Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

As dawn broke and the rooster in the corner of the yard crowed for the third time, Zhou Rui had already polished his old-fashioned mahjong paddle to a gleaming shine.

Gao Daya clutched half a cornbread and approached the car, stubbornly insisting that she was fast on her own and could reach Xiangyang Forest Farm before noon if she set off before dawn, so there was no need for him to get up early to deliver it.

Zhou Rui didn't reply. He bent down and tied the two large turtles, which were tightly bound with straw rope, and a bag of lively river fish to the back of the car.

This was specially left after I got home yesterday. I need to keep in touch with the people I know at the forest farm, and bringing it along is more respectable than going empty-handed.

After arriving at the forest farm, Zhou Rui did not leave immediately. Instead, he went to Zhang Zhenbei's office for a while and brought back the final payment for the old ginseng.

After leaving the office, he went straight to He Wu and asked him to keep a close eye on the supply and marketing cooperative so that his cousin wouldn't be wronged.

He Wu patted his chest and assured him, "Zhou Rui, don't worry, Da Ya is under my nose, no one can touch her."

Zhou Rui smiled and patted him on the shoulder, without saying anything more.

He knew that He Wu was a third-generation descendant of a distinguished family and understood the intricacies of the situation best. He believed that He Wu's words were more effective than any repeated admonitions from He Wu himself.

"Zhou Rui, when do you think we should go hunting in the mountains again?"

He Wu rubbed his hands together, feeling a slight itch in his palms, much like a fisherman in later generations who hadn't touched his fishing rod for many days.

"Let's wait for it to snow. It should snow after we finish paying our taxes, then I'll take you to hunt dragons."

Zhou Rui didn't care. Anyway, he didn't have many forestry tasks this year, so he had plenty of time to play with He Wu.

"How about I ask Manager Zhang to increase your share?" He Wu turned to look at Zhou Rui, his tone relaxed.

"No need." Zhou Rui refused without even thinking; he wasn't short of money.

Moreover, it was his idea to share the profits from logistics procurement. If it is brought back through He Wu, then what kind of person is Zhou Rui?

"I made a fortune from meat purchases last year, and I'm afraid others will be envious. I'll keep a low profile this year and not cause trouble for Uncle Zhang."

Zhou Rui didn't say much, believing that He Wu, a son of an official, would understand.

"That's fine, but in winter you have to take me hunting some big guys, like leopards or bears, I'm not picky."

"I heard they killed a Siberian tiger at the farm to the east. It was huge! What if we could kill one too..."

He Wu suddenly lowered his voice, as if he were saying something extraordinary.

If he knew that Zhou Rui had fired a bullet into that Siberian tiger, he would probably be insanely jealous.

"Do you think wild beasts are like cabbages, ready for you to pick and choose? Besides, Siberian tigers are protected animals; you can't just shoot them."

After Zhou Rui finished speaking, he turned and left. A few steps later, he waved to He Wu with his back turned: "I'll take you rabbit hunting next time we go up the mountain. There are plenty."

He Wu rubbed his hands together with glee, thinking to himself that when they got to the mountains, they couldn't just hunt rabbits; they would naturally chase after the most valuable wild animals.

The autumn wind froze the rice stubble in the fields, forming a thick layer of frost.

Thanks to newly reclaimed wasteland and newly tested fertilizers, Jiaolongxia Village delivered its grain tax more smoothly this year than in previous years.

Before the work points were settled, every household received a heavy ration of food and held the spare change they had saved for half a year. They all thought about going to the market in Hongxing Town to buy a new item or a new piece of coarse cloth for their homes.

Zhou Rui drove his mule cart, taking his family to the market in Hongxing Town.

"Zhou Rui, do you think we'll run into the Oroqen people who sell Suen today?" Lin Qiuyue couldn't stop thinking about the pretty clothes.

Unlike An'an, she doesn't have a strong desire for food. She's already quite content as long as her family can eat meat every day.

An'an sat in the back of the carriage, gesturing excitedly to Xiao Niangao and Xiao Yan'er, introducing the various snacks at the market.

The two little kids were completely taken aback; their mouths were already watering before they even saw the item.

Actually, Xiao Niangao had come before when she was still an infant, but she didn't have much to eat back then, so even if she did eat, she wouldn't remember.

"Auntie, what kind of candy is cotton candy? Is it delicious?" Little Rice Cake clung tightly to An'an's arm, licking her lips incessantly, already drooling with envy.

"Candy, delicious." Little Yan'er could barely speak properly, only repeating the words. Her gums were itchy during teething, and she stared at An'an's arm as if she wanted to bite it, which scared An'an into quickly hiding to the side.

After two hours of swaying, the mule cart finally stopped at the market entrance.

This year's market was even more crowded than last year, with stalls lined up one after another along the roadside, and the shouts of vegetable vendors, blacksmiths, and cloth sellers mingled together.

Zhou Rui finally found a designated parking spot, paid two cents for parking, and then, carrying Xiao Niangao in one arm and Xiao Yan'er in the other, squeezed into the crowd.

Zhou Ping, who was standing next to him, had a few coins of pocket money that his second brother had just given him. His eyes kept glancing at the stalls on both sides, and his feet unconsciously veered towards the stalls several times.

Zhou Rui said in a deep voice, "Hold An'an's hand tightly, don't let her run around. Have you forgotten what happened to Tao Tao last year when she was abducted?"

Zhou Ping felt a cold sweat break out on his back and gripped An An's little hand even tighter.

Last year, his second brother rescued a kidnapped child at this market, who was Qin Zhan's son, Qin Tao.

At the time, he only felt that his second brother was impressive, but when he thought about losing An'an, he would never be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life.

After wandering around the market three times, Lin Qiuyue finally bumped into Suen, an Oroqen, at an old stall on a corner.

The leather was so smooth and shiny, it was unbelievably beautiful. I had been looking forward to this for almost half a year, and today I finally got my hands on it safely.

Zhou Rui casually bought out the few remaining small-sized sets on the stall, and had An'an and Zhou Ping try them on one by one to choose the right ones.

Even the still-wobbly little rice cake and little gosling weren't left out; a mini Suen jacket was stuffed into their arms, warming them from their palms to their spines.

Several children were jumping around in the crowd, clutching their new clothes, attracting the attention of the aunties at the nearby market, who all stared at them with envy.

Ding ding ding...

A gong sound came from afar, drawing everyone's attention.

A group of people wearing red armbands passed by the market, with an old man carrying a wooden board being pushed along in the middle.

"Down with the capitalist roaders! Sweep away all monsters and demons!"

A loud shout suddenly erupted in the crowd, startling Lin Qiuyue, whose face instantly turned pale.

Seeing this, Zhou Rui quickly put Xiao Yan'er in her arms and then put his arm around her shoulder tightly.

Lin Qiuyue's parents were classified into this social class, and this is a conditioned reflex ingrained in her.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here, it'll be alright." Zhou Rui's voice was very low, and his warm palm gave her a lot of comfort.

"Let's stand to the side and not get too close; it'll be over soon."

"Down with the capitalist roaders! Down with all monsters and demons!"

"We'd rather have socialist weeds than capitalist seedlings."

As the procession drew closer, Zhou Rui noticed that some people were excited, while others were numb, and the man carrying the wooden plank looked like a soulless scarecrow.

Zhou Rui suddenly stopped looking. He recognized that person.

Old Man Lang, that lonely man who loved to drink and had traded a lot of meat with him.