good care of her."

He Wu immediately patted his chest and made a promise, but then changed his tune completely.

"Zhou Rui, Brother Rui, when are we going up the mountain? Um, does Big White still remember me? Has it laid any eggs yet?"

Zhou Rui rubbed his temples, both amused and exasperated. Could this guy, who was pretending to be serious and diligent one second and then dreaming of hunting the next, really manage the supply and marketing cooperative?

"I'll let you know when the autumn harvest begins. While you still have time, get your work sorted out and don't make a mess of the forest farm store."

Zhou Rui left with An An after sitting for a short while, because He Wu's dormitory was empty, without even a glass of water.

However, the two did not leave empty-handed. An'an was carrying a bag, which contained almost half of He Wu's snacks.

With her pockets full of snacks, An'an finally stopped tugging at her parents' clothes and clamoring to go to the supply and marketing cooperative. Sitting on the bicycle frame, her little mouth never stopped.

She would take a bite of milk candy one moment, and then hold up half a piece of hawthorn cake to Zhou Rui's mouth the next. Even the wind whistling past his ears carried the sound of her chattering.

As dawn broke, Zhou Rui led out his family's big mule, Mao Dazhuang.

This mule has always been raised together with several cows in the village, and it seems to be in very good condition.

The cart was attached to the mule.

As they drove the horse-drawn carriage carrying the four people out of the village, they left behind a trail of gossip.

However, none of the four of them cared.

Zhou Rui is tough and unafraid of criticism, Chen Datou is thick-skinned, Zeng Ping is numb from years of experience, and only Zhao Gensheng is completely clueless.

Just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Rui led out the big mule he kept in the village, hitched it to a cart, and steadily carried the four of them onto the road.

As the wheels rolled over the dirt road at the village entrance, a string of gossips immediately drifted up from behind, saying all sorts of things.

But none of the four people in the car turned around.

Zhou Rui earns his living through his own abilities, and he's so proud of himself that he doesn't care what others say.

Chen Datou was naturally thick-skinned, and he ignored those gossips like they were nothing.

Zeng Ping had become so used to the cold words and sarcastic remarks in the village over the years that she was too numb to even lift her eyelids.

Zhao Gensheng, however, remained wide-eyed and bewildered. He was always a beat slow to react to what others were saying, and he couldn't understand any of the roundabout gossip.

Zhou Rui and Zhang Zhenbei had arranged to meet in Wulipu Village. Since Zhang Zhenbei was closer, Zhou Rui had to set off earlier.

However, after arriving in town, Chen Datou borrowed some tickets from Zhou Rui and personally paid for a lot of gifts, spending at least ten yuan.

Zhou Rui chuckled inwardly. With such a huge investment, it would be a miracle if nothing happened between the two of them.

When Zhou Rui arrived at the entrance of Wulipu Village, he saw Zhang Zhenbei from afar, not for any other reason than that the motorcycle he rode was particularly eye-catching.

The red Happiness 250 motorcycle still had a faint blue smoke coming out of its exhaust pipe.

Zhang Zhenbei straddled the bicycle seat, his feet on the ground, chatting animatedly with an old man squatting by the wall at the village entrance, smoking a pipe.

A group of teenagers circled around the motorcycle, reaching out to touch it but too afraid to, their eyes fixed on the shiny handlebars, forgetting even to play with the slingshot in their pockets.

"Uncle Zhang." Zhou Rui reined in the mule, and the cart creaked to a stop by the roadside.

Zhang Zhenbei immediately got off the motorcycle, his gaze sweeping over the four people on the cart, finally landing on Zhao Gensheng, who was clutching half a piece of wood and secretly carving patterns with his head down.

He gave Zhou Rui a look, his newly changed Zhongshan suit without a single patch.

With a shiny pen clipped to his pocket, he stood at the village entrance, and his aura as the head of the forest farm instantly silenced most of the surrounding gossip.

