Chen Lan turned her head to Xiang Xi and said, "Little Watermelon, haven't you always wanted to do business? When that time comes, no one will stop you from doing business anywhere across the country."
Xiang Xi immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Really? Little Lanzi, if it's as you say, I'll do business nationwide, with my shops everywhere, selling the things I produce."
Chen Lan gave Xiang Xi a thumbs-up, praising, "Little Watermelon, that's the spirit! Ambitious!"
She then patted his shoulder encouragingly, "Little Watermelon, I believe in you, work hard! Strive to sell your products all over the world."
Xiang Xi raised his head proudly and said, "That's a given! Little Lanzi, when that time comes, you'll be enjoying the good life with me!"
Chen Lan high-fived Xiang Xi and said, "Little Watermelon, then it's a deal. We've made our promise now, you can't go back on your word!"
Er Zhuang quickly chimed in, "Me too, me too, don't forget about me! Remember to bring me along."
Xiang Xi waved his hand generously and said, "I won't forget, I'll definitely bring you! For now, just do your best in the team, and take good care of yourself. When you're discharged and come home, you'll enjoy the good life with me."
The group sat in the ox cart, bumping along towards the camp, dreaming of a beautiful future. They had been busy all morning, and it was past lunchtime, their stomachs growling with hunger.
Chen Lan then said, "Mingxuan ge, Little Watermelon, let's find a place to rest and grab a bite to eat. Besides, the ox has traveled a long way with us, it's time to give it some fodder and water. Even if we rush back to camp now, it's already past mealtime."
Xiang Xi immediately agreed, "Yes, that's right, Mingxuan ge, let's listen to Little Lanzi! Besides, it's more convenient to talk out here. Let's find a sheltered spot nearby, have something to eat, and discuss our specific action plan for the opposite side."
Xu Mingxuan thought about it and found Xiang Xi's words quite reasonable. He then said to Er Zhuang, "Er Zhuang, turn right at that fork ahead. Not too far, I remember there's a small pond there. I wonder if it's dried up this year."
Er Zhuang cheerfully agreed, patted the ox's hindquarters, and shouted, "Da da da!" The ox in front obediently turned towards the small path on the right of the fork.
The road was rough and bumpy, so the group got off the cart and walked alongside the ox cart. Relying on the ox's natural instinct for finding water, they reached their destination in a short while. They could see a small pond in the distance, with many animals drinking at its edge. Sudan Novel Network.
Chen Lan immediately whispered to everyone, "Everyone, be quiet."
At this moment, Er Zhuang quietly called out, "Whoa, whoa." The ox cart had stopped.
Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan exchanged a glance. Chen Lan immediately took two crossbows and twelve carbon steel arrows from the system's storage, handing Xu Mingxuan one crossbow and six carbon steel arrows.
Chen Lan wanted to see what kind of animals were drinking at the pond, but it was a bit far, and she could only see their hindquarters, so she wasn't entirely sure what they were.
The couple loaded their six carbon steel arrows, adjusted the red dot sights, and then quietly moved forward. Once they were within the optimal range of the crossbows, they stopped simultaneously. At this point, they could clearly see that the animals drinking at the pond were roe deer and wild goats.
Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan couldn't help but feel delighted. Chen Lan secretly rejoiced at her spontaneous idea, otherwise, they would have missed this hunting opportunity. The couple cooperated perfectly, without needing words, a mere glance conveyed their meaning. They divided their tasks and pressed the firing buttons almost simultaneously. Their shots were true, and in an instant, they had bagged six wild goats and six roe deer.
The other animals, needless to say, had all fled.
Xiang Xi and Er Zhuang quickly drove the ox cart to the pond. Without a second thought, they rushed to the edge of the pond and began to process the game. First, they carefully removed the carbon steel arrows from the bodies of the twelve animals, preparing to wash them clean with the water from the pond.
But as soon as Xiang Xi's hand touched the water, he exclaimed, "Wow! The water is warm! Little Lanzi, come quickly and feel it! In this cold weather, the water is warm!"
Chen Lan, hearing Xiang Xi, also came over and saw that the small pond was as calm as a mirror, with mist swirling around it. After observing for a long time, Chen Lan was completely baffled. It was strange. There was no waterfall, so where was the gurgling stream coming from? Moreover, the water temperature was clearly quite high, with mist rising from the surface, and no sign of freezing. Could there be hot springs underground, or was this originally a volcanic crater?
Unable to figure it out, Chen Lan stopped thinking about it. She bent down and put her hand into the pond to wash it. The water was indeed warm, not excessively so, estimated to be around twenty degrees Celsius.
Xiang Xi handed the cleaned twelve carbon steel arrows to Chen Lan. Chen Lan took them and put them into the system's storage.
It was getting late, and their stomachs had been growling for a long time. Chen Lan took out three daggers and a knife from the system's storage and handed them to Xu Mingxuan, asking the three men to clean the wild goats first, preparing a lamb stew with a leg and a rack of ribs.
Both the leg and ribs were perfect for stewing. When cooked, the lamb would be tender, and the broth exceptionally rich and delicious. This way, they could both eat meat and drink soup, which was incredibly blissful in such a desolate wilderness.
Chen Lan's mouth watered just thinking about the delicious lamb.
Chen Lan then took out a large iron pot from the system's storage, found three large stones to use as a tripod, cleaned the pot, and started to boil water.
Stewing lamb took a considerable amount of time, so Chen Lan gave each of them a corn-flour steamed bun to tide them over, telling them that good food was worth waiting for.
Xiang Xi was initially reluctant to eat the steamed bun, but his hunger got the better of him, so he reluctantly ate one.
By the time they were all holding large bowls and drinking the flavorful lamb soup, it was already half past two in the afternoon.
The four hungry individuals found the lamb soup from their impromptu picnic to be exceptionally delicious, and the lamb was incredibly tender.