Chapter 181: Running Low on Cash, the Idea of Heading into the Mountains This Winter

Early the next morning, people started showing up to collect their wages. Just like usual, Lin Heng verified the work hours and pay face-to-face with each person. Once everything was confirmed, they signed and pressed their fingerprints before receiving their money.

It took a full three hours to finish handing out the wages, and it wasn’t until ten o’clock that he wrapped up.

“Huh? Why haven’t Uncle-in-law and Third Uncle come by?” Lin Heng asked Xiulan curiously after finishing up.

Xiulan had been inside the whole time, playing with Xiao Xia and a Luban lock. Xiao Xia couldn’t solve it and, frustrated, threw it on the ground and started stomping on it.

“They’re too embarrassed to come. They’re all over at the old house,” Xiulan replied.

“Alright then, I’ll head over.”

Lin Heng chuckled helplessly, grabbed the ledger and the cash, and walked over.

Inside the old house, the group was chatting and joking around, the atmosphere lively and cheerful.

Walking in with a grin, Lin Heng said, “Why haven’t any of you come to collect your wages? Don’t want the money?”

As team leaders, each of them earned one yuan per day. After 48 days, that was 48 yuan each—no way they didn’t want it.

“Haha, we’re not in a rush,” Li Baiquan laughed.

Truth was, they did want the money, but felt it would be too forward to show up too early—it might make them look greedy.

Lin Heng shook his head. “What’s there to be embarrassed about? You worked hard, so of course you should get paid.”

After a pause, he looked at his father. “Dad, Big Brother, you two go first. Sign and collect your wages.”

Father Lin didn’t stand on ceremony. He walked over and said with a smile, “Well, I won’t be polite then.”

He knew that if he hesitated, the others would feel even more awkward about taking the money.

Father Lin signed first and collected his 48 yuan.

Lin Yue was next. As he took the money, he smiled and said, “Thanks, little bro.”

“What are you thanking me for? I should be thanking you guys,” Lin Heng replied with a wave and a smile.

“Then I’ll go too,” Lin Hai said, stepping up to collect his pay.

Soon, everyone had their money in hand, all grinning from ear to ear. Earning this kind of income during the off-season was all thanks to Lin Heng.

“Lin Heng, when are you going hunting? Let’s go together,” Li Baiquan said with a laugh.

“In a few days, after the first big snowfall. I’m planning to plaster the walls these next couple of days,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll come find you after the snow falls,” Li Baiquan said, still grinning.

Lin Heng nodded, chatted a bit more, then headed home to go over the accounts.

He still had 4,100 yuan left in his bank account. It looked like a decent amount, but in reality, it wasn’t going to be enough.

Over at Red Maple Mountain, he had already fenced in the Breeding Base, and the basic setup was complete. The only thing left for winter was to fill it with water and let it settle.

But come spring, he’d need to build storage sheds and indoor breeding rooms.

Though he had already stocked up on bricks, cement, and other materials, labor would still cost another three to five hundred yuan.

On top of that, he needed to raise shrimp fry and buy grain for feed.

Feed, in particular, was the biggest expense—always the biggest in any farming operation.

He was also planning to buy some oxygenators. These machines could be lifesavers in emergencies and would allow him to raise more stock in the same space.

Then there were the fruit tree saplings he wanted to buy in a few days—a major expense as well.

There were just too many things to spend money on. That 4,000 yuan might look like a lot, but it was already starting to fall short.

Technically, Lin Heng could take things slower, but he didn’t want to drag it out. Planting fruit trees, for instance, was a key step in easing his parents’ workload.

Without fruit trees, they’d end up planting the entire field with crops again next year.

Besides, he was eager to build up capital. Every bit of effort now would pay off tenfold—or even a hundredfold—down the line.

The first-mover advantage was everything.

The sooner he built up his capital, the sooner he could start raking in real wealth.

With his funds running low, Lin Heng once again turned his gaze toward the mountains. Those endless peaks were full of untapped riches, just waiting for him to uncover.

