Eight dishes in total. Even the rock sugar-sweetened radishes, simply because they were prepared with white sugar, could be considered a fancy dish these days.

You had to admit, Du Chunjiang’s apologetic attitude was quite sincere.

Once all the dishes were on the table, Du Chunjiang climbed off the kang.

He opened the wooden crate that had previously held apples, took out a green bottle of 55% ABV Xifengjiu, and returned to the kang. He smiled at Zhao Jun. "Technician Zhao, this is good stuff. How about a drink?"

Under Du Chunjiang’s expectant gaze, Zhao Jun shook his head. "Leader Du, I don’t drink."

At these words, Du Chunjiang’s expression shifted slightly, but then Zhao Jun continued, "Leader Du, I really can’t hold my liquor. You’ve prepared such a feast for me, so I’ll just focus on the food."

"Right, right." Hearing this, Du Chunjiang’s face instantly brightened. He set the bottle aside and gestured expansively over the table with his right hand. "Technician Zhao, we’ll be working together from now on. If I, Elder Du, have done anything wrong in the past, I hope you can be the bigger man and let it slide. Please, consider this meal my formal apology."

"Fair enough." Zhao Jun nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and started to eat.

Zhao Jun didn’t drink, sticking to the tea Du Chunjiang had brewed for him earlier. As for Du Chunjiang, he didn’t touch the Xifengjiu either. Instead, he poured himself a cup of cheap spirits and sipped it to keep Zhao Jun company.

For the most part, Du Chunjiang did the talking while Zhao Jun just focused on his meal.

"Leader Du." Suddenly, Zhao Jun looked up and called out.

"Yes?" Lost in thought, Du Chunjiang quickly lowered the cup that was just touching his lips. "Technician Zhao, what’s wrong? Is there something else you need?"

"I don’t need anything," Zhao Jun said. "I just wanted to let you know that Jiang Jinyou requested some time off. He said he’s going home for two days but will be back after that. Leader Du, you’ll have to let him come back to work."

"Yes, of course," Du Chunjiang said hurriedly. "Technician Zhao, whatever you say, goes. Here at No. 77 Logging Camp, you have the final say on everything, big or small."

"Ah, that’s good." Hearing this, Zhao Jun smiled. "Well, since that’s the case, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Leader Du."

"Go ahead, Technician Zhao, please speak." Hearing that Zhao Jun genuinely had business to discuss, Du Chunjiang didn’t dare to repeat his ’whatever you want, goes’ line.

Zhao Jun said, "I heard from Brother Jiang that he doesn’t have a partner right now. As it happens, I have a buddy from my village who’s been sitting idle at home. I was thinking of having him come over to team up with Brother Jiang."

Hearing this, Du Chunjiang, though completely against it in his heart, could only force himself to agree. "Of course. Thank you so much, Technician Zhao. As it happens, our Logging Camp is short on manpower."

Zhao Jun gave a faint smile. "Leader Du, since you’re being so accommodating, I’ll let you in on something."

"What’s that?" Du Chunjiang’s curiosity was genuinely piqued.

Zhao Jun said, "Your younger brother, Du Chunlin, probably told you, right? About the old man who was with me the other day... the one who wanted to shoot him."

"Ah," Du Chunjiang grunted noncommittally, but inwardly he was wondering, ’Why is Zhao Jun bringing this up?’

Yesterday, before he knew who Zhao Jun was, he’d thought the old man might be his grandfather. But after finding out Zhao Jun’s identity, he had specifically asked around. Master Zhao’s family had no relative that old.

So Du Chunjiang guessed that Zhao Jun and Xu Changlin were probably from the same village and had gone hunting together.

’He couldn’t believe it. After he’d humbled himself so much today, would Zhao Jun really still make trouble for his brother over some unrelated old man?’

Seeing Du Chunjiang remain silent, Zhao Jun ignored whatever he might be thinking and just smiled. "The old man’s surname is Xu. He’s called Xu Changlin. You probably don’t know him. But he has a nephew named Xu Baoshan."

"’Xu Baoshan... Why does that name sound so familiar...?’" Du Chunjiang suddenly froze. The hand holding his cup trembled, and with a CLATTER, the cup tipped over on the table, its contents spilling across the surface.

