Chapter 4: Zhang Fugui's Ambition

This is Zhang Daniu's wife, Yang Xiaohong. Due to her good relationship with Zhang Fugui's mother, she greets Zhang Fugui with great warmth

At this time, the sky had not yet brightened significantly; it was dim and hazy, and the faint light allowed Fang Xiaoyue to barely see the dirt path beneath her feet

Upon entering, there is a farmhouse courtyard, where two hens are pecking at the ground. Although it appears somewhat dilapidated, both the main house and the wing are constructed of brick and concrete, which is certainly a hundred times better than a thatched cottage

The most desperate plan is to take these seasoning plants to the black market in the county town and sell them for some money

This is also normal; the fruiting period of chestnuts is from October to December. After more than five months of exposure to wind and sunlight, it is already quite good that the tree can retain this much.

Chestnuts are an exceptionally sweet food, rich in starch, and also contain monosaccharides and disaccharides, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and various other nutrients

Such strength made his ascent up the mountain relatively easy, preventing him from becoming breathless after walking for a while and needing to rest every three steps.

Otherwise, Fang Xiaoyue suspected that the chestnuts on this tree could not possibly be preserved at all

Although she has already eaten 3 corn cobs, Fang Xiaoyue still feels somewhat hungry

Most animals in the mountains are nocturnal

At this moment, Fang Xiaoyue completely forgot about Zhang Fugui's lingering aversion to the crowing of roosters, and instead, she joyfully got out of bed and headed straight to the home of the team leader, Zhang Daniu

"It is prosperous, come in quickly, Aunt has cooked big corn cobs today"

During the ascent, Fang Xiaoyue crafted some grass ropes using the reeds by the roadside

Although Zhang Fugui's body is very frail, he does not resemble a fifteen-year-old child at all, but rather one who is no more than twelve years old. However, as Fang Xiaoyue continues to merge with this body, at least one-fifth of his original strength has been transferred into it.

Leaving about 3 jin of chestnuts for dinner and breakfast, Fang Xiaoyue used the remaining 2 jin of chestnuts to weave a small basket from grass stems and hurriedly went to Zhang Daniu's house

Afterward, he walked while observing and found some animal trails frequented by small creatures. He used grass ropes and stones to create some simple trapping devices.

He has already eaten the most

Only after all the chestnuts in the pot had cracked open did Fang Xiaoyue extinguish the fire and take out the chestnuts

Having finished these tasks, he then began his descent down the mountain

If a comparison must be made, his current strength is roughly comparable to that of an adult man

These trapping devices are a result of Zhang Fugui's hunting skills being temporarily bestowed upon them

Captain Zhang Daniu's house is located in the center of the village, while Fang Xiaoyue's thatched cottage is situated on the outskirts of the village

During the descent, he casually gathered some dry firewood, effectively filling his backpack.

Those traps no longer need to be attended to

Most importantly, there are still some chestnuts remaining on the tree

Although Fang Xiaoyue currently has no use for these seasoning plants in his food reserves, he still harvested quite a few.

Although this boiled chestnut is not as fragrant as the roasted chestnut, he truly cannot find clean sand, and as for using rice to roast the chestnuts, that is even more out of the question

As a 15-year-old youth, it is quite normal to have thoughts related to belonging and imagery.

A middle-aged woman wearing a patched red cotton jacket opened the door and immediately pulled Fang Xiaoyue inside

If hunting is divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower, Zhang Fugui's hunting skills are probably just a bit better than the lower level

Due to the vigorous flames of the stove, steam soon began to rise from the pot

In comparison to Zhang Fugui's thatched cottage, the home of Team Leader Zhang Daniu is naturally much better.

Lying stiffly in bed, half asleep and half awake, Fang Xiaoyue, enduring the torment of hunger, could not help but feel a surge of joy deep within when she heard the crow of a rooster

He was just contemplating going into the mountains to find something to eat and satisfy his hunger

Fortunately, three ears of corn have some utility

Fang Xiaoyue plans to come by tomorrow morning to check the traps and also to gather some food to take back

Nevertheless, Fang Xiaoyue managed to finish three in one go

However, Fang Xiaoyue did not rush to climb the tree to pick chestnuts. Instead, she first gathered some slightly dried vines, cut them into evenly sized strips with a sickle, and then wove these strips into a backpack.

