In the days that followed, during the long winter, the three of them struggled almost every day to make a living.
This time, the licorice root was aged for a long time, and it was simmered for several days for Yan Jing'an to drink. In addition, he soaked dried tangerine peel in water every day, and occasionally used ginseng to make soup to regulate his body. The earthen stove was kept burning 24 hours a day.
His cough and wheezing have improved slightly for the time being, at least he can sleep well at night.
Sometimes when I'm in a better mental state, I'll try to do something.
For example, when making wooden arrows, I first watched Yan Zheng make them at night. The materials were simple, only feathers, wood, and sticks were needed.
Thinking that he had nothing to do in the cave every day, he simply took the arrows he had made and studied them. Once he figured them out, he made more in the cave and stored the unused wooden arrows in his basket.
In just one month, they made two whole baskets of wooden arrows, as well as various improved versions of stone arrows.
This saved Yan Zheng some trouble. He continued to check the traps and hunt every day as usual, and spent the rest of his time gathering firewood. With someone helping him make arrows, he could relax a lot at night.
Occasionally, if you're lucky, you might catch one or two pieces of raccoon meat in a trap. The texture of this meat is somewhat similar to that of a slightly coarser rabbit, with thicker bones and a chewy texture, probably because this animal roams all over the mountains.
Yan Zheng and Yan Jing'an thought it was alright, but Jiang Xi didn't like it. She felt it had a slightly gamey smell and wasn't used to eating it.
So Yan Zheng would sometimes hunt wild ducks and pheasants, but later, as winter approached and the temperature dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius, wild animals rarely appeared in the forest, and sometimes he would only hunt one or two every four or five days.
They managed to hold on for almost a month.
Jiang Xi's only concern was nutrition. A lack of fresh food for a long time would make people more susceptible to illness due to vitamin deficiency, and it would also hinder Yan Jing'an's recovery.
In the past few days, the weather suddenly started to warm up, with many sunny days and a significant rise in temperature. Jiang Xi sprouted several pots of bean sprouts, which she stir-fried every day to supplement their diet. In addition, the number of pheasants and ducks increased, making their lives a little easier.
As the snow on the mountain slowly melted, the river in front of the cave gradually increased in flow, and the width of the river actually doubled compared to before.
At first, they didn't pay much attention. When Yan Zheng went out in the morning, he thought it was a good day and he might be able to catch more chickens and ducks.
As a result, he couldn't get home after returning from the mountains in the afternoon.
Yan Zheng, carrying two pheasants on his back, stood on the ridge and looked at Jiang Xi, who was at the entrance of the cave, with a bewildered expression.
Because of the strong water flow, the natural stone embankment along the Qianmen River has been washed away.
The entire hillside in front of the cave, along with the road leading to the cave entrance, was largely submerged by the broken river channel.
With the outside temperature at minus ten degrees Celsius, it was impossible for him to wade back. In the end, after observing for a long time, he could only use some fallen leaves and stones to piece together a narrow path for himself. By the time he entered the cave, it was already dark.
Once inside the cave, he dropped the mountain goods on his back and, without waiting for Jiang Xi to ask anything, quickly walked through the corridor to the back valley.
Pushing open the door of the wooden house, the scene of the river in the back mountain came into view. Just like the front door, the river was not only a generation wider, but the riverbed was too shallow, and there was raging snowmelt everywhere.
He cursed inwardly.
Back in the front hall, Jiang Xi took out some dry clothes for him and said worriedly, "Now I know why there are only grass and no trees on this hillside."
The snow on the mountain is melting so quickly; if this water were to flow for half a month, the trees would be washed away as soon as they took root.
Yan Jing'an poured a cup of hot water and placed it on the table. Yan Zheng took it, blew on it, took two sips, glanced at Jiang Xi, and said with difficulty, "If it's just flooding the hillside, it's a minor matter."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Xi and Yan Jing'an's hearts skipped a beat.
Jiang Xi glanced at Yan Zheng and thought to herself, "No way."
Yan Zheng said in a deep voice, "A third of the woodpile at the entrance is submerged in water. Winter is not even halfway over yet, and the temperature is expected to drop again soon. If it snows twice more, when spring comes and the 20 or 30 centimeters of snow melts, this cave will probably be flooded."
He was reluctant to consider the worst-case scenario, but he had to be responsible for them. He had to take into account even the slightest risk.
Upon hearing this, the other two felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.
Jiang Xi hurriedly asked, "Can't we take some measures? For example, divert the river's course?"
Yan Jing'an doesn't go out often, but he is aware of the seriousness of the problem: "Even if the entrance is changed, with so much snow on the mountain, it's hard to guarantee that other places won't be washed away."
Yan Jing'an thought of the snow disasters of the past few years. Natural disasters do not always bring extreme cold. Most people think that extreme cold means temperatures that are tens of degrees below zero all year round, but in fact, there have been spring, summer, autumn and winter in the past five years. In spring and summer, the temperature will rise by twenty or thirty degrees, and the sun will occasionally come out.
Therefore, every spring and summer when the snow melts, the world is on high alert. The vast majority of people who do not go to higher ground shelters and live on their own will suffer misfortune or be displaced by floods.
When the temperature dropped, he joined the rescue teams. In some low-lying cities, he witnessed firsthand bodies frozen on the ground.
He didn't want to experience that feeling of helplessness in the face of natural disasters again.
Yan Jing'an immediately stood up and said, "We have to move. This place is too close to the lake, which means that the melting snow from the surrounding mountains will flow into this place."
When that time actually comes, he can't even imagine what it will be like.
Yan Jing'an coughed twice: "Once spring arrives, this place will be ravaged by floods. Why are there only grass and no trees on the surrounding hillsides? Even where there are trees, they are only at high places. It must be because the amount of water after the snow melts is too great, and ordinary trees simply cannot take root."
His eyes were slightly red from coughing, and his voice trembled as he said, "I've been living too comfortably these days and have forgotten such crucial information."
Jiang Xi said in a hoarse voice, "But if we have to move temporarily, where can we go? We've searched all around here and haven't seen any other caves."
She had finally found a place to live, and she had even made plans: to use the hillside in front of the mountain to raise piglets and pheasants, and to use the back of the mountain to grow fruits and vegetables. All these wonderful ideas suddenly fell through.
Yan Zheng gripped her left hand tightly: "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll take Xiaolu to find her tomorrow."
He added in a deep voice, "Being high up is not enough; we also need abundant resources. If this snowmelt floods for a month, we can't just sit in the cave and wait to die because we've run out of resources."
It may sound harsh, but it's the truth.
Yan Jing'an pondered for a moment and said, "I know a place."
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