Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

Lin Nuo pushed open the gate to Lin Jiang's house. The wooden door creaked open, and the sound of chopping wood in the yard stopped for a moment.

Lin Jiang stood in front of the woodpile, holding an axe in his hand, the blade embedded in the firewood, unable to be pulled out. He was wearing that dusty gray cotton-padded jacket.

Seeing Lin Nuo come in, he pulled out the axe, and the firewood split in the middle and rolled to Lin Nuo's feet.

"Second brother, you're here so early."

"Big brother."

Lin Nuo walked over and handed over the package in his hand:

"The third brother brought it back for An Ziping."

Lin Jiang wiped his hands on his trouser leg and took it. It was wrapped in old newspapers and tied tightly with hemp rope. He scratched at it with his fingernails, the rope loosened, and he peeled it off layer by layer.

The pencils, notebooks, and erasers inside were neatly bundled together with rubber bands. There was also a bag of fruit candies with colorful wrappers.

Lin Jiang's finger paused on the candy wrapper for a moment.

"The third brother is very thoughtful."

He said.

Lin Nuo then took out two yuan from his pocket and placed them under the pencil:

"This is for Hirako Yasuko to buy notebooks."

Lin Jiang stared down at the two yuan note, his fingers clenched so tightly they turned white at the knuckles. He squatted down, rewrapped the old newspaper, tied it with hemp rope, and put a knot in it. He stood up, tucked the bag under his arm, and muttered:

"...Let's go, into the mountains."

He didn't say thank you. But Lin Nuo heard it in his heart.

Speaking of which, my brother's life is so tight, and he deserves a lot of credit. What is this little bit of money?

Although my older brother is honest, he is still stubborn. The fact that he was willing to put aside his pride and ask me to go into the mountains with him means that he must really be having a hard time making ends meet.

The two walked along the village road toward the back of the mountain. It was still dark, and the eastern horizon was a hazy gray.

The snow had mostly melted, revealing black soil on the road surface.

Lin Nuo led Lin Jiang to the snares they had set earlier. The first one was next to a bush; the snare's opening was crooked, and a tuft of grayish-brown fur was hanging from the wire. The rabbit had escaped.

Lin Jiang squatted down to take a look, but didn't say anything.

The second one was at the bottom of the slope, the trap untouched. Lin Jiang's face fell.

Lin Nuo was used to it. Setting traps to catch wild animals depended entirely on his mood. It was normal if he didn't catch anything for two or three days.

The third snare was at the edge of the pine forest. From a distance, you could see the snare had fallen over, and a grayish-brown thing was struggling on the ground.

"It's on!"

Lin Jiang ran over, even faster than Lin Nuo.

A gray rabbit had its hind leg caught in a snare. Seeing the approaching figure, it struggled desperately, its front paws digging a small hole in the snow. Lin Jiang grabbed the rabbit's hind leg and lifted it up.

The rabbit kicked twice in his hand, then stopped moving, its belly heaving as it panted heavily.

Weighing about three pounds, he was very fat, with a round belly.

Lin Jiang's lips curled into a grin:

"Second brother, you've got it!"

His voice was filled with joy.

Lin Nuo smiled:

"Brother, you're lucky. I've been here several times, and this is the first time I've seen condoms in stock."

Lin Jiang put the rabbit into the basket, squatted down, and set the snare again. This time he was more careful than before, adjusting the snare opening several times, tightening the wire, and smoothing out any marks around it before stopping.

However, hunting wild animals is still a matter of probability, so Lin Nuo still thinks that the focus should be on gathering herbs for now.

If we could get our hands on a wild ginseng, we could sell it and make our family live a much better life.

Lin Nuo led Lin Jiang to the sunny slope that Zhang Ba Tou had pointed out. The snow on the slope had melted away, revealing the withered grass and pebbles underneath.

The sunlight shone on the slope, warm and pleasant, a completely different world from the shady area.

Lin Nuo took out the notebook given to him by the foreman from his pocket, turned to the page on "wind protection", squatted down and spread the notebook on his knees.

