Courtyard House: After disbanding the Elderly Care Gang, I went to the countryside to cultivate immo

The day after the grain was distributed, the rare warm autumn sun lazily shone on Heisonggou Village.

Lin Shengli was in his courtyard, wiping a machete he had brought from Beijing with well water, when suddenly there was a knock on the gate.

"Victory, are you home?" It was Hu Guangming's voice.

Lin Shengli sheathed his dagger, stood up, and opened the door: "Captain? What brings you here? Come in quickly."

Hu Guangming waved his hand, not entering the courtyard, but standing at the gate, he said, "I'm not going in. Come with me to the educated youth settlement. There's something I need to tell them as well."

Lin Shengli, curious, nodded, locked the door, and followed Hu Guangming toward the educated youth compound at the east end of the village.

On the way, Hu Guangming didn't say much, only asking, "Is the allocated food enough to eat? Let me know if you're lacking anything."

"That's enough, Captain. Thank you for your concern."

When we arrived at the educated youth compound, Li Kuiyong, Jiang Yuanchao, and Wei Min had just finished breakfast and were sitting on the stone stool under the old elm tree in the courtyard, chatting and basking in the sun.

Seeing Hu Guangming and Lin Shengli come in together, the three of them quickly put down their bowls and stood up.

"Uncle Guangming! Victory!" Li Kuiyong shouted the loudest, "What brings you here today? What instructions do you have?"

Jiang Yuanchao adjusted his glasses and asked, "Captain, is there some new mission for the team?"

Wei Min smiled憨厚ly and didn't say anything.

Hu Guangming walked to the center of the courtyard, his hands behind his back, his face bearing the usual complex expression of seriousness mixed with a hint of elder's concern. His gaze swept over the four young men: "Instructions? What instructions could there be? The crops in the fields have all been harvested, the grain tax has been paid, and the grain has been distributed. This is the most relaxed time of the year."

He paused, then changed the subject: "However, things are different here than in the interior. Winter comes early and is terribly cold. The little firewood you have in your houses definitely won't be enough to get through the winter. So, starting today, you'll have to follow the villagers and prepare for the winter step by step."

Upon hearing "going up the mountain," the eyes of the young people lit up, especially Li Kuiyong, whose face immediately showed excitement.

Hu Guangming saw this and raised his voice: "I'm here today because there are a few things I need to explain to you city kids beforehand, so you won't be clueless when you go into the mountains, or cause any trouble."

"First, safety! Safety first!" He held up one finger, emphasizing, "The mountains may look quiet, but they're not like your city. There are wild animals, poisonous insects, old forests where it's easy to get lost, and steep slopes with hidden pits. When gathering firewood, try to stay with the experienced villagers and don't wander off on your own, especially you newcomers, you need to be extra careful!"

Lin Shengli nodded: "Don't worry, Captain, we'll be careful."

"Secondly," Hu Guangming held up his second finger, "there are rules for gathering firewood! We can't cut down trees indiscriminately. We should try to find trees that are already dead, or trunks and thick branches that have been blown down by the wind. Living trees are collective property, and our future hope; we absolutely cannot cut them down! If we really can't find suitable ones, we can only pick those living trees with overly dense foliage that need pruning, and cut off one or two branches that won't affect their growth. This is called 'thinning,' understand? We can't just fleece every tree we see!"

Lin Shengli nodded seriously: "Understood, Captain, this is called sustainable development."

Hu Guangming paused for a moment, seemingly not quite understanding the formal term "sustainable development," but he grasped the general meaning and nodded, "Yes, that's the idea! We can't let future generations run out of resources!"

"Third," he held up his third finger, his tone softening, "it's late autumn now, and besides firewood, there are some other 'treasures' in the mountains."

"Mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms are past their peak season, but you can still find them if you look carefully. Hazelnuts, pine cones, and wild walnuts are in the process of falling fruit. If you're lucky, you might even find some wild grapes or wild apples."

"If you come along, keep your eyes open and you can pick some mountain produce. Dry it and keep it as a snack for the winter, or save it up and ask someone to bring it back to the city for your family to try. It's a token of your appreciation."

