Landslide

“How do you know about this?” 

Meng Yuanzheng sat up, his voice trembling slightly, a mix of surprise and excitement flashing across his face. 

His sudden movement caused the bed to creak under him. 

Lin Miaoyin quickly sat up as well, facing him. His strange expression made her uneasy. 

What’s going on with him? He’s crying and laughing at the same time. 

“What’s wrong with you?” 

She waved her hand in front of his eyes, but he didn’t react. Instead, he covered his face with one hand, letting out a deep sigh of relief before falling back onto the bed. 

Lying there, he continued to cry and laugh, his mouth slightly open as his throat moved with each breath. 

This isn’t good… He’s completely lost it. 

Panicked, she crawled over to his side and knelt beside him. Shaking his shoulders, she urged, “Say something! Don’t just lie there and scare me like this!” 

Meng Yuanzheng reached out, gently moving her arm away and placing it back on the quilt, as if silently telling her not to touch him. 

“I’m fine. Just go to sleep.” His voice was steadier now, and he pulled the quilt over himself, covering his head. 

Lin Miaoyin “…” 

She really wanted to punch him through the quilt, but she held herself back. With a stomach full of questions, she settled back down, trying to calm herself. 

Outside, the wind and rain picked up, making the room feel a little colder. Lin Miaoyin wrapped herself tighter in the quilt and lightly nudged him with her foot. There was no response; he had probably fallen asleep. 

She had planned to talk to him about the college entrance exams, but now? What kind of situation was this? 

The next morning, it was still drizzling. The room remained dim, and Lin Miaoyin had no energy to get up or make breakfast. 

She called out to Meng Yuanzheng a few more times. From the other side of the bed came a sleepy, nasal “Mmm?” 

That unexpected cuteness softened her heart just a little. She sat up, crawled over to him, and poked him through the quilt. “Are you awake?” 

“Mmm~ I’m awake.” 

“Then tell me, what was going on with you last night?” She deliberately softened her voice. 

Meng Yuanzheng turned to face her, his eyes brighter than before. He lowered his gaze slightly and smiled. 

Lin Miaoyin was completely confused. Something was definitely wrong with him. 

“Are you feeling unwell? Get up, let’s go to the clinic.” 

She placed the back of her hand against his forehead, but he didn’t feel feverish. 

“Tell me about the restoration of the college entrance exams.” His voice was a little hoarse from just waking up. He sat up, stretched his arm, and grabbed his coat from the chair, draping it over her shoulders before leaning back against the bed. 

Lin Miaoyin pulled up the sleeve and took a sniff. Other than the faint scent of soap, there was nothing unusual. 

“You need to tell me first—do you believe I can predict the future?” 

“I do,” he said without hesitation. 

Lin Miaoyin grinned. “I had a dream. In my dream—” She leaned in closer, lowering her voice, “I saw that next year, the policies will change. Not only will the college entrance exam be restored, but even the production teams will gradually start to change.” 

She was so close that her breath brushed against his neck. After speaking, she sat back up, and Meng Yuanzheng silently touched his neck.  

“Do you want to take the exam?” he asked. 

In her past life, she had only graduated from a technical college. So many years had passed since then, and she had forgotten almost everything. 

Besides, in this era, the college entrance exam acceptance rate was ridiculously low. She had no desire to compete. But Meng Yuanzheng was different. He came from a well-off family, and both his parents were educated intellectuals. Based on how he was described in the original novel, he eventually became an official. If he prepared properly this year, his chances of getting in were quite high. 

She tightened the coat around herself. “I don’t have what it takes for that, but you can take the exam. Your parents are both educated people, after all.” 

“Then can you predict whether I’ll pass?” Meng Yuanzheng asked. 

“Uh… It’s random. It’s not like I can predict everything.” She hesitated before adding, “If I could predict everything, wouldn’t that make me a deity?” 

“That’s true.” Meng Yuanzheng seemed thoughtful. “According to what you said, I should start preparing now.” 

“Exactly. The earlier you start, the better your chances. But…” 

“But what?” 

“But if you get in, you better not leave me behind and run off to the city to find a foreign girl.” 

Cough. Meng Yuanzheng choked on his breath. “What foreign girl? What are you even thinking about?” 

Lin Miaoyin dropped the coat and lay back down, pulling the quilt over herself. “I don’t want to get up. What time is it?” 

Meng Yuanzheng checked—it was past eight in the morning. He didn’t feel like moving either. His shoulders ached slightly from carrying things the day before. 

They stayed curled up in bed until after ten. Finally, Meng Yuanzheng got up, pulled on his coat, and opened the door. The hinges creaked, and outside, fine raindrops dripped from the eaves, forming small puddles on the ground. 

Lin Miaoyin groggily woke up and got out of bed. She glanced over and saw Meng Yuanzheng standing by the window, the cold wind blowing against him. His tall, lean figure gave off a lonely, almost cinematic vibe. 

