"First, I advise you not to try to get away with this. No matter how you try to get to the east hall, you won't cook together, and you won't heat the kang (heated brick bed) together."

So the best way to avoid hunger and have food to eat is to be diligent early on, go up the mountain to collect firewood, or trade with the villagers for it.

"That's right. Anyway, we've already informed you two today. If you still don't have enough firewood by then, don't even think about asking me. I might slap you."

Zhu Pandi glanced at Shi Qiang, then at the resolute expressions on their faces, and asked weakly:

"Have you prepared your firewood? Can I come with you?"

Huang Ying and Zhou Chunli were about to turn around and leave when they suddenly heard her say that, and immediately turned around in surprise.

Aren't you going with your brother Qiang?

Zhu Pandi didn't speak, but looked at them with hope.

Shi Qiang was surprised that Zhu Pandi was going to sever ties with him so quickly, and suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

"Nana, don't stay with them, you might get bullied. Just come with me, I'll make sure I'm well-prepared, okay?"

Zhu Pandi shook off his outstretched hand without changing her expression.

"No need. I don't know if they will bully me, but you will definitely bully me. In fact, you've already started, you just won't admit it."

She hadn't actually given up on Shi Qiang completely; she just wanted to use this opportunity to put pressure on him.

After saying that, she seemed to feel that her attack wasn't strong enough, and added another sentence:

“Brother Qiang, I still remember the promises you made to me before, but now... you have really disappointed me.”

The same words were thrown back at Shi Qiang, who immediately understood the bitterness in them and froze on the spot.

"Nana, how...how could you say such hurtful things?"

Zhu Pandi gave a wry smile and asked in return:

"Is it hurtful? You know it's hurtful? Then when you were saying that to me just now, why didn't you think I would be sad?"

Now the board is hitting you, the embers are burning your feet, and suddenly you feel the pain? Don't you think it's too late?

What truly frightened Shi Qiang was not how hurtful Zhu Pandi's storytelling was, but the change in her eyes.

In the months since she agreed to be with him, every time she looked at him, her eyes were full of love; she had never been so indifferent before.

Yes, it's indifference, so indifferent that it's as if there's no emotion at all.

Did the feelings just vanish all at once, or were they never there at all?

Shi Qiang couldn't accept the ending that Zhu Pandi no longer liked him, and rushed over helplessly to hug her.

"Nana, Nana, I beg you, please don't do this. You have to like me, please, like me as before, okay?"

Perhaps out of genuine fear of losing him, Shi Qiang gripped Zhu Pandi so tightly that she could barely breathe, struggling for a long time without being able to break free.

"What are you doing? You're choking me to death."

Upon hearing this, Shi Qiang quickly loosened his grip a little, but didn't let go of the person.

"I'm sorry, Nana, I'm so afraid of losing you, I..."

"Nana, let's get married, let's get married, okay? Tomorrow, I'll go to the brigade leader to get a letter of introduction, and then we'll go get our marriage certificate, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Ying and Zhou Chunli felt that the deal was almost done. They exchanged a glance and then left in tacit agreement.

Let's leave the rest of the time to the two of them.

Zhu Pandi had been waiting for this moment for so long, and finally heard these words. She hugged Shi Qiang and cried uncontrollably.

"What? You're not going to care about your mother anymore?"