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

"It's getting late, let's go back."

It was already dark when Li Qingqiu called out to Guo Zhaonan and a few of his younger sisters to go down the mountain. Most of the others were reluctant to leave, since they could still dig up a bamboo shoot or two every now and then, which was a lot of money.

"Third Uncle, let's dig a little longer."

Guo Zhaonan was reluctant to go back. He had just counted on his fingers how many he had dug up and how much they were worth. He was quite greedy for money at such a young age.

"Zhao Nan, come again tomorrow. Your grandmother just told you to go home early."

"Oh, I know, Auntie."

The bamboo shoots filled half a basket, about twenty pounds, which is quite a lot. Other families probably only get a few pounds at most. But everyone is quite happy. Digging a few pounds a day and selling them for two or three yuan, when have we ever had such good days?

Many families went to the free market today. Some made more than ten yuan, while others made five or six yuan. Everyone was overjoyed. When they got home, the whole family gathered around cash, which they rarely see, and grinned from ear to ear.

Li Qingqiu, who was previously an unreliable, four-centimeter-tall child from a collateral branch of the family, has now become a true important high-ranking member of the family in the eyes of many members—a deacon elder.

"Third Uncle, why aren't they going back? They're not eating."

"I want to dig up more winter bamboo shoots."

Li Qingqiu smiled. "Digging one more will earn you a lot more work points per day."

"oh."

Guo Zhaonan's understanding of work points wasn't particularly deep. After all, she had been in school all her life, and besides, her parents were also paid. They didn't really understand the meaning of work points in the production team. The fate of a commune member depended entirely on how many work points they had in a year, whether they ate dry food or soup.

"Let's go home and have dinner."

Li Qingqiu glanced at his sixth aunt, who was still digging. He would spend the next few days learning about the specific situation of her family.

Li Qingqiu, seeing the pitiful yet hateful person, didn't look at her any longer. He led his younger sister, Zhao Nan, down the mountain and back home. Just as he was about to wash his hands, Shi Lanhua called out to him, "Third brother, your Uncle Fuyuan is inviting you to his house for dinner. Hurry up and get ready to go."

"Uncle Fuyuan invited me to dinner?"

Li Qingqiu wiped his hands. "Okay, I'll be right there."

"Zhao Nan, we'll send you back to the educated youth settlement when your third uncle comes back."

"Third Uncle, you go ahead with your work. It's alright, I know how to get back."

"It's getting dark, don't walk alone at night. Your mother told you that girls should be careful. I'll come back and take you home, and I'll help you clean up the snow." Li Qingqiu said, waving as she left the courtyard.

When we arrived at the home of Uncle Fuyuan, the brigade secretary and captain, there were already quite a few people there: Uncle Fuluo, the accountant; Uncle Yaolouzi; Uncle Laohuntou; and several militia captains, including Li Dajun. They were all there, puffing on their pipes, and the house was filled with smoke.

"Sanzi's here, come inside and warm up."

Women's Director Wang Xiuju came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands and greeting everyone with a smile. "Your Uncle Fuyuan just asked why you haven't arrived yet?"

"I took my younger sisters up the mountain to dig for bamboo shoots. We just came back down. Auntie, you're busy. I'll go in first."

Upon entering the house, Li Fuyuan greeted him with a smile. "Sit down, we've been waiting for you, kid."

"Uncle Fuyuan, you flatter me."

With so many elders waiting for him, a junior, Li Qingqiu smiled and took out a pack of cigarettes, a gift from his brother-in-law. "Uncle, try some of the cigarettes I brought."

"Unity is key."

"Wow, this is such good cigarettes."

A pack costs over three mao (0.3 yuan), and you need cigarette coupons. Normally, let alone others, even the brigade leader Li Fuyuan wouldn't dare to smoke it. "Hey kid, where did you get such good cigarettes?"

"I went to Lukou Commune today; it was given to me by my brother-in-law."