These words were so true that Li Kuiyong's eyes lit up even more, as if he could already see himself picking a basket full of mountain produce and sending it home.

"That's basically all the things to pay attention to," Hu Guangming summarized, his gaze sweeping over the four of them again. "In the end, the most important thing is still the first one—be careful! The mountains are no joke. Alright, I've said what I needed to say. You guys figure it out yourselves and get ready. I'm leaving now; there are other things to do in the team."

After saying that, Hu Guangming didn't linger and turned around and left the educated youth compound in a hurry, leaving behind four young people with different thoughts.

As soon as the courtyard gate closed, Li Kuiyong was the first to jump up, pumping his fist: "Great! We can finally go into the mountains! I've heard those little rascals in the village bragging about how many good things are in the mountains in the fall!"

Wei Min rubbed his hands together, a look of longing on his face: "I've been up the mountain in my hometown, but the mountains there are low. I don't know what the old forests in Northeast China are like."

Jiang Yuanchao was relatively calmer, adjusting his glasses: "The captain is right, safety first. We don't have any tools, how are we going to gather firewood? We can't just break it with our bare hands, can we?"

Lin Shengli, who had been thinking, spoke up at this moment: "I have a solution for the tools. I've seen Grandma Hu's house before. She has an axe, a machete, and a sturdy big basket. We can go and borrow them."

"Borrow?" Li Kuiyong hesitated. "Is this...appropriate? The old lady's family is already struggling financially."

"So we can't just lend them for free." Lin Shengli had already thought it through. "What I mean is, we borrow the tools, go up the mountain to collect firewood and gather wild produce, and then share some with Grandma Hu Liu's family. She's just an elderly woman with two children; collecting firewood must be hard work for her. We're young and strong, so if we do more, it'll be like paying for the 'tool rental' and helping out. It'll also improve her family's situation. What do you think?"

"This is a good idea!" Jiang Yuanchao immediately agreed. "It's mutually beneficial and reasonable."

Wei Min nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course."

Li Kuiyong had no objections: "Great! Let's do it this way! We can go up the mountain and help people at the same time—a win-win situation!"

Seeing that everyone agreed, Lin Shengli said, "Then let's go to Grandma Hu's house now. Kui Yong, Yuan Chao, Wei Min, go back to your houses and bring all the things you can carry, like sacks, ropes, and satchels."

"Okay!"

The three of them immediately set to work, returning to the house to search for items, and soon found three burlap sacks and several pieces of thick hemp rope.

The four men, carrying their tools, went straight to Grandma Hu's courtyard.

Grandma Hu was drying some vegetables in the yard, while Shuanzi and Yadan were playing nearby.

Seeing Lin Shengli arrive with three educated youths, carrying burlap sacks and ropes, the old lady was somewhat surprised: "Shengli, what's going on here...?"

Lin Shengli stepped forward and explained his purpose with a smile: "Grandma, we want to go up the mountain to collect some firewood to prepare for the winter. We saw that you have an axe, a machete, and a basket, and we'd like to borrow them from you. When we come back with the firewood and other mountain goods, we'll share some with you as a way of helping you prepare for the winter. Is that alright?"

Upon hearing this, Grandma Hu Liu quickly waved her hand, her wrinkles crinkling together: "Oh dear, no way! Just lend it to me, what else do you need! It's not easy for you kids to earn firewood, and you don't gather much from the mountains, so keep it for your own consumption! Grandma has some old firewood at home, it'll do."

Li Kuiyong, being straightforward, interjected, "Grandma, please don't refuse! If you don't accept it, we won't feel at ease borrowing these tools and will have to borrow from someone else."

Jiang Yuanchao also gently advised, "Yes, Grandma Hu, we're young, it's nothing to do more. Shuanzi and Yadan are still young, it'll be warmer inside in winter so the children won't suffer as much."

Wei Min nodded in agreement with a simple smile.

Lin Shengli added, "Grandma, please just consider us as helping Shuanzi and Yadan pick them up. If you don't agree, we're really leaving, okay?"

