novelonline Chapter 1453 Taishan Village
Chapter 1453 Taishan Village
Chapter 1453 Taishan Village
A bone-chilling cold seeped in through the cracks in the wooden plank bed, like countless fine needles pricking his skin. Qin Hao sat up abruptly from the straw-covered bed, a dry cough rising in his chest, his throat aching as if he had swallowed sandpaper. He squinted, adjusting to the dim light, and looked around—the mud-brick house was so low he could touch the rafters; the mud-and-straw plaster on the walls was wrinkled, and several jagged cracks ran through the corners, letting in a howling wind.
Several shriveled ears of corn hung from the wooden beams of the roof, and farm tools such as hoes and winnowing baskets were piled up against the wall. The ground was compacted yellow earth, gleaming with a dull light, and snow water that had leaked in last night was still accumulating in the corner.
"Old Qin! Look what good stuff I brought you!"
A rough shout accompanied by hurried footsteps rang out, and the dilapidated wooden door creaked open, letting in a gust of cold wind carrying sleet. A young man wearing a faded green military cap and a matching military jacket burst in; the cuffs of his jacket were frayed, but the collar was buttoned up tightly. He carefully carried two steaming sweet potatoes in his arms, their skins charred black, golden syrup seeping from the cracks, their sweet aroma instantly dispelling the musty smell in the room.
"Eat quickly!" The young man rushed to the bedside and stuffed the sweet potato into Qin Hao's hand. The warmth from his palm spread from his fingertips to his whole body: "I finally managed to get this from Jia Shifa's cellar. You've been lying in bed with a fever for two days. You can't go without food."
Qin Hao's stomach rumbled loudly, a sound that echoed in the quiet earthen house. He looked at the heavy sweet potato in his hand, its skin still bearing the grainy texture of soil. The heat seeped through his coarse cloth gloves, making his palms tingle, but it also gave him a long-lost sense of peace.
Just then, a flood of unfamiliar memories rushed into his mind: the young man's name was Yang Shumao, nicknamed "Silly Mao." He had studied wrestling at the Shichahai Sports School since childhood, and ordinary thugs couldn't get close to him. Last time, when some educated youth were bullied by villagers, he single-handedly took down four of them, and from then on, no one in Taishan Village dared to mess with him. He was called "silly" because he was too righteous. When his neighbors ran out of food, he would share most of his own rations. When educated youth had their work points deducted, he dared to slam his fist on the table and confront the team leader. This chivalry was, in those days, a synonym for "not shrewd."
The original owner and Yang Shumo were childhood friends in Jiudaowan Hutong, growing up together like brothers. A couple of years ago, they responded to the call to go to Taishantun in the suburbs of Beijing to work in the countryside. In Beijing slang, they were "iron brothers" who could share a pair of pants.
The original owner had been caught in heavy snow a few days ago and developed a high fever. He had been lying in bed for two days without eating or drinking. If it weren't for Yang Shumao taking care of him, he probably would have died in this mud house long ago.
"Da Mao, these two sweet potatoes..." Qin Hao's voice was terribly hoarse: "I will repay you a thousandfold in the future."
"Hey, don't be so polite with me!" Yang Shumo waved his hand, a simple smile appearing on his face under his military cap: "We're like family, aren't we? If I have something to eat, why would I let you go hungry? Eat it while it's hot, it won't be sweet when it gets cold."
As he spoke, he subconsciously swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, clearly indicating that he was also starving.
Qin Hao stopped being coy and took a big bite of the sweet potato. The piping hot sweet potato melted in his mouth, and the sweet warmth slid down his throat into his stomach, making his internal organs feel comfortable.
He devoured the sweet potato in just a few bites, leaving not even the charred skin intact—in these times when food was precious, not a single grain could be wasted. He wanted to save the other sweet potato, but Yang Shumo stopped him, saying, "Eat! Eat it all! I'll figure something out later."
Just then, a flurry of footsteps came from outside the door, followed by the wooden door being kicked open again. A tall, thin man in a blue work jacket rushed in, his face red from the cold, panting heavily: "Sha Mao! I knew it was you! Quick, Jia Shifa is here with his men. Hide the sweet potatoes and open the windows to let the smell dissipate!"
Yang Shumo's expression changed drastically, and he reached for the sweet potato peel on the bed: "Old Xie, how did Jia Shifa know I stole it? I clearly walked around the back wall of his house!"
