Chen Lan, carrying a basket on her back and a snakeskin bag, hunted her way down the mountain, bagging six large wild pheasants and eight plump rabbits. By the time she was nearing the foot of the mountain, she was already drenched in sweat, her face flushed red, her breathing labored, and her heart pounding intensely, her body feeling weak. From afar, she spotted the women's army tending to their vegetable patch and watering the plants.
Chen Lan took a deep breath and shouted loudly, "Granny, Cui Qiao, Zhao Xiaoyue!" Ming Zhe, who was watering the vegetables in the valley, heard her. Looking up, he saw Chen Lan and shouted back, pointing towards the mountain, "Look quickly, it's eldest sister calling from the mountain!"
Hearing Ming Zhe, everyone looked up towards the mountain and saw Chen Lan carrying a large snakeskin bag, descending. Seeing this, Granny estimated that she had brought back something substantial and quickly instructed Zhao Xiaoyue and Hu Yuzhen to go up the mountain to meet her.
After the two women took over the basket and the snakeskin bag, Chen Lan felt her breathing ease and her heart stop its rapid pounding. She let out a deep sigh and followed them down the mountain.
The women, seeing how heavy the descending basket and snakeskin bag looked, all prepared to help. Cui Qiao and Mother Cui were closer, so they stepped forward and each lent a hand, taking the items and placing them on the ground. Mother Cui, helping with the basket, almost dropped it, exclaiming, "This is so heavy, what's inside? It's still moving!"
Granny hurried forward, lifted the grass covering it, and also exclaimed, "My heavens! How did you get so much in such a short time?"
Granny immediately sprang into action. Seeing the three still digging and planting vegetables, she shouted, "Lin Mai, Hong Xiu, Ming Wei, you three drop what you're doing and come over here to help. Let Ming Zhe, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi, those three little rascals, finish the rest. This work is simple, they can handle it."
She then instructed, "Ming Zhe, Wen Kai, Wen Qi, the remaining work, and the task of watering this vegetable patch are all yours, you three little men. We need to go and process the game your eldest sister brought back. We'll have a big meal for you this afternoon to satisfy your cravings. Can you complete this task?"
The three puffed out their chests and, wearing their straw hats, nodded and replied, "No problem!" With that, they took over the unfinished work from the three women and diligently began.
Granny had everyone carry the items under the shade of the trees, found the knife and basins used for cutting potatoes last time, and instructed Ming Wei, Zhao Xiaoyue, Cui Qiao, and Hu Yuzhen to gather firewood.
Lin Mai, Mother Cui, Mother Liu, and Granny herself, the four of them, would slaughter the chickens to pluck their feathers and skin the rabbits. It looked like they were preparing to process the game on the spot!
Chen Lan quickly purchased a large iron pot and several stainless steel basins from the system and handed them to Granny. As she handed them over, she asked, "Granny, did you mention the hot springs to the men today?"
Granny looked at Chen Lan, perplexed, and said, "I did. I told them to finish work early this afternoon and go soak in the hot springs up on the mountain. Oh! Right, Xiao Lan, if you hadn't asked, I would have forgotten. You rest for a while. Later, go and tidy up the hot spring area, put more water and fruit juice there, and also some snacks. I'm afraid they'll get hungry and dizzy from soaking. I remember we didn't dismantle the tents yesterday when we left, right?"
Chen Lan nodded and replied, "We didn't. I'll go to the hot spring area later and buy the things and put them in the tents. Oh! Right, Granny, should I buy them swimwear too?"
Granny nodded and said, "Buy it! Buy it for everyone. Doesn't matter if they're men or women. Oh! No, just buy swim trunks for the men." Sudan Novel Network
After resting for a good while, Chen Lan recovered her strength. Seeing everyone busy and the three younger brothers sweating profusely in the fields, she decided to help them finish their work so she could take them to the hot springs first to relieve their fatigue and cool them down.
With Chen Lan's help, the remaining work was finished in about half an hour. After watering all the vegetable patches, Chen Lan, along with her three brothers, informed Granny and headed towards the opposite mountain.
As the four siblings walked up, the younger brothers couldn't help but exclaim, especially Ming Zhe, who let out his characteristic exclamation, "My heavens! It's too beautiful! Too gorgeous! So happy!"
Chen Lan, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi couldn't help but chuckle, bursting into laughter. They continued upwards, laughing, and as they went higher, their exclamations grew louder. When they passed the goji berry grove, the three brothers suddenly fell silent. Chen Lan looked at them in confusion, only to find them with their mouths agape, stunned. Seeing them still dazed, she didn't bother with them and quickly purchased three pairs of children's swim trunks from the system, buying large sizes for comfort. Seeing the brothers no longer dazed and murmuring quietly to each other, Chen Lan ignored them and continued to buy yogurt, juice, and purified water, placing them next to the tents under the shade of the trees. She also bought thirteen pairs of adult swim trunks, also large sizes, and placed them at the entrance of the tents.
Picking up the three pairs of children's swim trunks and three bottles of yogurt, she walked towards the brothers. She gave each of them a bottle of yogurt to drink. After they finished, she handed them the swim trunks and told them to change in the tents. Seeing them still in a daze, Chen Lan went into the tent herself. She quickly took out yesterday's swimwear from the system, changed swiftly, and walked out of the tent towards the spot where she had soaked yesterday. Step by step, she slowly entered the hot spring water, leaning her head back against the edge of the pool, closing her eyes to enjoy the massage of the warm spring water.
Upon seeing this, the three brothers hurried into the tent, quickly changed into their swim trunks, and came to Chen Lan's side. Chen Lan opened her eyes as they approached, then stood up in the spring water, holding their small hands as they slowly entered the pool. As they were not very tall, she had them stand by her arms to soak.
The four siblings soaked in the hot spring for twenty minutes before Chen Lan quickly called the brothers out. Since they were too young for prolonged soaking, the four siblings each drank a bottle of plum juice to replenish vitamins and hydration. Then, they changed their clothes and prepared to head back.
Chen Lan, holding the drowsy brothers, quickly descended the mountain to the valley. By then, Granny and the others had just finished cleaning all the game.
Seeing Chen Lan return, Granny came forward and pulled her aside, saying, "Xiao Lan, look, the game is all cleaned up. There's too much, and it's too hot to keep. We won't be able to finish it all tonight. Why don't we stew a pot at noon today to give them a treat in advance?"
Chen Lan replied, "Granny, you just decide what you think is best! I have no objections." With that, she purchased the ingredients for stewing meat from the system and handed them to Granny. Granny, beaming with joy, directed Chef Lin Mai to get started.
Thus, everyone enjoyed a hearty meat feast for lunch that day.