When Qi Fang said this, Liu Weiguo suddenly remembered that he had once referred to him as "our brother." Being this enthusiastic could easily be misunderstood, so he quickly waved his hands. "I don’t mean anything else, and I’m not trying to see Yan Xue either."
Seeing Qi Fang silently staring at him, he even raised three fingers. "I swear!"
Qi Fang didn’t seem convinced but eventually looked away and went back to his work.
Now Liu Weiguo was scratching his head. "I’m serious. Actually, I met someone a while ago—back when you got married and went fishing."
That was ages ago, just four days after he’d learned about Qi Fang and Yan Xue’s marriage.
Qi Fang finally finished his task, packed up his tools, and glanced at him as he walked out.
Liu Weiguo hurried after him, not even waiting to be questioned before eagerly explaining, "She’s a female educated youth who came to our forestry station last year. That day, she happened to be fetching water from the river. I saw her struggling with a big bucket, so I helped her out. She thanked me and even complimented my fishing posture, saying it was unique."
Whether Liu Weiguo’s fishing posture was unique or not, Qi Fang couldn’t say, but he could tell that this girl was special to Liu Weiguo.
Sure enough, Liu Weiguo had clearly been holding this in for too long. Once he started talking, there was no stopping him. "At the time, I wondered why I’d never seen her before. Later, I realized—every new female educated youth who comes to the forestry station makes a point of checking you out. But she never did, so I didn’t have any impression of her."
Qi Fang’s looks had practically become a landmark of Jinchuan Forestry Station. Every new female educated youth had heard about the exceptionally handsome male worker there.
Even in these times when male-female relationships were heavily restricted, everyone still had an eye for beauty. Since Liu Weiguo was close to Qi Fang, he often saw girls openly or discreetly coming by just to catch a glimpse of him.
The fact that this girl hadn’t come to see Qi Fang made her stand out in Liu Weiguo’s mind—different from all the others.
Liu Weiguo rubbed his hands together. "Look, your wife’s been through such a big ordeal. If you didn’t know, that’s one thing, but now that you do, it wouldn’t be right not to go check on her…"
This wasn’t even a hint anymore—it was practically a neon sign saying, "Hurry up and take me there."
Qi Fang studied his eager, ingratiating smile. "Don’t you have your own work to do?"
This was clearly a dismissal. Liu Weiguo’s smile froze. "I just had something to tell you…"
"If you keep wasting time, we won’t be going anywhere."
This time, Qi Fang didn’t even look at him, but Liu Weiguo immediately caught on. "Got it! I’ll come find you after I finish up this afternoon." With that, he dashed off.
That afternoon, with over an hour left before quitting time, Liu Weiguo finished his own logging and rushed over to help Qi Fang. Even the sawyer on Qi Fang’s team could tell he was up to something and let him leave early.
The two of them—one impatient, the other calm—headed toward the family brigade. On the way, they ran into Yu Yongzhi again, wandering around with his rifle.
This time, Yu Yongzhi didn’t point his gun at anyone, but he deliberately swerved in front of them, showing off his newly replaced hunting rifle from every angle.
Liu Weiguo’s grandfather had been a hunter, and his family owned more than one rifle, so he didn’t get the appeal. "What’s with all the posturing?"
"Maybe he’s got lice," Qi Fang remarked dryly without looking up.
Liu Weiguo burst out laughing. "No one’s as sharp-tongued as you. You barely talk, but when you do, it’s lethal."
Qi Fang wasn’t targeting anyone in particular, but his disinterested demeanor made everything he said sound sarcastic.
When they reached the family brigade, Yan Xue was loading thicker tree stumps onto a cart with others. She was so petite that people couldn’t help wondering if she could even lift them.
Sure enough, a male educated youth nearby asked, "Can your tiny frame handle this? Need help?"
Another chimed in, rolling up his sleeves. "Just call me ‘brother,’ and I’ll move it all for you."
Yan Xue had just turned eighteen earlier that year, making her the youngest in the family brigade. But that didn’t mean she had to call everyone "brother." The way he said it carried a teasing tone.
Without even glancing at him, Yan Xue kept lifting the wood. "If I call you, will you answer?"
The guy was stunned, clearly not getting it. But someone nearby burst out laughing, punching him lightly and whispering something in his ear that turned his face green.
