Once they returned to the dormitory, Song Wei and Heidan, the little boy, prepared something to eat. With her ration nearly gone, all she had left were a few sweet potatoes, so she cooked them up. After having a snack, the two headed for the mountains.

Meanwhile, Gao Le, having taken Song Wei’s advice, rushed off to find his friend Zhao Su. When he arrived, Zhao Su’s face turned green with envy.

“Don’t tell me you finished work early again!” he said in a voice dripping with jealousy.

Gao Le looked pleased. “Exactly! Feeling envious?” he teased, while Zhao Su could only sigh with a look of pure longing.

Today, Zhao Su had been paired with an older man, and both of their faces looked miserable. The man was fed up and tapped his foot in frustration. “Comrade Zhao, can’t you pick up the pace?”

“I-I’m trying my best,” Zhao Su muttered. The man’s intense stare made him even more anxious.

Gao Le, feeling a bit sorry for his friend, pulled Zhao Su aside and explained the plan Song Wei had shared with him. Zhao Su’s eyes lit up instantly, he was so excited that he almost crushed the vegetable seedlings he was holding.

“This idea is great! I’m going to find someone right away,” he said excitedly.

“Where do you think you’re going?” his partner called out with narrowed eyes, clearly thinking Zhao Su was trying to slip away.

“I… I just needed to stand up and stretch for a second,” Zhao Su said sheepishly, realizing he had no way out. In the end, he asked Gao Le to find someone for him.

“Please, man, help me find someone and save me from this misery!” Zhao Su begged.

“Got it!” Gao Le grinned. It wasn’t hard to find a kid willing to help, but he wanted to make sure the person he picked was reliable.

While Gao Le had only been in Ping’an Brigade for a short time, he’d heard plenty of gossip while he was slacking off, so he knew a little bit about each family’s situation. After wandering around, he found the right family to approach—a widow with three young children. Her kids were all underage; the oldest was thirteen, the second was eleven, and the youngest was only eight. Each day, her two eldest helped her in the fields, but with just one adult, the most she could earn in a day was ten work points.

Gao Le saw an opportunity and approached her, explaining his offer. The widow accepted the proposal immediately, knowing it would be a good way for her family to make some extra money.

Soon after, Gao Le showed up with an eleven-year-old boy ready to work. Zhao Su’s older team partner looked puzzled at first but was pleased when Gao Le explained the situation.

Zhao Su would leave after completing three work points, and he could team up with others, he immediately agreed without caring how these two guys found people to help.

He really didn’t want to work with Zhao Su at all, as it made his heart sick.

The young boy, having helped his mother in the fields many times, was quick and precise. Compared to him, Zhao Su and Gao Le looked like total amateurs, but Zhao Su was very happy. He offered the boy his sugar water and even a large steamed bun, encouraging him to keep up the good work.

The young boy worked even harder.

Back on the mountain path, Heidan recruited two friends to help him gather firewood. One was a girl from a family that favored boys, so she often didn’t get enough to eat and had to do heavy work, just like Heidan. The other was a boy living with only his grandfather, who was too old to earn enough points to support them both.

Upon hearing that each bundle of firewood could earn them a dime, both kids’ faces lit up with excitement. Heidan advised them to keep it secret from others.

“It’s better if your family doesn’t find out, Chunya,” he said to the little girl. “If they find out, they’ll just take your money and might even steal this work from us.”

The three kids shared serious looks, nodding in agreement like they were discussing a top-secret mission. Song Wei watched from nearby, amused by their determination.

The girl, Chunya, suggested, “I’ll leave my money with you, Heidan. Then I can get it from you whenever I need it, okay?”

Heidan nodded, and the three headed up the mountain together with their baskets for gathering firewood. They were young but experienced, each knowing exactly what to do.

When they reached the edge of the forest, Heidan ran over to Song Wei, his small, bony hand gently holding onto her coat. “Sister Song, we’re ready to go.”

Song Wei smiled, patting him on the head, and held his hand as they continued on their way toward where they’d collected walnuts the day before. The other two kids waved them off, eager to start gathering firewood.

“Are we bringing all the walnuts today?” Heidan asked, looking up at Song Wei.

“Yep, you can focus on gathering wood,” she said, encouraging him to earn his own money without worry.