Chapter 185 - Rations

At that time, Shen Lie didn't realize the significance of Sang Luo's reaction. It wasn't until a few days later when he noticed something amiss in Chen Dashan that he finally understood.

Of course, that was another story.

During his day in the valley, he didn't laze around. While copying books onto bamboo scrolls could be left to Sang Luo, he couldn't possibly delegate the task of making the scrolls to her as well. Thus, Sang Luo led Shen Ning to teach her how to make hawthorn fruit preserves and sundried banana chips, while Shen Lie guided Shen An in making bamboo scrolls. Upon hearing from Shen An that there were other books to copy, he didn't rush through them and instead made several extra scrolls for future use.

With everyone in the valley busy drying their mountain produce, they were no longer as anxious as before after discovering the potential resources in the mountains. Joyful smiles adorned each person's face, basking in the glow of a bountiful harvest.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan only rested for a day. The next morning, they led the group out of the valley again. The Chen family still had the same team—Chen Youtian and his son. Qin Fangniang was eager to meet her potential daughter-in-law but, having come from the same village, she had seen her before. Listening to her mother-in-law's advice, she decided to wait and see if the younger generation had any intentions first.

As for the Xu family, unlike what Shopkeeper Xu had initially said, Xu Wenqing was more than willing to venture out. Thus, it was Xu Wenqing who went along this time, with only Shopkeeper Xu leaving the valley to let Uncle Xu rest within. This resulted in the Xu family also becoming a father-son duo.

Before setting off, Shen Jin entrusted Sang Luo and Shen Ning to look after his two younger brothers. Together with Shen Lie and Shen An, they cut several baskets of grass outside the mountain entrance before finally departing.

Life in the valley was tranquil and comfortable. Apart from two meals a day, their daily tasks mainly involved tending to the vegetables on the mountain walls and the chickens, ducks, and goats. Sang Luo had plenty of free time. When Shen Ning brought back a scroll from Wang Yunzheng, she practiced writing on the stone slab multiple times until she was very familiar with it. Only then did she dip her brush into the ink and start writing on the prepared bamboo scrolls.

In between, she would occasionally check on Shen Yin and Shen Tie. The youngest, Shen Tie, was barely taller than the makeshift stove. Occasionally, when Shen Yin needed help, he would take up the ladle and mimic stirring food quite convincingly. Upon seeing Sang Luo deliver the fruit preserves and banana chips to them, he eagerly fetched a plate, beaming with delight and expressing his gratitude with a sweet smile.

By now, Sang Luo seemed to see Shen Tie again, peering through the gate of her family's courtyard in Ten Mile Village. She smiled. These brothers were much better than when they first entered the valley. Seeing that the house was tidy, she put down the food she had brought for the younger brothers and returned home with peace of mind.

During idle times, she would sew with Shen Ning. There were shoes for herself and a pair for Shen Lie. In this household, no one wore out their shoes faster than Shen Lie.

Shen Ning had also learned to sew and was currently making clothes for herself and Shen An.

Shen Lie's journey was longer this time, as he needed to construct a safe area for drying and resting. Sang Luo guessed he might take eight or nine days to return. To her surprise, he came back on the seventh day, a day or two earlier than she expected.

Seeing Sang Luo, Shen Lie's joy was evident. Noticing her surprise, he felt a bit awkward and explained, "I've almost found everything I was looking for, so I came back."

Sang Luo's lips curved slightly, pretending not to notice his unease. She turned to inspect their harvest.

Their family's and Shen Jin's shares were kept separate. There were indeed many items: dried meat in two baskets, raisins, hawthorn preserves, banana chips, dried black fungus and mushrooms, all packed in small bags. Some weighed over ten pounds, while others reached up to thirty. They were all processed and ready to use. Among them, the largest portion was a huge sack of wild persimmons. They could be stored for a long time, so they brought them back without any further treatment.

Sang Luo was surprised. "So many wild persimmons?"

This time, Shen Lie didn't need to answer. Shen An was excited. "Big Sister, we found several wild persimmon trees. They were really tall, with fruits hanging everywhere. Big Brother tied a vine basket to a long bamboo pole so we could pick them. With just a few trees, each family got a big bag."