Liu Weiguo didn’t understand either and quietly asked Qi Fang, "What’s that about?"
"It’s a line from Journey to the West—the Silver Horned King’s line." Qi Fang only said this much before stepping forward to help Yan Xue load the wood onto the cart. "How much is left?"
When he reached out, Yan Xue handed it over, shaking out her sore arms. "Almost done."
Qi Fang didn’t ask further, taking over her task and letting her rest.
"Newlyweds," one of the workers’ wives remarked with a chuckle. "I’ve been working up here for years, and my husband’s never once come to help."
The other married women around laughed and joined in the teasing.
Still puzzled by Yan Xue’s earlier remark, Liu Weiguo turned to a nearby female educated youth. "What’s the deal with that Journey to the West line?"
Books were scarce in those days, and few people read. He only knew Journey to the West from hearing snippets of the story and seeing the four main characters in opera costumes during folk dances.
The girl seemed surprised he’d spoken to her. "Oh, the Silver Horned King had a magical gourd. If he called someone’s name and they answered, they’d be sucked inside and dissolved into nothing within moments."
So that’s why she’d laughed earlier—she’d understood the reference.
Liu Weiguo clicked his tongue. "That’s brutal." It definitely fit Qi Fang’s little wife’s style.
"So what’s the deal with that male educated youth?" he pressed, lowering his voice as if afraid others might hear. He even stepped closer to help her lift something.
Now the girl blushed, quickly letting go of the load to avoid being seen working side by side with him. "H-he’s just mouthing off. Doesn’t mean anything."
"Really?" Liu Weiguo looked skeptical and dropped his voice even further. "You know how pretty my buddy’s wife is. Even before they got married, guys were eyeing her. He’s always worried—dragged me here the second we clocked out. Then we walk in on this scene. You think he’s not pissed?"
Before he could finish, he felt a chill—as if someone’s gaze had swept over him.
Liu Weiguo pretended not to notice. "Him jumping in to help his wife? That’s him marking his territory. As his friend, I’ve gotta ask around for him."
No use pretending—when push came to shove, he’d throw Qi Fang under the bus. After all, he was the one who’d once called Yan Xue his "little sister" and said she was single.
Putting on a righteous front, Liu Weiguo actually managed to convince the girl. She repeatedly assured him that the male educated youth meant nothing—everyone knew Yan Xue was married.
Watching her earnest explanation, Liu Weiguo secretly gloated but nodded solemnly. "I’ll let my buddy know. Not sure if he’ll believe it, though. Maybe you could keep an eye out for him? Next time we come by, we can ask you and feel better about it."
The whispering went on for so long that even Yan Xue noticed and quietly asked Qi Fang, "What's going on here?"
Qi Fang didn’t even bat an eyelid. "Selling out friends for a wife."
Those Liu siblings really were cut from the same cloth—one selling out his buddies, the other selling out her brother...
Yan Xue saw that they were almost done and loaded the last branch onto the cart. "No wonder you suddenly showed up—you were just covering for him."
The remark made Qi Fang pause briefly. Yan Xue noticed and glanced back at him. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing." Qi Fang lazily patted his gloves, his expression as indifferent as ever. "That’s all, right?"
"Yeah, we were pretty much finished anyway. Just these last few branches left."
Liu Weiguo had been so enthusiastic about selling out his friend that by the next day, word had spread that Qi Fang was an overly possessive husband who kept a tight leash on his wife.
Every member of the forestry station’s family brigade who saw Yan Xue couldn’t resist teasing her about it. Eventually, even Huang Fengying heard about it. "Qi Fang seems so reserved, but who knew he’d be so clingy?"
Yan Xue could only laugh. What else could she say? Admit that her brother-in-law was using Qi Fang as an excuse to chase after a female educated youth?
But once or twice was one thing—after Liu Weiguo kept seeking out that same girl to chat, people weren’t blind. By the third time he dragged Qi Fang along to the family brigade, the girl started avoiding him, sticking close to the other female educated youths instead.
Left with no other choice, Liu Weiguo took Yan Xue’s axe and squatted down to chop branches for her, sighing heavily every few swings.
Qi Fang watched him coldly, but Yan Xue smiled and asked, "What’s the matter? Giving up?"
