Chapter Sixteen: A Matter of Life and Death

Li Xiangyang stood rooted to the spot for a long time, until the scent of the wolf pack completely faded away.

Only as the cold wind swept past did he realize that the cold sweat on his back had already frozen through his cotton jacket.

This was the first time since his rebirth that he had come so close to death.

Even during his previous life’s travels and hunts around the world, he had never encountered a wolf pack like this.

The gaze of that old wolf remained vivid in his memory.

It was not the look of a mere beast, but the eyes of a sage.

Through its actions, it conveyed to Li Xiangyang that in these mountains and forests, humans were not the true masters.

A gust of frigid wind howled by, and large snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Only then did Li Xiangyang realize that dusk had already fallen.

Continuing the hunt was clearly impossible.

Braving the fierce snowstorm on his way back, Li Xiangyang’s mood grew heavy.

Since his rebirth, he had believed his past life’s experience would allow him to easily navigate these woods, but today’s encounter struck him like a thunderbolt.

The wind grew stronger, snowflakes swirling in the air, visibility dropping rapidly.

He had to slow his pace and cautiously find his way.

By the time he finally emerged from the forest, night had completely fallen.

The howling wind and snowflakes, sharp as blades, cut painfully across his face.

Before reaching the village entrance, he heard a clamor from within.

Under the faint light, he saw many villagers braving the snowstorm, busy with urgent tasks.

“Hurry! Press down the thatch on the roof!”

“Ropes! Anyone have extra ropes?”

Alarmed, Li Xiangyang quickened his steps toward home.

Sure enough, the wind had ripped open a large section of his thatch roof, letting snow pour inside.

“Son! You’ve finally come back!” his mother exclaimed in relief upon seeing him. “Xiaohua and I moved everything we could into the inner room, but the roof…”

“Brother!” Li Xiaohua ran out, her cheeks flushed from the cold. “Mother and I propped up the furniture, but the snow still keeps seeping in!”

Seeing his little sister shivering, Li Xiangyang’s heart ached.

Without a word, he took off his own jacket and wrapped it around her before rushing toward the backyard.

“Li Xiangyang!” a familiar voice called out.

It was Zhang Li. She and several sent-down youth had come through the storm to help.

“Need any help?” Zhang Li shouted. “In weather like this, no one can stay at the youth settlement. We’re all planning to go down the mountain to keep warm. Do you want to come with us?”

Li Xiangyang shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m staying. I need to fix the roof first.”

Amid the blizzard, he climbed onto the roof to reinforce the thatch.

Zhang Li and the others didn’t leave but joined in the work.

Cold snowflakes stung their faces, and their fingers grew numb, but Li Xiangyang gritted his teeth and persevered.

At this moment, his resolve to give his family a better life only strengthened.

They needed not only to hunt but also a safe shelter to shield them from wind and rain.

With a final bang, Li Xiangyang hammered the last wooden stake into the beam, finally securing the displaced thatch.

The wind roared as he climbed down the ladder, his body soaked through with sweat and snow.

“Thank you all for helping,” he said sincerely to Zhang Li and the others. “Without your assistance, the wind would have blown all this thatch away.”

Zhang Li waved her hand. “It’s nothing. But why won’t you come down the mountain? It’s dangerous up here in this weather.”

Li Xiangyang brought out several stools and had his sister pour hot water for everyone. “Come, sit down and warm up a bit.”

Once everyone was seated, he spoke slowly, “You may not know, but those living down the mountain are affluent families. They have plenty of grain and can winter in peace.”

He glanced at the steaming water before continuing, “But we up here are different. Without stored grain, we rely on hunting and gathering herbs to survive. In this heavy snow, living down the mountain means spending the whole day just clearing snow from the doorstep—there’s no time left to go into the forest.”

Zhang Li nodded thoughtfully.

Indeed, she had noticed that most people living down below were production team leaders or accountants, families who never worried about food.

“Besides,” Li Xiangyang smiled, “you sent-down youths have arrangements from above and guaranteed food rations. You can afford to hunker down at the foot of the mountain and won’t starve. But we common folk—if we don’t live on the mountain slopes, we won’t even have a warm meal.”

A hush fell over the room.

The sent-down youths all understood the meaning behind his words.

In this turbulent era, they came to the countryside as part of an organized movement, but the farmers had to fend for themselves.

“So,” Li Xiangyang stood up, “thank you for your kindness, but we must put down roots here on the mountainside.”

Watching him walk away, Zhang Li felt a deep respect for this young man’s sense of responsibility.

For his family, he was willing to endure the storm-lashed mountainside rather than seek comfort down below.

Night had grown late, and Zhang Li and the others had to leave.

Before going, she looked back at the sturdy thatch house standing firm amid the snowstorm, an indescribable admiration swelling in her heart.

After seeing them off, Li Xiangyang turned to find his sister still standing at the door, gazing absently at the scattered lights far down the mountain.

“What are you thinking about, Xiaohua?” he asked gently, patting her shoulder.

“Brother…” Li Xiaohua pressed her lips together. “Those sent-down sisters live down the mountain. It’s so nice there—warm, and they can read books.”

Her words stirred something within Li Xiangyang. He knelt to meet her eyes. “Knowledge is important. Look at Sister Zhang Li and the others—they speak and act with poise and wisdom because they have been educated.”

“But…” Xiaohua lowered her head.

“No buts,” Li Xiangyang interrupted. “We live on the mountain now, but that doesn’t mean we’ll always be trapped here. Remember, knowledge is the key to changing our fate.”

Xiaohua’s eyes brightened. “So you mean, if I study hard…”

“Yes,” Li Xiangyang said earnestly. “You have to study hard. Even if you can’t attend school now, you must learn on your own. When the college entrance exams resume someday, you must succeed and go beyond.”

His sister nodded, half understanding.

Li Xiangyang ruffled her hair and added, “Alright, come inside. Tomorrow I’ll find someone to properly fix the roof. We can’t keep patching it like this.”

Early the next morning, Li Xiangyang sought out the village carpenter, Uncle Li.

“Fixing the roof, huh?” Uncle Li counted on his fingers. “You’ll need some new rafters and fresh thatch. With the cold weather, the cost of materials and labor will be at least fifteen yuan.”

That sum startled Li Xiangyang.

He knew well what fifteen yuan could buy in these times—it could feed a family of three for several months.

But the roof had to be repaired.

In this weather, a leaking house could mean disaster.