The kang (heated brick bed) for left-behind women

Before dawn, the outside was covered in a blanket of white snow.

Lin Dachun put on that heavy old sheepskin coat.

Li Ruoxue also got up and was busy in the kitchen.

She filled a military water bottle with boiling water, then took out several frozen cornbread buns and placed them by the stove to dry.

"Eat before you leave." She didn't look up, her voice hoarse from just waking up.

Lin Dachun grunted in agreement, walked to the stove, and held his hand over the flames.

He took the thermos from Li Ruoxue, put it in his pocket, and stuffed the few warm steamed buns into the canvas bag he was carrying, whose original color was no longer recognizable.

"If you're not back by noon, don't wait for me."

Li Ruoxue walked to the door and watched Da Chun's figure disappear into the snow.

She knew that Dachun's trip to the mountains wasn't just a casual getaway; he was looking for a way to survive, a way to see if his family could continue.

The snow is even thicker in the mountains.

Lin Dachun walked very slowly.

In his youth, he was the best hunter and lumberjack in the village. He knew exactly which forest had dogs and which slopes grew good medicinal herbs.

But now, this mountain seems unfamiliar.

Heavy snow blocked the mountain pass, and ordinary medicinal herbs had long since withered and been buried deep under the snow.

Guided by his memory, he walked to a sheltered mountain hollow.

There used to be a patch of thriving Schisandra chinensis vines here.

He put down his pickaxe and used his hands to dig through the thick snow, revealing withered, tangled vines underneath.

He carefully dug through the frozen, hard soil with a pickaxe, searching for the roots buried underground.

The frozen soil was as hard as iron; each strike of the pickaxe left only a white dot, making his hands go numb.

After working for half a day, I only managed to dig up a few thin Schisandra chinensis roots, and they weren't in very good condition.

"Damn it."

Lin Dachun cursed under his breath.

Lin Dachun wanted to keep Li Ruoxue with him so she could keep him company and see him off in his old age, but this dilapidated home still needed to give Li Ruoxue hope.

Lin Dachun was searching for this hope.

He straightened up and rubbed his lower back, where the old back injury throbbed faintly in the cold air.

On a steep slope, his foot slipped, and he slid down several meters, his knee hitting a snow-covered rock hard, causing him excruciating pain.

After a long while, he gritted his teeth and tried to get up by supporting himself with his hands.

Just as he pressed his palm into the snow, his fingertips touched something unusual.

It's not a stone, nor a withered branch, but something... with a touch of resilience.

An idea struck him, and he quickly used his hands to clear away the surrounding snow.

Beneath the snow, several plants growing close to the ground were revealed, their leaves thick and purplish-brown. Although they were somewhat wilted from the cold, he recognized them at a glance as Acanthopanax senticosus!

This is good stuff!

It's more valuable than Schisandra chinensis!

It can invigorate qi and strengthen the spleen, calm the mind and nourish the kidneys. The town's herbal medicine station buys it year-round, and the price has always been high.

In the village, wisps of smoke have already begun to rise from the chimneys of every household.

Li Ruoxue stood at the gate of the courtyard, constantly looking towards the mountain road.

As darkness fell, the snow reflected the last glimmer of light, and the surrounding silence was unsettling.

Just as she was about to be swallowed up by the boundless silence and worry, a blurry, staggering figure finally appeared at the end of the path.

It's Lin Dachun!

She felt relieved and quickly went to greet him.

"Are you alright?"

Li Ruoxue's heart tightened when she saw the mud on his trouser legs and his slightly unsteady gait.

"fine."

Lin Dachun waved his hand, walked into the courtyard, and closed the gate behind him, blocking any possible gazes from outside.

He put down the pickaxe, took the canvas bag off his shoulder, and placed it somewhat slowly on the floor inside the house.

"have a look."

Li Ruoxue squatted down and opened the canvas bag.

Besides those few inconspicuous Schisandra chinensis roots, there were several unusual plant roots and stems covered in soil.

"This is... Acanthopanax senticosus?" Li Ruoxue recognized it, her tone filled with surprise.

"Hmm." Lin Dachun sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and let out a long sigh. "The condition is alright. Tomorrow... go to the commune market and see if you can exchange it for some money."

Li Ruoxue looked at the few Acanthopanax senticosus plants covered in mud, then looked up at Lin Dachun's tired but hopeful face, and nodded heavily.

"Okay, I'll go."

Li Ruoxue said happily.

"Yes, with the money from selling it, we can buy some food and supplies, especially the clothes you wear underneath. You need to get new ones too. I feel bad that you don't have any new clothes for the New Year."

Lin Dachun noticed last night that Li Ruoxue's vest was very worn out and needed to be replaced.

Li Ruoxue felt a warm feeling in her heart.