PDLP Chapter 37 Good News
Chapter 37 Good News
After switching to a single-barreled shotgun, Sun Changkui explained the usage and maintenance techniques for shotguns.
Chen Tuo's heart flew straight to the shooting range.
As soon as he mentioned his idea of exchanging fish for nails and sheet metal, before Wu Laowai could even finish cooking the fish...
Sun Changkui took all the fish that Chen Tuo caught on his sled.
The armed forces department had a canteen, a large pile of iron nails, and discarded tin boxes used to store bullets.
In addition to nails and scrap metal boxes, Sun Changkui also gave him a pair of wild boar skin skis and a sled made of welded iron bars.
According to Sun Changkui, the shovel-shaped iron scoop was used by the canteen to scoop coal.
It wasn't very good after I made it, so I just left it aside.
This thing isn't very good at shoveling coal, but it's exceptionally good at shoveling small fish in the mud.
Sun Changkui found this fish trap for Chen Tuo so that he could focus on catching fish and not think about hunting with a gun.
Because Sun Changkui didn't want Chen Tuo, who was hunting with a gun but no ammunition, he didn't let him practice shooting at the range.
Chen Tuo was filled with disappointment at not getting what he wanted.
Su Dao took out the matching leather gun holster and ammunition belt from the sled.
"Brother Chen Tuo, you can't trade two wolf pelts for a horsehide gun holster and ammunition belt. The Russian guns are durable, so why don't you just leave them?"
Chen Tuo was taken aback that accessories like gun holsters and ammunition belts were more expensive than the gun itself.
No matter how good the leather is, it's still just an accessory for holding guns and bullets.
Without a gun, a gun holster and ammunition belt are just decorations.
"No need for that. I'll find him a canvas barrel pouch and a shoulder bag, that'll be enough. Brother Su, could you give me the horsehide shotgun pouch instead?"
Sun Changkui's eyes lit up when he saw the brand-new horsehide gun holster in Su Dao's hand.
The Tula single tube in Chen Tuo's hand was neither fun nor useful.
However, Russian horsehide gun holsters and saddles are in high demand in the logistics system, and there are quite a few people eyeing them.
"I'll give it to you! But Brother Chen Tuo's gun holster and ammunition belts will also come from here..."
Because Sun Changkui schemed against Chen Tuo.
Because of the two and a half bowls of strong liquor outside the supply and marketing cooperative, Su Dao had a good impression of Chen Tuo.
Therefore, he did not accept Sun Changkui's favor.
He was the one who traded the gun, and in his opinion, the gun holster and ammunition belt should also be provided.
"Uncle Wu, could you give that wolverine pelt to Uncle Su Dao too...?"
Su Dao was generous, and Chen Tuo was not stingy either, offering a mink and bear pelt in return.
"Su Dao, a hat made of wolverine pelt is a top-notch item. The slugs used for hunting bears aren't very effective, so you should get him some more."
Mountain dog hides are worthless outside the mountains.
But for the Evenki, Oroqen, and Daur hunters, it was a top-quality hide for making hats.
Wu Laowai also frequently traded with the hunters in the mountains, helping Chen Tuo to get benefits, which was essentially protecting his own interests.
"Old Wai, wolverine pelt? Not badger pelt?"
"Genuine male mountain dog skin, the pelt is purplish and shiny, I guarantee you won't be ripped off."
After Wu Laowai confirmed it, Su Daocai took a roe deer skin bag off the sled and said to Chen Tuo:
"Brother Chen Tuo, this time you only provided five hundred cardboard bear shells. Next time I go, I'll exchange them for two hundred buckshot shells..."
Seeing Chen Tuo open his mouth, the hunting rifle and bullets were ready.
Feeling somewhat resentful, Chu Maolin wanted to teach him a lesson.
But just as he made a move, he was stopped once again by Sun Changkui's gaze.
Having a single-tube bright machine that doesn't work very well is already the best outcome.
If Chen Tuo went to the market and exchanged his weapons for those homemade foreign-style cannons, the potential harm would be greater than that of the short-barreled shotguns equipped with slugs.
