The timeline system has gone awry; they insist that steamed buns are a magic pill.

"I never expected there to be a bamboo grove in this secluded place."

The treasure-hunting team finally arrived at this small, sheltered spot on a hillside, accessible only by ropes and with almost no path.

"It's not easy to find normally; I only discovered this place after I fell down."

Li Qingqiu casually made up a lie: the amount of winter bamboo shoots in this area was quite good, about twenty to thirty catties. Although it was a bit difficult to walk, it was not dangerous and the journey was not far, about ten li, and it would only take two hours to get there.

"Let's clear the snow first."

As the deputy captain, Li Qingqiu directed everyone to get to work.

"Yin Yi, cut a few branches and mark the spot when I tell you where." Clearing snow is too strenuous for a young girl like Yin Yi; Qing Bing, Qing Lian, and Qing Lei are the best fit.

Qingbing rolled his eyes and looked down. Li Qingqiu was treating him differently. Oh well, this guy wasn't a good person, but he was really lucky. He just randomly dug up two bamboo shoots on the road.

After about half an hour, clearing away the snow around them, Li Qingqiu directed Yin Yi to mark the spots. "You can start digging now. There should be plenty down there. Be careful not to damage the bamboo shoots, or they won't fetch a good price later."

"Don't worry, I'm watching."

Uncle Medicine Basket wielded his hoe and began digging, while the others watched.

"Got it."

Uncle Medicine Basket thought to himself, "This kid is really capable, he's got real talent."

"Don't leave the other spots idle, dig them up!"

Li Qingbing and the others busied themselves digging, and even Yin Yi joined the bamboo shoot digging team. This time, Li Qingqiu didn't say anything. Digging bamboo shoots wasn't too tiring. Girls should exercise, after all, not everyone has the skills to be a technical expert who isn't born to do physical labor.

"Li Qingqiu, look! I've dug it up!"

Yin Yi dug with a shovel and then excitedly used her hands to dig through the soil, pulled out the winter bamboo shoots, and held them up to show Li Qingqiu. She was incredibly excited, and the mud on her round little face added to her lively and adorable appearance.

"Not bad, it's quite big, weighs about half a pound."

"Uncle Medicine Basket, you usually sell mountain products, what's the price of winter bamboo shoots?" Li Qingqiu had never asked about the price of winter bamboo shoots before.

"In previous years, it would have cost around 35 cents at this time."

Uncle Medicine Basket, sticking out his tongue, casually replied, "But with such heavy snow this year, winter bamboo shoots are hard to dig up, so the price at the free market probably won't be low."

"Can it sell for 50 cents?"

"Five cents? That's almost the price of meat! Does anyone actually buy that?" Li Qing stared wide-eyed. This was way too expensive.

"You're all too young. You don't know, winter bamboo shoots used to sell for more than ten yuan a pound," Uncle Medicine Basket said with a sigh. "That was more than ten years ago. Those were years of constant disasters, money was worthless, and you couldn't even buy pork for twenty yuan a pound on the black market."

Li Qingqiu was stunned. More than ten years ago, now he is 73 years old. Back then, winter bamboo shoots could really sell for more than ten yuan. I guess an egg would cost one yuan.

"I know, everything was expensive back then, and you couldn't buy anything."

"Many people are hungry."

"Let's not talk about that, let's hurry up and dig. This year's heavy snow might actually make us able to sell the winter bamboo shoots for 50 cents a pound." Uncle Medicine Basket said, waving his hoe with great enthusiasm. The others were thinking to themselves that it was 50 cents a pound.

Good heavens, if they dug up two of these, they could exchange them for a pound of meat. Everyone was no longer upset and was full of energy. A crescent-shaped smile appeared on Li Qingqiu's lips. Yin Yi noticed that this person was deliberately trying to bring up the price of winter bamboo shoots.

"What are you looking at?"

"No, I'll keep digging."

"Slow down, don't damage it, or we might not be able to sell it." Li Qingqiu leaned against a big tree, chatting with Yin Yi, but his mind was absorbed in the system template.

