Reborn in 1985, starting from the mountains of Northwest China

"Father, come quick!"

As soon as Chen Feng stepped into the main room, Xiao Shan came running over with a bowl of meat soup, his little face flushed with excitement.

Chen Feng felt a warmth in his heart. He took the bowl of still-steaming soup from his hand, and with his other hand, he held his son's hand and sat down at the creaking old wooden table.

The table was unusually full: a large bowl of fragrant meat soup, a plate of glistening braised pork, a dish of pickled cabbage and shredded radish, and several steaming white steamed buns.

Xiaoyue was already sitting obediently on her little stool, her eyes fixed on the bowl of bright red and oily meat, her little nose twitching unconsciously as she quietly swallowed her saliva.

Chen Feng looked up and met Lin Xiu's smiling gaze.

The soft glow of the dim oil lamp illuminated her face, dispelling her past sorrows and revealing a faint blush reminiscent of her youth.

"Xiuer, stop busy and come eat."

Chen Feng greeted everyone and stood up to serve each person a hearty bowl of white rice.

The silence at the table was instantly broken as soon as he finished speaking.

Xiaoshan immediately buried his head and practically pounced on his rice bowl, his chopsticks flying as he stuffed his mouth full of meat.

He mumbled indistinctly, "Mmm...smells good! So good! Mother's meat is the best in the world!"

His mouth was covered in grease, but he didn't care at all.

Xiaoyue eats rather delicately, taking small bites, but she's quite fast. When she encounters something delicious, her eyes light up.

Lin Xiu didn't rush to eat. She watched the two children wolfing down their food, her eyes slightly reddening, before picking up a small piece of meat and chewing it carefully.

That salty and savory broth warmed my heart.

Looking at his wife and children's satisfied expressions, Chen Feng's earlier annoyance caused by the Zhao brothers had long since vanished.

That's the power of home.

When everyone had eaten until they were about 70-80% full and slowed down, Chen Feng put down his chopsticks and gently cleared his throat.

"Xiuer, Xiaoshan, Xiaoyue."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calm and powerful quality that made people unconsciously quiet down.

Only the faint crackling of firewood in the stove remained in the main room.

"Today, our family has paid off all our debts and bought everything we needed."

He paused, then took out the familiar old handkerchief bag from his pocket, opened it layer by layer, and carefully counted the money by the light. "Right now, I have... seventy-two yuan and sixty-five cents left."

Lin Xiu listened quietly, gave a soft "hmm," and nodded.

"Dad, will we be able to eat meat every day from now on?" Xiaoshan licked his oily lips, his bright black eyes full of longing.

Chen Feng laughed and reached out to rub his head: "Not now. Good things should be saved; a little goes a long way."

He changed the subject, his eyes becoming serious, "However, those three acres of land on our west slope, as long as we take good care of them..."

"Plant crops, raise chickens and ducks, and from now on, let Xiaoshan and Xiaoyue have a treat every now and then. Save money to support your education and buy your mother a nice piece of cloth to make a new dress."

"Dad thinks it can be done."

He turned his gaze to Lin Xiu, his tone becoming more consultative: "Xiu'er, I paid attention at the market today, and the prices of mountain products and medicinal herbs are not bad. As for that old forest behind our house, I used to..."

"Well, back in the day when I was a rascal, I wandered around aimlessly and I know a few places. I was thinking that once the work in the fields is settled, I'll go into the mountains again in a couple of days."

Lin Xiu paused almost imperceptibly in the hand holding the chopsticks, a hint of worry quickly flashing across her brow.

Going into the mountains to find local products sounds like a good idea, but every time it involves risking your life.

Deep in the mountains and forests, wild animals, steep cliffs, getting lost—which of these is not life-threatening?

Chen Feng noticed her worry and softened his voice, making it even more steady: "I won't go deep or dangerous places. I'll just go to a few safe spots I already know about. I'll see if I can pick some mushrooms, dig up some common herbs, and if I'm lucky, maybe catch a pheasant or a rabbit. Don't worry, I'll definitely come back safe and sound."

His tone was calm and his words were clear and logical, without a trace of the frivolity and recklessness he used to have.

Looking into his calm and resolute eyes, Lin Xiu realized that her husband had become much more reliable lately, and she gradually felt at ease.

She nodded and whispered, "Then... you have to promise me, whatever you do, don't push yourself, and come home early."

"Okay, I promise."

Chen Feng readily agreed, then looked at the two children whose eyes were wide open and smiled, "If Dad is lucky when he goes into the mountains, he might be able to catch a furry little squirrel for you, or pick up some sweet and crisp wild fruits."

"Really? Dad's the best!"

The two children immediately cheered.

The next day, before dawn, Chen Feng shouldered his sturdy old basket and went out.

He needs to go to the west slope to take a good look at those three acres of land first, and then prepare enough firewood for his family to get through the winter.

The next trip into the mountains will last anywhere from one day to three or four days. This will be the last trip before the new year, so I must be fully prepared.

Judging by the days, my eldest and second eldest brothers should be on their way.

He needed to figure out the details of his family's three acres of land and how to protect it before Zhao Ergou and his gang came knocking on his door again.

The road to the west slope was completely covered by snow, and the ridges and ditches had lost their shape, leaving only a blinding white expanse.

Smoke occasionally rises from the rooftops of the scattered village houses, but before it can spread out, it is torn to pieces by the biting cold wind.

There was no one on the road, only the monotonous crunching sound of his own footsteps on the snow, which made the occasional cries of crows from the distant mountains seem even more desolate and empty.

After walking for about half an hour, we finally arrived at the West Slope.

Those three acres of land lay quietly on the sunny, gentle slope, as if covered with a thick blanket of snow.

The old locust trees at the edge of the field had long since lost all their leaves, leaving only bare branches.

Under the tree, the corn stalk stacks left over from last autumn's harvest have been buried by heavy snow, leaving only a small, dark brown top visible.

Chen Feng walked to the edge of the field and stood still. The cold wind whipped up the snow and lashed at him, chilling him to the bone.

He crouched down and used his hands to brush away the surface snow until he touched the frozen, hard soil underneath.

Grab a handful; it's heavy, cold, and a deep brownish-black.

When you squeeze it tightly, even though it's frozen solid, you can feel a special texture through your fingertips—not the looseness of barren sand, nor the hardening of clay in a depression, but a fertile, powerful weight.

He remembered what his father had said while smoking his pipe: "The land on the west slope looks like a slope, but underneath is sandy loam soil, which is breathable and permeable to water, so the crops can take root comfortably."

He stood up, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked out into the distance.

Below the slope is a small river; in spring, as the ice melts and the snow thaws, fresh water flows in.

Beyond the slope lay a continuous, even denser and more secluded forest. Location, terrain…

In his past life memories, the vague outline of the branch road that ultimately changed the fate of many people gradually overlapped with the mountains and terrain before him.