The next morning, Jiang Xi prepared food for Yan Jing'an's departure, making about ten red date and sweet potato cakes, and also packing him two pieces of braised beef shank, cut into thick slices and wrapped in a clean cloth.

Yan Zheng led the fawn out from under the tree and handed two daggers to Yan Jing'an: "There's not much food in the forest right now, it's the time when large animals are looking for food. If you encounter danger, just run away, there's no need to fight them."

Yan Jing'an stepped onto the deer's back using the pedals, grinned at them, and said, "Don't worry, when it comes to escaping, no one can beat me."

Jiang Xi looked at his smug expression and snorted, "Then don't let your guard down. Go home early tonight, before it gets dark."

Yan Jing'an gave an OK sign, put the dagger into the side pocket of his backpack, and rode the deer into the forest.

As soon as he and the deer left, the courtyard became much quieter. Suddenly, Xiao Hei from the house ran out and circled around the two of them. Yan Zheng scooped it into his arms.

Two days ago, Xiao Hei learned to run around everywhere. Since learning to cross the threshold yesterday, he no longer wants to stay indoors by himself.

Jiang Xi looked at its small body, frowned and said to Yan Zheng, "Be gentle, Grandma said that cats and dogs have thorns in their bellies, you'll hurt it again."

Yan Zheng stroked Xiao Hei's chin and said, "That was all a lie. It's a leopard, don't spoil it."

As if to prove his point, Xiao Hei whimpered twice in his arms and licked his fingers.

Jiang Xi looked somewhat embarrassed and said fiercely to Xiao Hei, "I raised you with my own hands, you ungrateful little thing."

Yan Zheng couldn't help but find it amusing to see her jealous expression.

After playing with Xiao Hei for a while, Yan Zheng said to Jiang Xi, "I have something extremely important to do today, and I hope my fiancée can help me out."

Jiang Xi leaned closer to him and asked, "What is it?"

Yan Zheng smiled and said, "If we build a shed for the fawn, it will live with the sheep every day, and I feel it's already getting emotional about it."

Although it was a bit of an exaggeration, Jiang Xi found it amusing when she thought about it. Every time he went to lead the fawn out of its enclosure, he would spray the sheep with his nose, as if he was quite dissatisfied with the sheep.

Of course, it's also possible that they weren't satisfied with keeping it with the sheep.

Every time I go out, even the deer raises its head a few degrees.

It has a somewhat boastful tone.

Even if Yan Zheng hadn't brought it up, Jiang Xi had this plan.

She thought for a moment and said, "Let's make it right next to the vegetable garden, and then we'll burn some bricks to build it a house."

It's more comfortable when it's protected from wind and rain.

Jiang Xi recalled that when she first found it last year, it was only the size of a lamb. Now, just six months later, it has grown to the size of an adult deer, much larger than a typical donkey.

Originally, I planned to wait until spring, keep an eye on the deer herd, and then let the fawns return.

But now that spring has arrived, she hasn't heard any news of the deer migrating. Besides, she can't bear to leave them behind. The fawn has gradually lost its ability to protect itself in the wild, and she can't let it wander alone.

Most importantly, she's become increasingly able to sense the fawn's emotions. When she was little, she read in an animal encyclopedia that deer have the intelligence of a five-year-old child, but she feels it's more than that.

It was very dependent on them; the fawn would get anxious when they came home late, and it would want to follow them when they went out. This made Jiang Xi no longer treat it as a domestic animal.

More like an old friend.

Gradually, whether out of selfishness or concern for it, she became unwilling to let the fawn return to nature.

After feeding Xiao Hei and the livestock, Jiang Xi and Yan Zheng pulled a wooden cart to the clay riverbed. Yan Zheng pulled the cart in front, and Jiang Xi pushed it from behind.

The two made three trips in one morning, and then followed the same routine: sifting clay, adding water and sand, mixing it evenly, pressing it into bricks with molds, and letting it dry.

Because we wanted to make the land shelter bigger, we planned to turn all the clay from the three vehicles into bricks, which should yield more than 400 bricks.

This job can't be finished in one day, so the two of them try to press the bricks down as firmly as possible for better stability.

It was almost dusk, and I had only made a little over two hundred yuan.

Knowing that Yan Jing'an would be back soon, Jiang Xi prepared to wash her hands and cook, leaving the rest to Yan Zheng.

After washing and chopping the vegetables, we were all ready to cook when Yan Jing'an returned.

But when it got completely dark, there was still no one in the woods.

Yan Zheng put down the bricks he was holding, washed his hands, lit a torch, and said, "I'll go ahead and meet them; maybe the things are a bit heavy."

Jiang Xi chimed in, "I'll go too."

To everyone's surprise, Yan Zheng flatly refused: "No, you run so slowly."

here we go again.

He knew that although she couldn't keep up with him physically, she could still lend a hand if there were heavy objects.

Jiang Xi was about to say something more when Yan Zheng immediately cut her off, half-coaxing her, "Xiao Hei hasn't eaten yet, and the rabbit and sheep have been hungry all day. Can you bear to leave them alone?"

These words struck a chord with Jiang Xi, as one of her daily, unwavering tasks was feeding the little members of her family.

Twice a day, no one remembers it as clearly as she does.

Jiang Xi muttered, "Alright then, wait a minute."

As she spoke, she went inside and took out another iron sword that she had previously found in the blacksmith's shop, and handed it to him.

Be careful.

Yan Zheng nodded and entered the woods with his torch.

Hearing the noise, Xiao Hei wriggled its round body and ran out of the house. Just as it was about to leave with Yan Zheng, Jiang Xi scooped it up from the ground.

Jiang Xi closed the courtyard gate, stroked its little ears and said, "Why are you joining in the fun with your little body? Hmm? You naughty thing."

There are many stars in the sky today, but the moonlight is not very bright.

After feeding the rabbits and the ewe, Jiang Xi sat on the stone bench with Xiao Hei in her arms and fed it goat milk.

A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard, and the sounds of frogs croaking and cicadas chirping mingled together, rising and falling, making being alone seem increasingly pointless.

After Xiao Hei had eaten and drunk its fill, she simply put it down and continued pressing the bricks herself.

The little black cat next to her didn't understand what she was doing, but it looked on with curiosity. It would pounce on her one moment and jump on the bricks drying in the next. The bricks that Jiang Xi had just pressed down were covered with plum blossom marks.

Fortunately, it was small; otherwise, if it had collapsed, Jiang Xi would have called it a stupid dog again.

While working, I counted the coins, and before I knew it, I had accumulated another thirty or so.

But the more Jiang Xi counted, the more uncertain she became.

It was already late at night, and the croaking of frogs gradually stopped, making the village almost unreally quiet.

Jiang Xi thought, something's wrong, something must have happened.

She paced anxiously in the yard, wanting to go out and look for him, but afraid of getting separated from Yan Zheng and causing him further trouble.

Little Blackie, who was also tired from playing, was fast asleep at the doorway.

It wasn't until the cicadas' chirping had subsided that there was any movement in the woods ahead.

As she watched the approaching figure, her expression changed instantly, and her mouth began to go dry.