"The roots are thin and long, with branches, and the leaves are like feathers. It smells like medicine."

He handed over the notebook:

"Big brother, take a look."

Lin Jiang took it and looked at it very carefully, since his older brother was illiterate.

He searched on the slope for a while, then squatted down, pointed to a few short plants, and glanced back at Lin Nuo: "Is this it?"

Lin Nuo leaned closer to take a look. The top was withered, but the bottom was still there. He used a pickaxe to dig through the frozen soil, revealing the roots underneath, which were thin, yellowish-brown, and branched.

"Yes! That's it!"

The two dug for about half an hour. Lin Jiang dug the soil, while Lin Nuo picked out the roots. Lin Jiang wielded the pickaxe skillfully, his strokes quick and precise, the frozen soil cracking like tofu under his hands. Lin Nuo followed behind, shaking the soil off the roots and stacking them neatly in a basket.

I dug up a dozen or so Saposhnikovia divaricata plants. Their roots weren't particularly thick, but there were many of them.

"Can this stuff really sell for 1.2 yuan per pound?"

Lin Jiang asked, holding a Saposhnikovia divaricata plant in his hand, turning it over and over to examine it.

"The supply and marketing cooperative will accept it. Liu Jun said so himself."

Lin Jiang hummed in agreement and carefully placed the windproof bag into the basket, his movements even gentler than before, as if he were handling something fragile.

Collect more, and sell them directly next time you go to town.

The two men came down from the mountain and, when they reached the village entrance, they saw a person standing in the doorway of the school.

Zhang, the foreman. He still looked the same—thin, with deep wrinkles on his face, high cheekbones, and sunken eyes.

He was wearing a patched black cotton-padded coat and leaning on a wooden stick, the bottom of which was worn shiny. He stood under the window, leaning slightly forward, looking inside.

Lin Nuo walked over:

"Uncle Zhang, what brings you here?"

Zhang didn't turn his head; his eyes were still fixed on the window.

The window paper was newly pasted, and through the gaps, one could see Su Wanqing standing in front of the blackboard, holding chalk and writing the character "大" (big) on ​​it. The children repeated after her, their clear voices carrying far in the cold air:

"Big... big..."

He stared for a while, then straightened up, his back snapping open with a "crack".

"Just passing by. Taking a look."

He turned to leave. After taking two steps, he stopped, pulled a cloth bag from his pocket, and tossed it behind him without looking back. Lin Nuo quickly caught it; the bag wasn't big, but it was heavy and still carried his body heat.

"There are a few medicinal herbs inside. Take a look. If you identify them correctly, come back to me."

After saying that, he stuck the wooden stick into the ground, the sound fading into the distance. His figure looked even thinner in the morning light, his cotton-padded coat hanging loosely, clinging to his body in the wind.

Lin Nuo opened the cloth bag, inside were several dried medicinal herbs. He recognized Astragalus and Bupleurum. The root of Astragalus was cylindrical, light brown on the surface, and hard in texture; the root of Bupleurum was thin and long, dark brown, with longitudinal wrinkles. He didn't recognize the other two; one had roots as thin as threads, and the other had curled leaves.

Lin Jiang leaned over to take a look, then shook his head; he didn't recognize any of them.

It's alright. Lin Nuo said a few words to his older brother, asking him to take the wild rabbit away. There was still some left from the stew they made yesterday.

Lin Jiang absolutely refused to take it, and only after Lin Nuo took all the medicinal herbs did Lin Jiang finally take the rabbit.

When Lin Nuo returned home, Lin Weidong was already waiting for her in the main room. He was sitting at the table with an enamel mug in front of him; the water in the mug had already cooled down.

"I've talked to Qi Dayong about it."

Lin Weidong picked up the jar and took a sip. The water was cold, and he frowned, but still swallowed it.

"He asked for eighty yuan right off the bat. I said five yuan at most. He haggled for a long time, and finally took five yuan and left. He said he wouldn't come to make trouble on the wedding day."

Lin Nuo listened without saying a word.

He sat down opposite Lin Weidong and tapped his fingers lightly on his knees twice.

