Perhaps due to the pressure brought by those two assistants last time, Bai Yunjiao and the other recorders became much more diligent in their studies.
Song Wei thought this was a good thing. If her memory served her right, the national college entrance exam system would eventually be reinstated in this era.
The exact timeline, however, escaped her. Having lived through the wastelands of the apocalypse for so long, many adults couldn’t recall the pre-apocalyptic events clearly, let alone someone like her, who had only just graduated middle school before the world changed.
Surviving was already a feat in itself.
“You might want to start looking into high school textbooks while studying,” she suggested.
That was the most she could do to guide them.
As for herself, Song Wei didn’t plan to delve into studies again.
She was the quintessential academic underachiever—better suited to be a traditional warrior. The idea of poring over textbooks was far less appealing than wrestling a bear.
Back when she was in school, her Chinese was passable, but subjects like math and physics made her head spin.
To her, those were akin to hieroglyphs.
She simply couldn’t.
She didn’t understand them in her past life, and this life wasn’t about to magically turn her into a genius.
The New Year arrived, and the entire Ping’an Brigade, along with other nearby villages, buzzed with activity.
During the New Year, the streets in town were deserted. As a result, Ping’an Brigade didn’t venture out to sell vegetables either.
The sound of firecrackers echoed endlessly, and children gathered in groups to light them, grinning ear to ear with delight at every loud pop.
But what everyone looked forward to the most was the feast.
Song Wei ventured into the mountains again and brought back two wild chickens and a rabbit.
Winter wasn’t the best season for hunting, but that didn’t matter. Lin Zhen returned with two large fish and three pounds of pork from the city.
With the addition of rabbits they had raised at home, this year’s celebration would be a sumptuous one.
Lin Zhen skillfully skinned the rabbits, revealing two snow-white pelts.
He planned to tan the hides and make Song Wei a scarf out of them.
“Lin Zhen, do you still have any rabbits left at home?”
Lin Zhen looked up to see Aunt Wang, his fiancée’s nosy “good sister,” grinning at him.
“Yes, we’ve got one last one. Do you want it, Aunt Wang?”
“Of course! It’s New Year’s, and we’ve got to have something good to eat,” Aunt Wang said with a hearty laugh.
While they didn’t have Song Wei’s knack for catching wild game, they weren’t short on money this year and could afford to splurge.
The rabbits raised by Heidan and Song Wei were well-fed, with the adults weighing about three pounds each.
Without needing a ration ticket, Aunt Wang handed Lin Zhen two yuan for the rabbit.
This New Year, most households—except for the laziest ones who didn’t seize opportunities—were able to enjoy a bountiful celebration.
At Lin Zhen’s dinner table, there were four or five different meat dishes alone.
Even the two wolf pups had fresh bones to gnaw on.
Just as the three of them were about to eat, there was a knock at the door.
The two wolf pups stood up, baring their teeth toward the entrance.
Judging by their reaction, Lin Zhen guessed it was someone from his extended family.
Sure enough, Lin Lao Si’s voice came from outside.
“Lin Zhen, your grandparents want you to come over for dinner!”
Lin Lao Si was practically pressed against Lin Zhen’s door, sniffing the aroma of meat wafting from inside. He was nearly intoxicated by the smell.
At their table, they only had a few pieces of preserved meat, far from satisfying.
“Woof!”
The wolves growled in warning, their tones wild and threatening. Lin Lao Si, a lazy and cowardly man, jumped back several steps in fright. He didn’t dare knock again.
“We’re family, so don’t forget to stop by for dinner,” he muttered, reluctantly retreating.
With every step he took, he glanced back longingly, hoping Lin Zhen might open the door and invite him in for a meal. But that was wishful thinking.
The people inside never even acknowledged his presence.
As for the invitation to join the family dinner? Lin Zhen and Song Wei knew better. There was no goodwill behind it and no need to bother.
In the days that followed, Lin Zhen and Song Wei went around visiting acquaintances.
A bag of sugar or a handful of noodles made for excellent New Year’s gifts.
Lin Zhen carried the gifts, bringing Heidan and Song Wei to visit the brigade leader, his great-uncle, and a few relatives in the village who had supported his family.
He was a man who remembered both kindness and grievances.
Those who had bullied Heidan in the past didn’t get a visit, not even for appearances’ sake.
As for his maternal family, Lin Zhen skipped them entirely. His mother had never been treated well by them, and he himself had often been bullied by his cousins as a child.
He had already secretly taken revenge for those slights. There was no need to rekindle those connections.
Song Wei accompanied Lin Zhen to visit the brigade leader and great-uncle, but saved the other visits for after their wedding.
Finally, they made their way to see old Ji.
At the cowshed, the three of them enjoyed the best New Year’s meal they’d had in years.
The kang was warm, and Lin Zhen brought rabbit meat, pork, and fresh vegetables grown by the brigade.
The three men were all without families, so they celebrated together.
Though the villagers turned a blind eye to what they ate, they still kept things discreet.
The meat was prepared late at night when no one was around.
“Old Ji, Happy New Year,” Lin Zhen greeted as they entered.
Old Ji smiled warmly at them, his gaze soft and affectionate, as though looking at his own children.
Lin Zhen placed the wine he brought on the table, and the group shared a hearty dinner.
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but the three elders eventually broke down, crying at the table as years of suppressed pain and grievances poured out.
Lin Zhen and Song Wei watched quietly, their hearts heavy.
Song Wei thought of her uncle and wondered how he was faring.
After the New Year’s festivities quieted down, Lin Zhen came back with some news.
“Our Ping’an Brigade is planning to reopen the primary school,” he said.
“They’ll need teachers. Interested?”
Song Wei shook her head. “Not my thing.”
“But I’ll pass the word along to the educated youth at the dormitory. How will they hire teachers?”
“There’ll be an exam. They’ll take the top five scorers.”
“Then we’ll have to send Heidan to school. But if he’s going, we can’t keep calling him Heidan (Black Egg).That name won’t do.”
“True,” Lin Zhen agreed. “You can name him.”
“Me? You’re his brother. Why are you leaving this to me?”
Hearing their conversation, Heidan ran over excitedly.
“Brother! Sister Song! Can I name myself? I want something fierce. How about Lin Hu (Tiger) or Lin Dilei (Landmine)?”
“Terrible,” Lin Zhen said bluntly.
Heidan pouted. “You don’t understand. They’re awesome names!”
“How about Lin Bu E (Not-Hungry) or Lin Lin Zongshi Bao (Always-Full)?” Song Wei teased.
Lin Zhen sighed, exasperated by her practicality.
Surprisingly, Heidan lit up. “I like Sister Song’s suggestions! They’re great!”
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