Reborn in 1977, starting with severing ties with family.

While Ho Chi Thanh and Da Shanzi were talking, they suddenly switched to Cantonese.

Jiang Sen remembered that before Dashanzi went to the countryside, he was a primary school teacher and should be from Kyoto. How could he speak Cantonese?

Dashanzi looked excited and was very affectionate with Hu Zhiqing.

Hu Zhiqing waved to Jiang Sen, "Jiang Sen, let's go back! I didn't expect to find someone from my hometown in your forest farm."

Jiang Sen and Wang Haiyang followed them back, asking curiously, "Brother Shan, how come we didn't know you were from Guangdong? You don't have a single accent."

Dashanzi laughed and said, "Old Hu and I are actually from the same place. Like him, we traveled around with our parents after we were about ten years old, and eventually settled in Kyoto."

I traveled everywhere with my parents, either doing business or working.

He's definitely not a soldier.

What kind of job requires this?

Seeing Jiang Sen and Wang Haiyang's curious expressions, Dashanzi said, "My father and his father were both in the geological exploration team, but they weren't in the same team."

Oh, I see!

Geological exploration teams work outdoors year-round, traversing mountains and rivers, staying in one place for a period of time before moving on to the next.

His wife and children naturally followed him everywhere.

Jiazigou Village is very lively today.

The snow removal work went very smoothly, and Luo Yongcai also came with his team to carry out the commendation ceremony that had been delayed due to the heavy snow.

Zhao Guangming and Sun Wenge put on their new clothes that they had worn during the New Year and sat behind a platform made of several tables.

Next to him were several officers from the team headquarters.

The educated youth and villagers stood in the square in front of the village committee, each with a joyful smile on their face.

Several women in the village, holding smaller children, were loudly scolding the larger children who were running around everywhere, making a ruckus.

"Puff puff!" Luo Yong blew on the microphone he'd pulled from the village committee office twice. "Everyone, quiet down!"

"Hello everyone, my name is Luo Yongcai, and I am the acting captain of the Fourth Brigade. Today, on behalf of the farm leadership, I would like to commend those who played a crucial role in the last criminal arrest operation!"

Luo Yongcai's style of holding large meetings is just like his personality: straightforward and decisive.

A team leader brought up a stack of certificates and two awards, while another person carried a washbasin, a teacup, towels, soap, and other items, and walked over to Luo Yongcai.

"Now, I will announce the list of collective award recipients! Jiazigou Village and the Fourth Brigade's educated youth settlement have been awarded the Second Class Collective Merit! Please welcome Village Chief Zhao Guangming, Secretary Sun Wenge, and Educated Youth Team Leader Hu Zhiqing to come forward and receive their awards! Let's give them a round of applause!"

A round of applause erupted, and those standing at the back craned their necks to look ahead.

With a broad smile, Zhao Guangming and Sun Wenge politely deferred to each other as they walked to the front.

Sun Wenge got a good deal; when Jiang Sen and his group came, they didn't talk much or contact each other much.

He had no choice but to go along on the night Zhao and his group were arrested because the situation was serious.

However, the farm administration couldn't possibly overlook him when it came to commending him; by all accounts, the village secretary should be the top leader.

But Zhao Guangming did most of the work.

This bargain came at a somewhat unfair price, but he was completely oblivious, and together with Zhao Guangming, they happily accepted the award and certificate.

Hu Zhiqing was naturally very proud. That night, when he saw that things were not going well, he led all the educated youth to stop Zhao and his comrades.

This collective honor is well-deserved!

He strode forward and accepted the award and certificate.

"Next, we will commend those who have made outstanding contributions! The educated youth at the educated youth settlement performed very well in this operation, especially Comrade Jiang Sen, Comrade Wang Haiyang, Comrade Wei San, and Comrade Zhao Erhu from Jiazigou Village! They played an important role in this operation. Now, we award Comrade Jiang Sen and Comrade Wang Haiyang with a second-class merit, and Comrade Zhao Erhu and Comrade Wei San with a third-class merit! Let's give them a round of applause!"

