Chapter 65: Frost's Descent Teaches a Lesson in Life, A Nationwide Mobilization for Stockpiling...

The central park in Hope Town is undoubtedly Lin Yue's most prized and romantic masterpiece since his transmigration. Every time night falls, the shimmering green light of the Sacred Tree's Child and the bonfire reflect each other, always giving Lin Yue a sense of unreal happiness.

This peaceful and prosperous life, full of vitality, was so beautiful it felt like an unreal dream. So much so that Lin Yue almost forgot that the land beneath their feet was called the Cursed Land.

Nature, that most capricious and powerful tyrant, never allows people's comfort to last too long. It will always slap you hard in the face in the most direct and brutal way when you are most relaxed, reminding you not to forget who is in charge here.

The slap came suddenly and was chillingly cold.

The moment Lin Yue pushed open the door, a blast of icy cold air rushed into his lungs, making him shiver involuntarily.

He subconsciously tightened his linen coat and looked up in confusion. The sky was still a hazy gray, but the air seemed to have lost some of its usual warmth and gained a chilling, desolate feel.

"Strange, why does it feel so cold today?" he muttered, his pupils instantly contracting as he looked down.

The grass at the entrance to the courtyard was covered with a layer of frost. The red tiles on the rooftops and the newly built brick walls in the distance also looked as if they had been sprinkled with a thin layer of salt, reflecting a dazzling light in the morning sun.

Just then, Old Bad, who was in charge of inspecting the farmland, stood not far away, leaning on his cane, his face grave. He had clearly been waiting for some time. Seeing Lin Yue emerge, his anxious expression could no longer be concealed. He quickly walked over, his voice trembling, "Mayor…you must go and see…"

Lin Yue's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately followed Old Badr into the farmland.

When they arrived at the edge of the field, the sight before them made Lin Yue's heart sink to the bottom.

The vines of the Shifu potato, which had just ushered in their second harvest but had not yet been fully harvested, had all their leaves wilted by the frost, turning a sickly blackish-green. Meanwhile, the wheat fields, which had been expected to grow well and were thriving, had mostly been harvested, but the remaining late-maturing wheat seedlings were also stunted by the frost and had completely lost their vitality.

The worst off were the vegetable patches that Old Bud and his family had recently successfully cultivated to improve their meals. The once lush green leaves now drooped limply, as if scalded by boiling water, covered with a thick layer of white frost, clearly beyond saving.

“It’s all…it’s all over…” Old Bud squatted by the field, his calloused hands tenderly stroking the frozen vegetable leaves, his cloudy old eyes filled with despair. “It’s only early autumn…how could there be such a heavy frost…I’ve farmed all my life, and I’ve never seen such an early and severe frost! This…this is a ‘spot-shaving’ frost! God is going to harvest the crops; this winter will probably be colder and longer than any other year…”

His words instilled a great sense of panic and unease in all the residents who had rushed to the scene.

"Oh my God, what should we do?"

"The grain harvest isn't finished yet, and the vegetable garden is all frozen to death. How are we going to get through this winter?"

"I have two children at home..."

A chorus of murmurs and sobs rose from the crowd.

"Quiet down, all of you!"

"What are you crying for?! What are you panicking for?" Lin Yue's expression was unusually serious. "It's just a natural disaster, not the end of the world. We've survived the destruction of our homes and the displacement, and even survived in the cursed land. Are we really going to be afraid of a mere frost?"

"We have more than two hundred capable hands. If we can't even overcome this little difficulty, what future or hope do we have to talk about?"

He pointed to the frozen vegetable leaves and said loudly, "The vegetables are frozen to death, but we can plant them again next year. The grain hasn't been harvested yet, so we'll rush to harvest it now! It's cold in winter, so we'll light more fires and wear more clothes! If God doesn't give us a way to survive, we'll carve out a way for ourselves."

Yes, they are no longer the refugees who could only be at the mercy of fate. They are residents of Hope Town; they have homes, food, and companions.

"The mayor is right. It's just winter, what's there to be afraid of?"

"That's right! If we all work together, there's no obstacle we can't overcome." Aunt Leah's mother, the former village chief's wife, echoed loudly, reassuring everyone.

Seeing everyone's renewed fighting spirit, Lin Yue nodded in satisfaction.

