Today, not only did Qin Qingman dare to hold her head high, but she also dared to say to the sharp-tongued Zhu Hongxia, "Aunt, my family is out of firewood. Please return the firewood you owe us. If you don't, my family will freeze to death."

Originally, Zhu Hongxia intended to use her usual stalling tactics or try to embarrass the soft-spoken Qin Qingman with harsh words. But with Qin Qingman's clear and direct statement, Zhu Hongxia found herself at a loss for a rebuttal.

The onlookers now looked at Qin Qingman with even more surprise.

"Oh, and Aunt, I remember you also borrowed 100 jin (about 50 kg) of flour from us. Considering that Chuchu and I are about to starve, could you please do us a favor and return the flour along with the firewood?" As she spoke, Qin Qingman shook the cloth bag she was holding.

Now that she had transmigrated, there was no way she was going to live the same cowardly life the original host had endured.

"When did my family ever borrow your flour? Don't make things up!" Zhu Hongxia had been thinking of how to reclaim the firewood Qin Qingman had taken, but hearing that she was also being asked to return flour infuriated her.

In times like these, no household had much extra grain, and if she had borrowed flour with no intention of returning it, there was no way she would give it back now!

Qin Qingman had long expected that Zhu Hongxia would try to deny it. She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and waved it, saying, "Aunt, when you borrowed the flour, you even wrote a receipt. Black and white—it's not just me making things up."

"That's impossible! When I took the flour, I didn't write any receipt!"

Zhu Hongxia protested loudly, her voice particularly raised for all the onlookers to hear.

But her loud protest was, in essence, a confession of guilt. The villagers who heard her looked at her as if she were a fool.

This was exactly the moment Qin Qingman had been waiting for. Turning her gaze aside, she respectfully addressed someone nearby, "Secretary, my parents are no longer here, and there's no elder to stand up for me. So today, I humbly ask you to help me seek justice and ensure my aunt returns the flour and firewood my family is owed."

Hearing Qin Qingman's words, Zhu Hongxia and the villagers all shifted their gazes.

Then they saw the Kaoshantun village secretary, Zheng Anguo.

Zheng Anguo was no ordinary figure. He was a retired soldier who had fought in the War of Resistance against Japan and made significant contributions during the Liberation of the country. He was a respected figure in the village, known for his authority and integrity.

Faced with Zheng Anguo's imposing presence, neither Zhu Hongxia nor the other villagers could help but feel guilty. Zheng Anguo wielded considerable power in Kaoshantun, where his word was law. But because he was a fair and upright man, even in these difficult times, there hadn't been any truly outrageous behavior in the village.

"Se... Secretary..."

Zhu Hongxia was so anxious that she didn't dare meet Zheng Anguo's eyes.

"Qin Lei's family, how much grain did you borrow from Qin Qingman's family?" Zheng Anguo, in his fifties, was still in excellent health. Every morning, he would take a walk around the village, keeping an eye on things. He always dealt with troublemakers, and today Zhu Hongxia had stumbled right into his path.

"Fi... fifty jin," Zhu Hongxia mumbled weakly.

"Louder. How much did you borrow?" Zheng Anguo's stern voice echoed, showing no mercy. He hadn't just arrived—he had heard the entire conversation between Zhu Hongxia and Qin Qingman earlier, so he already knew the truth.

The one thing Zheng Anguo despised most in his life was being lied to.

His harsh reprimand was so loud that Zhu Hongxia trembled in fear. Her face turned bright red, and she no longer dared to make excuses. She admitted honestly, "We... we borrowed 100 jin."

Satisfied that Zhu Hongxia had confessed, Zheng Anguo commanded, "Go get the grain and return it."

"Se... Secretary, my family really doesn't have much grain. If we return the full 100 jin, we won't make it through the winter. We'll starve!" Zhu Hongxia summoned up her courage and pleaded with Zheng Anguo.

Qin Qingman had waited so long for someone with authority to arrive, so there was no way she would let Zhu Hongxia fool her now.

She stretched out her frozen red hands and wiped away imaginary tears from the corners of her eyes, her voice trembling, "Aunt, if you don't return the grain today, Chuchu and I will truly starve to death. We don't have a single grain left at home. If you don't believe me, you can come and see for yourself. I swear to the heavens, if there's even one grain of food left in my house, may I meet a terrible end."

