"Zhu Zi, just say whatever conditions you have." "As long as I can do it, I'll agree." Yang Haitian said. Hearing this, Liu Tieshan kept signaling Liu Tiezhu with his eyes, hinting for him not to make excessive demands. Finding a wife was no easy feat these days—he didn't want this good thing to fall through. Second Uncle was also tense, his palms sweating. Yang Yulan, standing nearby, was even more anxious, her eyes fixed on Liu Tiezhu, her heart hanging in the balance. "Brother Tian, I hope you won't slaughter the mule." "This mule can be trained; it'll be useful later." Liu Tiezhu said. At this, everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "I thought it was something serious—turns out it's just this." "Consider the mule a wedding gift for you and Yulan. Do whatever you want with it." Yang Haitian laughed heartily, generously giving away the mule. "Haitian, I think we shouldn't delay." "Let's set a date for Yulan and Zhu Zi's wedding?" Second Uncle was shrewd, striking while the iron was hot to prevent any more hiccups. "Second Uncle, you're the elder. It's all up to you." Yang Haitian wasn't foolish either; he readily handed over the decision to Second Uncle. "Then let's make it a month from now. I'll go back and check the calendar to pick an auspicious day." Second Uncle laughed heartily, not giving Liu Tiezhu or Yang Yulan a chance to speak, and made the call directly. Liu Tiezhu and Yang Yulan exchanged glances, their eyes meeting, both blushing. With their matter settled, Yang Haitian invited everyone to eat. The group deliberately left seats so Liu Tiezhu and Yang Yulan could sit together. The dinner was filled with laughter and chatter, the atmosphere warm and cozy. After the meal, Second Uncle and the others busied themselves with the pheasants. Yang Yulan and Liu Tiezhu were shooed into the room by the others, told to get to know each other better. Er Gouzi said he wanted to rest too, but got a beating from Second Uncle. In the end, he obediently helped with the pheasants. "Zhu Zi, do you like me?" Inside the room, Yang Yulan tugged at her clothes, asking nervously. Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu's gaze fell on Yang Yulan, studying her carefully. Yang Yulan was a bit over 1.6 meters tall, neither short nor tall. Her face was the kind that grew on you—plain at first glance, but prettier the more you looked. Seeing Liu Tiezhu staring at her without saying a word, Yang Yulan blushed again. "Zhu Zi..." Liu Tiezhu snapped back to reality and nodded: "Sister Yulan, I like you." Hearing this, Yang Yulan finally relaxed. They chatted for half an hour, getting a basic understanding of each other. Yang Yulan said, "Let's go out and help." "With so many pheasants, just Second Uncle and the others will be busy until who knows when." Liu Tiezhu nodded, took Yang Yulan's hand, and walked out. Seeing this, everyone knew their relationship was solid. The six of them worked until ten at night before finishing with the pheasants. When Second Uncle suggested leaving the pheasants at home, Yang Haitian flatly refused. After much persuasion from everyone, Yang Haitian finally agreed, saying he'd temporarily keep them. When he learned Liu Tiezhu would come hunting again tomorrow, Yang Yulan told him to come for breakfast. Back home, Liu Tieshan told the family about Yang Yulan and Liu Tiezhu. When Yaoyao heard she'd soon have an aunt, she danced with joy. Huang Xiumei was also delighted, saying the betrothal gifts shouldn't shortchange the Yang family. Liu Tiezhu returned to his room, tossed a few dry logs into the stove, and started thinking. He was about to start a family, which meant more responsibility on his shoulders. As a man, he had to bear that responsibility and not let Yang Yulan suffer with him. Beyond that, he had to ensure their future children had a good living environment. Having lived two lives, he saw further than anyone. He knew that only by paving the way first could the path ahead be less difficult. The stored grain could last half a year, but that didn't mean the crisis was over. Two more snowstorms were coming, along with villagers looting and killing—these were unknown threats. He had to be fully prepared before these things happened. Liu Tiezhu pondered for over an hour, wrapped himself in a thick cotton coat, got up, and went to Er Gouzi's room. "Brother Zhu Zi, you're not asleep either?" Seeing Liu Tiezhu come in, Er Gouzi immediately scrambled up from the bed. "Can't sleep. Let's get up early tomorrow and head to town." Liu Tiezhu said. Er Gouzi nodded: "Sure, Brother Zhu Zi. What are we buying this time?" Liu Tiezhu said, "Some lumber and four tires. I want to modify the cart." Yang Haitian's mule cart was cobbled together from many rotten wooden pieces, long decayed. The wheels under the cart were also wooden, prone to breaking once in the mountains. He planned to buy new lumber and four iron-wrapped tires to redo it. That way, it would save the mule's strength and carry more game. "Are we heading into the mountains early?" Er Gouzi asked excitedly. "First, we'll fix up the mule cart, then see how things go." Liu Tiezhu did have thoughts of going into the mountains early. But it was just a plan in his head. With the current weather, no one dared to go into the mountains, meaning the game there was uncontested. If they could get in smoothly, the harvest would surely be impressive. In this bitter cold, the animals were mostly hibernating in their dens—the perfect time to hunt. But without a hunting dog to guide them, going deep into the mountains risked getting lost, which was extremely dangerous. "Brother Zhu Zi, I think we should be bolder." "Right now, no one dares to go deep into the mountains. Game is everywhere. If we..." Er Gouzi's words were cut off by Liu Tiezhu. "Gou Zi, have you forgotten what happened to those guys from Huangwu Village?" "With the snow sealing the mountains and no guide dog, even if we get in, it'll be hard to find our way out." Er Gouzi thought for a moment and said, "Brother Zhu Zi, what if we do what the ginseng hunters do?" "They worry about getting lost in the deep mountains too, so they tie red ropes along the way as markers. That way, they don't lose their way." Liu Tiezhu paused, then said, "We can try, but the key now is to prepare everything first." "I just got myself a wife, damn it—I don't want to end up lying flat and having the whole village eat at my funeral feast." With that, they looked at each other and burst into laughter. The next morning, Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi got up early. They greeted Second Uncle and Big Brother, then took two hundred jin of meat to Yang Haitian's house. The roads were all thick with snow, and the tricycle was useless, so Liu Tiezhu planned to take the mule cart into town. Yang Yulan had already made breakfast and was standing outside the yard, looking around. When she saw Liu Tiezhu coming, her face lit up with smiles. "Zhu Zi, Gou Zi, come in quick. Breakfast is ready." They didn't stand on ceremony; they put down the meat and followed Yang Yulan into the kitchen. Seeing the meat behind them, Yang Haitian looked puzzled. "Why are you bringing meat over?" Er Gouzi took a sip of pheasant porridge and said, "Brother Tian, we're taking this meat to town to exchange for some money." "Brother Zhu Zi and I plan to fix up the mule cart and head into the mountains early." Into the mountains? Hearing this, Yang Haitian and Yang Yulan exchanged glances, their faces turning pale in unison.