Chapter 002 Eighty-One

At that moment, Sang Bai felt his eyes welling up with tears

After playing with the black bear for a while, Sang Bai finally remembered that he had other matters to attend to. He then turned around and exited the space, continuing to pursue ahead following the marks he had left earlier

The remaining three individuals were not in a much better state; not only were they not well, but one of them was also wearing a hat made of tattered cloth. In such cold weather, wearing a single hat seemed to be of little use, as Sang Bai thought that it could at most provide some protection against the wind.

"Young man, it is truly 1981 now, in New China, in Gu County, Dongyu Province," the old man said solemnly while looking at the mulberry and cypress trees.

To commemorate the joy he felt when meeting the little bear, Sangbai gave the bear a very meaningful name—Autumn Harvest. This signifies that encountering Autumn Harvest is akin to a farmer experiencing a bountiful harvest year.

Natural disasters twenty years ago

This is the reaction after enjoying the autumn harvest.

Just as the sound escaped, reason instantly returned to the mind, for Sang Bai felt his hand touch a large, fluffy object

Sang Bai asked in a voice that was barely audible

Buzz

Where are you from?

Autumn harvest, I feel like I can't catch up, forget it, let's not pursue it any longer

Sang Bai suddenly felt that things were a bit unfavorable

Typically, a child around the age of twenty has no real understanding of natural disasters. Since the post-2000 generation began to take note, great China has soared to new heights, and they have no concept of such things. If it weren't for the occasional tinkering with old goods by Sang Bai, they would not even be aware that great China has a history of natural disasters.

Note: The nationwide ban on firearms in the country began in 1996; prior to that, it was not unusual for mountain dwellers to possess guns

Sang Bai softly called out to the black bear

Another person said with a smile

As someone who has navigated the internet for over a decade, I can effortlessly recount such stories. The image of a young man, who had no choice but to leave the mountains, was established by Sang Bai. Regardless of the circumstances, he first emerged from the mountains and then took a vehicle to return home.

Be content, these past few years have been good. Twenty years ago, during the natural disasters, even the tree bark was eaten away

Don't make a scene

Although he had only seen bears in the zoo, Sang Bai was still able to determine that the creature before him was an Asian black bear, as its characteristics were too distinct, with the prominent white crescent on its chest being its most striking feature

Sang Bai looked at the person coming out of the forest, and the first thought that crossed his mind was not joy, but surprise

Isn't it twenty years? This year is 1981, exactly twenty years since the natural disaster...

"Do you really think it is still 1881? The Qing Dynasty hadn't fallen yet back then, you know. This is the New China now," said the middle-aged man across from me, jokingly.

Sang Bai imitated others and clasped his hands, saying: "I just came out of the forest, how about you?"

There is someone

The autumn harvest let out a low roar, as if it understood the master's intention

Huff! Huff!

Ah!

Sang Bai reached out and patted the sturdy back of the black bear, speaking softly.

One person and one bear sat apart, with two peaches in front of Sang Bai, while Qiu Shou had a whole pile of exactly sixty peaches in front of him

The autumn harvest continues with a focus on diligent consumption

If it were an ordinary day, the autumn harvest would certainly hide away, but today the autumn harvest did not retreat, its gaze fixed intently on the forest ahead, its nostrils flaring as if something were present in the air

Are these a group of beggars

Four individuals emerged from the forest, yet they bore only three colors: blue, gray, and green. Moreover, it was not the case that each person was adorned in a single color; rather, each individual was dressed in all three colors.

Sangbai gathered a ball of snow and threw a snowball at Qiushou's head

Hmm

The old man said with a smile, while looking at the autumn harvest beside the mulberry and cypress trees. Having hunted all his life, it was the first time he had seen such a large bear, several sizes larger than the biggest bear he had ever encountered, resembling a king of bears.

When Sang Bai saw a figure emerge from the woods, both parties were momentarily stunned.