Li Qingqiu offered cigarettes to everyone, then sat down with a smile. "Uncle Fuyuan, what brings you here today?"

"I'm so happy to have sold the winter bamboo shoots, so I'm inviting everyone to have a meal together."

Stir-fried cured pork with bamboo shoots, stewed tofu with Chinese cabbage, and a scrambled egg dish, plus a rather white multigrain steamed bun—this meal is top-notch in Lijia'ao.

"Come on, come on, have some food."

The warm jujube wine was served, and everyone took a cup first. Li Fuyuan said with a smile, "Let's not drink too much today, let's have a good chat. A lot has happened in the team lately. Three oxen were crushed to death in the cowshed, and Fuluo and I have been so worried that we haven't slept for several nights."

"Now that I've sold the winter bamboo shoots, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief," Li Fuyuan said, taking a sip of wine.

"Yes, we sold over seven hundred yuan worth of bamboo shoots in total. There are still over five hundred jin of winter bamboo shoots left, which can be sold for another two or three hundred yuan. That's a thousand yuan in total, and the loss from the oxen has been almost half covered." Li Fuluo also sighed with emotion. "Sanzi, this is all thanks to you."

"Uncle Fuluo, what are you saying? I'm also from Lijia'ao. Isn't it only right that I do something for the team?" Li Qingqiu quickly picked up his wine glass and took a sip. "It's just that the snow is getting heavier and the temperature is dropping quite a bit. I'm afraid it will be difficult to dig up the winter bamboo shoots."

"Uncle Fulu and I are worried about this too. The ground's frozen solid. What do you suggest we do?" Li Fuyuan put down his wine glass. "Sanzi, you have so many ideas, what's your plan?"

"When God throws a tantrum, what good solutions can anyone come up with?"

Li Qingqiu didn't have a good solution either. "But while the snow isn't too heavy yet, let's call more people tomorrow. I know there are still a few places with plenty of winter bamboo shoots, not far from our brigade. It shouldn't be too difficult to dig them up tomorrow, even if it's a bit hard. As for the places further away, there aren't many to begin with, so it doesn't really matter whether we dig them up or not."

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say. Tell me where it is, and I'll bring people over."

Li Fuyuan slammed his hand on the table. This guy provides manpower and tools whenever he needs them. Digging bamboo shoots in winter costs a lot of money.

"To be honest, you've really helped the brigade a lot. Not to mention the bamboo shoots the treasure hunting team dug up, everyone made quite a bit of money today. Alas, this year's drought has severely reduced the grain yield. With sweet potatoes, potatoes, and radishes, each person only gets about 300 catties of rations, which is dozens of catties less than in previous years. In the past, many people would have gone hungry during the lean season." Li Fuyuan said, raising his wine glass.

"Everyone is making money from digging bamboo shoots this winter. They can buy some dried sweet potatoes. Even if they're not full, they won't go too hungry. Sanzi, this is all thanks to you. Uncle toasts you."

"Uncle, what are you saying? I'm happy to be able to help everyone."

Li Qingqiu drank another cup, then started chatting more freely, even going so far as to say that he had marked three places with abundant winter bamboo shoots, which must weigh at least a thousand catties in total. "I've marked all the locations. You know this place, Uncle Medicine Basket, so you can lead the team into the mountains."

"What's wrong, you're going to procrastinate again?"

"Haha, that won't do."

"No, Uncle, I have something to take care of."

Li Qingqiu had no choice. Tomorrow he planned to take Li Qingbing and a few others into the mountains to hunt wild boars. The day after tomorrow, there would be a blizzard, and they definitely couldn't go out to hunt wild boars in the blizzard. The snow would be even thicker then, and the wild boar hunting would probably be delayed again.

Who knows if Zhangjiazhai and Wangliuzhai will organize people to preemptively attack their trial targets, or if they will strike first to gain the upper hand?

