After the frail beauty went to the countryside, she went crazy with scientific research.

Chapter 65, Episode 0067: Winter Hunt
Time is like sand in your hand; whether you open your hand or clench your fist, it slips away unnoticed.

It seems like only a blink of an eye, and the earth is already covered with a thin layer of white snow.

The time for gathering wild produce is over; now we're in the final preparation stage before hibernation.

Most people have already prepared firewood and food for the winter, and very few people still go up the mountain unless their family is in dire need and they need to make a living on the mountain.

There is another type, which is the winter hunting activity organized by the village today.

The winter hunt organized by the brigade is not something that can be done by just grabbing a stick or a knife and going up the mountain.

The claim that there are wolves and tigers in the mountains here is not just empty talk; it's real. There are Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, and other wild animals. If any of them comes along, you'll have a hard time running away.

These wild beasts usually don't like to get involved with humans and generally live in the deep mountains of the inner region. They will only seek out places inhabited by humans to find food when they can no longer survive.

Humans won't be foolish enough to venture into their territory; they'll try to maintain a peaceful relationship between the two sides.

The winter hunt organized by the village was a temporary disruption to this peace. What were the wild pheasants and rabbits on the outskirts worth compared to a wild boar weighing two or three hundred pounds?

If it's a tiger, every part of it is valuable.

Therefore, sticks and knives are definitely not enough; we need to use something with greater firepower.

The First Battalion had seven hunting rifles, the Second Battalion had four, the Third Battalion had fewer, but still had two, and the Fourth Battalion also had four. These were the main force.

In addition, there are several sticks and several machetes for assistance.

Is it dangerous?
Definitely.

But this is the only opportunity for most people in the countryside to make money besides farming. If they take a chance, they might be able to build a new house next year; if they don't, everyone else will be eating meat while they watch.

Lin Yuexi kept glancing towards the back mountain, unable to concentrate on her book anymore, feeling unusually uneasy.

The three young men in the family also went up the mountain for winter hunting early in the morning. Leng Xingran had been trained in the army and knew how to drive a gun, so he was assigned a hunting gun. Zhang Ze brought a machete. Xu Zhichuan knew a little about medicine and was assigned to be Dr. Gao's assistant.

A group of over a hundred people set off around five in the morning. They wouldn't return that day, as they carried dry rations and would typically stay on the mountain for four or five days.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in, the door is open."

The door was pushed open a crack, and Ren Yan's little head squeezed in, "Xi Bao, you're not asleep either? I can't sleep either."

"Worried about Xu Zhichuan?"

Lin Yuexi raised an eyebrow and teased.

While she was finishing her task, she noticed that the atmosphere between the girl and Xu Zhichuan was a bit off, somewhat ambiguous, and they both seemed to be deliberately avoiding each other.

Unlike many girls, Ren Yan was not shy or coy when asked this question. Instead, she raised her face and frankly admitted, "Xu Zhichuan and I have confirmed our relationship. It happened just yesterday."

After pushing the door open and closing it, I squeezed onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and sat cross-legged.

“Xi Bao, do you think I was too impulsive? Xu Zhichuan’s mother is that kind of person. Aunt Hao once told me that if a woman marries a man whose mother-in-law is difficult to get along with, no matter how good the man is, he will suffer.”

Lin Yuexi wholeheartedly agreed, "Aunt Hao has been through this before, and she's genuinely good to you. You won't go wrong by listening to her advice."

Ren Yan's eyebrows were almost tangled together. "Uncle Zhao was very good to Aunt Hao. At first, I thought Aunt Hao was very happy. But later, Aunt Hao told me that she used to live a life that was like drinking bitter herbs every day." "Uncle Zhao is also from the countryside. When Aunt Hao married Uncle Zhao, she couldn't go with him to the army. She could only stay in Uncle Zhao's hometown."

Both Old Man Zhao and Old Woman Zhao were biased, one favoring their eldest son and the other favoring their youngest. Deputy Brigade Commander Zhao was neglected from a young age, and after joining the army, he became nothing more than a cash cow.