As she walked closer, he didn’t even seem to notice her. She looked where he was staring and saw a big field ahead. Far away, the mountains were hidden in mist and rain, with the green hills stretching off into the distance. 

She reached out and carefully poked him. 

Meng Yuanzheng snapped back to his senses and his gaze fell on her face. He frowned. “Put your coat on. It’s cold.” 

“Oh.” She obediently went back to put on her coat. “What should we have for lunch?” 

“Noodles?” Meng Yuanzheng said as he glanced up at the spot where the roof had leaked last time. It had already been repaired, and there were no more leaks. 

“Sounds good. I’ll go knead the dough.” She finished dressing and was about to head out when Meng Yuanzheng grabbed her coat. 

With a helpless tone, he said, “You haven’t even washed up yet.” 

Lin Miaoyin “…” 

“I-I’ll knead the dough first and let it rest before washing up. You go ahead.” 

She pulled back her clothes, carefully avoiding the muddy puddles to keep her cloth shoes from getting wet. When she reached the kitchen, she mixed the dough, covered it, and then fetched water to brush her teeth and wash her face. 

Meng Yuanzheng had already finished washing up and was quietly sharpening a knife. 

Sitting on a small wooden stool, he set up the sharpening stone, wet the kitchen knife, and began to sharpen it, doing it skillfully. 

By the time the dull blade had regained its metallic shine, Lin Miaoyin had already finished making the noodles. 

After their meal, around one in the afternoon, the rain had stopped, and even a bit of sunlight peeked through. Lin Miaoyin planned to visit the Lin family to pick up some chicks since Cui Fen had mentioned yesterday that their hens had hatched yesterday. 

Meng Yuanzheng, on the other hand, put on his straw hat and raincoat and headed up the mountain to chop some bamboo to make chicken coops. 

Though the villagers were poor, they made full use of every available resource. For example, the bamboo near the foot of the mountain had already been cut down, and even the bamboo shoots buried deep in the ground had been dug up to eat. 

To get bamboo, one had to go deeper into the mountains. Lin Miaoyin wasn’t comfortable letting him go alone, so she planned to ask her older brother, Lin Miaojun, to accompany him. However, when they arrived at the Lin family house, they found out that Lin Miaojun had gone to the county town to buy some nutritional supplements for Cui Fen, who was about to give birth in a few months. 

“I’ll go with you. I’ll catch the chicks tomorrow,” Lin Miaoyin said. 

Their mother also advised, “There was heavy rain last night. The mountain streams must be flooding, so don’t go near Shazi River.” 

The terrain around Shazi River are steep, and the road is hard to travel. 

“Got it. We won’t go too far. We’ll just chop some bamboo,” she said, taking off her straw hat and raincoat, borrowing the Lin family’s axe, and putting on a basket to carry the chicks. She and Meng Yuanzheng headed toward the back mountain. 

Houtouwan Brigade was backed by dense mountains, with peaks stretching endlessly. There were many legends about these mountains, and people living at the foot of the mountain had always held it in reverence. 

Both of them wore rubber boots, which prevented them from slipping, but the mud made their steps feel heavy. 

“If we come back in a few days, we might be able to gather some mushrooms and edible lichen,” Lin Miaoyin said, breathing in the fresh, rain-washed scent of the forest. She felt relaxed and at ease. 

They walked deeper into the mountain, where there was only a narrow trail, and the area was overgrown with wild grass. The bamboo had mostly been cut down, leaving only large trees that couldn’t be chopped. 

Walking along an old moss-covered stone path, they ventured deeper into the mountains. Lin Miaoyin walks carefully to avoid slipping, while Meng Yuanzheng found a sturdy branch to probe the ground ahead, wary of stepping on any soft creatures. 

“Give me your hand.” He stopped and reached out to her. 

Lin Miaoyin gladly took his hand, gripping it tightly, feeling much more secure. 

As they walked, a loud rumbling sound came from a distance. 

The rain from last night had gathered in the mountain streams, forming a small waterfall. 

“Over there, there’s bamboo,” Meng Yuanzheng said. 

They had almost reached the peak. This mountain wasn’t very high, only a few hundred meters. Not far ahead, a cluster of bamboo stood tall. 

Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was the perfect type for weaving bamboo crafts. 

“Take a break. I’ll do the cutting,” Meng Yuanzheng said. 

“Let’s cut four or five stalks. We can make some baskets too. If we don’t take enough, someone else will cut them before we come back, and then we’ll have to wait until next spring for new ones to grow.” 

Meng Yuanzheng took out the axe from the basket, put on gloves, found a stable footing, and selected the right spots to start chopping. 

Meanwhile, Lin Miaoyin wandered around the hill to see if she could find any wild fruits. 

Looking ahead, she could see the fields and village of Houtouwan Brigade. Behind her was the towering mountain range, and below, there was a low valley where people seemed to be busy. 

