Warm clothes
As dusk settled, the early winter wind, carrying a biting chill, lashed violently against the newly built thatched hut at the foot of the mountain.
The wooden gate creaked open as it was pushed open from the outside.
Inside, the crackling of the campfire and the unique aroma of burnt firewood mingled with the children's chatter and warmth, enveloping Ling Zhan like an invisible tide and dispelling the last trace of biting cold brought down from the mountain peak.
"Mommy's back!"
Tiger rushed over like a little cannonball, burying his head in Ling Zhan's arms and rubbing his little head against her frost-covered clothes.
"Mommy, look! Father made this!"
Bean Sprout followed closely behind, pulling at her dusty, obviously oversized cotton-padded coat as if presenting a treasure.
The stitches were crooked and uneven, like the footprints left by a drunkard on the cloth. The cotton at the collar bulged into a comical bulge, while the underarms were so thin that they were almost translucent.
Daya also carefully turned around, showing off her equally ill-fitting padded jacket. Her little face was slightly red from the cold, and the tip of her nose was also red, but her eyes were bright and sparkling, with a little bit of pride: "Daddy said that this way I won't be afraid of the wind getting into my neck! It's so warm!"
In the corner, a small stack of cotton-padded clothes of the same material but different sizes was neatly piled up. On top was a dark blue coarse cotton-padded coat, its stitching even more unruly, and a section of the cuff had been roughly torn, revealing the yellowed, stiff, and clump-bound inferior cotton wadding inside.
That was Ling Zhan's "new clothes".
Ling Zhan's gaze slowly swept over the children's winter clothes, which barely protected them from the early chill but revealed their clumsy efforts.
Her fingertips unconsciously brushed against the rough fabric of the dark blue cotton coat, and a strange, warm, and bittersweet feeling, like a pebble thrown into a still, icy lake, rippled subtly yet clearly in her heart.
Needle and thread... she doesn't know how.
In Shura Star's memory, there was only the metal welding that repaired the cold armor, not the needle and thread that mended the soft cotton cloth.
This is a skill belonging to the mortal realm of Earth, requiring extreme patience and dexterity of the fingertips.
For her, something more... bewildering than hunting the most ferocious star beasts was...
Looking at the innocent satisfaction in the children's joy, and then at my own hands—hands that could easily crush bones but were helpless with a single embroidery needle—a slightly embarrassed realization quietly emerged. It turns out that in this world, creating a garment to protect against the cold requires a completely different kind of "power" than killing a ferocious wild boar.
My fingertips traced the new dress once more.
The tactile feedback is quickly analyzed in the brain:
Material: Inferior coarse linen, short-fiber cotton wadding.
Thermal insulation coefficient: extremely low.
Stitch density: severely insufficient, with many gaps.
Heat loss rate: Expected to be significantly exceeded.
Structural strength: Loose and easily damaged.
Overall assessment: It can only provide basic protection in windless environments and above zero degrees Celsius, and cannot withstand the severe cold and snow of deep winter.
Craftsmanship defects: These are not due to material or design issues, but rather to the extremely poor fine motor skills of the maker.
She could almost see the howling north wind easily piercing through the rough stitches and poor-quality fabric, tearing the meager warmth to shreds.
No one could escape this shelter in the dead of winter with just this.
Ling Zhan remained silent.
This thin layer of cotton, like a paper shield, is far from enough.
She had experienced the bitter cold of deep winter, like a lurking beast ready to devour even the slightest bit of warmth.
They need thick, fortress-like quilts, warm and cozy winter clothes, and mountains of food... Only in this way can they build a real barrier against the wind and snow for these tender and fragile little lives on this unfamiliar land.
"Squeak squeak squeak..."
Just as she was rapidly calculating a solution in her mind, Jinbao, huddled tightly on a thick animal skin cushion in the basket, timidly poked out its small, furry, golden-brown head. Its large, round eyes, filled with tension and curiosity, warily and bewilderedly surveyed this unfamiliar world enveloped in wisps of smoke.
The air was filled with the smoky aroma of burning firewood, the lingering scent of food, and a mixture of warmth and noise unique to densely populated areas, characteristic of human habitation. It was a stark contrast to the crisp, expansive air of the mountaintop.