Qin Hao immediately recalled the man's identity: Xie Zhiqiang, nicknamed "Old Xie the Turn-around" because he always spoke in circles. He was also a neighbor from Jiudaowan and came to Taishantun with the two of them during the "sent-down youth" movement.
The three looked after each other at the educated youth settlement, worked in the fields together, and even committed petty theft together. Their two years of working in the countryside forged a deep and lasting friendship between them.
"Is there even a question? Someone must have snitched on us!" Old Xie stamped his feet anxiously, pushed open the window covered with plastic sheeting, and a cold wind rushed in, making the old newspapers on the wall rustle. "In this village, besides us educated youth, who dares to touch Jia Shifa's things? He's the secretary of Xiaotun Village, and he holds our food ration books in his hands!"
Qin Hao had finished the second sweet potato, and with food in his stomach, he finally had the strength to move.
Rough footsteps came from outside the door, mixed with a man's shouts.
With a bang, the wooden door was kicked open, and a middle-aged man wearing a black cotton-padded jacket and a hemp rope around his waist barged in. It was Jia Shifa, the secretary of Xiaotun Village. Behind him were two villagers and a fat man wrapped in a military overcoat, who was also an educated youth sent to the countryside, named Niu Tinggui.
Jia Shifa glanced at the three people in the room, sniffed, and immediately frowned: "Tell me, who stole our sweet potatoes? The whole house smells of roasted sweet potatoes, you can't deny it!"
Yang Shumo wiped his face, inwardly cursing himself for being so foolish as to forget to open the window to air out the smell. He was about to step forward and admit that he had done it when Qin Hao beat him to it.
"I stole the sweet potatoes; it has nothing to do with those two." Qin Hao stood up, his body still somewhat weak, but his voice was steady.
Before Jia Shifa could speak, Niu Tinggui behind him shrieked, "Qin Hao, what are you trying to prove! I clearly saw that it was Sha Mao who stole it in the dark, don't take the blame for him!"
Yang Shumo and Xie Lao exchanged a glance, both seeing anger in each other's eyes—it was indeed that bastard who snitched! Niu Tinggui always loved to flatter Jia Shifa, and in order to get a bigger share of the rations, he was always hanging around Jia Shifa. This time, he must have seen Yang Shumo stealing sweet potatoes and immediately reported him.
Jia Shifa stepped forward, patted Qin Hao on the shoulder, and said in a somewhat earnest tone: "Little Qin, don't be foolish. Stealing is wrong in itself, but taking the blame for someone else is an even bigger crime. If it's reported to the commune, you'll be punished."
Yang Shumo panicked and reached out to pull Qin Hao behind him: "Old Qin, don't meddle, this has nothing to do with you!"
But when he tried to exert force, he found that Qin Hao stood motionless, as if rooted to the spot. Yang Shumo wondered: This childhood friend of his is usually so frail, how come he suddenly has such strength?
In the brief moment he was distracted, Qin Hao had already walked up to Jia Shifa, lowered his head slightly, and said a few words in a voice only the two of them could hear. Jia Shifa's expression instantly changed, from initial smugness to astonishment, followed by a hint of panic. He glared at Qin Hao, then gave Yang Shumao and Old Xie a fierce look, leaving behind the words, "Don't let me catch you doing anything wrong," before swaggering away.
"Hey! Secretary Jia!" Niu Tinggui exclaimed anxiously, quickly chasing after him. "I saw Yang Shuma stealing sweet potatoes with my own eyes. How can we just let it go like this? If word gets out, where will you put your face?"
Jia Shifa ignored him and walked away without looking back. Niu Tinggui watched their retreating figures, stomping his feet in anger, but dared not say anything more—he was still hoping Jia Shifa would get a larger share of the rations.
The three people in the room were stunned. It wasn't until the footsteps faded away that Old Xie was the first to react. He went to Qin Hao's side and asked, "Old Qin, what did you say to Jia Shifa? Why did he just leave like that?"
Yang Shumo looked at Qin Hao with curiosity: "Yeah, that old man is usually so stingy. He'll curse for ages if a stone is lost in his house. Why is he so cheerful today?"
Qin Hao walked to the window, closed it, rubbed his hands which were red from the cold, and said casually, "Why have we fallen so low as to steal sweet potatoes? It's all because Jia Shifa secretly withheld our rations. Last month, he gave us nothing but moldy cornmeal, and most of the promised dried sweet potatoes were missing. I just wanted him to understand that we educated youth are all city people; who doesn't have a relative who's a cadre in the city? If he really pushes us too far, and it gets to the commune, it won't be something that can be settled with just a few sweet potatoes."