Amidst the laughter of those nearby who had also come to carry their family's goods, Chen Po said, "Once they're dried, you won't have to worry about hunger even if you crave something to munch on."

Even Shen Yin and Shen Tie, holding their own belongings, couldn't stop grinning. Shen Tie flipped through his basket, "Third Brother, all this is ours?"

Shen Jin laughed heartily, "Yes, it's all ours."

In addition to his load, Shen Jin had an extra bag that could hold forty to fifty pounds, which was more than half full, probably weighing around thirty pounds. He pulled the bag towards Sang Luo and said, "Sister-in-law, I've harvested quite a bit of grass seeds. I'll send some over later for the chickens and ducks."

In truth, Shen An had also picked some. As the youngest, they were mostly protected by the adults during hunts. Besides picking fruits, when there were no wild fruits or prey along the way, they would pluck dogtail grass. They had indeed collected quite a lot, but Shen An knew about Shen Jin's intentions and understood that he wanted to repay his sister-in-law for the food she had sent up. Thus, he smiled without saying anything.

Sang Luo didn't refuse; instead, she praised the grass seeds and agreed with a smile, "Great, they'll be useful. Later, I'll send Little An to your place to collect them."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yin and Shen Tie, still sorting through their basket, quickly responded, "Sister-in-law, we'll deliver them to you right away."

The neighboring families chuckled, making playful remarks about whether they would receive any. Shen Jin simply laughed and said, "I'll deliver to everyone."

True to their word, the three brothers delivered their harvests later, not just to their elder brother and sister-in-law, but also to every household in the valley. The portions weren't large, except for a small cloth bag containing five to six pounds of grass seeds for Sang Luo, each family received a large bowlful.

For this, they received numerous compliments. Households like Chen Po's, which had more food to spare, even gave the young trio a pocketful of dried fruit to take with them.

Of course, that was a story for another time.

...

Focusing on the present, each family was retrieving their belongings. The Chen brothers lived near the entrance, so their items were carried by Shen Lie and a few other able-bodied men in just a few steps. The brothers then took over and transported the goods up to their cave themselves.

Shen Lie carried the heavier items while Sang Luo led a few youngsters with lighter loads. With two trips back and forth, the shelves that had been emptied for the Chen brothers' grain would be replenished if they organized the newly acquired mountain produce properly.

The house was still in disarray when a group of boys came looking for Shen An. It was clear why they had come – they wanted to know how the hunting trip had gone. Sang Luo found it amusing and waved Shen An off to play. After all, apart from the persimmons, everything else had been dealt with by Shen An outside. She only needed to check if they were dry enough; if not, they could be spread out to dry for a few more days.

Shen An was equally delighted. He put down his bow and arrow and followed Xu Wenhong, Xu Wendo, Erniu, and the gang of boys. Seeing Xu Wenying and Shi Qiaoer outside, Shen Ning informed Sang Luo before joining them.

Only Shen Lie was left to help Sang Luo sort through the items.

Shen Lie was pleased, which reminded him of something. He whispered to Sang Luo, "Did Aunt Chen or Aunt You Tian mention anything about Big Mountain's marriage?"

Sang Luo furrowed her brow. "No, why?"

"I sense that Big Mountain seems to have feelings for Aged Uncle Zhou's daughter. When he left, he wasn't sure, but during his hunting trip, I noticed him looking after Aged Uncle Zhou and Second Brother Zhou. On our way back, he even gave the Zhou family around eight rabbit skins."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lie seemed to recall something Chen Dashan had said before and laughed. "Did you guess it last time?"

Sang Luo chuckled lightly and asked Shen Lie, "Was Gege there at that time?"

Shen Lie nodded, and Sang Luo smiled. "Just wait and see, perhaps there will be some joyful news in the valley soon."

Speaking of joyous events, Shen Lie couldn't help but secretly observe Sang Luo.

On paper, they were husband and wife, but in reality, they had never held a wedding ceremony. Of course, things had become even more superficial since his return, making their relationship nothing more than a pretense.

