In the frigid north, some people enjoy winter swimming. They break the ice and jump directly into the icy river, believing it strengthens their bodies.
With these precedents, Gu Qingcheng knew winter swimming was feasible, as long as their bodies could withstand it.
So, they were currently training in warm water, but later they would have to train in cold water.
Natural disasters were not gentle; they had to be prepared for all eventualities.
After training, the three returned to the warm indoors to dry themselves and change clothes.
Gu Qingcheng asked Mi Guo, "Brother, do you find this life difficult?"
"Not difficult. I find it very interesting. Compared to my past life, I prefer this one."
Being able to eat their fill and stay warm, and having people who cared for him, these were the most important things to Mi Guo.
Moreover, Mi Guo could feel that the hardship he was enduring now was not like the exploitation from his aunt in the past, who wished she could suck every drop of blood from him.
All the suffering he endured now was to make him a more capable person.
Whether it was fitness, archery, or swimming, it all enhanced his abilities. This was fundamentally different from his life with his uncle.
As night fell, Gu Chaobei had not yet returned. He had sent someone up the mountain to deliver a message, stating that he had successfully treated Deputy Commander Huo and would remain at the Huo mansion to observe the subsequent medical effects. He told them not to worry about him and just to secure their doors at night.
Receiving his father's message, Gu Qingcheng knew that Deputy Commander Huo's life was saved. His appendix must not have suppurated and ulcerated yet, otherwise, his father wouldn't have sounded so relaxed.
A light snow began to fall, but the snowflakes quickly melted upon hitting the ground, failing to create a scene of white snow.
The light snow lasted for about half an hour. Gu Qingcheng looked at the system thermometer; it was already minus 21 degrees Celsius, another degree down, a typical northern winter.
Gu Qingcheng went outside to watch the snow for a while, shook the snowflakes from her head, and returned inside, asking,
"Mom, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Let's have hot pot again. It's warm. How about I make some dumplings for you as the staple food?"
Hu Lanfang volunteered.
It was good when children grew up; they didn't need to be force-fed and would come to her for food. Hu Lanfang, as an old mother, felt greatly comforted.
Gu Qingcheng, thinking of her mother's dumplings, felt a little troubled. It wasn't that they weren't delicious, but rather that the filling she made wasn't very good. It was either too salty or had other issues that couldn't be pinpointed. In short, she didn't particularly appreciate them but couldn't say so directly for fear of dampening her mother's enthusiasm.
Mi Guo seemed to notice something amiss and volunteered, saying,
"Mom, why don't I make the dumplings, and you can prepare the hot pot broth?"
Hu Lanfang thought it made sense. Dividing the work would be faster, so she readily agreed.
Gu Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief and secretly gave Mi Guo a heart gesture.
The hot pot broth was actually quite simple. When they had made broth before, Gu Qingcheng had deliberately made an extra large batch, then packed it into preservation boxes and stored it in the pantry.
Now, when they wanted hot pot, they could just take it out and pour it into the pot. The flavor was as delicious as when it was freshly made.
Gu Qingcheng was inspired and thought that in the future, they should prepare more hot pot broth. Then, they could enjoy hot pot and wine on their journey during the famine.
Wait, was this still a famine?
It felt more like an outing.
But an outing didn't involve life-threatening danger!
Gu Qingcheng thought, "I'm just finding a little sweetness for myself amidst the hardships."
Mi Guo knew they wanted pork and chive dumplings and had already started chopping the meat. He picked up two cleavers at once and chopped the meat on the cutting board with loud clanging sounds, finishing quickly.
Then he sprinkled salt on the chopped chives, mixed them well, and let them marinate for a while. He squeezed out some of the water from the chive filling to prevent the dumpling wrappers from bursting during cooking.
Finally, he added the meat to the chives, along with soy sauce, MSG, and other seasonings, and mixed everything evenly. The filling was ready.
The dumpling wrappers were readily available at the supermarket. With the filling prepared, Mi Guo started making dumplings.
Mi Guo had all the potential to be an outstanding graduate of the chef program at Lanxiang Technical School. The dumplings he made were all plump and round, like cute little bunnies, and not a single one split open when cooked.
Mi Guo scooped out the boiled dumplings and placed them on a clean white plate. He then prepared garlic sauce and a spicy sour sauce, bringing them to the table, making Gu Qingcheng and her mother's mouths water.
Knowing that Gu Qingcheng liked pan-fried dumplings, Mi Guo also fried a plate of them.
The staple food was ready, and the hot pot broth was boiling.
Mi Guo was now very skilled at cooking hot pot. His favorites were sliced lamb and Fuzhou fish balls.
Of course, there was plenty to eat.
They could eat whatever they wanted.
As long as Gu Qingcheng was happy...
Gu Chaobei stayed at the Huo mansion for three days before being carried back in a sedan chair by the Huo mansion staff.
After the Huo mansion servants left, a pile of thank-you gifts and chests remained in the hall.
Gu Qingcheng looked at the chests and then at her father, saying thoughtfully,
"Divine Doctor Gu, it seems that with your medical skills alone, we can live without worry in this era. What kind of difficult illness did Deputy Commander Huo have that brought him to the brink of death?"
Gu Chaobei burst into laughter and said,
"It was appendicitis. By the time I operated, his appendix was almost ruptured. Fortunately, it didn't perforate. After the surgery and antibiotics, his fever subsided, and he gradually regained consciousness. They just worried about a relapse, so they insisted I stay for another three days."
"What did you do at the general's mansion for these three days?"
Hu Lanfang knew that once an appendectomy was done, as long as the wound didn't get infected, it would heal on its own, and doctors wouldn't need to do anything further. Wouldn't Gu Chaobei be very idle there?
"I didn't do much, just ate, drank tea, and chatted with Young Master Huo about everything, learning about the local customs and traditions. He said that the road south is very unsafe now, not only because of tigers and jackals, but also because some refugees on the road have become bandits out of desperation. The situation is very grim."
Hu Lanfang listened and didn't think much more, nodding and saying, "Fortunately, we didn't rashly head south."
Hearing his wife say this, without any further thought, Gu Chaobei breathed a sigh of relief and took a large gulp of tea to calm his nerves.
Tsk, besides chatting, Young Master Huo was overly enthusiastic. Did he dare mention it? He had driven away several maids who were sent to warm his bed at night. He hadn't slept well, it was truly exhausting.
But if he told his wife about such things, he wouldn't be able to spend a night outside again.
Men, after all, had to bear everything themselves!
"It seems we should wait for the water levels to rise before sailing south. Then, with the speed of the speedboat, we can greatly accelerate our progress."
Gu Qingcheng revised her plan. Originally, she had planned to leave after the extreme cold arrived and they had adapted to the weather. But with the road being so difficult now, wouldn't setting out now make them walking targets for robbery?