Song Wei and Li Juan continued roasting the pine nuts, filling the air with a rich, nutty aroma. Before long, Gao Le and Zhao Su showed up, grinning with anticipation as they followed the smell to the kitchen.

Seeing them approach, the other educated youth glanced over with interest. But Xu Laidi, as usual, had no hesitation and shamelessly followed right behind Gao Le and Zhao Su.

“Oh, that smells delicious! Song Zhiqing, you found all these pine nuts yourself?” Xu Laidi exclaimed, trying to peek into the pan. “These pine nuts look so big!”

The two tall guys crowded around the stove, making it look almost tiny by comparison.

“Yes, there’s plenty in the mountains. You can go find pine nuts too after work if you want,” Song Wei replied.

Gao Le and Zhao Su immediately perked up. “Sounds fun! We’ll go look tomorrow,” they said, seeing it as more of a scavenger hunt than actual work.

Xu Laidi craned her neck to get a better look, her eyes filled with envy as she practically drooled. “Song Zhiqing, why don’t you share some with me?”

Song Wei glance at Xu Laidi, “I don’t think we’re close enough for that. Weren’t we just arguing a few days ago?”

Xu Laidi’s boldness had reached new levels lately. She was acting as if they were best friends, even though they’d just had a shouting match a few days back.

“Don’t be so stingy! We’re all educated youth here; sharing wouldn’t hurt, right? It’s just something you picked up in the mountains—it’s not worth that much,” Xu Laidi complained.

Li Juan scoffed, “Funny, I don’t see you sharing anything with us. You’re always out to take advantage of everyone else. Of all the people here, you’re definitely the stingiest.”

Since Li Juan and Xu Laidi had openly clashed last time, Li Juan no longer held back, and she wasn’t afraid to shut down Xu Laidi’s requests.

Xu Laidi glared at Li Juan. “I wasn’t even talking to you! The pine nuts are Song Zhiqing’s; I was asking her. What’s your problem?”

Song Wei calmly continued stirring the pine nuts. “Sorry, I’m not interested in sharing.”

Irritated, Xu Laidi muttered, “Can’t even spare a few pine nuts. No wonder Luo Zhiqing doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

Song Wei’s tone turned icy. “Get out. One more word and I’ll slap you.”

Xu Laidi was still afraid of Song Wei; though Song Wei looked soft, she’d proven she wasn’t afraid to fight, and she was shockingly strong. Even some of the guys didn’t dare mess with her. Muttering to herself, Xu Laidi turned and left, grumbling under her breath.

Li Juan rolled her eyes as she watched her leave. “Always thinking of ways to mooch off others. Her skin must be made of stone.”

Gao Le came over with a flattering smile: “Sister, I won’t take advantage of you, can I buy some pine nuts?”

The smell was even better than the sunflower seeds he’d been snacking on.

Song Wei didn’t have a huge amount of pine nuts, so she offered, “I can sell you a pound, but I need the rest to send to my brother.”

“You’re sending it home?” Gao Le’s eyes widened. That gave him an idea—maybe he should send something home too. His parents might feel sorry for him and send him more money and ration tickets—or even some smoked meat.

He turned to Zhao Su, whispering excitedly, and the two decided to try their luck at gathering nuts in the mountains the next day.

With the pine nuts finished, Song Wei remembered Heidan was still outside washing up, so she set down the spatula and went to check on him in the backyard.

“Heidan, are you done washing up?”

Heidan came out in the clean clothes Song Wei had given him, which were her old ones and so long that they looked like a dress on him.

“I’m done!” he chirped, beaming with pride. Not only had he washed up, but he’d also poured out the bathwater and tidied up the backyard.

“You’re really a responsible kid,” Song Wei praised him. He didn’t have shoes that fit, so he’d still have to go barefoot for now, though she’d have him wash his feet again before bed. “Come help me pick out the mushrooms with the thickest stems for the sauce.”

“Okay!” Heidan agreed enthusiastically, shadowing Song Wei like a loyal puppy. He squatted beside her, carefully sorting the mushrooms. Every now and then, he couldn’t help but stand up to sneak a look at the rabbits in the basket. Seeing them curled up together asleep made him grin from ear to ear.

Once the pine nuts were done, Song Wei, Li Juan, and Heidan worked late into the night, staying up until nearly eleven to cook all the mushrooms into a savory mushroom sauce. Song Wei had borrowed three large glass jars from Li Juan to store it, but with no more jars left, they had to put the rest in large bowls for now.

The delicious aroma of the sauce wafted through the building, making it hard for some of the other educated youth to sleep.

One of them, Liu Linlin, finally sat up in bed and yelled toward the back courtyard, “Can you guys keep it down? Some of us have work tomorrow!”

Xu Laidi, her mouth watering at the smell, scowled toward the back. “What gluttons! They’ll regret it when they can’t support themselves,” she muttered, though in truth, she was simply annoyed she hadn’t been able to score any free food for herself.

If it were just Li Juan making the mushroom sauce, she would have tried to get a taste. But with Song Wei involved, she knew better than to try.

Song Wei and Li Juan ignored the complaints. Li Juan even offered them each a coarse grain bun, and the three of them happily dipped the bread into the mushroom sauce, thoroughly enjoying the late-night snack.

Heidan’s thin cheeks puffed out as he ate, his face lighting up with pure joy.

“Finally, time for some sleep,” Song Wei yawned, stretching as she waved goodbye to Li Juan and took Heidan inside to wash his feet before they climbed into bed.

It was Heidan’s first time sleeping in such a big, clean bed. The sheets were soft and smelled fresh, making him nervous to even move his hands or feet for fear of getting anything dirty.

“Sister Song, maybe I should sleep where I slept yesterday,” he mumbled, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

But Song Wei nudged him onto the bed and tucked him in. “Just sleep. I’ve already taken that old bed apart.”

Heidan huddled on the bed, awed by how comfortable it was. “It’s much better than my little bed made of hay,” he whispered, barely audible. The space was tiny, and he slept on straw, with only a thin, scratchy blanket that barely kept him warm in winter.

“Thank you, Sister Song. You’re the best…” he mumbled, drifting off to sleep.

Watching him sleep, Song Wei gently tucked the blanket around him and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep herself.

The next morning, Song Wei went to request leave from the team leader, citing a hospital visit as the reason. In fact, since she came here, she only felt uncomfortable on the first day, but she felt refreshed after a good night sleep.

The original Song Wei had always looked sickly, partly because of her naturally delicate features but also because of the stress and hardships she’d endured back home.

But after the core was replaced by Song Wei, her special ability also came along. The fresh air and greenery of the mountains had done wonders for her mood and energy, and any so-called “illness” had quickly disappeared.