Mother Yun silently nodded as she wiped her tears with the patched sleeve of her clothes, but the tears simply wouldn’t stop falling.
She picked up a piece of peach blossom pastry and gently ran her fingers over it. Then she picked up a can of milk powder, her fingertips lightly brushing against its surface as complicated emotions filled her heart.
In these times of severe shortages, just how much effort must her daughter have gone through to obtain something as precious as milk powder?
“We have to take good care of ourselves. Once our names are cleared someday, we’ll make it up to Yixuan properly,” Father Yun said.
He looked at his wife with determination in his eyes, as though encouraging himself while also making a promise for the future.
Mother Yun raised her head and looked at her husband.
Their eyes met, and within the dim cowshed, no words were needed to convey their shared determination and hope.
The night grew deeper.
Outside the cowshed, the wind continued to howl fiercely. Yet inside, Yun Yixuan’s visit had ignited a tiny flame of hope in her parents’ hearts.
They held each other tightly, sharing their warmth on this bitterly cold night as they waited for dawn to arrive.
“Yixuan… Yixuan, wake up.”
The faint light of early morning had barely begun to filter through the window when Li Meiling was already standing beside Yun Yixuan, gently shaking her shoulder with a hint of urgency in her voice.
Yun Yixuan was still half-asleep, her head heavy and muddled. Being shaken awake made her unconsciously furrow her brows.
“Meiling, just let me sleep a little longer…”
Yun Yixuan mumbled as she turned over, pulled the quilt higher, and tried to sink back into her dreams. She looked exactly like a spoiled child refusing to get out of bed.
Seeing her like this, Li Meiling didn’t know whether to laugh or get angry. She sighed helplessly and glanced outside, where everyone was already beginning their morning tasks.
“Yixuan, all the educated youths are going up the mountain to gather firewood today. You know what’ll happen if we don’t collect enough. We’ll freeze all winter without enough firewood to keep us warm.”
Hearing this, Yun Yixuan shifted beneath the quilt.
An image gradually appeared in her mind: freezing winter winds howling outside while their room felt as cold as an ice cellar.
She shuddered and immediately sat up in a daze.
Her eyes were still closed, and her mind hadn’t fully awakened. She opened her mouth and yawned repeatedly before grumbling, “Meiling, it’s not nice to disturb someone’s beautiful dreams this early in the morning…”
Seeing her sleepy expression, Li Meiling couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from curling upward. She picked up Yun Yixuan’s clothes and handed them to her.
“Hurry up. Everyone’s about to leave. If you don’t get up now, you’ll be left behind.”
With no other choice, Yun Yixuan reluctantly crawled out of her warm bed, slipped her feet into her shoes, and shuffled toward the washing area.
Only when she started getting ready did she realize just how harsh the original owner’s living conditions had been.
Forget about a toothbrush—there wasn’t even any toothpaste. As for skincare products, she could only dream about them.
Yun Yixuan instinctively thought of her mysterious space. It contained everything she could possibly need, but she knew perfectly well that in this era, when almost everyone was poor and lacked basic necessities, suddenly producing modern daily necessities would immediately attract suspicion.
For now, she could only make do by washing herself with clean water.
However, as someone accustomed to modern life, Yun Yixuan found such conditions extremely difficult to accept.
It seemed that finding a separate place to live had become an urgent priority.
Otherwise, she would have to be cautious about everything she did. She couldn’t even eat a piece of meat without constantly worrying that someone might discover her.
After simply washing her face, Yun Yixuan joined the other educated youths. Everyone carried ropes, while some also brought sacks, and together they prepared to head up the mountain.
Yun Yixuan knew there was more than just firewood waiting for them in the mountains.
If they were lucky, they might even find some wild mushrooms. Adding them to wild vegetable porridge would make it incredibly delicious and help keep them full longer.
Looking at the groups of educated youths walking a short distance ahead, Yun Yixuan deliberately slowed her pace.
