Song Yan, along with Chang Xiaohu, Cheng Youfu, and Wei Erzhuang, chiseled a hole in the ice. With Song Yan there, they caught quite a few fish. They froze them and packed them into burlap sacks. They waited until it was completely dark before using a snow sled to haul them back, just to avoid attracting attention.

When Song Yan was away, the Cheng brothers and Wei Erzhuang helped with the hay gathering. So much so that when Song Yan returned, to shut everyone up, he only needed to go out and fetch a little hay as a formality. Everyone had prepared enough hay for the winter well in advance.

After winter sets in, whenever it snows heavily, Wei Erzhuang comes to help clear the snow, especially from the rooftops.

So we took him with us when we went fishing, since he was also needed to do some work.

Song Yan looked at Jiang Xiaoxiao, who seemed to have something to say to him. "Sister, Wei Aiguo is back, so there's one more person eating at home. He eats so much, so he cooks a lot more. You'll have to work harder."

"Huh?" Jiang Xiaoxiao wanted to tell Song Yan that she wanted to go back to the educated youth settlement.

"Thank you for your hard work, sis!" Song Yan said.

Aunt Wei heard this and said, "That's right! It's much harder for him to cook for everyone else."

"No! I've been eating so well at home for the past year. I've never eaten as much meat in my entire life as I have this year. Now that Uncle Wei Ping is back, it would be inconvenient for you if I stayed here." Jiang Xiaoxiao was already very content with her life this past year.

"You've already said you're home. Where else would you go?" Aunt Wei liked Xiaoxiao's diligence and honesty, and besides, there was plenty of food at home. It wasn't easy for the child to be all alone out there. People have feelings, after all, they've been together for so long.

Song Yan: "If you leave, all the housework will fall on me alone. How will I have time to study?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao felt a bit superfluous right now, but after hearing what everyone said, she wavered.

"Mother, do you need a girl?" Song Yan asked.

"I'm short of girls! Xiaoxiao, be my girl!"...

Jiang Xiaoxiao agreed to recognize Aunt Wei as her godmother without really understanding what was going on.