"Mother, what is this?"
"A little monkey? A golden little monkey?"
The surprised children's voices were like pebbles thrown into calm water, instantly creating joyful ripples in the main room. Five or six children, ranging in age from four or five to ten, were already overjoyed at their mother's return. Now, like startled sparrows, they swarmed over and surrounded Ling Zhan and Jinbao.
The blush of excitement hadn't faded from her little face, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, filled with undisguised joy and dependence...
Huge surprise.
The youngest girl, Ya Ya, was frozen in place!
Her small mouth was agape in an "O" shape, her pink fingers pointed at Jinbao, and her eyes were filled with pure, immense astonishment.
It was as if I saw mountain spirits and monsters.
"Monkey...monkey!"
The older Genzhu pointed at Jinbao's fluffy little head, his voice changing, filled with disbelief.
Just then, an even more impactful "surprise" arrived.
"Little monkey—you're back!!!"
It is a deep-seated aversion.
The fleeting glint in Ling Zhan's eyes after he returned home aroused a strange suspicion in Ling Zhan's heart.
But when Jinbao's small, familiar face emerged from the basket, he instantly understood—
For the sake of this little monkey, the woman turned around and ran into the deep mountains for more than a month!
"Little Golden Monkey—!"
"Quiet!"
Ling Zhan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange penetrating power and an undeniable sense of stability, instantly suppressing all the gasps and screams. She quickly pressed down on Jinbao, who was trying to jump onto her shoulder in fright, with one hand, while her other hand pointed precisely at Shen Yan, her eyes calm and unwavering.
"Its name is Jinbao, and it will be a member of the family from now on."
The room fell silent instantly, with only the crackling of the campfire.
Ling Zhan then bent down and put down the basket, gently picked up the somewhat bewildered Jinbao, and held him steadily in his arms.
The little guy immediately grabbed her clothes tightly with his cold little paws, buried his furry head deep in her arms, and only dared to show one wet eye, timidly peeking at the group of unfamiliar "two-legged beasts" around him.
"Don't be afraid."
Ling Zhan's voice softened slightly, a rare occurrence. He spoke to Jinbao, who was trembling in his arms, and also reiterated to the still-shaken children, "Its name is Jinbao. From now on... it will also be a member of the family."
"Jinbao?"
The youngest, Yaya, timidly repeated the name, the initial fear in her big eyes quickly fading, replaced by curiosity. She tentatively took a small step forward, reaching out her little hand, wanting to touch it but hesitant to, "So...so pretty golden retriever..."
"Doesn't it bite, Mother?"
Little Pillar also mustered his courage and moved closer, staring at Jinbao's fur, which gleamed with a warm golden luster in the firelight.
Jinbao seemed to sense the growing goodwill in the children's eyes. Although it still clung tightly to Ling Zhan's clothes, its tense little body visibly relaxed. It cautiously raised its head, its wet black nose twitching slightly as it sniffed the clean, warm scent of the children in the air, carrying a faint aroma of soap and firewood smoke.
Ling Zhan carried Jinbao to the warm fireplace and sat down, placing it on his crossed legs.
Inside the furnace, orange flames licked the firewood, making a reassuring crackling sound.
"It's very well-behaved and intelligent," Ling Zhan explained simply.
She reached into a small earthenware jar and plucked out a few fragrant and crispy roasted pine nuts, which the children ate as snacks.
She opened her palm and offered it to Jinbao.
The aroma of the food instantly captured the little one's full attention.
It hesitated for a moment, then quickly glanced at the man who had been "supervising" it in the distance. Seeing that the man was just watching it quietly, and there seemed to be no malice in his eyes, it became bolder. It stretched out its small paw with pink pads and skillfully picked up a pine nut from Ling Zhan's palm and brought it to its mouth.
The little mouth quickly cracked open the hard shell with a crisp "crack," revealing the plump kernel inside. Then, it skillfully held the kernel in its two little paws and began to nibble on it, making soft, satisfied "crack-crack" sounds. Its big, round eyes narrowed into two crescent moons with happiness because of the delicious food.
This adorable and incredibly clever way of eating instantly captured the hearts of all the children.
Ya Ya was the first to burst into laughter, "It's eating so deliciously! It's like a little devil!"
