Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Zhou Rui didn't go back the way he came, because that was where the chill was the strongest. He just wandered around in places where he didn't feel anything.

"Senior brother, whistle to call the dogs back."

"Huh? Oh...oh." Gu Shaofeng was still confused and didn't know what had happened, but he listened to Zhou Rui and gave a loud whistle.

A moment later, four dogs came running up, barking.

The departure of the hunting dogs did not bring peace to the area. In addition to the screams of Zhou Chen and his companions, there were other shouts and roars of "Stop! Don't run!"

Zhou Rui didn't stop and kept pedaling for more than ten minutes until he reached Gu Shaofeng's village, Gujiatun. Seeing that Gu Shaofeng was still in a daze, Zhou Rui didn't plan to bother him anymore. Anyway, he had taken him home and everything was fine.

Zhou Rui returned the bicycle to him and was about to leave when Gu Shaofeng suddenly grabbed him and asked a question.

Why?

"Why? Why?"

"We were just dancing, why are you arresting us?"

"Where did you learn this dance from?"

"The Russians."

"Look around, do we even have any foreign dances anymore? Ballroom dancing is banned. Do you know what happens if you get caught? You'll either be labeled a hooligan or a capitalist roader. Do you want to be sent to a labor camp?"

Gu Shaofeng hurriedly shook his head, his head nearly flying off. "So I can't dance disco anymore? I already bought a tape recorder."

Zhou Rui was speechless, but he didn't want to comfort him. Anyone who goes against the times will be overthrown; no one is exempt. Didn't you see that even a reborn person like him is hiding, not daring to overstep the bounds in the slightest?

Zhou Rui patted Gu Shaofeng, who was half a head taller than him, on the shoulder: "Listening to model operas and radio broadcasts is good; it's worth the money."

After finishing his sentence, Zhou Rui turned and left, not caring whether this older young man had shattered his dreams—it was none of his business. He just wanted to go home as soon as possible, play with An'an for a while, and hug Xiao Niangao.

When Zhou Rui returned home, Pingwa and An'an were picking through the sand in the rice in the yard. One chubby little hand held a grain of sand, but it slipped and fell. Finally finding it, he picked it up, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons as he smiled, as if he had accomplished something momentous.

As for Zhou Ping, he remained the same, not appearing in Zhou Rui's sight.

"Second Brother!" A little one rushed over quickly.

Zhou Rui caught An'an in both hands and lifted her up with force, spinning her around a few times. An'an giggled and laughed incessantly. Finally, she had gained some weight and had some meat on her bones. Zhou Rui was very gratified, feeling that all his efforts over the past few days had not been in vain.

"Have you been good these past two days? Have you cried?"

An'an hugged Zhou Rui's neck and whispered in his ear, "I was so good, but I still cried."

"Oh, why are you crying?" Zhou Rui asked, somewhat puzzled. Zhou Ping couldn't bear to scold her; he had learned it from Zhou Rui. Both brothers treated this girl exceptionally well.

"I miss my second brother."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Rui felt incredibly warm inside, and he unconsciously pulled An An's arms closer to his chest.

"Second brother, did you go up the mountain to hunt tigers?" An'an blinked her eyes, her fluttering eyelashes making her look even more beautiful.

"We didn't catch the big tiger, but your second brother brought you a tiger cub. Want it?"

"want to."

"If you want one, just give me your second brother."

"Mmm..." An'an hugged Zhou Rui's head and gave him a kiss on the face.

Zhou Rui put An'an down and then took all the gifts out of his backpack: An'an's cloth tiger, Xiao Niangao's rattle drum, and Zhou Ping's watch. An'an and Zhou Ping were overjoyed, but Xiao Niangao was clueless, waving her limbs incessantly.

An'an hugged the cloth tiger, yelling and jumping around, releasing her excitement. Zhou Ping silently stroked his Shanghai brand all-steel watch, and after a while, he looked up at Zhou Rui.

"Second brother, this watch is brand new. How about we swap it?"

"What are you thinking? My watch is an antique, more valuable than yours. You can wear it at home, but don't take it out to show off," Zhou Rui replied casually to Zhou Ping as he teased Xiao Niangao with a rattle.

Zhou Ping was especially grateful to his second brother. He didn't know what an antique was, he only knew that Zhou Rui had an old watch, so he bought him a new one.

Zhou Rui held Xiao Niangao in one arm and kept shaking the drum in his other hand. Xiao Niangao's head kept turning around with the thumping of the drum, and his hands kept grabbing at things, but he just couldn't grab them. It was so much fun, and it was a kind of joy that Zhou Rui had never experienced before.

Unfortunately, joy turned to sorrow. Zhou Rui's actions clearly angered the eight-month-old baby, who suddenly clenched his fist and punched Zhou Rui in the eye.

This punch finally earned him the rattle drum in his hand. Little Rice Cake lay on the bamboo bed, his right hand gripping tightly, and he subconsciously shook his arm.

Zhou Rui stood to the side, holding the mirror that An An had just brought out of the room. This kid's got some strength; her eyelids look a little bruised.

Zhou Rui turned to look at Xiao Niangao: "Your second uncle met Zhou Chen and the others today and didn't get hurt. I managed to handle them with just a few dogs. I didn't expect to get hurt by you when I got back."

"Eeya ohya." "Thump...thump thump...thump."

The baby's babbling and the irregular drumbeats seemed to carry boundless mockery.

"Second brother, are you alright? Does it hurt? Let me blow on it for you." An'an quickly tugged at Zhou Rui's clothes, wanting him to squat down.

"It's nothing, it was Second Brother's carelessness, he didn't dodge." Zhou Rui said casually, but still squatted down and let An An blow on it a couple of times.

It was truly comparable to celestial energy; the pain immediately subsided.

A gentle breeze blew, scattering a few fallen leaves and bringing a touch of chill. It seems the weather is getting colder; it won't be suitable to keep Little Rice Cake on the bamboo bed any longer. We'll need something to shield him from the cold.

"Pingwa, it's getting windy. Take Xiaoniangao inside. I'm going to cook."

Now that Zhou Rui is back, the cooking duties still fall to him. It's not that he dislikes Zhou Ping's cooking skills, but rather that Zhou Rui enjoys doing these things. Cooking every day and raising his younger siblings—perhaps this is the joy of raising a child, and it feels far more real than any virtual game on the internet in later generations.

Zhou Rui carefully removed the bones from the fish meat, then gently fed it to Xiao Niangao with a spoon. The bowl contained rice soaked in soup. Xiao Niangao has grown exceptionally fast these past few months and already has some baby teeth that have started to emerge.

"By the way, why are there two chicks in the backyard?" Zhou Rui asked while feeding Xiao Niangao.

"I know, I know. It was sent by Aunt Changchun," An'an quickly answered.

Zhou Ping nodded in agreement: "Aunt Changchun brought them over. She said the yard was just sitting idle anyway, so it would be good to raise a couple of chickens to lay eggs. I happened to have some time, so I did."

Then Zhou Ping changed the subject: "By the way, Second Brother, how about we raise two pigs next year? We can have one adopted by the government and raise one ourselves. Anyway, An'an and I are going to gather pig feed, so we can raise the pigs ourselves while we're at it."

Zhou Rui tapped Zhou Ping on the head with his chopsticks: "Don't worry so much. You and An'an will both be going to school next year. You won't have much time to gather pig feed. When you go to school, just focus on your studies and stop thinking about other things, understand?"

Zhou Ping had no choice but to lower his head obediently: "I understand, Second Brother."