Continue to go back to the room and sleep, Fang Xiaoyue collapsed onto the bed in her room, desperately trying to hypnotize herself

Having eaten three corn cobs earlier, Fang Xiaoyue felt slightly full after consuming three pounds of chestnuts

Just say that I went to gather firewood

However, he is methodical

They have lived at the foot of this mountain for over a thousand years, relying on the mountains for their sustenance, so it is not surprising that they are aware of these matters

The first thing upon returning to the thatched cottage was to grab a sickle and head towards the nearby Dulong Mountain

Of course, if one must eat, then consuming half of these chestnuts does not require asking or referencing the book questions

Therefore, Fang Xiaoyue would not be able to find some wild fruits that only appear in autumn

During this pitch darkness, it is impossible to even gather wild vegetables

However, to his disappointment, there were not many chestnuts on the tree; after counting them all, he managed to collect less than 5 pounds in his basket

For someone like Fang Xiaoyue, who has never been full, eating 5 kilograms of chestnuts is quite easy

With hope in her heart, Fang Xiaoyue continued to wander in the mountains, carrying her basket on her back

This allowed his strength to completely exceed the limits of a fifteen-year-old boy

This young rascal is not just a figure of speech when it comes to draining my resources. Moreover, Fang Xiaoyue's body has been in a state of hunger for a long time, and with no substantial nourishment, those mere three ears of corn are truly just a way to fill a gap in her teeth

In a moment of desperation, Fang Xiaoyue could only tighten her belt with force, scoop up a ladle of cold water, and gulp it down, barely extinguishing a bit of her hunger.

Although it feels a bit awkward to go to someone else's house for a meal so early in the morning, Fang Xiaoyue understands that in this day and age, one can truly starve to death

However, Fang Xiaoyue was not satisfied and continued to search under the tree for a while, picking up some chestnuts that had not yet rotted, which significantly increased the quantity of chestnuts in her basket to about 10 jin

If it were not for this, even if Zhang Daniu is the captain, the food reserves at home are not plentiful, and if he constantly invites Zhang Fugui over for meals, which wife would not be angry?

These are common knowledge among the villagers of Lianqiao Village

After all, Zhang Fugui is in a state of hunger, and the villagers in Qianqiao Village as well as those in other villages will not fare any better. When people are driven by hunger, they may not consider many things.

He found two wooden barrels and made several trips to the village well to fill the water tank. He then washed the iron pot that had a missing piece, added some water, and poured in all the chestnuts

Although Fang Xiaoyue was surprised that the expertise in crafting items could also enhance this backpack, he, having already suffered from hunger, had no more time to appreciate his masterpiece. Instead, he spat some foam onto his hand and then climbed up the tree, picking clusters of chestnuts from the branches and placing them into the backpack.

If placed twenty to thirty years into the future, it could be referred to as a craftwork online

After returning to the thatched cottage cautiously and evasively, he let out a sigh of relief

In the following time, he found wild Sichuan pepper trees, evodia, ginger, and other seasoning plants

After setting up more than twenty traps, Fang Xiaoyue turned her attention to the flowers, grasses, and trees along the way

With a creak, the gate of Zhang Daniu's courtyard swung open

It is not that he has a small appetite, but rather that Yang Xiaohong only cooked a total of 10 ears of corn. Zhang Daniu and Yang Xiaohong each had 2 ears, their 6-year-old son Zhang Weidong had 2 ears, their 3-year-old daughter Zhang Xiaohui had 1 ear, and he ate the remaining 3 ears.

The experience of having a meal at Zhang Daniu's home does not require excessive description; it was simply last year's corn cobs, which were stored too dry, resulting in a strange, dry taste when cooked and eaten

At this time, following the spring plowing, it is the season when all things are flourishing and growing abundantly

However, the villagers began to rise one by one with the crowing of the roosters, becoming busy with their activities

However, after advancing a certain distance into the mountains, he saw a chestnut tree that was approximately twenty meters tall

After thanking the team leader and his wife, Fang Xiaoyue returned to the thatched cottage

However, due to the circumstances of this era, all outputs are collectively owned, and villagers are not permitted to enter the mountains to hunt or gather on their own.

However, he lay at home for most of the afternoon today and did nothing, so there are no wild vegetables

Regardless of the circumstances, the sweetness and satiety produced by the boiled chestnuts are completely incomparable to that of corn on the cob

However, the next trap can still be used to catch some rabbits, mountain mice, and the like

In the past, he hated the crowing of roosters, as it meant he had to get up and start working.

If you are extremely hungry, go and gather some wild vegetables to eat

The aroma of grains wafted from the homes of some farmers who rose early.

It can be said that Zhang Fugui was capable of setting these traps before, but he was certainly not as ingenious as Fang Xiaoyue

At least he does not feel his legs weaken when he climbs the mountain, and even the strength in his body has significantly recovered

In this way, even if someone sees him coming down from the mountain, there will not be too many issues.

Due to the climate, Dalong Mountain appears somewhat arid, with much of the vegetation on the mountain looking slightly dry and yellow, completely lacking the lush green typical of spring

Zhang Fugui's hunting skills are entirely a result of being too hungry to hone them; it is unlikely to say they are particularly impressive

The memory of weaving baskets was firmly etched in Fang Xiaoyue's mind, and coupled with her expertise in crafting items, the baskets she wove appeared exceptionally exquisite

Fang Xiaoyue, as a time traveler, currently lacks the courage and foolishness to challenge the status quo

By the time he arrived at Zhang Daniu's house, he was already out of breath; the hunger brought not only stomach pain but also left him feeling weak.

The blue smoke from cooking gradually rises from every household