“Alright,” he waved his hand and announced loudly, “From now on, Hope Town is on Level One Winter Survival Alert. All non-essential construction projects are suspended, and a one-month winter preparedness plan for all residents is launched. We have only one goal: to ensure that every one of us can safely, well-fed, and warmly clothed get through this damned winter!”

The frost was like a starting gun, and Hope Town, a machine that had just found its rhythm, instantly switched to its highest operating speed. As soon as Lin Yue finished his mobilization speech, everyone present was driven by an invisible force called the will to survive, and spontaneously rushed to their respective posts.

"Harvest! Harvest! Everyone who can still move, get to the fields!"

A massive autumn harvest mobilization unfolded swiftly under Old Bard's unified command. Li Ge and Amu led all the able-bodied men, wielding hoes and shovels, charging into the potato fields with boundless energy. They had to dig up all the buried Stone-skin potatoes before the next, even stronger frost arrived. Meanwhile, Gray and Kalan led the Silent Ones in rapidly harvesting the last of the ripe Starlight Wheat. Their movements were light and efficient, like dancing in golden waves of wheat.

Lin Yue, of course, couldn't stand idly by. He also picked up a shovel and ambitiously joined the army of potato diggers, ready to take the lead and set an example for everyone.

With one shovel strike, he dug up less soil than Aunt Leah could by hand. Before long, he was panting heavily, his back ached, and his movements were clumsy, like a landlubber struggling in a field.

"Hahaha, Mayor, your strength is not even as good as my ten-year-old son's!" A man who was quickly packing bags next to him couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"That's right, sir, you should rest. Just shout the work chants for us, don't strain your back!"

Lin Yue's cheeks burned as everyone teased him: "What do you know? I call this strategically conserving my energy. My wisdom is the primary productive force."

His sophistry only drew more enthusiastic laughter from those around him.

Although he couldn't offer much help, Lin Yue's attitude made everyone feel incredibly kind and warm. Even though he wasn't very efficient at his work, his attitude was absolutely correct.

"Sir, you see, not all crops died from the frost," Old Bad said excitedly, holding up the crop he had just pulled from the field where the trial crop was planted. "This is a wild radish seed that I brought from my hometown. I didn't expect it to be so frost-resistant. The leaves are still intact after the frost."

Lin Yue quickly went over and saw that the plant's rootstock had grown to resemble an oversized white radish, but its outer skin had a unique pale purple color. He immediately had the system scan it.

[System scan: Cold-resistant mutant crop detected. Rich in water, vitamins, and a small amount of cold-resistant sugars. After frost, its internal starch will convert into sugars, resulting in a better taste. Suggested name: Frost-heart Radish.]

"This is amazing!" Lin Yue's eyes lit up as he looked at the test results. "Uncle Bard, let's call this Frostheart Radish from now on. The colder it gets, the sweeter it is. It's practically made for us!"

He then looked to the other side, at the crop that resembled a giant snowball. Old Bud explained, "This is called 'clump vegetable,' with leaves wrapped around each other. The outermost leaves are frozen, but the inner core is still intact!"

[System scan: Cold-resistant mutant crop discovered. Leaves are rich in fiber, store well, and are an important source of vitamins in winter. Known name: *Brassica juncea*. Scientific name: *Brassica oleracea*.]

[Scan results: Frostheart radishes and snowball cabbages are rich in special sugars and fiber, and their cell sap has extremely strong antifreeze properties, making them well-suited to the frost-covered climate of the Cursed Lands. Expanding their cultivation scale is recommended.]

“That’s wonderful! Uncle Bud, you’re truly our agricultural god. With these treasures, our winter table won’t just be filled with potatoes and meat.”

Everyone carefully harvested them, preparing them as the most important vegetable reserve for winter. Of course, some aromatic plants such as fragrant pine needles and fire crystal peppers were also transplanted, roots and all, to a rare plant sanctuary in a sheltered, sunny spot near the base of a wall. They even covered these treasures with thick blankets of hay and animal hides, hoping they could safely survive this harsh winter and preserve a precious seed for large-scale planting next year.

In the end, the fields were completely harvested. Small hills of potatoes and wheat, along with baskets of wild greens and snowball cabbage, symbolized the joy of the harvest but also brought immense pressure to preserve them.