Lin Weidong put the jar down and lowered his voice:

"But there was something off about his eyes when he left. That kind of person won't necessarily stay quiet even after taking the money. On the wedding day, have several people keep an eye on him."

Lin Nuo nodded:

"Understood, sir."

Lin Weidong stood up and patted Lin Nuo on the shoulder. His hands were thick and rough, and the calluses on his palms could be felt even through his cotton-padded coat.

"You've been doing a good job lately. School affairs are important. Your father may not say it, but he's happy about it."

Lin Nuo stood up to see him off. Lin Weidong walked to the door, then looked back one last time:

"Just keep an eye on Qi Dayong's situation. Don't confront him head-on; it's not worth it."

After saying that, he left.

Lin Nuo sat in the main room, mentally reviewing Qi Dayong's words twice. Five yuan certainly wouldn't be enough to get rid of him; this guy was definitely up to something. A man like Qi Dayong wouldn't settle down even after taking the money.

We must be careful.

It was late at night, but the light in the east room was still on.

Lin Nuo spread the medicinal herbs Zhang had given him on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and examined them one by one. He recognized Astragalus and Bupleurum, but not the other two. He flipped through the notebook Zhang had given him, searching page by page, but in the end, he still couldn't find the match.

Su Wanqing sat beside him, watching him identify the medicinal herbs, a smile playing on her lips. She held the calligraphy book in her hand, but didn't flip through it, just watching Lin Nuo.

Since she started teaching students recently, Su Wanqing's smiles have become much more frequent. She used to be aloof and cold, but now she's much gentler.

"What is this?"

Lin Nuo pointed to the unfamiliar root, which was as thin as a thread, yellowish-brown, and covered with fine hairs.

Su Wanqing took it, looked at it under the lamp, then opened the notebook and searched page by page. When she reached the middle, her finger stopped on a picture.

"It smells like bellflower. The root is cylindrical and branched. Smell it, doesn't it taste a little sweet?"

Lin Nuo smelled it, then licked it; it was indeed sweet. He flipped through his notebook and compared the roots' shape, color, and branching pattern—they all matched.

"Teacher Su is amazing."

Lin Nuo smiled.

Su Wanqing smiled slightly, closed the notebook, and placed it beside her pillow.

"My dad used to teach me to recognize medicinal herbs. He said that long-term illness makes one a doctor, and keeping some herbs at home can save a lot of money."

Her voice was calm, as if she were talking about something from a long time ago.

Lin Nuo was stunned for a moment.

She rarely mentions her father.

Unbeknownst to her in her past life, Su Wanqing knew about some medicinal herbs.

"Your father... knows about medicinal herbs?"

"He knows a little. He's in poor health and takes medicine all year round. Later, he learned to identify them himself, picked them, and cooked them himself."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on the kerosene lamp, the flame dancing in her eyes.

Lin Nuo reached out and took her hand.

"When spring comes, I'll take you to visit Dad's grave."

Su Wanqing looked up at him. Her eyes shone brightly in the kerosene lamp light, the lamplight's shadow reflected in her dark pupils, a small yellow light dancing in her pupils. She didn't speak, but simply nodded gently.

Her hand clenched tightly in his.

Lin Nuo had a strong impression of Su Wanqing's father. When Su Wanqing's father came to the village, he was refined and had a certain air about him.

His health had always been poor, and coupled with the blows he suffered and the influence of his stepmother Su Wanqing, he fell seriously ill.

After he passed away, Su Wanqing's stepmother fawned over someone else and returned to her hometown. Su Wanqing didn't seem to care on the surface, but she never mentioned that person and still harbored resentment in her heart.

Thinking of all this, Lin Nuo also gripped her hand tightly, and the two looked at each other in silence.

As dawn broke, Lin Nuo came out of the east room, preparing to go to the kitchen. Before he even left the courtyard gate, he heard someone calling him from the village entrance.

"Noko! Noko!"

Wang Lao Er came running from the village entrance, panting heavily, his face flushed red, and the veins on his forehead bulging. He was wearing a gray cotton-padded jacket, the front of which was covered with holes burned by cigarette ash, and the hem of the jacket flapped as he ran.

