Reborn in 1977, starting with severing ties with family.

Back at the educated youth settlement, it was pitch black.

Everyone is asleep.

When they arrived at their lodgings, the door was still ajar, and candlelight shone through.

Pushing open the door, I saw that neither Hu Zhiqing nor Mao Jun were asleep.

"You're back?" Hu Zhiqing asked with a smile. "What do you need me for?"

Jiang Sen knew that Ho Chi Thanh had left the door and light on for them, waiting for them, and felt a slight warmth in his heart.

He laughed and said, "Great news! Just wait, Zhao Guangding will be coming to find you in a few days."

"Looking for me?" Hu Zhiqing asked suspiciously, frowning slightly. "He's never given us a kind look."

Wang Haiyang picked up the enamel mug to brush his teeth.

Jiang Sen also took it, but didn't leave; he continued talking to Ho Chi Thanh.

“What happened last night was a big deal. The farm management said they would reward them. Can they let the village continue like this?”

Hearing Jiang Sen say this, Hu Zhiqing understood and smiled, "I also hope that everyone can improve. If he comes to me, I will have something to say."

Jiang Sen nodded, "Putting everything else aside, just praise him, praise him as much as you can. When the time comes, you won't even need to ask him what you want; he'll tell you himself."

Hu Zhiqing's smile widened. "Go brush your teeth, I'll go talk to the others."

Jiang Sen went out to brush his teeth, and Wang Haiyang, who had already finished, stood beside him waiting.

"Should we go and see that person again?" He mouthed the name "Lu Xiu".

Jiang Sen said, "No need!"

Wang Haiyang didn't ask any more questions and saw Hu Zhiqing leave with a flashlight.

"Where did the captain go?"

Jiang Sen turned his head and glanced at them. "Go and discuss with the others what conditions to negotiate with the village."

The next day, everyone went back to normal.

Jiang Sen recounted the events of that night to Hu Zhiqing, as Li Chaoyang had instructed, and Hu Zhiqing didn't ask any further questions.

Jiang Sen and Wang Haiyang went into the mountains again.

However, behind them were three tagalongs.

Zhao Erhu, Erluzi, and Heizi.

The three seemed to have decided that Jiang Sen was their leader.

Why not Wang Haiyang?

The reason is simple: Jiang Sen took down Zhao Erhu.

After trying to get rid of them twice without success, Jiang Sen got angry and simply started using them as laborers.

"Go, pick lots of mushrooms!"

Zhao Erhu readily agreed, "Okay! Let's go! Let's go pick mushrooms!"

A little girl picking mushrooms, carrying a large bamboo basket on her back...

Jiang Sen couldn't help but recall the song, but it seemed that the scene before him didn't match the song at all!

Three young men, carrying baskets on their backs, bent over picking mushrooms.

tsk...

Wang Haiyang was overjoyed and walked to the side with Jiang Sen.

After gathering a basketful of wild vegetables, they began picking mushrooms.

Seeing that Zhao Erhu and his group were quite fast, they simply sat on the ground, braided straw ropes to string mushrooms, and hung them on trees to dry.

However, with so many people around, the pheasants and rabbits disappeared.

"Brother Jiang, are you looking for some game?" Zhao Erhu couldn't help but come closer as he watched the two men rummaging through the bushes looking for rabbit burrows. "I know where to find some!"

"You know?" Jiang Sen asked, looking him up and down. "If you could catch prey, how could you become as thin as a stick?"

"I really know!" Zhao Erhu exclaimed anxiously. "It's not that I can't hit it, it's that my dad won't let me go into the mountains. He says there are ghosts in the mountains..."

The word "ghost" was spoken very softly, and the eyes darted around as if afraid of disturbing something.

Wang Haiyang laughed, deliberately walked behind him, and roared, scaring Zhao Erhu so much that he jumped up.

"Holy shit!" Zhao Erhu exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Alright!" Jiang Sen said, "Where?"

"It's just ahead! There's a big ditch. We've seen pheasants, rabbits, wild boars and stuff there many times."

"Can you guys refrain from doing this?" Jiang Sen knew what he was referring to.

Not far from where Lu Xiu went down, there was a deep ditch, probably from a previous flood.