Liu Weiguo hacked at the branches with extra force. "Give up what? She doesn’t even have a fiancé."
He was still hung up on Qi Fang’s earlier remark about Yan Xue being single. Qi Fang’s expression darkened slightly.
Yan Xue, unaware of that incident, assumed he meant the girl was unattached. "Then be more practical. Cut the nonsense."
"Practical? How?" Liu Weiguo finally perked up a little.
"You really think just name-dropping Qi Fang will win her over?" Yan Xue shot him a look. "If you’re serious about pursuing her, show some sincerity. What’s the point of empty words? Can words fill her stomach or keep her warm?"
"So you’re saying I should bring her food?" Liu Weiguo’s eyes lit up.
While others struggled to get good food, his family had no such problem—a few trips up the mountain, and meat was easy to come by.
"Not just food. If you want to court someone, shouldn’t you figure out what she needs? If she’s hungry, bring her food. If it’s raining, offer her an umbrella. I’m not saying this guarantees she’ll like you, but it’s better than doing nothing."
Liu Weiguo ignored the last part, focusing only on the advice, as if he wanted to jot it down. "What else?"
"Figure it out yourself!" Yan Xue rolled her eyes. "You’re the one chasing her, not me. Just think about how to treat her well."
Liu Weiguo nodded eagerly. "You really know your stuff. I should’ve asked you sooner."
Then, with great solemnity, he thumped his chest. "If this works out, you’ll be my savior. I’ll have my future kids call you godmother."
Qi Fang gave him a flat look. "Don’t count your chickens before they hatch."
"At least you’ve got a chicken. Where’s your kid?"
Liu Weiguo, carried away by excitement, actually snapped back. Then, as if to make up for it, he snatched the work from Qi Fang’s hands, hacking away at the branches with renewed vigor.
Once finished, he tossed the axe aside. "Yan Xue, take a break. I’ll haul these over for you." He scooped up the branches and dashed off, more eager than Qi Fang, the actual husband.
Qi Fang’s hand hung in the air for a moment before slowly lowering.
Yan Xue almost laughed at Liu Weiguo’s retort but held back—it didn’t seem appropriate.
Then Qi Fang’s gaze landed on her. "You’re quite the expert."
His tone was ambiguous. Yan Xue wasn’t sure if he’d caught her stifled amusement and quickly schooled her expression. "Haven’t eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run, right?"
She reached for the axe still embedded in the ground but couldn’t pull it free. "Why’d you have to jam it in so deep?"
By late March, the weather was warming, and though the surface snow had melted, the soil beneath remained frozen solid.
"Let me." Qi Fang took over, struggling a bit himself before finally wrenching it free, along with a chunk of cracked earth from their earlier clearing.
Yan Xue quickly inspected the blade. "Hope the edge isn’t chipped." Then her gaze caught on the exposed patch of soil. She crouched for a closer look, using the axe to scrape away more dirt until she confirmed it—a dark, fibrous root.
Qi Fang saw it too. "Looks like gastrodia."
"Yeah." Yan Xue calmly covered it back up, then stood and marked the nearby stump.
Gastrodia, also called the "wind-stabilizing herb," earned its name because its shoots didn’t sway in the wind. This unique trait made it especially effective for treating headaches and post-stroke conditions.
In Yan Xue’s past life, wild gastrodia had become rare, selling for hundreds per pound and protected from harvesting. Now, while not as pricey, the purchasing station still paid well—eleven yuan for top-grade rhizomes, equivalent to a week’s wages.
But finding them was tricky. They hid entirely underground, and by June, when the shoots emerged, their quality dropped.
Once gastrodia flowered, the rhizomes would rot as nutrients depleted. For now, with the ground still frozen, Yan Xue could only mark the spot and return later. She wondered how much might be buried there.
Gastrodia thrived in cool, damp, loose soil, especially under oak and birch forests. This area was oak—maybe there were more nearby.
Despite the unexpected discovery, by the end of the day, Yan Xue was too exhausted to move.
On the ride back, she couldn’t get a seat and had to stand the whole way. Too tired to cook, she just heated the kang and made herself a bowl of fried flour paste.
And she was only in the family brigade—the actual logging teams stationed in the mountains worked even longer hours.
