The next day.
Su Luowan had long been used to waking up early to practice, so even after coming to this time and place, she still woke up very early.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she heard sounds coming from the kitchen.
After getting dressed, she stepped out of her room and immediately saw Lin Yuzhen already busy cooking.
Unlike how she felt when she saw Lin Yuzhen last night, Su Luowan now felt a slight surge of excitement—this was her real, biological mother.
She tried her best to suppress the emotions in her heart and walked toward the kitchen.
“Mom, why are you up so early?”
Lin Yuzhen smiled when she saw Su Luowan awake.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I got up. Wanwan, why are you up so early today? It’s still early—why don’t you go back and rest a bit?”
Su Luowan shook her head.
“No, Mom. I’ll help you cook.”
As she spoke, she stepped forward to assist. She really liked this warm, homely feeling.
Breakfast was simple. Just as mother and daughter were about to finish cooking, Su Luonian came out of his room.
Lin Yuzhen quickly urged the two of them to wash up while she brought the dishes to the table.
While eating, Lin Yuzhen said to Su Luowan,
“Wanwan, this morning Xiao Nian and I are going up the mountain to gather firewood. You stay home and rest.”
Winters here were very cold. Without a heated kang bed, it would be impossible to live through it. After the autumn harvest, temperatures would drop sharply, and once heavy snow began to fall, it would be impossible to gather firewood.
So during this slack farming season, they had to prepare for winter.
Moreover, her daughter had just broken off her engagement with that boy from the Qin family. Even though Wanwan didn’t show it on the surface, Lin Yuzhen believed she was simply being strong and hiding her sadness.
Seeing the concern in her mother’s eyes, Su Luowan felt a wave of warmth. This was her mother—her blood-related mother.
After steadying her thoughts, she said,
“Mom, I have nothing to do at home. I’ll go up the mountain with Xiao Nian.”
Afraid her mother would refuse, she hurriedly urged Su Luonian and sped up her eating.
After finishing breakfast in a rush, the siblings carried their baskets and headed up the mountain.
Their home was already close to the foot of the mountain, so it didn’t take long before they entered the forest.
Su Luowan took a deep breath of the fresh, plant-scented air, and her mood lifted.
Su Luonian followed closely behind his sister. Each of them held a stick, occasionally striking the grass to scare off any crawling creatures.
Having grown up in the mountains with her masters, Su Luowan naturally knew this method.
She had always been bold, but she was afraid of soft-bodied creatures like snakes, earthworms, and loaches.
The siblings carefully moved through the forest, not missing a single dry branch.
Although there were many trees in this area, cutting them down was forbidden. However, fallen leaves and dry branches could be freely collected.
But Su Luowan’s goal wasn’t just firewood—she was also thinking about whether she could catch some small animals to improve their meals.
From her memories, she knew their family hadn’t had meat in a long time.
Her eldest brother, Su Luochen, sent money home every month, but Lin Yuzhen saved most of it for his future marriage.
Unless absolutely necessary, that money wouldn’t be touched.
So while their lives weren’t too bad, they certainly weren’t comfortable either.
Su Luowan understood and respected her mother’s decision.
But before, they rarely ate meat because she hadn’t been back.
Now that she had returned, eating meat more often was a must.
Unfortunately, she had once found small animals too troublesome and never kept any in her space. Otherwise, she could’ve had a steady supply of meat now.
Still, with her skills, getting meat shouldn’t be too difficult.
However, reality quickly proved her wrong.
Not long after they ventured deeper into the forest, a white rabbit suddenly darted out from the grass nearby.
Reacting quickly, Su Luowan flicked a small stone she had prepared in her hand toward the rabbit.
The stone hit its target, but her current body lacked the inner energy she once had.
The rabbit only paused for a moment before bolting away at an even faster speed.
Seeing this, Su Luonian felt a bit regretful but still praised her,
“Sis, you’re amazing! You actually hit it!”
Su Luowan watched the rabbit disappear, a hint of disappointment rising in her heart.
“What’s the use? Without enough force, it’s pointless. I need more practice.”
Only then did she realize that if she wanted to use her medical skills to save people, she would first need to cultivate her inner energy again.
Only then could her abilities truly shine and help more people.
Hearing this, Su Luonian asked curiously,
“Sis, can strength be trained too?”
Su Luowan smiled at her brother, who was about her height.
“Of course. Accuracy and strength can both be improved through practice.”
“Then I want to train with you!”
Su Luonian declared loudly.
Before their eldest brother joined the army, he often hunted in the mountains. Most of the meat their family ate came from his hunting.
Su Luonian wanted to be like him—to catch more prey and improve their family’s life.
Seeing through his thoughts, Su Luowan nodded.
“Alright, we’ll train together.”
“Okay! For the sake of eating meat, let’s work hard together!”
Su Luonian said, his eyes shining with determination.
Su Luowan laughed, glancing at her little brother, then toward the deeper parts of the mountain. She, too, was craving meat.
The siblings chatted as they continued gathering branches.
Soon, their baskets were full, and they even carried extra bundles of firewood in their arms.
Although they hadn’t caught any prey today, it wasn’t a total loss.
On their way home, Su Luonian found several eggs hidden in the grass.
There were only five, but they would still help supplement the family’s nutrition.
Laughing and chatting, the siblings returned home.
Seeing that their baskets were full and they were still carrying extra firewood, Lin Yuzhen felt distressed.
“You only need to fill your baskets. Carrying more in your arms makes it hard to see the road. Don’t do this again.”
As she spoke, she stepped forward to help them take off their baskets.
“I’ve cooled some water for you. Just add a bit of hot water and it’ll be ready to drink.”