Soon the four arrived at the foxtail grass field. They put down their baskets, picked up knives, and began cutting the small tufts of foxtail grass. Cutting it was quite tedious; the foxtail grass didn't grow very tall, requiring them to bend over or squat down to cut it effectively. However, this was only the physical exertion; the mental exhaustion was yet to come. The four worked for quite some time, cutting a large patch, but after putting it in their baskets and pressing it down, there wasn't much left. They estimated that even after extracting the seeds, there wouldn't be many. This was what was truly mentally exhausting.
Although exhausted both physically and mentally, they encouraged each other, and tempted by the millet porridge, the four of them persevered for two days before finally harvesting the entire patch of foxtail grass. However, they only managed to gather five baskets of foxtail grass. After drying, they didn't know how much would be left.
Although only five baskets of foxtail grass were cut in the past two days, eleven baskets of other grasses were carried back. This significantly increased the camp's fodder reserves.
Wang Lun let Li Ling and the others sleep in late in the morning. The four of them had been very tired these past two days and deserved a rest. So, although Wang Lun finished all his chores in the morning, he didn't cook. Instead, he found the earthenware pots he had made recently and placed them in the yard to dry in the sun before using them.
Then he went back inside and checked the food supplies. The food reserves were still plentiful, but the fish would probably last for another ten days or so, so there was no rush to go fishing. He'd focus on collecting wild vegetables for the next few days. Although Wang Lun thought this way, he also considered taking a walk in the woods to see if he could find anything good. Fruits, nuts, anything would do.
After doing various tasks, Li Ling and the other two finally got up at daybreak. It wasn't that they couldn't stay in bed any longer, but that they were hungry.
After washing up, they started cooking breakfast. Of course, it was still wild vegetables stewed with fish. After breakfast, Wang Lun let them decide what to do that day: they could rest, play in the water, or go for a walk in the woods with him.
After thinking for a while, Li Ling and the others decided that Liu Ruoxi would stay at the camp and try to finish weaving the clothes in the next couple of days. They had been busy harvesting foxtail grass the past two days and hadn't had time to weave much. If they hadn't harvested the foxtail grass, the clothes might have been finished soon, so Liu Ruoxi thought she should hurry up and finish weaving them in the next few days. Li Ling and Liu Ruoling, on the other hand, felt a bit tired and didn't want to go to the forest, but they were worried about Wang Lun going alone. So, after discussing it, they decided that Li Ling would go with Wang Lun this time, while Liu Ruoling would rest at the camp for a day. Wang Lun initially said it wasn't necessary, that he could just wander around nearby by himself. But Li Ling and the others didn't care about his opinion; after all, two people could look after each other.
So Wang Lun told Liu Ruoxi and Liu Ruoling to take care of the foxtail grass while they were at the campsite, to turn it over every now and then, and to make sure no birds ate the seeds. Wang Lun helped to dry the foxtail grass on the straw mats before leaving the campsite with Li Ling, carrying baskets on their backs.
Liu Ruoxi was weaving clothes inside, while Liu Ruoling was tending to the foxtail grass. They had chased the birds away many times, but they kept coming back. So Liu Ruoling took out her bow and arrows and began hunting the birds again.
After leaving the camp, Wang Lun and Li Ling planned to go to the grassy field to see if there was anything useful behind it. That area hadn't been explored before, and there should be some good stuff there.
The two walked to the meadow and strolled there for a long time. Finally, they saw some tall plants. From a distance, they looked like reeds. So, they changed direction and walked towards the reed-like plants.
As they drew closer, it looked more and more like reeds. However, some water had appeared on the ground, making it damp, and footprints were becoming visible. Wang Lun walked ahead, using his spear to probe the ground to make sure they wouldn't sink, before continuing. This slowed them down considerably, but it ensured their safety.
Soon, Li Ling and Wang Lun reached a point where they couldn't walk any further. They could see that the plants were indeed reeds, and it seemed that animals were even flying up from the reeds. Wang Lun wondered if there might be wild ducks, and if they could find some duck eggs. Of course, even if there were no duck eggs, it would be good to collect some reed fluff, since it could be used for warmth in winter.
Although Wang Lun really wanted to pick them, he couldn't get there. So, Wang Lun led Li Ling back and planned to walk around the wetland to see if there was a better spot to pick them. They also wanted to look for other valuable items.
The two retreated to the dry, hard ground. By then, the sun was already high in the sky. Wang Lun decided to have lunch there before continuing their exploration. It was called lunch, but it consisted of just two strips of dried meat each—hyena jerky, no less. After processing and adding some seasonings, it wasn't too bad to swallow. More than anything, it was a chance to rest.
Half an hour later, after eating some dried meat and resting, the two got up and continued their journey. This time, they planned to walk along the wetlands, hoping to find something unusual. And wouldn't you know it, they actually did encounter something.
The two walked along the wetlands for over an hour. They then spotted a patch of vegetation ahead, much taller than reeds, but definitely not reeds. They approached to investigate, and as they got closer, it felt somewhat familiar, but they couldn't be sure.
Only when they got closer did the two realize that it really was sugarcane, and a whole sugarcane field at that. Wang Lun quickly stepped forward, quickly examined a stalk, removed the leaves, cut off a section, peeled it, and took a bite. It was sweet; it really was sugarcane. So he shared half with Li Ling. The two finished their section of sugarcane, their eyes fixed on the sugarcane field, filled with anticipation.
Wang Lun told Li Ling to put down her basket, and the two of them started cutting sugarcane together. Wang Lun was in charge of cutting, while Li Ling was in charge of removing the leaves and cutting it shorter so it would be easier to carry in the basket.
The two worked for over an hour before they finished cutting down the entire sugarcane field. Then they spent some time tidying it up and loading it into their baskets. This time, both baskets were full, with several bundles even stacked on top of them – they were quite heavy.
After resting for a while and eating a sugarcane, the two shouldered their baskets and began their return to camp. Although the baskets were heavy, both Wang Lun and Li Ling wanted to carry them back. After all, they could be used to make sugar, and so much of it would make a lot of sugar, enough to last a long time. Eating a piece of sugar could instantly lift their spirits when they were in a bad mood.
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