Jiang Sen and Wang Haiyang go without saying, but what is Zhao Erhu anyway?

And Wei San, who is Wei San?

The educated youth didn't react much; they just watched the spectacle.

But the villagers were not happy, especially Erluzi and Heizi's parents.

That night, the three of them ran to the main road together to pick up the people from the farm headquarters.

Why did Zhao Erhu receive an award and make a contribution, while Erluzi and Heizi did not?

The parents of both families looked grim and rolled their eyes, but with the officers from the team headquarters present, they dared not say anything.

After the commendation meeting ended, the team members left, and the educated youth also left, the two families went to the village committee.

Zhao Guangming and Sun Wenge were gesturing with smiles, indicating where to stick the award certificate and where to put the certificate.

"Village Chief! Party Secretary!" Erluzi's mother came in through the door.

The two men turned around, saw that it was her, and put down what they were holding.

The village chief tugged at his cotton-padded coat, asking, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

"What's going on? Your Erhu got an award and made a contribution, but what did my Erlvzi get? Everyone in my house said that Erlvzi and Erhu were together that night, so why was he the only one rewarded? Why didn't my Erlvzi get it?"

The village chief's face darkened; it concerned his son, so he couldn't say anything.

He glanced at Sun Wenge.

Now the two no longer fight, and they even cooperate when handling matters.

The reason why Erluzi is called Erluzi is because his father had a donkey-like temper, and his mother was even better at taming that temper.

In Northeastern dialect, the whole family is like a donkey that's only easy to please; if you push them away, they'll get angry and fight back.

Among the Zhao family, Erluzi's family is a special case. The villagers all give way to them, as if the whole family is mentally ill and avoid them.

Sun Wenge, however, did not buy into this.

He said sternly, "Erluzi's mom, what are you saying? Awards from above are based on individual performance. How can you ask for one when you haven't even received one? Aren't you ashamed?"

"What's so shameful about it?" Erluzi's mother snapped. "Why does Erhu get it, but Erluzi doesn't? If you don't give me an explanation today, I'm going to the farm headquarters! I'll tell you all about the shameful things Zhao Erhu has done, and see who's shameful! Isn't it just because you, Zhao Guangding, are the village chief? If my husband were the village chief, it would be the same!"

"Fine! Go find it! Do you even know which way the main gate of the farm faces? You're really going against me. Tell your husband that if he keeps making trouble, he won't get a single work point this year!"

Zhao Guangming also became famous.

"Fine! You're just targeting our family to bully us! I...I...I can't live anymore! Ah...Oh my god!" Erluzi's mother suddenly plopped down on the ground, throwing a tantrum, "Everyone come and see...ahhh...Zhao Guangding is shameless! He's bullying us honest people just because he's the village chief...hiccup...ah..."

The villagers who had left returned upon hearing the commotion and gathered outside the village committee to watch the excitement.

No one came up to persuade them; they all smiled and laughed, as if they were watching a grand show.

Jiang Sen and Wang Haiyang were pulled back by the educated youth with their certificates, medals, and prizes, without seeing this scene.

Zhao Erhu followed along, looking proud as if he were now Jiang Sen's man.

In fact, he took this opportunity to visit Shao Jiajia.

Shao Jiajia, Sun Guohong, and a few others who came from the forest farm were discussing at the educated youth settlement what delicious food to make to celebrate Jiang Sen and the others' success.

Let's also celebrate for the collective honor of the educated youth settlement.

A dozen or so people were gathered outside the cafeteria, discussing something enthusiastically.

"We still have fish, right? Let's cook it!"

"Are the two hedgehogs they brought back last time edible?"

"How about we make dumplings?"

"Brother Erhu!" A boy suddenly ran up from behind, "Hurry back! Your mother and Erluzi's mother are fighting!"