As she descended the mountain, she happened to run into some villagers who were returning home from work to cook. Several villagers were astonished to see her with such a
large haul of firewood. "Who is this? Gathering so much firewood!"
"Mom, isn't that Song Zhiqing?"
Seeing Song Wei, Aunt Ma, who felt quite familiar with her, immediately rushed over.
"Song Zhiqing, why are you carrying so much firewood? Aren't you worried about the weight? You just got out of the hospital, don't go back in!"
Goodness, Song Wei was such a thin girl, her waist and arms so slender; she was afraid the firewood would crush her.
Song Wei also saw them and even offered a hand to greet them.
“Aunt Ma, I’m fine. I just wander around the mountains since I have nothing else to do. I heard it’s very cold here in winter
, so I need to stock up on firewood.” “Yes, we all hibernate here in winter and dare not come out. Your new educated youth’s room doesn’t have a kang (heated brick bed) yet. That kang definitely needs to be built properly, otherwise winter will be unbearable. It’s right to prepare more firewood.”
But… she brought too much this time.
My goodness, I didn’t realize that this Song educated youth, who looks like a delicate little girl, has such a big heart.
“Thank you, Aunt Ma. There are some things I really don’t know, so I’ll have to trouble you a bit. Who in our village knows how to build a kang? Also, I just arrived and need to buy some things. Does anyone in our village know how to make cabinets or such?”
“Of course there are. My husband, your uncle, knows how to build kangs. But even though we’re good friends, Song educated youth, the adobe bricks for building kangs all cost money.”
She leaned closer and whispered to Song Wei.
Song Wei gave her a knowing look.
"Auntie, don't worry. I can't cook a proper meal for Uncle. I just arrived in the countryside and I have nothing. I've exchanged everything for cash. I'll have to trouble Uncle with the materials needed to build the kang (heated brick bed)."
"No problem. After lunch today, I'll ask your uncle to help you. As for the cabinet, there's a carpenter in the village. Come find me whenever you need it, and I'll take you."
"Okay, thank you, Auntie."
After agreeing on the plan, Song Wei carried the firewood and continued towards the educated youth settlement. Aunt Ma kept calling after her, telling her to slow down.
When she entered the educated youth compound, all the educated youth who had finished work were startled, their eyes widening.
Song Wei's appearance was too deceptive; she looked like a sickly, delicate girl. The sight of her carrying so much firewood was too visually shocking for them.
Li Juan: "Song Wei, you... how did you collect so much firewood?"
She quickly went forward to help, and immediately realized how heavy it was. She had carried it all down from the mountain.
And she was even hugging such a thick tree.
Li Juan was so impressed; she couldn't even carry that basket herself.
Song Wei is truly a woman whose appearance doesn't reflect her character.
"You all went to work after I woke up, so I went to the mountain to gather some firewood since I had nothing else to do,"
Liu Linlin said sarcastically. "Isn't this supposed to be a sick person? How come you look more energetic than all of us? Pretending to be sick and running around instead of going to work, do you think you've lived up to everyone's trust in you?"
Song Wei snapped a thick wooden stick in half with a snap, her eyes glaring coldly at her.
"Don't force me to slap you when I'm happy."
Liu Linlin was still afraid of being hit, and even though she felt aggrieved, she didn't dare to say anything
more under Song Wei's threatening gaze. Li Juan said, "It's not the busy farming season now, the leave was given by the brigade leader. Song Wei going to the mountain to gather firewood is something that can be argued about anywhere."
Although the things in the mountains belonged to the collective, unless they found large wild animals like wild boars that were to be distributed to the whole village, other things were kept by whoever found them.
As long as it wasn't too outrageous, people would turn a blind eye to things like pheasants and rabbits. If someone were to report such a thing, that person would definitely be ostracized by everyone.
So Liu Linlin only dared to talk about it.
Song Wei piled the firewood in front of her room, and then everyone saw the other things in her basket.
That's the downside of the educated youth compound; since everyone lived next door, there were basically no secrets about what they got from the mountains.
"Wow, Song Wei, where did you find so many wild kiwis? These are so sweet!"
