The freshly roasted sunflower seeds were a bit soft and needed to cool completely before they would become crisp. Fearing that her cousin wouldn't be able to wait, Shen Xingmian specially took the pot outside and stirred it to cool it down before bringing it back into her space.

"Okay, you can eat now, come and have a taste."

Everyone saw how this was done, and it seemed more troublesome than the previous three hundred-plus kilograms combined. I initially regretted it, thinking it was too troublesome and a waste of time.

But after trying one, that thought completely disappeared; it was just too delicious!

They usually buy dried fruit during the Chinese New Year, mostly sunflower seeds, but they've never tasted anything with such an explosive aroma in their mouths as they have today!

The pot in front of me not only has the aroma of the sunflower seeds themselves, but also the aroma of spices, especially salt and sugar. Taking a bite of one is always a pleasure, even more enjoyable than eating candy.

Seeing that everyone liked it, Shen Xingmian found a few cloth bags, filled them, tied them up, and distributed them to everyone with a smile: "Here, one bag for each person. Come back for more when you're done."

She thought for a moment and then said, "Actually, it's not just sunflower seeds, but also pumpkin seeds and watermelon seeds. They can be roasted like this and they're all quite fragrant. We can save them up slowly and roast them when we have enough for a whole pot."

There weren't many nuts in the space, not because she didn't want to collect them, but because most of the loose nuts were contaminated, and the sealed ones had long been looted.

This kind of thing is a rare commodity in the apocalypse, and only high-level superhumans can afford to buy it to satisfy their cravings.

She's such a weak, solitary girl; how could she possibly have the ability to get that?

But for now, she's fine. In the future, when we go into the mountains, we can transplant some nut trees, like chestnuts and hazelnuts, which she really likes.

Actually, her favorite nuts are pistachios and salted cashews, but she doesn't know where they grow. She has only seen them as finished products in supermarkets, and she has never seen them as they looked when she was a child.

It's not even clear whether it grows on a tree or on a vine.

Shen Xingyan had a gut feeling that with her "speech rate," this bag of sunflower seeds wouldn't last more than a few days, but she didn't think about asking for more right now.

She felt that as someone who didn't work for anything, making any request would seem very unnatural.

Her sister has been good enough to her, so she should just wait until the day she finishes eating before coming to see her sister, hehe.

Xiao Yanyue had never eaten these things before; they were a bit dirty and didn't quite fit his image.

But now that he has shed the burdens others placed on him, he blends in perfectly into the cacophony of clicking sounds.

Although he doesn't talk much, he doesn't want to be an oddball in the family. Instead, he tries to understand everyone's preferences and try to fit in with them.

After a busy afternoon, Shen Xingmian realized the downside of what she had done. There were no trash cans, and everyone just spat out sunflower seed shells wherever they wanted, resulting in piles of shells appearing on the snow in various places.

This was practically killing her, a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder!

The snow in the North never melts throughout the winter; only a portion is dispersed and sublimated by the fierce north wind, gradually diminishing over time.

Because it doesn't melt, it doesn't get dirty easily. The snow is so thick that it doesn't touch the ground and doesn't mix with the soil.

Therefore, the roads in the North are all made of hardened snow layers worn down by footsteps.

In this situation, the sunflower seed shells become particularly unsightly.

Shen Xingmian knew in her heart that sunflower seed shells were not plastic waste. After the snow melted, they would slowly blend into the soil and be decomposed little by little by microorganisms.

But even now, it still looks really irritating!

She hoped that God would send another snowfall to cover the mottled patches of sunflower seed shells, and that her grandfather would order everyone that the sunflower seed shells must not be thrown away and must be thrown into the kitchen to be used as firewood.

It solves the problem of unsightly garbage and provides fuel at the same time, so how can it not be considered killing two birds with one stone?

She was just thinking about it casually, but unexpectedly, snowflakes actually started falling from the sky. Could it be that even the heavens disliked these sunflower seed shells?

Hahaha.

However, she didn't go to her grandfather to talk about it in the end, since they would be going home soon and wouldn't be staying in the military camp for long.

Making this suggestion would seem like meddling.

Since it's all garbage that will be decomposed anyway, she just needs to control herself and not look at it.

Thinking about going home, Shen Xingmian was actually a little conflicted. She planned to go and discuss it with her father and mother.

For her, there was no difference between living at home or in the military camp, and it was even more convenient in the military camp.

At least when putting things into the granary, it only takes a few steps, instead of driving for twenty minutes.

Furthermore, if the Northern Di people were to return, her presence would greatly reduce casualties.

When Shen Xingmian found her parents, they were instructing Daodao and her cousin on swordsmanship. Seeing her coming over, Shen Yunting immediately smiled and waved to her: "Daughter, come here quickly."

Shen Xingmian, like an enthusiastic little puppy, immediately ran over and jumped into her mother's arms, leaning against her to watch the two men perform with knives.

She always thought that knives were cool weapons, with their wide, sweeping moves that looked powerful and beautiful.

Watching the two children wielding knives, and seeing how they actually managed to get the hang of it, I was filled with admiration.

If they were alive today, they'd still be in elementary school. Forget about wielding a knife; they'd probably cut their hands just trying to chop some vegetables.

Yet they've already mastered wielding knives with such dexterity.

"Hey, didn't my cousin like guns? Why is she learning about knives now? Isn't it better to specialize in one weapon?"

"That's true, but it's never a bad thing to know more about different weapons. When you fight with swordsmen in the future, you'll know their general moves and you won't be at a disadvantage."

Luo Qi'an explained patiently.

“Yes, yes, your father is right,” Shen Yunting immediately agreed.

Shen Xingmian: "..."

She knew that her mother had no patience for such long explanations and that it was entirely up to her father to do it.

But her parents are really a perfect match; they can even coordinate so well on such a small matter.

"Father, Mother, should we stay in the army camp for now, or go home after the New Year?"

Shen Yunting sighed softly before slowly saying, "Normally, we should go home. Whose house is empty during the New Year? Only ours. However, the Northern Di people have been restless lately, so it's best to stay until the fifteenth, just in case."

Shen Xingmian nodded knowingly.

“That works too. It’s good that my cousin and Daodao can learn more here. I remember there was an uncle here with an injured arm who was very good with a knife.”

"Yes, there is such a person. Before he joined the army, he only learned some basic swordsmanship. He became so skilled later because he learned it all on the battlefield."

"Wow, he's incredibly quick to learn! Does that mean all his moves are designed to kill? Wouldn't it be too brutal for my cousin to learn from Dao Dao?"

Shen Xingmian asked with some concern.