Reborn in 80: Starting with hunting in the mountains to get rich

Li Ju'an smiled and agreed, then went out.

He worked at the Lu family's house for a while, and the attitude of the Lu family's aunt towards him changed drastically. Before he left, the Lu family's uncle and aunt kept stuffing fruit hard candies into his hands.

These are traditional Northeastern Chinese fruit hard candies, each one individually made, with a sweet and sour taste and a rich fruity flavor—an unforgettable taste of yesteryear!

The Lu family also had a lot of canned goods, which were absolute luxuries in those days. Even canned goods without ration coupons could sell for 1.45 yuan a bottle.

The two Lu brothers grabbed the malted milk powder and tried to scoop it out with spoons, chewing it dry. Their uncle grabbed a stick, ready to teach them a lesson. Malted milk powder didn't require coupons; it cost 2.85 yuan a can—a luxury item among luxuries.

This was a delicacy that the Li family could never have tasted.

Li Ju'an thanked Aunt Lu for the fruit candy, and secretly made up his mind to let his younger sister Li Xiao also taste canned food and malted milk powder.

In his past life, when he was making a fortune, his family didn't benefit from it or receive any financial support from him. Now that he's been reborn, he's determined to ensure that his mother and sister live a stable and prosperous life.

"Young man, why don't you take some dumplings that your auntie made before you go?"

Aunt Lu was very hospitable. The large vat under the window outside was full of frozen dumplings made by the Lu family. The outside was like a natural refrigerator for the people of Northeast China. The large vat could store frozen bean buns, frozen tofu, frozen dumplings, frozen meat, etc., which not only kept them frozen but also kept away from mice.

"Thank you so much, Auntie. I'm not at all. I've already given you plenty of fruit candies."

Li Ju'an declined, but Aunt Lu greeted him warmly. The two of them tugged at each other three or four times. He left the Lu family's old house with a bag of fruit candies in one hand and a bag of frozen dumplings in the other.

……

The villagers are known for their toughness, but they are also warm and simple.

Li Ju'an walked along the village path, his footsteps crunching on the thick snow, his heart filled with a deep sense of fulfillment.

Mother Song Lanhua has already prepared the pork stew.

She was a capable country woman. She built a fire outside the old house and hung the pig's head, trotters, and tail on it to burn off the pig hair. Li Xiao stared wide-eyed and squatted down beside her, curiously imitating her.

Li Xiao, who was pale and thin, had a pair of bright, watery eyes. Because her cheeks were thin, her eyes looked even bigger and more watery. She was especially lovable since she was a child.

"Mom, I'm back."

The oil in the kitchen was ready. After Mother Song Lanhua cut the fat and lard from the pig's stomach into pieces and rendered them, she had made half a jar of oil. Wild boars don't have much fat, so there isn't much lard, but it's precious animal fat. Adding a little to cooking or making noodles instantly transforms the flavor.

Hearing the sound of Li Ju'an returning home, Li Xiao cheered and ran over from a distance to ask her brother for a hug.

Li Ju'an picked up his younger sister and weighed her in his arms; she was extremely light, weighing only about 38 pounds. For an 8-year-old girl to weigh that little was incredibly thin.

The family sat around the kang table for a meal.

A large pot of braised pork belly with sauerkraut, with little sauerkraut and plenty of meat, the aroma of the meat filling the air and wafting into your nose.

My mother is a very good cook; she can stew pork belly until it's tender and juicy, without making it dry at all. The marinade enhances the flavor and masks any fishy smell of the pork belly, filling the old house with a rich, meaty aroma.

The staple food is cornbread.

The three people on the kang table ate until their cheeks were bulging, their mouths were full of oil and meat, and their faces were full of smiles. It was a very satisfying meal!

A family reunion, indulging in a hearty meal, is truly a joyous and satisfying occasion.

Li Ju'an scooped up the stewed vermicelli and paused slightly. His mother, Song Lanhua, said, "Aunt Zhang brought over some sweet potato vermicelli, which she ground herself into a paste using a stone mill. Sister Wang brought over half a pound of wheat flour; we'll make noodles with it later."

