The next day, as soon as Jiang Tiecheng opened his eyes, he heard a commotion outside.

Stepping out of the dugout, I gasped in shock; it was snowing outside.

The temperature dropped several degrees compared to yesterday, and when I came out, I could clearly feel people shivering from the cold.

Many people were stomping their feet in anger outside, after all, many people had been dragging their feet yesterday, and some hadn't even gone up the mountain to collect firewood.

Right now, I'm naturally jumping around from the cold.

Jiang Tiecheng glanced at the people cursing outside, pondered for a moment, and realized that the snow wasn't heavy.

We need to gather more firewood.

Otherwise, who knows when it will snow heavily and it will be inconvenient to go up the mountain to collect firewood?

There's still water; we need to get more water.

Yesterday, the river surface wasn't frozen, but the surrounding area was already starting to freeze. If the whole river freezes over one day, that would be a real problem.

Oh, and candles and oil lamps must be prepared.

This thing is indispensable; you can't just put it on and go to sleep every day in the dark.

There's still food left. Yesterday I managed to eat some noodles, but I can't eat noodles every meal.

I might have to stay here for ten or twenty years.

The food problem needs to be solved as soon as possible.

Jiang Tiecheng immediately went back to boil some water, washed his face and brushed his teeth, and also heated up the remaining steamed buns.

After finishing breakfast, Jiang Tiecheng went straight out.

Seeing Jiang Tiecheng holding an axe and a rope, looking like he was about to go up the mountain again.

Two female educated youths immediately came over.

"Comrade Xiao Jiang, are you going up the mountain to chop firewood?"

Jiang Tiecheng looked at the two female educated youths who were wearing scarves and acting coy and pretentious, and couldn't help but wonder what they meant.

"Yes, if we don't hurry up the mountain to chop firewood now, we'll freeze."

"Comrade Xiao Jiang, we didn't have an axe yesterday, and we didn't have much strength. We also ran out of firewood last night."

That dugout was frozen solid, like an icebox.

The two female educated youths stared at Jiang Tiecheng with their big, bright eyes.

Jiang Tiecheng immediately understood, and his face darkened.

"Serves you right!"

The two female educated youths were stunned by the scolding.

I originally thought that Jiang Tiecheng was just being chivalrous and tender towards Chen Ruixue when he was chopping firewood for her yesterday.

Men like that are easy to manipulate.

In addition, Jiang Tiecheng was a great hero in everyone's eyes on the train, and great heroes usually care about their image.

I definitely wouldn't want to refuse them.

Today, the two of them were thinking of asking Jiang Tiecheng to help them gather some firewood.

"Comrade Jiang Tiecheng, why are you swearing?"

"We've been freezing all night and are almost catching a cold, and instead of helping us, you've been swearing at us."

You have absolutely no manners.

The two female educated youths were furious, mainly because they never expected that Jiang Tiecheng, who had been so helpful to Chen Ruixue just yesterday, would be so unsympathetic to them.

More importantly, comparing yourself to others can be incredibly frustrating.

Chen Ruixue is beautiful, but they are not ugly either.

At least they can resemble Chen Ruixue to some extent.

"Why did my one sentence break your defenses?"

Am I wrong? Don't you all deserve it?

He's clearly lazy, but he makes up a bunch of excuses.

"It's no wonder that lazy people catch a cold; I'm absolutely right."

"Who's coming to Jiang Tiecheng? Who's lazy?"

"Watch your mouth, who among us is lazy? We've been cleaning all day yesterday without stopping."

The two girls noticed that the other educated youths around them were peeking out of their dugouts to watch the excitement.

Her face flushed red instantly, whether from embarrassment or from the cold, she didn't know.

Am I wrong? You guys are just lazy.

Yesterday, I, a grown man, cleaned the house and even went up the mountain to chop firewood and carry water—I did absolutely nothing.

If I can get firewood to heat the kang (a heated brick bed), why can't you?

Aren't they all people?

They all have two hands, two eyes, and one mouth.

"Jiang Tiecheng, you've gone too far! How can you talk like that?"

That's right!

We also have two arms and two legs, but we are women.

"You can help Chen Ruixue chop firewood, so why can't you help us chop some?"

"Isn't it just because you think Chen Ruixue is pretty?"

Chen Ruixue comes from a well-off family, so you're like a lapdog, wagging your tail behind her.

"A toad trying to eat swan meat? Look at yourself, do you think Chen Ruixue would even look at you?"

"Some people still need to recognize their own place."

Enraged, the two female educated youths began to launch personal attacks.

"Yes, I like Chen Ruixue, and I'm willing to help Chen Ruixue with her work."

It doesn't matter if Chen Ruixue looks down on me. I'm happy and willing. Is it any of your business?

"Go ahead and be envious, but it won't help you. I'm not helping you."

If most men had heard those words on their faces, they would have been furious and embarrassed, and might even have severed ties with Chen Ruixue.

But they never expected that Jiang Tiecheng, who looked so righteous, would say such a shameless thing.

Jiang Tiecheng said smugly.

"Stop complaining about being poor and acting pitiful. Everyone has their own difficulties."

When you can't win an argument, you resort to personal attacks. Do you think I care about your opinions?

Who are you?

Everyone who came here from far away from home to become an educated youth was sent to the countryside.

No one has a responsibility or obligation to help you.

You're putting on this pitiful act just to get me to chop wood for you.

Why should I?

I'll tell you, the reason I'm willing to help Chen Ruixue is because we have a bond that transcends life and death.

What kind of people are you?

You think you can get others to work for you for free? Don't even think about it.

"I have no compassion whatsoever. Don't think that just because you're women I won't hit you. Stay away from me from now on."

Jiang Tiecheng slung the rope over his shoulder, picked up his axe, and headed up the mountain.

This immediately drew laughter from a group of male educated youth, while the two female educated youth were both ashamed and indignant.

What are you all looking at?

"We'd like to watch, so what?"

My eyes are on my body; I can look whenever I want.

"Can you control everything, including everything else, and even what other people think?"

"He was ugly but thought he was so great, and as a result, he got roasted."

"Some people are like that; they don't even know their own worth."

Several male educated youths jumped out and followed Jiang Tiecheng with ropes and axes in hand.

“Xiao Jiang, we’ll go up the mountain with you to chop firewood. It’ll be safer if we go together. I heard there are wild animals in the mountains here.”

Soon, the men walked up the mountain arm in arm, chatting and laughing.

Jiang Tiecheng arrived at the grove of trees from yesterday, and everyone picked a spot and began chopping firewood.

Jiang Tiecheng chopped twice as much firewood as he did yesterday, thinking that the snow might get even heavier later, given how cold it was right now.

There will be more places where firewood will be used in the future.

Besides, Chen Ruixue injured her foot and definitely couldn't go up the mountain for a while.