Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

"Then we should hurry up and kill them, and quickly take back the grain," Zhao Jie continued, stubbornly arguing.

Zhou Rui kept his head down and didn't speak; this was why he didn't want to bring too many people.

There are always some stubborn fools who can't see things clearly and want to drag people into dangerous situations without considering the consequences.

After his rebirth, his physique far surpassed that of ordinary people, but without seniority or official status, he was ultimately just a greenhorn in the eyes of these old villagers, unable to command any respect.

He wanted some peace and quiet, but someone kept bringing up the subject of conversation.

"Zhou Rui, you're a good shot. What do you say, should we give chase?" Chen Feiyue stared intently at him, his mind racing with his own calculations. If Zhou Rui dared to suggest chasing, he would definitely push him to be the first to go.

Zhou Rui rolled his eyes at Chen Xiaoni while holding her, saying, "Our mission is complete. Let's warm ourselves up and then take Xiaoni back to the village."

He neither said he would pursue it nor that he wouldn't, making it clear that he didn't want to get involved in this mess.

"No, you absolutely cannot leave!" Gu Dayong abruptly waved his hand to interrupt, his brows furrowed into a hard knot.

"The enemy is hiding in the shadows, and we have no idea how many people or guns they have. Without three of your guns, if those guys rush out, who can stop them?"

He knew very well that, apart from Liu Qingguo, his son and Zhou Rui were unmatched marksmen in the entire Jiaolong Gorge. Without these two helpers, who knows what kind of trouble would ensue.

"That's right, we're all from the same village. You can't just leave after you're done."

Zhao Jie chimed in, chin held high: "If those grain thieves really manage to take the grain away, the whole village will have to tighten their belts and eat thin porridge next year. Will you, Zhou Rui, be the only one who can eat your fill?"

Chen Feiyue stood by with his arms crossed, his eyes gleaming with calculation.

"Besides, your marksmanship is so good. Leading the charge is much better than us half-baked ones, isn't it? If we're really talking about merit, the battalion commander will definitely reward you handsomely!"

The two of them praised Zhou Rui highly, and several villagers around the campfire, who hadn't quite figured it out, nodded and whispered in agreement.

Some people felt that Zhao Jie's words made sense; they were all on the same team, and they couldn't just abandon their responsibilities after completing their own tasks.

Some people secretly glanced at Zhou Rui's expression and felt that these two young men were pushing him too hard and didn't care about his life at all.

Chen Xiaoni, who was in Zhou Rui's arms, shrank closer to him because of the noise. She gripped the collar of his cotton-padded coat tightly with her small hands, her knuckles turning white.

He raised his hand and pressed the child's head against his chest to block the drifting smoke. When he looked up, there was no warmth left in his eyes.

"Do you two think I'm stupid?" He chuckled, his voice not loud, but it drowned out all the whispers around him.

"We knew there were sniper rifles and automatic rifles inside, and you still made me charge in under fire. Are you two just trying to kill your own people already?"

Zhao Jie's face instantly turned a deep liver color, and he opened his mouth for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word.

Chen Feiyue braced himself and said, "We can't just sit here and do nothing, can we? If word gets out that Jiaolong Gorge is full of cowards, they won't even dare to touch a bunch of petty thieves who steal grain."

Gu Jiacheng and Liu Qingguo exchanged a glance after hearing this, then suddenly covered their mouths and chuckled.

How can someone who was so scared of fighting jackals last year have the nerve to call others cowards?

"Being called a coward is better than carrying a corpse back to the village." Zhou Rui's voice was as cold as ice.

"If we really fall into an ambush, the village will be left with a bunch of orphans and widows. Who will feed them?"

Gu Dayong leaned against a tree trunk, holding his hunting rifle, and did not stop the younger generation from arguing.

The cold night was still long, and he never intended to send everyone into a dangerous place in the dark.

Food is precious, but human life is even more precious.

Seeing that the argument had subsided, he finally turned his attention to Zhou Rui: "Rui, you're quick-witted, tell me what we should do?"

"Yeah, we didn't bring anything, are we just supposed to sit there hungry and watch those thieves eat and drink their fill?"

Chen Feiyue and Zhao Jie's provocations had an effect, and several villagers around them also turned their attention to Zhou Rui, their words implying that they were holding him accountable.

"You guys figure out your own tasks. Ruiwa doesn't owe you anything." Gu Jiacheng stepped forward; he couldn't let his brothers be bullied.

"You guys are brainless and can't come up with any ideas, all you do is point at others and rush forward. How can a bunch of grown men have the nerve to do that?" Liu Qingguo also unconditionally stood on Zhou Rui's side.

Zhou Rui taught him hunting and helped him make money; Liu Qingguo always remembered this kindness.

Cuckoo.

A soft sound suddenly emerged from Chen Xiaoni's stomach, particularly clear by the now quiet fire.

She had been living in fear and trembling since being kidnapped by human traffickers, and her stomach was already empty. She had been holding back her cries and dared not make a sound. Now that she had been exposed, she was so ashamed that she buried her face in Zhou Rui's arms.

Zhou Rui patted her on the back with a smile before glancing around the room: "The solution is simple. We have the support of the commune, so we can directly ask the armed forces department for help."

"Let's block the entrance to this valley and prevent anyone from escaping. Let the comrades from the armed forces department come over with proper equipment."

"With a few submachine guns in hand, or if necessary, a couple of artillery shells, those few broken guns inside are no match for them."

He didn't think the villagers were stupid; it was just that people's thinking was too rigid in this era, and they always thought of bearing things on their own when faced with problems.

In later times, if you encounter such a dangerous armed situation, seeking official support immediately would be the safest option.

Zhou Rui gently placed Chen Xiaoni to the side. Just as he was about to get up, the little girl's hand was still tightly gripping his clothes, refusing to let go, like a little animal afraid of being abandoned.

"Sweetie, I won't go far. I'll just hunt a couple of wild rabbits nearby and roast them," Zhou Rui coaxed her softly.

"You wait by the fire, or your mother will be crying in the village if you catch a cold." After much persuasion, Chen Xiaoni slowly loosened her grip.

"Brother Qingguo, Brother Jiacheng, come with me." Zhou Ruichong and his companion waved and plunged into the nearby woods without looking back, leaving the villagers who were still discussing the fire behind them.

"That's brilliant! Every soldier in the armed forces department is a sharpshooter; taking care of these petty thieves will be a piece of cake!"

"I heard that the armed forces also have cannons. Two shots would shake the valley three times, and those who steal grain would have nowhere to hide."

"I heard there are not only cannons but also tanks..."

"Don't talk nonsense. Where would you get a tank? I didn't see any when I went to the militia's autumn training last time."

"Speaking of which, once this matter is settled, will the livestock they used to haul grain in the valley belong to our village or the commune if they are seized?"

"You still have the mind to worry about livestock? We're already lucky no one got hurt this time."

While the villagers of Jiaolong Gorge outside the valley were discussing it, the scenery inside the valley was quite different.

The third brother's family, who had just escaped with their lives by the gun, had barely taken a few steps into the woods when several dark figures suddenly stood up straight from behind the trees.

The dark muzzles of guns were pointed straight at their foreheads.

The fifth brother still had scratches on his hands and face, from when he fell because his strength slipped when Zhou Rui broke the rope.

He was no longer aware of the pain in his body, only feeling a cramp in his calves.

"Is it you bunch of bastards who ruined our plans with your carefully laid out plate?" A man who looked particularly young stepped forward, but the ferocity in his eyes was so intense it could drip water.