Rebirth 78: Hunting for Treasure in the Mountains, Spoiling My Wife and Daughter to the Heavens

From Fendou Village to the Greater Khingan Mountains.

The journey covers more than a thousand kilometers, inside and out.

In later generations, even taking a high-speed train would take a full day and a night.

In this day and age, it would take five or six days by car to even reach the border of the Greater Khingan Mountains.

"Our trucks go to Tahe County to haul timber. The timber from those mountainous areas is thicker and harder than what we have here. We get a lot of furniture from there."

Only timber from that area can be used. Otherwise, why would we go through all that trouble to haul timber from so far away? It's all mountainous terrain; everything is different.

But the educated cadre insisted it was different, saying, "Oh, we'll just cover the gas money, and besides, it's this season..."

"Let's go over there, I'll tell you, the river fish there tastes amazing."

The person who came to pick up Lu Weiguo and his companion was the son of a worker from the forest farm.

At that time, workers did not earn work points, but rather fixed wages, with the lowest income standard being 46.81 yuan.

Moreover, the workers' food and lodging when they went up the mountain to cut timber were paid for by the public.

The salary I save in a year is enough to get married.

Life became more stable, and everyone's personality became more lively.

Although he was temporarily transferred to the Greater Khingan Mountains, he didn't seem to have any resentment.

It's all about the fighting spirit to strive for a better job.

"Brother, what happened? I heard from our forestry station director that your child is missing. He was most likely taken away in a truck heading to the Greater Khingan Mountains."

I heard there were checks at the forest farm we passed through, and there was indeed a car with two adults and a child in the back, but their ages didn't match.

But that's all alright. You seem like the kind of person who's blessed with good fortune, so your child will definitely be fine.

Seeing that Lu Weiguo was in low spirits, the workers continued to comfort him.

The truck was driven steadily, with the windows open and the wind blowing against my side.

It's still quite reassuring.

"Thanks, brother. I'm fine. I'm just worried that the child might be wronged."

Lu Weiguo took out a cigarette and offered one to the worker.

"Let me tell you, I've suffered the most injustices in my family. I even earned my job by saving people myself. My dad's job was inherited by my brothers."

I was always the thinnest one when I was little, but look at me, now I'm the most successful one in my family.

The hardships we've endured are stepping stones to our current optimism. A person's life is predetermined; in fact, God has already arranged everything.

"It'll be alright." The worker took a puff of his cigarette and continued, "By the way, my name is Wu Tingquan, what's yours again?"

Did Wu heed the advice?

She's really good at giving advice.

"My name is Lu Weiguo."

"Look at your name, it carries a heroic spirit, protecting our country and defending our homeland. The country will never treat us unfairly."

Wu Tingquan, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, even had time to pat Lu Weiguo on the shoulder.

"Brother Wu, can you tell me about the situation over there? I don't understand why they would kidnap a child and run there."

After being comforted by Lu Guisheng, Lu Weiguo...

He regained his energy.

He had been to the Greater Khingan Mountains in his previous life.

However, he had been learning hunting from Shan Gouzi, and he was just like he was yesterday.

They like to escape and dislike seeing people.

I don't know much about the situation there either.

"You mean Tahe County is closer to the border? The situation is quite different there."

"It would be best to tell us everything."

Lu Weiguo thought for a moment and replied.

"Tahe County is alright. The county seat isn't big, and the population isn't even as large as some of the towns around here. But with fewer people, there are more resources, so people are wealthier. Besides, it's close to the Russians after all."

Their food and clothing are much better than ours. The workers there are honest and kind. I heard that truck was from Tahe County, so they're probably not part of the same group. Maybe they were just fooled by human traffickers.

Wu listened to advice but didn't say much before trying to comfort Lu Weiguo.

This made Lu Weiguo a little embarrassed.

"However, if they cross Tahe County and the traffickers continue north, the situation will be dire. There are several villages there that are basically under semi-jurisdiction."

Many drivers who go there first look for those few villages—are they known for gambling, prostitution, and having many Russian women?

"Let me tell you, the taste is just different. There's more fun, better food, and if you have money and talent, you'll do much better over there than here."

"There are Russian women there, aren't they going to take care of that side?" Lu Weiguo frowned slightly, the more chaotic it was, the harder it would be to find them.

Lu Weiguo estimated that the six-fingered human trafficker's target was over there.

"What do you care? If you come and arrest me, I'll run away. If you don't, I might even give you some tribute. Let me tell you, brother, you're just too honest. You don't understand the ins and outs of this."

There are many mountains over there, and people can hide inside, making them impossible to find. If you don't create places like that, the mountain dogs will come down and kill several people, and you'll never be able to catch them.

But the existence of such places provides an outlet for those thugs or those who dare not show their faces, actually making the county town safer.

There's a lot to learn here, so go ahead and learn it!

Wu Tingjian was clearly a chatterbox, and he kept talking non-stop the whole way.

Every place they passed through, they could tell about the local customs and traditions, and even gossip.

It was as if there was nothing he didn't know.

Lu Weiguo was not in the mood to speak.

I just kept listening to him.

That evening, he passed through a village, which was where he usually rested.

I told Lu Weiguo that I was looking at a car.

He himself had no idea which widow's house he had slipped into.

It wasn't until the next morning that he arrived, looking utterly exhausted, unable to even pull up his pants, swaying as he walked over.

"Was everything alright last night? There's nothing in our car, so no kids should be eyeing it."

Wu listened to the advice and handed Lu Weiguo and Lu Weiguo a steamed bun each.

He then ate an egg.

"It's okay, I slept well last night. Are you... able to drive today?"

"Hehe, my legs are a little weak. That old woman went crazy, she kept me up all night. Wait a minute, let me catch my breath and have a drink..."

Wu Tingquan grinned sheepishly and gestured to his crotch: "It's not that I'm no good, it's just that that old woman is too awesome."

Upon hearing that he had been drinking and was about to drive, Lu Weiguo was immediately jolted awake.

At that time, there was indeed no drunk driving, and no one even specifically checked driver's licenses.

However, seeing how he couldn't even press the accelerator, I still tried to say, "Why don't you rest, and I'll drive today?"

"You can drive? Don't be ridiculous, this isn't one of those rural gadgets you see." Wu Ting was referring to agricultural tractors and the like.

However, there were only two of those vehicles in the entire county, and only the communes that performed well could use them.

"I really know how. Why don't you take a look first? If your skills aren't up to par, we can rest and start again when you're ready."

Wu listened to the advice and realized that Lu Weiguo was anxious to find his child, not that they were just hauling wood as usual.

He nodded and let Lu Weiguo give it a try.

Who would have thought that once Lu Weiguo sat in the driver's seat, his entire demeanor changed.

His throttle and gear shifting were incredibly smooth.

It was more than twice as fast as him.

Not only was there no abnormal noise from the engine, but the truck even felt smoother than usual.

"Dude? You weren't secretly sent down by the Forestry Bureau to test my driving skills, were you?"

"I...I didn't neglect my work...That young widow...I didn't mean to fall asleep..."