Previously, people were afraid that the area below would be flooded and that the ground would be unstable, so no one dared to go down.

"Hehe! I've caught rabbits over there!"

He wasn't telling the truth. Over there, they beat up two educated youths and even had sex with a female educated youth.

Of course, he dared not tell the truth.

After finally managing to build a good relationship with Jiang Sen, the higher-ups started to treat them differently.

You have to put on airs and make people look up to you.

Jiang Sen sneered inwardly, "Let you be smug for a few days."

"Go there?" Wang Haiyang was somewhat tempted.

Jiang Sen thought about it and still refused.

The terrain in the ditch is complicated. What if, as the old man said, the bottom is not solid and there is a drain or something that leaks in? Who will rescue you?

Zhao Erhu was quite disappointed; he also wanted to have a big meal of meat.

"Forget it!" Jiang Sen said. "Is it not easy to eat meat?"

"You have a way?" Zhao Erhu's eyes lit up again.

"Isn't having money all you need?"

"money……"

Zhao Erhu remembered the time Jiang Sen and his gang robbed him, and now his father gets angry and glares at him whenever he asks for money.

His family hasn't had meat for many days either.

I'm so greedy.

Jiang Sen asked, "Do you want to make money?"

Without even thinking, Zhao Erhu said, "Of course I want to! Whoever doesn't want to is the one who's like this!" He gestured with his hand to resemble a turtle.

Jiang Sen stared at him. "But you can't tell anyone else. If you do, we won't acknowledge it, and we won't ask you for anything to make money in the future."

“Brother Jiang, whatever you say, I’ll listen to you! If I, Zhao Erhu, tell anyone, I’ll let…” Zhao Erhu looked back and forth, “let the weasel bite me to death.”

In rural Northeast China, weasels are called "Guardian Fairy" or "Great Weasel Fairy".

There are also many places where shamans have their own disciples.

Using this as an oath is quite vicious.

"Then let's pick more mushrooms!"

"Picking mushrooms?" Zhao Erhu was confused. "There are plenty of these in the mountains, they're not worth much, and it's no use having more of them! Everyone gets tired of eating them every day."

When Wang Haiyang heard Jiang Sen mention mushrooms, he immediately understood and patted Zhao Erhu on the shoulder to make a promise.

"You guys take care of it, the more the better. As for how to exchange it for money, you don't need to worry about that!"

Zhao Erhu pondered for a while, then looked back at Erluzi and Heizi not far away.

"Okay! But I can't be alone, I have to bring both of them along."

Jiang Sen looked at Erluzi and Heizi, who were diligently picking mushrooms, and nodded. "That's your problem. As for us!" He gestured back and forth between Wang Haiyang and himself, "We only recognize you!"

Zhao Erhu laughed, "Okay!"

Jiang Sen and Wang Haiyang wanted to start a mushroom business, but it was simply not feasible for the two of them to do it alone.

Now that we have three strong men, why be polite?

A few days later, Zhao Guangming came again.

They also brought Sun Wenge and the village accountant, and with Zhao Dahu, the village committee leadership team was complete.

Hu Zhiqing led several educated youths and talked with them for most of the day in the educated youth settlement's canteen.

Many people saw it and were curious about what they were talking about.

But no one went up to ask; they just talked about it amongst themselves.

Wang Haiyang finally received a telegram from Beijing.

Jiang Sen also received the sweater and insoles that Aunt Zhao had sent him.

The sweater is navy blue with a high collar, and it's very warm to wear.

Na's insoles were also quite good; there were three pairs in total, and he generously gave one pair to Wang Haiyang.

A few days later, just as the village announced that the educated youth settlement would be integrated with the village and that farm work would be arranged together, the farm headquarters' commendation finally arrived.

The team temporarily transferred Luo Yongcai to act as the brigade leader, which delighted the former educated youth from the forest farm.

Luo Yongcai arrived with his men, wearing his old military uniform and belt.

"Dad!" Zhao Erhu rushed home. "Someone from the team headquarters is here! They're looking for you! They say they're here to award you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guangming was so excited that he quickly changed into new clothes and ran outside without even putting on his shoes. Zhao Erhu had to carry them for him and chase after him.

"Go! Go and call Old Sun!"