“We must build a larger, more specialized strategic reserve cellar that can hold the food for our entire town,” this proposal immediately sparked a friendly and heated technical debate between the dwarf master Stonefist and the human earth expert Old Beaver.

“The most important things for a cellar are dryness and sturdiness.” Uncle Shi Quan said with his hands behind his back, “We have to dig deep and build a dome structure with the best red bricks and cement. Only a domed dome can withstand the enormous pressure of the soil above and ensure that it won’t collapse for decades. As for ventilation openings? Just leave one. Opening too many will allow moisture to get in.”

"No, no!" The old beaver shook his head repeatedly. Although he had great respect for Stone Fist, the blacksmith master, he was not one to back down in his own area of ​​expertise. "Master Stone Fist, a cellar isn't just about being sturdy; the worst thing is that it's not breathable. Our place is damp, and if things are left out for a long time without ventilation, they'll all get moldy and mildewed. We need to open several ventilation openings at different heights and in different directions to create air convection, and we also need to lay a layer of gravel and charcoal under the foundation to absorb moisture."

One emphasized structure, the other function. The two argued fiercely on the construction site, neither able to convince the other. Ultimately, Lin Yue, the master of compromise, had to step in. He approved the use of a stone fist-shaped dome structure to ensure load-bearing capacity and safety, while also reserving multiple convection ventilation openings in the walls and dome, designed to prevent rainwater backflow, as planned by Old Beaver. The foundation was laid with a charcoal and gravel moisture-proof system.

Cellars alone were not enough. To preserve food for longer and to make the winter table less monotonous, Aunt Leah and Mia organized the women of the town to wash the harvested frost-covered greens and snowball cabbages, slice them thinly, string them together with thin vines, and hang them on all available eaves and under eaves, and even on the newly built city walls.

The preservation of the meat was handled personally by the old hunter, Barton, a hidden master smoker. He and his group of elderly men built a simple smoking chamber out of mud and stones. Then they used applewood, oak, and other wood shavings mixed with fragrant pine needles and a small amount of fire pepper flakes to smoke the processed meat and strips.

A few days later, when the first batch of golden-brown, glistening smoked and cured meats, exuding a rich aroma of fruitwood and spices, were taken out of the smoking room, their irresistible fragrance made everyone's mouths water. Lin Yue couldn't resist either, and that very noon, he eagerly had the logistics team cut some of the freshly smoked cured meat for everyone's lunch. Thin slices of smoked meat were placed directly on the fire to roast, the fat sizzling and dripping onto the flames, instantly releasing a burst of aroma. One bite revealed a crispy, fragrant outer layer, a savory and firm interior, and a rich, layered smoky flavor—it was simply a perfect accompaniment to steamed buns.

Of course, Lin Yue hadn't forgotten his invention that could turn the ordinary into the extraordinary—pickled cabbage. He personally guided everyone to wash the freshest snowball cabbage thoroughly, shred it finely, and then layer the cabbage and refined snow salt, stacking them high in a large earthenware jar, finally pressing them down with huge stones to ferment. "Just wait," Lin Yue smiled mysteriously at the skeptical residents, "In a month, what comes out of this jar will let you experience what it means to be refreshingly tangy and appetizing, what it means to have the ultimate winter flavor!"

However, the long wait was painful. To allow everyone to immediately experience the charm of the appetizers, Lin Yue specially reserved some of the freshest frosty root vegetables and snowball cabbage, and gave a live demonstration, making a batch of spicy, tangy, and refreshing cold pickled vegetables that could be eaten immediately.

Slice the frosty root vegetable thinly, and tear the tenderest heart of the snowball cabbage into small pieces by hand. Then, add a sufficient amount of refined snow salt and rub vigorously to draw out excess moisture. Next, put the chopped fire crystal pepper, minced exotic ginger, and seeds of the tongue-tingling herb into a ceramic bowl with a small amount of animal fat heated up, and let it release a rich aroma. Then, with a "sizzle," pour this hot spiced oil over the prepared vegetables and stir well. Finally, drizzle with the juice of the sour thorn fruit.

A special version of stir-fried vegetables from Xiwang Town, with its bright color, fragrant aroma, and a perfect blend of numbing, spicy, sour, salty, savory, and crisp flavors, was born. That evening, when everyone was exhausted, a bowl of steaming hot Starlight Wheat Porridge, paired with this small dish of crisp, refreshing, sour, and spicy cold vegetables, became the best comfort for everyone.