After listening, Old Xie suddenly gave a thumbs up: "Wow, Old Qin! How come I never knew you had this brain?"
Yang Shumo's eyes lit up, and he suddenly slapped his thigh: "That's right! With this leverage, we can directly threaten Jia Shifa and make him process Shi Xiaona's return to the city!" As he spoke, he was about to rush out, but Qin Hao grabbed his arm.
"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Qin Hao shook his head helplessly. "Do you have any solid evidence that Jia Shifa is embezzling rations? He has the ledgers and the warehouse keys. He can just dismiss you with a casual 'there's been some grain storage loss.' The reason Jia Shifa didn't pursue it earlier is because he doesn't think it's worth risking everything for two sweet potatoes. If you really play this card, he'll find out we don't have any powerful connections, and then he'll try to destroy us."
Old Xie nodded in agreement: "Old Qin is right, Sha Mao, don't be impulsive."
Yang Shumo's shoulders slumped, and he sat down dejectedly on the earthen bed covered with dry straw, pounding the edge of the bed with his fists. "But there's only a month left until the New Year. If we can't go back to the city this year, we might have to stay here for another year. We tough folks can handle it, but Shi Xiaona has such delicate skin, how can she endure this kind of hardship?"
Qin Hao's memories resurfaced: Shi Xiaona was also a neighbor from Jiudaowan, fair-skinned and pretty, with a soft-spoken voice. However, her family background was problematic; the Shi family were capitalists with overseas connections. Since the Shi family lost power, Shi Xiaona had become a target of discrimination. Children called her "the capitalist's daughter," and no one wanted to play with her. If it weren't for Yang Shumao's constant protection, Shi Xiaona's life would have been very difficult.
It was precisely because of this that Shi Xiaona and Yang Shumao had some feelings for each other, which is why Yang Shumao was so concerned about Shi Xiaona's affairs.
"Isn't there still a month until the New Year?" Qin Hao patted Yang Shumo on the shoulder, his tone reassuring: "Let me think of a solution. In the meantime, don't make any rash moves, especially don't get into a conflict with Jia Shi."
Upon hearing this, Yang Shumo could only nod dejectedly in agreement. Looking at Qin Hao, he suddenly felt that his childhood friend was different today—his eyes were more determined, his speech was more organized, and even his strength seemed to have increased.
"Old Qin, you seem like a completely different person after this illness." Yang Shumo scratched his head.
Qin Hao's heart tightened, but he remained calm on the surface: "People tend to think more when they're sick. Lying on the kang with nothing to do, I've been thinking a lot about our situation."
Xie Zhiqiang laughed and said, "If you ask me, this is a blessing in disguise! Old Qin, from now on you'll be our strategist!"
……
The next morning, before dawn, the sound of gongs could be heard outside: "All educated youth, assemble! All educated youth, assemble!"
Qin Hao struggled to get up from the kang (a heated brick bed), still feeling a little dizzy, but much better than yesterday. He got dressed and went outside, only to find more than twenty educated youths already standing in the courtyard, all sleepy-eyed, hunched over, and stamping their feet. In December, the temperature in the outskirts of Beijing had dropped to minus ten degrees Celsius, and breath turned to frost.
Jia Shifa stood at the front, hands behind his back, a fake smile on his face: "Comrades, it snowed last night, and the roads in the village are covered in snow. In order to ensure the safety of the villagers, the organization has decided to send three comrades to be responsible for clearing the snow in the whole village."
His gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Qin Hao, Yang Shumo, and Xie Zhiqiang: "Qin Hao, Yang Shumo, Xie Zhiqiang, this glorious task is entrusted to you. Before dark today, you must clear the snow from the main roads of the village!"
A low murmur arose from the crowd. Although Taishan Village wasn't large, clearing the snow from all the main roads would take three people a whole day. This was clearly retaliation.
Yang Shumo immediately exploded: "Captain Jia, are we three supposed to sweep all the roads in the village? How long would that take? This is retaliation!"
Jia Shifa's face darkened: "Comrade Yang Shumo, watch your words! This is a task assigned to you by the organization, a test of your trust! What, do you have a problem with it?"
"I..." Yang Shumao was about to argue when Qin Hao stopped him.
"Captain Jia, we accept the mission," Qin Hao said calmly.
