Early morning.

The moment Xu Xinghe opened her eyes, the first thing she thought of was the snow from last night.

She immediately threw off the covers, threw on a coat, slipped on her slippers, and ran to the door.

"Squeak—"

The door seemed to be frozen solid; there was a noticeable resistance when you tried to push it open.

The moment the door was opened, a blast of cold air hit me. Upon contact with the warmth inside the room, it instantly turned white.

Xu Xinghe couldn't help but shiver; it was so cold!

She had never felt such cold before in her entire life.

Dry, biting, and frigid, it was nothing like the humid south.

She hugged her arms tightly and looked outside.

The entire courtyard was covered with a thin layer of white snow; the roof tiles, the firewood in the corner, and even the bricks in the corner were all white.

"Wow—!" Xu Xinghe exclaimed excitedly, rushing out the door. Her slippers crunched on the snow, feeling like walking on sand, but even lighter, as if she were stepping on a beach filled with air.

Xu Xinghe couldn't resist jogging around in the snow, leaving footprints everywhere.

She crouched down and scooped up a handful of snow with both hands.

It's so cool!

She clenched her fingers, but couldn't bear to let go.

Xu Xinghe leaned closer to examine it carefully.

She discovered that the snowflakes were not the pure white she had imagined, nor were they like cotton wool. Instead, they were composed of countless ice crystals with delicate patterns and sharp edges, making them exquisitely beautiful.

This time, she could finally see the snowflakes clearly and didn't have to worry about them melting.

Xu Xinghe was like a child, finding everything fascinating. In the end, she couldn't stand the cold any longer and reluctantly went back inside.

When she returned to the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed), she noticed that a large patch of beautiful frost had formed on the windows, resembling the patterns of feathers.

She stretched out her finger and gently scraped it, causing a layer of snowflakes to fall.

So this is what winter in Northeast China is like; it's even more beautiful than she imagined.

Once she had warmed up a bit, Xu Xinghe put on her last clothes, hat, and scarf before leaving the house.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the basin next to the well. She couldn't resist touching it, and it shattered.

"You're dressed too lightly."

Jiang Linchuan strode in and wrapped his military overcoat around her, the wide hem almost touching the ground. He wrapped Xu Xinghe up tightly, making her already petite figure appear even more delicate, with only her bright eyes and smooth forehead showing.

"Enter the house first."

Considering that Xu Xinghe's injuries had not yet healed, he practically carried her back into the house, half supporting and half carrying her.

Jiang Linchuan took out a lunchbox from his pocket. It contained golden cornbread, steaming millet porridge, and pickled kimchi. "Eat it while it's hot."

After saying that, he took the initiative to push the porridge over.

Since he realized his own feelings and thoughts, he stopped worrying and showed concern for Xu Xinghe in every way.

Xu Xinghe ate in small bites, feeling a warm sensation spreading from her stomach throughout her body, which was very comforting.

at the same time.

Wang Zhizhi wrapped herself in her thickest cotton-padded coat, hunched her shoulders, and stamped her feet in the yard. The cold wind blew through her clothes, seeping into her bones, making her shiver.

It's so cold in Northeast China!

Yesterday the sun was out, but today it's already frosty and snowy. It came so fast and fiercely, giving her no time to prepare at all.

It's not even truly winter yet, and it's already this cold. I can't even imagine how cold it will get when the coldest days of winter arrive. She'll probably be frozen solid!

Shivering for a while, Wang Zhizhi finally turned her head and walked towards Hongxing Village, braving the cold wind.

The cold weather isn't without its advantages; at least she doesn't have to get up at five in the morning, because it's still dark then...

"Hey, wait a minute."

Wang Zhizhi ignored her completely and continued walking forward.

Now almost no one in the entire compound talks to her; she's probably calling out to someone else.

Seeing this, the soldiers behind her could only hurry up a few steps and impatiently block Wang Zhizhi's way, "I'm calling you, are you deaf?"

"You called me?" Wang Zhizhi looked up, her chin lifted from the scarf, and instantly felt even colder. "What do you need?"

"Of course something's wrong," the soldier said expressionlessly. "You don't need to go to Red Star Village today."

Wang Zhizhi's face lit up with joy. "Really? Does that mean I don't have to do any work because it's cold?"

"What a pipe dream! Today is the day you pack your bags, tomorrow you'll go to Black Wind Village to continue your labor reform."

Wang Zhizhi stood there, stunned, exhaling a large puff of white breath. "Black Wind Village? Are you kidding me? That place is at least dozens of miles away from here!"

That's the village furthest from the military headquarters.

Although it was within their jurisdiction, it was too far away, so a special team of soldiers was stationed there.

The soldier was also cold and didn't want to say much. "This is an order from your superiors. From now on, you will live in Black Wind Village and work alongside the other sent-down labor prisoners to undergo reform."

Are there other prisoners in labor camps?

Isn't that just a lowly intellectual from a past life?

Although many of them managed to turn their lives around years later, most died; they simply couldn't survive. This was not only because of the harsh conditions, but more importantly, because of the discrimination they faced, often struggling to even meet their basic needs for food and clothing. Not to mention, the Northeast is so cold that it's easy to fall ill and catch a cold.

Wang Zhizhi didn't want to get sick, and she didn't want to share the same identity as those people!

Seeing the soldier about to leave, she hurriedly grabbed his arm, her voice trembling, "What's going on? I haven't done anything wrong lately, and I've been behaving very well. Why am I suddenly being demoted again? This isn't fair!"

The soldier disgustedly shook off her hand and took a half step back. "This is an order. Alright, I've said everything I need to say. You'd better pack your things and we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Wang Zhizhi's feet were so cold she could barely feel them. Suddenly, something occurred to her, and her eyes widened. "Was it Jiang Linchuan? Did he say something? Just because I went to the hospital, is he going to treat me like this?"

She stared intently into the soldier's eyes.

The other person didn't answer, but their eyes clearly conveyed that meaning.

Wang Zhizhi was so angry that she trembled all over.

Is he really going to kill me just for Xu Xinghe?

Sending her to a labor camp in Northeast China as a "stinking intellectual" was clearly a death sentence!

Seeing her ferocious expression, the soldier quickly left.

This woman is really a bit scary, especially her eyes, they look like she wants to eat you alive.

Wang Zhizhi swayed and almost fell to the ground. The biting cold wind made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave. "Since you don't want me to live, then you can all die!"

A festive sound of gongs and drums rang out.

Wang Zhizhi snapped out of her daze and looked towards the door.

It turned out that the village chief of Hongxing Village had brought people with him.

Also present was a duo-turn performance troupe adorned with large red flowers.

"We've come to thank Comrade Xu and Commander Jiang!"

"If it weren't for them, all the crops in the fields would have been ruined!"