Chapter 210: Venture Into The Mountain

Chapter 210: Venture Into The Mountain
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
At this point, Xiao Li looked a little embarrassed. Blushes of red appeared on his tanned cheeks, indicating he was genuinely worried.
He had been troubled all day, fearing they might not make it through the winter. After grasping Xiao Li’s concerns, Jiang Chuan comforted him, “Xiao Li, don’t fret. While I can’t speak for other families, given the bond between us, we’ll surely support each other. We’ll make it through this winter.”
Hearing this, Xiao Li recognized that Jiang Chuan had misunderstood him. He wasn’t seeking any help or support from Jiang Chuan.
He quickly explained, “Third Brother, you’ve misunderstood. Every year, around this time, hunters head to the mountains. They hunt wild animals and exchange them for grain and cloth tickets to ease their lives. I’m contemplating hunting this year. You’ve been to those mountains several times, right? You must know a bit about them. So, I wanted to ask where the most game is located?”
It made sense for Xiao Li to consider venturing up the mountain. The grain yield from this year’s autumn harvest was meager. Even though they’d informed the authorities, there was no feedback. Even after Shen Mo’s extensive inspections over several days, there was still no word. With winter quickly drawing near, preparations were crucial, or survival would indeed become challenging.
The prior mishap where Jiang Chuan’s family encountered danger on the mountain had left a deep-rooted caution in the villagers. Though they didn’t know much about the mountain, they generally preferred to maintain their distance. If it weren’t for the ongoing food scarcity, none in the village would even consider such a trip.
Given the circumstances, Xiao Li might not be the only one considering a hunting trip. Perhaps a few villagers discussed this and, considering Xiao Li’s close ties with Jiang Chuan, sent him to gather more information. Once familiarized, they might all venture to the mountain together.
Xiao Li’s cheeks turned even redder as he continued, somewhat awkwardly, “I’d also like to request a favor. Could you draw me a map? If I’m fortunate enough to locate another vegetable patch, it would be incredible! This would ensure our village has vegetables for the winter.”
Jiang Xia thought to herself, finding another vegetable patch wouldn’t be easy without the aid of the interspace water.
However, on second thought, the village was indeed out of food. The previous vegetable patch had been depleted by Jiang Gui. Jiang Xia had been searching for the right moment to locate a new wild vegetable patch for everyone. However, it wouldn’t seem right since she was consistently the one to make these discoveries. This pattern would inevitably raise eyebrows over time, which is why Jiang Xia had refrained from acting.
If such discoveries were only attributed to one individual, it would invite suspicion. However, if many people were to find these vegetable patches, everyone would assume that the mountain was simply rich with undiscovered patches. No one would suspect any human intervention.
With this thought, Jiang Xia broke into a delighted smile, her voice turning even sweeter, “Of course, Uncle Li! You truly are a good person, always thinking of our village. I have the best memory for routes, I can surely draw a map for you!”
Receiving such praise from a child, Xiao Li couldn’t help but feel a bit shy. Swiftly, he grabbed a piece of pork and offered it to Jiang Xia, insisting, “Eat up, have some meat.”
As Jiang Xia delicately tasted the meat, she pondered where she might pour the interspace water next to grow a new vegetable patch. If she introduced seeds from the interspace and nurtured them in the mountain’s soil, nourishing them further with interspace water, wouldn’t it offer the villagers a culinary alternative to just wild vegetables? She wondered which vegetables would be ideal for planting and decided she would have to give this more thought.
After their meal, Jiang Chuan and Xiao Li decided that they would draft a map for him once they wrapped up their afternoon tasks. They advised him to gather the necessary provisions for his mountain expedition and set out at the crack of dawn two days hence.
Zhou Lan shared concerns about the time constraints and worried Xiao Li might fall short of essential supplies. Thus, she committed to preparing wild vegetable pancakes and corn buns for him to carry on his journey.
After everything was planned out, Xiao Li heaved a sigh of relief. He sent Jiang Chuan’s family away and began to carefully pack his bags..