[Host: Li Qingqiu (Lazy Eater Destiny)]

Cultivation Sect: Core disciple of the Li Clan (receiving special attention from the clan leader)

Cultivation Techniques: Basic Immortal Cultivation Method (Beginner), Lazy Eater Method (Beginner).

Cultivation Techniques: Spirit Plant Cultivation Technique (Beginner), Beast-Catching Spirit Rope Weaving Technique (Unsophisticated), Spirit Cage Weaving Technique (Unsophisticated), Sneaky Technique (Entry-level).

Magical items: Beast-catching rope (beginner level), Spirit-enhancing talisman (basic level), Clan Contribution Points Book (low-tier), Pig Beast Taming Skill Card (basic level), Mountain-splitting shovel (beginner level)

Elixirs: One bottle of Blood-Replenishing Pill (66/100), one Agar-agar Nutmeg Pill, one Jade Shell Nourishing Essence Pill

Items: Gold Spirit Coupon 0.26 yuan, Silver Spirit Plant Coupon 7 jin, 1 liang of Spirit Oil, Spirit Meat Coupon 2 jin

Physical condition: 6+1+

Agility: 7+

Strength: 6+1

Spirit: 8

Points: 3

Sign-in requirements: 120/120 (One sign-in opportunity is granted for practicing the Lazy Eater Method for one hour each day)

Points-based lottery: Eligible participants can enter beginner, intermediate, and advanced lottery draws.

Quest: Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River, Don't Underestimate a Young Man's Poorness. Quest Completion: 40/1000. Dual Cultivation Partner Quest Completion: 6/100. Snow Demon Attack Event Triggered. Side Quest: Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River, Don't Underestimate a Young Man's Poorness - Family Pride, Contributed Over 100 Gold Spirit Tokens to the Family: 0/20.

The check-in requirements have been updated, and it's time to check in today. Li Qingqiu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to check in on the spot.

"Sign-in successful. Sign-in location: Trial Grounds. Obtained Elder Pill Herb Identification Skill (Beginner Level). Points +1"

Li Qingqiu glanced at Uncle Medicine Basket and concluded that the skill must have fallen from him. The herb identification skill was decent, though the daily sign-in points were a bit low. Fortunately, there were still two points to be earned from the Elder's task today.

"Li Qingqiu, look at me, I've dug up another big winter bamboo shoot."

Like a child expecting praise, Yin Yi held up the bamboo shoots in her hand, completely ignoring the mud on her face and her messy hair. Her round face was full of joy and anticipation of receiving praise from Li Qingqiu.

"That's great, at least two cents."

"Two cents, really?"

Yin Yi was overjoyed. She had dug up two cents in one go. If she dug up a few more, she would have a dollar. She completely forgot that this was the treasure hunt team's harvest, which was to be handed over to the brigade.

"If it sells well, even three cents might be enough."

"Sanmao, there are so many! I'd better dig up more quickly."

"Slow down, don't rush."

Li Qingqiu said with a smile, "It's not even noon yet. Let's dig slowly. We'll probably get about 20 or 30 jin from this hole. That'll mean we've completed our task for today."

"Can't we dig a few more nests?"

Yin Yi blinked her big eyes, a little greedy. "Dig more, sell more for more money..."

"Digging too fast will damage the bamboo shoots. It's better to be careful. Besides, the next nest is quite far away. We'll probably be too late to go there today. We're already quite tired from digging here. If we go any further, we probably won't have much energy left."

"Qingqiu is right. You are the deputy captain, so we will all listen to you when it comes to digging bamboo shoots."

Once the medicine basketman spoke up, no one else objected. Li Qingqiu was good at finding winter bamboo shoots, but the others were completely clueless.

"oh."

Yin Yi was a little disappointed. Li Qingqiu smiled and didn't say anything. This girl had really forgotten who the harvested winter bamboo shoots belonged to; she thought she could take them back with her. "You rest here for a bit. First, cut some branches. We'll need you to help us bake cornbread and steamed buns later."

"Yes, yes, Comrade Yin Yi, your baked cornbread and steamed buns are much tastier than my mom's."

"Yes, Comrade Yin Yi, I'll have to trouble you again later."