"I'm familiar with these places." The medicine basket man glanced at the locations; he knew them all, so there wouldn't be any problem taking them there.

"Alright, kid, what are you up to?" Li Fuluo knew that Li Qingqiu was good at finding winter bamboo shoots, but when it came to digging them, he was very lazy. He had given the place, so it didn't matter whether Li Qingqiu went or not.

Li Qingqiu knew this too. As for what he wanted to do, Li Fuluo and the others didn't really care; they were just asking casually.

"It's nothing. I'll let you know if it works out."

Li Qingqiu was afraid to mention hunting wild boars, fearing criticism from Li Fuyuan and the others. They'd say, "Don't let him go! What a joke! Even the old hunter couldn't do it, what are you trying to prove?" They ate quickly after drinking for a short while. After dinner, Li Fuyuan, Li Fuluo, and Li Dajun had patrol arrangements to make. The snow was heavy, and they couldn't let the cowshed collapse happen again; otherwise, the commune would probably hold a meeting to criticize them.

Li Qingqiu strolled back home. Guo Zhaonan saw her uncle, his face flushed, still trying to see her off, and waved her hand. "Third Uncle, why don't you rest?"

"It's alright, it's a good opportunity to let off some steam."

Actually, I didn't drink too much, just the jujube wine made me a little tipsy, but I'll be fine after a while. "Let's go, I'll tell you something on the way." On the way, Li Qingqiu gave Guo Zhaonan some instructions, telling her that girls shouldn't go out alone at night.

Li Qingqiu had already told Yin Yi about these things before, such as closing the doors and windows when sleeping, and paying attention to the snow outside. If it was too heavy, he would remember to haul it away. This was just a repetition.

Upon arriving at the educated youth settlement, Yin Yi was boiling water.

"Zhao Nan, you're back. Take a hot foot bath in a bit."

"Thank you, Sister Yin Yi."

Guo Zhaonan hugged Yin Yi's arm affectionately and shook it. The two were actually about the same age, but Yin Yi had been working in the countryside for a while and seemed more mature. "Tomorrow, we're going into the mountains. Get ready. Remember to bring a small aluminum pot, some beef tallow hot pot ingredients, some beef, and also fry some extra multigrain pancakes. We'll be in the mountains all day tomorrow."

"understood."

"Third Uncle, are you going into the mountains?"

"Want to dig for winter bamboo shoots?"

Guo Zhaonan was full of anticipation. "Can I come along?"

"This time we're not going into the mountains to dig for bamboo shoots, we're going to hunt wild boars."

Li Qingqiu didn't hide it from Guo Zhaonan; he was hunting wild boars, which startled Guo Zhaonan. "Third Uncle, wild boars are fierce! My dad said they can kill people."

"Don't worry, there are plenty of us."

Li Qingqiu had just finished speaking with Li Qingbing, Li Qingzhu, and Li Qingmin. They were all experienced hunters. The reason they didn't catch any last time was because the old hunter couldn't catch the wild boar. They couldn't even see it. How could they possibly hunt it?

Li Qingqiu is different; with his dynamic map and real-time monitoring, it's practically a cheat code. Encountering wild boars couldn't be easier. "Zhao Nan, tidy up the bed. Yin Yi, let's clear the snow off the roof first; I reckon the snow won't be light tonight."

"Okay, I'll pull it, you hold the stool down." Yin Yi wiped her hands as if she were holding a wooden paddle.

"Take turns."

Pressing down the stool is easy, but pulling snow is tiring. Li Qingqiu is a bit tired pulling snow all by himself, so it's good to take turns.

"Li Qingqiu, you are so kind."

Yin Yi's eyes sparkled, but Li Qingqiu didn't take it seriously. He was used to being friend-zoned every day. "Hurry up, finish early so you can rest. You've been running around to so many places today, you must be tired."

"Um."