That year, rice and flour required ration coupons. Li Ju'an simply distributed meat to thank the villagers who had helped him, and in return, he received even warmer human kindness.

Li Ju'an slurped up a mouthful of steaming hot stewed vermicelli. The vermicelli soaked up the rich aroma of pork, and the juicy, meaty flavor filled his mouth, making him feel incredibly satisfied with every bite.

He felt the warmth of his hometown, and a long-lost warmth welled up in his heart. He said earnestly, "Mom, I'm not leaving the village."

Mother Song Lanhua laughed and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think you can stay in this small place like Tungou forever?"

“I found out from Aunt Lu that there is a position in the forest farm with the opportunity for promotion. You can be transferred to the south as a cadre, but there are some educational requirements. You have to be a college graduate.”

Li Ju'an laughed: "Mom, you know what kind of person I am when I'm studying. You still want me to take the college entrance exam? I'm just not cut out for it."

The two laughed together, and the younger sister, Li Xiao, who didn't understand, also laughed along foolishly.

Suddenly, Song Lanhua, the mother, remembered that when the pig was slaughtered and its hair was burned, the brigade leader Yang Dezheng had come to their house once and told Li Ju'an about it.

Li Ju'an was surprised, "Captain Yang agreed to let me go and help out?"

He was overjoyed. He had originally planned to bring cigarettes and alcohol to the brigade headquarters to try and curry favor, but he also knew that Yang Dezheng was a demobilized soldier, and his impartiality and integrity earned him high prestige in the village. No means no; this wasn't about giving gifts.

Now, he had single-handedly killed the orphan and had once again shone in front of the villagers by slaughtering a pig, gaining the approval of the old hunter, Uncle Lu, which finally moved the brigade leader, Yang Dezheng.

The brigade leader nodded in agreement and submitted his name to the forestry farm leadership, giving him the opportunity to join the raiding party. If he performed well, he would also be included in the next two raids organized by the forestry farm!

Li Ju'an jumped up excitedly, his eyebrows beaming with joy: "Mom! If we help out, we'll get even more good stuff."

Besides hunting wild boars, the hunting party also offers the opportunity to encounter more and larger wild animals as hunting targets.

He was very much looking forward to the day when the game was divided, as the meat, furs, and treasures he obtained could be sold for a large sum of money in the county town.

After the pork stew dinner, Li Ju'an ate and drank to his heart's content, feeling completely satisfied!

The faces of her younger sister, Li Xiao, and her mother, Song Lanhua, which were originally sallow and thin, now glowed with a rosy hue and were full of smiles.

Li Ju'an gave the fruit candies to Li Xiao. The sensible younger sister gave them to him first, and then to their mother. The family ate the fruit candies, sweet and sour, in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere, lying on the kang (heated brick bed) enjoying the warmth of winter.

My hometown is warm, my beloved family is by my side, and the future is promising.

……

The next morning, Li Ju'an set off early with his basket on his back to catch the forest farm's little train.

With two cents for a ride, he boarded the forestry workers' shuttle bus and headed straight for the county town.

The forest farm train serves as both a means of transportation, carrying workers to the front lines of production in the mountains, and a major means of transporting timber produced in the forest area. It continuously transports timber produced on the mountains to the foot of the mountains, making a significant contribution to timber production in the Xinganling forest area.

Li Ju'an noticed the old man sitting next to him; it was Shan Gouzi.

"Mountain dog" is a local term for a widower or someone living alone in the mountains. Older men are typically short-tempered, straightforward, and reluctant to socialize.

The old man didn't speak, and neither did Li Ju'an. The two of them silently took the small train to the county town. He went straight to the market and noticed that the old man was heading in the direction of the supply and marketing cooperative. Half of an animal skin was sticking out of the old man's backpack, which looked like a mink.

Li Ju'an thought to himself, "Shan Gouzi is also an old hunter."

The county town's market is bustling with life, filled with locals hawking their wares.

Locals sell meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and wild game. Li Ju'an put down his woven bag, basket, and backpack, found a bustling spot at the street corner, and began to hawk his wares.