Chapter 129 - 128: Zhao Wendong’s Showtime
"That truck went to the surrounding communes to pick up the goods from our various procurement stations. It was supposed to be back by noon, but now it’s afternoon and the sun’s about to set, and it’s still not here. I just came from the transport team’s office. Their captain is so worried he’s just pacing back and forth."
"Did the truck break down?"
Zhao Wendong helped analyze the situation. The chances of a big truck getting into an accident were slim. It most likely broke down. In this day and age, he couldn’t say for sure about other things, but nobody would dare to hijack a big truck. It was like seeing a Rolls-Royce in later generations—most people wouldn’t even dare to get close. Besides, there wasn’t that much crime these days; sabotage by enemy agents, on the other hand, was not uncommon.
"They said it might have broken down on the roadside, but there are several communes around the county seat. We don’t know where it is!"
"And it’s snowing nonstop. Soon, the tire tracks on the road will be covered, making it even harder to find. Your commune is better off since you have a telephone, but some of the other communes don’t even have phone lines installed. We have no idea which commune the truck left from last. Even if we wanted to send out a repairman now, we wouldn’t know which direction to send him!"
"And we’re worried about tonight. Once the temperature drops, it’s easy for both the truck and the driver to run into trouble! By the way, you should remember the driver. Remember the one who drove you home last time?"
Zhao Wendong had been listening casually, but his expression froze when he heard that.
"Niu Yuesheng... Brother Niu?"
"Yeah, that’s him!"
"Holy shit! Brother Niu is a good guy. We have to save him!"
Zhao Wendong went back to the horse-drawn sleigh and picked up Xiaojin, ready to put the eagle to work.
"Let’s go, Brother Wang. Take me to the transport team. I’ll see if I can find Brother Niu’s truck!"
"Huh? What did you say?"
Wang Defa rubbed his ears in disbelief. ’Zhao Wendong says he can find it?’
"No guarantees, but it’s worth a try. Let’s hurry, Brother Wang. We can’t let Brother Niu freeze out there!"
"Alright, alright, follow me!"
Seeing how confident Zhao Wendong looked, Wang Defa’s own confidence was bolstered.
In his eyes, Zhao Wendong had always been an extraordinary person, someone blessed with good fortune who could bring him luck. That’s why he was willing, from the bottom of his heart, to befriend Zhao Wendong. Otherwise, why would he, the head of the main procurement station and a prominent figure in the county, be on such brotherly terms with Zhao Wendong, a mere farmer—no, a Civilian Militia Captain!
Soon, Zhao Wendong and Lin Zhiyin followed Wang Defa to a large courtyard not far away. A few military-green trucks were parked in the yard, and a group of men stood huddled together, anxiously discussing something.
"Old Jiao!"
Wang Defa shouted toward the group. One of the men, dressed in a cadre’s four-pocketed tunic, walked over to greet them.
"Hey, Old Wang, stop rushing us. We’re more anxious than you are! No matter how valuable your goods are, can they be more valuable than our man and our truck?"
"We’re getting ready to drive out in one direction to try our luck. It’s a long shot, but maybe we’ll stumble upon him..."
"And what if you don’t? Besides, how far would you have to drive? Stop wasting your time. This is Zhao Wendong, the Civilian Militia Captain from Qianjin Commune. He has a way to help you find your man!"
"What? You’re saying *he* has a way?"
Captain Jiao of the transport team looked Zhao Wendong up and down a few times. His gaze paused on the Type 56 rifle on his back and the eagle on his arm. But his eyes were drawn more to Lin Zhiyin, who stood behind Zhao Wendong. ’A girl this beautiful is truly eye-catching. To dare bring such a good-looking woman out with him, this Civilian Militia Captain must have some real influence.’
"That’s right! And let me tell you, you’d better believe it. Just a few days ago, you were eating the Hai Pangtou he caught!"
"Ah! The one who went out to sea and caught four thousand jin?"
"That’s him, Zhao Wendong!"
Captain Jiao immediately became much more enthusiastic. He proactively extended his hand and shook Zhao Wendong’s.
"Comrade Zhao Wendong, a pleasure to meet you. Do you really have a way to help us find the truck that hasn’t returned?"
"I can try!"
Zhao Wendong didn’t dare make any promises. He didn’t know where Niu Yuesheng’s truck had broken down or how far away it was. It was entirely possible that it was too far, or that Xiaojin might miss it.
