Chapter 67: The Cat Winter Wen Nuan Nuan Imagined Had Not Yet Begun

Bring back clothing?

Wen Nuan Nuan thought she had plenty of clothes and wasn’t lacking any.

However, Leng Xiao mentioned changing into them for playing in the snow, so it was probably hats, gloves, and the like. She was indeed short on those. The temperature difference between indoors and outdoors here was too great—going outside was unbearably cold.

Wen Nuan Nuan accepted directly without any polite refusals: “Alright, thanks.”

Truthfully, she was just curious about the snow, having never seen such heavy, thick snowfall before. In her memory, she might have seen it when she was very young, but she knew that couldn’t be possible.

Seeing Leng Xiao take the initiative to bring her winter items, Wen Nuan Nuan felt she should reciprocate with a few words of concern.

“At the Academy, be careful with the injuries on your back. Don’t do any heavy lifting or strenuous work! For now, our family isn’t lacking food or money. Eat your fill at every meal, don’t skimp. Your health is the most important.” In their household, Leng Xiao would be the main source of labor next year, so his health was their greatest asset.

They couldn’t risk losing the big for the small.

Wen Nuan Nuan pragmatically emphasized the most critical issue.

A hint of a smile appeared in Leng Xiao’s eyes as he nodded.

Wen Nuan Nuan then turned to greet Leng Tian, who was driving the carriage. “In rainy or snowy weather, the roads are slippery. Drive slowly, especially around turns and intersections.”

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’ll make sure Eldest Brother gets there safely!” Leng Tian promised with a bright smile.

Wen Nuan Nuan was speechless. Was there even the slightest connection between Eldest Brother’s response and what she had just reminded him of?

She wasn’t just worried about Leng Xiao’s safety.

The two horses they had worked so hard to obtain were considered significant assets here, so of course they needed to be careful.

“Go back inside. It’s cold out here,” Leng Xiao interjected at just the right moment, his tone even more cheerful.

“Eldest Brother, when will you be back?” The two younger ones approached hesitantly, their little faces filled with reluctance.

Wen Nuan Nuan didn’t feel much about Leng Xiao leaving for the Academy to study. It was just that the four of them had already entered cat winter, with nothing to do all day besides eating and drinking, while Leng Xiao still had to study at the Academy. Thinking about it, it seemed pretty miserable.

It was just as miserable as when she saw other schools on early break while she was still in session.

Now, she was the one on early break.

“I’ll be back by the end of winter or early in the twelfth lunar month. Don’t worry too much.” Leng Xiao’s phoenix eyes shifted from his two younger brothers and settled on Wen Nuan Nuan.

Wen Nuan Nuan nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice. Everything at home was fine, and there was nothing to worry about.

Since the incident with Aunt Wang last time, when Leng Xiao had brandished a gleaming firewood axe and she had followed up by mentioning money, not only had no one come to their door seeking favors or borrowing the carriage, but even the villagers avoided their path when going up the mountain.

No one had passed behind their house to go up the mountain for a long time. Aside from the few people in their household, she hadn’t seen any new faces in ages.

The three of them watched as the carriage disappeared into the distance. After entering the courtyard gate, Leng Yun promptly closed and bolted it.

This was a lingering effect from the last time Aunt Wang had barged in, leaving them no time to hide the rabbit meat and pheasant.

“Sister-in-law, what do you need us to do today?” Leng Chen asked.

Wen Nuan Nuan was puzzled. Hadn’t they entered cat winter? What work could there possibly be?

“Nothing, really. There’s nothing to do.”

She didn’t have anything for the two younger ones to do. It was much more comfortable to rest on the warm kang.

Leng Chen nodded. “If Sister-in-law doesn’t need Little Brother and me for anything, then I’ll weave reed mats, and Little Brother can go gather fodder.”

Wen Nuan Nuan gasped in shock!

“The snow is already ankle-deep, and you still want to gather fodder? It’s so cold. I thought everyone in the village was already huddled on their kangs. Why would you need to weave reed mats?”

