He greeted the uncles and elders somewhat shyly before standing back beside Qi Xili, awaiting instructions.
"We have enough people, right?" Qi Xili asked.
"Yes, there are 25 people in total, and everyone has arrived," Li Gangtie said.
"Alright, let's set off then," Qi Xili commanded.
After he finished speaking, the adults automatically formed teams of six. Qi Lin was just there to make up the numbers, staying by Qi Xili's side.
"Alright, everyone get on the bus. Be careful in the future!"
Shen Yanming rode in the same car as Ji Kangyong, Li Gangtie, Qi Xili, Qi Lin, Liang Huaxin, and Guo Tingshuo. Liang Huaxin was driving the car.
Because the sled wasn't made that big, it felt quite cramped for seven people to sit on it.
Shen Yanming huddled in the corner, gripping the metal frame tightly, his nerves on edge. Even with all his preparations, he was nearly thrown off at the moment of acceleration.
Shen Yanming wondered, "Is this horse-drawn sled really that dangerous?" Little did he know, he was the only one in the entire group who almost got thrown off; everyone else was having a great time. Perhaps Shen Yanming's reaction was related to his seating position.
The horse-drawn sled moved at a decent speed and quite steadily. However, the cold air hitting them froze his hands and feet in no time. Even though everyone was huddled together and wrapped in a tattered quilt, they were still freezing like dogs.
In Qi Xili's words, "You can't look down on cold air!"
Everyone fell silent after hearing this. Even Qi Lin, who felt like he was about to freeze into an icicle, didn't dare to utter a word.
He had finally managed to persuade his father to participate in this winter hunt. If he couldn't stick to it or something happened, he would have to follow Qi Xili's arrangements from now on and would have no right to bargain.
So the young man gritted his teeth and endured it, until his face turned pale and his teeth chattered, without uttering a single word of "no".
Li Gangtie quietly gave Qi Xili a thumbs-up, and Shen Yanming also gave him an approving look.
Qi Xili raised an eyebrow, smiled, but said nothing more.
Looking at the young man's resolute face in the space, Bi Qiaoan thought to herself, "It's only been a few years, but he's grown up so fast."
Looking back, that shy and scared young man who made a mistake has grown into a strong sapling.
Although he is still a bit behind his father, Qi Xili, he is already far ahead of his peers.
Indeed, hardship makes people progress!
Gradually, Shen Yanming got used to the rhythm of the horse-drawn sled and began to pay attention to the space.
He was stunned when he saw his wife looking outside with great interest.
She hurriedly asked, "Honey, when did you arrive? Why didn't you call me?"
Bi Qiaoan smiled, swallowed the cake in her mouth, and said, "Seven o'clock, I didn't dare to say anything because you looked so tense."
Shen Yanming, unsure of the time, asked her, "How long have you been here?"
Bi Qiaoan was a little confused, because the clocks in the storage area would stop.
So I tried it out and found that I could control the planting area with my mind here. I smiled and said, "It's 8:15. You've been walking in the snow for about three hours. How are you feeling? Are you tired?"
"I'm not tired, but I'm cold. I never want to come out again. I don't know what I was thinking, choosing to suffer like this."
Bi Qiaoan smiled and said, "Why do I feel like you're not as good as Qi Lin?"
Shen Yanming really wanted to roll his eyes, thinking to himself that he and his father had no choice, but his own family clearly had a shortcut to take.
But he didn't say anything, instead changing the subject: "Where are An'an and Nuan Nuan? Are they up yet? Why haven't they come over here?"
“I got up too early this morning, so I didn’t wake them. After they got up, they didn’t make a fuss. They obediently washed their faces, brushed their teeth, and ate their breakfast. Now they’re playing with the goose.”
Relieved by these words, Shen Yanming chatted with his wife about other things. Since they could communicate using their thoughts, no one would notice, which was very convenient.
What was originally a boring trip became interesting because of his wife's company.
Shen Yanming no longer resisted the overwhelming cold. During a rest stop, he stiffly unscrewed the thermos cap, drank two sips of spiritual spring water ginger soup, and only then did he feel his body slowly warm up.
He was generous and shared the ginger soup with the others.
After drinking, everyone felt revitalized. They thanked Shen Yanming before asking, "How much longer?"
"Soon, only half an hour," Qi Xili said, looking at the instrument in his hand.
"This time we borrowed horse-drawn sleds from the base, so we have to make sure we get our money's worth before we go back. Once we're in the mountains, we'll split into groups and explore based on the information we gathered before winter. Whether we find anything or not, our safety will be our top priority."
Everyone nodded and replied, "Yes!"
Qi Xili glanced at the time on his smart bracelet and said, "Let's eat something and then set off."
Then everyone took out their food from their bags and began to wolf it down.
To be honest, they really didn't want to eat in the cold wind, because their stomachs would be full of cold air afterward.
But given the current conditions, if they don't eat, they'll just go hungry. They're also cold, and if they don't replenish their energy, they'll have nothing left to expend.
"Yanming, give me a couple of sips of your water," Guo Tingshuo said.
Shen Yanming handed him the thermos: "Drink it."
Guo Tingshuo asked with a smile, "Aren't you afraid I'll drink it all up?"
"What's there to be afraid of? There's snow everywhere. If we run out of water, we can just melt some more. Anyway, I brought ginger slices, so it won't make much of a difference."
Qi Xili's eyes lit up after hearing this. He asked, "Do you have a lot of ginger slices? If so, share them with everyone. You can just eat them directly, which will save you the trouble of gathering firewood and boiling water."
Shen Yanming nodded: "There's plenty." Then he took a bag out of his bag: "Here, you can share it."
Li Gangtie accepted the ginger slices with a smile, and jokingly remarked, "It feels like you have an endless supply of ginger slices."
Shen Yanming rolled his eyes: "You didn't even say how much I plant each year. Do you think everyone is as clueless as you? You know the winters are long and cold, yet you don't prepare in advance."
Upon hearing this, Li Gangtie objected, shouting, "Who said I wasn't prepared? I'm just not as well-prepared as you, Lao Shen!"
Shen Yanming chuckled: "Then you should learn more from me in the future."
Li Gangtie really wanted to beat this kid up; he was so disrespectful and infuriating. But he held back because what the kid said made sense.
Finally, he could only helplessly and frustratedly reply, "Fine!"
Qi Lin held his share of ginger slices, his gaze towards Shen Yanming filled with admiration. Qi Xili stood to the side, feeling heartbroken, always feeling that Old Shen was trying to kidnap his son.
The old father felt heartbroken and wanted to ask his son, "Isn't he better than Shen Yanming?"
Shen Yanming, unaware of Qi Xili's awkwardness, ate two radish green buns and then got up to stretch his limbs.
Sure enough, after eating and drinking to their hearts' content, their cold resistance improved, and they were able to move their limbs freely.
A few minutes later, seeing everyone packing their gear, Qi Xili waved his hand and said, "Let's go!"
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