Grandma Hu looked at the sincere faces of the four young people, and then at her grandchildren nestled beside her, her eyes slightly reddening.

She knew these children genuinely wanted to help her, and refusing would only seem distant. She sighed and wiped her hands with her apron: "You children... alright, alright, Grandma will do as you say. But let's make it clear, don't overwork yourselves, come back early, it's not safe in the mountains."

"Don't worry!" the four said in unison.

Grandma Hu then turned and went into the house, taking out an axe with a worn but still thick and sharp blade, a wood-chopping knife with a shiny wooden handle, and a large basket made of rattan and bamboo strips that could hold a lot of things.

"Shuanzi!" Grandma Hu called to her grandson, "You go up the mountain with your brother Shengli and the others. Take them to that familiar, safe hillside and the edge of the woods that we usually go to, understand? Don't wander too far in! Watch the path, watch the people, and be alert if anything happens!"

"Okay, Grandma!" Shuanzi had been eager to try it out for a long time. In his eyes, going up the mountain with the educated youth brothers was an amazing adventure.

Grandma Hu gave them a long and detailed explanation before watching them leave with a worried expression.

Lin Shengli carried the heavy basket on his back and inserted the axe into the rope loop on the side of the basket.

He also took the large cleaver from Ziyi and held it in his hand.

Li Kuiyong snatched the machete, weighed it in his hand, and said, "Hey, this machete is not bad!" Jiang Yuanchao and Wei Min carried their respective bags and baskets.

Shuanzi, like a little guide, ran ahead excitedly, leading the way.

The group left the village and walked along a winding path worn into the ground, heading towards the rolling mountains behind the village.

The children living at the foot of the mountain all have their own secret bases. The path that Shuanzi took with Lin Shengli and the other three was the path he usually went to play on.

Despite his young age, the mountains near his home weren't too dangerous, and he was also clever, so very few people had ever been to his secret base.

Upon entering the mountain forest, the air immediately becomes fresh and crisp, carrying the mixed scents of pine needles, decaying leaves, and earth. Sunlight filters through the sparse leaves, casting dappled patterns of light, and the sounds of birdsong rise and fall, further enhancing the secluded atmosphere of the mountains.

Li Kuiyong took a deep breath and exclaimed, "The air here is so much fresher than in the city!"

Jiang Yuanchao looked around nervously, watching his step: "The road is a bit slippery, everyone be careful."

Wei Min then started looking at the dry branches by the roadside: "Hey, there's a dry branch here, we can burn it!"

Shuanzi turned around and shouted, "Brother Shengli, there are lots of dead trees on that gentle slope ahead! There's a hazelnut grove a little further in; my grandma and I picked hazelnuts there last year!"

Lin Shengli smiled and responded. At the same time, with a slight thought, he quietly spread his divine sense outwards like ripples on water. Everything within a radius of fifty meters was instantly "reflected" in his perception in a clearer and more three-dimensional way.

Ten meters to the left, a squirrel was warily huddled in a hole in an old pine tree; twenty meters to the right, under a bush, there were several hazel mushrooms that were already somewhat dried but still edible; and even fifty meters away at the edge, there was a dead tree that looked intact but was actually hollowed out by insects... He knew all of this clearly.

He can "see" in advance whether there are hidden potholes or steep slopes on the road ahead, can detect signs of large wild animals or snakes, and can more efficiently find dead branches and mountain products hidden under fallen leaves and in bushes.

To others, he may just seem to have a keen eye for observation, but only he knows that it is a completely overwhelming advantage.

"Shuanzi, lead the way to the hazelnut grove and take a look," Lin Shengli said, while using his divine sense to lock onto an area ahead where many suitable dry branches were scattered. "Kuiyong, Yuanchao, Weimin, let's gather up the dry branches that can be moved, tie them up, and put them away. We can carry them back on the way. Picking them up as we go will be more efficient."

"Okay!" Everyone responded and began to act according to Lin Shengli's instructions.

The first group trip into the mountains to collect firewood and mountain products officially began in the increasingly autumnal forests.