As she descended the mountain, she happened to pass some villagers returning home from work. Seeing her heavy load of firewood, a few villagers widened their eyes in surprise.

“Who’s that carrying so much firewood?”

“Oh my, isn’t that Song Wei?”

Recognizing Song Wei, Aunt Ma, who felt she was already familiar with her, quickly approached.

“Song Wei, how are you managing so much firewood? Aren’t you worried about overexerting yourself after just getting out of the hospital?”

Aunt Ma looked at her slight frame and delicate arms, worrying that the firewood might be too much for her.

Song Wei noticed them too, freeing up a hand to wave in greeting.

“Aunt Ma, I’m alright. Since I had nothing else to do, I thought I’d gather some wood. I heard winters here get very cold, so I want to stock up.”

“Yes, winters here are harsh! We tend to stay indoors the whole season. And that new room you young people were given doesn’t even have a heated kang bed—it’s essential to get it properly set up for winter. Stocking up on firewood is a good idea.”

Yet… she’d gathered quite a lot this time.

“Thank you, Aunt Ma! I really appreciate the help. By the way, is there anyone in the village who can set up a kang? And I’ll need to buy some essentials soon—are there any carpenters around who can make furniture?”

“Of Course there is. My husband can set up a kang for you, though keep in mind, as good as our friendship is, setting up the kang and making the bricks will cost some money.”

She leaned in to speak softly to Song Wei, who nodded understandingly.

“Don’t worry, Aunt. I may not have much, but I’ll pay your husband fairly for the materials and the work.”

“Okey, After lunch, I’ll have him come by to give you a hand. And as for the carpenter, when you’re ready, just let me know, and I’ll take you to him.”

“Great! Thanks, Aunt Ma.”

After they settled the matter, Song Wei continued toward the settlement with the load of firewood on her back, while Aunt Ma called out behind her to take it slow.

When she arrived at the youth station, all the returning youth were taken aback, their eyes wide with surprise. Song Wei’s delicate appearance had always given them the impression of a fragile, sickly young girl, making the sight of her carrying such a heavy load of firewood a jarring contrast.

Li Juan exclaimed, “Song Wei… how did you manage to collect so much firewood?”

Rushing over to help, Li Juan was taken aback by the weight of the load. Not only had Song Wei carried it down from the mountain, but there was even a thick branch in the bundle. Li Juan was thoroughly impressed; she herself could barely lift that much.

“Everyone was at work when I woke up, so I thought I’d keep myself busy and went up the mountain.”

Liu Linlin chimed in sarcastically, “Isn’t she supposed to be sick? Looks healthier than any of us, skipping work and running around. Are you not concerned about betraying everyone’s trust?”

With a snap, Song Wei broke a branch as thick as an arm in half and shot Liu Linlin a steely glance.

“Don’t push me to slap you while I’m still in a good mood.”

Although angry, Liu Linlin, not wanting to provoke a fight, held her tongue under Song Wei’s intense gaze.

Li Juan cut in, “It’s not even harvest season, and the captain allowed Song Wei time off. She can gather firewood without breaking any rules.”

Items from the mountain, although technically collective property, generally followed an unspoken rule—unless it was a large animal like a wild boar that needed to be shared, smaller finds were considered the gatherer’s property. People even turned a blind eye to small game like pheasants and rabbits, and anyone reporting such things would likely face village disapproval.

Song Wei stacked her firewood neatly in front of her room, drawing the others’ attention to the rest of her haul.

The downside of the youth station was that it offered little privacy, so anything brought back from the mountain was on full display.

“Wow, Song Wei! Where’d you find so many wild kiwis? They’re delicious!” said Li Juan, who had grown familiar with the mountain’s resources in her three years there.

With a generous spirit, Song Wei shared a few with Li Juan, though no one else received any.

Song Wei guarded her supplies carefully, though she was happy to share with those close to her. But for others she hardly knew or didn’t get along with, why should she share the fruits of her hard work?

“What’s that underneath?”

Unfortunately, someone without much tact, Xu Laidi, decided to reach into Song Wei’s basket without asking. Known as the most shameless in the youth station, she grabbed several round fruits and, noticing something unusual underneath, pulled it out excitedly.

“Aah!”

It was a large snake! She’d grabbed it by the head, and, terrified, shrieked and threw it to the ground.

Song Wei picked up the snake and hit her with it before reclaiming the fruit she’d taken.

“What’s the deal? Grabbing things in broad daylight?”

Regaining her composure, Xu Laidi eyed the snake, muttering, “Why are you being so stingy? Aren’t we supposed to help each other out as fellow youth? A few wild kiwis are hardly worth being so selfish over. Besides, they’re from the mountain, so they’re not really yours. What’s wrong with me taking some?”

Song Wei smirked, “If the mountain’s bounty is so free for all, why didn’t you go find any yourself? What I bring back, I’ll share as I see fit.”

“A snake that big—did you catch it yourself?” one of the youth asked as a small crowd gathered, eyeing the meat hungrily.

They hadn’t had meat in ages, and the snake offered a decent amount.

“Snake meat from the mountain is communal property, Song Wei. You’re not planning to keep it all to yourself, are you? We youth are one group, so you should share it.”

The youth who spoke was known for his stinginess, yet his eyes were fixed on the snake.

Song Wei replied, “So, by that logic, anything the villagers bring back from the mountain should be shared too? Would you like me to spread the word around tomorrow?”

He quickly quieted down. If word got around, he’d face plenty of scorn from the villagers. No one really shared meat in such situations—everyone kept whatever they could get. Even if another youth had caught the snake, they’d have kept it for themselves too.

Though the settlement had one iron pot and a communal stove, the youth had long stopped cooking meals together. Coming from different places, with differing tastes and habits, conflicts easily arose. In fact, a fight had broken out the year before over uneven food portions, so they’d switched to cooking separately except during the harvest season.

Song Wei turned to Li Juan, “Do you know how to cook snake meat?”

Li Juan nodded quickly.

“Great, give me a hand.”

Song Wei, though embarrassed, admitted she only knew how to roast or boil, and her attempts typically resulted in tough, unappetizing meat. In her past life, cooking animal meat was mostly just about survival, but now, she wanted to make something delicious.

The others watched as Song Wei and Li Juan walked off with the snake, envy plain in their eyes.

“Song Wei really has changed. She’d have shared the meat with comrade Luo before, but now…”

A soft, timid voice murmured, glancing tenderly at Luo Yecheng.

“Maybe she’s just misunderstanding comrade Luo. They could probably clear things up if they talked.”

Luo Yecheng, who had been frowning because Song Wei’s eyes never fell on him from beginning to end, softened at Bai Yunjiu’s words.

Yes, she must still be angry with him. But that was alright; he’d just need to sweet-talk her. Song Wei had been mad at him before, but his charm had always won her over. Confident in his appeal, Luo Yecheng decided to bide his time and wait until Song Wei and Li Juan were done cooking the snake. Then he’d go talk to her.