Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

After resolving matters concerning the educated youth, Li Xiangyang returned home.

We decided to strike while the iron was hot and go into the mountains again.

Rabbit meat does not help with recovery.

Li Xiangyang's next target is one of the specialties of the Xingan Mountains.

Forest frog.

He discovered a frozen stream when he was trapping rabbits last time.

He even wiped off the snow on it and looked inside; he could faintly hear the sound of water below.

This environment is the ideal hibernation site for forest frogs.

Meanwhile, during this season, the forest frogs have already stored a thick layer of snow frog oil in their bodies in preparation for hibernation, and their intestines are also clean.

So that very day, he took his persistently pleading younger sister into the mountains.

The Northeast is full of treasures, not only in the mountains but also in the rivers.

Snow frog oil was worth over a hundred yuan per gram in later generations, making it a truly rare commodity.

Moreover, wild snow frogs are not yet listed as protected animals, so you can say that if you miss this opportunity, you'll never have another chance.

The brother and sister chatted and laughed all the way.

"Brother, aren't you afraid to walk this road alone?"

“All I can think about is you and Mom, how could I be scared?”

Having been reborn, Li Xiangyang cherishes family ties immensely.

"Hehe, brother is so nice."

......

After walking for half an hour, the brother and sister arrived at a frozen stream.

Li Xiangyang brought a hoe this time. Although it wasn't as handy as the ice picks of later generations, it was enough to break through the ice here.

"Hey!"

Li Xiangyang spotted the rocks by the stream, swung his hoe forcefully, and broke through the ice, revealing the water flowing below.

He then reminded his sister not to go too far, and then took off his gloves, bent down, and groped around the rocks.

Although the stream water was cold this season, it was still acceptable for Li Xiangyang.

He quickly found a clump of mud underwater and was overjoyed.

Then they pulled it out and found it was a forest frog that was hibernating.

"Brother, I found one too!"

Not far away, Li Xiaohua smiled broadly and presented the freshly dug forest frog to Li Xiangyang like a treasure.

Li Xiangyang took out a net, and the brother and sister dug more and more enthusiastically, as if they were digging for treasure.

Later on, Li Xiaohua didn't want to move anymore because she was too tired.

However, the harvest was plentiful.

Soon it was past noon, and Li Xiangyang took his sister home.

At this moment in the Lin family home, Li's mother faced two men with unfriendly expressions, her face full of worry.

They were Li Xiangyang's eldest and second uncles.

Just when things had gotten a little better, the debt collectors arrived.

“Sister-in-law, let me be frank. We brothers have seen how difficult things have been for your family these past few years, but we have lent you a lot of grain and money.”

"Yes."

Li's mother looked somewhat flustered, her face slightly puffy.

"The Lunar New Year is almost here, and I'm wondering if I can settle the accounts from the past two years."

Li Xiangyang's second uncle sighed and said.

"Um, can we talk about it when my son comes back?"

"Youngest son's family, don't push your luck! We haven't urged your family even once in all these years!"

Just then, my uncle exclaimed excitedly.

"without......"

"Then what are you saying! Quickly return the grain or the money!"

Just as the two men were threatening Li's mother, Li Xiangyang and his sister pushed open the door and walked in.

"what happened?"

As soon as Li Xiangyang entered the room, he found that everyone looked at him as if they had seen a ghost.

"son?"

Li's mother wiped her eyes, which were red and swollen from crying, and asked.

"You're back?"

Upon seeing Li Xiangyang return safely, Li Xiangyang's uncle's expression became somewhat unnatural.

After all, he has a loud voice, and Li Xiangyang probably heard what he just said.

"You're back. Why are you all gathered here?"

Li Xiangyang nodded indifferently.

He knew that because his family was poor, his uncles rarely came to his house, and even when they were working, they would keep their distance.

If it weren't for my uncles demanding repayment, my mother and sister might not have starved to death back then.

Fortunately, he asked Xiaohua to release the forest frogs, otherwise she would have been annoyed by this scene.

"It's nothing, it's just that your mom was worried about you and asked us to come over to discuss whether it's still safe in the mountains."

The second uncle then spoke up and asked, before giving his eldest brother a wink.

After all, Li Xiangyang is tall and strong, and if they really started arguing, the two of them might not be a match for him.

"It's alright. There are plenty of things in the mountains, so the trip wasn't a waste."

Li Xiangyang said modestly, knowing that these two uncles were there for money, so he didn't stand on ceremony.

They went directly to the empty water tank outside and took out two rabbits that hadn't finished eating.

"So big!"

"Goodness, it must weigh four or five pounds, right?"

Although the uncle knew that his nephew was a good hunter, he did not expect that he would have such a large catch in one night.

The envy on his face was palpable.

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle and Second Uncle. I will try to find a way to pay off the debt as soon as possible. You can take these two rabbits back and have a taste."

"I'm so sorry, this is not appropriate."

“That’s right. You risked your life for this, nephew. Your second uncle can’t accept it.”

......

The two uncles verbally declined, but their eyes were fixed on the rabbit.

After all, these days, anyone who can hunt alone is considered a capable person, no matter where they are.

They used to look down on Li Xiangyang mainly because he was like a toad trying to eat swan meat, actually dating a female educated youth, while their own children hadn't even married city people yet.

Li Xiangyang sneered inwardly, naturally understanding what they were thinking.

But then I thought about it again, and realized that if it weren't for my two uncles occasionally giving us some food back then, things might have been even worse for my family.

Besides, blood is thicker than water, and we are all family after all. If they ask for money, at most it will cause a scene and make us lose face. We can't push them to the brink if they don't have the money.

Ultimately, the real reason for the tragedy was himself!

Having figured things out, Li Xiangyang's attitude softened considerably.

“Uncle, Second Uncle, please take the rabbit. I've also remembered the owed grain and money. Don't worry, I guarantee the debt will be paid off within half a month.”

The eldest uncle glanced at the rabbit in his hand, then at Li Xiangyang's burly frame, his expression softening slightly: "It's not something to rush into. The third son passed away early; your mother has had a tough time raising you and your siblings all these years."

“Yes,” Uncle Er sighed, “if your father hadn’t passed away so suddenly, things wouldn’t have turned out this way…” He paused, then continued, “But you’re a good kid, even better at hunting than your father was back then.”

Li Xiangyang nodded: "Thanks to the two uncles for taking care of me all these years."

This makes sense.

Although my two uncles are snobbish, they have indeed helped me a lot over the years.

Li's mother listened from the side, her eyes slightly red.

"Then...when do you think we can pay back the grain and money we owe?" The uncle still hadn't forgotten the important matter.

"I guarantee I'll pay it all off before the New Year," Li Xiangyang said firmly.

"Alright, we'll wait then." The uncle picked up the rabbit, weighed it in his hand with satisfaction, and said, "Come over for dinner sometime."

My second uncle laughed and said, "That's right, you can come to my house too. Your cousin has been wanting to learn hunting lately, he can ask me for some pointers another day."

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Li Xiangyang seemed lost in thought.

In this life, many things will be different.

That evening, Li Xiangyang comforted his mother, telling her not to worry about money. He then personally cooked a pot of stewed frogs with a large block of soybean paste from the countryside.

As Li's mother ate her meal at the dinner table, she finally felt at ease.

But Li Xiangyang knew that this couldn't go on; he needed to find some bigger prey.