Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

Liu Xiangyang washed his hands and sat down. Looking at the lavish meal on the table, the slight annoyance he felt from Li Jianjun's gloomy eyes and the gossip in the village immediately dissipated. This was what he had worked so hard to accumulate and protect—to enable the people around him to live a life far beyond the standards of the times.

"Sit down, everyone, and eat." He picked up his chopsticks and first placed the largest piece of braised pork, with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat, on Xue Bingbing's plate. "Thank you for your hard work."

Xue Bingbing smiled slightly and did not refuse. Liu Xiangyang then put meat or a large spoonful of egg into the bowls of Le Qi, Le Yao, He Xiaoqin, Zuo Qingqing, and Jiang Xiaowen. The girls all smiled and began to eat with satisfaction.

The braised pork belly is stewed until tender and flavorful, melting in your mouth, rich but not greasy. The chives and eggs are fresh and delicious with rice, the smashed cucumber is refreshing and helps cut through the richness, and even the ordinary tomato and egg soup is exceptionally delicious because of the generous use of oil and eggs. The white rice is distinct and has a sweet taste.

"Xiangyang, where did you go this morning? I noticed some different kinds of grass seeds on your handlebars." Le Yao asked while eating, being observant.

"I went for a walk around the back of the mountain," Liu Xiangyang said casually, taking a bite of rice. "I checked out the situation in the woods."

"The back mountain?" Leqi asked, intrigued. "Are there any wild animals there?"

"Maybe, it depends on luck and skill." Liu Xiangyang nodded. "There's not much work in the fields lately, so I'm thinking of making some preparations, going up the mountain to see if we can get some wild game to change things up."

This immediately piqued everyone's interest.

"Really? Brother Xiangyang, you're going hunting?" He Xiaoqin forgot her shyness and asked with wide eyes.

"Can you catch a rabbit? I want to eat it!" Zuo Qingqing immediately ordered.

The sumptuous lunch was made even more enjoyable by the proposed hunting plan.

The afternoon before his departure, Liu Xiangyang made a special trip to Gu Xiaoyu's place to tell her that he would be going into the mountains for two or three days to put her mind at ease.

When Gu Xiaoyu heard that he was going into the mountains, worry immediately welled up in her eyes: "The old folks in our village say there are mountain tigers in these mountains, Brother Xiangyang, you must be careful!"

"Don't worry." Liu Xiangyang squeezed her hand, leaving her some cookies and eggs. "Wait for me to come back."

After leaving the hut, Liu Xiangyang didn't go straight home. Instead, he rode his bicycle to the brigade headquarters and greeted Zhang Tiejun and Wang Lixin.

"Uncle Zhang, Captain Wang, now that spring plowing is over, I'd like to take advantage of the two days when the team has some free time to go for a walk in the mountains and check on the situation there," Liu Xiangyang said casually. "We set up a simple place to stay over there before the New Year, and I'd like to tidy it up a bit. I might stay for a day or two."

Zhang Tiejun nodded, smoking a cigarette: "It's time to relax a bit. You young people are in good shape, so it's good for you to go into the mountains for fun. But don't go too deep. With spring in the air, wild animals in the mountains are more active, so be careful."

Wang Lixin laughed and said, "Okay, just be careful. There's nothing major going on in the team these days, with me and Secretary Zhang here."

"Then I'll have to trouble Uncle Zhang and Captain Wang," Liu Xiangyang said, expressing his gratitude.

After leaving the brigade headquarters, he went home and announced the arrangement.

"Going into the mountains?" Xue Bingbing was a little surprised, but then she understood. Liu Xiangyang had indeed been tired from spring plowing for more than a month and needed to relax.

"Okay, take you and Qiqi and Yaoyao with you," Liu Xiangyang said. "The others are busy counting work points and can't leave. We'll leave early tomorrow morning, stay on the mountain for one night, and come back the day after tomorrow."

