Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Nuo put fifty yuan in his pocket and waited at the gate of the courtyard.

Lin Jiang arrived even earlier than him and squatted by the wall:

"Let's go."

The two walked along the village road toward the town. Lin Jiang walked in front, and Lin Nuo followed behind.

After walking half a mile, Lin Jiang finally spoke, his voice muffled, as if squeezed from his throat:

"Second brother, that's my father-in-law... the one who's paralyzed. The doctor said there's a medicine that's only available at the county hospital, and a course of treatment costs over forty yuan. We don't have enough money, and your sister-in-law is too embarrassed to ask..."

His voice grew softer and softer.

Lin Nuo didn't reply, quickening his pace to walk alongside Lin Jiang. He glanced at his older brother. Lin Jiang's face looked even darker and more haggard in the morning light.

"Brother, why are you being so polite with me?"

Lin Jiang's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't say anything more.

By the time we arrived in the county town, the sun was already high in the sky.

Shops on the main street of the county town were all open, and a crowd gathered in front of the breakfast stalls. Steam rose from the gaps in the steamers, white and fluffy, mixed with the aroma of fried dough sticks and soy milk.

The two brothers had no interest in looking at these things and went straight to the county hospital.

The hospital gate was made of iron railings, the paint peeling off to reveal rust underneath. The corridor reeked of Lysol, and long queues formed at the registration windows.

Lin Jiang stood in line, his hands hanging at his sides, his fingers slightly curled. He would occasionally take a step forward, his eyes fixed on the window.

Lin Nuo stood beside him, looking at his older brother's state, and felt a pang of sadness. In his past life, no matter how difficult things were for his older brother, he always paid off his debts and cleaned up his messes.

Sigh, he definitely won't abandon his older brother.

It was their turn. Lin Jiang handed in the medical records, his voice a little tense:

"Comrade, prescribe a course of medication."

The nurse at the window flipped through the medical record, quickly wrote out a prescription, and pushed it out the window. Lin Jiang took the prescription, his fingers trembling slightly. He went to pay, collect the medicine, and held the medicine packet in his hands.

As Lin Jiang emerged from the hospital, the warm sunlight gently shone on his face. He carefully tucked the medicine packet into the inner pocket.

"Brother, are you hungry?"

"without."

"How could I not be hungry? Come on, I'll take you somewhere."

On the main street of the county town, the signboard of "Jianming Restaurant" is white with red lettering, freshly painted, and particularly eye-catching in the sunlight. Two potted green plants are placed at the entrance.

Lin Nuo pushed open the glass door, and a fragrant aroma of food wafted out, a mixture of the sizzling smell of scallions, ginger, and garlic, and the savory aroma of stewed meat.

There were seven or eight tables in the lobby, and most of them were occupied. Some people were wearing work clothes, some were wearing jackets, and a few were carrying briefcases, all eating with their heads down.

Zhao Jianming was standing behind the counter doing accounts, his fingers moving back and forth on the abacus beads, making a clattering sound.

He looked up and saw Lin Nuo come in. His eyes lit up, and he quickly put down the abacus and came out from behind the counter.

"Oh, Brother Lin! What brings you here? Please, have a seat!"

He had a loud voice that echoed throughout the main room. The guests who were eating looked up at him, then lowered their heads again to continue eating.

Zhao Jianming grabbed Lin Nuo's hand, squeezed it tightly, and then turned to call the waiter:

"Xiao Wang, pour the tea! And bring out that newly arrived Maojian tea!"

His gaze fell on Lin Jiang, and he looked him up and down.

"Who is this?"

"My older brother, Lin Jiang."

"Hello, Brother Lin! Zhao Jianming, you can just call me Brother Zhao."

Zhao Jianming patted Lin Jiang on the shoulder warmly and pulled the two of them to sit down. Lin Jiang felt a little uncomfortable.

Zhao Jianming noticed this, but without asking any further questions, he turned and shouted towards the kitchen:

"Old Li, cook a few dishes! Stir-fry raw pork slices, stew mutton, and stir-fry shredded potatoes! Hurry up!"

Lin Nuo quickly waved his hand:

"Brother Zhao, there's no need to be so polite, let's sit down."

"Why are you sitting? It's lunchtime. What kind of talk is it if we don't eat?"

Zhao Jianming pushed the teapot over, poured the tea into a rough porcelain bowl, the tea soup was golden in color, and a fragrant aroma wafted up. He then took out a cigarette from his pocket, offered one to Lin Nuo, who waved it off and lit it himself.

"Brother Lin, how's your chicken farming going?"

"The chicks have been brought back, more than fifty of them, just arrived home."

Zhao Jianming's eyes lit up, he leaned forward, and lowered his voice:

"More than fifty chickens? That's a big deal. Brother Lin, let me tell you something, I'll buy all the eggs your chickens lay. The price is 20% higher than at the supply and marketing cooperative. The same goes for wild game, whatever you have, I'll take it all."