Faced with Qin Qingman's solemn oath, neither Zheng Anguo nor the villagers could question her change in attitude.

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone someone facing life and death.

Zhu Hongxia had originally planned to use a number of excuses, but after Qin Qingman's dramatic turn, no one felt any sympathy for her. In fact, due to Zhu Hongxia's usual shrewish behavior in the village, people had already lost their patience with her.

"Sister Hongxia, be a good person and return what you owe. Your family isn't as desperate as Qingman's."

"Exactly! Aunt Hongxia, your husband is still alive, and you have several sons who are all able-bodied. If your family is claiming to be poor, then no one in Kaoshantun can survive this winter!"

"As the saying goes, paying back debts is a matter of course. Zhu Hongxia, just look at Qingman, so thin and frail. Can you really be so heartless as to not return the food? She's a member of your own Qin family. Even if you don't care for the child, at least remember how kind her parents were to you and your brothers when they were alive. Have a little conscience and don't go too far."

On that freezing day, finally, some of the villagers spoke up in support of the pitiful Qin Qingman and Chuchu.

Being scolded by everyone, Zhu Hongxia felt a lump in her throat, making it hard to breathe.

It was easy for these people to talk—they were being generous with someone else's grain. It wasn't their food that needed to be returned. It was so simple for them to flap their lips and demand that her family repay the debt. But how could she return it? In the middle of winter, the fields were buried in snow, and the mountains were empty of game. Everyone was hoarding whatever food they had!

Seeing Zhu Hongxia's furious gaze, Qin Qingman knew it was time to push harder.

Wasn't this all about playing weak and gaining sympathy? She could do that, too.

"Aunt, I'm hungry. We ran out of food last night," Qin Qingman said just as everyone was waiting for Secretary Zheng Anguo's decision. 

Suddenly, a frail voice rang out from beyond the crowd.

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw little Chuchu, wrapped in a thin quilt.

The blanket wasn't thick, but it was tightly wrapped around the small boy, though it did nothing to hide his skinny, malnourished, wax-yellow face.

Seeing the malnourished Chuchu, everyone couldn't help but curse Zhu Hongxia in their hearts.

"Chuchu," Qin Qingman rushed over to embrace the child. Holding both Chuchu and the quilt, she finally felt a bit of warmth.

During her standoff with her aunt, the cold had seeped deep into her bones. Her whole body was trembling. If it hadn't been for the will to survive keeping her standing, she would have collapsed by now.

It was just too cold—winter in the Northeast was unbearably harsh.

"Sis, I'm hungry," Chuchu said, perfectly playing his part, providing Qin Qingman with the help she needed at the right time.

Looking at the pitiful siblings, Zheng Anguo was furious. He hadn't expected such injustice to occur under his leadership. His authoritative gaze fell on Zhu Hongxia.

"Qin Lei's wife, return what you borrowed from Qingman's family. I don't believe that returning 100 jin of grain will starve your family to death."

Faced with the village secretary's wrath, Zhu Hongxia didn't dare argue.

"Secretary, please don't be angry. We'll return it—right away."

At that moment, the door to Qin Lei's house opened, and Qin Lei appeared with his three children.

"Caiyun, take Jianjun and weigh the grain," Qin Lei instructed. He had been listening to the situation unfold from inside the house. Knowing that, with Secretary Zheng Anguo involved, they couldn't get away with not returning the debt, he figured it was best to just agree and get it over with.

Eighteen-year-old Qin Caiyun glanced at Qin Qingman, then at Zhu Hongxia, before taking her youngest brother back inside the house.

"Uncle, return the firewood too. Chuchu and I woke up freezing this morning—there really isn't any firewood left at home," Qin Qingman added, knowing that she might as well push further since they were already in this far.

"Alright," Qin Lei replied with a fake smile.

Zheng Anguo was pleased with how Qin Lei was handling the situation and directed the villagers, "We're all neighbors in Kaoshantun, and neighbors should help each other. Don't just stand there watching the commotion. Help Qingman carry the firewood back to her house. If they don't have wood for the fire in this winter, it really could be fatal."

"The secretary is right—let's all lend a hand."

Remembering how good Qin Qingman's parents had been to them while they were alive, the villagers quickly sprang into action under the secretary's command.