Leqi and Leyao exchanged a glance, both looking forward to it. Although they were quiet, they were also very interested in the secret shelter that Liu Xiangyang had built in the mountains. Zuo Qingqing had mentioned it several times.

When Zuo Qingqing heard that she wasn't being taken, she immediately wilted and pouted, "Ah... I wanted to go too..."

"Don't you scorekeepers still have to tally the work points for spring plowing? And didn't you go last time?" Xue Bingbing shut her down with a single sentence. "Stay home and take care of Xiaoqin and Xiaowen, and focus on your studies."

He Xiaoqin and Jiang Xiaowen were also a little envious, but they knew that as the scorekeeper, they couldn't leave because the first round of work point statistics after spring plowing was about to begin. Luo Lan nodded silently, knowing that she had a heavy responsibility.

"If you can't leave this time, I'll take you next time," Liu Xiangyang assured him, and then had Xue Bingbing start preparing things for the trip into the mountains.

Liu Xiangyang's trip into the mountains wasn't just for hunting; he was more interested in taking them camping, so he asked them to prepare more everyday necessities.

Xue Bingbing and her companions prepared clean sheets and thin blankets. In addition to the necessary dry food, cured meat, and pickled vegetables, they also prepared some flour, eggs, a piece of fresh pork, vegetables, and even some rice and a small bag of sugar—planning to cook two good meals on the mountain.

The next morning, as dawn was breaking.

Liu Xiangyang carried a huge basket on his back, which contained most of his supplies. His hunting knife and rifle were hanging outside, and his javelins were draped around the outside of the basket. Xue Bingbing carried a smaller bundle, and Le Qi and Le Yao each carried a small bag containing their own clothes and some personal belongings.

The four bid farewell to He Xiaoqin, Jiang Xiaowen, Zuo Qingqing, and Luo Lan, who were staying at home, and quietly left the village, heading towards the back mountain.

The air in the mountain forest is exceptionally fresh in the early morning, carrying the fragrance of dew and vegetation, and the birdsong is crisp and melodious.

After leaving the village, Xue Bingbing, Le Qi, and Le Yao visibly relaxed. Le Yao looked around curiously, trying to identify the wildflowers by the roadside, while Le Qi quietly followed behind Liu Xiangyang, watching her step. Xue Bingbing walked beside Liu Xiangyang, occasionally whispering a few words, her face showing a relaxed expression rarely seen in the village.

After walking for more than an hour, deep into the mountains, Liu Xiangyang stopped, his eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand to signal for silence. He then pulled a javelin from the side of his basket.

A grayish-brown hare peeked out from the bushes, looking around warily.

Liu Xiangyang moved with lightning speed. He leaned back slightly, his arm muscles tensed instantly, and the javelin flew out of his hand with a "whoosh" like a venomous snake emerging from its hole!

The javelin flew a short, sharp straight line, precisely piercing the hare's neck and pinning it firmly to the ground. The hare only had time to kick its legs twice before it lay still.

Le Yao gasped softly, covering her mouth, but her eyes sparkled. Le Qi's eyes widened slightly, while Xue Bingbing looked at him with adoration. This was the man they had chosen. He could do everything perfectly, even in that area. Even if all of them came at him together, they couldn't beat him.

Liu Xiangyang walked over, pulled out his javelin, and picked up the still-bleeding rabbit. "Let's have something special tonight."

He tossed the hare into his basket, wiped the tip of his javelin with a leaf, and continued on his way.

Along the way, Liu Xiangyang used a javelin to take down two flying dragons that couldn't react in time, and carefully pried out several large tubers from the soil in a damp moss field with the tip of the javelin.

"This is a variant of yam, it tastes similar, and it's very nourishing when stewed in soup," he explained.

Le Qi took careful notes, while Le Yao was more interested in the edible wild fruits and vegetables, asking questions from time to time. Xue Bingbing, on the other hand, mostly enjoyed the tranquility and company, occasionally helping Liu Xiangyang carry things.

Around noon, they arrived at the secluded shelter.

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