On the first day, the road was flat and the slope was gentle. We entered the mountain smoothly along the path trampled by the villagers, and the horse-drawn carriage could barely be used.
On the second day, the mountain became steeper, and Gu Xinran put the heavy objects into the space and tried to reduce the load on the animals so that everyone could change and rest.
In the early morning of the third day, a strong wind suddenly blew, dark clouds gathered, and the weather was about to change.
It has been almost twenty days since I entered Jinzhou. The weather has been very good. I only encountered two harmless drizzles, and the lowest temperature was only a few degrees.
The heavy rain that the villagers of Qingshan had been looking forward to is about to arrive, but this time it is not welcomed. In the cold winter days, with no shelter or support, it is no longer a timely rain, but a trouble.
The village chief chose a hillside sheltered from the wind and asked everyone to pause. They first wrapped the food tightly with oilcloth, which was the top priority. Then they set up tents and sent people to find a suitable place to shelter from the rain.
The wind was getting stronger and stronger, and the temperature was dropping. The small oilcloth tent that had just been set up was shaking in the cold wind.
Not long after, the rain began to fall sparsely here and there.
Everyone was extremely uneasy. The small tents were completely unable to withstand the wind and rain. They hoped that those who went out could find a good place to shelter from the wind and rain.
A moment later, Xiao Ba and the others brought relatively good news.
Five hundred meters to the left, there is a large curved cliff with a tarpaulin blocking the front, which is a good shelter.
Gu Xinran took out the straw raincoats he had bought in Wu'an County and asked the Gu family to wear them. Those who didn't have rain gear wore oilcloths and braved the sparse raindrops, leading the donkeys and driving the horses to quickly rush towards the cliff.
This is also a good place. Everyone acted quickly. The tarpaulin had only blocked half of the rain. The rain was getting heavier, mixed with snow particles, hitting the tarpaulin and making a noisy "tapping" sound.
There was enough space for people, but the area for livestock had not been sealed off yet, so the young and middle-aged men braved the wind and rain to block the hole.
Gu Xinran hurriedly asked Man Niang to set up a big pot to boil ginger soup, add more brown sugar, and then add some spiritual spring water.
A quarter of an hour later, the temporary shelter was finally completed, and dozens of men were all wet.
This temperature can easily chill the body, and they are the pillars of the family, so they can't get sick.
Gu Xinran shouted loudly: "Everyone, go change your clothes quickly. After you change, bring a bowl to drink ginger soup. The frail elderly and children can also come and have a bowl."
The brown sugar ginger soup kept boiling. The fragrance of ginger and the sweetness of brown sugar had already filled the entire shelter, making people drool.
After hearing what Gu Xinran said, the young and middle-aged men quickened their pace to change their clothes, thinking that they could also get a bowl.
After a while, the pot was lined with people, and Gu's mother and Man's mother distributed brown sugar ginger soup to everyone.
Some meticulous people also make it themselves, but none of them are as delicious and effective as Gu’s home-made ones.
After drinking the Gu family’s ginger soup, everyone felt warm all over and all the coldness was driven out of their bodies.
Brother Qiu drank a bowl of his own tea, but couldn't resist the temptation and ordered another bowl from Gu's. The effects were very different.
I couldn't help but praise him: "Xinran, your ginger soup is a holy product for driving away the cold, much better than the one my mother makes!"
Qiu's mother, who was standing next to him, knocked his head against his head. "You bastard, you dare to slander my cooking skills behind my back? I'll teach you a lesson."
Brother Qiu covered his head and jumped away, muttering, "I can't stay in this house anymore. I'm not allowed to tell the truth."
After hearing this, Qiu's mother wanted to chase after him and attack him, but Gu Xinran quickly stopped her and handed her a bowl of ginger soup.
Qiu's mother was also curious. What good thing could it be that made that unfortunate child praise it so much?
As soon as you take a sip, wherever the soup flows through, it becomes warm. It’s really different!
After drinking a bowl of soup, I felt comfortable all over. Tsk, I was wrong about that little bastard.
They gave it a thumbs up and praised it as "a holy product to ward off the cold!"
Gu Xinran chuckled and thought to herself, Brother Qiu really has an unnecessary mouth.
When Qiu Xiaoge saw that his mother had also drunk the brown sugar ginger soup, he jumped back and continued, "Mom, admit it now. I never lie."
Qiu's mother wanted to scold him again, saying that she couldn't keep this son anymore because he loved to talk even though he couldn't speak.
"No matter how well Ranran endures, he can't say his mother is bad! You little brat deserves a beating."
Brother Qiu wanted to retort, but Brother Gu quickly pulled him away.
Mother Qiu looked at Mother Gu with envy, "Your daughter Ranran is sensible, capable, and considerate. Why don't I have such a good fortune?"
Mother Gu's loving eyes swept over Gu Xinran, "My Ranran is good, your Zhenwei and Zhenwu are both tall and straight, good at martial arts, and equally excellent, and the round little dumplings are even more adorable."
A smile appeared on Qiu's mother's face. No mother or grandmother could refuse the joy of having her child or granddaughter praised.
The rain and snow continued to fall until night, and the villagers of Qingshan were grateful to have found such a small piece of heaven.
The next day the rain stopped and the wind died down, but the sky was gray and light snow continued to fall.
This is the case in the southern part of the country. There is rarely heavy snow in winter, but in the coldest months of the year, snow seeds and snow flakes will fall.
This kind of weather is not suitable for traveling. The mountain roads are slippery after the rain and the temperature is low.
After discussion, everyone decided to slow down and move forward. They were driven by the belief of reaching Yunzhou as soon as possible.
The tinkling sound of the snow seeds came and went for a whole day.
In the second half of the afternoon, the guards and Xiao Ba and the others began to explore the way, hoping to find a good place to spend the night.
They really found it. In the evening, everyone saw a stone cliff in the distance. The cliff was dotted with caves of various sizes, and there was a small stream winding through it twenty meters away.
When the villagers approached the cliff, they found that these caves were generally one to five meters above the ground, and there were no less than thirty of them, irregularly distributed on the cliff.
The escort team searched all the caves within their reach and found everything safe.
It can be seen that these caves were all dug by humans, and there are still broken tables, chairs and benches left in the caves, proving that many people once lived here.
But judging by the thick dust, it must be an abandoned no-man's land.
After eliminating the danger, everyone began to choose a cave to spend the night.
The Gu family chose a large cave two meters above the ground, about 50 square meters.
After cleaning, Gu Xinran pulled a curtain in the middle to separate the room into two spaces.
The older men live outside, and the women live inside.
The livestock were concentrated in a large cave closest to the ground, which was more than one meter high. After everyone worked on it, it soon became a slope so that the livestock could enter and exit freely.
The cave is small and poorly ventilated, making it unsuitable for cooking.
Everyone set up simple sheds in the open space in front of the cliff, with three families in a group or two families in a group, and started cooking dinner.
In the Gu family cave, two smokeless charcoal stoves were lit for heating, one was used to boil ginger tea, and the other was used to simmer hot water.
Gu Xinran thought that it would be more delicious to cook a pot of chicken soup here for hot pot, as hot pot is the best match for snowy days.
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