"It's amazing! It can peel itself! It can peel faster than me!" Little Pillar exclaimed, his face full of admiration.
The children gathered around, the small circle getting tighter and tighter, looking at the new member with curiosity and goodwill.
Da Ya mustered her courage and handed over a small piece of roasted sweet potato that was crispy, fragrant, and soft.
Jinbao first sniffed warily, its little nose twitching, but it was immediately captivated by the sweet and warm aroma. It carefully took the sweet potato, tentatively took a small bite, and its eyes immediately widened and brightened. It ate the sweet potato piece with small bites, not forgetting to look at Daya who had given it the food with its big, expressive eyes. The tip of its little tail unconsciously wagged gently, as if it were silently thanking her.
Jinbao seemed to adapt quickly to the warm and kind environment.
Having eaten its fill of pine nuts and sweet potatoes, it yawned contentedly, revealing its pink little tongue. Finding the most comfortable position on Ling Zhan's lap, it curled up into a fluffy golden ball, its little head resting on her strong arm, its eyelids beginning to droop heavily.
The warmth of the fire baked the fur, the soft, murmured voices of the children, and the steady, reliable aura of its owner created a soothing lullaby. It even unconsciously grasped a stray strand of Ling Zhan's hair with a tiny paw, clutching it tightly in its palm.
Ya Ya finally couldn't resist and stretched out her little hand.
With the utmost gentleness, as if touching fragile morning dew, I stroked the smooth, warm fur on Jinbao's back.
Jinbao just hummed comfortably, nuzzled its little head in Ling Zhan's arms, and then moved deeper into the embrace without flinching.
This tacit closeness made the children extremely happy. Their little faces were filled with the innocent joy of discovering a treasure. They gathered around the fire, watching the magical little golden monkey sleep peacefully in its mother's arms.
Silently sitting in the corner warming himself by the fire, Chen Yan appeared unmoved.
In reality, she would occasionally glance sideways at the heartwarming yet somewhat blinding scene, then look at Ling Zhan, who quickly regained his expressionless demeanor.
I feel inexplicably... a little sour?
It felt like someone had stolen my attention.
He suddenly didn't know what to say, so he quickly got up, picked up the pot, and started rinsing the rice, preparing to cook a thick meat porridge for dinner.
After the family had finished their simple yet comforting dinner, Ling Zhan began packing the heavy backpack he had brought back from the mountaintop.
Besides her baby, what she brought back was the confidence to survive.
She carefully took out several items: several golden-thread spirit herbs with slender leaves and veins that shimmered with a pale golden light; a piece of cold jade mushroom that felt cold to the touch but subtly exuded a warm, jade-like luster; and a small jar of top-quality honey, viscous like amber and exuding a rich floral and life-giving aroma, sealed in a thick wooden tube…
These treasures from the hidden realm in the clouds shimmered with extraordinary brilliance in the leaping firelight.
This is her most important bargaining chip for this winter.
"Tiger, Bean Sprout, Big Girl, Big Girl."
As Ling Zhan carefully packed away the items, he called out names in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over their pitifully thin cotton-padded coats. "Come with me to town tomorrow."
"The town?!" Bean Sprout's eyes instantly lit up like stars in the night sky, filled with longing.
"Buy grain, buy cloth, buy thick cotton." Ling Zhan said succinctly, each word carrying immense weight, "To exchange for things that can get us through the winter."
"My wife."
Upon hearing that they were going to town, Shen Yan immediately perked up. His wife hadn't brought any game back this time, and the family's food and copper coins were almost gone. He thought that since he was at least a "cultured man," he might be able to find a way to make a little money to supplement the family income by going to town and using his quick wit and silver tongue.
"I'll go with you, my wife! More people means more things will be easier, and I can help you carry things!"
"You stay here and watch the house." Ling Zhan's answer left no room for negotiation.
His gaze fell on Jinbao, who was curled up on the straw mat, sleeping soundly with a strand of Ling Zhan's hair in his arms. "Remember to feed little Jinbao well."
"Wife!?" Shen Yan still wanted to try and show her 'value'.
"Lights out. Go to sleep. Silence."
Three cold, short sentences, like three giant rocks, completely blocked all his words.
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