When Jiang Xiaoxiao wrote home, she mentioned this matter, and Aunt Guan was extremely grateful.

I heard a while ago that the children of factory workers were being bullied in the countryside, and it was even a boy! The letter described how terrible it was. Some of them couldn't earn enough work points to get food and had to rely on their families for subsidies.

Jiang Xiaoxiao doesn't have to work in the fields most of the time, yet she still earns a good amount of work points. I heard she also does some knitting work on the side to earn some extra pocket money.

She knows her own daughter best. If it weren't for Song Yan, would she have become a teacher?

When people ask, "Do you send money and stamps to your child?" she always gives a vague answer. "My daughter can give me money to spend," she says, feeling very proud.

Aunt Guan had also heard that some girls in the village had been bullied and gotten pregnant. But she didn't need to worry about that. Song Yan was so capable now, and she'd married a local. Aunt Guan had complete peace of mind with Jiang Xiaoxiao by her side.

So Aunt Guan visited Song Ma's house very frequently. She and Tang Baojuan did all the laborious work, like steaming buns and making flatbreads. In this weather, making more wouldn't hurt. Song Ma only needed to cook some vegetables.

There was no need for Song Ma to do the New Year's cleaning. Feeling bad about it, Song Ma kept nagging Song Yan in her letter…

Dinner consisted of a stewed fish and stir-fried cabbage slices. We also had steamed buns made with wheat flour and cornmeal, along with flatbread. Served with chili sauce made by Song Yan, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Wei Ping said that chicken stew with mushrooms is also delicious. I'll make chicken stew with mushrooms for my second uncle tomorrow.

No one in the family objected; it seemed like the food was all very ordinary.

The mother then instructed Jiang Xiaoxiao to remember to bring the pheasant into the house early the next morning.

Wei Aiguo asked where the pheasants came from. His mother said Song Yan caught them; several were frozen in the snow, along with a frozen rabbit. A few days ago, he even caught a roe deer, which was also frozen in the snow.

The large vat in the yard contains frozen fish.

"Mother, didn't you forbid hunting?" Wei Aiguo asked, confused.

“Of course! But Xiaoyan didn’t go into the mountains, she just wandered around the edge and we ran into her. I definitely wouldn’t let her go into the mountains,” said Aunt Wei.

Everything near the village would have been caught by now. You think you can catch pheasants, rabbits, and roe deer without going into the mountains? You're lying!

Besides, pheasants and rabbits are so easy to catch!

Xiao Hu still has to go to school every day these days. He usually has a basket tied to his bicycle, which is filled with food, but nobody notices it.

Song Yan planned to have Xiao Hu bring grain to the commune every day.

Even as he lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) at night, Wei Aiguo kept thinking that this family had everything they needed.

And it's a hundred times better than the life he had at home.

It's as if they don't need him at all.

Wei Aiguo reached his hand into Song Yan's bed.

Song Yan: "I'm going to sleep."

Wei Aiguo ignored Song Yan's words and hugged her in his arms.

Song Yan was furious. "Do you think I can't kick you out?"

"I'll just hug her for a little while. Really, just for a little while. My wife is in so much pain, I can't bear to let her go." Wei Aiguo was speaking from the heart.

"If you're going to believe a man's words, you might as well believe in ghosts," Song Yan said.

That was another man, not me.

"Xiao Yan, you're so capable!" Wei Aiguo exclaimed sincerely.

"I think so too." Song Yan didn't need to be modest. Besides, now that you're back, I have to be a little more discreet. You're more shrewd than others, so I have to be extra careful when taking things out of the space. The chickens and ducks in the space lay several eggs a day, and we've accumulated quite a few. Every time we come back from the county town, we take some out, saying we bought them on the black market. Nobody in the family goes to the black market, so how would anyone know?

Wei Aiguo is back, so I really need to sell some eggs on the black market. Otherwise, I'll be exposed sooner or later.

It's been a long time since I've dealt with Boss Qin. Maybe next time, when I'll ship some goods.

Wei Aiguo only hugged his wife for a short while before obediently retreating to his own bed. If he continued hugging her, he would be the one feeling uncomfortable.

…

Wei Aiguo is back. Everyone was busy distributing grain yesterday and didn't have time. Today, those who are close to him came to see him.

Chen Xiaodong and the others asked him to go out for a stroll when he had nothing to do. To put it bluntly, they wanted to try their luck and see if they could get something.

His mother disliked hunting by herself, so Wei Aiguo politely declined.

Aunt Wei felt uneasy. Her son had come back injured, and he must be upset. "If you want to go out and have some fun, go ahead. Just don't go too deep."

Wei Aiguo didn't feel uncomfortable at all. He just agreed without thinking so his mother wouldn't worry.

Even in this weather, Song Yan still goes for a morning run. This morning, Wei Aiguo followed her out.

When Wei Aiguo started running, he clearly felt discomfort in his legs. There was nothing Song Yan could do but wait for him. His original plan to run out of the village and then spend some time in the space was ruined. They waited until someone came to check on Wei Aiguo; they were all in Grandma's room! Song Yan locked the door and took Bai Shuang into the space for a while.

If Bai Shuang didn't enter the space for a long time, it would follow Song Yan around without leaving her side, constantly nudging her with its big head, and when it got angry, it would bite her clothes and wouldn't let go. Song Yan really couldn't do anything about it.

After entering the space and staying inside for a while, the discomfort gradually disappeared.

Especially when strolling around one's own flower field, the fragrance of the flowers is intoxicating. That feeling of comfort is like a cleansing of the soul.

Bai Shuang carried her food bowl in her mouth, looking for her, it was unclear whether she wanted to eat or drink.

Song Yan fetches spring water for it to drink, usually giving it the water from the first spring. Now, the water from the second spring is always slowly changing.

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