Chapter 61

Yan Kexing looked over with him. "It should be."

Shi Wen stood up to greet the two Hu Zai: "Where did you find those jujubes?!"

Two Hu Zai carried a jujube branch in their mouths and placed it at his feet.

The jujubes were frozen solid, like small stones, with slightly wrinkled skin, clearly frozen to the branches when they ripened in autumn.

After the two Hu Zai put down the branch, they barked at them, looking quite smug.

Standing on the slope, Lin Chengqian looked around and quickly spotted something. "Over there, over there there seem to be a few jujube trees buried in snow."

Shi Wen also stood up and looked in the direction he pointed, and soon he saw the jujubes under the snow.

Perhaps when the two Hu Zai were digging for the jujubes, they knocked away some snow, revealing the reddish-brown fruits inside, which stood out conspicuously in the snow.

Shi Wen bent down and ruffled the heads of the two Hu Zai, saying, "You guys are amazing!"

The two Hu Zai: "Woof!"

The two Hu Zai must have noticed that he didn't like the grey-backed falcon, so they specially found some fruit for him.

Shi Wen in surprise, "Are tigers really that smart?"

Yan Kexing: "They probably learned it from Cong Zai."

Shi Wen, thinking of Cong Zai and the dogs who often brought him prey, accepted the explanation. "They're so thoughtful."

Seeing how considerate the two Hu Zai were, Shi Wen plucked a jujube, wiped it with a handful of snow, and then took a small bite.

Beneath its slightly thick, wrinkled skin, the flesh of the jujube is somewhat dry and has a slightly mealy texture. Shi Wen bite reveals this icy, slushy flesh, followed by a painful sourness that screams, "It's so sour!"

Lin Chengqian chuckled beside him, "Of course. Fruit that can stay in the wild for several months must have flaws, otherwise it would have been picked long ago."

Ge Yue said, "There are also some that aren't sour, but these wild ones are generally quite sour."

Shi Wen's mouth watered at the sour taste, but after a moment of careful tasting, she finally discerned a subtle hint of sweetness. "It's really sour."

Yan Kexing took the jujube from his hand and gave him one in return. "Try this one."

Shi Wen took a bite, and the tartness in her mouth was instantly replaced by sweetness. "This jujube is so sweet!"

Yan Kexing: "Different trees bear different fruits. Pick the fruit from the tree next door, the one facing the sun."

"Okay!" Shi Wen ran next door to pick jujubes, and the two Hu Zai followed to help.

Yan Kexing, however, remained where he was and picked the fruit.

Shi Wen questioning glances directed at him.

Yan Kexing: "Let's pick some to make jujube cake."

Shi Wen said, "That's fine. The New Year is just around the corner, and we'll need plenty of meat. Making some jujube cakes can help with digestion and strengthen the spleen and stomach."

Sour fruits generally aid digestion, and jujubes should be no exception.

Everyone dispersed and picked their favorite jujubes.

Shi Wen dislike sour jujubes and only choose the sweet ones from the jujube trees.

The plump, orange-red jujubes exuded a sweet aroma. He picked and tasted them as he went. Because the jujubes had little moisture, they didn't feel too cold on his teeth, but they were a bit dry and could be a little choking.

Seeing that Shi Wen was enjoying the food, the two Hu Zai seemed to understand that he liked the gift. So they happily jumped around and even gnawed on the branches of the jujube tree, trying to break off a branch for Shi Wen.

Shi Wen quickly stopped them. "We can just pick the jujubes, we don't need the branches."

One of the Hu Zai, carrying a twig in its mouth, dragged it out for Shi Wen, barking, "Woof--"

The other Hu Zai, not to be outdone, tried to grab the branch: "Awooo--"

Alright, Shi Wen skillfully, as the two Hu Zai vied for his attention, "You two carry them, I'll fetch the water."

The Hu Zai clung to the branch, tails held high, and barked joyfully at him, "Woof!"

Chapter 61

In the evening, Shi Wen returned home and first put the branches of the creeping pine into the brazier and lit them in the yard.

The creeping pine trees emitted a pleasant, light incense fragrance. Because only a small amount was burned, the aroma was faint, but it completely transformed the atmosphere of the entire courtyard.

Shi Wen took a deep breath of the fragrant aroma and said to Yan Kexing, "Shi Wen I know why Brother Fu and the others have the custom of climbing pine trees to ward off the cold; it's much warmer after the smoke comes out."

Yan Kexing: "Pretty much. There aren't many local plants, so they're not easy to cut down. In the past, people mostly burned cow dung, which wasn't very effective for heating. Maybe that's why this custom came about."

"No wonder." Shi Wen sniffed again. "It smells quite nice; I like this scent."

Yan Kexing: "I know you like it. Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."

For dinner, we made dry-pot horse meat. We stir-fried a big pot of it and put it on the induction cooker to keep it warm so we wouldn't have to eat it cold.

Besides the dry pot horse meat, there is also flower tea to accompany it.

Shi Wen first drank half a cup of flower tea, and then ate the horse meat.

Horse meat tastes like a chewier beef, and Shi Wen's eyes lit up with amazement.

Shi Wen, "It's delicious!"

Yan Kexing scooped a spoonful of meat for him. "Eat more."

Shi Wen then remembered Yan Kexing's question to him, "Where did all your food go? You're so thin," and picked up his bowl, shoveling a large mouthful of rice into his mouth.

Lin Chengqian, oblivious to the undercurrent between the two, scooped himself a full spoonful of horse meat, ate it, and sighed as he breathed out the hot graze, "After a couple of days when I go on a business trip to the field, I won't be able to enjoy such good days anymore."

Shi Wen: "Going on a business trip to the field?"

Lin Chengqian: "We'll have to go out for field research once the weather gets a little warmer. With such heavy snow this time, we definitely need to go out and take a look."

Shi Wen turned to look at Yan Kexing.

Yan Kexing nodded slightly in confirmation. "It might take about a week."

Before they even left, Shi Wen Shi Wen a pang of reluctance, but not wanting to stop them from working, he simply said, "Then everyone should get some rest these next two days and recharge before heading out again."

Although the temperature is still below zero after the cold wave, it is gradually getting warmer.

After the snow melted, it soaked the ground, and the grassland became muddy.