However, whether things will go as she plans is another matter.
"No need, Xiaolan. You haven't done much work before, and you're not used to it here. You don't have much energy to go up the mountain every time!"
"I feel bad asking you to come and help me when you're all tired. I can manage on my own."
Lin Siqi refused without even thinking.
She could occasionally give He Xiaolan a loophole to exploit in order to reel in the bigger fish later.
But she didn't want to put on a fake show with people every day, nor did she want her life to be constantly watched and deprived of her freedom.
Putting everything else aside, he couldn't let He Xiaolan know about the variety of seasonings he had that could make the food even more delicious.
"Siqi, I was not used to such strenuous physical labor before, and I was also in a bad mood after leaving home, so that's why I was like this."
"Now I've figured it out. Since I've already gone to the countryside, I have to work hard to put down roots here. Isn't it only right that we friends help each other out?"
Even though Lin Siqi had already refused once and even hinted that she was dawdling when she went up the mountain to collect firewood, she still didn't want to give up on her idea.
They also wanted to use their friendship to morally blackmail Lin Siqi, and also wanted others around them to speak up for her.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, someone jumped out impatiently.
"Oh dear, Lin and He, since you two were friends before, it would be best if you supported each other."
This scene amazed Shen Mu Ning. She never expected that moral blackmail would work in any era or place.
However, apart from this one foolish, clueless troublemaker, the others wisely refrained from joining their conversation.
Instead, some people seriously explained to Lin Siqi just how cold the winters in Lingbei really are.
"Exactly! You're new to our Johor Bahru brigade, so you have no idea how cold it is in winter. The wind feels like knives cutting your face. Tsk tsk!"
His words drew nods of agreement from the crowd:
"Yes, it snows as soon as winter arrives here. Sometimes, when we get up in the middle of the night, the snow can block the door."
"Anyway, if you don't heat the kang (a traditional heated bed) in winter, people will freeze to death."
Those who grew up in Lingbei have endless things to say when it comes to this topic.
As they chatted, some people even started to veer off-topic, talking about how someone from a nearby brigade had froze to death because they were too lazy to stock up on firewood.
However, there were also kind-hearted people who offered reminders.
"Lin and Shen, you who live in separate rooms, you must stock up on enough firewood before winter. Otherwise, once it snows, the mountain will be closed, and you won't be able to go up the mountain."
The man's words were fairly reasonable, and neither Shen Mu Ning nor Lin Si Qi were ungrateful; they naturally thanked him in unison.
"Thank you for reminding us, Uncle. We'll definitely get ready as soon as possible."
Hearing the seriousness and earnestness in their tone, the man said nothing more and staggered away with his sickle.
Incidentally, he also chased away the crowd who were chatting animatedly around him:
"Alright, you guys go home and have lunch, don't be late for work this afternoon."
The man's words caused the people who were discussing the matter to scatter in an instant. Even the enthusiastic onlookers who had originally planned to stay and see if the educated youth would cause any more trouble lost interest and hurried home.
After all, the autumn harvest is the most important event of the year, as it determines whether they will have enough to eat in the coming year.
No one will let other meaningless things delay the autumn harvest.
Seeing that everyone had left, and remembering that she still needed to go back and cook, Lin Siqi lost interest in continuing to argue with He Xiaolan and simply shut her up.
"Alright, I know you want to help me, but I can manage on my own. If all else fails, I can just find someone to exchange some firewood after the harvest, right?"
Although Lin Siqi wanted to live a carefree life in the Johor Bahru brigade by relying on her own abilities, sometimes there was no need to be so calculating.
She's not short of money; if a problem can be solved with money, why should she force herself to suffer?
Hearing her words, He Xiaolan opened her mouth, but couldn't find a way to refute them.
Yes, how could she forget that Lin Siqi was a pampered little princess of the Lin family after only a month in the countryside?
The Lin family may lack money from anyone else, but they won't lack money from her.
"Let's go back."
Seeing He Xiaolan frozen in place, Lin Siqi shrugged and beckoned Shen Mu Ning to return to the educated youth settlement together.
Throughout the journey, she kept reflecting on just how stupid she had been in her previous life, being kept in the dark by people with such low methods and minds, being schemed against and framed, and ending up with her family destroyed and herself mired in a quagmire.
As the old saying goes, people can only grow and progress by experiencing difficulties and setbacks.
In her previous life, she was protected too much by her family, which led to...
Thinking about her past life, Lin Siqi couldn't help but feel melancholy.
Although she now has a chance to make amends, if she keeps He Xiaolan hanging like this, when will she be able to find the person behind the scenes?
"how?"
Shen Mu Ning suddenly spoke, bringing Lin Si Qi, who was lost in her thoughts, back to reality.
"Huh? Nothing's wrong, why are you suddenly asking me?"
She was completely baffled and couldn't figure out what Shen Mu Ning was asking.
"You just sighed. Is something bothering you?"
It turned out that she was thinking about her family and sighed unconsciously, which drew Shen Mu Ning's attention.
Lin Siqi, upon hearing the question, did not answer immediately. Instead, she grabbed a leaf from an unknown bush by the roadside, debating whether or not to ask for help.
So much time has passed, and there hasn't been a letter from home. She doesn't know if her parents have discovered the coded messages she wrote in the letter, or if they're trying to find people who want to harm them through the He family.
All she can do now is keep He Xiaolan calm until her parents write to her.
If there are no leads in Beijing, then we'll have to use her as bait.
But who knows how long this will take, and what if something else happens in Beijing!
In short, this is an extremely complicated matter.
Lin Siqi angrily tore the leaf in her hand into pieces before answering evasively:
"It's nothing, just some things that are bothering me."
Upon hearing her words, Shen Mu Ning nodded casually to indicate that she understood, and then said nothing more.
Lin Siqi, on the other hand, looked at Shen Mu Ning, who was clean, refreshing, and had a lazy air about her, with a thoughtful expression.
Since they went to the countryside, there have been constant controversies and topics about Shen Mu Ning in the Johor Bahru brigade. Every time, she has resolved them cleanly and efficiently, without dragging things out, and the ending is always perfect.
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