Chapter 6: A Bountiful Harvest

After the autumn harvest, the corn and rice were brought into the granaries. The rice fields, after one round of harvesting, could grow another crop—regenerating rice—so they wouldn’t be left idle. But the corn fields lay fallow. After a few days of rest, the brigade organized the commune members to plant sweet potatoes. At least, come winter, there would be another batch of sweet potatoes to fill their stomachs. This winter crop didn’t need to be handed over as public grain; it was an unwritten rule, and all brigades kept silent, while the commune turned a blind eye and tacitly allowed it.

Zhong Yuxiu ventured into the deep mountains twice more, hunting seven or eight wild pheasants and a dozen rabbits. She brought one back to the youth settlement for a feast, and the rest she gave to Yan Rushan to exchange for cash and ration tickets in the county. Now, she was someone with a modest savings: over thirty yuan, seven jin of grain coupons, and one coupon each for soap, scented soap, and shampoo powder—all specially procured by Yan Rushan.

Whenever she returned with money, Zhong Yuxiu would slip him a few yuan. Seeing her now more comfortable financially, Yan Rushan no longer refused. Usually, after a trip to the county, he’d spend the money on candies and treats to share with everyone, though the lion’s share went to her.

The ninth day of the ninth month was a special day. The leader had tragically passed away, and the whole nation mourned.

At the youth settlement, the atmosphere of sorrow and silence lasted three days before it began to lift.

Zhong Yuxiu witnessed what true public sentiment meant. With a few fruit candies in her pocket, she headed for the mountains; for her, filling her belly was the priority.

“Comrade Zhong.”

Zhong Yuxiu paused, turned toward the voice, and immediately smiled with delight. “Brother Yan!”

“Heading up the mountain again?” Yan Rushan strolled over.

“Just going for a walk,” Zhong Yuxiu nodded slightly. “Are you heading out too, Brother Yan?”

Yan Rushan didn’t answer, but stepped past her and out the courtyard gate. Glancing back, he finally spoke, “Hurry up, we’ve got work this afternoon. Only an hour to spare.”

“Brother Yan is going up the mountain too?” Zhong Yuxiu quickened her pace, walking beside him along the narrow path.

The youth settlement was remote, with few residents—only two families at the foot of the mountain. If one didn’t want to pass by their doors, there was a trail at the back, though it was rougher than the main path.

Entering the narrow trail, Yan Rushan gave a quiet nod. “The county needs a lot of wild game, as you know. I haven’t delivered any in two days.”

Zhong Yuxiu understood. The wild game trade was ongoing; no wonder Yan Rushan lived so comfortably even in the village.

Game was scarce on the outskirts, so both headed deeper into the mountains. Zhong Yuxiu hoped to slip away and act alone. By the time Yan Rushan noticed, she had already vanished.

Yan Rushan: “……”

Their directions diverged—one south, one north. After weighing his options, Yan Rushan decided not to search for her. Zhong Yuxiu had ventured into the mountains several times without incident, always returning with impressive spoils, as if it were her own backyard.

A wild rabbit.

With her spiritual power, Zhong Yuxiu detected the gray-black fur of a wild rabbit. She darted forward, grabbed its ears, and cradled it in her arms. The rabbit was plump and heavy, at least five jin.

She pulled a hemp rope from her pocket, tied up the rabbit, and continued deeper into the woods. The further she went, the more game appeared. In less than half an hour, she had caught several wild pheasants and a dozen rabbits—a haul richer than her previous expeditions.

Just as she was about to head back, her spiritual sense brushed against something large. After careful probing, she was elated: three wild boars, each about three hundred jin. Then she calmed herself. She had fifth-level spiritual power now—enough to deal with one boar, but facing three simultaneously might exhaust her. She’d likely miss work in the afternoon, and even if she managed, it was impossible to carry three boars down the mountain, and Yan Rushan couldn’t sell them all at once in the county.

She pondered. Encounters with large game were rare; if she let them go, she’d regret it. So she compromised, deciding to kill just one.

Resolute, she twisted the necks of the pheasants and rabbits and stuffed them into her storage ring, then used her spiritual power to conceal her own presence as she trailed the three boars. Spotting a tree trunk as thick as an arm, she broke it off, following the boars until they split up near a shallow pond to forage.

Opportunity struck.

Once the other two boars had wandered off, Zhong Yuxiu’s lips curled into a smile. She crept behind the boar drinking at the pond, launching a spiritual attack on its brain. Swiftly, she charged forward; the makeshift club came down hard. The boar was immobilized by her spiritual power, unable to move, and within moments its life ebbed away.

She tossed aside the club and slumped to the ground, wiping cold sweat from her brow. After catching her breath, she retrieved the pheasants and rabbits, placing them beside the dead boar. A dilemma arose.

The spot was far from the mountain’s base. If she stored the boar in her ring, it would be inconvenient to retrieve. She couldn’t carry it down. After much thought, she decided to use local materials—build a raft and drag the boar, pheasants, and rabbits down the mountain.

Hauling a raft through the forest was arduous. By the time she neared the foot of the mountain, she had long missed work hours. She had assumed Yan Rushan would have returned to work, but unexpectedly, he emerged from the grass.

“Brother Yan.” Zhong Yuxiu was at a loss for words; clearly, he had been waiting for her.

“Are you hurt?” Yan Rushan’s gaze was sharp, noting her sweat-streaked face. He lifted his hand, paused, then lowered it again.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you for your concern, Brother Yan. Sorry for delaying your work.”

The shackles in Yan Rushan’s heart loosened. “It’s nothing. I’ve already taken leave. You weren’t feeling well and had a high fever, so I got you a sick leave too. Don’t let it slip. There’s nothing this afternoon. I’ll go borrow a tractor from the production team—hide the boar well.”

“Alright, Brother Yan, please hurry.” Zhong Yuxiu nodded, watching him leave. She dragged her game to Yan Rushan’s previous hiding spot, arranged it, and finally had a moment to rest.

Her body was too weak, muscles aching and sore, making her reluctant to move.

She had barely rested when Yan Rushan returned, driving a tractor. The engine’s rumbling echoed loudly—a testament to the era’s backward technology.

Yan Rushan jumped off and immediately found Zhong Yuxiu. She struggled to stand. “Brother Yan, you came back so quickly?”

“You’re seriously ill. Getting you to the county hospital can’t wait.”

“I’m going to the county too?”

Yan Rushan nodded. “Of course. The production team doesn’t lend out tractors lightly.”

Zhong Yuxiu asked doubtfully, “The brigade leader trusts you that much?”

“The production team is busy, no time to bother with sick youth volunteers. Someone’s willing to take responsibility; the leader is more than happy.”

“I see! Thank you, Brother Yan.”

Yan Rushan didn’t reply. He took a coil of hemp rope from the tractor and gathered some grass from the thicket to cover the game. Securing everything with rope, he said blandly, “Let’s move the boar.”

“Okay.”

They dragged the raft onto the tractor, both exhausted—the boar was heavy. Their strength barely sufficed to load all the game, then they tied it down with rope.

The grass concealed it well, making it perfectly safe.