Yan Xue knew manual labor wasn’t her strength. If she kept this up, she might manage to bring her brother over, but the grind would wear her down, making her extra lifetime feel wasted.
Even in this era where private business wasn’t allowed, there had to be another way, right?
Her thoughts returned to the gastrodia.
Though wild supplies had dwindled in her past life, cultivated varieties had become common. Running a mountain goods store, she’d met plenty in the trade and even visited growing bases to source stock. She knew the cultivation methods, the required fungi.
But gastrodia was picky about its environment. With no private land ownership, even if she found a spot to plant, others would just dig it up.
Moreover, the growth cycle of gastrodia elata is quite long. Basically, after a plant blooms and produces offspring, it takes two or three years for the offspring to grow large enough to be transplanted.
Yan Xue quickly dismissed this idea, feeling she needed to come up with a different solution—preferably one that was more practical and yielded quicker results.
After lying long enough on the gradually warming kang bed, she finally got up to wash up and prepare for sleep.
She had to go up the mountain again the next day, so forget about any nightlife—every extra minute of sleep now meant an extra minute of restored energy.
But while she was eager to recover her strength, others clearly weren’t in the same hurry. The moment she lay down, the dog from the house behind hers started barking again.
This time, she had experience. After listening carefully for a while, she guessed it was probably another couple arguing.
Could it still be Liang Qimao and his wife?
Didn’t they feel exhausted after a full day of work?
Liang Qimao was indeed tired, but driving a tractor wasn’t purely physical labor, and Yu Cuiyun didn’t even have a job.
Because of the nature of his work, Liang Qimao often had opportunities to come down the mountain when the tractor needed maintenance, so the couple saw each other fairly often. But this reunion was clearly not a happy one. Yu Cuiyun started by talking about household matters, their child, and then, as usual, brought up her younger brother, Yu Yongzhi.
“What was Dad thinking? Yongzhi said he wanted to join the security team, and he actually got him two guns. Those things are dangerous—what if there’s an accidental discharge?”
Her face was full of worry. After criticizing her father, she turned to her husband. “And you—you don’t even try to stop him from wandering around the mountain with a gun. What kind of brother-in-law are you?”
At first, Liang Qimao let her words go in one ear and out the other, pretending not to hear. But when she directed her complaints at him, he lost patience. “Me, stop him? How? I’m his brother-in-law, not his father! Can’t you worry about him a little less? How much trouble has your meddling caused already?”
Yu Cuiyun flared up. “Me, cause trouble? What trouble have I caused? If you’ve got a problem with my brother, just say it outright—stop making excuses!”
After ten years of marriage, any slight criticism of Yu Yongzhi always set her off like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
Liang Qimao’s temper flared too. “What did I even say about him? Haven’t I done enough as a brother-in-law? Every time he comes over to drink, I’m the one keeping him company. When he complains your cooking isn’t good enough, I’m the one who has to stir-fry something for him.”
“Oh, so that’s why you egged him on to cause trouble at that wedding and got him so drunk he couldn’t get out of bed for two days.”
“Are we really bringing this up again?” Liang Qimao was fed up. “Fine, you say you haven’t caused trouble? Then why did you tell Cheng Yuzhen to take away Qi Fang’s wife’s spot in the family team? Do you know what people up on the mountain are saying now? That your family bullies others, that you do whatever you want because your dad’s the farm director.”
Yu Cuiyun genuinely hadn’t heard these rumors. Since it was all speculation, and everyone knew her temper, no one dared say it to her face.
“When did I ever tell Cheng Yuzhen to take her spot?” she denied outright. “What do I care whether she joins the family team or not?”
“Then why would Cheng Yuzhen go out of her way to make trouble for someone she doesn’t even know? They’ve got no beef.”
“How should I know? Ask Cheng Yuzhen if you don’t believe me.” Yu Cuiyun’s eyes burned with anger. “And what’s your deal with that Yan woman anyway? Why are you defending her to me?”
Liang Qimao ignored the second half of her question, only scoffing. “Cheng Yuzhen knows what you’re like—the farm director’s precious daughter. Would she dare admit you told her to do it?”
The couple argued late into the night, and the next day, Yu Cuiyun’s eyes were still swollen when she appeared in public.
