Another year has passed and it is January.

Because of the cold wave that gradually spread across the northern part of the continent, this year was designated as the Year of Winter by the Sages.

Winter is gradually passing the most difficult part. Although it is still cold, many places in the south are gradually warming up.

Walking in the mountains and forests outside the city, there are mostly withered and yellow grass roots under your feet, but near the roots of some trees, you can always see a few dark green plants like oil.

They have fine, slightly thick leaves and appear to be quite cold-tolerant and water-retaining.

Loran Hill was not wearing armor today, but was walking in the mountains in a black dress with white edges.

Normally she has to wear armor to hide her identity, but occasionally she wants to run out and get some fresh air. It just so happens that she also needs to explore the environment around the city to find out if there are any suitable minerals or places suitable for development.

The small leather shoes jumped lightly on the ground, and then Loran Hill passed over the thorny bushes and landed lightly on a dark gray stone.

Silver hair fell slowly in the wind, a few strands brushing against her ears, making the girl feel a slight tingle. The air was still cool, and a few small red bean-like fruits under the trees in the distance came into view.

His footsteps crossed the ground again, passing easily through stones and several roots. Loranhill bent down and squatted, looking at the plants in front of him.

It seems I haven't seen it before.

She gently touched the small fruits with her fingers, and they trembled and swayed slightly on the thin branches. The paper strips of shrubs were not as soft as flowers and plants, and they would tremble and sway when the wind blew.

With pale fingertips, he plucked a small fruit, wiped it clean briefly, and then carefully peeled it open to reveal the delicate little seeds.

I carefully tasted it with my tongue, and a sour and sweet taste came to mind.

They don’t taste very good, the girl looked at the small fruits.

Can it be improved? This fruit seems to be quite common locally. If it is improved well, it should become a good economic crop.

Many fruits in our lives have actually been improved over time. The original ones are always somewhat unsatisfactory.

For example, in the original version, banana seeds are huge, watermelons are very small, and peaches are green and astringent. The reason the girl knew this is because when she was a child playing in the mountains with her friends, she saw the original peaches. They were very small, with large seeds, and not tasty at all.

Recalling his childhood scenes in his mind, Loran Hill picked a lot of small fruits, put them in a small bag, and then went to other places.

The closer you get to the top of the mountain, the more tall trees you see. Perhaps this is because it is rarely visited and less cut down.

Walking under these thick fir trees, the silver-haired figure flashed from time to time in the shade of the trees, like an elf in a fairy tale, with his fingers gently brushing across the trees in the forest, light and moving.

The trees in the mountains are mostly pines and fir trees. Occasionally, you can see fallen pine nuts among the grass and rocks on the ground. They blend in perfectly with the surrounding fallen leaves and soil, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Compared to the bustling towns, the mountains are very quiet in winter, with few animals moving around and only a few bird calls to punctuate the scene.

At some point, the silver-haired girl stopped and stood in front of a short tree.

This is....

Loran Hill looked at this tree that was quite different from the surrounding trees, and gently pressed his hand on the trunk. The undulating tiny grooves on the bark and the faint coolness came into his mind.

She closed her eyes and sensed it for a moment, then searched and compared it in the system, and only then did she know its name.

A bitter cherry tree, a bit strange, shouldn't such trees grow in tropical places?

But if there is only one plant, it might be a seed accidentally left behind by human activities many years ago.

Despite its name, the fruit of this tree doesn't actually resemble a cherry. If anything, it resembles a pumpkin shrunk down countless times, with eight sides and a color that ranges from light green at first to scarlet and then purple-red as it matures.

The only time this plant was mentioned in class during Emenas's second year was because its fruit could be used to make a sleeping potion, which was useful for some people with insomnia.

The price is quite high, because this kind of production area mostly comes from the Southern Islands, and it would cost a lot of money to purchase it from the alchemy workshops on the mainland. However, for some nobles, they really need this kind of sleep-inducing and calming potion.

Because this is one of the few sleeping pills with minimal side effects.

Thinking this in her mind, the girl pressed her chin lightly with her fingers, then lowered her head and looked around. Finally, her eyes lit up and she found a young seedling that had not yet grown in the corner of a crevice.

Judging from the appearance of this young seedling, it will be difficult for it to survive until spring. If it can grow successfully, there will not be only one bitter cherry tree here.

Carefully picking up the seedlings from the grass and putting them into a cloth bag, Loran Hill looked around and continued walking forward.

Time passed slowly as we passed through the sparse and cold mountain peaks, walked through the wet lowlands covered with dense forests, and crossed the quiet winter river.

The sky gradually darkened.

Should we go back for dinner? Luo Lanxier looked at the setting sun in the distance. The afterglow was broken up by the roots of the trees, creating scattered light and shadows on the ground.

It’s better not to go back. Although the chef in the mansion cooks well, she is a little tired of it. She will make something herself today.

Since there are no outsiders around, I can use the things in the storage space without any restrictions.

After a while, Loran Hill found a thick tree. Its broad trunk just blocked the cold wind from behind, forming a small leeward harbor.

The breeze swirled, clearing away the fallen leaves on the ground, and Loran Hill simply made a small fire pit.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!