"Grandpa let me try it." Dazhi y on the kang and looked at the radio in his grandfather's hand with envy.

  "I was standing on the city wall looking at the mountain scenery when I heard the commotion outside the city." Ma Desheng listened to the Peking Opera coming from the radio, squinted his eyes, and ignored him.

  Dazhi was quite bored, so he went downstairs and ran to the backyard. When he entered the house, he saw that his brother had already assembled the sewing machine, and his mother was trying to sew clothes with it.

  "It's really easy to use." Ma Hongmei's face was red with joy. She was also a person with a sewing machine. Aunt Wu was the only one in the vilge who had one, and she was too embarrassed to borrow it all the time, and she had the new clothes of the whole family by hand, which is very troublesome.

  "Mom, let brother adjust it again and see if the screw is loose or something. It was very bumpy when we came back in the truck," said Daniu.

  "It's okay, I just checked it; it's fine. It's produced in our country, and the quality is pretty good." Dali said happily.

  "That's good. Move this to the west room. I'll make a cover and put it on ter. Few people go to the west room." Ma Hongmei said as she went to the kang and opened the kang cabinet. After rummaging for a long time, she found a bag full of rags.

  Dayong and Dazhi carried the sewing machine to the west room. This sewing machine was a desktop type, and the machine could be pced directly on the ground. After putting it in, it looked like a small table.

  Ma Hongmei fumbled for a long time before putting the sewing machine behind the door, next to the window, and after finishing it, she sat down with the scraps of cloth and started sewing. She wanted to use the scraps of cloth to make a cover.

  Daniu saw that there was nothing to do and said, "Mom, you do it first. Xiao Cui and I will cook."

  "Okay, let's eat egg cake today. We still have a lot of eggs left by our hens."

  "I know." Daniu walked out and saw that Dazhi was a little depressed. "Come and light the fire with me."

  Dazhi looked downcast and said, "Sister, you went to Harbin, but you didn't buy anything for me?"

  "What do you want? Didn't I buy you some candy?" said Daniu.

  "Candy is nothing. Only little girls like to eat it." Dazhi said.

  "Then don't eat it. Give your share to Meizi," said Daniu.

  Dazhi's face was conflicted for a moment. "I'll give her three."

  Daniu smiled and patted his head. "I will go into the mountains tomorrow and get some roe deer meat for a hotpot. I will also make a fur hat for you and Dayong."

  Dazhi was delighted when he heard this, as this was his favorite dish. "This is good."

  In the front yard, Xiaocui and Meizi were making cotton-padded jackets. Meizi was young but could help a lot. Daniu didn't call Xiaocui and cooked the meal by herself. She used one pot to steam rice and sausages and another pot to make egg cakes. There were nine people, and each needed one bowl. She Beat two eggs in one bowl, add chopped green onions, put some of the boiled soybean oil in the other bowl, add salt and pepper powder, fill the pot with warm water, and stir the water and egg liquid with chopsticks. One pot is just enough for nine bowls of egg cakes. She Cover it with a lid, and it will be ready in a while. After poking the middle with chopsticks and seeing if it is almost cooked, she turned off the heat. and her golden egg cake was done.

  The sausge is thinly sliced and arranged on a pte, accompanied by some leftover stewed ferented gabage from home. In winter, there weren't many vegetables avaible, so the family had prepared three rge vats of sauerkraut. They used it for dumplings, stews, and sometimes even stir-fried dishes. Her mother always cooked a rge pot of sauerkraut, enough to st at least two days. The more they ate it, the more they appreciated its fvor.

  By the time the meal was ready, her father had returned from work. The whole family sat on the heated kang beds, divided into two groups, enjoying a warm and joyful atmosphere.

  Early in the morning, before dawn, Da Niu got up. Today, she was heading to work. The forest rangers didn't go out every day; they were divided into two teams that alternated weekly. While one team went into the mountains, the other stayed outside to rest and be on standby in case of emergencies. During spring, summer, and autumn, they went into the mountains more frequently, especially in the fall when the risk of forest fires was high, requiring regur patrols.

  In winter, however, the rangers had fewer tasks. By December and January, they were practically on vacation, as the mountains became too difficult to access.

  Today was the st trip into the mountains for the season. The weather forecast predicted a heavy snowstorm, making future trips impossible.

  Da Niu pnned to stay overnight in the mountains and hunt some game for the upcoming New Year celebrations.

  She rode her horse, Da Huang, to the northern fields. "Uncle Lin, are you there?" she called out as she stabled her horse.