"Oh, look at me..." Du Chunjiang scrambled to find a rag and frantically wiped the table.

Zhao Jun paid him no mind, continuing to eat the roe deer meat with his rice. After he’d had his fill, Du Chunlin led the old man back in to clear the table. Zhao Jun then lay down on Du Chunjiang’s kang to rest.

Just as Zhao Jun was drifting off to sleep, Du Chunjiang leaned in close and whispered, "Ah, Technician Zhao."

"Hm? Go on, Leader Du," Zhao Jun said, barely lifting his eyelids.

Du Chunjiang said, "There’s no rush with the work at the Logging Camp. You just start whenever you’ve had enough rest. As for me, something’s come up. I have to step out for a while, so I won’t be able to keep you company this afternoon."

"Mhm, go on then," Zhao Jun said, waving his hand dismissively.

Du Chunjiang was speechless.

As Du Chunjiang came out of the shack, he ran right into Du Chunlin, who was returning from clearing the table. Du Chunjiang’s expression changed in an instant, and he lifted his leg and kicked his brother.

"Second Brother!" Du Chunlin felt he’d been running around all day, serving them perfectly. Getting kicked so suddenly, he was more than a little annoyed.

"Shut your mouth," Du Chunjiang roared. "Do you have any idea the kind of trouble you’ve caused me?"

"What is it?" Du Chunlin asked, completely baffled.

"Cut the fucking crap and get the sleigh harnessed for me. Now!" A few minutes later, Du Chunjiang was frantically driving the horse-drawn sleigh out of No. 77 Logging Camp, leaving a still-bewildered Du Chunlin in his wake.

Over four hours later, just as the Logging Camp was about to wrap up for the day, Du Chunjiang finally returned with the horse-drawn sleigh.

Du Chunlin, who had been waiting anxiously at the Logging Camp the whole time, saw him and rushed forward to take the reins. "Second Brother, I kept asking but you wouldn’t tell me. What on earth happened?"

Du Chunjiang’s face was ashen. He said resentfully, "That bastard really screwed me over."

"Who did?" Du Chunlin asked.

Du Chunjiang opened his mouth as if to speak, but then swallowed his words.

He glanced around. "Where’s that young technician?"

The words had barely left his mouth when he saw Zhao Jun approaching from the direction of the Log Pile Yard, a scaling stick in one hand and a marking hammer in the other.

Seeing Du Chunjiang, Zhao Jun asked, "Ah, Leader Du, you’re back?"

"I’m back, I’m back." Du Chunjiang hurried to greet him, forcing a smile. "Technician Zhao, heading out for the day?"

"Yep." Zhao Jun smiled and nodded. He then glanced around. "Hey, where’s my satchel? Oh, right, I think it’s still in your shack."

"Ah!" Du Chunjiang snapped to attention. "Technician Zhao, wait right here. I’ll go get it for you."

With that, Du Chunjiang trotted over to his shack. When he got inside, he saw Zhao Jun’s satchel lying on the kang table.

The satchel was bulging with the apples he had packed for him earlier. Next to it sat the bottle of Xifengjiu.

"Son of a bitch!" Du Chunjiang swore under his breath. But then, with a helpless shake of his head, he picked up the bottle of Xifengjiu and stuffed it into the satchel.

By the time Du Chunjiang came out of the shack with the satchel, he had a smile plastered on his face. He walked up to Zhao Jun, personally helped him sling the bag over his shoulder, and grinned. "Technician Zhao, take care now."

Zhao Jun gave a wave and walked out of the Logging Camp’s main gate.

Watching Zhao Jun depart, Du Chunlin sidled up to Du Chunjiang and whispered, "

Second Brother, was that kid setting us up?" Du Chunjiang shook his head. "Elder San, you listen to me."

"What is it?"

Du Chunjiang turned his head, stared hard into Du Chunlin’s eyes, and said through gritted teeth, "Elder San, you remember this. From now on, you are forbidden from ever provoking him."

"Wh... Ah, I get it." Under Du Chunjiang’s intense gaze, Du Chunlin finally backed down.

Only after hearing his brother agree did Du Chunjiang turn away. Gazing at Zhao Jun’s retreating back, he let out a long sigh and murmured, "He really is Zhao Ergudong’s son, through and through."