The branches brought back are all very thin and small, which can be used to make charcoal. However, they are different in size from other branches. They are too thin, and sometimes it is difficult to control the heat, so they can easily burn to ash.

After sunset, the two walked home together. Once home, Xu Han went to the backyard to feed the livestock, while Lu Chuan rested for a bit to catch his breath.

Today we've been chopping and sawing wood all day long. We not only have to cut down the thin branches, but also saw the thicker branches to roughly the same height so we can use them for charcoal.

We haven't finished sawing it all yet! What we've done today is enough to make one kiln of charcoal tomorrow.

After returning from the backyard, Xu Han didn't feel like cooking anymore. The weather was getting colder, and she felt increasingly lazy, especially when washing vegetables with cold water. She simply didn't want to wash them and decided to eat the leftovers from her space instead!

Anyway, there's plenty of food in the space! And we need to prepare a lot of cooked food for winter, just in case of any emergencies.

After finishing dinner, the two went to rest. They needed to burn charcoal the next morning, so they couldn't afford to oversleep and cause any problems.

The next morning, Lu Chuan went to the earthen kiln after breakfast, while Xu Han stayed home to feed the livestock before going.

After feeding the livestock, Xu Han went straight to the place where she had cut tree branches yesterday. The wood had been sawn but hadn't been transported to the earthen kiln yet!

Because the tree is too big to be transported using space, it has not yet been transported to the earthen kiln.

Fortunately, when Lu Chuan was sawing wood yesterday, he had already stacked it up on top of the broken curtain.

Xu Han only needs to pull the curtains back inside; otherwise, she would have to pull them back one by one, which would be too time-consuming!

After collecting the sawn timber, Xu Han headed towards the earthen kiln.

When we arrived, Lu Chuan had already finished repairing the earthen kiln, and now we could directly put the wood inside.

This earthen kiln is quite large; it should be enough for the winter after about two firings. Since Xu Han is afraid of the cold, Lu Chuan plans to fire more charcoal this year.

Normally, Lu Chuan only needs to fire one kiln per year for his own use, but this year he is preparing a little extra as a backup.

The ground had only just begun to freeze, but Xu Han had already lit up the kang (heated brick bed) in her house. It was colder in the mountains than outside, and the winter was long, so it was better to prepare more!

Lu Chuan went into the earthen kiln and began stacking wood, while Xu Han stood outside and passed wood to Lu Chuan.

The logs were all sawn to the same length, but some were shorter or thinner, and they were mixed together and stacked tightly.

Try to avoid having too many gaps, so that the charcoal will burn better!

They stacked them neatly one by one, and it took the two of them quite a while to work together, since the earthen kiln was quite large and contained a lot of things.

After filling it up, block the entrance on this side and seal it with mud so that no smoke can leak out.

Then Lu Chuan went to the entrance of the fire pit and started a fire. It would take about a day and a night to finish burning!

Lu Chuan had to stay here for a day and a night to keep watch and prevent the fire from going out.

You can observe the charring of the wood inside through the hole at the bottom. Only after all the wood has burned completely can you extinguish the fire and block the hole.

If any leaks or smoke occur during this process, they must be plugged in promptly.

After the fire is extinguished, the kiln needs to be left to simmer for two days until the temperature inside has completely dropped before the kiln door can be opened. At this point, the charcoal is successfully fired and can be taken out for use.

Lu Chuan ate lunch while tending the fire. Xu Han said, "I'm going home after I finish eating. I'll bring you more food when the sun goes down. I'm going home to pickle the radishes first."

"Okay, you go ahead with your work. I definitely can't go home tonight; I have to stay here and keep watch!"

"Okay! I understand." Xu Han finished dinner and headed home.

The dried radishes have been drying for a long time, but I haven't pickled them yet! Luckily, I had some time this afternoon to pickle them.

Once home, Xu Han took out some dried radish that had been sun-dried to about 70% dryness and had already been rinsed from her spatial storage and began preparing to pickle it.

Xu Han plans to marinate two flavors: one spicy and one spiced.

First, prepare the chili powder. Put the dried chilies in a pot and roast them for a while. Then take them out and pound them into chili powder with a mortar and pestle. Set them aside for later use.

To make the dried radish taste even better, Xu Han also fried some sesame seeds, which will make the dried radish even more fragrant when added later.

No need to prepare the ingredients for the five-spice flavor; there's thirteen-spice powder in the space that you can add directly.

First, make the five-spice dried radish. Add an appropriate amount of thirteen-spice powder and light soy sauce directly to the dried radish, mix well, and then put it into a jar.

When eating, add some sesame oil and MSG, or you can add some pickled chili peppers to mix together for an even better taste.

The method for making spicy dried radish is the same as for the five-spice version, except that more chili powder and sesame seeds are added, and less thirteen-spice powder is used. The taste is different.

Once it's done, put it all into a jar. You can eat it now, but if you leave it for two more days, the seasoning flavor will be stronger and it will taste even better.

After finishing, Xu Han stirred some of the marinated chicken, duck, fish and meat that she had prepared earlier, so that she could take them out to air dry tomorrow.

As the sun was setting, Xu Han went to the earthen kiln to deliver food to Lu Chuan.

The two had dinner together, and Xu Han took out the tent and sleeping bag she had bought during a previous camping trip for him to use.

"What is this?" Lu Chuan asked curiously.

"This is a tent, and this is a sleeping bag. The tent is like a small mobile house. You can sleep inside at night, which can block out some cold winds. Wearing a sleeping bag will keep you warmer when you sleep."

As Xu Han spoke, she demonstrated to Lu Chuan how to use it.

After Xu Han helped Lu Chuan set up the tent and cleaned it up, she took out a lunchbox and packed some food for Lu Chuan to eat as a late-night snack.

She filled a thermos with hot water for him and left it there. After he finished washing up with the hot water, she said, "I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning. I'll take the puppies back with me, and you can have Blackwind and Black Spot."

"Okay, you'd better hurry back! It'll be completely dark soon. And remember to lock the gate when you get home!"

"I understand, so don't worry about me. Take care of yourself!" Xu Han said before heading home.

Once I got home, I locked the gate, washed up, and went to bed.

A good night's sleep...

The next morning, Xu Han got up early, took out the marinated chicken, duck, fish and meat to dry, and after washing up, she went to take over Lu Chuan's shift.

When she arrived, Lu Chuan was adding firewood. "Hurry up and wash up, have breakfast and then go take a nap!" Xu Han said, taking over the work from Lu Chuan.

"I'm fine, and I didn't really not sleep all night; I just dozed off for a bit in between."

Xu Han ignored his excuses, took out his toiletries and breakfast and handed them to him, while she ate her buns and added firewood to the fire.