Seeing that the educated youth had started eating, Shen Mu Ning thought she could take a shower first. After she finished showering, Grandpa Cao's furniture would be delivered soon, so she could tidy up and get some rest.

"Zhu Zhiqing, I'd like to boil some hot water for a bath. I wonder if I could exchange a bundle of firewood with you first?" Shen Mu Ning couldn't stand the sticky sweat on her body and her oily hair.

She could go into the space to wash, but the difference would be obvious, making it hard to cover up the lie. So she simply boiled some water in the kitchen.

"Okay, you can exchange it for two cents. You can exchange it now if you want. Take a good shower and get some rest. If you still have things to do, hurry up and finish them tomorrow. You'll start work the day after tomorrow. If you're not doing well at work, it will be difficult to ask for leave."

Zhu Yang knew they had been on the train for several days and had walked for a long time today, so they must be feeling unwell. Therefore, he was quite accepting of their decision to exchange money for firewood, and he even managed to earn two cents.

The other three also wanted to switch, but Shen Mu Ning stopped them. Anyway, one bundle of firewood could boil three or four pots of water, enough for the four of them, so why switch?

After tomorrow, they'll go and collect firewood themselves. Shen Mu Ning doesn't care about a penny or two; there's no need to be so stingy.

"Oh, right, our firewood is all stored in the woodshed and pigsty in the back. Everyone can have a space to store their firewood. You have to work hard to collect firewood, otherwise you won't be able to heat the kang (heated brick bed) in winter and people will freeze to death."

Speaking of firewood, Zhu Yang remembered reminding them to collect it, especially the educated youth living alone. Those living in large dormitories had several people to help with the work, but those living alone had to gather firewood on their own.

Shen Mu Ning took this matter to heart. She knew that Lingbei had been saving firewood since the time came to heat the kang (a traditional heated bed). The dry wood she had cut in Haishi was enough to last her for about a month. From now on, unless it was the summer or autumn harvest, she would go to the mountains to find firewood or mountain products. This would allow her to live a fulfilling life and also allow her to stock up on supplies, killing two birds with one stone.

After Shen Mu Ning finished tidying up, Grandpa Cao's family delivered the furniture. The old educated youth all lent a hand to help put it into the house. Shen Mu Ning gave Chu Ming Xu, Ding Xiang, and Zhao Chuan, who came to help her, two candies each, and then went back to her room.

After making the bed and arranging the toiletries, Shen Mu Ning decided not to tidy up anymore. She would go to the commune or county town tomorrow to bring back all the cooking supplies she had bought earlier.

Thinking this, Shen Mu Ning took out a rice ball from her spatial storage and ate it, then sat cross-legged on the kang (heated brick bed) to cultivate her supernatural abilities. She hadn't had a chance to properly cultivate her wood-based abilities since boarding the train, and she couldn't let such abundant wood-based elements go to waste.

Time passed as Shen Mu Ning diligently cultivated. The older educated youth rested outside for a while, washed up, and went to sleep, as they still had to get up early for work.