"Alright, then please give it a try, Captain Zhao. On behalf of our entire transport team, thank you for your help!"
"Don’t mention it. Brother Niu Yuesheng and I are good friends. It’s only right that I help him when he’s in trouble. Captain Jiao, does Brother Niu’s truck look the same as these?"
Zhao Wendong asked, pointing to the trucks nearby.
"Yes, they’re all the same!"
"Good!"
Zhao Wendong nodded and set Xiaojin down. He took out a strip of pre-cut meat and fed it to the eagle. Xiaojin snatched the meat and scarfed it down in a few bites, then stared at Zhao Wendong with unblinking, sharp eyes. Its expression seemed to say, ’You old coot, putting me to work again.’
’What does Master want me to find?’
To Xiaojin, this was probably just another one of its daily games with Zhao Wendong, something like a game of fetch with a dog. But for Zhao Wendong, it was like having a third eye. It was ridiculously useful.
Zhao Wendong held Xiaojin and repeatedly pointed at one of the trucks, repeating his command over and over.
"Find it. Go find it!"
He repeated the command several times, until he sensed from Xiaojin’s thoughts that it understood the target. Only then did Zhao Wendong pat the eagle and thrust his arm forward. Xiaojin used the momentum to spread its wings and rapidly ascend. After circling overhead a few times with a sharp cry, it flew off in a single direction.
Wang Defa watched the scene with envy. Zhao Wendong had acquired this Big Eagle by trading for it with someone at their procurement station. At the time, he thought Zhao Wendong had just made a lot of money all at once and was spending it like someone nouveau riche, with money burning a hole in his pocket. Only now did he realize the man was serious about training an eagle, and he’d even succeeded so quickly.
Captain Jiao and the others all craned their necks, watching until Xiaojin disappeared from sight. They all began to wonder, ’Is this thing really going to work? Can an eagle really recognize a truck?’
Meanwhile, on a snowy plain more than ten kilometers from the county seat, a truck was covered in a thin layer of snow, its military-green body almost completely hidden. Niu Yuesheng stomped his feet anxiously beside the truck. It was too cold in the cab; he couldn’t stand staying inside any longer and had to get out to move around.
Everything had been normal, and he was just about to get back to the county when the truck suddenly broke down and the engine died. He’d spent ages trying to fix it to no avail. But he didn’t dare abandon the truck to go back to the county for help, because the cargo bed was filled with all sorts of goods collected from the various commune procurement stations. A lot of it was meat. In this season, leaving these things here meant they could easily be stolen, and that was a responsibility he could not bear.
So now, his only hope was that the transport team would find him soon, or that a passerby might come along and help him deliver a message to the transport team. But he waited for a long time without seeing a single person. At this moment, he was starting to feel hopeless. The sun was already starting to set in the west, and the later it got, the lower the chances of anyone coming by.
Just as Niu Yuesheng was growing more and more dejected, he suddenly heard a sharp bird cry from the sky. He looked up to see a large bird circling continuously above his head before it turned and flew back toward the county seat.
Niu Yuesheng’s heart leaped. He remembered the Big Eagle Zhao Wendong had been holding when he drove him home. ’Could this be Zhao Wendong’s eagle?’
’But after a moment’s thought, he shook his head and dismissed the idea. ’How is that possible? How many days has it even been? Besides, that bird was wild. Even if Zhao Wendong tamed it, there’s no way it could learn to find people so quickly, right? Sigh, I must be getting desperate, grasping at straws like this!’
Niu Yuesheng shook his head with a bitter smile and continued to scan his surroundings anxiously, hoping to see the figure of a passerby appear.
Back at the transport team’s courtyard, just as Captain Jiao was getting too restless to wait and was about to ask Zhao Wendong a question, an eagle’s cry echoed from above. Xiaojin descended rapidly, landing directly on Zhao Wendong’s shoulder. His jacket had a thick shoulder pad specially sewn on by Zhao Yinhua using several layers of rabbit fur, just to make it easier for Xiaojin to perch.
’Master, I found it.’
Hearing Xiaojin’s inner voice, Zhao Wendong’s eyes lit up, and he joyfully shouted to the crowd.
"I found Brother Niu!"
His announcement immediately caused an uproar among the crowd.
"Really?"
"You found him that fast?"