Returning to the small mountain village of '86, intelligence updated daily.

The next morning, the rooster crowed.

The clear skies and the subtle coolness of autumn awaken the sleeping village.

Zhou Shiwei got up early, but he didn't go to the construction team. Last night, he told his second brother, Zhou Shijie, that he had something to do and couldn't go to the construction team, so he asked Zhou Shijie to tell the foreman.

So today, Zhou Ming went to the construction team with Zhou Shijie.

Zhou Shijie was initially declining, saying that he had only been there for a few days and was afraid he wouldn't do a good job or lead Zhou Ming well.

However, Zhou Shiwei said something:

My second brother is really good lately, he's just as good as anyone else.

So, Zhou Shijie ended up setting off alone with his nephew.

Now only Zhou Shiwei and his son Zhou Rui remain in the family.

Zhou Rui also got up very early; it was not yet seven o'clock. His second uncle, Zhou Shijie, and the others had just left a while ago.

He was also washing up because he needed to catch the early bus to the county town today.

Without dawdling, Zhou Rui grabbed a towel, quickly washed his face, and prepared to go out with his father, Zhou Shiwei.

Before leaving the house, Zeng Jiamei had already gotten up and helped her husband put on a clean and presentable set of clothes.

"Honey, be careful on the road. Safety is the most important thing. I'll be waiting for you to come home."

Zeng Jiamei straightened her collar with her husband, her eyes filled with worry.

She was a shrewd person and could more or less guess what important things her husband and son were probably going to do.

After speaking with her husband, Zeng Jiamei turned to Zhou Rui beside her and said worriedly:

"If there's anything you need to do, talk to your dad about it. Mom knows you're a smart person, but remember, you still have your parents. Don't try to handle everything on your own."

Zeng Jiamei understands her son well; he always likes to shoulder many things on his own.

Zhou Rui understood that ever since his father became disabled in his previous life, he had taken over the family's responsibilities, and his mother had always been silently supporting him.

"Mom, you stay here and take good care of Grandpa and Grandma. Dad and I are going out to have some fun. We'll bring you some nice things."

Zhou Rui spoke very casually.

Zeng Jiamei glared at Zhou Rui: "Mom doesn't want any good things, Mom just wants you to be safe..."

......

The Zhou father and son have passed away.

When we arrived at the town's bus station, it was already around 7:40 a.m., and the morning sun had already bathed the town in its light.

Zhou Shiwei went to the ticket office and bought two bus tickets. The two sat on the benches at the station to rest until the bus departed.

Just as Zhou Rui was discussing with his father how to conduct the transaction in the county town, a piece of information came to mind.

[Intelligence 1: Li Dehua has ruined one mu of Wang Er's farmland and splashed excrement on his door. Wang Er was furious when he found out and rushed into Li Dehua's house to demand an explanation, but was beaten up instead.]

Zhou Rui closed his eyes, looking at the information floating in his mind and scoffing. He had no sympathy for either side.

He was exactly the kind of person who wanted to see dogs fight each other.

In just a second or two, Zhou Rui opened his eyes again and pretended to be sleepy. Zhou Shiwei thought he was tired.

"Don't doze off when you get on the bus, or you'll catch a cold."

Zhou Rui reassured his father not to worry, it was just autumn fatigue.

After waiting only a short while, a driver came out of the rest room, picked up a megaphone, and shouted loudly:

"The bus is about to leave, hurry up, get on and we're leaving."

Zhou Shiwei and his companion walked to the back of the bus and sat down. The bus was almost half full.

However, these empty seats obviously won't stay empty forever, as drivers on the road will take "side jobs" to earn extra money.

This is an unspoken rule.

At 8:01, the bus departed, heading towards the county town.

The road was rugged, with mountain paths, and it was very long; the bumpy ride made it impossible to sleep.

Along the way, the driver picked up several private jobs, and some people would get off midway to go to other towns.

After a bumpy ride of nearly four hours, the bus finally stopped at the state-run bus station in the county town around 11:30 or 11:40 a.m.

Zhou Rui stood up and stretched his aching body. The mountain road was difficult to walk on, and the road was bumpy, so his buttocks suffered the most.

Thankfully, we've arrived.

Looking out the window, Zhou Rui saw what the county town looked like. It was crowded and lively, unlike his hometown, where there weren't many people except on market days.

The county town is crowded every day.

The father and son got off the bus and walked to a state-run restaurant. Instead of ordering stir-fried dishes, they ordered two bowls of rice noodles.

After having a quick meal, Zhou Shiwei didn't linger and led Zhou Rui towards a place in the county town.

During their previous conversation, the old friend told Zhou Shiwei that if he wanted to find him, he should go to the small shop next to the county bureau.

Although Zhou Shiwei doesn't come to the county often, he found his destination easily.

After finding the small shop the other party had mentioned, Zhou Shiwei told the shop owner to look for Li Hu.

The owner immediately understood and warmly invited the two to sit down before heading towards the back door.

After a while, the shop owner returned with a man who was about the same age as Zhou Shiwei, but whose eyes were sharper and who had a scar at the corner of his eye.

He is Li Hu, Zhou Shiwei's old comrade-in-arms.

When Zhou Shiwei saw the visitor, he greeted him familiarly, and the shop owner tactfully stepped aside to stand guard outside.

"Old Li, you've got quite the air about you!"

Zhou Shiwei threw a punch at Li Hu, who didn't dodge and took the full force of the blow.

"Brother Zhou, please don't be so modest. If it weren't for that bastard Li Dehua, I might be calling you the captain now."

Li Hu's sharp gaze softened somewhat. He shook his head and sighed, clearly aware of Zhou Shiwei's past.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shiwei simply smiled and didn't take it to heart.

"It's all in the past, who cares? Their background is much stronger than ours."

Although Zhou Shiwei said he would let it go, a hint of resentment still flashed deep in his eyes, which eventually turned into helplessness.

"Let's not talk about that. I brought the money, but where are the things?"

As Zhou Shiwei spoke, he gestured for Zhou Rui to step forward.

Zhou Rui took two steps forward and took out a cloth bag from his bag, which contained a thick wad of bills.

Only then did Li Hu notice Zhou Rui, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"Brother Zhou, is this your eldest son? He's quite a big young man, and very strong. He's got good potential!"

Li Hu stepped forward and patted Zhou Rui's shoulder with his rough hands. He was about the same height as Zhou Rui, or even a little shorter.

He's about the same height as his father, Zhou Shiwei, around 172 cm.

However, a hint of regret quickly flashed in his eyes.

"It's a pity, his health is a bit weak... Brother Zhou, how have you been these past few years? If you need anything, just call me."

"I'll help without hesitation if I can!"

Li Hu guessed it; the Zhou family must be having a very hard time.

Zhou Shiwei waved his hand: "It's alright, how can a grown man starve to death? Impossible."

He then took a sip of water and changed the subject:

"Is the other party trustworthy? Where is the item?"

Seeing that the other party did not want to continue the topic, Li Hu gave up.

He took a deep breath, then patted his chest and assured him:

"Brother Zhou, don't worry, it's absolutely trustworthy. It's just that it's inconvenient for me to meet you. Otherwise, he would admire your deeds back then."

"The thing is right here..."