Chen Lan walked out of the kitchen and went to the laundry room where the children were working. She told the seven children at home that she would be going out hunting with the hunting team tomorrow.
Jia Yao, Jia Xing, and Jia He were all excited to hear this and looked eager to try. Chen Lan quickly explained, "Jia Yao, Jia Xing, Jia He, Mom can't take you three with her this time. It's not because you're too young or not skilled enough at hunting, but because Mom has more important things to entrust to you brothers."
The three were initially disappointed, but their interest was piqued by Chen Lan's words. Jia He asked excitedly, "Mom, tell us, what is it that you need your sons to do?"
Chen Lan smiled and stroked his buzz cut. "You all saw today how much your great-grandparents suffered in their hometown. They are not as mobile now. What if they want a drink of water or need to use the toilet at night, and they're not familiar with the house? So, someone needs to stay up to look after them. Once they're feeling better and get used to the house, you won't need to stay up."
At this point, Jia Yao spoke up, "Mom, I'm the eldest. I'll take charge of keeping watch at night! The younger brothers can look after them during the day." Jia Hui and Jia He nodded in agreement.
Chen Lan nodded with satisfaction and looked at Chun Ni and her three sisters. Chun Ni said, "Mom, you can go hunting with peace of mind! We four sisters will handle things at home! Don't worry, we'll take good care of Grandma, Grandma, Great-Grandpa, and Great-Grandma."
Chun Fang and Chun Hua echoed, "Mom, don't worry, leave the house to us, and there won't be any problems."
The youngest, Jia Hui, said proudly, "Mom, don't worry! I'll make sure my brothers take good care of Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma and work hard. No slacking, or else! Hmph!"
She then clenched her small fist and made a gesture.
Chen Lan couldn't help but touch her temples, which were starting to ache again. "What's wrong with this child? She was so soft and tender when she was little. How did she grow up with such a violent tendency? She's strong and acts like a little bully at home. Even the most mischievous and lively Jia He is afraid of her."
The clever Jia Hui saw Chen Lan's gesture and immediately hugged Chen Lan's shoulder to comfort her. "Mom, don't worry. I don't really hit them. I just scare them a little to make them obedient and work hard."
After assigning tasks to the children, Chen Lan continued to prepare the things needed for the hunt the next day.
Early the next morning, the members of the hunting team were all in high spirits. After breakfast, they were waiting outside Chen Lan's house. Honestly, they had never participated in a winter hunt before. Usually, they would go into the mountains with Chen Lan after the autumn harvest to collect wild goods and do some hunting. Formal, dedicated hunting expeditions like this were rarely organized in the valley.
Xu Mingxuan and his two comrades also finished their meal quickly. Chen Lan took the two quilts that Chun Ni and the sisters had modified the night before, tied them together with strong ropes, and slung them over her back.
Xu Mingxuan quickly went upstairs, kissed the sleeping triplets, and reluctantly came downstairs. He then went to his uncle's room, and after coming out, he bid farewell to his mother-in-law, his own mother, Mama Cui, Uncle De, Mama Liu, Uncle Fu, the children, and the rest of the family. After packing the things they needed, he left with Chen Lan.
Chen Lan packed the provisions she had prepared for everyone the night before into individual backpacks and distributed them to each participant for them to carry. The bags were filled with plenty of food and supplies, and most importantly, each backpack contained a thick wool blanket.
Xu Mingxuan and his four companions' backpacks also included a set of underwear, a few pairs of socks, a pair of snow boots, and a pair of canvas shoes.
As soon as the supplies were distributed, Chen Lan wasted no time. After a brief exchange with Xu Mingxuan, she immediately called everyone to get ready to set off.
The winter mornings in the Northeast were biting cold. Chen Lan looked up and saw nothing but sparkling rime frost and ice flowers. It looked like it had snowed lightly again last night, and the ground was covered in a vast expanse of white, like a fluffy white carpet, soft and yielding, crunching underfoot.
Winter was the golden season for hunting. At this time, black bears liked to hibernate in large tree hollows, wild boars hid in the shrubs on sunny slopes, and wolves often came out at night to forage and roam.
The process of hunting was also a battle of wits and courage between hunters and beasts, so Chen Lan repeatedly emphasized that everyone should be careful and cautious, always stick together, and never go off alone. Now was not the time for hunting, but for traveling, so they couldn't fall behind. Chen Lan led the way, with the others following closely behind. Xu Mingxuan and Qingsong brought up the rear. They glided through the forest on snow sleds, not daring to stop for fear of falling behind.
Soon, the sun came out, and its rays refracted in colorful light on the ice flowers. The silent forest looked like a fairyland, breathtakingly beautiful.
The group traveled at a rapid pace. Before dark, Xu Mingxuan and Qingsong found a large snow ridge at the foot of the mountain. This snow ridge was wide and high, making it very suitable for camping.
As soon as they stopped, they packed up their snow sleds and began working together at the foot of the snow ridge. First, they had to dig snow caves for sleeping – essentially snow dens. Qingsong was experienced in this. He guided them to first dig a hole about half a meter high and half a meter wide, and then expand it to the sides and upwards.
To their surprise, the snow on this ridge was very compactly accumulated. When they dug down, large chunks came out, and they quickly cleared a space where a person could stand. The snow overhead was also very hard, so there was no worry about the cave collapsing in the middle of the night.
Seeing everyone digging snow caves, Chen Lan found plenty of wild grass and branches nearby to use as bedding for the snow dens.
Branches were laid on the floor of the snow cave, followed by a thick layer of leaves and wild grass, and then their thick wool blankets were spread out on top, creating a simple sleeping platform.
Most of them shared a snow cave with two or three people, which was safer and allowed them to keep each other warm. With three wool blankets for both bedding and covering, it was a perfect arrangement.
As dusk settled, Er Zhuang and Da Ye set up a bonfire in front of the snow caves. Everyone boiled water, heated sweet buns, and roasted sausages. Everything they needed was in their backpacks, so they could cook whatever they wanted. Chen Lan had prepared plenty of food, filling a large backpack, so there was no concern about running out.
Chen Lan took out two bottles of strong liquor and handed them to Xu Mingxuan, asking him to give everyone a couple of sips to ward off the cold. After drinking, the younger ones with less tolerance for alcohol felt slightly tipsy. Xu Mingxuan told them to go to bed first. After chatting for a while, everyone went back to their own sleeping places.