  "I'm here, Shu Lan. Are you heading into the mountains?" Uncle Lin asked.

  "Yes, I'm going in. Has the grain been delivered? I heard there might be a blizzard next week."

  "Not yet. I was thinking of sending San Xiao to do it," Uncle Lin replied.

  "No need, I'll take care of it. I pn to stay in the mountains for a couple of days this time and check everything."

  "Alright, wait here. I'll get the supplies."

  "Uncle Lin, could you take care of Da Huang for the next few days? I've stored some bean dregs in the barn; mix them with his feed."

  "Sure, it's not the first time. I won't let him go hungry," Uncle Lin said as he brought out a sack of grain from the warehouse, weighing about a hundred pounds. It wasn't high-quality grain, just coarse broken rice.

  Da Niu packed her belongings and loaded them onto a cart with six small wheels and a wooden pnk reinforced with two thick steel bars. If the snow got too deep, she could flip it over and use it as a sled.

  After securing the grain and other supplies, Da Niu set off into the mountains. The cart had handles connected by steel bars, making it easy to pull. She followed the usual path into the forest, arriving at a hunter's cabin. Inside, she left a few pounds of grain, which had been specially allocated by the forestry bureau. In the past, hunters had to bring their own supplies, but after several applications, they finally received approval for this provision. Although it was coarse grain, it could be a lifesaver in the forest, especially in winter. If someone got trapped by heavy snow, they could survive by melting snow and cooking the grain into porridge.

  Once in the mountains, Da Niu began observing the forest, comparing it to previous visits and noting any new signs of activity. Hunting regutions in their area weren't strict. Although there had been periods when hunting was prohibited, the locals were tough and continued to hunt as long as they weren't caught. Some of the older hunters even had firearms.

  After more than two years of observation, Da Niu could recognize over 90% of the hunters just by their footprints.

  She spent the day moving through the mountains and rested in a cabin at night. By the fourth morning, her food supply was running low. After visiting the st two cabins, she decided not to go further. Beyond that point, the forest was rarely visited by hunters, and a small ethnic minority community lived deeper in the mountains, relying on hunting for their livelihood. That area was their hunting ground, and it was best not to intrude.

  The previous night's snow had bnketed the forest in white, and the temperature had dropped to more than twenty degrees below zero. Although the snow had stopped by morning, the sky remained overcast, hinting at an even heavier storm.

  On her way back, Da Niu took a different route, cutting through the forest and significantly shortening the journey.

  She stopped at a valley with a small pond, likely fed by a spring, which existed year-round. Many animals came here to drink, making it Da Niu's hunting ground.

  A gunshot rang out, and a rge roe deer fell. A few others ran a short distance before stopping and looking back. Da Niu adjusted her angle and fired again, hitting another deer.

  This time, more than ten deer scattered, and Da Niu fired one more shot.

  Two adults and two fawns—that was enough. She quickly bled the deer and flipped the cart over to load them. Fortunately, the heavy snow from the previous day made dragging the cart manageable.

  Not far from the valley was another cabin. Da Niu went there to process the deer, burying the unusable parts and using snow to scrub the blood off the meat, which quickly froze solid. She also cleaned the hides with snow. The winter deer pelts were thick and would become very soft once treated.

  As she pulled the cart back, it began to snow again. She was only a few hours away from home, but the snow was coming down heavily, making it hard to see the path. Only someone like Da Niu, who had every tree in the forest memorized, would dare to continue. Anyone else would have sought shelter.

  By evening, the snowstorm had eased slightly, and Daniu, now covered in snow, was nearing the forest's edge. She could reach home in about an hour, but she stopped when she noticed a snow mound under a rge tree. The snow could not have been blown by the strong wind there, so the mound seemed out of pce. Da Niu approached it with a stick and poked at it, revealing gray fur underneath.

  She frowned and pulled harder, uncovering a rge, gray-furred animal. It was an adult wolf. She pressed its belly, which was still somewhat soft, indicating it hadn't been dead for long. Upon closer inspection, she found three deep gashes on its neck—likely from a bear's cws.

  Daniu looked around, but the deep snow made it hard to spot more clues. She checked nearby trees and found two marks. Following them, she discovered more signs and eventually came across the skeleton of a bear, its flesh mostly eaten.

  Examining the skeleton, Da Niu felt a sense of unease.

