Wang Baozhu hung her head, her mind wandering as she followed Liu Juhua back home.  

Inside, Lin Mei was lying on the bed.  

Wang Congbing had just applied medicated wine to her back, filling the room with the strong scent of alcohol. Her waist was bruised a deep purple, and the injury looked quite serious.  

“Mom,” Wang Baozhu called softly.  

Lin Mei motioned for her to come closer, smiling weakly. “It was my own carelessness, not your fault.”  

Wang Congbing lifted Baozhu onto the edge of the bed. “Stay with your mom. I’ll go help in the kitchen. Don’t run around—it’s cold outside.”  

Lin Mei looked at him anxiously. “What about my parents?”  

“Mom told me and my brother to take two pounds of cornmeal over after dinner. If they ask too many questions, I might not be back until evening,” Wang Congbing replied before leaving.  

Lin Mei leaned back against the bed, exhaling in relief.  

“Mom,” Baozhu scooted closer, “Grandma said we’re having chicken soup tonight.”  

Lin Mei tapped her forehead lightly, nearly laughing despite the pain. “Alright, chicken soup it is. Whatever you want.”  

In the kitchen, Liu Juhua took out the flashlight, showed her sons how to use it, and then urged them to boil water quickly so they could fill hot water bottles for everyone.  

“Now we won’t have to worry about coming back in the dark,” she said.  

Wang Congbing couldn’t hide his delight—the ginseng they had dug up was truly useful.  

Wang Baoguo was also happily examining it, thinking how his in-laws would be impressed. This was a rare treasure, after all.  

….

After delivering the message to everyone, Wang Zhaodi had also brought back a pound of cornmeal from the shop.  

On her way home, she clutched the cornmeal tightly, afraid it would be snatched away. If she resisted, she might get beaten.  

“If only Dad could take a fall…” she thought bitterly.  

As soon as she stepped inside, she heard her mother hurling curses at the air, her voice so shrill and venomous that it made one hesitate before entering.  

“Where the hell have you been?” Liu Guihua snarled.  

“I… I was helping the boss with work in exchange for some cornmeal, so Mom and little brother could have something nourishing,” Wang Zhaodi replied meekly, her eyes downcast as she placed the cornmeal on the table, obedient as always.  

Liu Guihua’s temper eased slightly, but the thought of her husband groaning in bed, unable to move, reignited her fury.  

“Some damn bastard left a rock right in the middle of the road! The village head called a meeting, and your dad slipped on his way there. Now his back’s so hurt he can’t even move! I swear… This is all the village head’s fault! If he hadn’t called that meeting, your dad wouldn’t have fallen!”  

“You—go demand compensation from the village head! If you don’t get the money, don’t bother coming back! Kneel outside his house if you have to! I refuse to believe he’d be shameless enough to ignore you!”  

Resentment surged in Wang Zhaodi’s chest, but she choked back her tears and whispered timidly, “The village head has connections in town…”  

Liu Guihua’s eyes narrowed, her anger deflating slightly.  

Seizing the moment, Zhaodi spoke up, “Mom, Boss Su is buying snow—for money! That’s what the village head was announcing. Since you’re pregnant with little brother and Dad needs to rest, why don’t I get up early tomorrow to collect snow? I’ll come back late, but I won’t be able to make lunch or dinner.”  

“Buying snow? Who’d want that? Is Boss Su out of her mind?” Liu Guihua scoffed in disbelief.  

Zhaodi raised her voice, “The village head said it’s true! They’re even buying from outsiders! I thought I could take advantage of the heavy snow to earn more and buy you some supplements. Boss Su even sells powdered milk!”  

Liu Guihua gave a noncommittal hum. “At least you’ve got some conscience left, remembering I gave you life.”  

Only then did Zhaodi dare to step forward and help her mother sit down. “Mom, is Dad hurt badly? You know how the village head is… What if he sends someone to check on us…?”  

Liu Guihua waved her off impatiently. “It’s nothing serious, but your dad needs rest. You go collect the snow.”  

“I’ll do my best!”  

With her mother’s permission secured, Zhaodi took the cornmeal to the kitchen to start cooking.  

Her opportunity to accumulate capital had finally arrived!

The educated youths returning from the meeting were overjoyed—they hadn’t expected a money-making opportunity to come so soon. No more sitting idle and eating through their savings!  

Feng Qi trudged along in silence, regretting his earlier humiliation in front of the boss. If only he’d known how wealthy the boss was, he wouldn’t have made such a fool of himself. At least that big guy wasn’t in the shop today—otherwise, he’d have been too ashamed to even earn this money.  

Li Juan found Xia Qing, a fellow female educated youth in her dorm, and the two decided to collect snow together and split the earnings.  

“Xiao Juan,” Chen Li called out.  

Li Juan turned around. “Call me Comrade Li. We must never forget the purpose of our coming to the countryside—we’re here to build a new socialist rural community.”  

Chen Li stiffened, his expression darkening. “Comrade Li, you see, I warned you before about your reckless spending. Now look at you—having to collect snow to make money. You should listen to the wisdom of someone more experienced.”  

Li Juan turned away sharply. “No thanks! Who does he think he is, lecturing me?”  

She and Xia Qing quickened their pace. Xia Qing whispered, “Does Chen Li have a thing for you or something?”  

Li Juan shuddered. “He’s terrifying. If his way of showing interest is by eyeing my money, then no thanks.”  

Xia Qing nodded knowingly. “I always suspected there was something off about him. Remember that time it was our turn to cook? He made a big show of being busy and got all the praise, but I was the one who cooked the rice, stir-fried the vegetables, and even supplied the oil. Yet everyone ended up complimenting him.”  

Li Juan’s eyes widened. “That time, he said, ‘Comrade Xia just arrived in the countryside and is still a bit clumsy. Don’t be upset with her—be kind.’”  

Xia Qing gritted her teeth. “After that, he ‘helped’ a few more times. I thought he was interested in me, but turns out he was just casting a wide net! Some ‘honest, hardworking man’—what a joke.”  

Disgusted, the two hurried back to the educated youth dorm.  

Chen Li’s face darkened as he struck up a conversation with another like-minded comrade, complaining about how these female educated youths were just too immature.  

Zhang Miaomiao and Xie Linfeng walked at the back.  

Zhang Xiu glanced at them several times before finally storming ahead, her eyes red with anger.  

Xie Linfeng lowered his voice. “That boss… she doesn’t seem like an ordinary person.”  

Zhang Miaomiao shrugged. “Why does it matter? All I know is that because of her, many people will survive this winter. And now she’s even giving the poor a way to earn money.”  

Xie Linfeng frowned slightly. “I just feel uneasy. Her arrival is too sudden, and she’s a female boss.”  

“What’s wrong with a female boss?” Zhang Miaomiao stopped walking.  

Xie Linfeng shook his head with a dry laugh. “You don’t understand. In these times, what woman dares to flaunt herself in business? Even you handed your business over to me—you’re much smarter than her.”  

Zhang Miaomiao was momentarily stunned.  

Like so many other men, Xie Linfeng respected her and helped with the business, but he also made decisions unilaterally. Even when she objected, he overruled her.  

He seemed to have her best interests at heart and did a lot for her, but when it came to words and actions, he never yielded an inch.  

“Boss Su is stronger than us. We only dare to do small, secretive business, but she can openly run a shop—some men don’t even have that courage,” Zhang Miaomiao said lightly, walking ahead.  

Xie Linfeng shook his head again. “You’re still too naive. But well… it’s not really our concern anyway…”  

Zhang Miaomiao brushed past the topic, unwilling to discuss it further.