Chapter 40: Leng Xiao’s Decision to Enter the Mountains Again

Since they needed to bring food to Leng Xiao the next day, Wen Nuan Nuan and Leng Chen returned home early in the afternoon.

She had promised him stir-fried cured meat with garlic sprouts last time—she couldn’t forget that.

She steamed two sections of cured sausage.

A large portion of braised spare ribs stewed with napa cabbage.

There were quite a few pickled vegetables this time, so she decided to bring only three salted duck eggs.

Along with meat buns, steamed buns, spicy-flavored flower rolls, and the essential beef sauce, it should be enough for about five days.

While making the flower rolls, Wen Nuan Nuan realized that flour-based foods were more convenient when traveling.

Whether filled with vegetables or not, items like buns and dumplings were nutritious, delicious, and easy to carry.

Unlike rice, which required cooking and dishes, these could be eaten directly by hand, filling the stomach without any hassle.

Why not make more buns, dumplings, steamed buns, flower rolls, and egg pancakes to store in the storage room?

During the famine escape journey, it would be so convenient to just take them out and eat.

Moreover, back when she stored food in the refrigerator, she had only two jin of rice, but she had a full five jin of flour!

Five jin a day, fifty jin in ten days, and one hundred fifty jin in a month—just imagine how many buns, dumplings, steamed buns, and flower rolls she could make.

Once the mountain harvest season was over, she and her skillful second brother could build an oven together. Then, they could mass-produce various fillings for crispy pancakes, baked cakes, and egg cakes.

Once done, they could stack them neatly, layer by layer, in the storage room while still warm. Wow, just thinking about it gave her a sense of security.

As for water, it was even more critical.

She had stored two large boxes of fresh milk in the refrigerator, along with several bottles of yogurt in yellow peach, red date, and grain flavors. Although these couldn’t replace plain water, they could help reduce the amount of plain water each person needed to drink daily.

The lower section of the storage room could be shaped using mental control. It seemed she needed to designate an area specifically for storing plain water.

The food gathered from the mountains these days was also stored in a separate area.

Keeping things clearly separated and undisturbed was ideal.

Now, it all depended on how much Eldest Brother would find out about the price of horses tomorrow. If a carriage cost thirty to fifty taels, buying two might not be a bad idea.

Wen Nuan Nuan thought happily.

~

The next day, when Wen Nuan Nuan came out, Leng Tian had already set off with the ingredients on his back.

Eldest Brother had many places to visit today, which would take time. Wen Nuan Nuan guessed he must have gotten up before dawn.

With Eldest Brother away today, she and the two little ones couldn’t pull the flatbed cart, so the three of them continued gathering food at the foot and halfway up the mountain.

Meanwhile, Leng Tian arrived at Tianhong Academy with a large bamboo basket of food.

Familiar with the route, he quickly found Leng Xiao.

“Eldest Brother!” Leng Tian’s dark face beamed with joy.

He held immense respect and admiration for his eldest brother.

Leng Xiao nodded coolly.

Long accustomed to his eldest brother’s reserved nature, Leng Tian’s enthusiasm remained undiminished. He set down the bamboo basket and began taking out the food his sister-in-law had prepared, one item at a time.

As he unpacked, he eagerly explained, “Sister-in-law was worried you might run out of tea, so she asked me to bring some more. She also insisted I ask which type you prefer.”

“Hmm, White Tea.”

“Sister-in-law said there are quite a few pickled vegetables this time, and eating too much salt isn’t healthy, so she only packed three salted duck eggs for you.”

“Sister-in-law said the cotton clothes and cotton shoes aren’t ready yet. This batch includes cloth shoes and inner garments. She’ll send the rest next time.”

“She—”

Leng Tian looked up at his eldest brother, puzzled as to why he had stopped after saying just one word.

Leng Xiao paused, then asked in a low, calm voice, “What has your sister-in-law been doing these days?”

Why hasn’t she come?