  She loaded the wolf onto the sled and took a different path out of the forest. This route led to the lumberyard, which she usually avoided, especially when carrying game. She hid her prey and the sled in a secluded spot, covering them with snow, and then dragged the wolf to the lumberyard.

  farm here is quite rge. Today, due to the heavy snow, work was suspended. Among the people here, some are from the military corps, some are educated youth who have come from elsewhere, and some are locals. The mix of people is quite complex.

  The houses on the forest farm were built ter, lined up in rows. The outer areas without courtyards are occupied by the military corps and the educated youth, all single. As Daniu walked over, she saw two people standing by the corner of a house, and she knew what they were doing at a gnce.

  "Damn, it's freezing—" one person said with a shivering, somewhat familiar voice. "I hope I don't freeze to death."

  "Don't worry, just knock it off," the other person said, trying to stifle a ugh. Daniu recognized them both at a gnce.

  She couldn't help but chuckle, but she was dragging a wolf behind her and couldn't turn back now. As she walked, her footsteps crunched loudly in the snow, echoing clearly in the quiet night.

  Zheng Sen quickly adjusted his pants upon hearing the noise, then turned to see a snow-covered figure approaching. "Who's there?" he asked, realizing it wasn't someone from the military corps.

  Da Niu walked closer. "I'm Ma Shun," she said, with a clear girly voice.

  Hearing her voice, Zheng Sen was momentarily stunned. It was too dark for him to recognize Daniu.

  "Ma Shun? What are you doing here?" Li Hongda chimed in from the side.

  "I'm looking for someone. Do you know Lin Li?" Daniu asked.

  Zheng Sen nodded. "I know him. He's the third ptoon leader in the military corps."

  Then he noticed the wolf she was dragging. "Did you kill that?" he asked, surprised.

  Daniu shook her head. "No, I didn't. Do you know where I can find Lin Li?" She didn't know many people at the forest farm, only Lin Li.

  "I'll take you," Zheng Sen said, stepping forward to help her with the wolf. "Let me handle it."

  Daniu's arms were sore from dragging the wolf, so when Li Hongda also offered to help, she let go.

  Zheng Sen knew where Lin Li lived, so he led her directly to the third ptoon's quarters. "Ptoon Leader Lin, someone's here to see you," Zheng Sen said, knocking on the door.

  "Who is it?" Lin Li asked, putting on his padded jacket and opening the door.

  First, he saw the tall figure of Zheng Sen and then the snow-covered person behind him. Perhaps because the impression was so strong, he immediately recognized her from her frost-covered eyes. "Ma Shun. What brings you here? Come in and warm up," he said, handing her a broom from behind the door.

  Ma Shun used the broom to brush off the snow from her body and her hat, both of which were frozen.

  Once inside, Lin Li noticed the wolf the two were carrying. "Did you kill this?" he asked, knowing her skills.

  "No, it was a bear," she said, flipping the wolf over to reveal the wound. "I found it on my way back from patrolling the mountains. The bear had already been eaten by the wolves. There are quite a few wolves, so I came to warn you. Be careful; with this heavy snow, if the wolves can't find food in the forest, they might come down the mountain. Also, this pack isn't far from here, so be cautious."

  Lin Li immediately took her warning seriously. "I'll report this to the company commander right away. Ma Shun, it's too te tonight. Let me find you a pce to rest, and you can take the forest farm's vehicle back tomorrow."

  Da Niu shook her head. "No need, it's not far. I'll walk back. I just came to deliver the message, so I'll head back now." She had worked with Lin Li before and knew he would take her warning seriously. That was enough.

  "Wait, let me find someone to escort you," Li Li said, about to call for someone.

  "No need. The vehicles can't move in this snow, and it's better if I walk alone," Ma Shun refused.

  "Alright, be careful then."

  Zheng Sen and Li Hongda didn't get a chance to say much as Daniu adjusted her hat and walked out into the falling snow.

  "Should I escort her?" Zheng Sen felt it wasn't right to let a girl walk alone in the snow at night.

  "Forget it. You're not familiar with the area, and you might get lost yourself," Lin Li said. "Help me take the wolf to the headquarters."

  "Ptoon Leader Li, what does that girl do?" Zheng Sen asked, feeling that the girl was quite mysterious.

  "She's not an ordinary person," Li Li said, leaving it at that. Some things were better kept confidential; saying too much could lead to leaks.

  Daniu went back, collected her game, and headed home. By the time she reached Beidianzi, it was very te. Old Lin helped her hitch the sled, and Daniu left a roe deer leg for him before getting on the sled pulled by the Da Huang and heading home.

  When she got home, everyone was asleep, but an oil mp was still lit in the west room—her grandpa had left it on for her.