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

On the way back from the Li family, the "five hundred yuan" and the "one-year term" weighed heavily on Lin Dachun and Li Ruoxue's hearts like two mountains, but also like two red-hot irons, burning their resentment and fighting spirit to a scorching heat.

Back in the cave dwelling, even the festive window decorations and Spring Festival couplets seemed to be shrouded in a sense of urgency, as if they were fighting a desperate battle.

Li Ruoxue silently started a fire to cook, her movements more forceful than usual, as if she wanted to knead all her unease into the dough.

Lin Dachun didn't say anything, but sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and started puffing on his old pipe again.

Amidst the swirling smoke, his eyes were fixed on the flickering lamplight on the earthen wall, but his mind was racing at an unprecedented speed.

Hunting? It's quick money, but too risky. Wild game isn't available every day, and encountering a herd of wild boar could be fatal. This isn't a reliable way to consistently earn two hundred dollars. No way.

Brewing wine? Sea buckthorn-infused wine is an idea, and maltose syrup is also a beverage, but large-scale brewing requires grains, more specialized equipment, and skilled craftsmanship. They currently lack both capital and technology; taking too big a step could easily lead to failure. It's not feasible for now.

Selling grain? Our meager farmland barely provides enough to feed ourselves after paying the grain tax; there's no surplus to sell. This path is blocked.

Plant sea buckthorn! The idea popped into my head again, more clearly than ever before.

He recalled the tenacious vitality of the sea buckthorn berries, the barren slopes covered with them that no one cared about, the "rich in vitamins" and "extracted in the Soviet Union" that Li Ruoxue mentioned when she was researching, and the sweet and sour syrup that they made themselves, which people were willing to try at the market.

This stuff grows naturally, doesn't need good land, and has extremely low costs. If there aren't enough wild ones, then grow your own!

"We'll contract large areas of the mountains to plant sea buckthorn." Lin Dachun uttered these words, his voice not loud, but they resonated deeply in the quiet cave dwelling.

Li Ruoxue, who was busy at the stove, paused, turned around, and looked surprised and thoughtful.

Lin Dachun knocked off his cigarette ash, his eyes sharp as an old wolf spotting its prey: "I've figured it out. Hunting is unpredictable, and we don't have the capital for anything else. Planting sea buckthorn is the best fit for us. The team is eager for someone to manage those barren slopes behind the mountain; the contracting fee certainly won't be high. Sea buckthorn is drought-resistant and can grow in poor soil; it's easy to cultivate. The first two years will be tough, but once it's established, there will be a harvest every year."

The more he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became: "We're not just selling fresh fruit. Like you said before, we can make syrup, we can try drying fruit, and with enough capital, maybe we can really do what the books say, press oil or make even more sophisticated products. This is an industry that can be passed down!"

As Li Ruoxue listened, her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Da Chun's thoughts were more systematic and far-sighted than her previous scattered ideas.

"You mean, we're not just going to grow it ourselves, but also lease an entire mountain?"

"Yes!" Lin Dachun stood up, walked to the simple table, dipped his finger in water, and began to draw on the surface. "I'm guessing we should try leasing about twenty or thirty acres of barren slope first. We'll start construction in the spring, raising seedlings and transplanting. There might not be much harvest in the first year or two, but we can intercrop some beans or medicinal herbs that are tolerant of poor soil to supplement our income. Once the sea buckthorn grows, our syrup-making skills will be perfected, and we can start making it right away."

He looked up at Li Ruoxue: "The first two years will be very tough, and money will be tight. Maybe... by this time next year, we might not even be able to come up with five hundred yuan without a problem. I'm going to take a gamble."

Li Ruoxue walked to his side, looking at the water stains on the table that were about to dry, as if she could see a hillside in the future, soon to be covered in green and laden with orange-red fruit. She took a deep breath, her tone incredibly firm:

"I'm not afraid of hardship. We have two hands, strength, and brains. If one year isn't enough, we'll explain to our parents and ask for another year! I believe that once we successfully plant the sea buckthorn, there will truly be hope for the future, and we'll earn that 500 yuan sooner or later!"

Seeing the same resolute light in Li Ruoxue's eyes as he did, Lin Dachun's last trace of hesitation vanished.

Lin Dachun slammed his fist on the table: "Fine! It's settled then! Tomorrow, I'll go see the old Party Secretary and talk about contracting the barren mountain! I'm going to take this gamble!"