When she showed up at the family team, people couldn’t help but stare, though they tried not to be too obvious about it.
Only after she and Cheng Yuzhen walked off into the woods to talk did the murmurs start.
“Did you see her eyes? What was she crying about so hard?”
“Probably a fight with her husband. Must be related to that Yan Xue business, otherwise why would she go straight to Cheng Yuzhen?”
Yu Cuiyun’s expression was far from pleasant. The two talked for a long time before she finally seemed a little calmer.
Everyone guessed Cheng Yuzhen had spent the time comforting her—maybe even apologizing, since she hadn’t managed to get the job done.
Someone even asked Yan Xue, “Did Yu Cuiyun just glare at you?”
“Huh? Did she?” Yan Xue played innocent and quickly changed the subject, turning to Lang Yue’e. “Are we almost done with the forest clearing?”
Clearing the forest was much faster than logging. They were getting close to Qi Fang’s work team now, surrounded by the whine of chainsaws and towering trees.
Lang Yue’e knew the forest well. “Almost. If the weather stays this warm, the logging team will come down before the snow’s even fully melted.”
Once logging stopped, the clearing work would wind down too, leaving only reforestation and forest protection.
The team leader was out sick today, and his wife was still deep in conversation, so morale was low. Soon, everyone gathered around a fallen log at the forest’s edge, starting a fire to warm themselves. Someone had brought potatoes, which they tossed into the flames. Roasted and steaming, they were better than dry flatbread.
Yan Xue, with her cheerful demeanor, quick hands, and sweet tongue, was quickly invited to join. “Come take a break.”
Since they were paid by the day, working too hard wasn’t just foolish—it made you stand out. Yan Xue didn’t refuse. But just as she was about to step forward, her pupils contracted sharply.
Not far from the group, on a large tree, a massive dark figure lay motionless—round head, small eyes, large ears, a pointed snout, and a crescent-shaped white mark on its chest…
One glance, and a chill shot from Yan Xue’s feet to the top of her skull, her hair nearly standing on end.
When she froze, the others noticed and followed her gaze—then collectively shuddered.
“Black—”
Someone started to shout, but Lang Yue’e clapped a hand over their mouth. At the same time, Yan Xue hissed, “Don’t make a sound! And don’t move!”
Thanks to her earlier scare from Yu Yongzhi, the survival tips were fresh in her mind. Her voice was fast but steady, radiating an eerie calm. “I learned hunting from Old Man Liu. Everyone, listen to me—don’t panic. Face it and back away slowly. There are enough of us that it won’t attack easily.”
The bit about Old Man Liu was pure fabrication, but right now, his name was the only thing that might keep people calm.
If you encounter a black bear in the wild, never play dead or try to climb a tree—bears eat carrion, and they climb faster than you.
Running is the worst mistake—it only invites attack. The only option is to avoid provoking it, maintaining eye contact while retreating slowly.
Yan Xue’s composure was absolute. Lang Yue’e immediately followed her lead, and though the others’ minds were blank with fear, they instinctively mimicked the two women.
This eased Yan Xue's tension slightly, and her voice grew steadier. "Yes, exactly. We just need to retreat three to five hundred meters, then we can hide behind trees—it definitely won't see or hear us. Of course, it might not even care about us and just leave. In that case, we wouldn’t even need to retreat that far..."
Her reassuring words loosened the group’s nerves a little. Someone even whispered, "Three to five hundred meters is enough?"
"At least that far. Once we’re past that distance, it’ll be practically blind—no way it’ll spot you behind a tree," Yan Xue affirmed.
As they spoke, the group had already retreated over a dozen meters, and the black bear remained motionless on the tree. This bolstered their confidence in Yan Xue’s words. Even with trembling legs and pale faces, they clenched their teeth, suppressing any screams, and continued backing away steadily.
By the time they had retreated fifty or sixty meters, Yan Xue was about to turn and scan for nearby woods when two figures suddenly emerged from behind a tree not far away.
Her heart sank. How had she forgotten about them?
Before she could warn them, it was too late. Yu Cuiyun stepped forward while talking, glanced up, and froze. Then came an ear-splitting shriek—
"Ahhh! A black bear!"
The suspense is over—no bonus scene in the author’s note today. Let’s see who among you gets lucky [kisses][kisses][kisses]