Jia Shifa glanced at Qin Hao with some surprise, then sneered, "Comrade Qin Hao is truly enlightened. Alright, hurry up and get the tools on the job! Remember, it must be finished before dark, I'll be checking!"
After saying that, Jia Shifa walked away with his hands behind his back. Niu Tinggui followed behind him, turning back to give the three of them a smug smile.
"That bastard!" Yang Shumo clenched his fists in anger. "Old Qin, if you hadn't stopped me just now, I would have thrown this son of a bitch so hard he couldn't walk!"
Xie Zhiqiang also looked distressed: "This is terrible. We can't sweep all the roads in the village, even if we sweep until tomorrow morning."
Qin Hao had already reached the courtyard wall, picked up three brooms, and handed one to each of the two men: "Get to work. Either don't do anything, or do something so that he has absolutely no chance of turning things around."
He spoke calmly, but Yang Shumo and Xie Zhiqiang both felt a chill run down their spines.
"Did you feel a chill creep up from the soles of your feet just now?" Xie Zhiqiang asked, rubbing his arms.
Yang Shumo stared at Qin Hao's retreating figure and murmured, "Old Qin has really changed..."
The three of them took brooms and left the educated youth settlement. Everything outside was a blanket of white; it had indeed snowed quite a bit last night, the snow reaching ankle-deep. The village's dirt roads were completely covered, and in the distance, several mud houses had thick snow piled on their roofs, with rows of icicles hanging from the eaves, glistening in the morning light.
"Where do we start sweeping?" Xie Zhiqiang asked, his breath steaming in the air.
Qin Hao glanced at the direction and said, "Let's start from the village entrance and sweep one road at a time. Da Mao, you're strong, so you're in charge of piling the snow up to the side of the road. Lao Zhuan, you sweep with me."
With the tasks assigned, the three began to work. Shoveling snow is physically demanding, especially when the snow is compacted, making it even more strenuous. Qin Hao, who had just recovered from his illness, was panting heavily after working for a while, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Old Qin, take a break, I'll do it." Yang Shumao took the broom from Qin Hao.
Qin Hao didn't try to be brave. He walked to a rock by the roadside and sat down to rest. He looked at this unfamiliar village: mud houses, stacks of firewood, frozen ground, and barren mountains in the distance. This was rural life in the 1970s—poor and harsh, yet possessing a simple, unpretentious vitality.
Just as I was lost in thought, two figures came running from a distance.
Qin Hao looked up and saw two girls running towards him. The girl in front had fair skin, which glowed with a healthy rosy hue even in winter. She wore a red scarf, a blue cotton-padded jacket, black trousers, and cotton shoes. She had large eyes, long eyelashes, and spoke with a slightly delicate Beijing accent.
Memories flooded back—this was Shi Xiaona. The girl beside her was slightly shorter, with a round face, two braids, and crescent-shaped eyes; she was her best friend, Fu Heming.
Upon seeing Shi Xiaona, Yang Shumao's face immediately lit up with a smile: "Xiaona, you're here!"
Shi Xiaona spoke up for the three of them, saying, "This Jia Shifa is really bullying us. He expects the three of you to sweep all the roads in the village. How is that even possible?"
Fu Heming also said angrily, "That's right! There are more than 20 people in our educated youth settlement, why should only the three of you be punished?"
"How about we sweep for you?" Shi Xiaona said, taking a broom from Yang Shumao's hand.
"No, no, no, this work is dirty, girls shouldn't get involved," Yang Shumo quickly said.
"What do you mean by 'girls'? We're all educated youth sent to the countryside; we should help each other." Shi Xiaona had already started shoveling snow.
Fu Heming also picked up a broom: "Xiao Na is right! Many hands make light work!"
Qin Hao stood up from the rock: "Thank you then. Let's hurry up, maybe we can finish sweeping before dark."
Working together as a group of five significantly increased efficiency. Yang Shumao was in charge of piling up snow, while Qin Hao, Xie Zhiqiang, Shi Xiaona, and Fu Heming swept snow side by side, quickly revealing the black surface of a dirt road.
While working, Shi Xiaona would steal glances at Yang Shuma from time to time, and Yang Shuma would also frequently look up at Shi Xiaona. Their eyes would meet, and then they would quickly look away.
After about an hour of work, they finished sweeping one road. The five of them sat down to rest by the roadside, and Shi Xiaona took out a few hard candies from her pocket and shared them with everyone.
"These are the few pieces my mom sent last time, and this is all that's left," Shi Xiaona said somewhat embarrassedly.