"Come on, I just chatted with the old Party Secretary at the village entrance. Sun Dehou's house is the third house at the west end of the village, and there are two old jujube trees planted in front of the courtyard." Zhang Zhenbei patted the back seat of the motorcycle.

"I'll lead the way on my motorcycle, and you guys follow behind."

Chen Datou's usual shamelessness was nowhere to be seen; Zhang Zhenbei's aura was too strong, and he didn't even dare to say a word.

Zeng Ping gripped Zhao Gensheng's hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white and her palms were covered in sweat.

A few minutes later, the motorcycle and the mule cart arrived at the gate of the yard almost simultaneously. Then, a creaking sound of a planer came from inside, and sawdust drifted out with the wind, mixed with a faint scent of pine.

An elderly man with gray hair was squatting on a bench in the yard, pushing the side of a wardrobe for a bride from a neighboring village, while a young man of about twenty was helping him out.

Hearing the noise, Sun Dehou didn't even look up, his hands still working on the plane: "If you want furniture made, go to the small table by the door and register. The waiting list is until the year after next. I don't take urgent jobs."

Over the years, his craftsmanship has spread far and wide. Not to mention the motorcycle of the forestry farm director in the town, even cars from the provincial capital have driven up to his gate along the dirt road, just to ask him to make a set of hardwood octagonal tables.

Sun Dehou has made a living with his tools all his life and has seen all kinds of pomp and circumstance. He never breaks the rules he has set because of the status of the people who come to visit.

"Master Sun, we're not here to have furniture made." Zhang Zhenbei took a step forward, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

"I am Zhang Zhenbei from Xiangyang Forest Farm. I brought a child with me today, hoping you can take me on as an apprentice."

Sun Dehou finally stopped using the plane. He straightened up, turned around, and his gaze swept over Zhang Zhenbei's Zhongshan suit with a pen clipped to it, then fell on Zhou Rui, and finally settled on the small piece of wood that Zhao Gensheng was holding.

A lifelike little sparrow was carved on the wood, with fine lines that made each feather distinct, and the carving was so steady that it didn't tremble at all.

He paused, then reached out and took the small piece of wood. His fingertips traced the smooth grain of the wood, and he suddenly smiled: "Did you carve this?"

Zhao Gensheng nodded blankly, and after a long pause, he managed to stammer, "I...I carved it at home last night."

This was a plan Zhou Rui came up with yesterday. He deliberately wasted some grain, putting a live one in a basket, just to bring it to Sun Dehou for evaluation.

Sun Dehou stared at the little sparrow for a long time, then glanced at Zeng Ping's reddened eyes, then at Chen Datou's tightly clenched fists, and finally looked at Zhang Zhenbei.

"I, Sun Dehou, have taken on six apprentices in the past thirty years. I can't say for sure about their character, but none of them are bad in terms of skills. So, I don't just take anyone on as an apprentice."

He turned around, took a piece of hardwood blank from the long table in the main room, handed it to Zhao Gensheng, and also gave him a small carving knife.

"You have half an hour to carve a little rabbit. If it looks like one, I'll keep you. If it's crooked and messy, you can go home today and never come back."

Seeing this, Zhou Rui took two steps forward, but instead of taking out the cigarettes from his pocket, he followed the old custom of craftsmen in the mountains and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Sun Dehou.

"Master Sun, my name is Zhou Rui, and this is my sworn brother Zhao Gensheng."

"I'm not here to deceive you today. To be honest, this child had a serious illness when he was young, and his mind works a beat slower than others. But he can carve the grain of any piece of wood he has seen with his eyes closed, without ever making a mistake."

He paused, his gaze falling on Zhao Gensheng, his tone completely direct.

"But he's never seen a rabbit before, so asking him to carve one out of thin air is really a challenge."

As soon as Zhou Rui said this, the courtyard fell silent. Everyone stared intently at the carpenter, Sun Dehou, to see what decision he would make.