Perhaps it's because of the Lunar New Year, but the weather was very kind; there wasn't much wind outside.

The sounds of the soldiers' laughter drifted over, and Shen Xingmian could still faintly hear some of it until she fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up after a good night's sleep, she saw that it was almost midnight. In modern times, this would be the time when everyone would be counting down the hours to the New Year.

However, the timing here isn't very accurate. Everyone is waiting for her to wake up so they can go out and set off firecrackers together.

As soon as she saw Shen Xingmian wake up, Shen Xingyan immediately ran to her, lay down beside her bed, and asked expectantly like a happy little bird, "Little sister, let's go set off firecrackers, we've been waiting for you!"

If this were written in a domestic power struggle novel, it would definitely involve many twists and turns, appearing lively on the surface but actually secretly sabotaging others.

But here, Shen Xingmian could rest assured and not feel that way. Her cousin was genuinely waiting for her, hoping she would wake up so they could set off firecrackers together.

So she sat up abruptly, grabbed her cousin's outstretched hand, and together they went to the adults who were getting up.

This is the most important ritual besides the New Year's Eve dinner.

Many soldiers outside were already in position, waiting for the general's order. The sound of firecrackers would then help them bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.

With a gesture from Shen Zhiheng, many people stepped forward to light the firecrackers that had formed a circle around them. Then came the sound of firecrackers flying into the sky, followed by a very loud explosion.

The area above the military camp was exceptionally quiet, and with mountains nearby, the sounds seemed muffled and amplified.

Shen Xingmian was already very sharp-eared and sharp-eyed. Just as she was about to reach out and cover her ears, a pair of hands appeared beside her and covered them tightly.

She tried to turn her head to look, but the hand restricted her head, preventing her from turning it at all.

Even if you can't see her, you can guess that those hands are about the same size as hers; you don't need to feel them closely to know they are a child's hands.

My cousin is skipping and jumping around not far away, so there's only one person left.

Shen Xingmian simply leaned lazily against him, letting him support her while she bullied the child.

She hadn't dared to lean too firmly, fearing that Xiao Yanyue's small frame wouldn't be able to support her, but she was surprised to find that, without her knowledge, the child had already grown quite sturdy.

At least when I leaned against it, I didn't feel like I was about to collapse.

Not bad, not bad. She's put in so much effort feeding her for so long, and it's finally starting to show some results.

Supplies were still scarce, and not many firecrackers were prepared. After one round, it was over.

After all, gunpowder production was still very low in that era.

And it will only be used for fireworks; there's no sign of it being used for firearms yet.

Shen Xingmian did not intend to interfere too much with the world's development process. Once something like firearms was created, it would be easy to dominate the world, but the casualties would be extremely heavy.

Having finally been given a second chance at life, she didn't want to commit such a grave sin of killing.

After we got back, we cooked dumplings. Even if we hadn't digested our dinner yet, we still had to eat dumplings. That's the custom for celebrating the New Year in the North.

This year, things have finally gotten a little better, so even if we only eat two per person, we still have to cook a meal to make a gesture of respect.

The soldiers were even happier. Not only did they eat their fill of meat, but as soon as their stomachs were empty, they were given dumplings to eat.

Who would believe that if I told them?

There have never been such good conditions in the military camp!

If these conditions were announced, without any other publicity, countless people would want to join the army, hahaha.

Maybe we can even recruit soldiers from other places.

Serving the country is all empty talk; the most basic needs of ordinary soldiers are simply to be fed and clothed. If they could receive a little more pay so they could send it home to support their parents, that would be even better.

Who goes out to risk their life not to earn money so that their family can live a better life?

They believe that day is not far off.

The dumplings were cooked quickly, steaming hot, and dipped in the special sauce, they were incredibly delicious.

Shen Xingmian wasn't hungry at first, but she decided to eat two just to join in the fun. Once she started eating, she couldn't stop until her belly was round.

While I felt satisfied, I also felt a little frustrated because of my weak self-control.

Waaah.

After finishing the dumplings and tidying up the tents, everyone planned to go to sleep. There was still a lot to do the next day, and they couldn't party all night.

Shen Xingmian was now fully awake and decided to stay outside to keep watch, letting everyone go back to their spaces to sleep.

After bringing people in to sleep, she discovered that the energy replenishment of the space was not only provided to her as the owner, but also to others.

Although it's already past midnight, everyone will probably be refreshed by tomorrow morning.

It's really a treasure.

From the moment she brought everyone into the space, Shen Xingmian began preparing sleeping areas for them. While tents offered some privacy, they ultimately couldn't provide the same sense of security as houses.

So she was thinking that when she had free time, she should build a few houses inside, so that people wouldn't have to sleep outdoors when they were out and about.

However, this job can only be done by craftsmen, and she herself has no experience in this area, so she can only put forward an idea and put it aside for the time being.

After everyone returned to their space, Grandpa's tent suddenly became quiet, the sounds outside gradually disappeared, and the whole world gradually fell silent.

Shen Xingmian wasn't sleepy at all; she just wanted to find something to do. She had been busy with New Year's preparations all day, and the seeds in the space hadn't been planted yet.

However, ever since her superpowers became widely available, seeds no longer need to be buried underground. As long as they are placed in the right spot, they can take root on their own with the help of her superpowers.

She tried using her spatial abilities to disperse the seeds and found that it was indeed feasible, although it consumed a little mental energy.

So while she was bored and kept watch at night, she began to slowly farm. She had long since developed a habit of keeping her hands busy and didn't feel tired at all.

It was quiet outside until she suddenly heard a series of unusual footsteps. She abruptly opened her eyes, put on her coat, and prepared to go out and check.

Shen Xingmian moved very cautiously, even making a very soft sound with her footsteps, not wanting to disturb the people outside.

At first, she thought someone was getting up in the middle of the night, but after listening at the tent entrance, she realized something was amiss.

The footsteps outside were somewhat chaotic, hurried, and carried a sense of cautious avoidance.

Shen Xingmian felt increasingly uneasy as she listened. Peeking through the crack in the tent door, she saw a person at the entrance, who took out a bamboo tube, lit a sleeping incense stick, and was about to blow it into the tent by the moonlight.

This is outrageous!

Shen Xingmian was very glad that she hadn't been careless; otherwise, if these people had succeeded, who knows what trouble would have followed.