One moment she was lamenting how pitiful it was for Leng Xiao to go study while they stayed home enjoying a comfortable and cozy cat winter, the next, Wen Nuan Nuan had completely abandoned that laughable and foolish thought.

Such thick snow, and they still had to go out to work?

No, even those who didn’t go out had to work!

Leng Chen explained naturally, “This is only the first snowfall, and it’s not heavy, so cutting grass isn’t affected at all. Before we didn’t raise horses and didn’t need to gather fodder, we’d still haul bamboo and pluck reed leaves to bring back.

Those who stay curled up on the kang are families who don’t know or learn handicrafts. I weave more in the winter to sell when spring comes next year, and it earns quite a few copper coins.

But these reed mats aren’t for selling. Eldest Brother said our family will travel far next year, and it’s inconvenient to stay in the wilderness. Having some mats to lay on the ground to ward off dampness or use as cover is very practical.

When Second Brother returns, we’ll also catch rabbits in the snow. Following their footprints makes it especially easy—catch one every time. Even if we don’t sell them, keeping them to eat ourselves is good too.”

Wen Nuan Nuan was first stunned speechless, and now her jaw had dropped.

Heavens, they really never rested at all.

She had thought cat winter meant staying indoors, lying on the kang, doing nothing, and idling away the day.

Why did the three little ones still have so much work?

Seeing Wen Nuan Nuan’s expression change, Leng Yun comforted her, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry about us. We’ve always lived like this. Later, when the heavy snow reaches waist or shoulder height and we truly can’t go out, we’ll also take it easy and only do some light work.”

Wen Nuan Nuan wanted to say their work wasn’t light at all, but remembering that in this world, not being diligent could really lead to starvation or freezing to death, she changed her words to, “But what if the cotton shoes get soaked in the snow?”

With such cold temperatures and in a place with underdeveloped medical care, what if they got frostbite? Effective medicine wouldn’t reach their small village either.

Frostbite is both painful and itchy, especially after spring arrives, becoming particularly noticeable when trying to sleep—itching all night long, making it impossible to rest properly.

“We have an old pair of roe deer leather boots. Little Brother and I won’t go out at the same time, so we can take turns wearing them. The cotton shoes won’t get wet!”

Wen Nuan Nuan fell silent and sighed. “You can weave reed mats, but don’t make other bamboo or wooden products this winter. Just gather enough fodder.”

After all, the two horses would find some food along the way next year. They only needed to prepare some for emergencies. She had seen the fodder in the cellar, which was almost enough for the two horses.

“Sister-in-law?” Leng Yun grew anxious, calling out to say that slacking off during cat winter was wasteful and they didn’t feel tired anyway.

“Don’t worry, Sister-in-law just thought of something for you to do.

I need many containers for food, and I think bamboo tubes are very suitable.”

Most of the bamboo here is large mao bamboo, as thick as an arm or calf, and the bamboo grove isn’t far from the Leng Family. Wen Nuan Nuan thought they could saw it into sections to use for holding dumplings, wontons, and the like.

They could take them out to eat on the road—delicious, filling, and most importantly, thirst-quenching.

“Aren’t wooden basins and bowls good enough?”

“They are very useful, but making wooden basins and bowls takes too much time. I need many, and bamboo tubes just need their openings smoothed so they don’t prick anyone.” Stored in the storage room, they wouldn’t spoil and could be reused repeatedly. They could make more along the way when they had time and store them inside.

This was a relatively feasible method Wen Nuan Nuan had considered. Originally, she planned to implement it next spring, but since the two little ones still had plenty of work to do in winter, other tasks could be postponed. Preparing food in advance for winter was the priority.

Five people, three meals a day, for four or five months—the amount of food to prepare was truly no small matter.

No wonder during wartime, provisions and supplies moved ahead of the troops. If the daily necessities for a family of five were already this troublesome, imagine the logistics for tens or hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Leng Chen and Leng Yun nodded simultaneously.

Although they didn’t understand why their sister-in-law was preparing so much food for winter, they certainly wouldn’t complain about having more to eat, especially since it wouldn’t spoil easily in the cold.

Moreover, Eldest Brother had already told them not to question what their sister-in-law asked them to do—just follow her instructions.