It's snowing now, and the house is relatively dry, so he and Shi Yangyang can barely withstand the cold.
But once spring arrives and the snow melts, both inside and outside the house become damp and cold; that kind of damp cold can really freeze you to death.
People in the mountains understand this principle: the cold when it snows isn't really cold; it's the weather when the snow melts that's truly deadly.
In return, Zhang Cheng would teach them some simple grappling and fighting techniques.
They were all learned in the army in their previous lives; they are the most practical, the simplest, and the most deadly military boxing techniques.
However, truly mastering these skills is not something that can be achieved overnight.
More than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.
December is fast approaching, and the end of the year is fast approaching.
Inside the simple mud house, the fire was burning brightly.
A dozen or so young men sat around the fire, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.
Shi Yangyang sat quietly on the edge of the bed, fiddling with the simple lip balm Zhang Cheng had made for her.
Er Ya also sat on the edge of the bed, her belly already bulging high, like a small hill.
She looked at the young people sitting around the fire with envy, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She never dreamed that in just over half a month, Er Gouzi, who had always been timid and cowardly, would become the "leader" of all the young people in Zhangjia Village.
In the village, each generation naturally produces a "leader".
Previously, teenagers and young adults in their twenties all followed Li Junyi and Zhang Danao's lead.
But now, Li Junyi is dead.
Zhang Da Nao, however, always clung to Zhang Cheng like a shadow...
"Brother Er Gouzi, when spring comes next year and the snow melts, do you want to come with us to the cannery in the county and find some work?"
Tie Zhengzi, whose leg injury had almost healed, warmed his hands by the fire and looked at Zhang Cheng, asking in a simple and honest manner.
"Although it's a temporary job, the pay is actually quite good, about ten yuan a month!"
Zhang Cheng shook his head and said calmly, "I can't do the work at the cannery."
"Why can't it be done?"
Tie Zhengzi was a little confused. He scratched his head and asked in a simple-minded way, "We all have one head and two hands. If others can do it, why can't you?"
Zhang Cheng smiled but offered no explanation.
These days, life in the village is actually very simple and monotonous.
Those with connections would try every means to get a job as a temporary worker in the factory. Although it was hard work, at least they could earn some cash to supplement their family income.
As for becoming a permanent employee, that's practically impossible.
Those without connections could only stay obediently in the village, working from sunrise to sunset, making a living by earning meager work points.
None of the young people present actually had any great ambitions.
Their greatest wish is to have enough to eat and wear, to marry a wife and have a warm bed, and to have a son to carry on the family line.
Zhang Guilan was tall and thin, like a bamboo pole.
He carried a chipped white porcelain cup in his hand, which always contained some Solomon's seal.
At this moment, seeing that the water had boiled, he carefully took out a small pinch of Solomon's Seal from his pocket, dropped it into the cup, then got up, picked up the kettle, and poured himself a cup of hot water.
"Gui Zi, you idiot, you don't even have a wife, and you drink Polygonatum every day. Whose sow are you planning to breed with?"
Watching Zhang Guilan carefully sip the tea in her cup as if it were a precious treasure, Zhang Jianhao couldn't help but laugh and tease her.
Zhang Guilan curled her lip and said dismissively, "What do you know! My dad already asked the old blind man, and he said that if I drink more Polygonatum water now, I'll definitely be able to have a son when I get married!"
"Did the old blind man really say that?"
“How could it be fake?” Zhang Guilan said stubbornly. “My father told me that himself!”
Zhang Cheng smiled as he watched his companions joking with each other.
But as he was laughing, his smile suddenly froze.
A strange light flashed deep within his eyes.
Having been reborn, he naturally knew that this was an era where gold was everywhere.
As long as you're bold enough and quick-witted enough, there are opportunities to make money everywhere. Just grab any one of them and you can make a fortune.
Just like a popular saying on the internet in later years, when the opportunity arises, even pigs can fly.
The problem is, Zhang Cheng served in the army for fourteen years in his previous life...
He knew very little about the money-making "projects" of this era.
Listening to Zhang Guilan and Zhang Jianhao's casual conversation, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.
Polygonatum!
This thing... can make money!
In the mountains, medicinal herbs are not exactly everywhere, but they are certainly not rare either.
Almost every household would dig up some herbs that could clear heat and relieve internal fire, dry them, and keep them at home for emergencies.
Zhang Cheng slightly raised his eyelids, looked at Zhang Guilan who was taking small sips of tea, and asked casually, "Guizi, do you have a lot of Solomon's Seal at home?"
"Brother, do you want to drink Polygonatum water?"
Zhang Guilan immediately misunderstood Zhang Cheng's meaning and said with a simple smile, "If you want to drink it, I'll go home right now and get you two jin!"
"etc!"
Seeing Zhang Guilan get up and walk out, Zhang Cheng quickly called out to her.
"I don't want to drink it now."
Zhang Cheng smiled and shook his head, patiently explaining, "I'm asking you, do you have a lot of Solomon's Seal at home? I'm asking if you have a lot of Solomon's Seal stored at home!"
"Oh, I see..."
Zhang Guilan scratched her head, thought for a moment, and said, "That's quite a lot, probably about ten jin."
"These things are everywhere after spring arrives, all over the mountains and fields, there are plenty of them."
"However, drying them is too troublesome. More than 100 kilograms of fresh Solomon's Seal can only yield about 10 kilograms of dried product."
“A few years ago, my uncle injured his leg, and my parents worked for several months to dry dozens of kilograms of Solomon's Seal to help him recover…”
Zhang Cheng scanned the group again and continued, "What about your homes? Tell me, do you have any Solomon's Seal at home?"
"I don't drink that stuff. It always tastes weird and bitter."
"I think we still have about four or five pounds left. A few days ago, my brother was starving and secretly ate some of it..."
"My family is about the same, we have a few kilograms too..."
Listening to his companions' cacophony of answers, Zhang Cheng lowered his eyelids slightly, trying hard to recall his memories of this period in his past life.
He vaguely remembered that when he first joined the army, a comrade in the recruit company once said that his family made their fortune by selling Polygonatum odoratum and became the first household in the area to earn 10,000 yuan in just a few years.
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