After dealing with the mountain rat, Liu Ruoling rested for a while before continuing to work on the muntjac. Since this one hadn't been processed before, she needed to figure out how to skin it intact. However, she had already thought this through during her rest: to avoid damaging the skin, she could only start by cutting into areas that already had openings. As for where the creature would have openings, it was obvious—there were only two: the head, with its mouth, but cutting there would involve many bones and wouldn't be easy; the other, of course, was the anus, which, although somewhat disgusting, was easier. In the end, Liu Ruoling chose the third approach.
Liu Ruoling severed the muntjac's neck with a few strokes, then began skinning it from the neck down. As for the muntjac's head, Liu Ruoling had told Liu Ruoxi about it during a break. Liu Ruoxi said, "Afterwards, singe off the hair on the head, then shave it off, and then you can eat it." Anyway, it's edible once it's cooked in the pot, and besides, Liu Ruoling might not be able to peel the skin off the head properly, so it's better to just eat it.
It took Liu Ruoling almost half an hour to peel off the deer's hide. Of course, some meat was still attached to the hide, but that would have to wait until Liu Ruoling rested. Peeling the hide with complete concentration was quite strenuous. Liu Ruoling sat and rested for a while, then got up again. She first put the hide aside, picked up a knife, and cut open the deer's belly on the rock, selecting the edible internal organs. The rest was discarded. She then cleaned the deer and put it in her basket. After that, she put the edible internal organs on top of the deer meat, and then began to process the pieces of meat attached to the hide.
Removing the meat from the skin is quite laborious; you have to remove as much meat as possible while being careful not to damage the skin. If you tear the skin, you'll have to process it yourself later, and it won't be suitable for further processing, so it's a very slow process.
Liu Ruoxi washed all the wild vegetables thoroughly, then packed them into her basket before going to relieve Liu Ruoling. After a short rest, Liu Ruoxi took over processing the pieces of meat still attached to the hides. It took them about half an hour to remove all the meat. Then the two sisters carried the wild vegetables and meat back to their camp.
Back at camp, Liu Ruoxi saw it was around 11 or 12 o'clock. She thought about going out, but worried about returning late and going hungry. So she decided to blanch the wild vegetables first, let them dry, and then go out in the afternoon to collect more salt ore, and maybe hunt some more game along the way. However, her immediate priority was to make a water container. After all, she couldn't go down the mountain to fetch water every time. Clean water could be used for cooking, but for washing her face and hands, slightly dirtier water was fine.
Liu Ruoxi thought for a moment and decided to dig a pit to store water. The temporary shelter was on a slope; she could dig deeper into the slope, build a shed to block the sun, and then make a frame to block the entrance. That would basically ensure the water was clean, at least solving the problem of drinking water. As for the water for cooking, she'd have to make more trips for now. Later, when conditions allowed, she'd fire a clay pot to store water for cooking; there weren't any conditions for that now.
After choosing a suitable location, Liu Ruoxi instructed Liu Ruoling to go to the edge of the woods to cut some branches to build a shelter, while she went to dig a water pit. Beforehand, the two of them took out all the meat and hung it near the campfire to dry it, making it easier to preserve. The offal and scraps of meat were put in a pot, covered with a rack, and stored for lunch. After doing this, the two went about their own business.
Liu Ruoxi was digging a water pit next to the temporary shelter with an entrenching tool. Liu Ruoling was taking a knife and going to the edge of the woods to cut some branches to build a shed. They were each busy with their own things, and things seemed quite harmonious.
It took Liu Ruoxi over an hour to dig the water storage pit. The entrance was small, but the inside was much deeper and larger. To ensure the water was clean, Liu Ruoxi planned to collect some stones and lay them in the pit, covering all sides. As for the top, she planned to build a frame with a fine mesh and add some large leaves to prevent soil from falling into the pit. This way, the clean water would be perfectly fine for cooking.
A short while later, Liu Ruoling returned carrying two bundles of branches. After Liu Ruoxi told Liu Ruoling about her idea, Liu Ruoling readily agreed. After all, she was also tired of having to climb a mountain just to wash her face after getting up, and having to conserve water when washing her hands after using the toilet. She didn't even bother to rest and wanted to go with her basket. Of course, Liu Ruoxi stopped her, wanting Liu Ruoling to rest a bit, and then the two of them could go together, bringing back a pot of water to cook lunch. As for the rest, they could do it after lunch.
The two sisters each carried a basket on their backs. Liu Ruoxi's basket also contained a pot and two bamboo tubes for holding water, intending to take a pot of water back after collecting stones to cook lunch. When they reached the stream, they placed the pot and bamboo tubes on the ground, then went to collect stones. They chose relatively flat stones, making it easier to lay them out and reducing the thickness of the stones, which would decrease the capacity of the water-collecting pit.
After working for nearly an hour, the two finally filled both baskets. Then they filled the pot and two bamboo tubes with water, tidied themselves up, and headed back to the camp.
Back at the camp, the two put down their baskets. Liu Ruoxi went to cook, while Liu Ruoling went to set up the shed. Of course, they would eat first once the food was ready, and the shed could be set up later.
Liu Ruoxi placed the pot on the campfire and then began processing the scraps of meat and offal, preparing to cook them together with some wild vegetables—enough for the two sisters. Since water was scarce, she decided to cook the meat directly. Originally, she planned to boil the meat first before cutting it, but she had no choice but to chop the meat and offal first and then pour them into the pot once the water boiled. While waiting for the meat to cook, Liu Ruoxi went to help Liu Ruoling set up the shed.
When Liu Ruoxi arrived, Liu Ruoling had almost finished setting up the framework, though only a few pillars and branches for horizontal support and tension were tied together. Liu Ruoxi went over to help Liu Ruoling tie some of the side frames. Of course, the main task was cooking, so Liu Ruoxi didn't tie anything for long before going back to continue cooking.
When Liu Ruoling had almost finished binding all the bones on both sides, Liu Ruoxi called her over for dinner. Seeing that there was only a little left to bind, Liu Ruoling decided to finish first and then eat. Seeing that Liu Ruoling wanted to finish first, Liu Ruoxi had no choice but to join her, as it would be much faster that way. Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, the two of them had finished binding both sides of the bones. Then they went back to use some water from the bamboo tube to quickly wash their hands and faces before eating.
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