Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

He stepped back into the icy stream, bent down, and continued to turn over the slippery stones.

"Snow frog oil is also a good thing." This thought flashed through Chen Yongqiang's mind.

That stuff is precious, nourishing, and a rare find.

If we could keep some of these snow frogs and extract their oil, it would be very useful, whether for nourishing our family or for other purposes in the future.

With that in mind, he searched even more carefully, specifically looking for the larger ones.

Sirius quietly followed on the shore, this time not distracted by chasing anything, fulfilling his duty of guarding.

After some time, the snow frog in the bucket had become noticeably thicker, and Chen Yongqiang finally carried the bucket ashore.

"Let's go, Sirius."

Chen Yongqiang carried the wooden bucket home. Lin Xiulian came over to take a look and saw that the bottom of the bucket was grayish-brown, probably weighing seven or eight pounds. She couldn't help but ask in surprise, "You caught so many?"

As he changed his boots, he said, "I told you, catching snow frogs is easy; there are plenty in those unfrozen streams."

Lin Xiulian had seen others catch snow frogs in her early years, but this was the first time she had ever seen so many lively ones.

She looked at the wriggling creature in the bucket, asked no more questions, and simply turned to the kitchen to boil a pot of water.

The next day, Chen Yongqiang personally went to the town, carrying the wooden bucket containing the snow frog, and found Yao Lina at the state-run restaurant.

Chen Yongqiang placed the wooden bucket in front of her: "Is this enough?"

After reading it, Yao Lina praised repeatedly: "That's enough, that's enough! Oh my, Yongqiang, you're really capable. It seems there's nothing that can stump you."

She clearly hadn't expected Chen Yongqiang to be able to get so much in such a short time, and just by looking at how actively he was handling it, she knew it was top-quality stuff.

"What about TV tickets?" Chen Yongqiang ignored her praise and went straight to the question he was most concerned about.

"Don't worry, what I promised wouldn't run away, would it?" Yao Lina said, grabbing the snow frog from the bucket and putting it into a bag.

"Wait here for me a moment, I'll go and deliver the things to the boss, and I'll bring you the tickets while I'm at it."

Chen Yongqiang nodded and sat down on the long wooden bench.

He knew Yao Lina was going to make offerings. In fact, he knew in his heart that the live snow frog itself wasn't worth much money; its rarity lay in the difficulty of obtaining it in this freezing weather.

But if you process them into snow frog oil, it's a different story. A pound of snow frog oil can sell for forty or fifty yuan, making it a genuine and valuable tonic.

Yao Lina returned shortly after, handing over a small piece of paper: "It's all taken care of for you. With this, you can buy a television at the supply and marketing cooperative."

Chen Yongqiang took the ticket, which was stamped with a red seal: "Thank you for your help, Director Yao."

"No trouble at all, it's just a mutual help-up. The boss was very satisfied, saying this is a rare find. If you come across anything like this again, please let me know."

Chen Yongqiang agreed. Having lived a second life, he naturally understood the importance of human relationships and worldly affairs.

After leaving the state-run restaurant, we finally found a place to set up a television.

Chen Yongqiang didn't rush to the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange for TV tickets; instead, he went to the grain and oil store first.

He bought some rice and noodles, a considerable amount, and set aside a separate portion in addition to what he needed for his own winter.

Carrying the grain sacks, I arrived at Wang Guixiang's house. The yard was quiet and tidy.

Chen Yongqiang knocked on the door, but Wang Guixiang opened it herself. Seeing that he was carrying things, she quickly stepped aside to let him in.

The room was heated by a kang (a traditional heated brick bed), making it much warmer than outside. Chen Yongqiang placed the rice and noodles against the wall and sat down on the edge of the kang. Wang Guixiang poured him a bowl of hot water.

"Are you and the child both alright?" Chen Yongqiang took the bowl and warmed his hands.

"Everything's fine, everything's safe." Wang Guixiang sat down on the other side and glanced at the grain sack in the corner.

"Don't keep sending me flour. I have money; I can buy it myself."

She wasn't just being polite. Before winter, she had helped Chen Yongqiang sell that wild boar and received a considerable amount of money, although she had mostly used it to stockpile various medicinal herbs.

But the money she kept for household use was more than enough to support her and Xiaojuan through the winter.

Chen Yongqiang took a sip of hot water: "I know you have it, it's just something I did on the way. The roads are slippery in winter, so try not to make too many trips."

Wang Guixiang didn't refuse again; she knew Chen Yongqiang's personality.

After sitting for a while longer and finishing the water in his bowl, Chen Yongqiang stood up. "I'm leaving. I won't be eating here today. I'm going back to the village soon."

Wang Guixiang agreed, saw him to the door, then closed the door and returned to the warm kang (heated brick bed).

She gently placed her hand on her belly, feeling at ease. Although life was hard, there was hope for the future, people to help her, and she could stand on her own two feet, so there was no hurdle she couldn't overcome.

After leaving Wang Guixiang's house, Chen Yongqiang went to the town's supply and marketing cooperative.

The supply and marketing cooperative was dimly lit, and the shelves were mostly filled with daily necessities. Behind the glass counter against the wall at the far end, there were two brand-new television sets.

One was slightly smaller, and the other slightly larger; their square screens stood out prominently in the rather empty counter.

Next to it stood a small wooden sign with the following written in chalk: Panda brand, 12 inches, priced at 385 yuan; Venus brand, 14 inches, priced at 453 yuan.

"Why did the price go up?"

A middle-aged female sales clerk sat behind the counter. She glanced at Chen Yongqiang when she heard the sound, then continued with her work.

These days, there are plenty of people who come to watch TV, but you might not meet even one person a month who actually pays to buy one.

Chen Yongqiang walked to the counter and glanced back and forth between the two television sets.

He remembered clearly that in his previous life, the first television set in the village was a 12-inch black and white one, which was so popular that half the village was fighting over it.

Since you're going to buy one anyway, you might as well buy a bigger one; it'll be more comfortable to look at.

"Comrade, let me take a look at that 14-inch one."

The saleswoman stopped knitting and then carefully examined the young man in front of her.

"14 inches?" she asked, confirming.

"453 yuan, plus a TV ticket. Do you have tickets?"

Chen Yongqiang didn't say much. He took out the TV ticket with the red stamp that Yao Lina had given him from his pocket, and then pointed out a stack of ten-yuan bills, placing them on the glass counter.

The saleswoman was completely stunned. She put down the yarn, stood up, and picked up the ticket and money to take a look.

The tickets are genuine, and the money is all there.

She had been selling things behind this counter for several years, and this was the first time she had ever seen someone so decisive, not even haggling over the price, and directly taking the more expensive and larger 14-inch TV.

Even those with money and a ticket will usually compare prices repeatedly and ultimately choose the 12-inch model, since saving tens of dollars is not a small amount.

"You...really want a 14-inch?" she asked again.

"This is it." Chen Yongqiang seemed very casual, but he had been preparing to say this for several months.

The salesperson clipped the money and tickets together, then bent down and pulled out the cardboard box containing the television from under the counter.