While his thoughts wandered, Sang Luo returned to the matter at hand and asked Shen Lie, "Did you find any chestnuts in the mountains this time?"

Wild fruits were good, but they were not suitable as a staple food. Chestnuts, on the other hand, were durable, filling, and nutritious, making them perfect for storage. If they could find chestnuts, they would save a considerable amount of food for the winter.

Chestnuts existed in the Great Kan Dynasty, but they were scarce, mainly growing wild without large-scale cultivation. In the original owner's memory, his family occasionally bought them from outside.

Shen Lie shook his head, remembering his recent preoccupation. He cautiously asked Sang Luo, "We're planning to explore a new area the day after tomorrow. Do you want to come along for a walk?"

As Sang Luo arranged items on the shelves, she casually replied, "Sure, let's ask Anning if she wants to come along."

Last autumn, the little girl had eagerly awaited the chance to join her in the mountains. Back then, their pants were too short, barely covering their ankles, and their home lacked locks. Initially, the prospect of venturing into the mountains had been a long-awaited dream.

Upon hearing her agree, Shen Lie's lips curled up. "Alright, I'll ask later."

...

"Are you really taking me?" Shen Ning was undoubtedly thrilled; her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Seeing her reaction, Shen Lie chuckled. "Yes, I am. You can accompany your big sister-in-law."

Sang Luo added, "Life outside the valley will be tougher. Food might not be an issue, but accommodations could be poor. Are you scared?"

She then turned to Shen Lie and asked, "We'll be staying outside for several days, right?"

After all, they would be quite far from the valley, making travel back and forth challenging. This was precisely why she had suggested establishing a halfway safe point.

Shen Lie nodded. "Yes, because we need to build a sun-drying area. If there's no cave suitable for defense, nearby with a water source like the Zhou family's, we'll have to clear a flat area and construct temporary shelters."

Speaking of this, Shen An was most excited, sharing with his elder sister-in-law and younger sister: "A shelter made of wood, with a bed inside fashioned from timber or stones, topped with a soft layer of dried grass and then animal hides. Outside, there's a crackling bonfire—truly delightful. Now and then at night, you'll hear the howls of wolves, along with the calls of unfamiliar wild beasts. At first, it can be a bit frightening, but nothing serious has ever happened. Once, Big Brother and Elder Brother Mountain mentioned a bear approaching, but our wooden enclosure was sturdy, the fire was ablaze, and we had plenty of people. The bear soon retreated."

He spoke with such enthusiasm that Shen Ning's heart seemed to soar along with his words. The siblings were treating the gathering trip like a camping adventure, and Sang Luo found their enthusiasm utterly amusing.

Indeed, it was a unique experience. Without Shen Lie and the others, none of them would have had the chance to camp in the depths of an old forest in the middle of the night throughout their entire lives.

Upon hearing this, Shen Ning asked Shen Lie, "Big Brother, when are we leaving?"

I wish I could pack my bags immediately.

Shen Lie chuckled. "We'll rest for a day, then leave early the day after. This time we're traveling far, so we've already scouted potential resting spots beforehand."

...

With a day to prepare, Sang Luo didn't just pack salt, clay pots, and animal hides. She also dug up some ginger and brought along Sichuan pepper and cornel berries. These ingredients were crucial for making delicious cured meat, except for salt, which needed to be used sparingly. Both Sichuan pepper and cornel berries were currently growing in the valley, so they wouldn't run short.

For easier meat slicing, she even brought a kitchen knife. As for tools like chisels, axes, and saws, Shen Lie and Chen Youtian were experienced and knew what to bring.

It wasn't a problem if there was no kitchen knife at home. Anyway, only Shen An was left, so he could bring his own ingredients and join Shen Jin's family for meals.

Before leaving home, dealing with the wild persimmons could be effectively done by making persimmon cakes, but Sang Luo had her own motives. In the Great Daming Dynasty, there were no such things as persimmon cakes. People either ate them fresh or soaked them in salted water for a quarter of an hour, drained and sliced them, then dried them for another six or seven days. For future consumption, they would roast them to remove the astringency.

