The fruit tea in the room had been brewed and was left to cool on the table long ago. Chen Shuning, who had been busy for half a day, was already past her usual hunger pangs.

Although she didn't say it, how could Chen Shuning not worry about He Chaoyang braving the cold to go into the mountains? She hadn't thought too much about it while she was busy, but now that she had some free time, Chen Shuning felt a pang of anxiety.

To stop herself from overthinking, Chen Shuning brought the fried rice crusts into the house and placed them on the small kang table. Then she went back to the kitchen to find something else to keep herself busy.

Gu Xinyi returned to Haishi. Xu Laidi went to the Shen family to comfort Wang Chunni, who was heartbroken because Shen Dayang had also gone into the mountains with the hunting team. Liu Shumei and her husband hadn't been home to visit their relatives for several years, so they took leave this year to go home.

The few people she could usually chat with at the educated youth settlement were all busy with their own things, and Chen Shuning felt lonely for the first time since she went to the countryside.

Chen Shuning wandered around the kitchen for a long time, not knowing what to do. After thinking for a while, she took out a large piece of beef from her space and planned to make beef jerky, which was a time-consuming and laborious process. It just so happened that He Chaoyang also liked this kind of beef jerky.

Cut the beef into strips and marinate it with seasonings.

While waiting for the marinated beef, Chen Shuning found himself with nothing to do again.

Having no idea what to do, Chen Shuning went back into the house, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), poured herself a cup of fruit tea, and sat blankly on the kang, looking out through the glass window that was covered with frost patterns.

Looking at the thick snow on the ground, Chen Shuning seemed to have found something to do again.

After putting on thick cotton-padded clothes, a hat, and gloves, I went to the woodshed to get a shovel and a broom and started clearing the snow in front of the house.

During the cleaning process, Chen Shuning could clearly hear the laughter and chatter coming from Yang Wanqiu's room from time to time.

Besides Yang Wanqiu and Shen Hongmei, Zhou Jihong's voice could also be heard. I wonder when these three became so close. They really are birds of a feather.

However, it's none of her business who gets along with whom, as long as they don't bother her.

As for Shen Hongmei, it seems I've been too lenient with her, which is why she keeps provoking me. Luckily, I don't have much to do lately, so I might as well find her something to do.

Otherwise, a person is prone to overthinking when they are idle.