Yin Yi wanted to tell Li Qingqiu that if he was tired, she should rest and he would help her up, but she also wanted to stay with Li Qingqiu. Today, Li Qingqiu took her to the black market to buy tickets, which was very exciting, especially when he talked about his girlfriend. Yin Yi's heart was pounding.

Although she didn't understand much, she loved being with Li Qingqiu—working together, eating hot pot together, digging for bamboo shoots, and slacking off together… "Li Qingqiu, I'll make you delicious bamboo rice tomorrow."

"OK."

"Beef is good, but pork is actually more fragrant." Yin Yi pouted, somewhat regretful that she couldn't make a better pork bamboo rice.

"I should have cut some pork off the ground."

Li Qingqiu brought all the pork he bought home. He'll have to get some for Yin Yi next time; Yin Yi's cooking skills are definitely better.

"Wait until I dig up winter bamboo shoots, sell them, and buy meat coupons to buy pork for you, okay?"

"OK."

Li Qingqiu casually agreed, and the two chatted and laughed as they cleared the snow from the roof in front of the house, then moved stools to the back of the house, where they also cleared some snow from the outhouse. "Let's fix it when the weather clears up."

The outhouse is for immediate use only; there's no time to repair the roof right now. Fortunately, this place is secluded, so we don't usually have to worry about being spied on.

"Oh, right, remember to bring some straw tomorrow. There probably won't be any good kindling in the mountains."

"I know."

After the two finished their work, Li Qingqiu soaked her feet and warmed herself by the fire, weaving some straw ropes—thicker ones to pull wild boars, and thinner ones to wrap around her shoes for slip resistance. "Li Qingqiu, take one of the braziers back with you. Zhao Nan and I can share one."

"I had completely forgotten about it if you hadn't mentioned it."

I couldn't buy a ceramic basin, oh well, I'll bring one back myself. It's hard for him to stay warm all day without a brazier. There's no one to warm the bed. No wonder there's a saying: "A warm bed is warm for the wife and children." These days, the blankets are thin, so it's warmer when there are many people around.

Back in the cave, Li Qingqiu gathered some firewood, burned it, and then covered it with ashes. After the smoke had mostly dissipated, he carried it inside. There was no need to pay special attention, though the gaps in the doors and windows were quite large.

"It has some effect."

Lying in the somewhat cold bed, Li Qingqiu muttered to himself. The next morning, he got up early and the group gathered at the educated youth settlement.

"Third Brother, are we really going to hunt wild boars in Laoshangou?"

Li Qingmin had been to the old mountain valley before. It was quite far away, more than ten miles away. The snow there was only about a foot deep, and it was probably even deeper in the mountains. It would probably take three or four hours to get there.

"You talk too much, just listen to Third Brother."

Li Qingzhu is now a big fan of Li Qingqiu, and he does whatever Li Qingqiu says.

"Qingqiu, are you sure you can find a wild boar?"

Li Qingbing was a little worried that he might have made a wasted trip.

"Don't worry, I'm quite confident about that."

With the dynamic map in hand, Li Qingqiu found it even more useful than navigation maps in the 21st century.

"Alright, let's leave early."

If we leave a little after 5 a.m. now, we can get there around 9 a.m. If we can catch a wild boar, this trip will be worthwhile.

The group consisted of five people and three hunting rifles. Li Qingqiu didn't take out his hunting rifle, but he did bring a shovel, a wood-chopping knife, and a bundle of straw rope. Yin Yi carried a pot with ingredients, a stack of mixed grain pancakes, and a small bundle of kindling.

It took about an hour for Lijia'ao to truly wake up.

"Zhao Nan, what did you say? Third Brother and Yin Yi went into the mountains to hunt wild boar?"

Li Qingmei exclaimed in alarm, "Mom, something terrible has happened!"

"What's wrong, so early in the morning?"

"Third Brother went into the mountains to hunt wild boars."

"What? The third brother went into the mountains to hunt wild boar? Isn't that just fooling around? Kid, do you think wild boars are fun?"