The original owner's memory contained this type of food, which had a different texture from persimmon cakes, and its appearance was naturally incomparable.

This valley was too small and offered no shelter; it would be difficult to conceal any recipe that involved sun-drying. After all, she had to live in this time and space for the rest of her life. Not sharing the recipe wouldn't leave the valley dwellers starving, but it was still necessary to keep it secret. So, Sang Luo decided not to make persimmon cakes and simply followed the local method to dry the persimmons.

After resting for a day, she left all household matters to Shen An while she and Shen Ning packed up to set off with Shen Lie. As usual, they needed to tend to the land outside the valley. It was only now that Shen Ning learned about their small cave outside the valley.

However, those like Shen An and Shen Jin, who had ventured out before, were instructed not to mention the cave upon their return to the valley.

The reason behind this was clear – despite being only nine and ten years old, both boys were sharp-witted. Shen Lie didn't need to explain, as they could figure it out on their own.

Shen Lie added more firewood and green grass to the cave and finished his preparations before they finally set off.

Upon reaching the Zhou family to pick up Zhou Laizi and his son, Sang Luo couldn't help but pay extra attention. She noticed Zhou Ge accompanying them as well, seemingly to see off her father and brother, though her gaze occasionally lingered unintentionally on Chen Dashan.

Others might have missed this, but Chen Dashan keenly caught the fleeting glance. Zhou Ge quickly averted his eyes.

Sang Luo's eyes curved into a smile as she quickly looked away, refraining from further scrutiny. She knew that after this autumn, Aunt Tian might start making arrangements to invite matchmakers to help with their matchmaking.

Leaving the Zhou residence, they journeyed forward for another hour and a half before Sang Luo finally saw the secure area Shen An had mentioned – a small shed within it.

It was a modest plot of land with several drying racks in the center, surrounded by six or seven small huts. The doors of these huts faced the wooden fence, and not far from each entrance were bonfires. Presumably, at night, the flames could illuminate the gaps in the wooden fence, deterring and frightening away wild beasts. During the day, they could be used for smoking meat and cooking.

The young and strong rolled up the drying mats, disassembled the racks, bound them with vines, and carried their shares. When they reached their new location, they only needed to build the fence and huts, saving them the effort of constructing the frames and weaving the mats. The reason they didn't dismantle the sheds entirely was twofold: first, they might be useful in the future; second, if outsiders truly needed refuge within the inner perimeter, these sheds would offer temporary shelter from the elements and wild animals, a small act of kindness; and third, with more such shelters, their village's caves wouldn't stand out as much.

Shen Lie, Zhou Dashan, and Lu Erlang wouldn't be burdened with carrying these items since they were the primary defense force.

Although the path through the mountain foot and forest edge wasn't too challenging, Shen Lie and his group were visibly more cautious after leaving the Zhou family's vicinity. Clearly, despite their previous sweep, they had only visited once and stayed for seven days. There was still a long way to go before the area was completely cleared. Besides, Sang Luo remembered Shen An mentioning the bear that had been watching them before departing.

As Shen Lie had said, they had already scouted the chosen site. Their group headed straight for it, but upon arrival, Sang Luo realized that 'scouted' was an understatement – a whole section of trees had been felled, allowing them to construct the wooden wall directly.

While Shen Lie and the others built the wall, Sang Luo, Shen Ning, and Shi Erlang's wife kept busy. After setting down their belongings, they helped remove tall weeds and shrubs. However, they hadn't chopped for long when Sang Luo discovered something wonderful.

Using her machete, she pulled a cluster of shrubs towards herself, revealing a fruit-laden vine within arm's reach. Examining the fruit, vine, and leaves, she smiled.

Whatever they lacked seemed to appear precisely when needed.

Shen Ning approached her. "Big Sister, are these wild fruits?"

Sang Luo's eyes curved into a warm smile. "This is much better than wild fruits, far better. These are staple foods."

"Let's clear this area first and move a bit to the side."

As she spoke, she called out to Shen Lie.