“Sister-in-law, Eldest Brother, sister-in-law has had it so tough! These past days she’s been going up the mountain early every morning, picking fruits, gathering chestnuts, collecting mushrooms, and plucking wild vegetables, even working by candlelight at night!” Leng Tian, usually bold and straightforward, choked up by the end of his words.

Leng Xiao was visibly taken aback. “She’s been working that hard?”

Didn’t she have that treasure?

She had told him that the food inside was not only enough for them but even had plenty to spare.

All these days, he had assumed she would sleep in and live a leisurely life.

After all, she gave him the impression of being a petite, graceful little thing.

He never expected her to be so diligent.

Leng Tian glanced left and right, making sure no one else was around, then lowered his voice. “Sister-in-law said next year might continue to have little rain or even drought, so we should try to store as much food as possible. She also told me to buy more cotton, saying we should stock up on everything we might need.”

Leng Xiao’s sharp brows furrowed. Drought?

This year’s crop harvest had already been significantly affected. If the drought continued next year, everything on this land—animals, plants, and people—would suffer terribly.

Whether staying or fleeing, life would be difficult.

It was good that she was planning ahead.

“What else did your sister-in-law say?”

“She also asked me to check how much horses cost.”

Leng Xiao nodded, signaling Leng Tian to continue.

“She also told me to tell you not to go into the mountains to dig for ginseng anymore. She said we have enough food, and there are ginseng slices in the treasure that can be sold for silver. Though it’s not much, if we save carefully, it should be enough. She doesn’t want you to take risks.” Only when sister-in-law told him this last night did he finally understand why she had asked him to check the prices during their last trip to the city!

So sister-in-law had already had a plan in mind—it wasn’t for no reason that she had him ask.

A flicker of emotion crossed Leng Xiao’s usually cool expression. A hint of a smile appeared in his typically indifferent phoenix eyes, and even his low, hoarse voice lightened slightly. “She really said she was worried about me taking risks?”

“Yes.” Leng Tian didn’t understand. Shouldn’t Eldest Brother’s focus be on whether to go into the mountains or not?

Why was he asking about what sister-in-law said?

But that wasn’t important. What mattered was Eldest Brother’s decision. “Eldest Brother, are you… are you still going into the mountains?”

Out of concern for Eldest Brother’s safety, he certainly didn’t want him to go. Eldest Brother had already given so much for this family—he didn’t want him to take any more risks.

But if, as sister-in-law said, there was a drought next year, they couldn’t put all the pressure on sister-in-law alone!

“I’m going into the mountains,” Leng Xiao answered firmly.

“Eldest Brother.”

“If there’s a drought next year, we’ll need silver to buy horses and a carriage. The journey as refugees and for the imperial exams will also cost money. And once we reach Jingcheng, buying a house, acquiring land, and social interactions—all of it requires silver. This is our responsibility; we can’t let her bear it.” If it were just him and his three younger brothers, they could walk the whole way, with just enough to eat and drink, sleeping by the roadside or in caves wherever they could.

But with her here, it was different.

He didn’t want her to suffer with him, nor did he want foul people or incidents along the way to trouble her.

“Then, Eldest Brother, can I go into the mountains with you this time? Look at me—I’m already tall! I’ve been eating well every day lately, and I’m stronger. Whether it’s digging for ginseng or hunting, I can do it!” Leng Tian’s dark face was full of hope.

He wanted to go!

He, who had only ever hunted hares and caught pheasants and wild ducks on the outskirts, wanted to test his skills in the deep mountains!

Being able to enter the deep mountains was a kind of affirmation of his growth.

He wanted to contribute to this family.

Leng Xiao’s phoenix eyes swept over, meeting his younger brother’s resolute and determined gaze.

In that instant, he realized the boy had grown up.

A boy who would turn thirteen after the New Year indeed needed some experience.

He himself had entered the mountains at the age of ten.

“Alright.”