Having not slept well on the train, Lin Xiaoru and Huang Jingli, after eating steamed buns and taking a shower, fell fast asleep, emitting soft snores.

He Tiantian was in good spirits. She packed her things, locked the door, turned off the lights, and drew back the curtains to let the breeze in. There was no fan inside, so she could only rely on the natural wind from outside to cool things down.

Listening to the breathing of the others, He Tiantian closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. However, she had a dream in which she dreamt of the little silver snake that had left her bewildered and confused during the day.

The little silver snake, its tail coiled on the ground, poked its head out and warned, "Don't scratch me again! Don't scratch me! Don't scratch me! I'll say it three times: Don't scratch me!"

He Tiantian scratched her head, wanting to remind the little silver snake that it had actually said it four times.

What? The little silver snake can actually talk?

He Tiantian was stunned, even more surprised than when the little silver snake had been wrapped around her ankle during the day.

"This little white snake is really a spirit," He Tiantian said with absolute certainty. Ignoring why the little white snake wouldn't let her scratch it, she quickly nodded and said, "I won't scratch it anymore, I won't scratch it anymore, I'll never scratch it again."

"Hmm!" The little silver snake proudly raised its head. This human was timid and easy to manipulate. He was disobedient, but a little scare would make him behave.

Seeing that the little silver snake was intelligent, He Tiantian mustered her courage and asked, "Snake spirit, no, snake king, you bit me, I... I'm going to die?"

Despite her fear, He Tiantian was more concerned about her own life or death.

Upon hearing this, the little silver snake was so angry that it jumped up and down with a "whoosh." Yes, it "stood up," with only the tip of its tail on the ground. It flicked out its red forked tongue and said, "It's your honor to let me bite you. You'll benefit from it later."

What is that?

Being bitten by a snake is actually a good thing?

He Tiantian didn't believe it and was about to refute it.

The little silver snake, with its sinister little eyes, said, "If you say another word, I'll bite you to death!"

He Tiantian had always been timid, and when threatened by the little white snake, she immediately cowered and hurriedly said, "Okay, okay, I won't do it again, I won't do it again, I'll never say it again."

The little silver snake looked at the timid He Tiantian with an arrogant expression, nodded its flat head, and said with a "you know what's good for you" look, "Don't disturb my sleep, or else..."

"No, no, you should sleep well!" He Tiantian quickly assured her, as she was most afraid of these sticky, soft, limp creatures.

In no time, the small silver snake coiled around her ankle, visibly merging with her skin, leaving only a ring of silvery-white stripes.

He Tiantian was shocked, but she wasn't as scared as she had been at the beginning. The little silver snake didn't seem to want to kill her. As for why the little silver snake was on her ankle and why it could talk, He Tiantian was puzzled. She would definitely ask the little silver snake if she had the chance in the future.

The next morning, the sun shone into the room through the old curtains.

He Tiantian felt completely comfortable, her fatigue dissipated. When she got dressed and got out of bed, she saw her ankles and thought of the talking little silver snake in her dream, and couldn't help but smile.

Strange things happen every year, but this year there seem to be more than usual.

He Tiantian took a basin to wash up, and when she returned, Huang Jingli and Lin Xiaoru were just starting to wash up. They took turns washing up, which allowed them to keep an eye on the things in the room.

Secretary Qi bought steamed buns, one for each person, and drank a bowl of porridge before leading everyone back together.

It's cooler to travel in the morning, there are fewer people on the road, and you can travel faster.

The journey involved traversing mountains and valleys, with an uneven road surface, but the trees on both sides of the road were lush and green.

But as noon approached, they passed a stone path with no trees on either side, and the blazing sun overhead made He Tiantian squint.

"We'll be there in half an hour," Secretary Qi said. "You city folks are so delicate. On a day like this, we country folk still have to work in the fields!"

Huang Jingli, Lin Xiaoru, and Li Mingkai disliked Secretary Qi's words and turned their heads away, ignoring him.

He Tiantian covered her forehead with her hand, squinting as she said, "Farmers toil under the midday sun, their sweat dripping onto the soil. Who knows the hardship behind every grain of rice on the plate? Without the farmers' hard work, city dwellers wouldn't have enough to eat..."

"Haha." Secretary Qi chuckled. "The little girl is right. Er Gou, stop under the tree up ahead. There's a lotus pond over there. I know the people there. I'll pick some lotus leaves to shade you from the sun."

"Thank you, Secretary Qi," He Tiantian said with a smile. There would be many times in the future when she would need Secretary Qi's help, and now was the perfect opportunity to make a good impression and build a good relationship.

Qi Dazhu liked this sweet girl very much; she was much better than the other three in her speech and actions.

We came to a lotus pond.

Qi Dazhu said a few words to the people, picked six large lotus leaves, gave one to each person, and put them on their heads. Sure enough, it wasn't so sunny anymore.

"Thank you, Secretary Qi," Huang Jingli said with a smile. "The sun is so strong, I'm feeling dizzy from the heat."

“That’s right. If it weren’t for Secretary Qi, we would still be in the sun,” Lin Xiaoru said. She had figured it out: Secretary Qi was only responsive to gentle persuasion. He reciprocated He Tiantian’s kindness. In short, the three of them were benefiting from He Tiantian’s kindness.

As for Li Mingkai, he's not stupid. He knows that if he can maintain good relations with the village officials, his life will be easier in the future, but he just can't let go of his pride.

Secretary Qi was not a stingy person. He smiled and said, "From now on, we'll all be working together in the same village, so don't be shy."

When He Tiantian saw Huang Jingli, Lin Xiaoru and Secretary Qi talking to each other, she didn't interrupt but listened quietly.

Finally, around 1 p.m., we passed through Hujia Village and arrived at Qijia Village.

In this remote village, most of the land is mountainous with very little arable land, most of which is terraced. The labor is arduous, and the grain yield is low. In the low wooden houses, naked children, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, jump one after another into a large puddle downstream to bathe, competing to see who can swim the fastest using the most primitive doggy paddle.

"You brats, watch yourselves, don't go into the deep water. If I see any of you going into the deep water, I'll spank your bottoms!" Secretary Qi shouted, but he was all smiles and didn't really mean to hit the children; he was just reminding them to be careful.

Rural people don't know how to speak tactfully, so they mostly express their concern for others through playful banter and scolding.

"Got it!" A group of kids addicted to walking their birds answered louder and louder than the last.

"A bunch of brats," Secretary Qi said with a laugh, "I'm sorry you had to see this."

“They’re all kids. It’s hot in the summer, a bath will cool them down,” Huang Jingli said. “Isn’t Qijia Village just ahead?”

"Yes, it's just around that bend," Secretary Qi said. Although their village was poor, the people were kind and they always managed to complete the commune's tasks every year.