Chapter 130: An Unexpected Gift, a Warning on a Note, and Things Remembered.

After finishing their dumplings, Ming Dai took Zhou Sinian into the dimensional space. Tomorrow morning, people would surely come over to offer their New Year's greetings.

It wasn't to greet her, but to greet Zhou Sinian. After all, he was the man who commanded all the young followers in Liujiawan.

While they were sleeping soundly in the space, a dark figure crept toward the educated youth quarters. After circling the outer wall, it reached the small courtyard where Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian lived. The figure slipped inside quietly, peered into the two pitch-black rooms, but did not dare to get too close, lingering for only a moment before leaving.

The next day, a thrilled Zhou Sinian grabbed his prepared basket and called for Ming Dai to head out. Yawning, Ming Dai brought him out of the space. It had snowed again last night, and the yard was once again blanketed in white. Ming Dai went to boil the dumplings while Zhou Sinian went to clear the snow.

As he swept, Zhou Sinian suddenly froze, looking toward the gate with vigilance. Underneath the locked door panel, a square object was covered in heavy snow, making it impossible to tell what it was. He did not rush forward blindly; instead, he carefully observed his surroundings. Once he was certain there was no danger, he used the broom to gently nudge the snow-covered item.

As the snow was brushed away, the object revealed its true form: a wooden crate. Zhou Sinian frowned. He didn't touch it but instead retrieved the key from a crack in the wall to unlock the door. Outside, the world was a vast expanse of white, where the kindness and malice of the human world were all buried beneath the snow.

Finding no clues, Zhou Sinian returned with a furrowed brow. He stared at the crate on the ground for a moment before continuing to sweep. Only after the courtyard and the path outside the wall were cleared did he carry the broom back. After putting away his tools and glancing at the smoking kitchen chimney, Zhou Sinian carried the wooden crate behind the house.

With no one around, he pulled out his military dagger and carefully pried the nails from the crate.

*Click!*

The box opened, and Zhou Sinian instantly recoiled. He waited for a minute, but nothing happened. Remaining alert, he returned and used the dagger to gently flip the wooden lid onto the ground. Inside, his eyes met canned goods, cured meat, rice, flour, and even a whole pig's leg, with plenty more items buried beneath that he couldn't clearly identify.

He rummaged through it for a moment and found a letter. He held it in his hand, looking it over without opening it, then closed the crate and carried it inside.

Ming Dai had finished cooking the dumplings and found it strange that Zhou Sinian had been gone so long. As she walked outside, she ran into him carrying the crate.

"What are you holding?"

Zhou Sinian shook his head. "I don't know. I found it behind the door this morning."

Ming Dai frowned and followed him into the kitchen. Zhou Sinian set the crate down and opened it for her. He had rummaged through the items a bit, making them look somewhat messy, but the sight still made Ming Dai gasp in surprise.

Everything inside was of high quality; any one of these items would be considered a significant gift in this era. She inspected them and found the food appeared to be perfectly fine. Beneath the food were two sets of the currently trendy green military uniforms, and the sizes were clearly meant for the two of them. There were two bolts of fabric, one black and one red, enough to make two outfits. There were even two separate packages containing men's undergarments and socks. Then came various daily necessities—toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap—all provided in duplicate, clearly including her share.

She was baffled. She had only just arrived in the countryside, so this definitely wasn't meant for her. It must have been for Zhou Sinian, yet it included her portion—what could that mean?

Just as she was wondering, Zhou Sinian handed her the envelope. It was thick and felt as though it contained other things. Ming Dai carefully tore it open and tilted it over the table; a stack of banknotes and ration coupons fell out. Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian exchanged a look, even more bewildered. She counted them: two hundred yuan, along with a fairly complete variety of coupons.

The only thing left was a thin piece of paper. Ming Dai opened it, and Zhou Sinian leaned in. It wasn't written by hand but composed of letters cut out from a newspaper: "Danger. Do not investigate. Prioritize self-preservation. Please take care of him, and you shall be rewarded handsomely in the future. Also, you little brat, your hand is too heavy!"

It was a nonsensical message, and yet so mysterious. Ming Dai racked her brain but couldn't think of who might have sent it. When Zhou Sinian saw the last sentence, his eyes flickered.

Ming Dai thought until her head ached, but couldn't come up with anything, so she simply stopped trying. She took the items and Zhou Sinian back into the space.

By this delay, the dumplings had gone cold. They reheated them and ate with a side of pickled vegetables. However, while eating, Zhou Sinian seemed absent-minded; he actually picked up the pickled coriander from Ming Dai’s bowl and ate it without expression.

Ming Dai: “...” *Wait, didn't he like that?*

Seeing he had something on his mind, Ming Dai didn't ask. If he wanted to talk, he would come to her.

After eating, Ming Dai stored the items in the space's warehouse. Zhou Sinian went to feed the fish. He threw the cut grass into the pond, watching the jumping fish with a dazed look. Slowly, he took out the letter, unfolded it, and traced the three characters for "little brat."

After thinking for a long time, he took the letter back to the villa. Ming Dai was on the sofa drinking milk tea, clearly waiting for him. Zhou Sinian poured himself a cup, sipping through the straw while stealing glances at Ming Dai. Ming Dai was being mischievous and refused to ask him.

After a while, just as Zhou Sinian was about to speak, a knock echoed from outside the space, followed by a chorus of "Big Brother! Big Brother!"

It was a crisp, childish voice—clearly, the kids had come to offer their New Year's greetings. Zhou Sinian's face darkened instantly, and he followed Ming Dai out with great reluctance.

As soon as they emerged, the chattering outside made Ming Dai’s head spin; it felt as if half the village's children had arrived. Sure enough, when she opened the door, a sea of red headscarves filled the alleyway.

"Big Brother! Happy New Year!"
"Big Brother! Wishing you prosperity!"
"Big Brother! May you live as long as the Southern Mountains!"
"Big Brother! Happy Wedding!"
"Big Brother! May you have children soon!"
"..."

The children’s innocent, childish remarks made Ming Dai bend over with laughter, while Zhou Sinian’s face grew even darker. Seeing that their "Big Brother" was about to get angry, Tie Dan quickly called for silence. With a wave of his hand, the children shouted in unison: "Big Brother, Happy New Year!"

The sound was crisp and piercing; it could be heard clearly throughout the educated youth quarters, and some people poked their heads out to look into the alley. Ming Dai marveled at the scene, feeling great admiration for Zhou Sinian's leadership skills.

Zhou Sinian was satisfied as well. He gave a light hum, wished them a Happy New Year, and began handing out the treats. Ming Dai had used the remaining hawthorn berries and maltose to make small candied hawthorns; two stuck together looked like red gourds, a nice auspicious symbol.

Zhou Sinian asked the children to hold out their small hands, which were frozen red but clean. He nodded in satisfaction and gave each child two. The children who received the candied fruit were as happy as puppies, darting all over the alley, shouting and cheering in excitement.

Ming Dai felt that this was the liveliest spot in all of Liujiawan today. It was the children's day of bounty; they were rushing off to offer more greetings and pick up leftover firecrackers along the way. Tie Dan asked if Zhou Sinian wanted to join them. Although Zhou Sinian really wanted to go set off firecrackers, he had things on his mind and, after much hesitation, shook his head to decline.

Soon, the children ran off with happy laughter, and Zhou Sinian and Ming Dai returned to the space. They curled up on the sofa again, drinking milk tea and eating fruit. Zhou Sinian looked at Ming Dai with increasing frequency, until finally, he couldn't hold it back any longer.

"Ming Dai," he said, "I think I might have remembered something."

Ming Dai raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. *As expected.*