Qin Hao took the candy; it was one of those old-fashioned hard fruit candies, wrapped in clear paper. He unwrapped it, put the candy in his mouth, and the sweetness melted in his mouth—a rare treat in this era of scarcity.
"Thank you, Xiaona." Yang Shuma smiled so broadly he couldn't stop, holding the candy in his mouth, reluctant to chew it.
Xie Zhiqiang joked, "Oh, we're really benefiting from Sha Mao's success."
Shi Xiaona blushed and lowered her head.
Just then, an annoying voice rang out: "Hey, shoveling snow? It's quite a scene."
Niu Tinggui suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wrapped in that military overcoat, looking like a fat bear. He walked straight to Shi Xiaona's side, a smile plastered on his face: "Xiaona, this is no job for you. Here, give me the broom, I'll sweep for you."
As he spoke, he reached for the broom in Shi Xiaona's hand.
Shi Xiaona took a step back: "No need, I can manage on my own."
"Don't be so polite. We're all comrades, it's only right that we help each other." Niu Tinggui leaned forward again, almost touching Shi Xiaona.
Yang Shumo's face instantly darkened. He stood up and slammed the broom on the ground: "Niu Tinggui, stay away from Xiaona!"
Niu Tinggui glanced at Yang Shumao with a sneer on his face: "Silly Mao, what business is it of yours if I talk to Xiaona? Who do you think you are?"
"You!" Yang Shumo was about to step forward, but Qin Hao shook his head at him.
Qin Hao's gaze swept between Niu Tinggui and Shi Xiaona, finally settling on the row of glistening icicles under the eaves of the house by the roadside. The icicles were about the thickness of a wrist and half a meter long, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
He winked at Shi Xiaona.
Shi Xiaona didn't understand at first and looked at Qin Hao with a puzzled expression. It wasn't until Qin Hao gestured with his eyes to the icicles under the eaves that she suddenly realized what was going on.
Shi Xiaona understood and casually walked towards the eaves. Niu Tinggui, as expected, followed her like a leech, still chattering, "Xiaona, look how cold it is! Your hands are all red. I have a hot water bottle in my house, I'll get it for you in a bit..."
As he was speaking, Qin Hao suddenly swung the broom in his hand. The broom handle struck precisely the icicles under the eaves that were directly facing Niu Tinggui.
Snap! Clang!
The icicle broke and fell straight down.
"what--"
A scream.
An icicle as thick as a wrist slammed into Niu Tinggui's forehead, making him see stars and stumble to the ground. He clutched his forehead, where a large, bruised bump quickly rose.
"Haha! You little brat, you served you right for reporting us!" Yang Shumo laughed, slapping his thigh.
Xie Zhiqiang laughed so hard he bent over: "Niu Tinggui, did you practice Iron Head Kung Fu? Even an icicle couldn't break your head!"
Shi Xiaona and Fu Heming covered their mouths and chuckled, their eyes curving into crescents.
Niu Tinggui clutched his head, wincing in pain. He struggled to his feet, pointing at Qin Hao, his finger trembling: "You...you dare hit me! I'll fight you to the death!"
He was about to rush forward and fight Qin Hao to the death when Yang Shumo saw this and stepped in front of Qin Hao.
Niu Tinggui knew how formidable Yang Shumao was, so he didn't dare to fight him. He could only say to Yang Shumao, "Silly Mao, this has nothing to do with you. Mind your own business!"
Yang Shumo slung the broom over his shoulder and glanced sideways at Niu Tinggui: "My brother's business is my business. Niu Tinggui, if you dare to lay a finger on him, I'll make sure you can't get out of bed for three months, you believe me!"
Niu Tinggui was wary of Yang Shumao's skills, but he was also unwilling to lose face in front of Shi Xiaona. He pointed at Qin Hao and shouted, "You son of a bitch! If you're a man, don't hide behind others! If you've got the guts, let's fight one-on-one!"
Qin Hao stepped out from behind Yang Shumo and calmly looked at Niu Tinggui: "A one-on-one duel? Sure, but there should be some kind of prize involved, right?"
"Old Qin!" Yang Shumo exclaimed anxiously, "Don't fall for this kid's tricks!"
Qin Hao patted Yang Shumo on the shoulder: "Don't worry, when have you ever seen me do something I wasn't sure about?"
As he spoke, he directly pried Yang Shumo's hand off his. This time, Yang Shumo was even more surprised—Qin Hao's grip had really gotten stronger; he hadn't been able to hold on when he tried to pry it off.
