Chapter 30: Severe Cold Weather

In early December, the cold wind outside the manor howled with snowflakes all night long, and the temperature dropped sharply. Even though the stove in the house was not extinguished, people still felt cold and lonely.

Before dawn, George woke up naturally. He got up, put on his clothes, poked the brazier, and opened the window to check the weather outside.

The sky was still dark and the cold wind was biting, but the snow was gradually subsiding. He looked at the thickness of the snow outside and quickly closed the window.

The snow today was about three palms thick, and they had to patrol as long as the horses could still move.

Lucy tossed and turned in her quilt and got up as well. She yawned and touched her arms, which were covered in sweat from the cold wind.

"It's so cold..."

"My eggs!"

In the blink of an eye, just as George was about to put on his clothes, he saw Lucy jump out of the bed, wrap herself in a coat and run out in her slippers.

Lucy pushed the door open and walked through the corridor of the long house. She came to the kitchen where the cook was kneading dough. She went out and saw Ethan clearing snow outside the livestock farmhouse.

Lucy went to check the chicken coop. Many chicks had already emerged from the cracked eggs during this cold night. She counted them and found there were four in total.

Chirping and huddled beside the old hen.

More than half of them have started to crack their shells, and perhaps they will all hatch today or tomorrow.

She filled the chicken coop with more hay and fed them finer bran, then breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the kitchen to wash her face...

"Why, the chicken has broken out of its shell?"

Next to her, the cook walked over with a bowl of noodles in her arms. She knew that in such a cold day, once the chicks came out, they would have to be taken care of day and night.

Lucy nodded, a little worried: "The weather is getting colder and colder. I have to move the chickens into the main house at night."

She washed her face, then quietly went back to the house, put on two more clothes, put on boots, and went to feed the sheep and cows.

Adam and Ethan also got up and shoveled out the frozen animal manure and poured it into the kitchen fire pit to dry.

After the attendant had packed up, he took a bag of dry food and smoked meat, filled a cowhide water bag with hot water and stuffed it into his arms, then went to the stable to lead the horse out.

The servants' big pot meal was rye porridge, and there were biscuits left over from yesterday's festival. After Lucy finished her meal, she roasted a fire for a long time, trimmed the leather that the lady had given her yesterday, used an awl to poke a circle of holes in the cowhide, and sewed it onto the soles of wooden shoes.

By the time she had finished sewing half of it, it was already bright outside.

Lucy waited in the kitchen for a while until the lady's breakfast was ready. She put the food on a tray, covered it with a wooden cover, and carried it to the main house.

In the bedroom, the fireplace, which had been filled with wood last night, had not yet burned out, and embers were still burning.

Lucy calmly put the dinner tray away, opened the bed curtains, and woke people up.

"...How's the weather today? How are the chickens hatching?" Olivia asked her after she got up with sleepy eyes and yawned and regained consciousness.

Lucy was glad that she hadn't slept too deeply that morning.

"As expected, Madam. It's cold today, and the snow is three palms thick..."

Olivia listened to Lucy's chatter, nodded, and turned on the system.

Last night, the progress of the "Basic Literacy" task reached 95%.

A night passed, and now what came into view was indeed "Completed!"

I don’t know who in the manor it was, but I only memorized the letters of my name while hiding in bed in the middle of the night last night.

But it didn't matter. Finally, there were no illiterate servants in her manor.

While waiting for water to wash her face, Olivia received a new task.

Unlock mission: "Severe Cold Weather"

Mission Description: In December, a cold wave hits, with continuous snow and wind. Please ensure that the livestock in the manor stay healthy throughout this month.

Mission Reward: +20% Experience Points, unlocks the "Dungeon Mission" feature.

Mission progress: 30/0

Um?

Dungeon missions? The main missions are all about home building.

So after the copy mission function is unlocked, does it mean that she can also do other types of missions?

Olivia wasn't too surprised by the "severe cold weather" mission. She had already predicted that the system would use the weather to cause trouble.

She was not panicked. Taking good care of these livestock was just a matter of ensuring their shelter and food.

There was enough food on the manor. The grass and fodder had long been transported from the hillside to the old cowshed near the livestock area, so there was no need to worry about it being buried by heavy snow. The bran was also behind the kitchen wall.

As for the wooden houses where the animals live, they can more or less serve as insulation. She only needs to take good care of the livestock cubs and prevent the cattle and sheep from catching cold. With the responsible Lucy around, she doesn't have to worry too much.

Therefore, what worries her most now is actually the extreme cold that has been certified by the system.

Can the NPCs living in this world withstand this horrible weather? Will the surrounding manors be in trouble because of the extreme cold?

She's not sure.

Forget it, just live your own life behind closed doors and ensure your own safety.

Lucy brought a basin of water at a comfortable temperature and placed it on the shelf. Olivia took a towel and washed her face, then used a boar-bristle brush dipped in sea salt mixed with mint and charcoal powder to clean her teeth.

After washing up, she walked to the dining table. With the help of the firelight in the fireplace, she could see the beautiful and exquisite copper enameled food plate in front of her.