Li Qinglian and a few others chimed in, after all, nothing beats a hot, fragrant roasted steamed bun or cornbread with added seasonings and oil.

"No problem, I'll grill it for everyone in a bit."

Yin Yi was actually a little insecure. She was the worst at digging bamboo shoots, only doing better than Li Qingqiu who didn't lift a finger. But Li Qingqiu was the deputy team leader and the one who found the bamboo shoots, so she didn't need to dig them at all. Seeing everyone's appreciation and praise for her skills made her genuinely happy.

Li Qingqiu smiled when he saw this; a child is still a child.

After digging for more than two hours, this patch of winter bamboo shoots was almost finished. Li Qingqiu checked and found that only a few were damaged. "The damaged ones will be roasted later."

"oh."

Yin Yi quickly took it and peeled it open with a small knife. Li Qingqiu also took out the last bit of spirit oil. "You can keep this bottle later. You can use it to render some butter."

"Um."

"Oil! This is good stuff!" Li Qingbing smacked his lips a few times, his eyes fixed on it.

"It wouldn't be right to let you go alone, I still have a small piece of cured meat here."

"Cut it off."

Uncle Medicine Basket said, taking out a small piece of cured meat, about an ounce, which made Li Qingbing and the others feel a little embarrassed. "Next time, we'll bring some things too."

"It's alright, we're your captains."

Li Qingqiu waved his hand dismissively, of course accepting the cured pork. He could just chop two winter bamboo shoots and stir-fry the cured pork and bamboo shoots on the stone slab. "Yin Yi, can you stir-fry this?"

"able."

A simple stir-fried cured pork with bamboo shoots was incredibly fragrant. Paired with warm baked multigrain steamed buns, cornbread, and some pickled peppers and salted vegetables that everyone had brought, this not-so-lavish but very comfortable lunch left everyone quite satisfied.

"This food is even better than what we eat at home."

Li Qinglei wiped his mouth, which was shiny with oil.

"Where can I find cured pork or soybean oil at home?"

"Thanks to our two vice-captains."

This guy's actually starting to flatter people. He was quite hostile towards me the other day. Li Qingqiu glanced at Li Qingbing and Li Qinglian, thinking, "They've joined the team, they're all of one mind now, right?" "Everyone, rest a bit more. We'll pack up and head back early."

It'll probably be around 1 or 2 PM now, a little over two hours' journey. We'll get back to the brigade around 4 PM, or maybe 3 PM if we arrive early. On the way back, Yin Yi was quite happy, skipping and hopping ahead, looking back every now and then.

"Li Qingqiu, hurry up!"

Li Qingqiu thought to himself, "They're still just kids, so happy, like little larks." "Everyone, hurry up! My stomach's a little upset, I need to go back to the toilet."

"We can't let the good stuff go to waste."

"Haha, let's hurry up, don't let the captain suffer a loss."

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, but quickened their pace. The herbalist, however, gave Yin Yi a curious look, then glanced at Li Qingqiu. "Are the two of them alright?"

"Uncle Medicine Basket, don't fall behind."

"They're here."

After leaving the mountain, it was just past three o'clock when they returned to the brigade headquarters. It has to be said that carrying twenty or thirty pounds of winter bamboo shoots was incredibly easy for the group.

"Huh, what's going on? So many people?"

"What happened?"

When they arrived at the brigade headquarters, Li Qingqiu and his group were a little confused. There were quite a few people at the brigade headquarters, and looking at their clothes, there were several cadres. After all, only commune cadres could afford to wear patched clothes.

"Perfect timing, you're back."

Li Fuyuan spotted Li Qingqiu and his group standing at the entrance of the courtyard, smiled, and walked over to grab Li Qingqiu. "It's this kid. He got full marks twice in the quote competition. He's quick-witted and lucky. This human-shaped kudzu root was found and dug up by this kid."

The human-shaped kudzu root, which had been propped up at some point, was supported by bamboo poles on both sides and tied with straw ropes. At first glance, it really did look like a giant standing proudly.