With so many people helping, the task was done quickly. In less than 15 minutes, a third of Zhu Hongxia's firewood pile had been moved.

Watching the villagers carry away her firewood like ants moving a feast, Zhu Hongxia could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.

Furious, she clenched her back teeth so hard that she bit her tongue, drawing blood.

While she was seething with anger, she caught sight of a figure in the distance.

Her mouth moved faster than her brain.

"Secretary Zheng, it wasn't just my family that borrowed from Qingman's family. Her youngest aunt, as well as her third and fourth uncles, also borrowed things. If my family has to return what we owe, then so should they!"

Zhu Hongxia's calculations were clear—why should her family take all the losses? When they were all reaping the benefits, everyone shared in it. So, naturally, when it came to suffering the consequences, they should all share that too.

Seeing Zhu Hongxia's rash outburst, Qin Qingman was both surprised and delighted.

She hadn't expected Zhu Hongxia to play right into her hands. Not only did she help her get what she wanted, but she also took the initiative to offend more people on her behalf. Qin Qingman suddenly found Zhu Hongxia more likable, despite her not understanding the true consequences of her actions.

Zheng Anguo and the others were equally stunned by Zhu Hongxia's audacity.

Whether it was Zheng Anguo, who had been overseeing the villagers, or the people returning from Qin Qingman's house after delivering the firewood, everyone's attention now turned to Qin Lei's neighbors.

The Qin brothers' homes were all close together, being next-door neighbors.

The other brothers, who had been secretly watching the commotion, were infuriated by Zhu Hongxia dragging them into it. They clenched their teeth in anger.

If it weren't for the presence of Secretary Zheng, they would have rushed out and torn Zhu Hongxia's mouth apart.

"Qin Shu, Qin Shi, Jiang Linshan—come out now!" Zheng Anguo shouted. Though he hadn't seen the Qin brothers, his years of experience told him they were definitely spying from somewhere nearby.

"If you've got time to spy, then you've got time to repay your debts!"

Being called out by the village secretary, and not wanting to risk being blacklisted when it came to earning work points, the named individuals had no choice but to show their faces.

A few minutes later, everyone saw Qin Qingman's other relatives.

"My third uncle owes our family 60 yuan, my fourth uncle's family owes 200 jin (about 100 kg) of flour, and my uncle-in-law owes three chickens, 100 eggs, and 30 yuan," Qin Qingman said, having received all of the original host's memories, including the debts. The accounts were crystal clear.

Hearing Qin Qingman's words, all of the Qin relatives looked bitter.

The villagers, however, reacted differently. As they looked at the Qin brothers, whose faces were rosy with good health, and then at the pale and thin Qin Qingman and her little brother, their sympathy immediately shifted. The silent disapproval in their gazes was now directed toward the Qin brothers.

"Sec... Secretary, we really can't repay everything right now. If we could have repaid it all at once, we wouldn't have kept delaying it," said Jiang Linshan, Qin Qingman's uncle-in-law, smartly trying to excuse their failure to repay the debt.

He was also trying to garner sympathy.

"My family is completely destitute—our blankets, warm clothes, firewood, and food aren't enough. I'm not forcing any of you to repay everything all at once. We can calculate the value of what you owe and deduct it bit by bit. No matter how much you can return, you need to give something back. What's left can be paid next year."

Qin Qingman had already thought things through, and her solution was ready.

"I agree, let's do it that way. Pay back whatever you can for now," Zheng Anguo said, delivering the final decision.

Half an hour later, back at the Qin house, Chuchu sat squatting in front of the warm stove, his eyes shining with admiration as he watched Qin Qingman wash her face with warm water. His gaze was filled with worship.

Today, he had been completely won over by his sister.

Not only had their family managed to collect new blankets, new cotton clothes, and plenty of food and firewood from their uncles, but after today, they wouldn't have to suffer from cold or hunger anymore!

Qin Qingman, however, was too busy to notice Chuchu's gaze. At that moment, she was looking at herself in the mirror.

A gentle, beautiful face stared back at her, with bright almond-shaped eyes that sparkled.

Qin Qingman hadn't expected the original host to look exactly like her. If this body weren't several years younger, she might have thought that she'd transmigrated both body and soul into the book.