1983, Northeast China

Chapter 50 A Single Piece of Firewood

The color drained from Liu Erhe's face instantly.

Li Cheng finally understood, and his eyes widened immediately. "So, you're trying to fool people with a notebook full of scribbled nonsense?"

Still angry, she kicked the table leg again, but couldn't stop herself from kicking it. Not wanting to lose face, she endured the pain and sat down next to it, pretending to cross her legs and holding her feet while holding her breath.

Chen Shi didn't look at him, but only at Liu Erhe. "Brother Liu, I'm not here to question you. We're just here to collect firewood."

Liu Erhe looked like he really wanted to help but was also in a difficult position. "The records are right here. The outer edge of the back ditch hasn't been completely cleared yet. How can I open it for you?"

"We won't go to the outer edge of the back ditch," Chen Shi said. "We'll go to whichever area the forest farm designates as safe to collect. We'll collect dead branches, fallen trees, and branches broken by the snow, and leave without touching any living trees. Is that alright?"

Zhao Defa then pushed the guarantee back onto the table.

"Tian Youshan wrote that we shouldn't be blocking access to Kaoshan Village for firewood. If there really were thugs, you should have notified the brigade and clearly stated which areas were off-limits. Now you're using a record you wrote on a whim to block access to Kaoshan Village—what kind of nonsense is that?"

Liu Erhe was completely at a loss and could only stubbornly insist, "Captain Zhao, you can't say that. If something goes wrong, no one can take responsibility, and I can't make you write a disclaimer."

"I'll take responsibility for what I should take," Zhao Defa said. "But in your forest farm, you write snowy days as sunny days, and people going to the market as people patrolling the mountains. If this notebook is sent to the farm headquarters, who will take responsibility?"

Just then, the door to the duty room was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

The man who entered was a tall, burly man in his fifties. As soon as he entered the room, Liu Erhe stood up abruptly.

"Song... Station Master."

Old Song glanced around the room. "What's all the noise about so early in the morning? Can't even the stove keep you all calm?"

Liu Erhe grasped at a straw, "Station chief, the people from Kaoshantun came to collect firewood, and they insist that there's something wrong with our records."

Old Song immediately frowned. "The forest farm's records have always been very strict."

Zhao Defa laughed upon hearing this. "Old Song, this isn't the first time we've dealt with each other. I'm really not here today to embarrass the forest farm. Kaoshantun needs to prepare for winter, and you say there are wolves. For safety, we can avoid going into Houhegou. But you're using this record to postpone our entry into the mountains, and I can't accept that."

Old Song then reached out and took the notebook.

He flipped through the first few pages quickly, but when he got to the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, his hands slowed down.

He first checked the weather, then the names of the people, and finally looked up at Liu Erhe.

Where were you on the 12th?

Liu Erhe's head drooped immediately. "I...I'm going back to Liujiagou to go to the market."

Li Cheng couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Chen Shi pinched him hard on the lower back, and his face, which had just recovered, turned red again.

Old Song ignored him and tapped the line of text with his finger. "Then how does it say here that you and Tian Youshan patrolled the timber route?"

"Team Leader Tian... later... had someone fill in the gaps." Liu Erhe's head was almost buried in his chest. "Team Leader Tian said that he went to check that day. Because the villagers had thrown away some meat, they attracted a hungry wolf. It wasn't a big deal, so he had someone fill in the gaps in the record."

"Nothing serious?" Old Song's voice was low. "Nothing serious. Did you write in the log that you saw traces of fishy substances and temporarily suspended passage along the outer edge of the firewood area?"

"That meat wasn't thrown away by people from our village, don't try to pin this on us," Li Cheng said, his face flushed.

Liu Erhe probably knew what was going on, but he dared not say it.

"What exactly happened?" Old Song asked.

When it comes to storytelling, Li Cheng perked up and vividly described what happened that day.

After listening, Old Song closed his notebook, then opened it again, as if he wanted to curse, but in the end he held back.

"It's not that I won't issue a ticket," he said. "I'll issue one according to the rules. For the time being, entry is not allowed along the outer edge of the back ditch. You can collect dead branches and fallen logs along the east side of the old timber road and the outer edge of the front ditch. But if anyone dares to cut down a living tree, I'll still detain them."

