Time Travel: Volume 1! Starting from a Small Mountain Village

"Approximately how often will you need...?"

"Ten days!"

Long Lifan pondered for a moment, estimating a rough timeframe. She would be busy gathering various mountain produce in the forest and would need to set aside some time to carefully process these delicacies. She planned to pack the game and mountain produce together and mail them to her parents in the city.

Ten days—not too long, not too short, but enough. Long Lifan carefully calculated the shipping time in her mind, estimating that her parents would receive this gift, brimming with longing and affection, around the Lunar New Year. Thinking of this, a warm feeling welled up inside her, as if she could already see the surprise and emotion on her parents' faces when they received the package. This sentiment, traveling across mountains and rivers, would surely warm their hearts.

"no problem…"

Qi Shishen listened to the time Long Lifan had given him and immediately responded. Although hunting in winter was difficult, it wasn't too hard for him. The young lady was giving him ten days; perhaps he could process the game and make it easier for her to mail it.

"Then it's settled, okay? Should I pay a deposit first or something?" Out of her work habits from the future, Long Lifan couldn't help but bring it up.

However, Qi Shishen refused without hesitation! He trusted Long Zhiqing implicitly, especially since Long Zhiqing hadn't asked for a deposit when buying medicine for him last time. It was this trust that warmed his heart like sunshine.

So Qi Shishen continued to work hard to help them pick the fruit, each strike filled with power. Long Lifan, having learned the origin and reason for the fruit's growth, picked it up without any guilt or remorse.

As the temperature gradually drops, the villagers' pace quickens. Whether it's the frequency of their trips to the mountains to gather wild produce or the speed at which they collect firewood, their movements become exceptionally efficient. Though the cold wind is biting, it cannot dispel their enthusiasm and drive.

In the past few days, thanks to Qi Shishen's "secret help," Long Lifan and her friends' courtyard has been filled with all sorts of mountain produce. These mountain produce are dazzling, including hazelnuts, chestnuts, wild walnuts, and many other wild fruits that they don't know the names of.

Next, Long Lifan and the others began their busy work of sorting. They had a clear division of labor: some were responsible for peeling, some for removing the shells, and others for sorting and arranging the processed mountain produce. Despite the heavy workload, their faces beamed with satisfaction and joy. The courtyard was filled with a lively and warm scene, allowing them to experience the unique charm of rural life.

"There's so much, I can eat this for a long time!"

Hu Lili stood before the pile of mountain produce allocated to her, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She had savored each and every one of these produce; their flavors were rich and unforgettable. She could use them as snacks to satisfy her cravings. At this moment, her face still bore traces of dirt from peeling the produce, but she was completely unaware of it. She turned to Long Lifan and asked curiously, "Sister Fan, what are you planning to do with these mountain produce?"

Long Lifan smiled slightly, gently stroking the mountain produce in her hands, her eyes revealing her longing for her family. "Oh, I'll keep some for myself, and I want to mail the rest to my parents. They probably haven't tasted such northern mountain produce before, and I want them to experience the flavors of the mountains."

Having always looked up to Long Lifan as a role model, Hu Lili heard that Sister Fan was going to mail it to her family. It seemed she remembered her father pressuring her to go on blind dates, and a hint of resentment crept into her heart. So, Hu Lili pouted and turned to Lin Yue beside her, asking, "Lin Yue, what about you!"

"I want to send some things to my maternal grandparents in Sichuan Province!" Lin Yue answered without hesitation. As for her biological parents in Beijing, they would rather she die in the countryside, so she didn't want to send them anything.

Hu Lili casually asked the other female educated youths, and after receiving their responses, she had a general idea. They all planned to send some of their belongings to their families or exchange them for urgently needed daily necessities at the commune. However, when she turned her gaze to Liu Pandi, the answer she received left her stunned.

"Oh, you're sending it all back?" Hu Lili's voice carried a hint of disbelief. In her opinion, Liu Pandi's actions seemed too extreme.

Upon hearing this, Liu Pandi wore a matter-of-fact expression: "What's wrong with that?" Her tone was calm and firm, as if this was a concept she had been instilled with since childhood.

Listening to this, Long Lifan couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. She understood Liu Pandi's family background and why she acted this way. In Liu Pandi's family, her younger brother was always put first, while she always seemed to be relegated to the back.

After thinking for a moment, Long Lifan decided to speak up: "Liu Zhiqing, it's certainly a good thing that you think of your family when you have good things. Although you haven't gone into details about your family's situation, we can all understand it to some extent. However, relationships between people are reciprocal, even between parents and children. We can't just think of others and ignore our own feelings and needs. Each of us exists independently in this world and should learn to live for ourselves."

Upon hearing this, a hint of confusion flashed in Liu Pandi's eyes. She moved her lips, and a soft voice escaped her lips: "Live for yourself?"

“Of course, as the saying goes, love yourself before you love others.” Long Lifan’s tone was gentle but firm. “If you don’t even take good care of yourself, how can others take you seriously? Look at you now, still wearing the old clothes you brought from Shanghai. Even though you’re wearing a few extra layers, can they really keep you warm? The winters in the north are bitterly cold.”

She paused for a moment, looking at Liu Pandi with concern in her eyes, as if she wanted to imprint these words deeply in her heart.

“It will get even colder here in a few days. Have you thought about it? What if you catch a cold?” Long Lifan’s words were full of worry.

“You can send some back home; it’s your way of showing filial piety, and we all understand. But if you have too much, go to the commune and exchange it for some cotton. You can wear it under your clothes to keep warm, right? Don’t always put yourself last; you should think about yourself too.”

Long Lifan's words were like a thunderclap, leaving Liu Pandi stunned for a long time. She stood there, Long Lifan's words echoing repeatedly in her mind. After a long while, she cautiously asked, with a hint of unease, "Then... what if my parents write a letter scolding me?"

Upon hearing this, Long Lifan chuckled and said nonchalantly, "What's there to be afraid of? It's so far from Shanghai, and they don't know your specific situation. They can write letters to scold you, but you can write back first and complain about being poor. Just write as pitiful as possible, let them know how hard you've worked." Long Lifan's words were somewhat teasing, but also revealed a sincere concern.