Luo Yecheng closed his eyes, refusing to engage, his hands clenching tightly at his sides.
At this point, he had lost everything—his pride, his reputation—and the dread of an uncertain future loomed in his mind.
Seeing his defeated state, Song Wei clicked her tongue in disdain. Finding no entertainment in his misery, she grabbed Heidan and left without hesitation.
She had too many things to do to waste time on Luo Yecheng’s drama.
That evening, Song Wei took out some books and lit an oil lamp to teach Heidan numbers.
She stopped after teaching him the ten Arabic numerals.
Studying by lamplight wasn’t good for the eyes, especially at night. Daytime left little free time, so she decided to teach him more during the winter when there was less to do.
She and Heidan ventured into the mountains, they went to the spot where they had found wild boars before.
Although they gathered plenty of walnuts again, Song Wei was particularly interested in finding signs of wild boars.
“It doesn’t look like there are any,” she murmured, a bit disappointed. But her spirits soon lifted. She could always gather walnuts in the meantime.
These days, with so many edible things available, being able to fill her belly every day was more than enough to keep her content.
After filling a sack with walnuts, Song Wei decided to explore other parts of the valley.
The valley was vast, with many unexplored areas. By now, the northeastern autumn had grown cold, the trees and plants turning yellow and dry, leaving behind none of the vibrant life of spring and summer.
Yet here and there, some wild fruits clung to the branches—dates and persimmons among them.
Previously, Song Wei had brought back many unripe persimmons to make into persimmon cakes, and the first batch had already frosted beautifully.
Later trips to the mountains yielded more persimmons. The firm ones were made into cakes, while the ripe ones were shared with Heidan, Li Juan, the team leader, Aunt Ma, and several other familiar villagers.
Maintaining good relationships was important, and Song Wei found that her efforts had softened the villagers’ previous hostility toward her.
The mountains also boasted plenty of jujube trees.
In addition to jujubes, Song Wei even found apple trees and autumn pears.
She remembered hearing about a northeastern delicacy—frozen pears. She’d never tried one but had heard they were delicious.
Eyeing the round pears hanging on the trees, her curiosity was piqued. She made a mental note to ask an aunt or elder how to prepare them when she returned.
The trip proved fruitful. Song Wei’s basket was piled high, and Hei Dan carried a bundle of firewood on his back.
This time, the firewood wasn’t for sale but for their own household use. With winter approaching, everyone was gathering as much firewood as possible.
They returned to the educated youth dormitory with light hearts and heavy loads.
Their joy evaporated the moment they reached the gate.
Waiting for them were several unwelcome visitors, their faces all too familiar. It was clear they were here to stir up trouble for Song Wei and Heidan.
It was the Lin family.
“Heidan!”
The Lin family members’ eyes lit up when they saw the boy.
Heidan shrank back, his small face pale as he clutched Song Wei’s side tightly.
“That’s firewood from the mountains, isn’t it? Hand it over.”
Without waiting for a response, Deng Chunhua reached out to snatch the firewood.
Song Wei swung her stick, striking Deng Chunhua’s hand.
“What are you doing? Robbery in broad daylight?”
Her sharp glare sent shivers down Deng Chunhua’s spine.
“Try touching it again, and I’ll break your hand,” Song Wei said coldly.
Deng Chunhua yelped in pain, clutching her hand. “Song Zhiqing, don’t be unreasonable! Heidan is part of the Lin family. Anything he collects naturally belongs to us. We’re in the right here!”
Song Wei swept her stick in a wide arc. “Back off, all of you. This stick doesn’t have eyes. Whoever it hits, that’s on them.”
She smashed the stick against a nearby rock, the impact splitting the thick branch clean in two.
The sound alone was enough to make the Lin family members jump back in fear, scattering like frightened rabbits.
Deng Chunhua and the others didn’t dare approach but continued shouting indignantly.
Their argument boiled down to one claim: Heidan was still a member of the Lin family. As such, anything he brought back belonged to them—including the firewood he carried now and anything he had gathered previously.
The other educated youth stood watching, stunned by the Lin family’s audacity. Some were amused, like Xu Laidi, while others were concerned.
Gao Le couldn’t hold back. “Are you people serious? Hei Dan is here to work off the debt for that watch! The firewood he brings back isn’t even worth the cost of the watch’s dial.”
The Lin family knew this, of course, but they were desperate. Their woodshed was nearly empty, and winter was fast approaching.
In the past, Heidan had been the one to gather most of the firewood for the family, only to have it taken from him after being beaten and scolded. Now that Heidan was staying with Song Wei, the Lin family’s firewood supply had halved, leaving them in dire straits.
Instead of working harder themselves, they decided to target Heidan again, leading to the current confrontation.
Seeing the pile of goods Song Wei had brought back, Deng Chunhua and the others were both envious and resentful.
“Look at Heidan,” sneered one of the Lin daughters-in-law. “He’s obviously been eating well. Song Zhiqing, you’re so generous. Surely giving us some firewood isn’t too much to ask?”
Faced with their shamelessness, Song Wei had reached her limit.
She dropped her basket and stepped forward, her voice icy. “You want firewood? Sure, go gather it yourselves! Stop coming here to steal from a child. Don’t think I won’t make good on my threats!”
Her imposing stance and sharp tone made the Lin family falter, their confidence wavering.
Everyone watching could see the tension rising, but Song Wei wasn’t about to back down.
For the Lin family, this might just be another attempt to bully Hei Dan, but for Song Wei, it was a matter of principle. She wasn’t going to let them take advantage anymore.
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