That night, after the heavy snow, even the night became silent, with only the occasional cracking sound of branches breaking under the weight of the snow.
Jiang Xi picked up the wooden slip and adjusted the wick of the oil lamp. The flame became a little brighter than before, and she quickly shrank back into bed.
Yan Zheng put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his embrace: "Be careful not to catch a cold."
The two lay in bed embracing each other, and Jiang Xi playfully tapped his nose with her finger: "Grandma said we shouldn't say bad things at night."
Yan Zheng laughed at her: "Still superstitious."
She pouted and said, "Grandma is always right."
Then Yan Jing'an coughed again from outside.
Yan Zheng unconsciously touched her earlobe with one hand and said, "I'm planning to go into the mountains tomorrow."
Jiang Xi's eyes, which had been somewhat dazed, widened again. She seemed to remember something and hummed in agreement.
We're almost out of licorice.
The amount I saved earlier was still too little.
He sighed, "Our area is still too lacking in resources."
That bit of licorice was something I happened to find when I went into the mountains to boil salt last time.
"We still have to go into the forest to find these kinds of herbs."
Jiang Xi asked doubtfully, "The mountains are covered in snow right now, will we be able to find it?"
Although the weather has been warm these past few days, once the heavy snow covers the area, will we be shoveling snow to find it?
Yan Zheng shook his head and laughed at her: "Do you think I'm that stupid? I've seen it before. In very dense forests, the snow is usually on the trees, while the area under the trees is clean."
"Then I want to go with you."
He was still shaken by what happened last time: "It was so cold."
"in spite of."
Jiang Xi murmured, "If only we could find some wild ginger or loquat leaves, that would be great. When I was sick before, my grandma would make soup like that for me."
Yan Zheng smiled and said, "Wild ginger usually grows in arid sandy soil, so we probably don't have any here."
Then, after thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's take the deer with us. Tomorrow I'll make a saddle and gather some firewood. We'll set off the day after tomorrow."
Jiang Xi nodded. The little deer is now a sub-adult. Because Yan Jing'an often takes it out to work, its limbs are becoming more and more flexible and strong. It can often carry dozens of kilograms of sweet potatoes without panting.
Bringing it along is a good idea; we can dress it in a sweater later.
She kissed Yan Zheng's chin: "You can even make saddles? How are you so amazing?"
Yan Zheng said self-deprecatingly, "I can't do it, but I've seen it and used it before. I can only try to make it look similar."
"It's better to have it than not. This way you'll be more comfortable sitting here, and the deer will save energy, avoiding the constant jostling and making you uncomfortable."
Before he could finish speaking, another series of rapid coughing and wheezing came from the front hall.
Yan Zheng paused slightly as he touched Jiang Xi's earlobe.
The next day, Yan Zheng got up early, found some rabbit skins and some sturdy wood, and used mortise and tenon joints and rattan rope to make a simple saddle and reins.
Jiang Xi went up and tried sitting in it: "Hmm, it's not uncomfortable or uncomfortable."
Yan Zheng nodded, then made some minor adjustments to the rough parts, and said, "You can ride it when you leave tomorrow, but once we enter the forest, we'll have to lead it."
Jiang Xi gave an OK sign to indicate that she understood.
The forest is full of trees and the path is difficult to walk on. If you bump into something, you risk falling off the deer.
After dinner in the afternoon, Yan Zheng took Jiang Xi and Xiao Lu to collect firewood again, as there wasn't much firewood left in the surrounding mountains and forests.
Only after Jiang Xi truly lived here did she understand why the original world required planting trees and prohibiting unauthorized logging—because the trees were truly fragile.
Although they have only been here for three months, they have been making ceramics, repairing wooden houses, and burning firewood for heating. It may not sound like much, but the nearest forest, covering an area of about 100 square meters, has been completely bald, leaving only bare tree stumps on the ground.
Therefore, they no longer cut down trees; instead, they collect fallen branches or dead trees from the forest.
Of course, this requires a lot of extra work.
Yan Zheng considered that he needed to prepare two more days' worth of firewood before leaving tomorrow, so he specifically brought Xiao Lu along.
The two of them picked up the items in front, while Xiao Lu acted as a mobile delivery truck beside them. They were busy until dark before returning home.
On the day of departure, before dawn, Yan Zheng got up to cook yams and yellow carrots, and also steamed two dried rabbits and two dried ducks, and cooked a pot of cured pork and yams porridge.
Jiang Xi packed her things into her backpack one by one: a lighter, topical medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, a pot for instant noodles, a water bottle, and bowls and chopsticks. She would pack the food later.
After thinking for a moment, she packed two more sweaters, just in case.
Although Yan Zheng's plan was to go and return on the same day, the longer he lived in the forest, the clearer he became that unexpected events always catch people off guard.
Yan Jing'an also woke up. Seeing the two of them packing, he immediately sat up and asked, "Are you going out?... Ahem."
Jiang Xi was packing a sweater when she heard this and turned around to say to him, "Yeah, I'll be back tonight if things go smoothly."
Seemingly realizing something, Yan Jing'an lowered his head and remained silent.
Yan Zheng glanced at Jiang Xi, then at Yan Jing'an. He had lost a lot of weight since he got sick, and he couldn't eat or sleep well. His bangs were soft and stuck to the side of his face. He no longer had the energy and spirit he used to have. Yan Zheng said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Let's go to the forest. We've prepared enough firewood for you for two days. Burn it in a warm place."
Yan Jing'an remained silent, only occasionally letting out coughs and wheezes.
After the meal was ready, the three of them drank some porridge. Yan Zheng left a few sweet potatoes, a dried rabbit, and a dried duck in the steamer. He packed the other dried rabbit and dried duck into his backpack along with the sweet potatoes as their provisions for the next few days.
As dawn broke, everything was ready. Jiang Xi put a sweater on Xiao Lu, then put on her own down jacket, and Yan Zheng tied a cloak around her neck.
As they walked down the corridor, Yan Jing'an suddenly called out to Yan Zheng, his voice still trembling with breathlessness: "You guys... should go back soon."
Yan Zheng lowered his head for a moment, then turned back and said, "The journey is long, and we might have to spend the night there. There's steamed rice in the pot; remember to heat it up before you eat."
This time, they still planned to go through the back gate into the forest with the salt springs. The area was rich in vegetation, so they might be able to try their luck.
The snow in the mountains and forests was thick enough, and the treetops were covered with silver frost, making the world a seamless expanse of color.
Jiang Xi, wearing a rabbit fur hat and carrying their backpacks, sat on the back of a deer. Yan Zheng walked in front, carrying a bow and arrows, holding the reins in one hand and a sword in the other.
As we walked deeper into the forest, the woods were quiet and peaceful after the snowfall, with the occasional chirping of birds and the crunching sound of the two people and the deer walking on the snow, making the forest even quieter.
It was another sunny day, and the sunlight reflecting off the snow made Jiang Xi blink incessantly.
Yan Zheng noticed her discomfort: "If it's too bright, just cover your eyes with a scarf. I'll hold your hands, don't worry."
There's nothing to worry about.
Jiang Xi quickly closed her eyes and covered her face with a scarf, leaving only a small gap for breathing.
So cute.
A smile unconsciously crept onto Yan Zheng's lips, his breath illuminating his handsome features.
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