She looked closely and remembered that this was the newly discovered coal mine. The commune had organized people to mine coal, with a daily quota of ten centimeters, and they even got a meal. 

There were quite a few people down there. As Lin Miaoyin watched the mountain ahead, something suddenly came to mind. She gasped and rushed back to Meng Yuanzheng, who was still chopping bamboo. 

“Quick! Stop chopping! We have to get down to the coal mine!” 

“What’s wrong?” Meng Yuanzheng immediately stopped when he saw her anxious expression. Without hesitation, he put the axe back in the basket, removed his gloves, and followed her down the mountain. 

“I have this ability to predict things. Just now, I suddenly had a feeling that the mountain over there, above the coal mine, will have a landslide and block the mine’s entrance. We need to hurry and save them,” Lin Miaoyin explained as they rushed down. 

“What time is it now?” Lin Miaoyin asked. 

Meng Yuanzheng glanced at his wrist. “Two-thirty.” 

There was less than an hour left before it happened. 

“Slow down, watch your step.” Meng Yuanzheng grabbed her hand. 

Lin Miaoyin’s mind was racing, trying to recall the plot of the original novel. 

In the original work, the male protagonist, Jin Chengren, worked in this coal mine alongside many teammates and fellow workers. It had rained today, so they normally wouldn’t have had to work, but since a quota had been set from above, the mine’s management saw that the rain had stopped and the sun was out, so they ordered work to continue. 

There were no professional technicians guiding the work, and they didn’t survey the terrain or the rock layers. They just followed traditional methods of digging the mine tunnel. What they didn’t know was that after the heavy rain, the soil had become loose and heavier. 

In the past, there had been no issues when it rained, but as the mining progressed deeper, the mountain’s structure was gradually damaged, which eventually led to the landslide and collapse. 

In the original novel, a few people died in this accident. The male protagonist broke his leg while trying to save others, and the rest were buried in the cave. The person in charge, realizing something had gone wrong, had already run off to save himself. 

In the end, the male protagonist dragged his nearly crippled leg down the mountain to find Secretary Li, which led to the rescue operation. However, the casualties were still severe. 

This event served as a major turning point in the romance between the male and female protagonist. 

The injured male protagonist was later recognized and rewarded, but his leg might have long-term complications. More importantly, he fell into a deep depression. His family even scolded him, saying he had been foolish. He had a chance to escape but insisted on playing the hero. “Look, did anyone you saved even come to thank you?” 

Look at this small amount of consolation money. It’s not even enough to treat your leg! 

It was the female protagonist who became a light in his dark world. She encouraged him to recover, taught him how to properly rehabilitate, gave him massages, and even went to the commune to demand public funding for his treatment. She threatened to write a report if they refused. 

She fought for his chance to receive treatment at a major hospital and reignited his determination. In the end, his leg fully recovered. 

During this time, the male protagonist fell deeply in love with this bright and warm-hearted woman. 

Although this was the original plot, Lin Miaoyin couldn’t just stand by and let it happen. She had to prevent the accident. Now that she was in this world, the people who would die weren’t just characters in a story—they were real, living human beings. 

Fortunately, Meng Yuanzheng believed her unconditionally and followed her without hesitation. This filled her heart with warmth. 

It took them half an hour to reach the coal mine. The sun was shining brightly, and inside the tunnel, work was in full swing. 

The person in charge of the mine was a relative of an official and believed he had power. He stood outside in the sun, overseeing the workers without making any effort to help. 

When he saw an unfamiliar young man and woman approaching, he frowned impatiently. “We’re not hiring anymore. Go back.” 

Seriously, it was always the same. People kept coming to ask for work even though they were already full. Didn’t the team leader or the secretary know how to manage things? 

“Comrade, we’re here for an important reason. Just now, we were on that mountain and saw signs of a landslide forming above this one. Please, call the workers out immediately to prevent a disaster,” Lin Miaoyin said, pointing at the two mountains. 

The person in charge looked at them—a clueless young man and a little girl. What did they know about landslides? He glanced up at the mountain. It appeared perfectly fine. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. 

It was broad daylight, and they were saying all these ominous things. 

“What nonsense are you two brats spouting? Get lost!” 

“How can you speak like that?” Meng Yuanzheng said coldly. 

“That’s how I talk. Didn’t you hear me? Get lost!” the person in charge sneered. 

“We’re telling the truth! A landslide is about to happen, and the mine will collapse. If you don’t evacuate them now, can you bear the consequences?” Lin Miaoyin demanded angrily. 

The time was running out, and she could feel the rocks and soil loosening above. She was panicking. How could this idiot still be wasting time? 

“Oh, you little brat! Keep pushing me, and I’ll slap you!” The person in charge was enraged. 

Just then, a female voice called out from behind them. 

“Miaoyin? Brother Meng? What are you two doing here?”