When the bear cub's moist and warm tongue touched the back of his hand, it nearly brought tears to Sang Bai's eyes

Because these four individuals are all carrying weapons, and not just makeshift ones, but rather proper standard-issue equipment, which, although somewhat old, clearly appears to be items used during World War II

The old gentleman pondered for a moment and asked, "What are your plans now?"

Over the past month, I have been struggling through the icy and snowy forest, covering such a long distance. The down jacket I am wearing has long been torn by branches and thorns, with seven or eight gashes, some of which have completely lost their filling, while others still have some down hanging outside, as if on the verge of escaping. Even the hood of the down jacket is in tatters, no longer resembling its original form when I first emerged from the space.

So that's how it is

Buzz

This time, with a bear by his side, Sang Bai did not feel much sense of loss

While calling out, they tucked their tails between their legs. It was evident that the massive body of the autumn harvest instilled fear in them, and even with their master by their side, this racial oppression prevented them from acting wildly.

Sang Bai thought that others were beggars, yet he did not realize that in their eyes, he appeared to be quite similar.

The old man gazes at the autumn harvest, while the mulberry and cypress trees look upon the old man

Sang Bai's mind was a blank.

Eighty-one!

During meals, Qiushou is the most honest; at this time, no matter what you say, Qiushou will not respond at all

Thinking about it this way, the fear in my heart has diminished by three parts

After being lonely for more than a month, I finally have something that responds to my touch

Little Bear

A thin man, approximately in his forties, spoke next to the elderly man

I want to first walk out of the mountains

The blue cotton coat on him was particularly conspicuous, with large patches sewn on both the knees and elbows, the smallest of which measured around 20 centimeters in length. Moreover, smaller patches were placed on top of the larger ones, and upon first glance, the entire coat appeared to have seven or eight patches.

Sang Bai shouted loudly towards the forest

Sang Bai did not expect things to go so smoothly, and quickly nodded, saying: "Then thank you very much, I won't be polite with everyone, I really can't find my way out of this forest!"

At this point, Sang Bai has come to understand the issue of weapons. In the country, there was a comprehensive gun ban in 1996, and now in 1981, it is indeed not too uncommon for those living in the mountains to possess firearms.

Autumn Harvest

What are you saying? What year is it this year

The first impression these people gave to Sang Bai was surprisingly like this

These weapons puzzled Sang Bo, as such items have been completely banned domestically. How is it that these people, despite their poverty, still have money to buy weapons

Sang Bai did not dare to move, observing the bear for a while. He discovered that it did not seem to want to attack him. Moreover, the creature was sticking out its tongue and grinning, its two large jowls shaking rhythmically, with the long fur on its jowls waving playfully. It had at least a four or five points of endearing servility, which made his heart feel somewhat relieved.

Sang Bai was merely asking casually, never truly expecting anyone to respond. When he actually heard an answer, he was taken aback, overwhelmed by a surge of mixed emotions, and an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart

If these people were not in the country, how could they possibly speak Chinese? Although there is an accent, it is not difficult to understand and is very close to Mandarin. Sang Bai understands it clearly.

It must be said that this little creature looks much better than it did in its childhood; at the very least, it has more fur now, which is glossy and dark, resembling black silk.

He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Hey! How could I be so foolish? That is clearly not a little black dog, but obviously a little black bear cub!"

Upon hearing this, the little creature immediately twisted its large rear, shaking its head and swaying its body in a joyful manner, panting heavily.

The sounds in the forest echoed once again

Upon reconsideration, if this fellow were truly to resort to cannibalism, he would likely act while I am asleep, rather than waiting for me to wake up

Who

One person and one bear turned back into the space to prepare for a meal, and after a flurry of activity, they directly spread out a bedsheet under the peach tree

The oldest among the four appears to be around sixty years old, with a face full of deep wrinkles, dressed in a large blue cotton coat. On his head, he wears a somewhat faded and washed-out Lei Feng cap. On the right side of the cap, there is a palm-sized blue patch, and some areas around the edge of the cap have also been worn white, with some hair loss.