"It's you, young man. You're quite something. You got full marks twice for your quotations. You're good at both literary and martial arts." The speaker was Director Guo, the director of the commune's revolutionary committee, one of the most prominent figures in the entire commune.

"Thank you, Director Guo. I was just lucky to run into you."

Li Fuyuan was incredibly proud when Director Guo praised Li Qingqiu. He was beaming with pride, especially in front of Old Zhang and Wang Dapao. He rarely had the chance to compete for face with these old buddies like this.

What's in your baskets?

"I dug up a whole patch of winter bamboo shoots."

"Winter bamboo shoots are hard to find in this snowy weather."

"It's alright."

Several baskets contained a lot of bamboo shoots, which were all emptied out, weighing twenty or thirty pounds. The team leaders were quite surprised. "Your Lijia'ao is truly a place of outstanding people and resources; you can dig up so many winter bamboo shoots in one go."

Li Fuyuan thought to himself, "This goes without saying. The human-shaped kudzu root had already stunned everyone. Now, digging up so many fresh winter bamboo shoots in the heavy snow further proves that our Lijia'ao is a place of beautiful mountains and clear waters, full of spiritual energy."

"I'll cook two dishes tonight, Director Guo, you must try them."

Li Fuyuan was smug. After the meeting today, Director Guo approached him to ask about the human-shaped kudzu root. In the end, he even came to Lijia'ao, one to direct disaster relief efforts and the other to take a look at the human-shaped kudzu root. Unexpectedly, the captains of several surrounding brigades also came to join in the fun, seemingly afraid that Director Guo would allocate too much disaster relief funds to Lijia'ao.

"I won't eat."

Director Guo said with a smile, "Although the cowshed in your Lijia'ao village collapsed this time, you have taken good care of it and actively made amends. However, you still need to pay attention to your methods. Winter bamboo shoots are a good choice. City people love to eat them, and the free market also encourages the sale of these mountain products."

"Of course, it takes courage for you to promote such a young cadre."

Li Fuyuan was practically floating on air from the praise. When had he, Li Fuyuan, ever received such praise from Director Guo?

"Director Guo, your praise makes me feel ashamed. I just want to make up for as much of the deficit as possible."

"Haha, Captain Li, that's great!"

Director Guo eventually left. Li Fuyuan wanted to keep the other team leaders for dinner, but Wang Dazui and Old Zhang didn't want to see Li Fuyuan's smug face.

"Hahaha, this Wang Dapao and Zhang Laotou, they probably won't be able to sleep tonight."

Li Fuyuan was overjoyed. "Third brother, promoting you to be the treasure hunting team leader was the right decision."

"Uncle Fuyuan, I was just lucky."

"You're being modest, aren't you?"

Li Fuyuan was in a good mood. "The matter you mentioned yesterday should have been settled. All the cadres at today's meeting know that a human-shaped kudzu root was dug up in Lijia'ao. In a few days, the whole surrounding area will probably know about it."

"That's great! Once our reputation spreads, we'll transport the winter bamboo shoots we dig to the free market and sell them. They'll be five cents and ten cents more expensive than regular winter bamboo shoots."

"That really works."

"It will definitely work, Uncle Fuyuan. You'll see once you try it."

"Then I'll listen to you, kid."

"Alright, I won't keep you for dinner."

"Fine," Li Qingqiu thought to himself, "you're really using me and then discarding me. Forget it, I'll go home and ask my little sister and Xianjing if they've dug up any winter bamboo shoots yet. I'll sneak some and sell some too."

As soon as Li Qingqiu entered the courtyard after returning home, Li Qingmei ran over to him. "Third Brother."

"Did you find it?"

"We found them! We dug up more than ten, weighing five or six jin." Li Qingmei led Li Qingqiu to her room. There were more than ten winter bamboo shoots in her basket, dug quite carefully and without any damage.

"That's right, winter bamboo shoots are expensive this year, these should sell for more than three yuan each."

"How much, a little over three yuan?"

"What, a little over three yuan?"

The two of them stopped abruptly and turned around. Shi Lanhua was standing by the window at some point. Well, that's it, forget about her secret stash of money.