“Money, you’re a knife that kills without blood!”

He sang a line from a classic song from ’99, then shook his head and handed the ledger and the remaining few dozen yuan to Xiulan.

“What’s for lunch?” Xiulan asked him gently.

“Anything’s fine. Just make whatever you feel like,” Lin Heng replied with a smile as he walked into the house.

He put on his homemade mask, mixed up some plaster, and got to work on the walls.

In just two hours, he had finished plastering the courtyard walls inside the house with a fresh coat of white.

That afternoon, his father and older brother came over to help. The three of them worked together and quickly finished the exterior walls as well.

Aside from the backyard wall, the front courtyard and main house were now complete—red tiles and white walls, looking clean and beautiful.

Just looking at it lifted their spirits. Living in a place like this naturally made you feel better.

That evening, Mother Lin came over to ask Xiulan for tips on making the onion, wood ear mushroom, and bracken noodle salad. She’d tried several times over the past few days but couldn’t get it right.

Xiulan was explaining it in the kitchen when Lin Heng walked in, grinning and teasing, “Mom, didn’t you say you made that bracken salad yourself? Why are you here asking for tips?”

“Hmph, I’m just exchanging techniques with Xiulan. I’m not asking you,” Mother Lin shot back, giving him a look before shooing him out of the kitchen.

“Mom, this is my house,” Lin Heng reminded her.

“So what?” she huffed, slamming the kitchen door in his face without giving him a chance to respond.

A little while later, Mother Lin left with her head held high. Xiulan brought out a plate of the cold bracken noodle salad and said, “Here, have a bite to hold you over. The rice will be ready soon.”

“Thanks, honey,” Lin Heng beamed, taking the plate and digging in. A few bites later, his stomach was feeling a bit more satisfied.

“Daddy, I want some too~”

Xiao Xia saw him eating and ran over, asking for a taste.

Lin Heng wiped her nose and fed her a few pieces of wood ear mushroom and some noodles.

“Spicy~”

Lin Heng didn’t find it spicy at all, but Xiao Xia stuck out her tongue from the heat. He quickly poured her a glass of water.

“Daddy, I want candy~”

After drinking the water, she snuggled into Lin Heng’s arms and looked up at him with puppy eyes.

He gently tapped her nose and said with a smile, “I knew it. You little rascal, all you really wanted was candy.”

“Please, Daddy~ I really want some candy~” Xiao Xia pleaded in a soft, pitiful voice.

How could Lin Heng say no? He unwrapped a White Rabbit Creamy Candy and popped it into her mouth.

Holding his daughter’s hand, he went out to the front yard and lifted a corner of the plastic sheeting. Inside, it was already a lush green.

The warm environment had helped the plants grow better than anything else in the winter.

Among them, the peas were growing the fastest. In just a couple more days, they’d be able to harvest the tender pea shoots.

That night, Xiulan made a dinner of three dishes and a soup. Along with the leftover bracken noodles, there was braised dried crucian carp, stir-fried pickled radish with pork, and egg and daylily soup.

The hearty meal had Lin Heng eating two big bowls of rice. The daylily and egg soup warmed him right up, and he felt the dried shrimp in it was the secret ingredient that made it perfect.

After dinner, the three of them headed to the bedroom. Compared to the rest of the house, the room with the fireplace was wonderfully warm.

Now that they had proper lighting, Lin Heng enjoyed reading to his family even more. He firmly believed that by setting a good example, he could inspire Xiao Xia to fall in love with books too.

Xiulan wasn’t highly educated, but when Lin Heng read aloud, she was completely captivated. Sometimes, when he stopped reading, mother and daughter would gang up on him, tickling him until he finished the chapter—cliffhangers were absolutely unacceptable.

After Xiao Xia fell asleep, Lin Heng had just climbed into bed when Xiulan snuggled up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Wanna eat some candy?” she asked softly, her voice curious under the gentle moonlight and flickering firelight.

“Nope,” Lin Heng replied with a mischievous grin.

Xiulan immediately let go, a little disappointed. “Fine then~” she muttered.

