Chapter 31 – “Then Let Me Dream”

The brigade leader, who had originally let Lin Ting act freely, couldn’t help but come and try to talk her out of it after hearing all the rumors.

“If you want to waste our brigade’s seeds, fine—but why are you wasting Huaihua Brigade’s seeds too?”

“Everyone knows Huaihua’s rice seeds are the best around. They have the biggest and fullest grains and always get the highest yields every year.”

“And you’re only just now starting to prepare for planting rice? There’s no way you’ll make it in time.”

“I know you’ve read up on things like heat-retention techniques, but all that’s just theory.”

“I’ve lived here for decades. I’ve never seen anyone manage to grow anything once it starts getting cold!”

Lin Ting didn’t try to argue. She just calmly said,
“Captain, don’t worry about it. Just give me a chance. I’ll take full responsibility.”

Aside from the captain, her two roommates also tried to dissuade her.

“Lin Ting, don’t take it the wrong way, but we’re not going to be stuck here forever. Once the political climate improves, we’ll go back to the city.”

“There’s really no need for you to work yourself to death. Just go to work every day and earn a few work points—that’s enough.”

“Look at yourself—digging in the fields before dawn and doing calculations at night. All that effort, and what if it ends up being a waste?”

After Zhong Shuhe finished, Lin Ting remained unmoved.

Some people are simply born to go against the wind.
Some people are meant to push forward against resistance.

She knew the road would be hard, but she was determined to keep going.

Yu Mo also chimed in:
“Ting-jie, Shuhe-jie’s right.”

“You work yourself to the bone every day, but those team members don’t even appreciate you.”

“They just laugh behind your back, saying you’re delusional, dreaming the impossible.”

Lin Ting gave a bitter smile and said,
“Then let me dream.”

With that, she lowered her head and continued writing the soil analysis report in her hand.

After finishing that, she still had to organize the climate data…

---

The next morning, Lin Ting got up early as usual.

She peeled a boiled egg she had prepared in her space the night before and popped it into her mouth.

Considering how hard she’d been working lately, she decided to treat herself to two boiled eggs and a cup of malted milk for breakfast.

She had already mixed the malted milk and stored it in a military-style canteen. Drinking it out in the fields wouldn’t attract any attention.

Originally, she wanted to bring some food to her parents as well, but she had recently noticed someone secretly watching them. Out of caution, she decided not to visit for now.

As long as they could see each other from a distance every day, that was enough.

After eating her fill, Lin Ting grabbed her hoe and began turning over the soil, sprinkling lime to adjust the acidity.

She could squat in the field all day recording data, completely forgetting where she was, unaware of hunger or fatigue.

Suddenly, a childish voice called from behind:
“Auntie!”

Startled and pleasantly surprised, Lin Ting turned around to see her two adorable nieces standing there.

In a soft voice, she asked,
“What are you doing here?”

“The people watching us are gone. We sneaked out,” said Lin Xiaoxuan, her voice milky and sweet.

Lin Ting scanned the area cautiously, then quickly pulled a handful of White Rabbit milk candies from her pocket and handed them over.
“Hide these and eat them,” she whispered.

“Don’t let anyone else see.”

She had learned in the countryside that back in the days of communal meals, even going to the toilet at home was risky—some people would report others if their stool looked different, suspecting them of eating better.

That memory reminded her to always be cautious.

Her nieces’ eyes lit up. It had been ages since they last tasted candy.

Lin Xiaojing carefully unwrapped one of the milk candies and, after a brief pause, offered it to Lin Ting.

Her heart ached—how could a three-year-old child be so considerate?

“Auntie doesn’t need it. You eat it.”

She wanted to pat their heads, but her hands were covered in dirt, so she gave up.

She washed her hands in the irrigation ditch and secretly took out two more eggs, peeling them for the girls.

“If you’re sure no one is watching, come visit me secretly, okay?”

“Auntie will try to bring you yummy things.”

Lin Xiaoxuan happily nodded.
“Okay, Auntie.”

Lin Ting smiled, turned away, and pretended to work while using her consciousness to enter her space and brew a fresh thermos of malted milk.

“This is malted milk. Take it and drink.”

Lin Xiaoxuan had eaten too quickly earlier, so she quickly gulped two mouthfuls, finally managing to swallow everything.

“It’s so good!”

She never remembered malted milk tasting this delicious.

Lin Ting said indulgently,
“Then Auntie will make it for you again next time.”

After checking the time, Lin Ting said,
“You should go back now.”

She pulled out a few things from her basket: a can of meat, four boiled eggs, and a handful of peanut candy—her father’s favorite.

“Hide these and give them to the adults when you get back, okay?”

The two girls nodded eagerly.
Lin Xiaojing tucked the can of meat under her shirt and held her little belly protectively, while also stuffing two eggs in her pockets.

Lin Xiaoxuan filled both pockets with peanut candy and hid two eggs under her shirt. She sighed emotionally,
“Auntie, you’re so good to us.”

Lin Ting chuckled,
“You’re my nieces. If I don’t treat you well, who should I treat well?”

“Okay, now hurry back.”

“Mm-hmm. Bye, Auntie!”

“Bye.”

Lin Ting watched them disappear into the old house before turning back. She realized she needed to stock up on more easy-to-carry, tasty food—maybe some beef jerky or pork slices.

—

Meanwhile, in the old house, Mother Lin gently touched the still-warm boiled egg with a confused look.

Little Ting must’ve cooked them in the morning before bringing them here…
But how were they still warm?

Did the children keep them warm under their clothes?

She didn’t think too hard about it and quickly hid the food away, planning to share it once they returned from the fields.

The Lin family was happy with the rare treat of canned meat and eggs. But that evening, an unexpected visitor arrived.

The eldest sister-in-law was so startled she instinctively pulled her daughter close.
“Who are you?!”

Could someone have found out they were eating meat and eggs?

They had been sure no one was watching when they took the food out!

The two children were so frightened that they couldn’t even look at the stranger, hiding behind their mother and grandmother, trembling.

Lin Yan, however, stepped forward and stared the visitor down—
Just as he opened his mouth, his wife called out anxiously:
“Be careful—!”