“From now on, we should all get out and move around every day when the sun is shining. Whether it’s practicing swordsmanship, archery, or even just randomly swinging a stick, we can’t be idle. Also, Fourth Brother should teach everyone how to hunt, so we can supplement our diet and save some food. After all, we need to make it until after the New Year, and we don’t know what the situation will be like once we leave the forest.”

Uncle Zhao also said, "Yes, from now on, we need to keep watch day and night. It would be best to build a shed on the hilltop above the cave and set up a lookout post. We also need someone to guard the entrance to the forest on the opposite side of the mountain stream. Everyone should take turns and not be idle."

Li Laosi and the others nodded in agreement. With a direction in mind, making arrangements would not be difficult.

The village has 33 able-bodied men, including Wen Hai. They work in three shifts a day, which means they are on duty for four hours a day and spend the other eight hours sleeping or hunting and training.

The boys also had tasks, such as shoveling snow and chopping firewood.

The women were responsible for taking care of the elderly and children, each fulfilling their own duties.

One group stayed behind to keep watch, while the other two groups were divided up: one group went to the top of the mountain to build a hut as a sentry post, and the other group went into the forest to hunt.

As a result, the group that went into the forest to hunt did not bring back any prey, but instead brought back Liu Biaotou and Liu Yangjiayi as the sun was setting.

The three of them were carrying three large bags of things, and they were so tired that their faces turned pale.

Everyone was surprised, but even more curious, wondering what they had brought back.

Jiayi rushed to the foot of his own cave and shouted, "Big brother, come down quickly and see what good things I brought you!"

Jiaren was carrying his younger sister on his shoulders as they strolled around the cave, a rare moment when he wasn't practicing his calligraphy.

Hearing the shouts, the brother and sister lifted the curtain and peeked out, overjoyed.

Jiaren quickly grabbed a bamboo basket, carried his sister on his back, and then went down the rattan ladder.

Jiayi gave his younger sister a big kiss, then pulled his older brother and ran towards the thatched shed.

Inside the thatched hut, Liu the镖头 had already opened three packages.

Mr. Wen asked with a look of surprise, "Where did you find so many books?"

Jiaren's eyes lit up, and he rushed to the pile of books, touching and flipping through them, almost going crazy with joy.

Scholars are precious, not only because they eat, drink, and pay tuition at the academy, but also because the most valuable things are writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and books.

An elementary book costs one or two taels of silver.

There's such a huge pile in front of me, more than three hundred books. If I wanted to buy them all, it would cost at least seven or eight hundred taels of silver!

Liu, the head镖师, laughed and said, "It's pointless for us to just stay near the bandits' courtyard and guard it, so we wandered around. We were going to check the roadside, but we came across a few boxes on the way, which contained these books. The bandits must have robbed the Guo family. These things aren't silver, and they're not as filling as food, so they just left them there."

Mr. Wen nodded and pointed to the seal on the back of a book, “This is indeed the private seal of Headmaster Guo.”

He thought for a moment and then said, “Here’s what we’ll do: Jiaren, you can learn first. When you leave, take what you can with you, and hide what you can’t take. The Guo family can come and get it later.”

Jiaren nodded vigorously, so happy he wanted to lie on the pile of books.

These are all rare and excellent books; otherwise, the Guo family would have needed to take them with them when they were unable to escape.

If it weren't for this opportunity, he, a farm boy, might never have had the chance to see these books in his entire life.

Everyone laughed when they saw him looking like a mouse that had fallen into a rice jar.

Finally, all these books were sent to the Li family's cave, because the smaller cave couldn't hold them all.

Mr. Wen spent most of the day organizing things with Jiaren, and Jiayin also joined in the fun, wanting to see what the cultural crystallization of this time and space was similar to or different from that of her previous life.

Jiaren was afraid that his younger sister would be naughty and tear things, but when he saw her carefully looking through them and looking very serious, he didn't stop her.

As a result, less than half an hour later, Mr. Wen suddenly pointed behind him and laughed.

He quickly turned around and saw his sister lying on the pile of books, practically snoring away...

When Jiayin woke up, it was already late. Tao Hongying was indeed kneading dough, and Zhao Yuru was chopping wild boar meat, preparing to make dumplings.

Grandma Li sat by the bed, carefully turning the duck eggs in the jar. When she saw her granddaughter wake up, she hugged her and smiled.

"Little sleepyhead, are you awake? You fell asleep on the pile of books, and your drool almost soaked them!"

Jiayin blushed, hugged her grandmother's neck and twisted around like a chubby worm, making Grandma Li laugh non-stop.

"Alright, alright, I know you're embarrassed, Grandma won't say anymore."

Grandma Li continued counting her duck eggs; there were only seven or eight left in the jar.

Jiayin peeked out, then tugged at her grandmother's sleeve and pitifully pointed to the jar.

Grandma Li understood, hesitated, pursed her lips, and looked back. There were only her two busy daughters-in-law in the cave.

Jiaren and Mr. Wen moved some books to the small cave, Jiaxi and Jia'an ran out to play, and Li Lao Er, Lao San and Lao Si were downstairs.

She steeled herself and whispered in her granddaughter's ear, "Just take out twenty, not too many."

Jiayin nodded vigorously, and with a wave of her hand, twenty clean duck eggs appeared in the jar. Old Mrs. Li quickly put the lid on and placed it in the innermost corner, covering it with a grain bag.

Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, her granddaughter stuffed a peeled hard-boiled egg into her mouth, and her granddaughter's little mouth was also bulging.

She could only glare at her granddaughter, then hug her and secretly eat while pondering what to do next.

The duck eggs are pickled; four need to be boiled for the family in the small cave. Jiaren is studying with Mr. Wen, so we should give them a token of our appreciation. We can't forget about Doctor Zhang, the village chief, Uncle Zhao, and the other elders either.

Respecting teachers and elders is always a good thing.

None of the things my granddaughter brought out were wasted; hopefully, it won't diminish her good fortune...

Jiayin had no idea that her grandmother was so conflicted. After eating an egg and feeling better, she ran to the stove to wait for her mother to make dumplings!

These are dumplings! She hasn't had them for almost two years!

Just then, Li Laosi climbed up from below, entered the house, and picked up his daughter in his arms.

"Daughter, look what good things your father brought back for you!"

Jiayin was preoccupied with food when she suddenly saw her father pull out two snow-white rabbits from his arms. She instinctively asked, "Shall we roast them? Or stew them?"

There was a moment of silence in the cave, then bursts of laughter.

"Haha, our Fu Niu is hungry!"

"This girl thinks of eating everything she sees!"

Tao Hongying laughed so hard she couldn't hold the basin, and Zhao Yuru was wiping her eyes.

Li Laosi scratched the back of his head, both amused and exasperated. "Daughter, this rabbit is too small, not even enough to fill your teeth! Dad brought it back for you to play with!"

Jiayin was extremely embarrassed and quickly forced a smile for her father, "Thank you, Dad!"

Li Laosi blinked twice, feeling that his daughter didn't seem to like it.

Jiayin was also on the verge of tears. The rabbits in her small courtyard were almost overflowing, numbering at least eighty or a hundred. She was exhausted from feeding them every night.

Just as she was figuring out how to reduce the burden on her space, her father brought her two more.

Can someone tell her how to show she's happy...?