The tangy flavor instantly awakened everyone's taste buds, dispelling all fatigue and making the originally bland wheat porridge even more delicious and flavorful. Many people couldn't resist getting a second bowl after finishing one, their bodies breaking out in a warm sweat, feeling incredibly comfortable in the chilly autumn air.

After nearly all the town's labor force mobilized and worked day and night, the large grain storage cellar was finally successfully capped. Various harvested fresh crops, as well as prepared dehydrated vegetables, sauerkraut, smoked meat and other winter reserve supplies, were all orderly moved into the cellar.

With their appetites satisfied, keeping warm became the top priority. So, the entire town immediately began a new round of logging. This time, it wasn't piecemeal work, but a large-scale, organized operation. Every day, Li Ge and Gray led the male laborers, driving the Hope No. 1 heavy transport truck deep into the distant mountains.

The two rock-walking lizards, now possessing immense strength after their diets were upgraded, unleashed their true power, easily dragging out massive hardwood logs. Every evening, when Hope One returned to Hope Town laden with mountains of firewood and high-quality charcoal, the rumbling of its wheels always drew cheers from everyone. That mountain of fuel was their most solid guarantee against the bitter cold.

Meanwhile, the women of Hope Town didn't rest for a moment. After finishing drying the vegetables, they turned around and threw themselves into another equally urgent battle, led by Aunt Leah, Mia, and Ella—sewing winter clothes that could keep out the cold for the town's more than two hundred people.

Lin Yue once again unveiled his modern design philosophy. "Winter clothes shouldn't just be about thickness; the key is layering," he explained to the group of skillful women, gesturing as he spoke. "The innermost layer should be breathable and absorbent, which can be made from the cotton fabric we've traded for. The middle layer is for insulation, and it can be made from the soft fur of small wild animals, like the long-eared rabbits we hunted before—their fur is dense and soft, providing the best insulation. The outermost layer is for windproof and waterproof protection, and it must be made from densely tanned animal hides, such as wild boar hide!"

He also proposed the concept of functional zoning: "For example, the winter clothes made for the logging and construction teams should use more durable and flexible leather at the joints, and have more pockets to make it easier for them to carry tools. The clothes made for the patrol teams should be lighter and more form-fitting, and the colors should be close to the environment to facilitate their stealth and combat."

Under his advanced guidance and combined with Ella and her team's exquisite traditional craftsmanship, a series of ingenious and practical winter clothes, boots, and gloves were produced. Lin Yue even personally designed and made the first batch of earmuffs for Hope Town. The frames were made of flexible rattan, covered with soft fabric, and filled with the softest rabbit fur.

When he first gave this somewhat comical but exceptionally warm and comfortable gadget to the silent young man known as Eagle Eye, who had been specially assigned by Gray to keep watch from a high vantage point due to his excellent eyesight, the usually taciturn young man was moved to tears. Soon, these simple-to-make, highly insulating earmuffs became a town-wide sensation, a must-have winter fashion item.

What everyone talked about most was Uncle Stonefist and his pair of precious bunny earmuffs. That day, when Mia took out the first batch of earmuffs she had made to distribute, Uncle Stonefist happened to pass by.

He immediately spotted the earmuffs made of the softest white rabbit fur, complete with two long ears, and his eyes lit up instantly. He snatched them away and, to everyone's astonishment, clumsily put them on his messy head. The snow-white, fluffy rabbit ears, contrasted sharply with his thick, tangled beard and dark face, created a striking, indescribable... adorable contrast. The scene was utterly cringe-worthy.

A few of the bolder children couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly covered their mouths. "Ahem," Uncle Stone Fist seemed to notice the strange looks around him, his old face turning red as he forced an explanation, "What...what are you looking at! I'm doing this...to protect my ears! The blacksmith's shop is always clanging and banging, it's so noisy! This thing is soundproof! Yes, soundproof! I can't explain it to you people who don't work as blacksmiths."

Having said that, he puffed out his chest, wearing those adorable rabbit ears that bounced with his steps, and strode back to his blacksmith shop, leaving behind a group of Hope Town residents who were bewildered in the wind, wanting to laugh but daring not to.