Forced to marry a disabled man in the countryside? I'll repay you tenfold!

Gu Zhixing immediately seized the opportunity and tried to explain in layman's terms: "Aunt Su, I've observed this year's climate—a severe drought in the summer will inevitably lead to an extremely cold winter. This is what the old saying means: 'After a drought comes a great flood, and after great heat comes great cold.' This winter will not only be much colder than in previous years, but it will also arrive earlier, with snowfall at least three times that of previous years."

He spoke faster and faster: "If we don't prepare in advance, all the apple and peach trees in the fields will freeze to death. We need to stockpile enough supplies in advance, the most important of which is coal—if heavy snow blocks the mountains and the tree branches are too damp to start a fire, we'll be doomed without coal."

Su Wanqing's eyes flickered slightly.

She was just worrying about how she could "predict" the harsh winter when Gu Zhixing suddenly appeared. However, Gu Zhixing wasn't even in the original story; the snow disaster was only briefly mentioned in a few hundred words, and she really didn't know the specific details.

Even the exact time is unclear, after all, it only takes a few hundred words to describe how tragic her supporting character was and how many people died.

While reviewing documents, Liu Shuqing interjected, "Alright, alright, I've lived here for twenty or thirty years, what kind of mysterious things are these? Coal costs twenty-five yuan a ton, can every household afford that? You make it sound so easy." He paused, his tone softening, "But you're right, kid, this year is definitely going to be a harsh winter. I'll have people gather more firewood and stock up on more cabbage. Even if it snows heavily, we can stay warm for a month or two."

Gu Zhixing grew anxious: "Firewood and vegetables alone aren't enough! We need to stock up on coal, no matter how expensive it is. We need to store at least three or four months' worth of supplies—"

Liu Shuqing was getting impatient: "Stockpile for three or four months? That'll be spring by then! It's not easy for farmers to grow grain; they're counting on selling it for a good price before winter. If they stockpile too much, they won't get a good price, and they can't eat it all; it'll all go to waste."

He felt that the child was precocious and probably wanted to get some coal for his family.

Gu Zhixing was sweating profusely with anxiety, but as a small man, his words carried no weight.

Just then, Su Wanqing spoke up: "Secretary Liu, in my opinion, this year will indeed be a harsh winter. My husband contacted a coal mine that happens to have a batch of surplus coal that can be sold cheaply, and we've already ordered several tons. My friend can also get a batch of coal that others don't want at a very low price. Our group can stockpile some in the warehouse and distribute it to the members as welfare in the winter—letting the people buy their own coal is something most of them can't afford."

She paused, then continued, "In case we encounter a heavy snowfall that blocks the mountain passes, we'll have some protection. Even if we don't use it, it won't spoil if we keep it."

Liu Shuqing pondered. Since Dr. Su said so, it might really need to be taken seriously. He nodded: "Alright, thanks to you this year, we've exchanged a lot of seeds and inoculants for other things, so the warehouse is overflowing. Use that spare change to buy some coal and store it for emergencies."

Su Wanqing continued, "Gu Zhixing is right, it's better to be safe than sorry. But Secretary Liu, your concerns are also valid; the people rely on selling grain for money. I think it would be better if we did this—this year the group is well-off, so we can buy up the surplus grain from the members at a fair price and store it in the warehouse. If something really happens in winter, we can use it; if everything goes smoothly, we can sell it at a 10-20% discount in the spring, and we won't lose much. Consider it insurance for our group."

Liu Shuqing's eyes lit up. He thought it over carefully: In previous years, the regiment never had this kind of spare money. But this year, they sold the alfalfa seeds and exchanged the rhizobium for supplies; the warehouse was overflowing. Doing this would at most lose a few hundred yuan, but it would ensure the entire regiment of about a thousand people could have a peaceful winter.

"Alright! We'll do it your way!" Liu Shuqing slapped his thigh and immediately made the decision.

Gu Zhixing, however, didn't breathe a sigh of relief. He continued, "I'm afraid none of us in Yili will escape this snow disaster. It's useless if only our regiment is prepared; we need to get the surrounding regiments ready as well. Otherwise, if a major disaster strikes, then..." He paused, his tone becoming urgent, "Uncle Secretary Liu, could you perhaps find a way to talk to the surrounding regiments? If they don't believe me, I can personally explain the situation. A blizzard blocking the mountains is no joke; without sufficient supplies, people will truly freeze and starve to death!"

Su Wanqing frowned slightly as she sized up Gu Zhixing. This child had become a completely different person after his fever. She vaguely remembered that the snow disaster in the original story had indeed affected a wide area, but she hadn't expected it to be this severe—it seemed quite a few people had died.

Liu Shuqing, however, was getting a little impatient.

As the head of the Youth League branch, he had to be polite to everyone, both superiors and subordinates. But when a child spoke to him repeatedly in such a commanding tone and made such a big deal out of it, his face immediately darkened.

"You're all talk and no action, kid! Thanks to Dr. Su, our 65th Regiment got some alfalfa seeds and rhizobium this year, which is why we have a little extra money in the warehouse to do these things. What about the other dozen or so regiments? They're dirt poor. Some can't even scrape together enough food for their members. Where would they get spare money to stockpile coal and grain? Even if I went door-to-door to talk to them, they'd have to listen to me! Do you know that preparing these things would cost at least several hundred or several thousand yuan? That amount of money could pay the entire regiment's salaries!"

Gu Zhixing's face flushed red, filled with both anxiety and disappointment. In his past life, he had held a high position and was used to giving orders, momentarily forgetting that he was now just a child. Indeed, who would spend money to prepare something based on a few words from a mere boy?

Even if the 65th Regiment is prepared, but the other regiments are not, won't many people still die?

He gritted his teeth and said, "The farm may not have money, but the county town should, right? The snowstorm has blocked the roads, and there might even be hail. The county town will be cut off from the outside world, and people will starve to death without food reserves. At the very least, we need to make sure the county town has enough food on hand—"

Liu Shuqing waved his hand impatiently: "Who do you think you are? Who do you think I am? Me, a mere Youth League branch secretary, running to the county leaders and telling them 'You need to stockpile more grain,' do you think they'd even give me a second glance? Even if there's a snowstorm blocking the roads, every household should have enough food for one or two months. Who can stockpile three or four months' worth? You want people to prepare, but they need to have the means to do so!"

Gu Zhixing was stunned.

Yes, this was 1977, and everyone was still starving. Who could possibly stockpile several months' worth of food? Even if he went door-to-door asking, he probably wouldn't have that much surplus grain...

Su Wanqing, however, began to have some interesting thoughts.

There are over a dozen farms and the county town nearby, which means tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people! If we could save all these people, how much merit would we have to accumulate? How many levels would the Magic Cube Space have to be upgraded?

She licked her lips, suppressing her inner elation, as if she could already see countless rewards beckoning to her.

Not enough coal? She can go to a coal mine and get ten times more for free!

Not enough food? She can just go to the granary and get ten times the amount for free!