Reborn in 1982: A Hunter Cuts Ties, and His Seven Daughters Are His Treasures

Winter 1982, deep in the Xing'an Mountains, in Shanjin Shantun, after the first heavy snowfall.

Jiang Yifan, seventy-two years old, is reborn and opens his eyes in a twenty-seven-year-old body.

In his previous life, he spent seventy miserable years being manipulated by his stepmother, raising the son of his half brother, and watching his adopted nephew take all his property. His seven daughters either died or were scattered far from home. He ended up alone and destitute, freezing to death in front of his late wife's grave on New Year's Eve.

This time, he takes up his woodcutter's knife. His first order of business is to cut ties with his family!

His stepmother brings him wash water? He throws it back at her!

His half brother shows up to cause trouble? He answers with a beating!

His sister-in-law Liu Hongxing plots behind his back? His woodcutter's knife does the talking!

That nonsense about having no descendants being the worst of the three forms of unfilial conduct? Bullshit!

So what if he has seven daughters? Every last one of them is precious to him!

With the mountains sealed by snow and the family out of food, he straps on a basket and heads into the mountains:

He snares pheasants, traps roe deer, shoots pheasants with his slingshot, and takes on hungry wolves with his sickle.

A single sable pelt earns him six hundred yuan, and one water-cooled rifle keeps the whole family afloat.

The gossipy neighbor spreads rumors? He tears her mouth shut!

The commune thugs come looking for his life? He lures wolves into their den!

His stepmother's affair is exposed? The whole village gets to see her stripped bare!

At their lowest point, his wife, Li Rushi, holds their month-old seventh daughter, her eyes full of disappointment.

He crouches down and washes his wife's feet. “Rushi, I'll change from now on. Give me one more chance.”

The seven girls crowd in the doorway and call timidly, “Dad...”

This time, he will be the rock his seven daughters can rely on.

He will make sure they have enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, that they learn to read and go to school, and that they marry into good families.

He will make the woman he failed in his previous life smile through every day of this one.

He cuts family ties with his fists and makes his name with his blade.

He hunts in the mountains and raises his daughters to soar.

In 1982, Jiang Yifan's story begins with this snowfall.