“What I mean is, let’s skip the candy and go straight to eating you~” Lin Heng pulled her into his arms and silenced her with a kiss.

“Ah… mm…”

Under the soft moonlight, Lin Heng was utterly “devastated by erosion,” while Xiulan clung to his arm and drifted off to sleep. With his arm resting on his wife’s chest, Lin Heng glanced at the fireplace and slowly fell asleep.

The next morning, Lin Heng woke to find Xiulan still asleep. He leaned over and kissed her.

“Mm… you’re so bad~” Xiulan opened her eyes wide and pushed him away, glaring at him fiercely. This guy was too naughty.

Lin Heng chuckled. “Weren’t you the one who started it last night…”

Before he could finish, Xiulan slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Not another word, or you’re dead,” she warned fiercely.

“Then make it up to me,” Lin Heng said with a wink. He was really craving a big meat bun right now.

“In your dreams!”

Xiulan got out of bed and put on a fresh set of underwear. As she turned back, she gave him a playful, punishing smile.

Just as Lin Heng was about to pull her back for another taste, his hand already on her, Xiao Xia stirred in the small bed next to them and rubbed her eyes awake.

Xiulan flashed a sly grin. “Hold it in, big brother~”

Lin Heng could only sigh helplessly, calm himself down, and get out of bed.

He rubbed his daughter’s cheeks, then carried her to the potty. After she was done, he went out to empty it.

In winter, he never let his precious daughter go outside to use the bathroom—he was afraid she’d catch a chill.

“Daddy, Jinbao~”

Xiao Xia pointed at Jinbao, who had just bounded into the room, wanting to cuddle him.

“Wait until you’re up,” Xiulan said as she finished washing her face and applied some face cream.

Lin Heng ignored her and grabbed his compound bow to go train. After his workout, he picked up where he left off yesterday—plastering the walls.

He stopped halfway to eat breakfast—pickled cabbage noodles, gone in just a few bites.

After eating, he went back to plastering. Father Lin and his older brother were out back with a chainsaw, cutting firewood.

The logs the workers had helped haul back hadn’t been cut yet. Normally, this would take a day or two.

But with the chainsaw, they’d be done in half a day.

Lin Heng finished plastering the wall and finally felt satisfied with how the backyard looked.

After a short break, he went to the back hill to help Xiulan carry firewood, stacking it neatly under the eaves of the house.

They’d chopped oak trees—great firewood, longer-lasting than most.

“Dad, there’s way too much firewood. Let’s just stack the rest here and cover it with plastic—no need to worry about rain,” Lin Heng said, eyeing the massive pile. He didn’t want the house filled with wood—it wasn’t safe and didn’t look good.

Father Lin nodded. “That works. Should we leave the firewood for the stove here too?”

“I’ll take the pine wood back home. The rest can stay here,” Lin Heng thought for a moment before replying.

Pine had natural oils, so even when wet, it was easy to light. Other woods needed to dry out first.

Mother Lin and Liu Juan helped move some wood too, but stopped once they had enough for the house.

By now, the back hill—over a thousand square meters—had basically become their little estate, with livestock and firewood all over.

By the time they finished stacking the wood, it was already afternoon. Winter didn’t have much heavy work—just chores like this.

“Lin Heng, when are you planning to buy saplings?” Father Lin asked curiously.

“End of the month or maybe January. Depends on the situation,” Lin Heng replied after thinking it over.

Actually, planting trees in winter was better than in spring, as long as it wasn’t too cold.

Even though trees didn’t have leaves in winter, their roots were already growing. Come spring, they’d sprout right away.

If you planted in spring, the tree had to grow roots first before it could sprout—much slower.

Father Lin nodded and smiled. “No rush then. Worst case, we can plant after the New Year.”

Lin Yue chuckled. “Yeah, it’s not like they’ll bear fruit right away. No need to hurry.”

Lin Heng shook his head. “We do need to hurry. Some saplings are in high demand.”

