After the frail beauty went to the countryside, she went crazy with scientific research.

Chapter 48, Episode 0048: What are you holding back for your big move?

The mountain harvesting frenzy lasted for more than half a month. However, the resources on the mountain were not unlimited, and it couldn't sustain two or three thousand people gathering resources for too long. As a result, the mountain harvesting frenzy gradually cooled down, and then the firewood gathering frenzy began.

It's cold here in Heilongjiang Province. In the coldest winter, the temperature can reach minus 30 or 40 degrees Celsius. Without heating the kang (a traditional heated brick bed), it's really impossible to survive. [I heard that in the neighboring Huagangling Brigade, there was a case of educated youth freezing to death.] So the demand for firewood here is naturally very high, since it needs to be burned continuously for several months.

Moreover, once the heavy snow closes the mountains and roads, everyone will be stuck at home all winter. At that time, it will be difficult to even go out, let alone go up the mountain to collect firewood. Firewood must be prepared before the heavy snow closes the mountains, otherwise this winter will be very difficult to get through.

Although coal burns longer, you need coal coupons to buy it. Moreover, for a family in the countryside who might not be able to save two hundred yuan a year, given the choice between free firewood from the mountain and coal that they have to pay for, they would invariably choose firewood.

It just requires effort to pick it up and carry it back; rural people have no shortage of physical strength.

Aunt Wu's voice came from the courtyard: "Hey, Xi'er, don't you find it strange that Sun Hua hasn't caused any trouble for so long?"

Ever since Aunt Wu visited our home last time, she has become a regular guest.

She's a restless person, and once she got a little familiar with the place, she would pick up whatever she could to do around the house: cleaning the kitchen, sweeping the yard, organizing firewood, sorting mountain produce, and so on. There was always something to do.

Lin Yuexi felt embarrassed to ask the guests to help with chores, but she did everything in slow motion and couldn't be stopped at all.

So they contributed a lot of delicious food, some bought and some made by Ren Yan and the others. These were ordinary things to Lin Yuexi, but rare treats to Aunt Wu.

Now it was Aunt Wu's turn to feel embarrassed.

Half of it was her own choice. Lin Zhiqing was not only good-looking, but he also didn't look down on them, these gossipy country women. Moreover, his gentle voice made people feel very comfortable. He would often give her insightful advice unintentionally. She was very happy to be with Lin Zhiqing. She felt, well, like those other educated youths said, that her soul had been elevated.

Partly, it was at someone's request. The brigade leader specifically told her husband to take a stroll around the vicinity of Lin Zhiqing's house during the day when she had some free time. At first, she didn't understand what it meant, but her simple-minded husband explained to her that the brigade leader was worried that everyone in the village was going up the mountain and it was unsafe. She happened to be injured and couldn't go up the mountain, so he asked her to take care of her.

This is exactly what she wanted.

The second son's wife is pregnant and can't go up the mountain, so all the housework is handed over to her. She has plenty of free time!
She came here sincerely to keep Lin Zhiqing company, and she really didn't expect to take advantage of him at all.

But Lin Zhiqing had that ability; she had already gained the upper hand by keeping Lin Zhiqing in a daze.

As a result, Aunt Wu became even more diligent.

If you help her more, she'll feel that the good things that end up in her mouth aren't being wasted.

At home, she's already the one who commands the whole family, and in Lin Yuexi's eyes, everything is a living place. If her two daughters-in-law saw this, who knows what they would think.

Sure enough, as soon as Aunt Wu arrived, she took a bucket and went to water the ground in the yard.

Lin Yuexi sat down on a recliner in the corridor, and was also a little curious about what Aunt Wu had said about Sun Hua. "Hasn't he made a move since he got beaten up last time?"

Are they afraid of being beaten?

Or should we bide our time and strike later?
Or are they preparing some big surprise?

Although the entire educated youth settlement was within her 'seeing' range, she wasn't a spy or a madwoman, so how could she possibly keep her 'eyes' on it all the time? Besides, this matter had nothing to do with her, and she couldn't be bothered with it. She wasn't going to waste her energy on Sun Hua.

"That's right. Last time he was beaten and hung from a tree. We all thought he would go to his cousin after he woke up. But after he woke up, he didn't go anywhere, nor did he cause trouble for Li Bin, the educated youth. He just obediently went up the mountain with the other educated youths."

Aunt Wu turned around and whispered as if making a secret meeting: "We don't believe Sun Hua can really be honest. All the kids in the village are watching him, but he hasn't made a move at all. It's making me feel uneasy."

It was her four sons who put the sack over Sun Hua's head. Although the four cowards assured her that Sun Hua definitely hadn't seen them, there's always a chance something might happen. What if he had seen them?

The eldest and second eldest are fine, but the third eldest is a greenhorn who just got promoted to platoon leader. We mustn't let him be affected.

If you make any noise, she can take precautions. This stillness is so agonizing.

Lin Yuexi was even more curious now. What had Sun Hua done to make the villagers hate him so much?

She learned from Liu Huai that Wu Da Niang's third son, Wu San Zhuang, was serving in the army in the southwest. It was said that when he came back to visit his family half a month ago, his military uniform had four pockets.

Modern military uniforms don't directly reveal rank; the only way to tell whether someone is a regular soldier or an officer is by the number of pockets on their uniform. Soldiers' uniforms only have two pockets on the chest, while officers' uniforms have two more pockets at the hem of the jacket, for a total of four pockets.

When Wu Sanzhuang returned, he was wearing a military uniform with four pockets.

At that time, it was extremely difficult for rural people to change their social status. Urban people could eat government-supplied grain and receive monthly ration coupons, which was always something that rural people longed for. So if a family produced a worker, it was a great honor for the family, a blessing from their ancestors, and even the whole village felt proud.

But jobs aren't so easy to find.
The reason why educated youth were sent to the countryside was simply because there weren't enough job opportunities.

They're all a bunch of young people who get easily carried away. There are too many idle people like this in the city, and the authorities are worried that if they get together, they'll cause trouble. It's better to send them to the countryside to experience some hardship and let them burn off some unnecessary energy.

This path was basically blocked for rural people, so they could only choose the second path—joining the army.

One person serving in the army brings honor to the whole family!
Moreover, soldiers receive allowances, and if they go on a mission, they receive bonuses. If they are promoted to officer, they may be able to bring their families with them.

Therefore, for rural families, having one member in the military means having an urban person working for the government. This urban person not only allows them to stand tall when they go out, but also helps supplement the family income and offers them a future full of possibilities.

Naturally, if a family has a child who is in the military, that child will be the focus of the whole family's protection, except for those who are mentally unstable.

Not to mention someone like Wu Sanzhuang who already has four pockets!
Normally, Li Sanmao's family wouldn't let Wu Sanzhuang do something like putting sacks on others, which would easily leave a stain on his reputation, but that night he happened to be there.

Unless, of course, Wu Da Niang's family and Sun Hua have a personal feud.

Sure enough, after watering the plants, Aunt Wu couldn't hold back her words any longer. After putting down the bucket, she took a round stool and sat down next to the recliner.

With a worried look and a guilty expression, she whispered, "Xi girl, I won't hide it from you anymore. Sun Hua was beaten up by my sons that night."

Lin Yuexi looked surprised, seemingly unaware of the situation, and whispered curiously, "What's going on? Do Sun Hua and Auntie have some kind of grudge?"

Look how pleasant those words are! It's Sun Hua who has a grudge against her, not her family who went out of their way to cause trouble.