After packing up all their belongings, the group walked behind the ox cart and left the small pool, quickly exiting the fork in the road. To make the ox cart go faster, Xiang Xi drove it slowly at the back, while Chen Lan, Er Zhuang, and Xu Mingxuan also got off the cart. They hurried towards the camp at a forced march pace, soon leaving the ox cart far behind.
Unexpectedly, the old ox, seeing Er Zhuang’s receding back, suddenly mooed loudly and ran forward with its sturdy legs, at an incredible speed! Xiang Xi, who was sitting leisurely on the ox cart, was startled by this sudden turn of events and shouted, gripping the handles on either side of the cart tightly to avoid falling off.
The three people walking quickly ahead heard Xiang Xi’s cry and slowed down, stopping to turn around and witness the thrilling scene.
Seeing the situation, Er Zhuang quickly shouted the old ox’s name, calling out, “Old Black, whoa, whoa, whoa, stop, whoa, whoa.” The ox stopped abruptly when it reached Er Zhuang.
Er Zhuang petted the ox’s head to comfort it, and the ox responded with moos. The scene of the man and the ox under the warm winter sun was incredibly natural and harmonious.
Chen Lan hadn't expected that the old ox, usually gentle, slow-moving, and lazy when grazing in the fields, could run so fast. Even a professional athlete might not be able to match its speed. She understood why ancient people often used fire ox formations in warfare; the thought of such a spectacle was terrifying. Su Dan Novel Network.
After this commotion, everyone had to get back on the ox cart. Fortunately, they were not far from the woods ahead of the camp.
The old ox seemed to have limbered up its legs from the recent run, and its speed had noticeably increased. Soon, the ox pulled the group to the edge of the woods. Chen Lan immediately took out a third of the prey from her system inventory and placed it on the ox cart, then said, “”.
Xu Mingxuan then gave instructions: “Er Zhuang, you first take a third of the prey back to the camp. Tell the cooks to prepare it early so we can have an extra meal tonight. You don't need to come back. Let Old Black rest well; it’s been working hard all day. Prepare some good fodder for it to replenish its strength, and also notify your Battalion Commander Liu to send more men to help move the prey.”
Er Zhuang nodded and replied, “Report, Political Commissar, I understand and guarantee the mission will be completed.” He then prepared to leave.
Hearing Xu Mingxuan mention preparing good fodder for the old ox made Chen Lan suddenly remember that she still had a lot of chopped alfalfa and chopped corn stalks in her system inventory. This was leftover fodder after a large number of livestock in the valley had been slaughtered, and the remaining animals couldn't finish it. Fearing it would spoil if stored for too long, she had specifically put it into the system inventory.
With this in mind, she immediately opened the system with her thoughts and took out ten packs each of chopped alfalfa and chopped corn stalks from the system inventory. Then, she called out to Er Zhuang, who was about to leave. She said, “Er Zhuang, wait a moment. Take one pack of this cattle feed back with you. When feeding the ox, mix these two types of feed together. This is concentrated feed, which is beneficial for the ox.”
Er Zhuang was delighted to hear that Chen Lan had also prepared feed for Old Black, grinning widely and saying, “Thank you, Sister-in-law, thank you, Sister-in-law! Now our Old Black will have something to eat in the winter and won't go hungry.”
Watching Er Zhuang drive the ox cart away, Chen Lan felt a pang of sadness and unease. It wasn't that she was being overly sentimental, but rather she sighed at the insignificance and helplessness of humans in the face of natural disasters.
Xu Mingxuan noticed Chen Lan’s subtle change in demeanor and walked over, taking her hand to offer comfort.
Xiang Xi glanced at the couple’s intimate interaction and, trying to lighten the mood, exaggeratedly said, “Oh my! Little Lan, shouldn’t you be mindful of your image? I’m still here, a living person! Look at you and Brother Ming Xuan being so lovey-dovey, it’s really an eyesore.”
Chen Lan immediately retorted, “Little Watermelon, that’s sheer jealousy! You’re envious of my good relationship with Brother Ming Xuan! That’s a classic case of envy, jealousy, and hatred. Hmph! I’ve decided, this time I’m definitely bringing you back a wife! I’ll arrange it for you once.”
As soon as Chen Lan spoke, Xiang Xi was so scared that he repeatedly begged for mercy, wailing, “Little Lan, I beg you, show some mercy! I won’t dare again! Please spare me!”
Xiang Xi bowed and pleaded, but Chen Lan remained unmoved.
Xu Mingxuan had initially been watching the scene, thinking they were just fooling around as usual! So he didn’t pay attention to their banter. Gradually, he noticed something was amiss; Chen Lan was serious about finding a wife for Xiang Xi. No wonder Xiang Xi was begging for mercy.
The reason was simple: ever since childhood, whatever Chen Lan emphasized repeatedly, she managed to accomplish. That’s why Xiang Xi had called her “Little Fairy” since he was young.
Therefore, Xu Mingxuan immediately interceded for Xiang Xi, saying, “Lan’er, finding a wife for Little Watermelon is important, but after all, she will be with him for a lifetime. At the very least, he should find someone he likes himself. Otherwise, how miserable would it be to spend a lifetime with someone you don’t like? Don’t you agree?”
Chen Lan thought for a moment and nodded, saying, “But I promised Mama Liu that I would definitely bring a wife back for Little Watermelon this time! And I have a very strong premonition that Little Watermelon will definitely like the girl I find this time!”
Seeing that his persuasion had little effect, Xu Mingxuan decided to change tactics and said, “Lan’er, you grew up with Xiang Xi, and you understand him best. He didn’t mean to upset you just now; he saw you were in a bad mood and deliberately bickered with you to distract you! Isn’t that right, Little Watermelon?”
Xiang Xi immediately and obsequiously said, “Yes, yes, that’s right! Little Lan, I don’t want to see you unhappy.”
Chen Lan sighed and said, “Little Watermelon, it’s not that I’m forcing you to find a wife, but you’re already getting older, and it’s time to find a good girl who will cherish you to spend your life with. Don’t waste your prime years and end up with regret.”
She then sighed again and continued, “Little Watermelon, honestly, sometimes I doubt whether my decision to bring your whole family to the valley was the right one! I always think, if your family were still living in the imperial capital, you might have gotten married and had children long ago. Perhaps you would already be the father of several children.”
Xiang Xi immediately said, “Little Lan, please stop talking. I promise you, this time I will find a wife before I go back, okay?”
Chen Lan immediately asked excitedly, “Little Watermelon, is that true? No pressure?”
Xiang Xi replied with a firm expression, “It’s true, no pressure, I agreed to it myself!”