As dusk approached, the northern mountain forest—indistinguishable from a primeval wilderness—frequently saw large wild animals roaming about.
Campfires could scare off most beasts, so they needed to gather enough firewood to last through the night.
The severe drought had caused critical water shortages, and many trees in the forest had dried out, becoming highly flammable. While guarding against wild animals, the couple also had to prevent forest fires, leaving them too busy to stop for rest.
While Xu Da chopped firewood, Wang Shi created a firebreak around the cliffside. By the time darkness fully descended, the whole family had huddled inside the rock crevice.
The crevice was formed by a towering boulder intersecting with a slope, creating a natural hollow.
The hollow extended about three meters inward, with small slopes on either side, providing Xu Yue’s family a simple shelter.
After traveling all day, everyone except Xu Yue was completely exhausted, finally able to rest for a moment.
Though young, Xu Yue was capable of heating water and food.
The ceramic pot they brought from home was too large to manage in the narrow crevice. Fortunately, surrounded by mountain rocks, Xu Yue easily found a flat stone.
She placed the stone in the fire until it was scorching hot, pulled it out with a branch, and set a bamboo tube filled with water on top. The water inside quickly warmed.
She used the same method for rice balls and roasted meat, adding two extra leaves to prevent burning and ash contamination.
The green snake torn apart by Wang Shi was non-venomous and originally intended as a bonus for dinner. However, Wang Shi accidentally broke its gallbladder, making Xu Da and Xu Erniang so disgusted they refused to eat it, leaving the snake luckily intact.
With warm water and heated food in their stomachs—though the rice balls were still unpalatable—the roasted meat improved the taste, restoring the family’s energy and spirits.
Wang Shi sat by the fire, sharpening freshly cut branches to make small walking sticks for Xu Erniang and Xu Yue, while also refining her wooden arrows.
Given the Xu family’s living standards, iron arrowheads were unattainable. Wang Shi’s arrows were purely wooden—straight, slender shafts.
Such arrows looked like children’s toys, and Xu Da had initially mocked them quietly.
But after witnessing Wang Shi’s precision and strength, he fell silent.
In others’ hands, these might be toys, but in Wang Shi’s, they were lethal weapons.
Her hands were steady and accurate; she could throw an arrow to hit a running prey directly in the eye, usually killing it instantly.
And these were just wooden arrows. If they were real arrows, how terrifying would their power be?
Xu Da shook his head, unable to imagine such a scene yet.
Seeing the dwindling water and food in the basket, he felt a headache coming on.
Food wasn’t a major concern—he had been to this mountain with Wang Shi twice before, and there were plenty of animals in the forest. With their skills, hunting wouldn’t be difficult.
But only two tubes of water remained, consumed faster than expected.
This was an unavoidable reality. They had traveled urgently that day under the scorching sun, and Er Niang alone had drunk over half a tube.
Wang Shi was generous with the children, letting them drink whenever they were thirsty. With such unchecked consumption, Xu Da considered it a miracle that two tubes were still left.
Xu Yue tilted her head to look at Wang Shi, who was sharpening arrows by the firelight. She had cut off a large section of her long hair, with the remainder coiled atop her head and secured by a sharpened branch. Her thin cheeks were taut with focus and determination.
The firelight softened the sharp angles of her hunger-hollowed face, lending her a serene gentleness.
“Is there water nearby?” Xu Da unconsciously lowered his voice, afraid to disrupt this rare moment of peace.
Without looking up, Wang Shi gave a slight nod. “Further in, there’s a natural pond.”
Hearing this, half the weight lifted from Xu Da’s chest. Water was good.
But remembering the situation downhill, he tentatively suggested, “With water and game here, if things remain difficult below, perhaps we could stay in the mountains for a while?”
Wang Shi paused her work and looked up at him. Knowing he meant well, she patiently explained without discouraging him directly:
“This pond isn’t deep, and no one knows when it might dry up. Besides, there are no suitable caves for shelter here. When winter comes and temperatures drop, conditions will likely become worse than we imagine.”
This was a completely unknown new world, and all their information came from memories left by their original bodies.
In those memories, winter was a terrifying season—the kind that claimed lives!
Therefore, they had to find a safe settlement before winter arrived.
Xu Da looked down at his patched hemp clothes and the straw sandals on the verge of falling apart, falling silent.
After a while, he returned to the mountain hollow, took two fish-shaped stones he’d specifically collected from his chest pocket, cleared a small patch of ground by kicking aside the weeds, and began divination.
When uncertain, turn to the mystical!
Xu Yue couldn’t remember how long it had been since she last washed her hair. Her scalp itched intensely. After watching her cheap father engage in superstition for what felt like ages without any result, she turned away and called out to Wang Shi outside the cave:
“Mother, I want to shave my head!”
Seeing her scratching her head in discomfort, Wang Shi waved Xu Yue over, loosened her hair bun, scratched her scalp for her, and coaxed, “We’ll have water to wash your hair tomorrow. Just bear with it a little longer. Little girls look cuter with braids—our You Niang won’t shave her head, okay?”
Facing Xu Yue’s round, bun-like face, Wang Shi instinctively forgot she wasn’t truly a child and treated her with utmost patience.
Xu Yue didn’t actually want to become bald. Plus, with her mother’s scalp massage providing relief, she nodded and gave up on shaving her head.
Xu Dalan couldn’t bear to be separated from his sister for even a moment. When Xu Yue stayed with Wang Shi slightly longer, he began emitting frustrated growls from his throat.
Seeing this, Xu Yue gave her mother a resigned look and returned to the mountain hollow.
The moment Xu Dalan saw her, his long arm swept out and tucked her into his embrace, making funny faces to amuse her.
Expressionless, Xu Yue grabbed his hand and placed it on her head. “Brother, scratch.”
Xu Dalan grinned blankly, scratched her head, then glanced at her. Xu Yue responded with an encouraging nod.
Seeing his sister’s smile, Xu Dalan knew he’d done right and let out excited chuckles, scratching her head with renewed vigor.
At first, he struggled to control his strength and scratched too hard a few times, but he quickly grew more skilled.
Xu Yue enjoyed being tickled while also earnestly teaching her brother to speak human language, pointing at the surrounding stones and plants word by word.
Xu Erniang sat in the corner using a sharp needle to prick the blisters on her feet. Her technique was rather unskilled, and she accidentally pricked herself, nearly crying in frustration.
After finally finishing pricking all the blisters on her feet, her gaze involuntarily fell upon her pair of tattered straw sandals.
Thinking about having to wear these shoes to walk mountain paths again tomorrow, Xu Erniang nearly spat out blood in exasperation.
No!
For the sake of her feet, she had to do something!