I'm a bit confused since I have no experience. Is this something serious?

After hesitating for a while, seeing that the child was sleeping even more soundly, she gave up and stopped worrying. Perhaps the child had taken the sound as a lullaby.

The group of workers were all skilled and worked together very well. After the wall was demolished, the door frame was installed, the gaps on the side were sealed, and the work was done.

The door definitely can't be installed now. They've started digging the foundation and building the walls. It's all dirt, so they simply blocked the door off as well. Once the kitchen is cleaned up, nothing will be delayed.

It's already late autumn; the temperature is low in the mornings and evenings, and it's only a matter of time before it freezes.

The villagers know that Jian Dan will definitely not provide meals, but since they are working for her, they can't ignore the water supply.

I boiled a pot of water, added sugar, and waited until it had cooled down enough before calling them.

When the host is willing, the workers will naturally be more attentive.

Adding a room may not seem like a big deal, but it still involves a whole process.

After everything was done, they did a quick check on the roof and woodshed, and even the walls were sturdier than before.

They tested the chimney and firewall, connected the kang (heated brick bed) to the stove, and made sure everything was in order before packing up and leaving.

When giving the money to Liu Weimin, Jian Dan showered him with praise once again.

"Uncle, the uncles and elders in our village are really honest. My house is so tidy and well-organized, not a breath of wind can get in."

Liu Weimin was so happy his mouth was practically stretched to his ears. Wasn't this a compliment?

After the house was finished, it got cold. We tried it out and found that the temperature was already below zero in the morning and evening. We went to Liu's house to get some cotton-padded coats and then the two of us practically began our hibernation.

When Li Yan and the others arrived, the two girls were playing on the kang (a heated brick bed). The little girl's giggles could be heard clearly throughout the courtyard.

"Why did you all come over? Aren't you cold?"

After visiting a few times, little Jianxin became familiar with them and would greet them with a cute, childlike voice when they came.

Hello, sister!

"Why!"

The west room was spacious, and the kang (heated brick bed) was also large. Li Yan and the others didn't stand on ceremony and immediately sat on the edge of the kang. They reached out and touched it...

"You're so generous; it's already piping hot."

He painstakingly gathered all the firewood himself, and now he's feeling sorry for it?

"Then what's the point of collecting so much firewood? You're all freezing, what's the point? You're the ones suffering."

"hey-hey,"

They all understood, but the girls were all frugal. It wasn't too cold yet, so they naturally didn't want to be so extravagant. The main concern was that it was only the beginning of winter, and they were worried that they might not have enough firewood in the dead of winter. It wouldn't be easy to find firewood in the coldest part of winter, so they might as well save some money now and have a backup plan.

Are you still going up the mountain now?

Since Jian Xin came, Jian Dan has rarely participated in group activities.

It's inconvenient to have a child with her, and it's cold outside. Jian Dan isn't exactly known for her hard work anyway; her goal is to quietly relax and take it easy. Now that she has the opportunity, she naturally wants to enjoy it to the fullest.

Tan Yajun warmed her hands by placing them on the heated wall under the edge of the kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

“We went there yesterday, and the firewood on the mountain had been almost completely collected. We went to collect it several times, but we didn’t get much back.”

"Yes, but this year, we've actually made quite a bit. I think we've made more than twice as much as they have, right?"

Simple surprise,

"They didn't prepare firewood? How are they planning to get through the winter?"

Li Yan pouted.

“We went there a few days ago. They were all comparing themselves to each other. In the end, several of them didn’t collect as much as the three of us. Anyway, we’ve already separated, so they can’t take advantage of us.”

“Wang and Li, the educated youth, are not as honest as before. They only keep enough firewood for cooking and put the rest away. Didn’t you see the faces of Wang Hongmei and the others? They were more colorful than a palette.”

"Seeing that we're not going up the mountain now, they probably realize we've had enough, and they're getting anxious."

A whole bunch of people went out early this morning, not knowing how much they'd bring back. They haven't been back by noon yet, so it's hard to say. In their haste, they actually managed to bring back quite a few.

Lin Zhaodi quietly accompanied Xiao Jianxin in playing cat's cradle, and the two of them seemed to be having a lot of fun.

The group was chatting animatedly when there was a sudden, loud knocking on the simple door. Everyone was startled. Li Yan immediately got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and peered out the window, but couldn't make out who it was.

The noise outside didn't stop; it even seemed to be getting more and more urgent. The group looked around, and Jian Dan quickly got out of bed, just in case something really happened.

He instructed Lin Zhaodi to stay with Jian Xin on the kang (heated brick bed), and then simply walked out.

As soon as the door opened, the sounds outside became even clearer.

"Jian Zhiqing, Jian Zhiqing, help me!"

I couldn't hear whose voice it was, but it was definitely urgent.

He quickly opened the door, but the person outside didn't move aside and nearly fell over. They managed to steady themselves by grabbing the doorframe, panting heavily.

"Jian Zhiqing, help me!"

A quick, closer look revealed him to be a villager, someone who rarely spoke, but whom I recognized.

"What's wrong? Tell me properly."

The man pointed straight up the mountain with trembling hands.

"Up on the mountain, those educated youth encountered a wild boar and are running down the mountain."

Your house is close to the foot of the mountain, so I... I came to inform you first. I still need to inform the village chief. You... you should hide quickly.

After saying that, the man turned and ran towards the village, shouting to everyone he saw.

Li Yan and Tan Yajun also looked nervous.

"Why don't we go to our educated youth compound first? When wild boars come down the mountain, you'll be the first to be hit."

He simply squinted at it, his expression serious.

"It's too late. You all go inside first, I'll go check on things."

Li Yan became anxious.

"Why?"

There was a large knife hidden behind the door. She quickly drew it, dodged the two men, and ran up the mountain. They could hear her through the wind.

"Go inside quickly, lock the door, and don't come out."

Li Yan stomped her feet in anger.

"Oh dear!"

Looking around, I saw what appeared to be dark spots approaching from the village, and that made me feel a little better.

"Go inside and keep them company. I'll wait here for the villagers and tell them."

Tan Yajun didn't move.

"It's alright, Zhao Di is here."

Jian ran very fast, following the path the villagers usually took up the mountain. Before he even reached the place where they usually gathered wild vegetables, he heard screams ahead.

"Ah? Help! Help!"

It was a woman's voice, sounding somewhat exhausted, but she must have been quite tired to have run all the way up the mountain.

Jian Dan didn't relax and went straight to meet them. As soon as they turned a corner, two large, dark wild boars were chasing a figure at a leisurely pace. The person in front had messy hair, torn clothes, and his legs felt like they were filled with lead. His voice was also hoarse. It was Su Hong.

After a quick look around, I didn't see anyone else from the educated youth compound.

Su Hong's steps were heavy. Just as the wild boar's breath was about to reach the back of her neck, Su Hong seemed to be in despair. She didn't pay attention to her footing and tripped, collapsing to the ground.