She quietly moved closer to Li Meiling and lowered her voice.
“Living with so many people every day is really inconvenient. It’s difficult for us to gather more medicinal herbs, let alone dry them properly. And even if we earn some money, we can’t secretly buy ourselves anything good to eat. It always feels like countless pairs of eyes are watching us from behind.”
She paused before adding in an even lower voice, “Most importantly, we need to start reviewing our high school lessons. We absolutely can’t let anyone find out about that.”
Li Meiling’s brows knitted tightly as she listened to Yun Yixuan’s long explanation.
Everything Yun Yixuan had mentioned was exactly what she had been worried about as well.
Previously, they had been able to use Yun Yixuan’s illness as an excuse, claiming they needed to gather medicinal herbs for her treatment. That allowed them to occasionally collect herbs and exchange them for money.
But they couldn’t keep using the same excuse forever.
If things continued like this, their way of earning money by gathering medicinal herbs would eventually be cut off completely.
“Yixuan, do you have any good ideas?”
Li Meiling looked troubled, her brows deeply furrowed as she stared at Yun Yixuan with both urgency and expectation, silently pleading for a solution.
For once, Yun Yixuan couldn’t think of anything.
She gently bit her lower lip and looked toward the distant mountains covered in white snow, her thoughts drifting along with her gaze.
Should they build two rooms of their own?
That simply wasn’t realistic during the freezing winter in the Northeast.
Not only would construction materials be difficult to obtain, but they also lacked the manpower and time. One mistake could leave the entire project unfinished.
Yun Yixuan silently considered her options.
It would be perfect if there were an empty house somewhere in the village that they could rent.
Unfortunately, she had only recently arrived and barely knew anyone here. She had no idea which families might have vacant houses available.
After thinking for a moment, Yun Yixuan decided to ask Li Meiling, who was more familiar with the village.
“Meiling, do you know if there are any empty houses in Wei Family Village that no one’s living in?”
Li Meiling’s eyes immediately lit up, as though Yun Yixuan’s question had suddenly reminded her of something.
She slapped her thigh excitedly.
“Hey, now that you mention it, that’s actually a great idea!”
She narrowed her eyes slightly, searching through her memories.
“I remember the production team leader’s elder brother has a younger son. He and his wife both work in the city, so their house has been empty for a long time. I don’t think anyone’s lived there in ages, though, so I don’t know what condition it’s in.”
The more Li Meiling thought about it, the more excited she became.
“Why don’t we talk to them first? Even if we have to pay some money to stay there temporarily, that’s fine. Once spring comes and the weather gets warmer, it’ll be easier to prepare building materials. We can build our own place then. Anything would be better than staying crammed into the educated youth compound.”
As she spoke, the worried expression on her face gradually disappeared.
Yun Yixuan thought carefully for a moment, weighing the advantages and disadvantages.
For now, there really didn’t seem to be a better solution.
“That might be our only option at the moment. Once we’re done gathering firewood today, let’s visit the production team leader’s house tonight. He knows plenty of people in the village and is well-informed. If we ask him to help us inquire about it, we might actually be able to make this work.”
A trace of anticipation appeared in Yun Yixuan’s eyes as she spoke, almost as though she could already imagine the freedom of living in a place of her own.
Li Meiling strongly agreed and nodded.
“That seems like our best choice. Hopefully, everything goes smoothly.”
After reaching an agreement, the two quickened their pace and caught up with the rest of the group, both eagerly hoping that they could solve their housing problem as soon as possible.
The group followed the winding mountain path and soon reached the mountain.
For the educated youths who had been sent down to the countryside, gathering firewood was indeed relatively easy compared to the exhausting labor they usually endured in the fields.
Everyone chatted and laughed along the way, creating a cheerful and harmonious atmosphere.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the branches and leaves, scattering patches of light across the ground.
Accompanied by the lively sound of conversation, they continued gathering firewood until the entire morning passed before they even realized it.