He was planning to talk to Li Chengguo in a few days and rent his car to go to the Ancheng Agricultural Science Institute to get some quality saplings.

If he went too late, all the good ones might be gone.

“Alright, let’s go together when the time comes,” Lin Yue said with a smile.

“Sure,” Lin Heng nodded.

After tidying up the firewood, Lin Heng was about to head inside to warm up when he saw his mom scattering seeds in the woods.

Curious, he asked, “Mom, what are you planting?”

“Nettles. Once they grow, no one will dare sneak in,” Mother Lin said matter-of-factly.

“Oh my god, stop! That stuff’s a nightmare even for us!” Lin Heng quickly tried to stop her.

Nettles sting like crazy, and worse, they’re nearly impossible to get rid of once they take root.

In rural areas, people often used them to deter thieves—no one dared cross a patch of nettles.

But in the end, even the homeowners would get hurt by them.

“I’ve already scattered them. With so much stuff around here, we need protection,” Mother Lin said with a shrug.

“Alright, alright. You’re too cautious, Mom. We’ve already got thorn bushes and dogs—that’s enough,” Lin Heng said, exasperated.

“Better safe than sorry,” Mother Lin replied, and walked off with Lin Heng.

They sat by the fireplace in Lin Heng’s bedroom for a while. She stared at the fireplace for a long time.

She was curious, but not envious. Her own bedroom had a fireplace built with cement and stone, which worked just fine.

Stone didn’t radiate heat as quickly as metal, though, so it took longer to warm the room and used more firewood.

After warming up, Lin Heng grabbed his bow and took Xiong Ba out.

He hadn’t gone hunting in days and was itching to get back out there.

Winter was bitterly cold, but it was prime hunting season. Lately, hunters in the village had been bringing back golden pheasants and wild chickens.

“Big bro, you coming?” Lin Heng stopped by his brother’s house to ask.

“Are we going till late?” Lin Yue was slicing kudzu root at home, clearly prepping to make kudzu powder.

“Just nearby. We won’t stay out too late—back by nightfall,” Lin Heng shook his head. He preferred hunting with a partner.

“Alright, let’s go see what we can find,” Lin Yue nodded, grabbing his bow and heading out with Lin Heng.

The two of them first went to Red Maple Mountain. They searched all around, but by the time night fell, they had nothing to show for it. So they decided to check out Shibadang Gully instead—but this time, they wouldn’t climb to the top. They’d just explore the bottom of the ravine.

After dark, the cold wind grew even harsher. Even dressed in thick cotton coats and padded pants, they were starting to feel the chill.

But that’s just how hunting is. In winter, it’s easier to track animals, but the cold is brutal. In summer, it’s more comfortable for people, but the animals are much harder to find.

The wind howled through the trees as the two of them trudged through the forest. Dry leaves rustled loudly beneath their feet.

Tonight, a thin crescent moon hung in the sky, but thick clouds smothered it, so the forest was pitch black and eerily quiet after nightfall.

Only the sound of the wind and the occasional rustling from mice broke the silence.

After about half an hour of searching, Lin Heng shook his head. “Let’s go. This place is a bust.”

Lin Yue nodded and asked, “Should we try somewhere else or head home?”

Lin Heng thought for a moment and said, “Let’s check out the riverbank. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Lately, there had been a lot of hunters out. Even the pheasants and golden chickens were spooked and probably had fled deep into the mountains.

He figured it was too hard to catch anything near home now. Just like in the summer, they’d have to travel far into the wilderness.

Still, he was waiting for a heavy snowfall. That’s when hunting deep in the mountains really paid off.

Lin Heng headed to a patch of forest near the upper reaches of the river. That summer, there had been a lot of pheasant chicks in that area. He was hoping to find something.

In winter, the trees are bare, so if there were any birds around, he’d be able to spot them without even using a flashlight.

But after checking the whole area, he didn’t even see a single feather. Lin Heng glanced at his watch—it was already past eight.

He was just about to head home when, from a distance, his older brother suddenly called out, “Hey! Come here! There’s something!”

(End of this chapter)