Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

When Zhou Rui arrived in Hongxing Town by bicycle, more than three hours had passed, and it was almost noon. Zhou Rui followed his aunt into the health center and went straight to the payment window, worried that he wouldn't have enough money and the hospital wouldn't prescribe his medicine.

After paying the fees, Zhou Xiaolan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a great weight lifted from her shoulders. With a relaxed expression, she led Zhou Rui up to the second floor and to a ward at the end of the corridor.

"Honey, look who's come to see you!"

The small ward contained four old wooden beds, each occupied by a patient.

Inside, a middle-aged man by the window was chatting with another patient across the aisle, his head tilted to the side. Hearing the noise, he turned around with difficulty to look at the doorway.

"This...this is?" Gao Zhiqiang looked at the young man who was approaching. He looked familiar, but he didn't quite match the person in his memory.

This is not Gao Zhiqiang's fault, because Zhou Rui's personality changed after his rebirth, and the changes in his family's living conditions also caused Zhou Rui to change.

Although his face was still the same, the change in his demeanor made Gao Zhiqiang, who hadn't seen Zhou Rui for more than half a year, unable to contact his wife's nephew for a while.

"This is Ruiwa from the second son's family. He's come to see you."

Zhou Rui sat down beside Gao Zhiqiang's hospital bed and took his hand: "Uncle, how are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"

"Ruiwa, you've grown so much! You're completely different from when we had the New Year," Gao Zhiqiang remarked. It seemed that his second brother's passing had helped Zhou Rui mature. "I'm much better. Actually, all I do here is get injections and take some traditional Chinese medicine, nothing else. I told them I'd be fine once I went back home; the village doctor can give injections too, there's no need to stay here. Staying here is really expensive, it costs a lot of money every day, but your aunt wouldn't have it and insisted on coming to you for help."

Zhou Rui carefully examined Gao Zhiqiang's complexion. He seemed to be in good spirits, but his face was pale and lacked color.

"Uncle, we don't know anything about this. I think we should listen to the doctor. If the doctor says we need to be hospitalized, then we should. Don't say it's a waste of money. Didn't the village chief say that the village will pay for everything? We're just paying in advance."

"Actually, it's not that I'm worried about the money, it's just that I'm not comfortable living here, it's not as comfortable as home. Besides, your aunt has to take care of me here, so she can't work in the fields, and there's no one to take care of her kids at home."

"Don't worry about things at home. Your most important thing is to recover from your injury. I remember your younger sister is about my age, right? She should be able to take care of her younger siblings. Besides, her grandparents are still at home, so they can keep an eye on them."

"The doctor must have a reason for admitting you to the hospital. Just listen to the doctor, so you don't end up with a chronic condition halfway through treatment." Zhou Rui didn't explain anything about wound inflammation or complications; he simply used his position as a doctor to pressure you.

Unlike later generations, doctors were still quite valuable back then. Unlike the information age, where anyone could read about medicine on their phone and think they knew everything, people were skeptical of everything doctors said.

"Yes, yes, Ruiwa is right. Listen to the doctor, stay here for a few more days, and make sure you get better before going back," Zhou Xiaolan chimed in.

Only then did Zhou Rui open his backpack and start taking things out. Two cans of food, a few pieces of cured meat, and a bottle of wild honey.

"Uncle, you're injured, and your energy and blood have been depleted. You need to eat more to replenish your strength. Oh, and by the way..."

Zhou Rui picked up the fish basket and took out a black carp and a large turtle, which were the fish he had caught from the pond that morning.

"Auntie, can we cook here? Stew this blackfish to help heal your wounds. And this big turtle, let's save it for tomorrow."

The people in the next few beds stared wide-eyed. Were Gao Zhiqiang's relatives really that rich? Canned food, honey, and giant turtles—these were things that ordinary peasants like them wouldn't dare to eat. Just a few days ago, they saw a commune leader in the hospital being visited with such gifts.

"Zhiqiang, your nephew's family is really rich! They brought so many things to visit you."

"Yeah, Zhiqiang, you didn't suffer from this injury. You can't get to eat this much good food at home."

"Uncle Zhiqiang, can I have a taste of your honey? Just to sweeten my mouth. My leg, which was broken by a wild boar, hurts so much at night that I can't sleep."

Well, all the patients in the room were from the same village as my uncle, and they had all suffered the same injuries, so they were kindred spirits.

"No, no, my nephew's family doesn't have much money. It's just that he has a good relationship with his aunt, and I'm just benefiting from my wife's relationship."

Although Gao Zhiqiang wasn't entirely clear on Zhou Rui's family's situation over the past few months, he knew that a child who had lost both parents wouldn't be wealthy no matter how much savings they had. The fact that Zhou Rui brought so many things to see him showed how much he cared; he was a man of great kindness and loyalty.

"Wife, pour some honey, and bring a big vat of water. Everyone should have some. Also, stew that black carp for lunch, and everyone should have a bowl. We've all suffered for the sake of the village's food supply, so let's all get better together."

"Zhiqiang, you're a jerk!"

"Uncle Zhiqiang, you're so kind, even kinder than my dad."

Zhou Rui watched from the sidelines. He wouldn't interfere with what was given away; they could decide for themselves. However, judging from his uncle's demeanor, he seemed like a generous and magnanimous person. Such a person would always have plenty of help when encountering trouble.

"Uncle, I have some things to attend to, so I'll have to go now. I'll come see you again after the harvest season is over. Please listen to the doctor, don't rush back, and take good care of yourself."

"Look at you, you've come all this way to see me, and I haven't even properly taken care of you. Sit down for a while and rest your feet."

"No, my younger siblings are waiting for me to come back. You can rest assured and get some rest."

As soon as Zhou Rui left the ward, the house became lively. Everyone was from the same village, and they kept asking Gao Zhiqiang about his wealthy, generous, and loyal nephew. They were also wondering if they had any daughters, nieces, or sisters of similar age who could become in-laws.

Zhou Xiaolan followed Zhou Rui out and went down to the first floor.

"Ruiwa, thank you so much for saving my family. Don't worry, I'll pay you back once I get the money from the village."

"Aunt, don't rush. Use the money first. Uncle's injury won't heal quickly, so he needs to rest. We'll talk about the money later. I'm going back now. Just go back and take good care of Uncle."

Zhou Rui couldn't stand the old woman's politeness, so after finishing his sentence, he hurriedly got on his bike and drove off. Once on the street, he saw that there weren't many people, but they were all walking in the same direction. Zhou Rui thought, "I've come all this way, might as well go and see what's going on."

Following a few scattered people, Zhou Rui arrived at a wasteland outside the town and was surprised to see some people setting up stalls in the wilderness.

Zhou Rui was somewhat surprised. Was the black market in Hongxing Town really this brazen, trading things in broad daylight in this open place without any cover?

However, Zhou Rui wasn't surprised for long. Since he was already there, he might as well make the best of it. There must be a reason why this black market was set up here in broad daylight.