The cave is about 200 square meters in size and about two stories high. However, it is sealed off by vegetation at the entrance year-round, and the air inside still has an unpleasant musty smell.
Mu Jin had everyone go outside the cave to find a lot of mugwort and firewood, and then lit several bonfires in various parts of the cave.
The fire burned very brightly. Then everyone went to the entrance of the cave and covered it completely with vines and branches. This not only removed the odor and dampness, but also killed the poisonous insects, mosquitoes and ants inside the cave.
Once the cave was sufficiently smoked out, everyone opened the entrance to allow the air to circulate. When they re-entered the cave, the entire cave had a faint scent of mugwort and felt warm and cozy.
The villagers brought all the collected items into the cave and placed them there. Mu Jin ordered people to cut countless grass stalks as thick as fingers, remove the leaves, and tightly tie them together with the peeled bark to make them into the shape of rafts.
Then divide it into ten areas, each about 20 square meters, according to the space for each family or individual to stay temporarily.
After they finished their work, they left the cave.
By then, the sun had already set behind the mountains, and the sky was rapidly darkening. A golden moon rose into the night sky.
The people working by the river had already cooked their meals, and everyone's face was beaming with joy.
The aroma of food wafted through the air; even from a short distance away, Mu Jin could smell the rich fish soup.
Granny Lai quickly spotted Mu Jin and the others not far away and ran up to them, calling out happily, "Your Highness, please come and have your meal. Everyone is waiting for you. The fish here is so plump and delicious. We also picked some fresh wild vegetables from the mountains and cooked them together. It's very tasty!"
Mu Jin walked over with a smile and started sharing the food with everyone.
In the present world, she was a very picky eater, but she didn't know that it was because the water and soil in this era were not polluted by any chemicals, so all the food was particularly delicious. It didn't need many seasonings; just a little salt was enough to make Mu Jin's appetite increase.
After the meal, Mu Jin saw Li Fugui and several others cut a lot of vines, split them into thin strips at an angle, and tie them into long ropes. Once they had enough ropes, they saw everyone start weaving a net.
Soon, everyone worked together to make a long net, similar to a fishing net. Mu Jin had just noticed that fish were occasionally leaping out of the water in the stream.
Fishing with nets is indeed more efficient, and winter is coming soon, so they need to stockpile enough food.
This place is very close to where she fell into the valley. She always has to go back into the mountains to find a way out, and also to hunt some food for the winter.
Looking at the starry sky, Mu Jin wondered curiously what this era was like.
After spending so many days with Li Fugui and his group, she also learned that this dynasty was called the Dongyue Kingdom.
In her memory, this dynasty wasn't mentioned in history books, and she didn't understand the history of the world. But before she could leave, the prerequisite was that she had to live well.
On their first night in the valley, Mu Jin stayed in a cave with everyone else.
The cave was also blocked off with a large gate made of wooden sticks to prevent large wild animals from attacking it in the middle of the night.
Mu Jin's cubicle was at the very back of the cave. In this cubicle, there was a flat, large rock, which was covered with a thick layer of dry grass by Granny Lai, and then covered with a piece of coarse linen. It was quite comfortable to sleep on at night.
Dried mugwort was burned next to her sleeping area to keep her from being bitten by mosquitoes at night and to remove any odors.
After a day's work, Mu Jin was not uncomfortable with the simple environment. She fell asleep as soon as she lay down.
When Mu Jin woke up in the early morning and walked out of the cave, she found that it had rained in the middle of the night, so the sun was very warm today and the sky was clear without any clouds. It was obvious that the next few days would be good weather.
After having breakfast, Mu Jin ordered two people who were still in relatively good health, one named Wang Dashan and the other named Li Ergou.
The two of them usually liked to go into the mountains and forests to hunt small animals for a living, so Mu Jin asked them to take bows and arrows and go into the mountains with her.
After settling down in the valley, she didn't get involved much in farming or building houses, since those who worked year-round were more professional than her.
Her current task is to stock up on enough meat before winter arrives, before finding a way out of the mountains. If she can find a way out of the mountains, that would be even better.
The three of them didn't waste any time on the road. They all walked briskly. Although Mu Jin's original body had an average physique, Mu Jin herself was a person with a strong will. Even when she was extremely tired, she didn't ask to stop.
The three of them crossed two mountains and along the way they found many small prey such as rabbits and foxes, some basking in the sun, others playing and chasing each other.
Various birds were flying merrily in the trees in the woods, and there were many pheasants nesting under the trees, which made Wang Dashan and Li Ergou very happy.
Upon seeing rabbits, they would catch them; upon seeing pheasants, they would catch them; upon seeing numerous wild animals, the two of them would stomp their feet repeatedly, blaming themselves for not bringing a larger basket and calling for more people to come along.
Wang Dashan and Li Ergou hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and they were both eager to slaughter a couple of prey on the spot to satisfy their cravings for meat.
Li Ergou nudged Wang Dashan, who was usually quite bold, and glanced at Mu Jin, indicating that Wang Dashan should ask Mu Jin if they could slaughter two wild animals on the spot to try. Wang Dashan had the same idea as Li Ergou.
Wang Dashan walked up to Mu Jin, bowed to her, and said, "Your Highness, you have traveled a long way and must be tired. Why don't we rest here and have something to eat?"
Mu Jin understood what the two meant, and since they had indeed walked for quite a while, she nodded and said, "Okay."
With permission granted, Wang Dashan happily dragged Li Ergou and carried the two pheasants to the stream to process them.
The two men quickly plucked and gutted the two pheasants, one for each of them, and in no time they had cleaned them up.
One of the chickens was skewered on a branch and roasted over a wood fire;
The other chicken was to be stewed in a clay pot; the wild pheasants from the mountains were at their most tender and succulent at that time.
Blanch the slaughtered chicken in boiling water to remove the blood, then add salt and water and boil it again over high heat. Before long, a rich and delicious aroma that whets the appetite fills the air.
The three of them thoroughly enjoyed a good meal. They ate roast chicken and drank chicken soup, feeling warm and satisfied. In no time, they finished both chickens.
Mu Jin only brought two people with her to explore the surrounding environment. There are no human inhabitants in the mountains, and the ecological environment has not been damaged by humans, which provides good breeding conditions for the wild animals here.
The mountains are full of life, and for Mu Jin and the people she brought to the valley, there is also plenty of food.
After the three of them had eaten their fill, Mu Jin decided not to continue exploring. The prey they had found in the two mountains they had crossed was enough for the 18 of them to get through the winter, so he decided to return to the valley.
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