"Yes, that's the way it is, and it's always been like this," Zhao Defa said.

Old Song looked at Chen Shi, sizing him up. "You're Chen Mancang's son?"

Chen Shi hummed in agreement.

"Back then, when your father went into the mountains, he didn't try to take advantage of anyone or cause any trouble. He was an honest and straightforward man," Old Song said. "He was quite a figure. Don't go astray."

"Don't worry, Station Chief Song," Chen Shi said. "We abide by the law. If we see any wolf tracks, we'll come back and tell the forestry station."

Old Song looked at him for a while. "Your dad used to have a hunting license and connections in the forest farm. But he's gone, and the license can't go with him. Don't say I didn't warn you, you don't have a license, so you can't just touch that gun."

Chen Shi nodded solemnly, "I understand."

"That's good enough." Old Song took out a pen, pointed at Liu Erhe, and continued, "But now there are wolves in Kaoshantun, and there aren't many people in the village who can watch the mountain paths. Captain Zhao will write a certificate later, and I'll also pass on a message to the farm headquarters."

Zhao Defa glanced at Chen Shi and said, "Did you hear that? This is to open the door for you, so hurry up and thank them."

"Thank you, Uncle Song."

Old Song saw Liu Erhe standing there like a block of wood, so he nudged him and said, "Write."

Liu Erhe then realized what the station chief meant by pointing at him, and quickly picked up a pen to write a note.

Li Cheng leaned closer to take a look, but Zhao Defa pulled him back, saying, "You know a few characters, what are you messing around with?"

"Let me see the stamp," Li Cheng said in a low voice. "Once this thing is stamped, we're officially mountain hunters."

Liu Erhe wrote the note, Lao Song took it, read it, signed his name, and handed it to Liu Erhe for stamping.

Zhao Defa took the note, blew on the still-dry ink, folded it up, and handed it to Chen Shi.

"Keep it safe."

Chen Shi took it and put it in his arms. He patted it again through the cotton-padded coat.

Old Song put the notebook away. "I'll put this notebook in my room for now. When Tian Youshan comes back, I'll have him tell me himself why he wrote 'snowy day' as 'sunny day' and 'people going to the market' as 'people patrolling the mountain'."

Liu Erhe's face turned even paler. How could he not know who Tian Youshan was? It would be strange if he admitted to this.

Zhao Defa didn't say anything more, and nodded to Lao Song, "I'll have to trouble you again this time."

"Don't try to reason with me about personal relationships." Old Song waved his hand. "The rules of the forest farm are not to be a stumbling block for anyone."

After walking a distance from the duty room, Zhao Defa spoke, "Don't be too happy yet. Tian Youshan will definitely seek revenge once he finds out the records were confiscated."

"Let's find someone," Chen Shi said. "We need to get our family settled first before worrying about outsiders."

Upon hearing this, Li Cheng perked up again. "Shall we go collect some today? Let's gather a lot so we don't have to worry about it every day. After we collect the firewood, shall we go check on Old Wei? You didn't take me with you last time you collected hides, but I have to come along this time."

"Let's go home and get the rope and sled first," Chen Shi said. "We also need to go to Lao Wei's place. There are a lot of things to buy before the New Year, and a single piece of firewood won't be enough."

As Chen Shi spoke, Li Cheng had already imagined the days to come, rubbing his hands excitedly, "Alright, let's gather firewood, collect snares, catch sparrows, and sell them for money. Then we can walk around the supply and marketing cooperative like royalty."

Zhao Defa glared at him, "Try to stand there and see what happens."

Li Cheng immediately became more honest, "I was just saying that."

Just as the three of them reached the entrance of the threshing ground, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind them.

Chen Shi turned around and saw Liu Erhe chasing after him. He wasn't even wearing a hat, so it was clear he was in a hurry.

Zhao De asked, "Is there anything else?"

Liu Erhe glanced at the duty room, then at the people working by the timber stack, "Chen Shi."

Chen Shi turned around and looked at him.

Liu Erhe's lips trembled for a long time, as if he regretted chasing after her, or as if he had no choice but to speak up.

"On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, when Captain Tian returned to the forest farm, there was a stranger in the car."