"Brother-in-law Sun, Uncle Wu, Uncle Su, there's still work to be done at the educated youth settlement! I'll head back now..."
We have the nails and sheet metal for building the sauna, and we also have the gun.
The excitement of being blocked from practicing shooting by Sun Changkui once again surged into Chen Tuo's heart with mania.
Unlike last night, the manic and burning sensation returned, and his tongue felt somewhat numb.
"Alright! If you want to practice shooting, you can only go to the river bend during the day. Don't cause any trouble there at night. Come with me to get the gun holster..."
Following Sun Changkui to the armed forces department warehouse, Chen Tuo received gun barrel bags for storing guns and dry food bags for storing bullets. Then, he was led into the office by Sun Changkui.
"Xiao Chen, Secretary Wei wants you to help out at the Forestry Bureau's Publicity Department, but this is a bit tricky to do."
Although Chen Tuo, this educated youth left behind, was an unregistered person whose identity could not be found.
However, Wei Juncheng and Chu Mingshan of Songling Forestry Bureau both knew that it would be better if such a person could not be found.
If the inability to locate Chen Tuo is due to human error, then Chen Tuo's fate, whereabouts, or future would be the real problem for Songling Forestry Bureau.
Needless to say, if I died in Songling, they would definitely come looking for me to settle scores.
If you encounter someone who is petty and narrow-minded, no one can say for sure how much trouble might arise.
Even if they don't die, they'll still encounter troublesome families.
The very fact that the low probability of finding a person means a complicated past.
What if they have connections with the forestry system or the military, and come with resentment?
Who would be willing to take the fall for such a bombshell?
Sun Changkui was tasked with temporarily calming Chen Tuo down.
The best option right now is to neither let him be thrown into those damn eight graves nor let him die in Songling.
"Brother-in-law Sun, it's better to just let it go. It's not a proper way to ask for help, and it doesn't sound good."
Sun Changkui said he was confident that Chen Tuo would happily accept the good news.
To everyone's surprise, what awaited them was a rejection.
The test shot went wrong, and now the good news hasn't been able to reassure Chen Tuo either, leaving Sun Changkui somewhat embarrassed.
"Xiao Chen, you have to take things one step at a time..."
"Brother-in-law Sun, I'm stuck in Songling without proper status. If the policy changes, I'll be stuck in this predicament. I'm going back now..."
To anyone else, Chen Tuo's reasons would seem pretentious.
However, Sun Changkui could understand Chen Tuo's persistence because Hu Yuling, a medical student at home, was unable to return to the city due to marriage and childbirth.
In the city, there simply weren't enough jobs to accommodate all the educated youth.
When Hu Yuling returned to the city, the first priority for her city was to secure a job for Sun Changkui, who had been demobilized from the military.
There are also the issues of school registration, household registration, housing, and rationing for six children and two elderly people.
In addition, she was offered a job that matched her educational background.
For every person returning to the city, at least two jobs are lost, and the housing and food rations for ten people are the price Hu Yuling has to pay for returning.
This is also why Hu Yuling cannot return to the city.
"Xiao Chen, your sister Lingzi thinks the same way you do. If you have a chance to leave, don't stay here!"
Ignoring Sun Changkui's heartfelt words, Chen Tuo pulled his sled away from the town's armed forces department.
go?
It's not that easy.
Returning to the city meant starting a life of hardship and toil, like cattle and horses, in the 1970s and 1980s.
Compared to being a beast of burden, wouldn't it be better to fish, play with guns, and earn money by plagiarizing poems and articles in your spare time?
With a restless desire to test his gun, Chen Tuo strode away from Songling Town, only to be blocked on the main road by Hong Ye.
"Chen Tuo, good news! Your poem can be published..."
The news that Hong Ye shouted as she ran was truly good news for Chen Tuo.
The 'new student' was only sent out yesterday, how come it's already been accepted?
It's winter of 1979 now, there's no such thing as same-day or next-day delivery.
Even for Telegram submissions, the response time wouldn't be this fast...