For most of the next day, Yan Jing'an and Jiang Xi dug up sweet potatoes, while Yan Zheng stood by, using one arm to break the sweet potatoes in half and then putting them into baskets to carry them to the car.
In the late afternoon, Yan Zheng went to collect the rabbit traps, but unfortunately, he didn't have much of a harvest all day. Of the four traps, he only caught one half-grown two-legged rabbit.
Yan Zheng eventually put it in his basket and took it back with him.
The fish trap in the lake caught a few small fish today, and Yan Zheng taught Yan Jing'an to clean them up by the lake.
Today was a tiring day, so I can make some braised mixed fish when I get home.
Upon reaching the canyon exit, Jiang Xi was still thinking about those wild peach trees, so she asked Yan Jing'an to dig up a sapling as tall as her thigh.
Back at the stone house, Xiao Hei waddled out to greet them, and Yan Jing'an quickly scooped it up and gave it a good pat on the head.
I put the half-grown rabbit back into the rabbit hutch and fed them some sweet potatoes.
Yan Jing'an unloaded the sweet potatoes from the cart into the granary.
Dinner was braised fish made by Yan Jing'an, with the fish meat fried until golden brown and seasoned with various condiments.
He added some honey and hawthorn vinegar when he made it, so the braised mixed fish became sweet and sour, which tasted quite fresh.
Jiang Xi realized that the hawthorn vinegar was almost gone and she needed to make some more to store.
After dinner, with Yan Jing'an's help, Jiang Xi planted the peach tree she had dug up that day next to the kitchen.
It's the perfect time for them to bloom. If we dig them up now, the flowers will probably all fall off by tomorrow, and we'll have to wait until next year to see them again.
For the next two days, Jiang Xi would get up early every morning to exercise with Yan Zheng. During the day, while everyone was around, they would fire the hundreds of yellow bricks needed to build the deer's house.
Unexpectedly, halfway through the fire, a second spring rain arrived, and this time the rain was significantly heavier than the last.
The heavy rain had been falling for two days and one night, leaving the three of them trapped inside the house with nothing to do.
While Jiang Xi was tending the fire in the kitchen, Yan Jing'an asked Yan Zheng, "What do you think about what I said last time? Don't worry, I'll be careful this time, and I'll come back immediately if anything goes wrong."
Yan Zheng thought for a moment and said, "I said I'd wait a while longer, until I'm feeling better, then the three of us will go together."
Last time, Yan Jing'an discussed with Yan Zheng about going back into the forest alone. In his words, whether it was manipulated or an accident, he would go and investigate, and everything would become clear.
However, Yan Zheng had to consider the safety of the team, and he insisted that the three of them must act together.
Yan Zheng said in a deep voice, "We suffered a loss at his hands. If you can think of this, how could he not? If he were a real person, who knows what dirty tricks he might be plotting."
After saying this, Yan Jing'an was depressed for a long time, and he rarely uttered a curse: "Damn it, if I catch what it is, I'll skin it alive."
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Jiang Xi, wearing a bamboo hat, hurriedly pushed open the door: "One of the rabbits is missing."
The two people inside the room exchanged a glance.
Yan Zheng casually picked up a bamboo hat from the table, put it on, and went out, with Jiang Xi and Yan Jing'an following behind.
Jiang Xi was feeding the rabbits and sheep while wearing a straw hat when she arrived at the rabbit hutch and found that one of them was missing, and it was the same male rabbit.
The three checked the wall but found no trace of drilling.
Yan Zheng carefully examined his feet: "Here."
He pointed to a spot for the two of them to see.
There was a footprint in the mud pit, which looked like a human footprint, but it was not very clear because of the heavy rain and mud.
Jiang Xi's eyes widened in surprise, and she stammered, "There are other people around here?"
These words sent a chill down the spines of all three of them.
Yan Zheng wanted to chase after them, but the rain was heavy and the footprints disappeared into the woods.
Jiang Xi's heart sank a little. She had thought they were the only survivors in this vast mountain, but she didn't expect there were other people here.
Yan Zheng, who had remained silent, suggested another possibility: "It could also be a wild bear that hasn't reached adulthood yet."
He glanced at Yan Jing'an: "Don't you know too? That thing looks like a gorilla, so it's not surprising that its footprints look like human footprints."
"Perhaps because it was raining and there wasn't much food, he was very hungry and reached out to us."
Jiang Xi offered a different opinion: "If it were a wild animal, it would have eaten it directly, which would have left bloodstains."
Upon hearing this, Yan Jing'an shook his head: "You don't know, that thing has a quirk. After catching its prey, it won't eat it first, but will keep you hanging on."
"Maybe it wants to catch it and enjoy it slowly."
Now they didn't know what to do. The rain was too heavy, so the three of them quickly went back inside.
In order to avoid further losses, Yan Zheng led the two rabbits, the sheep, and the deer all into the house.
Suddenly the main house seemed even smaller.
Jiang Xi noticed that Yan Zheng's arm was wet, so she quickly took out new bandages and clothes to change it for him.
Yan Zheng obediently took off his clothes. The wound had now shed its scab and turned pink, indicating that the muscles inside hadn't fully healed yet. He would experience a dull ache when the weather changed or when he exerted himself.
Yan Jing'an, who was standing to the side, couldn't sit still. He paced back and forth in the room, his mind racing with ideas on how to catch the thing.
"I told you to stop shaking, it's making my eyes dizzy."
Jiang Xi, who was standing nearby, offered some kind words of advice.
Yan Jing'an then obediently sat down on the stool, but before he could even warm the stool, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table.
"I have an idea."
Jiang Xi was startled by him.
Yan Jing'an whispered to the two of them, "When the rain stops, Yan Zheng and I will deliberately hide in the shadows, while Jiang Xi will be alone in the courtyard."
"Or the three of us can go out. Let the rabbit and the sheep out, and see how long it can hold out before it makes a move."
Jiang Xi cut off the excess bandage and said, "We'll have to wait a few more days until Yan Zheng's arm is fully healed. Otherwise, if a big guy comes along before his injury is fully healed, we might not be able to beat him."
Yan Jing'an pursed his lips and said, "Of course, I knew you felt sorry for him."
The rain finally stopped in the latter half of the night.
The next day, Jiang Xi continued her exercise as usual. Thinking that it had just rained and new mushrooms were sprouting, Jiang Xi helped Yan Zheng tidy up and went back to the field.
This time, Jiang Xi didn't want to go to the fields. Instead, she went to the woods on both sides of the field ridges to see if there were any other plants there. Anyway, it was close to home, and as long as she was well-equipped, there shouldn't be any danger there.
Moreover, there should be more mushrooms near the irrigation ditches on both sides of the fields.
Once inside the forest, Jiang Xi's prediction was correct; the mushrooms growing along the riverbank were indeed more abundant than before. After walking only a kilometer or two, she already had a full basket on her back.
Further down, you'll encounter a river. All the water flowing from the fields converges in this river, which then flows out between two mountain hollows.
Jiang Xi asked Yan Zheng, puzzled, "Where do you think this river flows to?"
Yan Zheng looked around and said, "It should be flowing down the mountain into the lake."
After saying that, he glanced at Jiang Xi and asked her, "Would you like to go take a look together?"
Jiang Xi's eyes lit up immediately, and she hurriedly said, "Yes!"
So the two of them walked downstream along the river.
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