Lin Nuo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and did some mental calculations. The supply and marketing cooperative's purchase price for eggs was about one mao each; a 20% increase would be one mao twelve, which was certainly good.

"Brother Zhao, the chickens just came home, and it will be more than a month before they lay eggs."

Zhao Jianming waved his hand:

"No rush, no rush, I've already placed the order. Once it's ready, just bring it over. Let's have a long-term partnership."

He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, picked up his glass, and raised it towards Lin Nuo:

"Brother Lin, don't worry, in business, my reputation comes first. You bring the goods, and I'll pay you in cash, not a penny owed."

Lin Nuo also picked up her glass and clinked it against his. The porcelain glasses made a crisp sound when they touched.

"Alright. Brother Zhao, it's settled then."

The two drank it all in one gulp. Lin Jiang, standing beside them, held his glass and took a sip as well, wincing from the spiciness.

Zhao Jianming saw it and burst into laughter:

"Brother, you're so honest! I love dealing with honest people."

While eating, Lin Nuo took a look at the guests in the lobby.

Seeing Lin Nuo watching, Zhao Jianming smiled and said:

"Brother Lin, my restaurant hasn't been open for long, but business is alright. People from county government offices and factories come here often, and I have quite a few repeat customers. So don't worry, I can handle your eggs."

Lin Nuo nodded, feeling more at ease. Zhao Jianming wasn't bragging; he really had business.

After finishing their meal, Zhao Jianming saw them to the door, then took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and stuffed it into Lin Nuo's hand.

"Brother Lin, here you go. Don't forget to come find me when you have more stock."

Lin Nuo pushed it twice, but couldn't push it away, so she put it in her clothes.

"Brother Zhao, then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Don't be so polite. We're like brothers, no need to stand on ceremony."

After leaving the county town, the two brothers took the bus to their sister-in-law's parents' home.

The eldest sister-in-law's family home is more than 20 miles away from Liujiagou. Lin Nuo last came several years ago. At that time, he was not yet married and came with his elder brother to deliver festival gifts. Shan Jun did not treat him very well back then.

The car bumped along the dirt road, and the fields outside the window receded one after another. The snow had melted completely, revealing the black soil, some of which had already been turned over, glistening in the sunlight.

Lin Jiang leaned against the car window, his eyes closed.

Lin Nuo didn't say anything, just looked out the window.

Zhao Village is small, with scattered houses at the foot of the mountain. The eldest sister-in-law's family home is at the east end of the village, a three-room mud-brick house with stone walls and a crooked door held together by wire.

The eldest sister-in-law was washing clothes in the yard when she heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Lin Jiang and Lin Nuo walking in. She was stunned for a moment, then quickly wiped her hands on her apron and stood up.

"What brings you here?"

Her voice sounded a little strained.

Lin Jiang took the medicine packet out of his pocket and handed it over:

"Medicine I bought for Dad."

The older sister-in-law took the medicine packet, her fingers gripping the drawstring until her knuckles turned white. She lowered her head: "You..."

She naturally knew where the money came from; it could only have come from Lin Nuo.

Lin Nuo took out ten yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into his sister-in-law's hand:

"Sister-in-law, buy some nutritional supplements for Uncle. Eggs, brown sugar, canned goods, whatever you think is best."

The elder sister-in-law's hand trembled, and her eyes reddened.

"Noko, this...this is too much trouble..."

"Sister-in-law, we're family, no need for formalities."

Dan Jun emerged from the main room, wearing a wrinkled gray cotton-padded jacket, his hair disheveled as if he had just woken up, and his eyes still had sleep on them. When he saw Lin Nuo, his face darkened, and his voice carried a sour tone:

"Hey, Lin Nuo's here? I heard you struck it rich. What, showing off?"

He glanced at the musket on Lin Nuo's shoulder, a hint of jealousy flashing in his eyes.

His sister-in-law glared at him and said, "Shut up."

Dan Jun wanted to say something, but seeing his sister-in-law's expression, he swallowed his words. He snorted and turned to go inside.

Lin Nuo didn't mind, and turned to say a few polite words to his sister-in-law:

"Sister-in-law, if you need anything, just ask your brother. If you need money or things, don't be shy about asking."

The elder sister-in-law nodded, tears falling, her voice hoarse:

"Nuozi, your sister-in-law used to be a real jerk."

"Sister-in-law, it's all in the past. Don't mention it."

Lin Nuo interrupted her, his tone calm:

"We are family."

The older sister-in-law said "Oh," and carefully stuffed the money into her apron pocket.

As we left Zhao Village, the sun was already setting in the west. The clouds on the horizon were tinged with orange-red.

On the way back to the village, Lin Jiang walked beside Lin Nuo without saying a word.

"Second son,"

He finally spoke, his voice muffled:

"I will pay this money back."

Lin Nuo shook his head, his voice soft but firm:

"No rush. Brother, you've helped me so many times before, and I've never repaid you."

Lin Jiang slowed his pace for a moment, then caught up.

