Since the first snow, the temperature has been dropping day by day. Jiang Xi has basically confirmed that the rabbits may be hibernating, although this is unlikely in the original world. How could rabbits hibernate?

However, many creatures in this world cannot be understood using the same old knowledge. Apart from this explanation, she couldn't understand why she hadn't hunted any two-legged rabbits for nearly ten days after the snowfall, or even seen any trace of them.

Yan Zheng carefully observed the footprints left by animals in the snow on the hillside. There were raccoon dogs and some other small animals that he couldn't identify, but there were no two-legged rabbits.

She also tried scattering some root potatoes on the hillside, but only raccoons appeared. Perhaps it was because raccoons had no shortage of food in the summer and autumn and did not like to eat root potatoes. Now that it was winter and they had no choice of food, they had to settle for second best.

Fortunately, the taste of the raccoon meat is not bad. It has a thick layer of fat, and although the fibers are coarser than those of a two-legged rabbit, the meat flavor is quite strong.

Another piece of bad news is that they no longer have even mixed fish soup. The temperature continues to drop, and the ice in the lake is nearly ten centimeters thick. The ice that is finally pried open will freeze again overnight.

Yan Zheng's fish traps are usually empty. He tried fishing, but he didn't have any usable fishing line. The line made of rattan fiber was tough but not stretchy, and even if he managed to catch something, it would break.

What's most worrying is that Yan Jing'an's cough has worsened.

Jiang Xi and Yan Zheng watched him drink tangerine peel and licorice every day, and even used his own anti-inflammatory medicine, but after almost half a month, there was still no sign of improvement. On the contrary, his cough became worse at night.

That day, Yan Jing'an went to dig for sweet potatoes as usual. Halfway through, it suddenly started snowing. The snow fell quickly and heavily. He led the deer back, but when they were only about two hundred meters away from the cave, a section of soil on the cliff could not bear the weight of the snow and collapsed directly from the top of the mountain.

The soil mixed with snow piled up to a height of three meters, blocking his way back to the cave.

He tried many methods: digging holes, using grappling hooks, but the collapsed area was a mixture of soil and snow. As soon as he dug a hole, the top collapsed immediately, and the grappling hooks couldn't grip the snow at all.

Even if he managed to get onto the snowdrift, if he stepped into a snow hole and collapsed in, it would be difficult to get out again, especially since he was carrying a fawn.

Looking at the snowdrifts, I had no idea how long the road was buried.

Dig. You have to dig to survive.

Yan Jing'an tightened his scarf and hat. His feet and hands were so cold that he couldn't feel them. He dug for three or four hours until the sun was setting in the west, and the snowdrift only looked like a dent.

The soil was mixed with snow and ice that had melted a few days ago due to the good weather. Without food or water, Yan Jing'an was completely exhausted and lay stiffly in the snowdrift. The little deer next to him also snorted.

It started snowing again, and now I'm really doomed.

On the other side, Yan Zheng and Jiang Xi waited until it got dark before he returned. They had no choice but to take torches and go looking for him. When they saw the collapsed snow, Jiang Xi gasped.

Yan Zheng tried calling out twice.

Hearing their voices, Yan Jing'an's heart gradually came back to life. He jumped up and waved in response, "I'm here, I'm here, I'm still alive."

Fortunately, the sound was only a few meters away. Yan Zheng was a little anxious: "Jiang Xi, go back and get the stone shovel, no, get the wooden shovel."

As he spoke, he used his hands to shovel snow out.

After Jiang Xi retrieved the wooden shovel, she joined in the work.

Hearing the commotion, Yan Jing'an, disregarding his frostbite, took off his gloves and began digging frantically.

No one spoke; only the sound of shoveling snow could be heard.

The snow finally stopped at dawn the next day, leaving only about two meters between the two sides. Jiang Xi and Yan Zheng managed to carve a path through the three-meter-high snowdrift.

Yan Jing'an was not doing well. He was exhausted. He had been frozen in the snow for twenty hours and was not very clear-headed. He had frostbite on his face.

He collapsed helplessly in the snow, looking at the gloomy sky.

On the other side, Yan Zheng heard that there was no movement from him and felt something was wrong. He quickened his pace and shouted to him, "Hold on a little longer, I reckon there's only one or two meters left."

Yan Jing'an wanted to answer, but he had no strength from his hands to his mouth, and his body felt alternating between cold and heat, a feeling he couldn't quite describe.

Hearing Yan Zheng's words, he propped himself up to sit up, but as soon as he raised his head, he lost consciousness.

It was nearly noon when the ski slope was finally cleared. Yan Zheng rushed over and found Yan Jing'an's face pale and covered in frost. Yan Zheng checked his pulse and, confirming he was still alive, breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he tried to carry Yan Jing'an on his back, but he was made of flesh and blood, and he had been outside in the cold all night. He couldn't use his arms and back, and before he could stand up, the two of them fell down in the snow. The little deer next to them cried out anxiously.

Seeing that this wouldn't do, Jiang Xi turned her head and saw the little deer again. There were frost flowers on its eyelashes and nose. Jiang Xi touched its body temperature. Fortunately, Yan Jing'an had put a sweater on it today, and the little deer's body temperature was still good.

Jiang Xi shouted anxiously, "Quickly help it onto the fawn's back!"

Yan Zheng then realized what was happening and quickly helped Yan Jing'an onto the deer's back. The deer seemed to sense this as well, and as soon as Yan Jing'an was on, it immediately started walking forward. Yan Zheng and Jiang Xi supported it from both sides, and the three of them and the deer returned to the cave.

Yan Jing'an seemed to realize something in his daze, and mumbled, "Yan Zheng, you're a real man."

After returning home, Yan Zheng quickly carried him to bed and brought over their down comforter to cover him.

Jiang Xi quickly rekindled the fire in the earthen stove.

Yan Zheng massaged his legs and arms to improve blood circulation. After he calmed down a little, Yan Zheng knew something was wrong when he saw his flushed face. He touched him and found that he had a fever.

I found his black backpack, pulled out the fever reducer, and quickly fed it to him.

Yan Jing'an slept for about twenty hours, not waking up until the morning of the next day. When he woke up, only Jiang Xi was sitting in front of the stove twisting fiber rope.

His throat was dry and sore, and he coughed twice. Jiang Xi turned to look at him and said, "You're awake."

How long did I sleep?

Jiang Xi poured him a bowl of hot water: "It's been more than ten hours, hasn't it?"

Yan Jing'an threw back the covers and got out of bed: "Where is he?"

"I went to gather firewood. Are you feeling any better?"

He coughed twice and replied, "Cough cough, much better."

Since that day, although the fever subsided, he was left with a chill. Yan Jing'an's cough never stopped, and Yan Zheng forbade him to go out. He even kept the fire burning in the earthen stove 24 hours a day.

As a result, he had to spend an extra four hours every day collecting firewood, and Jiang Xi couldn't sit still either, so she dressed up in thick clothes and went out with him.

A week passed, and Yan Jing'an's cough did not improve; in fact, it seemed to be getting worse, and he sometimes had trouble sleeping at night.