Because there was a roe deer beside the Wooden Cabin, Li Long did not go far that morning. He was not sure when the wild roe deer could be taken away, so he needed to prepare some fodder for it first.
The pasture around the Wooden Cabin belonged to Jade Mountain River, but after the cabin was built, Jade Mountain River had stopped cutting hay nearby. He had probably tacitly allotted this patch of pasture to Li Long, leaving everything here for him to manage.
The grass on the flat ground had therefore grown very tall. Since it had not been cut, Li Long easily found a patch nearby that had not been flattened by the snow.
Purple alfalfa and some gossamer milkweed grew tangled together in this patch, forming a very dense stand. Li Long took the Sickle hanging on the Small Room's wall, went over, brushed the remaining snow off the grass, and began cutting.
After he cut a bundle of the visible fodder, all that remained was pinned beneath the snow.
The snow had fallen some time ago, and a hard crust had formed on top. Though it could not support a person, ordinary small animals could walk across it easily-this was also why the red fox had escaped safely.
This crust posed a bit of a nuisance for Li Long. He had to break it before he could continue cutting the fodder underneath. Though he found it troublesome, the work still had to be done. He broke the crust with the Sickle's handle, cleared away the broken snow, and continued cutting.
With two bundles cut, Li Long had originally intended to leave it at that. They should be enough to feed the roe deer for a day or two. But when he noticed a raised section