Chapter 58: Whatever Makes You Happy

What crooked path have I taken? Qin Jun asked while gnawing on a sparrow.
Your eldest sister, for instance. There are three people from our family working in this kiln factory! Qin Shi said.
Qin Jun wore a look of utter disdain. It is simply because there were no suitable positions available. Otherwise, even if it were a dog from our household, we would have found a way to place it at the factory gates as a watchman, just to secure a regular salary.
Qin Shi felt a blush of shame. He had long known that this kid Qin Jun possessed a thick skin, but he truly had not expected it to be this thick.
Qin Zheng sighed at that moment and remarked, Fortunately, your family doesn't own a dog!
Qin Jun said with a deadpan expression, Is this considered a crooked path? We are simply following the rules!
Qin Jun swallowed a tiny heart and liver, which happened to be the most flavorful parts.
Though sparrows were small, they possessed all internal organs.
Now, after being flash-fried in oil, enhanced by the saltiness of soy sauce and dried down just slightly, they tasted even richer when chewed.
After eating his fill, Qin Jun began to retort, Since other factories do such things, why can't we?
If you put it that way, when superiors come down for inspections, are all the hosting and reception duties also considered crooked paths?
Qin Jun was a master of endless arguments, naturally impossible to defeat in a debate.
Qin Zheng chuckled and said, All right, stop arguing. Come on, welcoming new comrades is a must; let us all drink a toast together!
After several consecutive rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew even more lively.
Especially the three newcomers, who finally let down their guard and began pulling people next to them to share a drink.
Drinking and chatting simultaneously, as time dragged on slightly, they came to understand one another better.
Eventually, whether truly intoxicated or simply seizing the alcohol as an excuse to speak with complete candor, Zhao Erwa pulled Qin Jun aside and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
Comrades, do you know how we managed to stay alive on the front lines?
First of all, unity!
Secondly, unity above all else—rallying around those who are capable, so that one has the greatest chance of survival!
Following those who have genuine ability will certainly never result in a loss.
Although the three of us only arrived today, we already know who has the greatest capability here.
So, little technician! I heard you didn't usually bring a gun to the kiln factory before. Coming in like this today—were you using it to test the cadres?
With that, Zhao Erwa patted Qin Jun's shoulder and laughed heartily.
Qin Jun shook his head continuously. This was the hallmark of an old, seasoned veteran.
It was by no means a derogatory term; at most, it could be considered neutral.
He had long known that these veteran soldiers who had clawed their way out of piles of corpses possessed a certain untamed, bandit-like aura, and now he was witnessing it firsthand.
Naturally, the bandit aura here was used in a complimentary sense.
If a soldier lacked a bit of that rebellious edge, he could never become a truly good soldier.
Those refined, gentle intellectuals would undoubtedly suffer losses on the battlefield.
Daring to fight and risk everything was never something that those who only reasoned could accomplish.
Clearly, Zhao Erwa was a shrewd man who knew who held the real power.
Qin Jun was thoroughly satisfied with Zhao Erwa's performance.
One had to realize that demanding a monthly salary of sixty yuan as a mere technician was no small joke.
After all, during this current phase, the domestic wage system was beginning to gradually fracture.
Through endless turmoil, people from top to bottom were finally realizing that intellectuals still retained some utility, and they could no longer simply be subjected to wearing tall dunce caps.
This was also an exploratory test by Qin Jun; if the factory refused, he would simply walk away.
As for the hunting trip today, it was precisely as Zhao Erwa had suggested—he had merely wanted to observe the attitude and reactions of the three newcomers.
He had not expected his little scheme to be exposed so thoroughly.
Even the other two men who remained silent were surely well aware of the situation.
Having his petty calculations seen through, Qin Jun felt no embarrassment whatsoever.
He directly raised his wine glass, signaling for another round.
The group raised their cups simultaneously, including Zhao Chuanjia and Liu Zhuanfu.
Though these two men spoke little, they were also perceptive individuals, and Qin Jun greatly appreciated such sensible people.
Let us cooperate closely from now on. Even if this kiln factory fails to survive, I will still be able to secure a good livelihood for all of you big brothers!
Qin Jun said no more after that, shifting his focus to drinking less and eating more.
No matter how much the others urged him to drink, Qin Jun kept strictly to a single ounce of liquor and refused a single drop more.
On the other hand, Uncle Qin Zhike was an absolute bottomless pit when it came to alcohol, drinking without end.
Unfortunately, there were only three catties of self-brewed wine in total, so even if he wanted more, there was none left.
With eight people present in total—two of whom were abstaining and six who could drink—in the end, none of them actually consumed an excessive amount.
With everyone well-fed and sufficiently drunk, they had gained a fair understanding of each other.
Old Zhao, just make do and sleep here in this dugout tonight; don't bother going home.
After the meal, Qin Zheng instructed.
