Reborn in the Great Northern Wilderness in 1982, I farmed and hunted to support my whole family.

Tao Qingshan was both angry and amused by Li Mu's words.

"You little rascal, all you know is how to make money. If you do a good job as village chief, the money will just keep flowing in."

“I don’t care about the village chief’s little bit of money. If I, Li Mu, am going to make money, I’ll make big money.”

Li Mu's words were so domineering that even Tao Qingshan couldn't help but nod in approval.

"Good! That's ambitious. But you'll still have to be the village chief."

"What? Uncle Tao, you must be joking with me."

Upon hearing this, Li Mu hurriedly stood up from the kang (a heated brick bed) and looked at Tao Qingshan with disbelief.

“I’m not kidding you, I’m serious. You should take the position of village chief.”

Tao Qingshan's tone was firm, without the slightest hint of joking, which made Li Mu somewhat flustered.

He scratched his head and asked in confusion, "Uncle Tao, what are you up to? I just got back and you're already making me the village chief? I don't have that ability."

Tao Qingshan looked at Li Mu, sizing him up like a piglet just born, and tapped the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with his finger.

“Young Mu, don’t be so quick to refuse. I saw everything you did when you came back from the county and handled the mountain products. You’re not only quick-witted, but also decisive, courageous and resourceful. Our village needs someone like you to lead it.”

Upon hearing this, Li Mu became even more terrified.

He quickly waved his hand: "No, no, Uncle Tao, you know I like to be free and unrestrained. Making me the village chief would be like tying me down. Besides, I'm not good with words and I don't know how to talk. What if I offend someone?"

He is neither married nor established in his career. Aren't there many people ahead of him who are of a higher generation and older than him?

Tao Qingshan, however, seemed to have read his mind. He took a couple more puffs of his pipe and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.

"Fine, I was just testing you. Since you're unwilling, I won't force you."

Li Mu must have had some reservations about Li Siming keeping the poisonous mushrooms a secret from everyone. Although Li Mu managed to smooth things over later, he still ended up being resented.

Tao Qingshan took two puffs of his pipe.

"If Li Siming can't do it, who else can we ask?"

“Uncle Tao, you’re in good health! If you retire now, how will you maintain your authority in the village?”

Li Mu knew perfectly well that Tao Qingshan was setting a trap for him, but he had no choice but to play along.

Tao Qingshan coughed up two mouthfuls of phlegm, his expression turning somewhat serious: "Young Mu, don't try to fool me. I know my own body. These past two years, I've been getting worse and worse than before."

“Uncle Tao, please don’t say that. With your health, you could easily work for another ten or eight years,” Li Mu quickly reassured him.

Li Mu turned the corner and went home after leaving the Tao family's house.

Liang Meifen was sitting in the yard picking green beans when she saw Li Mu return. She looked up and asked, "Muzi, why are you back so soon? Have you finished everything?"

"Yes, everything's taken care of. I'm planning to go fishing with Ganzi and the others this afternoon, and try out some new fishing skills."

Upon hearing this, Liang Meifen frowned: "Fishing? In this freezing weather, the river water is icy cold. Don't catch a cold."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm dressed warmly, I'll be fine." Li Mu patted his chest to show that he was strong and healthy.

"You're so reckless! Come in quickly, it's windy outside, don't catch a chill." Liang Meifen said as she put down the green beans in her hand, got up and pulled Li Mu into the house.

Once inside, Li Mu recounted his conversation with Tao Qingshan at the Tao family home to Liang Meifen in detail, while Li Guozhang sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) chewing on his pipe.

Upon hearing this, Liang Meifen's expression turned serious: "Uncle Tao wants you to take over his job?"

Li Mu said somewhat helplessly, "Yeah, Mom. I just got back and haven't figured anything out yet, and you're already asking me to be the village chief? How can I possibly do that?"

"I really don't want to be one."

Li Guozhang spoke up: "Then why don't you say a good word for your fourth brother! It would be an honor for our Li family if he became the village chief, wouldn't it?"

Liang Meifen glared at him: "Do you think I don't know Li Siming's personality? If he becomes the village chief, he'll turn the village upside down. We can't let our vanity ruin the village."

Li Guozhang felt somewhat displeased when he heard his brother being spoken to like that by Liang Meifen.

"That's not right of you. Our fourth son may be a bit straightforward, but that's just because he's honest and doesn't have any bad intentions. Besides, if he becomes the village chief, wouldn't he take care of our own brothers?"

"Pah! If you really cared about us, you wouldn't have let Mu Zi take that risk and collect those poisonous mushrooms! Look at today, if things had escalated, Mu Zi would almost have been surrounded and attacked by those villagers."

Li Guozhang was speechless after his wife said that.

He genuinely wanted his brother to become the village chief, so that he could have someone to look after him in the village.

But Liang Meifen was right. If Li Siming really became the village chief, who knows what kind of trouble he would cause.

"Alright, you two stop arguing." Li Mu interrupted their quarrel with a sigh.

"Mom, Dad, don't worry, Uncle Tao knows everything. Let's eat. Mom, what do you want to eat today?"

"Stewed green beans and cornbread," Liang Meifen said as she carried the dishes into the house.

Upon smelling the aroma, Li Mu immediately felt hungry and quickly helped Liang Meifen bring the dishes to the table.

"It smells so good! Mom, your cooking is amazing!" Li Mu said as he picked up a cornbread and took a bite.

Liang Meifen was happy to see her son eating so heartily: "Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you."

"Where's Big Brother? Why isn't he here?" Li Qianjin wasn't in the house. Big Brother was usually home for meals, so why was he nowhere to be seen today?

“You went out with your sister-in-law, saying you were going to the county to see if there was any work you could do, hoping to earn some extra money so you could get a wife.”

Li Mu felt a sharp pain in his tooth: "My elder brother hasn't even built a house yet after marrying his wife, and he's already thinking about getting me a wife?"

Li Guozhang chuckled: "Why not? There's no rush for a house. You're making money now, getting married is just around the corner."

Upon hearing this, Li Mu nearly choked on the green beans and quickly drank some water to calm himself down.

"Dad, you're in such a hurry. I've only just started making some money, and you're already asking me to get married. I'm not ready at all."

Liang Meifen tapped Li Mu on the head: "What's there to be afraid of when you get married? Look at your older brother, he and your sister-in-law are doing just fine. You, you just overthink things."

Li Mu rubbed the spot where he had been hit, chuckled twice, and didn't continue the topic.

After the family finished eating, Li Mu put on his military overcoat and went to the yard to prepare the fishing gear.

Li Guozhang glanced over as he passed by and asked, "What are you taking these guys for? Aren't you going fishing with Ganzi and the others?"