When this place was mentioned, Zuo Zhankui and Cheng Baichuan exchanged a smile.

"Come on, come with us for a stroll, and I'll tell you about the back mountain."

Regarding the matter of the back mountain, Zuo Zhankui didn't go into too much detail, only saying that it was a military-controlled area, and ordinary people weren't allowed to get close without a special pass.

Zuo Xiangnan isn't stupid. After all, he was born into that kind of family. Since it's a military-controlled area, there must be military secrets there. To be honest, it's really inappropriate for him to go.

"Oh dear, what a pity. I wanted to see how Jiang Qiao hunts. No, is her body even suited for hunting?"

Zuo Zhankui smiled and said, "You underestimate Jiang Qiao. She managed to evade the enemy's assassination attempt. Do you think she's an ordinary person?"

"Don't worry, I've seen her hunt. Forget her silver needle skills, she can even take down pheasants and rabbits with a pebble. Just imagine how skilled she is! You, kid, you've gone to the countryside, haven't you forgotten everything I taught you?"

Zuo Xiangnan said in a roguish tone, "How could that be? Even if we don't have enough to eat, your grandson hasn't forgotten what you taught him. I exercise every day and practice boxing whenever I have free time. People probably think I'm crazy. If we can't even fill our stomachs, where would we get all that strength?"

But they don't consider that without strength, how can they earn high work points? Grandpa, let me tell you, your grandson is someone who earns ten work points. Now that you're here, you should know what ten work points represent, right?

Speaking of this, Zuo Xiangnan was unusually proud, as this was the only thing he felt he could be proud of.

Cheng Baichuan put his arm around Zuo Xiangnan's shoulder and said, "Good lad, not bad. I didn't expect you to be able to get even ten work points. Sigh, you can't deny getting old. Your grandfather and I are at most half-laborers. Don't think that just because we're good at leading troops and fighting battles, we can't build up this kind of strength in a day or two when it comes to farming."

I'm getting old, and I can't deny it. The younger generation will keep pushing forward, and we'll have to rely on you young people for the future.

Zuo Zhankui gave a wry smile. "Ten work points is not bad, but it only shows that you've put in the effort in farming. It doesn't prove anything. Do you plan to farm for the rest of your life?"

Zuo Xiangnan shook his head vigorously. "That won't do. I have my own ideals."

Zuo Zhankui patted his grandson on the shoulder and said, "So, for the ideal you hold in your heart, you must continue to work hard and strive!"

See Jiang Qiao? You should now understand the situation of this family, right?

They're all old folks like us, and their children, besides taking care of the family, are also incredibly successful in their own careers. All I can say is, you still have a long way to go—”

Zuo Xiangnan understood what Zuo Zhankui hadn't fully said. Back then, when he didn't want to join the army, he had boasted to his grandfather that even if he didn't join the army, he wouldn't be any worse than his older brothers and sisters in other fields.

However, thinking back to what he said back then, he felt a little ashamed. What made him think he was so great? With his current skills, compared to real farmers, he was nothing, let alone the boast he made back then.

"Grandpa, I know how to be a good person now."

"It's good that you know. I won't go into the big principles, you wouldn't want to hear them anyway. I'll just say one thing: do things with a clear conscience and be a decent person. That's what I ask of you."

As for what you can do in the future, that depends on your own abilities.

The three of them wandered around for a while, and even they had to admit that the atmosphere of celebrating the New Year was still the strongest in the countryside.

“Go back and tell your grandma that I’m doing fine here, so she doesn’t need to worry about me. The people here are very kind to us.”

Cheng Baichuan chimed in from the side, "I'll tell my family too, we're doing great here, very comfortable—"

Zuo Xiangnan spoke the truth: "You guys are more than just comfortable, I think you're practically on vacation."

Cheng Baichuan smiled and said, "It's good that you understand. We are fortunate to be able to live in peace in this corner of the world. Let's go home."

The two of them did not go back to the compound. Instead, they went to the cowshed. There were many people there, so they didn't want to join in the fun. They went back to their room, lay down, drank some tea, and ate some snacks. It was fine no matter what, and no one would see them. Although their place was small, it had everything they needed.

Aside from the taste of livestock in the outer room, the interior of the house, well, it's actually quite nice—that's a fairly objective assessment.

Compared to those places that are still being renovated, the old man's place is quite nice. At least it's not drafty, the room is warm, and the smell isn't too strong.

"This is your grandfather Gu's old livestock shed. Don't underestimate this shed. Your grandfather Gu was a kind-hearted man back then. He even considered the living conditions of the servants. There are ventilation holes in this room. Otherwise, with so many people living here, how could the smell be acceptable?"

This house is sturdy, much better than your thatched huts; at least it definitely won't leak.

Seeing the old man drinking tea and eating snacks, Zuo Xiangnan also felt a little tempted. After taking a bite, even he was surprised, "My God, it's so delicious, where did you buy it?"

Zuo Zhankui smiled and said, "You definitely can't buy them. Some are made by Jiang Qiao, some are bought by her, and some are mailed to us by her friends. Anyway, she sends a copy to us whenever she has them over there."

"They were worried we'd get hungry in the middle of the night and have nothing to eat, so they've prepared everything. Want some apples? There are some in that box over there."

Zuo Xiangnan really didn't stand on ceremony; he washed an apple and started munching on it.

"It's delicious! My goodness, if I had known you lived like this, my grandma would probably have wanted to come over."

Let alone the old lady, he actually wanted to come even more. He thought life here would be incredibly hard, but who would have thought that these old men would come here to enjoy a life of luxury?

However, upon further reflection, he realized that the reason for this treatment was because Jiang Qiao and the others were there. Otherwise, if they tried a different place, the old man would have to skin them alive before it was over.

Jiang Qiao returned quite late; after all, going into the mountains to get some things and then coming back takes time.

The people in the mountains naturally welcomed Jiang Qiao. Her arrival meant they could improve their lives, and she even brought them New Year's goods.

Jiang Qiao didn't take much prey—just a roe deer, which someone had already killed and brought back the meat. In addition, she smuggled some more meat out of her spatial storage. Who knows how much prey she hunted?

When she returned, everyone in the family had already left, and Jianling and her friend had already prepared dinner.

"At noon, we'll have pork stew, which was brought over by your Grandpa Jiang and the others. They were worried you wouldn't like it, so they stir-fried some cabbage for you."

Jiang Qiao nodded with a smile, "I'm fine with anything. I don't have any reaction right now. The meat is in the car, we'll get it later. Let's eat first."