Zhao Erwa waved a hand and said, It's fine. I already told my family. If I returned late, I instructed them to wait until after dinner and come pick me up. The timing is just right now; they should have arrived.
Qin Jun was startled. This truly was a clever man who anticipated every contingency.
Just like firing that first shot, he had thought of multiple possibilities and prepared contingency plans for each.
Someone who could survive the battlefield was indeed extraordinary.
Since your family came to fetch you, why haven't they come inside?
Qin Zheng picked up the flashlight nearby and stood up, intending to go outside and take a look.
Zhao Erwa waved a hand and called out to his two comrades, Let's go! We'll head straight home, and that way we won't cause any trouble!
Qin Jun chuckled with a grin and motioned for his sister to wrap up the remaining steamed buns and divide them into three portions.
The white wrapping cloth, originally used for steaming buns and placed over the bamboo steamer racks, was exceptionally clean.
Carrying the three parcels, Qin Jun stepped past the broken wicker fence of the kiln factory and indeed spotted three men gathered together smoking.
Take these back for the children to taste. We can't possibly eat everything ourselves while leaving our wives and children at home to watch!
Qin Jun said no more as Qin Zheng took the buns and handed them directly to Zhao Erwa and his companions.
Zhao Erwa remained silently mute, simply reaching out to accept the buns.
Do not look down on these as leftover buns; at present, nobody would turn their noses up at such food.
In the past, only when visiting relatives and partaking in banquets would hosts gift guests a small portion of savings to bring back home.
Adults generally refrained from eating such buns, usually distributing them piece by piece to the children of the neighboring alleys.
Every household operated the same way; regardless of which family brought home buns from visiting relatives, they shared them among all the surrounding children.
After seeing the three men off, the remaining individuals stood at the kiln factory entrance without immediately dispersing.
Those three are clever men. Qin Shi remarked first.
Qin Zheng chuckled softly and said, One might as well say Yu Aiguo is a clever man as well.
Qin Jun was thoroughly pleased with the three men chosen today. Even though he knew Yu Aiguo harbored ulterior motives, he did not mind in the least.
I enjoy dealing with clever people! Qin Jun said with a smile.
Qin Zheng patted Qin Jun's shoulder and said, As long as you are happy.
Qin Shi, however, laughed heartily and said, We are all riding on your coattails, so just do whatever you wish!
I suppose neither the villagers nor outsiders will have anything to say about it.
Qin Jun nodded in the darkness, his eyes suddenly shining with brilliant clarity.
He truly had not anticipated that the northern plains were already beginning to stir with restlessness.
The southern regions were currently engulfed in a fervor of introducing foreign capital and carrying out reforms.
Within major domestic cities, banners of Sino-Japanese friendship were hoisted high while ideological emancipation took center stage!
In many small and medium-sized cities, horn-shaped speakers, dark sunglasses, and electronic watches were likely beginning to flood the markets for sale!
Conversely, the villages of the north were forced to silently accumulate their strength for the time being.
And the figures seated atop this massive reservoir of energy must already be feeling uneasy!
Perhaps we can accelerate our pace slightly.
However, it is winter now, and doing anything is inconvenient. Once spring arrives, we shall pioneer a new world!
Shortly after he finished speaking, Qin Yingchun happened to emerge as well.
Qin Jun waved a hand and followed closely behind his eldest sister to walk home.
He still had matters to attend to that night, having previously arranged with his second older brother, Qin Feng, to see if they could hunt some hares in the wheat fields south of the village.
Unfortunately, without hunting dogs or infrared laser sights, finding rabbits across the vast expanse of farmland proved exceedingly difficult.
Over the subsequent few days, Qin Jun gradually acclimated to his new life following his rebirth.
Every morning at daybreak, he would set out hunting alongside Qin Feng.
They changed locations daily, and every single time they managed to stake out a group of weasels.
Although the yields were not entirely consistent, there was a harvest every single day.
However, while mornings yielded results, evenings proved entirely fruitless.
On winter nights, across the boundless wheat fields, finding a hare required locating it first.
That was why a specific hunting art existed, known as chasing hares, or specifically, using hounds to chase hares.
Without hunting dogs, catching hares was genuinely no easy feat.
Busy running back and forth between early mornings and late nights, combined with the fact that he still had to work half a day at noon, left Qin Jun feeling somewhat listless by the afternoon.
Eventually, he simply took an extra hour of afternoon sleep, returning to the kiln factory only by three o'clock.
By that time, the kiln factory's deputy director, Comrade Zhao Erwa, would immediately approach, stroking the sniper-style air rifle as if caressing his own wife.
That expression was enough to make Qin Jun feel slightly nauseous.
With no other choice when dealing with the shameless Zhao Erwa, Qin Jun could only join forces with him.
He had to admit that the veteran soldier's marksmanship was truly formidable, and he genuinely managed to learn a thing or two from him.