Reborn in 78, I made my fortune by working in the mountains, supporting three families on my own.

Zhao Lei had no idea what Qin Yuchan was thinking; he just kept chopping away with his machete.

Click!

The blade cleaved into the tree trunk, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

There were three large tree trunks piled up on the large stone dam at their home. They were all thick pine and oak logs, which would have been enough for Qin Yuchan to chop for several days.

But who is Zhao Lei?

Having guarded the mountain for decades in my previous life, I could do woodcutting with my eyes closed.

He found the grain, and with one stroke, he cut along the stubble, saving time and effort.

A tree trunk was quickly chopped into neat sections for firewood.

Qin Yuchan was initially worried that he was just showing off, but after watching him for a while, she realized that this stinky man actually had some skills.

She's even more efficient than someone who works the land all year round.

"Wow, you're really good at chopping."

"Of course."

Zhao Lei wiped his sweat, grinned at her, and said, "Don't you know how good your man is? I'm more than capable; you'll have a good life ahead of you."

"Pah, who cares about your merits or demerits?"

Qin Yuchan rolled her eyes at him, turned around and took out a rough earthenware bowl from her basket, poured in a bowl of cool boiled water and handed it to him, "Have some water, don't get heatstroke."

Zhao Lei took the bowl and gulped down two big mouthfuls, feeling much more comfortable after drinking it.

"Another bowl, please."

"Pouring it yourself, do you really think you're some kind of lord?"

Qin Yuchan said this, but her hand had already taken the bowl and poured him another bowl.

After finishing his drink, Zhao Lei continued chopping wood.

Qin Yuchan stood by and watched for a while, then took out a neatly folded coarse cloth towel from her bosom, stood on tiptoe, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Zhao Lei felt the rough yet gentle hand, and felt a surge of joy, chopping even more vigorously.

Several women nearby were busy working in front of their own woodpile. Seeing this scene, they couldn't help but come over and strike up a conversation.

"Yu Chan, your Lei Zi really worked hard today! These three big pieces of firewood will take you and your sisters several days to chop, won't they?"

Qin Yuchan: "Of course! I've been worried about this for days. We're almost out of firewood in the stove, but we still have to get things done."

"Now it's great, having a man in the house makes all the difference."

"That's right, the work Leizi did this afternoon is enough for you and your children to use for half a month."

"Exactly, Yu Chan, you're lucky. Even after your divorce, your man is still so diligent."

Qin Yuchan was a little embarrassed by what she was being said, but she didn't hold back: "Diligent? What do you mean by diligent? If he weren't drowning in debt, would he be so honest?"

Zhao Lei heard this but wasn't annoyed. He smiled and replied, "Sister-in-law is right. I was just afraid you'd kick me out, so I made sure to behave well."

Several women were amused and burst into laughter.

Qin Yuchan couldn't help but chuckle, but quickly straightened her face again: "Stop being so cheeky, get to work, it's getting dark."

"Alright!"

Zhao Lei responded and continued chopping.

Qin Yuchan, having a rare moment of leisure, stood to the side and chatted idly with a few women.

She is usually very busy, with classes, housework, and childcare, and she also has to find time to earn work points. It's rare for her to have a time like this where she can stand and chat without having to work.

"Yu Chan, is your school busy lately?" a woman asked.

"It's alright. Final exams are coming up soon, and the kids are all studying."

"Your daughter Peipei will be starting first grade this fall, right?"

"Yes, I'll go when school starts in September."

Speaking of her eldest daughter, Qin Yuchan smiled with maternal love, "That girl talks about going to school every day, she's very enthusiastic."

"Fortunately, the child takes after you; he'll definitely get into university..."

Qin Yuchan smiled, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, do you know the Wang Shoushan family from the Taiyang Production Team?"

The women exchanged glances, their expressions changing.

"Of course I know, how could I not?"

A woman suddenly lowered her voice, "You want to ask about Xiaofang's child, right...? I heard from my husband that something happened to the child yesterday."

Qin Yuchan frowned: "What happened? What's wrong? I was wondering why this child didn't come to school yesterday?"

"You still don't know?"

The woman sighed, "It happened yesterday morning, when the child was walking on the mountain path to school... he was dragged away by a bear."

"What?!"

Qin Yuchan's eyes widened. "Impossible! Xiaofang is my student, how could she..."

"It's true," another woman chimed in. "The news spread this morning. The whole commune is in an uproar. They say they searched for a whole day and night, and only found shoes and traces of a black bear..."

Qin Yuchan's face turned pale instantly.

Yesterday, Friday, Xiaofang did not come to class.

She also asked a student next door to go back and deliver a message, asking if something had happened at home.

I originally planned to visit their home today, Saturday, to check on things, but we're out of firewood and I have to take care of the kids, so I'll have to go tomorrow, Sunday.

did not expect……

That's the result.

"Are you sure it's Xiaofang? Could there be a mistake?"

"Sigh! It can't be wrong, anyway, the child still hasn't been found..."

"Poor thing, she's only nine years old, just a year older than your Peipei..."

Qin Yuchan couldn't continue the conversation, so she turned around and walked to the side, her back to everyone, lost in thought.

Zhao Lei quickly chopped up all the remaining firewood and stacked it neatly.

They also packed two more baskets, one large and one small, to take home.

Zhao Lei filled his container to the brim, so much so that the bamboo strips were deformed from the weight.

"Let's go home."

Zhao Lei patted the sawdust off his hands and walked over to Qin Yuchan.

Qin Yuchan snapped out of her daze, glanced at him, and nodded.

The two of them each carried a basket on their backs and walked home.

Zhao Lei noticed that Qin Yuchan hadn't said a word the whole way.

This is not normal.

She never stops talking; she's always criticizing this or that, chattering away like a sparrow.

But now, it looks strange that he walks with his head down and his lips tightly pursed.

Zhao Lei, who had been holding it in the whole way, finally couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly so quiet? You're not even happy about eating pheasant at home today?"

Qin Yuchan's eyes suddenly lit up: "By the way, when you were hunting in the mountains, did you see any trace of children?"

"Traces of a child? What does that mean?"

"I mean... have you seen the child's shoes, clothes, or... anything else?"

Zhao Lei thought about it carefully and shook his head: "No, I didn't go too deep today and didn't see anything unusual."

Qin Yuchan said "oh" and then fell silent.

Zhao Lei found it strange, but didn't ask any further questions.

The two returned home in silence.

In the yard, Yuanyuan was drawing on the ground with Xiaoshitou, using twigs to draw crooked circles.

"Daddy! Big Mommy!"

When Yuanyuan saw the two of them return, she happily ran over.

Little Stone followed behind, wobbling along.

Zhao Lei put down his basket, picked up his son, and kissed him on the cheek: "Little Stone, are you a good boy?"

"Good boy!" Little Stone responded in a childish voice.

Qin Yuchan also put down her basket, glanced at the two children, and was clearly distracted.

He walked to the kitchen door and looked up to see two fat pheasants hanging on the beam. He wasn't particularly excited and turned to gather firewood.

Zhao Lei saw this and became even more puzzled.

But he didn't ask any more questions and rolled up his sleeves to start making dinner.

Two pheasants; I plan to stew one in soup and braise the other.

These days, oil is scarce, and people are reluctant to use it when cooking. But pheasants are plump, and their bellies have a layer of golden fat, enough for cooking...

"You're in for a treat today! I'm cooking something delicious for you myself!"