From then on, Zhang Hongmei went into the mountains every day to dig for wild vegetables. She collected a lot of them and used the sour sauce that Li Cuihua brought to mix with bitter lettuce, which tasted quite delicious.

On Saturdays and Sundays, Liu Erya would also join in digging for wild vegetables; in short, she never had a moment to spare.

Last time Liu Maocai went to the township meeting, he was like a quail, not daring to speak. Of course, no one bothered him, and he got through it by luck. But half a month has passed, the sweet potatoes in the field are growing well, and the sorghum has also sprouted. When he went to the meeting again, the technician came with him.

The technicians came to check on the wheat. There hasn't been any rain this year, and the wheat ears aren't growing well. Every village chief mentioned in their meeting that there would definitely be a significant reduction in yield this year. The corn isn't sprouting either. These are all experienced farmers who can tell that this year will be a disaster.

The township leaders also attached great importance to this, as it concerned their own political achievements. No one was in a hurry, so they sent technicians to various villages to check the situation.

When the technician arrived at Liujiatun, he saw that the wheat in the fields was heading well, probably because the soil near the mountains in their village was quite humid. He also saw large fields of sweet potatoes and a lot of sorghum. He gave Liu Maocai a deep look, then left without saying a word.

Liu Maocai doesn't care anymore; let things be. He spent half a day at the old lady's house, telling her about the situation in the surrounding villages. They really are suffering from a disaster; even if it rains now, the harvest will definitely be reduced.

Only our village suffered minor damage. I hope other villages will also plow their cornfields and plant sweet potatoes. Even though the sweet potatoes won't grow very big, at least they'll be less likely to go hungry. I'm just worried they won't have the courage. I wonder if the technicians will report the actual situation when they get back?

It was the end of the month again, and it happened to be Friday. After finishing their exams and going home, the two girls made plans to go check on the sweet potatoes growing in the mountains the next day, and then went home separately.

Because she had a few scallions that Li Cuihua had given her, Zhang Hongmei decided to bring meat pies tomorrow. She could make them after she woke up, and then she'd have something to do.

At five o'clock sharp, Liu Erya came to find Zhang Hongmei and handed her a meat pie. Erya was pleasantly surprised, "We get meat pies so early in the morning?"

"This is our lunch. You can eat as you walk, so you won't get hungry and lose the energy to walk."

While eating, Er Ya asked Zhang Hongmei, "Why did you bring a shovel? Didn't you bring a pickaxe? And a machete?"

“You bring a pickaxe, I'll bring a shovel, and I've also brought a snakeskin bag, so I can bring back any wild vegetables we find.”

"That's very thoughtful."

When the two arrived at the sweet potato planting site, they saw that the sweet potatoes planted there were growing much better than those planted in the ground, although there were many weeds.

"Hongmei, let's weed, otherwise the weeds will kill all the sweet potato vines."

"Why pull weeds? If weeds keep the sweet potatoes from being damaged, maybe the animals won't come and harm them. Let God decide."

"Actually, you're just lazy, aren't you? But what you said makes sense."

Zhang Hongmei laughed and didn't say anything; she really was too lazy to weed.

"Sister Er Ya, let's dig some traps around the sweet potato field. I read about it in a book and I roughly know how to dig them."

"Oh, so that's why you had a shovel and a machete. So that's what you were planning to use them for."

"We're both fine, so maybe we can actually catch some prey and then we'll have meat to eat."

Zhang Hongmei only had theoretical knowledge and no practical experience, but digging the pit deeper worked.

By noon, the two had dug three deep pits. Zhang Hongmei even used a machete to sharpen a wooden stick and stuck it in the pit. The girl almost couldn't get out and Liu Erya laughed at her for a long time.

Zhang Hongmei vowed to herself that next time she went into the pit, she would tie the rope properly first, as it would be quite troublesome if she were alone. The trap was covered with a layer of branches and dry grass, which didn't look perfect, but it was the best she could do.

"Sister Er Ya, let's go further in, maybe we'll find something good."

"No, what if we run into wild boars?"

"You're dreaming. There aren't that many wild boars for you to touch. Come on, it's still early."

Zhang Hongmei actually wanted to go to the pond to see if there were any fish. It took them almost another hour to reach the riverbank. They walked slowly and picked a lot of wild vegetables along the way, filling both baskets to the brim. They put the vegetables into snakeskin bags and left them by the roadside, planning to carry them back later.

Upon reaching the pool, they found no danger. "Sister Er Ya, let's test how deep this water is. If there's a drought, this might be a lifesaver."

How do I try it?

"I don't know either. How about we throw a rock at it and see?"

"Will that work?"

“I don’t think it’s reliable either.” After saying that, Zhang Hongmei picked up a stone about the size of a bowl and threw it hard into the center of the river. It splashed but didn’t make a splash. “It must be very deep. Forget it, let’s talk about it when the deadline comes.”

"Let's leave quickly, I feel creeped out."

"Alright, let's go back then."

The two retraced their steps, carrying the bag of wild vegetables on their backs, and headed towards the sweet potato field.

Before they even arrived, they heard howling, which startled the two of them. What did this mean?

Liu Erya grabbed Zhang Hongmei's hand. "Hongmei, let's go quickly."

"Sister Er Ya, wait here for me, I'll sneak over and take a look."

Liu Erya's legs were trembling, but seeing Zhang Hongmei's insistence, she said resolutely, "I'll go with you."

"No need, I'll keep quiet by myself."

"No, we can either not go, or we can go together."

Seeing that she couldn't persuade Er Ya, Zhang Hongmei nodded. The two put down the basket, picked up shovels and picks, and quietly approached each other.

There were no animals in the open field of vision, but howls could be heard coming from the dug traps.

The two were relieved and cautiously walked over to take a look. Zhang Hongmei laughed and said, "Sister Er Ya, you really have a golden prophecy! There really was a wild boar."

"You scared me to death! You're so brave, girl. But this pig looks bigger than last time, and it's still alive. How are we going to get it back?"

"How about this, Sister Er Ya, you go back alone and secretly tell my Third Uncle, ask him to find a way, maybe your tuition will be covered."

"Let's go back together."

"That won't do. What if the pig runs away? I'll sit right next to it and hit it with the pickaxe if it tries to come up. Go and come back quickly."

Liu Erya gritted her teeth and thought it made sense. "Then I'll go back. I'll carry the basket when I get back, so I can run faster. If the wild boar really comes up, just run!"

"I understand, don't worry."

Zhang Hongmei really didn't dare let Liu Erya stay. As soon as Liu Erya left, she would stab the wild boar a few times to stop it from howling and attracting other animals.

Liu Erya ran as fast as she could, praying that Hongmei would be alright. It had taken her almost two hours to get there, but she only needed an hour to run back.

Arriving home breathless, Li Cuihua asked in bewilderment, "Er Ya, what's wrong?"

"Mom, where's Dad? I need to talk to him urgently."

"He should be at the brigade headquarters. Go there and see what's going on."