Moreover, Old Man Zhao and Old Woman Zhao each have their own quirks. The old man is honest in public but beats his wife in private, while the old woman is shrewish and unreasonable but a coward in private. They are also both sexist and prefer sons to daughters.

“Back then, Uncle Zhao sent 20 yuan back home every month [a 23rd-level company commander, whose salary was 52 yuan. Cadres had to pay for food, so he usually received about 38 yuan]. Not a penny of this money was spent on Aunt Hao. Besides working every day, Aunt Hao also had endless chores at home, and she was exhausted by the two children.”

Ren Yan rubbed her arms with a sigh and a bit of fear. "Aunt Hao said she was silly back then. She thought Uncle Zhao was going on a mission in the army and didn't want him to worry about the family and get distracted, so she didn't tell Uncle Zhao anything."

After enduring six years in their hometown, Deputy Brigade Commander Zhao was promoted to Deputy Battalion Commander, and Aunt Hao was finally able to join him in the army.

It was only after Zhao, the deputy brigade commander, went back to pick up his wife and stayed in his hometown for a few more days that he learned from his childhood playmates what kind of life his wife had been living in their hometown all along.

Lin Yuexi realized what was going on and asked, "Are you worried that Xu Zhichuan's mother would treat you the same way?"

Ren Yan was unusually shy; after all, she was a young woman, and it was inevitable that she would feel embarrassed to talk about her future husband's family.

But she still felt uneasy and wanted an answer. She only trusted Xi Bao among the people around her, even though Xi Bao was still single.

With her ears turning red, she replied, "I... I'm not afraid of Mrs. Xu openly causing me trouble. At worst, we'll have a fight. She definitely can't beat me. Reputation is something you can't eat or drink. I've never cared about it."

I'm afraid she'll resort to underhanded tactics. Those so-called wives of women always say one thing in public and another in private, right? I've never been very bright, and I'm afraid I'll drag you down with me.

I'm even more afraid that you won't want me anymore!

Twice now, Xi Bao has been inside the house for a long time without appearing. During the time she is gone, there are countless breathing sounds of varying intensity around the house, but Uncle Liu and Leng Xingran in the family are not surprised by it.

She wasn't smart, but she wasn't completely stupid either. She wouldn't try to guess what was going on; she just needed to know that Xi Bao's identity was extraordinary.

She didn't want to lose Xi Bao as a friend. After agreeing to date Xu Zhichuan, her biggest worry was that one day she might accidentally let someone know the truth and then no longer be qualified to stay by Xi Bao's side.

Lin Yuexi: "..."

I reached out and touched Ren Yan's forehead. She didn't have a fever.

"You've only just started dating, marriage is still a long way off."

People with parents and elders pressuring them to get married as soon as they start dating are too eager to do so. Ren Yan is single and doesn't have a family to worry about, so when she gets married is entirely her own decision.
"Besides, have you heard anything about Xu Zhichuan's family situation?"

Ren Yan shook her head with a blank look in her eyes. "I haven't asked. All I know about his family is what people usually talk about."

So I know that Xu Zhichuan's mother has mental problems and is not an easy person to get along with.

"The Xu family is ruled by the old man. Xu Zhichuan's father is the eldest son. Logically speaking, in a family like theirs, his father should be the heir. However, his father first refused to marry the woman that Grandpa Xu had chosen, and then he angered Grandpa Xu with his brainless wife. So, to avoid trouble, Grandpa Xu separated the two of them from the family."

In other words, Grandpa Xu took away Mr. Xu's inheritance rights.

"Xu Zhichuan's mother was not good to him. One reason was that she did have a serious mental illness. Another reason was that Xu Zhichuan grew up in the old house with his grandfather and only returned to his parents' side after graduating from high school."

Even blood ties and family relationships need to be maintained.

They had only met a few times in more than ten years. Xu's parents had other children, so Xu Zhichuan, as the eldest son, naturally became much less affectionate.