Sang Bai noticed something unusual and stood side by side with Qiu Shou, gazing towards the forest

Sang Bai felt even more delighted in his heart, directly reaching out his hand to scratch the black bear's head. For more than a month, he had not touched a single living creature besides himself; now, let alone a little bear cub, even a fierce tiger, Sang Bai, emboldened, dared to reach out and scratch it a couple of times.

The only thing that makes Sang Bai a little worried is that the little black bear from three days ago has now grown into a robust adult male bear, standing a head taller than Sang Bai. Its round body weighs at least five to six hundred pounds, and its paws, which were smaller than Sang Bai's hands just a few days ago, now resemble large pot lids.

A fluffy half-grown bear cub, weighing at least thirty to forty pounds, is currently gazing at itself with its round little eyes

The elderly person is very warm-hearted

The snore of the mulberry tree is faint and clear, while the snore of the autumn harvest is robust and strong, harmonizing with each other in perfect accord

In the coming days, Sangbai's life will continue in this manner, but with the company of the autumn harvest, the original sense of boredom has diminished significantly

Woof! Woof! Woof!

In a daze, Sang Bai felt a moist, large tongue curling around his face and instinctively reached out to push it away

Let us do it this way: you come with us to our village first. It is not advisable for someone to stay here alone in this icy and snowy weather. Once we arrive at the village, we can discuss the next steps.

During the autumn harvest, there is a small quirk; when eating, both ears tend to flatten against the head, resembling a bald head, which can be somewhat amusing to onlookers

Sang Bai felt that this name was better than his own, and he was happy for several days

1981

As soon as his intelligence returned, Sang Bai quickly reviewed the situation and soon understood it clearly

It is difficult to walk! You are also fortunate, as we happen to have nothing to eat while going into the mountains to hunt

Where do you come from in the depths of the forest

Sang Bai opened his mouth and replied: "My master has passed away, I can no longer stay in this forest, so I thought I would come out and see the outside world..."

Otherwise, it won't be long before Sang Bai feels that he has to be like the protagonist in "Robinson Crusoe," needing a whole ball and giving it a name to be his friend

Even though he was mentally prepared, Sang Bai was still taken aback by the news, feeling utterly disoriented.

The four individuals, accompanied by two hunting dogs, are lamenting as they face the autumn harvest

Is this the bear you are raising

As the conversation continued, Sang Bai felt that the speaker was getting closer to him. It was not only the human voice; gradually, the noisy barking of dogs also reached his ears.

The person speaking is indeed one of the elders, who clasped his hands towards Sang Bai and said: "You look unfamiliar, which village are you from?"

After finishing their meal, the reserved program was sleep. Sangbai slept on the bed while Qiushou slept beside the bed. Soon, the snoring of one person, one bear, one master, and one pet began.

Suddenly, as if electrified, Sang Bai jumped up from the bed and retreated to the other side with a look of terror, staring intently at the object clinging to the edge of the bed

About twenty seconds later, suddenly there was an echo in the forest

Observing the gluttonous appearance of the autumn harvest, Sang Bai said with a smile.

Three days later, Sang Bai once again gave up. During these three days, no gunshots were heard, and it is highly likely that the person who fired the gun is no longer nearby

Wow

As for why it grew so much overnight, Sang Bai no longer finds it strange; what could be more astonishing than the concept of space itself

After a long while, Sang Bai still felt somewhat unconvinced and pressed on, asking: "Is it really 1981?"

Sang Bai shouted loudly.

Upon calling for dinner, Sang Bai had just picked up a peach to stuff into his mouth, while Qiu Shou had already thrown three peaches into his mouth, completely resembling a true glutton.

Sang Bai said as he slapped Qiu Shou on the head, and Qiu Shou, understanding the cue, sat down abruptly in the snow, his plump bottom flattening the snow that was as large as a big table.

The sound is somewhat distant, at least one or two miles away, because in mountainous areas, sounds travel particularly far. Not to mention one or two miles, sounds emitted from four or five miles away can also be heard if the wind is favorable.

Opened the eyes

In, in!

Are you still there? Please respond!

What happened

I am from Liushu Village, located in Sijiaji Town

Brother

If there were no space, I really couldn't afford to support you, you big belly man