I didn't have time to wash the pots and pans today. Anyway, I'm not going early tomorrow, and I have to wait until things finish in Luchuan before I can go! I can wash them when I get up early tomorrow.

Xu Han washed her hands, face, and feet before going to rest.

The next day, Xu Han got up very early, just as dawn broke. She first cleaned the pots and pans she had used the day before, and then boiled a whole pot of white eggs.

Then she made a pot of sweet potato porridge and also chopped some pickled vegetables to put in her space so she could eat them when she went out. Having learned from her previous experience, Xu Han was very well prepared this time.

After boiling the eggs, I also boiled a whole pot of water so we could drink it on the way, saving us the trouble of boiling water ourselves.

Xu Han was scooping water when Lu Chuan returned!

"You're back. I just made some porridge, it'll be ready soon. Go wash your face and brush your teeth first!" Xu Han said.

"Hmm! Looks like the little lazybones woke up very early today!"

"You're the lazybones! I'm very diligent!"

Lu Chuan stopped teasing Xu Han, kissed her cheek, and went to wash up.

The two ate breakfast while chatting about their plans for the next few days.

"Have you decided what you'll mainly pick on this trip into the mountains?" Lu Chuan asked.

“It’s the perfect time to pick pine nuts now, they’re delicious! Let’s go pick some pine cones first!” Xu Han replied.

"Okay, whatever you say, let's go pick pine cones first, let's head straight for the pine forest!"

"Okay! If we still have room after we've finished picking them all, we can take whatever we can find on our way back."

"Okay! I'll go to the backyard and let the chickens, ducks, and geese out first. I'll prepare more hay and water for the corn in its shed!"

"Okay, I'll go wash the dishes first, and then we'll set off in a bit."

Xu Han and Lu Chuan went about their own business, and it was almost ten o'clock when they finally went out into the mountains.

The two headed straight for the pine forest, arriving around three or four in the afternoon.

Harvesting pine cones is very difficult because they grow at the very top of pine trees, which are generally quite tall, between thirty and forty meters.

If it weren't for Lu Chuan's excellent tree-climbing and physical abilities, he wouldn't have bothered eating the pine nuts; he certainly wouldn't risk his life for the sake of satisfying his appetite.

Xu Han took out gloves from her spatial storage and handed them to Lu Chuan, because the pine cones were covered in pine resin and were sticky, so gloves were definitely necessary.

"Be careful! This tree is too tall, watch out and don't take any risks." Xu Han started her nagging mode again.

"Don't worry about me! Worry about yourself instead! Don't get hit on the head by a pine cone. Pine cones are much heavier than walnuts," Lu Chuan teased Xu Han.

Xu Han also remembered that when she was picking walnuts before, she was slow to react and got hit a lot. She silently took out a helmet from her space and put it on.

When Lu Chuan saw Xu Han's actions, he laughed heartily and then climbed up the tree.

Lu Chuan's interruption made Xu Han less worried. She put on gloves, picked up her basket, and waited for the pine cones to fall so she could collect them.

Mature pine cones climb up to the middle of the tree, and if you shake the trunk, they will fall down.

However, there will be a few that grow quite firmly, and in those cases, you'll need to knock them down with a stick or climb up the tree to pick them.

Lu Chuan climbed trees very quickly, and soon finished picking from one tree. Then he climbed down and moved on to the next tree to continue picking.

Not long after they started picking the fruit, it got dark, so Lu Chuan led Xu Han to the nearest cave to rest.

After the two finished dinner in the cave, since it was still early, Xu Han took out the pine cones she had collected that day and began to peel them.

First, peel off the hard outer shell of the pine cone, then you'll be left with something that looks like a corn cob. Hold it with both hands and twist it hard, and the pine nut will fall out. If it doesn't fall out, just tap it on the ground.

Lu Chuan was in charge of peeling the outer layer of the tower shell, while Xu Han was in charge of peeling the pine nuts inside.

Pine cones are particularly difficult to peel, not only because they are covered in pine resin, but also because they are very firm; it hurts your fingers to peel them.

The two of them spent the whole night peeling pine cones but didn't get many, though they did get a lot of skin.

Lu Chuan picked up the pine cone shells and threw them away, while Xu Han lay on the ground picking up the fallen pine nuts.

I picked them myself with great effort and put in so much work to peel them, so I can't waste a single bit; I have to pick them up.

After cleaning the cave, they went to rest.

The next morning, Xu Han got up as soon as it was light, unlike at home where she could stay in bed a little longer. This trip was to pick pine cones.

How many pine cones we can eat in the next few years depends on these next few days.

In her previous life, pine nuts were very expensive, and Xu Han couldn't bear to eat them freely. She would only buy some to satisfy her craving during the Lunar New Year.

After breakfast, when it was already broad daylight, the two walked together into the pine forest.

Continuing to repeat yesterday's actions, Xu Han suddenly saw a slightly shorter pine tree with pine cones on its lower branches and even more pine cones on its upper branches.

Xu Han quickly called over Lu Chuan, "Lu Chuan, look at all these pine cones on this tree! Let's pick this one first!"

Lu Chuan, who was preparing to climb the tree, heard Xu Han's slightly excited voice and walked over to cooperate.

"This pine tree really has a lot of pine cones! I'll start by picking the ones at the bottom." Lu Chuan said and began to pick them.

We picked three full baskets of pine cones from just this one tree—that's quite a lot!

After picking this one, the two continued to pick other pine cones.

When it was lunchtime, Xu Han took out braised mutton and cucumber salad from her spatial storage and ate them with white rice, making for another delicious meal.

In the afternoon, the two continued picking pine cones. This pine forest was quite large, and they estimated that it would take another two days to finish picking them!

We returned to the cave to rest that night, and continued picking for four and a half days. It wasn't until the morning of the fifth day that we finished picking all the pine cones.

The two ate an early lunch and then started heading home. There was a pine forest near their house! They planned to go home first, pick all the pine trees near their house, and then come back to the mountains to find other things.

When they arrived home, it was already dark. Lu Chuan went to the backyard to feed the livestock, while Xu Han started boiling water to prepare for a bath.

After taking a shower and having dinner, I started shelling pine nuts again.

I also peeled some pine cones these past two nights, but it's nothing compared to the pine cones that were harvested.

Ugh, I was so happy when I was picking pine cones, but why am I so miserable when I'm peeling them?

My hands used to hurt from peeling them, so now I just tear them in half from the top and shake the nuts off.

This is how I peel fresh pine cones when I have time. Tomorrow I'll take all the pine cones out of the room and put them in the yard to dry. After they're dried, I'll process them.