"A wild boar has come down from the back mountain!"

His voice was quite loud.

"They destroyed my cellar last night! All the cabbages and radishes are ruined! And those footprints were huge!"

He gestured with his hands, indicating that the bowl was big enough. He made a circle with both hands, compared it, and then felt it wasn't big enough, so he expanded it outwards.

Wang Lao Er is a very cunning fellow who loves to take advantage of others. For some reason, there used to be a cellar in the wasteland outside the village entrance. It was quite spacious, but people usually put their things in their own cellars so they could keep an eye on them and feel safe.

This guy insisted on using that unclaimed door. I guess this time a wild boar came out, smelled the vegetables, and knocked the door down.

"Several of them! The biggest one probably weighs three hundred pounds! Nuozi, you have to help me think of a solution! Otherwise, the crops we planted in the spring won't survive!"

He was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands together, his palms rubbing against his trouser legs until his cotton trousers started to fray.

Lin Nuo looked at him, then at the crossbow on his shoulder. Wild boars have thick hides and tough flesh; a crossbow would definitely not be enough to deal with them. He would have to find someone to help him.

"Uncle Wang, crossbows can't kill wild boars. I'll go ask Zhang the foreman if he has any ideas."

The old foreman's name was a golden brand; Wang Lao Er had heard of it too. He exclaimed "Hey!" and turned to run away.

"Nuozi, you have to help me! My family only had a few cabbages, and they're all ruined!"

Lin Nuo nodded.

He stood at the gate of the courtyard, looking towards the back mountain. Wild boars were a menace, but also money. If he could hunt one, the meat alone could sell for over a hundred yuan.

Although the supply and marketing cooperative only charges 50 cents per pound, a 300-pound wild boar can still sell for 150 yuan. That's more than farming for several years.

I need to go to Zhang's place.

Although he might not have the connections, Lin Nuo had a gut feeling that the old leader would make a move.

He turned and went back into the house, stuffed the cloth bag given to him by Zhang into his bosom, shouldered the crossbow, and went out the door.

At the east end of the village, the main room of Liu Jianguo's house reeked of alcohol.

Several small dishes were laid out on the table: peanuts, pickled radishes, and a dish of pig's head meat. The pig's head meat was cut unevenly, some as thick as a finger, and some as thin as paper.

The liquor was bulk baijiu, packaged in glass bottles with the corks pulled out. The aroma of the liquor filled the room, mingling with the smell of smoke, making people's throats dry.

Qi Dayong sat at the table, his face flushed and his eyes bloodshot. He picked up the wine cup and downed it in one gulp. The wine spilled from the corner of his mouth and ran down his chin. He wiped it with his sleeve.

"Does Lin Nuo think he can just send Lin Weidong to pressure me and I'll back down? That ingrate Qi Dawu has been eating and drinking my food for so many years, and now he wants to run away?"

He slammed the wine cup on the table, making a crisp sound as the wine splashed out and landed on the pig's head meat.

"He can forget about getting married honestly without eighty yuan! Even if he does get married, he'll have to pay back all the money he's taken from me over the years!"

"He's gone too far."

Yang Sanshun sat opposite him, a peanut twirling between his fingers. He wore a slightly worn military overcoat with the collar turned up.

"Now that he's with Lin Nuo, how could he possibly still acknowledge you as his brother? Lin Nuo's got a lot of swagger these days; he catches some wild animals and then acts like he doesn't know you anymore. Last time I asked him for a loan, he wouldn't give me a single penny."

He popped the peanut into his mouth and chewed it twice.

"He won't even lend me a little money, what a piece of trash."

Liu Jianguo sat to the side, remaining silent. He held his wine cup, not drinking, his fingers slowly twirling along the rim. His expression didn't change much, but his eyes swept back and forth between Qi Dayong and Yang Sanshun.

Qi Dayong poured himself another glass, picked it up, and downed it in one gulp.

"Just you wait. On the 26th of the first lunar month, I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget."

"Get married, damn it."