The two brothers walked side by side in the twilight.

By the time they reached the village entrance, it was already dusk. Several old men were squatting under the old locust tree, enjoying the shade. Seeing the two brothers approach, one of them called out:

"Nuozi, your father is waiting for you at home."

Lin Nuo responded and quickened his pace.

When Lin Nuo got home, the first thing he did was not to go inside, but to turn to the chicken coop and squat down.

Fifty-four chickens ran around on the ground covered with dry hay, and a few of the bolder ones had already crowded around the feeding trough to grab food.

Zhao Xiuying brought over a bowl of chicken feed, squatted down beside it, and muttered as she added feed to the trough:

"These little rascals, they eat but don't gain weight. They've wasted a lot of food again today."

It was only the second day, and this was the first time Zhao Xiuying had fed the chickens like this, so it was normal for her to feel sorry for them.

Lin Nuo chuckled:

"Mom, once the eggs are laid, you won't feel bad about wasting them. Each egg costs a little over ten cents, you do the math."

Zhao Xiuying rolled her eyes at him, but didn't stop working:

"You think you're so good at math?"

She was just venting.

Su Wanqing arrived at some point and squatted down next to Lin Nuo, sticking her finger into the chicken coop. A bold chicken came over and pecked at her fingertip; she hissed and withdrew her hand.

"Isn't Teacher Su afraid?"

Lin Nuo looked at her with a smile.

"What are you afraid of? It doesn't bite."

Su Su Wanqing's lips curled up, her face showing the smugness of a little girl.

He's becoming more and more like a little kid.

Lin Nuo looked at her, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

Zhao Xiuying saw this from the side, but didn't say anything and continued feeding the chickens with her head down.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the old foreman was already standing at the gate of the courtyard.

Upon seeing Lin Nuo come out, he turned and left.

Lin Nuo slung his musket over his shoulder and followed.

Spring has arrived, and the snow in the mountains has melted completely, revealing dark brown soil and withered grass roots.

The bushes along the roadside sprouted fuzzy buds, their grayish-brown branches dotted with a layer of pale green.

The two walked one after the other towards the old forest. After walking for about half an hour, the old foreman suddenly stopped, squatted down, and pointed to a series of footprints on the ground with his wooden stick.

"A deer. A fawn, not even a year old."

Lin Nuo squatted down, took out his notebook, and drew the shape of the footprints. The old foreman stood up and glanced into the depths of the forest.

"It's springtime, and deer and roe deer are short of salt. They'll lick places with salt."

The old foreman took out a small cloth bag from the cloth bag at his waist, opened it, and found coarse salt grains mixed with some dark yellow powder, emitting a pungent smell.

"This is a salt pit. Salt mixed with human urine is buried in places they frequent. They smell it and come to lick it."

Lin Nuo wrinkled his nose:

"Uncle Zhang, this smell... is really strong."

The old foreman ignored him, tied up the cloth bundle, and stood up:

"I set one up around here yesterday, go check it out."

The two walked for a while longer and stopped in front of a gentle slope. The old foreman squatted down, parted a clump of withered grass, and revealed a shallow pit covered with branches.

He lifted the branches.

Lin Nuo leaned closer to take a look and saw a wooden clamp buried in the pit. It consisted of two crossed wooden sticks with several barbed steel nails hammered into them, all shiny black. Scattered around the clamp were some salt grains, which had been almost completely licked clean.

The clip wasn't closed.

Lin Nuo's heart sank: "Uncle Zhang, no stock?"

The old foreman didn't say anything, but stood up and glanced around.

"come over."

Lin Nuo walked over, went around the pine tree, and saw a roe deer lying on the ground.

It has grayish-brown fur, a round belly, and four legs curled up together. There is a large clip around its neck.

Weighing around 60 pounds, he was very fat, with his belly covered in fat.

Lin Nuo's mouth opened and closed for a long time.

"Uncle Zhang, this..."

"It didn't manage to get caught in the salt pit, but it licked the salt and couldn't go far."

The old foreman squatted down, turned the roe deer over, and examined it thoroughly:

"I set several traps around here yesterday. It fell for one."

Lin Nuo's heart skipped a beat when he saw the roe deer. Roe deer meat was in high demand in the county town, much more expensive than wild boar meat.

This is the first time in my life I've seen such a large shipment.

This 60-pound roe deer can easily fetch over a hundred yuan. Zhao Jianming buys wild game, so he has a ready market and no worries about selling it.

He bent down and hoisted the roe deer onto his shoulder. It was so heavy that it made his shoulder ache, but he was very happy and couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"Uncle Zhang, you're amazing."

Lin Nuo sincerely said:

Zhang looked at him and said, "You still have a lot to learn."

"When autumn comes, I'll give you a deer whistle, and then you'll be able to hunt big trucks too."

"Now that spring has arrived, animals in the mountains are giving birth, so we try to avoid hunting large animals if possible, but hunting continues unabated."

Lin Nuo nodded.