Li Juan had been in the countryside for three years and was quite familiar with the things in the mountains.
"These are so sweet."
Song Wei generously shared some with her, but not with the others.
She was still quite protective of her food, but now there were plenty of supplies in the mountains, and she was willing to be generous to those she was on good terms with.
Why should she give away the things she had worked so hard to get to strangers or people she didn't get along with?
"What's that down there?"
Unfortunately, some people were incredibly oblivious. Seeing that Song Wei wasn't going to share, they took matters into their own hands.
Xu Laidi, the most shameless girl in the educated youth compound,
not only took a few round dates directly from Song Wei's basket but also noticed something underneath them, and hurriedly scooped it up.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
It was such a big snake! She was unlucky enough to grab the menacing snake's head, screaming in terror as she dropped it.
Song Wei picked up the snake and lashed it out at her.
Then she snatched the round dates back from her.
"What are you doing? Robbing someone in broad daylight!"
Xu Laidi reacted, staring intently at the snake in Song Wei's hand, shouting.
"Why are you saying such harsh things? We're all educated youth, shouldn't we help each other? Is a little wild kiwi really worth you being so stingy and petty? Besides, these are wild fruits from the mountain, not yours. What's wrong with me taking some?"
She was quite self-righteous.
Song Wei sneered, "I didn't see you bring back anything from the mountains either. I can give the snake I found to whoever I want."
"Such a big snake, Song Wei, did you catch it in the mountains?"
The other educated youths immediately surrounded Song Wei when they saw the snake in her hand.
They hadn't eaten meat in ages; how much meat must this snake have?
"The snake meat was caught in the mountains, it's common property. Song Wei, you're not going to keep it all to yourself, are you? We educated youths are all one family; you should share this snake with everyone."
The speaker was a male educated youth, plain-looking but with calculating eyes, usually incredibly stingy.
Song Wei asked him, "So, according to you, everything the other villagers bring back from the mountains has to be shared? Do you need me to help you spread the word tomorrow?"
The male educated youth immediately fell silent. If word got out, he'd be drowned in the spittle of the village women.
What "we're all one family"? Everyone has something they're hiding; who would be stupid enough to share meat with so many people?
Leaving aside Song Wei, even if someone else had brought this snake back today, they would have eaten it all by themselves.
These educated youths sometimes cooked together, sometimes individually.
The educated youth compound only had one iron pot and a communal stove. Previously, the educated youths all cooked together, but because they came from all over the country, with different tastes, habits, and personalities, conflicts easily arose.
Two years ago, some educated youths even fought over unfair distribution of food. After that, they learned their lesson and stopped cooking collectively.
They all found compatible partners or cooked individually.
They only cooked collectively during busy farming seasons.
Song Wei, holding the snake, asked Li Juan, "Do you know how to cook snake meat?"
Li Juan nodded quickly.
"Come on, help me out."
She was ashamed; she only knew how to roast and stew, and the meat she made was terrible.
In her previous life, it was understandable—mutant animal meat was never tasty no matter how it was cooked; eating meat was just to fill her stomach and avoid starvation.
Now… she wanted to eat something delicious, so she shouldn't waste such a good thing.
The others watched helplessly as Song Wei and Li Juan left with the snake, their eyes filled with resentment.
“Song Wei has really changed. Before, she would definitely have shared the snake meat with Luo Zhiqing, but now…”
A soft, gentle female voice rang out. She glanced tenderly at Luo Yecheng, her voice gentle.
“Perhaps she still has some misunderstandings about Luo Zhiqing. Maybe things will be better if we talk it out.”
Luo Yecheng’s expression was already quite unpleasant, after all, Song Wei’s gaze hadn’t fallen on him once.
But hearing Bai Yunjiao’s words, his heart stirred.
Yes, Song Wei must be angry with him. It’s okay, he can coax her.
Song Wei has been angry before, and he always managed to appease her with a few words.
Luo Yecheng was quite confident in his charm. After thinking it through, he wasn’t in a hurry and planned to wait until Song Wei and Li Juan finished cooking the snake meat before going to find her.