Seeing that no one could guess, Si Cheng stopped keeping them in suspense and said, "This is muntjac meat. It used to be a Class III protected animal, so I'm sure none of you have ever eaten it before."
Mr. Yun was a little worried: "Since it's a protected animal, you shouldn't have brought it back. You can just catch some rabbits and pheasants normally, there are plenty of rabbits in the back mountain anyway."
Si Cheng quickly explained, "It accidentally fell into our trap. By the time we found it, it was already dead. I heard that this kind of animal is quite timid, and it probably died of fright after falling into the trap. Since we didn't want to waste it and no one was checking, we brought it back."
Only then did Father Yun feel relieved. Although there was no one managing them now, we should still give these endangered animals some space to live and stop capturing them so that they don't disappear from the earth.
At this moment, Mama Yun also said, "I heard about these muntjacs from the elders a long time ago, but no one has encountered them on the mountain over the years. We thought they were no longer around here, but it turns out they have been hiding."
Si Cheng said to his parents-in-law, "You should eat more of it. I've heard people say that its meat is very nutritious and contains a lot of collagen and amino acids, making it perfect for dietary supplementation. It's just right for you to eat."
The two elderly people were delighted to hear this: "Everyone will eat it then, and everyone will need to replenish their bodies."
Yunqi later told Sicheng about Aunt Qifang and said that he would bring some practical things to visit them early the next morning.
Si Cheng hugged Yun Qi and sighed, "The days ahead will only get harder, and who knows what tragedies will unfold. All I ask for in this life is for my family to live in peace and safety."
Yunqi helplessly wrapped his arms around him, "If it weren't for you in my past life, I probably wouldn't have been able to hold on during the earthquake."
"Back then, I was the same way; we were each other's pillars of support."
The next day, the family brought winter clothes that Yun Qi had found in his spatial storage, suitable for Yun Qifang and her daughter. Each person prepared two sets, along with a complete set of bed sheets and ten pounds of cotton quilt filling. Yun's father and the others prepared two large buckets of cooking oil and two 50-pound bags of flour and rice. These were things they urgently needed. Although their third grandfather and the others were still there, bringing these things would give them more confidence to stay.
Besides Yun's mother preparing breakfast and taking care of her two siblings who hadn't gotten up yet, Si Cheng carried two bags of staple food on his shoulder, with two buckets of oil in one hand. Yun Qi carried the clothes, and Yun's father carried the quilt. Before everyone else had come out, they arrived at their third grandfather's house.
Standing outside the courtyard gate, Yun's father called out, "Third Uncle, are you up? It's me, Zhiming."
Soon, Yun Zhiqi's voice came from the courtyard, "Brother Ming, wait a moment, I'll open the door right away."
Seeing the family carrying in so many bags and packages, Yun Zhiqi was a little stunned. Other relatives had also come to visit their sister, and although they brought some things, none of them had brought so many.
"Is Uncle San still not up?"
“He got up early and is watering the plants in the backyard. I’ll go call him now.”
Yun Zhiming led the young couple directly to the side room of his third grandfather's house and put all their things on the kang (a heated brick bed).
At this time, the people who were busy in the backyard also came in one after another.
Everyone greeted each other, and only then did Yun Zhiming explain his purpose.
"Here are four sets of winter sweaters and cotton-padded coats for Qifang and the others to change into. There are also some that we stocked up on before."
Looking at the pile in front of him, Third Grandfather said to Yun Zhiming, "You can keep these clothes and utensils; they really need them now, so I won't stand on ceremony with you. But you should take the oil and grain back with you; these will be much harder to come by in the future."
"Look at what you're saying, Uncle. These are for Qifang and the others. How can I take them back? To tell you the truth, Sicheng buys these things all the time. Besides, are these things even important to anyone?"
He then turned to Yun Qifang and said, "Qifang, please accept your brother's things without feeling guilty. As long as you two are doing well, everyone will feel more at ease."
With tears in her eyes, Yun Qifang nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, Brother Ming. I will definitely make a good life for myself."
Grandma San came over and invited everyone to have breakfast. Yun Zhiming quickly stood up and said, "Auntie San, don't worry about us. The baby's mother should be done soon. We have to go back now, as we need to go to work later."
After saying that, the three of them stood up and walked out together.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade them to stay, Yun Zhiqi escorted them to the courtyard gate: "Brother Ming, I won't say much in return. Just let me know if you need anything in the future."
"Alright, we're all brothers, why are you saying all this? Go inside and have breakfast, we're heading back." With that, he led the way back.
With the fruit trees on the mountain providing shelter, everyone finished repairing the village wall early the next day. Si Cheng and his group then led everyone to the orchard to harvest the chestnuts and oranges.
The village implemented a household-based allocation system, with one person from each household going up the mountain, and the fruit was distributed equally among those who went up.
At this point, people might raise questions about who contributed more and who contributed less. However, the village ignored them. Each family sent their hardest-working male, and since they had done their best, the spoils should be distributed equally. If anyone still had objections, they were told to compare themselves to Sicheng. After this, everyone was speechless.
Having completed these collective tasks, everyone then scoured the mountains and fields, collecting fallen branches. For the trees that were still alive, everyone consciously refrained from damaging them or straightened them.
Seeing that the sun hadn't shone for over two months, the older folks had a bad feeling, and the younger ones had all read a few post-apocalyptic novels. Everyone sensed that the days ahead wouldn't be easy, and they could only hoard winter supplies like hamsters.
The weather was getting colder day by day, and everyone was heating their earthen beds. Although it hadn't snowed yet, the cold was bone-chilling.
Sicheng and his group knew there would be no more snow, and they entered the terrifying ice.
They are now prepared. Thinking back to this time in their previous life, they were still in H Province, which is also in the southern part of the country, and there was no such thing as a traditional earthen bed. This freezing weather directly claimed a lot of lives. If they hadn't taken shelter in a cave with everyone else in time, they wouldn't have survived that period.
These past few nights, Si Cheng has been sleeping quite soundly because he doesn't know exactly when the freezing weather will arrive, so he can only get up again and again to check the fire in the kang (heated brick bed).
Yunqi would carefully check everything before going to bed each day to see if anything was not properly closed. Even the poultry in the backyard were herded into the house with the firewall.
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