Niu Tinggui perked up when he saw that Qin Hao dared to accept the challenge. He was a size bigger and taller than Qin Hao, and felt he had a good chance of winning: "Tell me! What do you want as a prize!"
"It's simple." Qin Hao propped the broom up to the side and cracked his knuckles. "If I win, you have to sweep all the snow in the village for us today."
"Then what if you lose?"
"I lost. From now on, I'll take care of all your work."
Niu Tinggui's eyes lit up upon hearing this. This was like a windfall! Afraid Qin Hao would back out, he immediately said, "You said it yourself! Whoever loses and doesn't do their job is a coward!"
Qin Hao shook his head: "I don't trust your character. Calling someone a bastard or a coward is too far-fetched. How about this: whoever loses and doesn't do their job has to get slapped every time they meet, and they're not allowed to fight back or complain. How about that?"
The bet stunned everyone present. Being slapped every time they met was a form of continuous humiliation. If Niu Tinggui lost, he would never be able to hold his head up high again at the educated youth settlement.
Looking at Qin Hao's confident demeanor, Niu Tinggui felt a little apprehensive. But when he met Shi Xiaona's gaze and saw that she was looking at him, his blood boiled—he couldn't back down in front of a girl!
"Okay! Let's do it!"
As Niu Tinggui spoke, he got into a fighting stance and pounced on Qin Hao. He wasn't stupid; he knew he had a size advantage and wanted to use his weight to overpower Qin Hao.
This scene made Shi Xiaona and Fu Heming's hearts leap into their throats. Niu Tinggui was much stronger than Qin Hao, and his lunge was fierce. Could Qin Hao stop him?
Yang Shumo and Xie Zhiqiang's palms were sweating. Yang Shumo was prepared to rush forward immediately if Qin Hao suffered a loss.
However, what happened next stunned everyone.
Just as Niu Tinggui rushed up to Qin Hao and reached out to grab his collar, Qin Hao suddenly bent down and dodged Niu Tinggui's arm. At the same time, he stretched out his arms and hugged Niu Tinggui's legs.
Before Niu Tinggui could react, he felt a sudden lightness in his body, followed by a dizzying spin—
boom!
A solid, muffled thud.
Niu Tinggui was thrown face-first into the snow, his mouth full of slush and mud. He lay there, unable to catch his breath for a long time.
Qin Hao lightly patted the dust off his clothes, took two steps back, and created some distance.
"Great job!" Yang Shumo was the first to exclaim. "Old Qin! Your dive takedown was excellent!"
He recognized it immediately; it was a classic wrestling technique.
Qin Hao smiled and said, "It's alright. I learned this from you."
"Old Qin, when did you become such a good fighter?" Shi Xiaona asked in surprise, "Why have I never seen you use this before?"
Qin Hao pointed at Yang Shumao: "With Da Mao here, why would I need to take action?"
After saying that, Qin Hao walked to the eaves, picked up his broom, and threw it in front of Niu Tinggui, who was still lying on the ground: "Remember, finish shoveling the snow before dark. If you don't do a good job, I'll slap you every time we meet. I have a strong hand, most people can't take it."
Niu Tinggui was completely disoriented from the fall, his mind reeling. Qin Hao's movements were too fast; he hadn't even seen what happened before he was lying on the ground. Now his back, waist, and face ached, and his mouth tasted of mud and snow.
"Old Qin, that was really satisfying!" Xie Zhiqiang laughed.
Looking at Qin Hao's profile, Shi Xiaona suddenly realized that her usually quiet childhood friend was unusually different today. He was calm, decisive, courageous, and resourceful, completely different from the somewhat introverted and timid Qin Hao of the past.
"Old Qin, thank you for helping me out of that situation just now," Shi Xiaona said softly.
Qin Hao shook his head: "We're all from the same alley, so helping each other out is only natural. Besides, I didn't like the look of that expensive cow anyway."
“Now that Niu Tinggui is helping us shovel snow, we don’t need to work anymore. Let’s go back inside; it’s terribly cold outside,” Yang Shumo suggested.
Qin Hao looked up at the mountain: "Are you hungry?"
"Of course I'm hungry, no doubt about it. I haven't had a proper meal since I came to this godforsaken place," Old Xie complained.
"Let's go find something to eat."
"Old Qin, you're not kidding, are you? In the dead of winter, there's not a soul to be seen on the mountain. Where are we going to get food?"