The copper base is covered with colorful glass glaze and a white pattern with blue edges. Even if it only holds a piece of buttered toast with burgundy elderberry jam, it feels much more appetizing.

Olivia ate and thought silently, is being a businessman so profitable?

She didn't say anything, but asked Lucy to send someone to Reynolds Manor to remind them to take precautions against the cold.

Lucy nodded while holding the cat, and looked worriedly at the window that was tightly covered by curtains.

She seemed to be able to see the howling snow outside through the window. Could George bear such a cold day?

Olivia seemed to see what Lucy was thinking and shook her head.

"Don't worry, if this continues, George and the others won't suffer for more than a few days."

Lucy blushed suddenly. Admittedly, she and George had been married for a year, and it seemed that the lady and the master should be more affectionate, but the lady seemed very stable.

After breakfast, Olivia took the kitten to warm herself by the fire. She planned to knit a small piece of clothing for the little guy, including all the livestock in the manor.

During this period, her ears could not be idle. The housekeeper and Lucy came up from time to time to report their respective affairs.

First came the butler, who said he had stockpiled the leather and stored it in the attic.

Stockpiling these leathers almost used up all the extra money Olivia had saved from selling local specialties in the past few days.

However, this is not a big problem. The manor is self-sufficient anyway. If things really don't work out, the leftover butter, goat cheese and eggs can be sold.

In the real world, people who control the means of production, no matter how stupid they are, will find it difficult to starve themselves to death. Besides, Olivia doesn't think she is that stupid.

If I sell these leathers at a good time next year, I can make about two gold coins.

When spring comes, she can organize farming, beekeeping, fishing, weaving, winemaking, hunting, logging, and quarrying, and she can make money no matter how she does it.

After the housekeeper went out to help clear the snow, Lucy came back into the house to report the situation in the afternoon.

"Madam, the masters sent someone back with a message saying that something seems to have happened at the nearby Toksun Manor."

"What's up?"

Lucy's face looked very bad:

"It's said that Knight Toksun and his men were patrolling by the river when they encountered a group of bandits. While chasing them, Knight Toksun's horse suddenly got startled, and he became separated from his entourage."

"Thieves? They've been separated? How long have they been separated?"

Lucy shook her head. "They said they got separated at noon, and we haven't found them yet."

It's so cold outside. If you get lost and can't find anyone for a whole night, you'll definitely die.

Therefore, the attendants and soldiers in Toksun Manor are now asking people everywhere to help find him.

Olivia opened the map with some confusion. Her footsteps had reached the fiefdom of Toksun, and she could see the whole picture clearly.

She enlarged the map and searched for a long time according to the direction Lucy said, but she didn't find even a trace of footprints, whether it was the thief or the knight.

Either Knight Toxon had been carried farther away by his frightened horse, or he had been abducted by these thieves.

Olivia lingered in the room for a moment. It was really helpless. She couldn't give up her own safety to run around for someone she had never met. This was the bottom line.

"Ma'am? Should we send someone out to look for her?"

Lucy asked her.

Olivia shook her head. She could see it on the map, and there was no need to let her own people go out and suffer.

"But, many of the surrounding knights have heard the news and have all taken their men out to search. Wouldn't it be bad if we don't look for them?"

After all, we are colleagues.

Olivia could see on the map that wherever she passed, the knights in the manor took a group of people to the forest on the river bank.

Except for her father, everything was peaceful at Renault Manor, and the soldiers were all staying at home.

There were still many places that were not displayed, and she was not sure if the thieves would hide somewhere else.

She began to feel that something was amiss, and instead asked Lucy to send someone to the forest near the river bank to call Caesar back.

"Just say I'm looking for him."

After that, Lucy agreed and did as she was told.

She was waiting in the house with the cat in her arms. Another piece of firewood burned out in the fireplace, and she heard noises outside the door.

After a while, Caesar pushed the door open and came in. Seeing her sitting by the fireplace, he was a little surprised, but then his brows relaxed.

Olivia took the initiative to explain: "I heard about what happened outside."

"I find this disappearance a bit odd. Even if the horse was frightened, how far would it run to an unfamiliar place?"

Caesar's expression suddenly changed.

Toksun treasures his horses very much. He says his horses are very human-like and he is reluctant to ride them even to chase wild beasts.

He stood there thinking for a while, peeled off all the nails and put them away, then sat down next to her.

"You mean, they were responsible for Toksun's disappearance?

Is it just to lure us all out of the manor?"

Caesar patrolled the river bank for a long time but did not see any sign of the other party. He also had this suspicion. On the way back, he met the people sent by Olivia.

Since he feels this way, then the lady must be able to feel it too.

The two looked at each other, and Olivia tilted her head, pretending to be innocent.

"I don't know? I'm just a little worried. I'm so scared when you're not with me."

Hearing this, Caesar's brain was suddenly controlled for a moment. He opened his lips and took a long time to organize his words.

However, just as he was about to get close to her, someone knocked on the door.

Lucy was waiting outside and said that someone from Renault Manor had come and told us to be careful and guard our own gates.

…