Chen Lan watched for a long time, initially thinking Xiang Xi was making a sled, but the more she looked, the less it resembled one.
Before long, Xiao Shuan returned from outside. He took off his wet snow boots by the door, then his padded coat, shaking off the snowflakes clinging to it before hanging it on the coat rack by the entrance. He then pushed open the living room door.
Holding several pieces of wood he’d found somewhere, he entered the living room and handed them to Xiang Xi. He quickly removed his icy-cold gloves and his hat, which had been dampened by the snow.
Xiang Xi took the wooden planks and exclaimed happily, "Xiao Shuan, you're amazing! You actually found them."
He then picked up an axe and, on two thick planks, each over two feet long, he chopped out streamlined, upturned ends. On the reverse side of these two thick planks with upturned ends, he nailed several shorter planks, cut to the same length with a chainsaw, and that was it, it was finished.
Chen Lan looked again and again. It resembled the large sleds used to transport goods in the Changbai Mountains during winter, but it was much smaller than a real sled, so she decided to call it a small sled!
While Chen Lan was silently guessing, Xiang Xi, holding the newly made small sled, said to Ming Zhe, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi, "Little fellows, your brother and Xiao Shuan brother, Lin Mao brother, and Xiao Shan brother are going to play with the small sleds. Do you want to come play with us?"
Chen Lan thought, so it really was a small sled.
The three of them shouted in unison, "Yes, yes, we want to go, Xiang Xi brother, Xiao Shuan brother, wait for us."
With that, the three of them were so anxious they spun around in circles, looking for hats, gloves, and coats. It was a frantic search!
Ming Zhe bellowed, "Mom, where are my boots? Hurry and give me my boots, and my padded coat too."
His grandmother immediately ran out from the kitchen and yelled, "You brat, what are you shouting about? Why are you yelling so loudly? Don't scare Jia Hui and Jia Yao.
Your boots and padded coat are wet with snow. Wearing wet clothes can easily make you sick. My little ancestor, can you just stay put at home? Otherwise, when your eldest brother comes back next time, I'll have him deal with you."
Ming Zhe pouted and mumbled, "Mom, your voice isn't small either."
He then continued to act spoiled and wailed, "Ah! What do I do then? I want to go out and play with Xiang Xi brother, I don't care, I want to go out now!"
Meanwhile, brothers Wen Kai and Wen Qi were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
The grandmother, angry, roared, "You brat, what are you saying? Do you want to rebel? You, are your ears itching for a beating?"
Chen Lan saw that if this continued, Ming Zhe might get spanked. The two younger brothers had never been out to play properly with an adult male since they were little; they were severely lacking in fatherly love.
So she said, "Wait, Ming Zhe, Wen Kai, Wen Qi, don't worry. I have rewards for the three of you in my room upstairs for helping me collect the winter vegetables.
I remember there's a pair of fur-lined boots, a waterproof padded jacket and coat, and scarves, gloves, hats, and some other things I can't quite recall. You wait here, I'll go upstairs and get them for you."
With that, she handed the twin brother and sister to her grandmother, who was sitting to the side, huffing, and then walked towards the stairs, went upstairs, and returned to her room.
She immediately opened the system with her mind and placed an order for three sets of children's ski suits.
When she took them out of the system's warehouse, Chen Lan was stunned. Why were there so many? A huge pile of items, many of which Chen Lan had never seen before.
She opened the outer packaging and examined each item carefully. There were ski suits, helmets, snow boots, and a quick-drying shirt: "As the name suggests, you sweat easily while playing. Pure cotton underwear doesn't wick away moisture well, but quick-drying clothes can keep your body dry."
There were also goggles, face masks, ski socks, and protective gear to cover the vital parts of the body and prevent injuries.
When Chen Lan brought the items downstairs, the three little ones were waiting eagerly.
As soon as they saw Chen Lan come down, they immediately swarmed around her.
Chen Lan quickly said, "Don't rush, let's go to the kitchen. It's warm there with the fire. I'll demonstrate for Grandma and Mom, and help you put them on one by one!"
And so, the daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, and three children busied themselves in the kitchen. After a while, they finally got everything sorted. Su Dan Novel Network.
Once they were all in their ski gear, they stood up straight, looking incredibly proud.
Xiang Xi and Xiao Shuan saw them and said, "Hoo, look at you guys, you look quite impressive! Let's go! Hurry up, it'll be dark if we dawdle any longer."
The group said no more and quickly ran outside.
Xiang Xi took out the small sled and led everyone to the bottom of a sloping hillside. Lin Mao and Xiao Shan were already waiting there. They greeted each other.
Xiao Shan asked, "Why did you take so long?"
Xiang Xi replied, "We were waiting for these three little guys."
After saying that, he put down the small sled he was holding, and he and Xiao Shuan began clearing rocks, branches, and any other obstacles from the bottom of the slope. Lin Mao, Xiao Shan, and the three little ones also helped. Soon, the area at the bottom of the slope was cleared.
Xiang Xi took the small sled, climbed up the slope, and sat on it. The sled slid down the slope with a "whizz," carving a long track in the snow.
The three children let out a surprised cheer: "Wow! It looks so fun."
Amidst their exclamations, Xiao Shuan took the small sled, climbed up the slope, and sat on it just like Xiang Xi. The sled slid down the slope with a "whizz," carving another track in the snow.
It was very fast, like an arrow shooting down the mountainside with a "whoosh." It was still a bit dangerous.
This again drew a round of amazed shouts from the three children.
Xiao Shan swaggered up the slope with the sled. This time, Xiao Shan sat on the sled in a different posture, with his legs extended in front of him. The sled slid down the slope with a "whizz."
Sitting this way allowed him to control the speed of the descent. If the sled went too fast, he could drag the heels of his feet on the snow track, acting as brakes.
If he needed to turn left, he would press his left foot; if he needed to turn right, he would press his right foot. He just had to be careful not to press too hard or too suddenly, otherwise, he would flip over and tumble down the slope.
Lin Mao also picked up a sled from the ground and climbed up the slope. This time, he also changed his posture to perform for the little ones. Lin Mao lay prone on the small sled, lifting his head high, with his feet dragging on the snow. The tips of his feet acted like brakes.
If he needed to turn left, he would hook his left toes firmly into the snow. If he needed to turn right, he would hook his right toes firmly into the snow.
If he found the sled was going too fast, he would hook the tips of both feet into the snow simultaneously.
After a few runs, in a short amount of time, the snow track became crystal clear and bright. When the small sled was released, it could slide for over a hundred meters.
The three little ones were eager to try sliding with Xiang Xi and the others. Xiang Xi and the others didn't disappoint them. Again and again, they took turns bringing the three little ones up the slope and then "whooshing" them back down.
The joyous laughter of the group echoed in the valley for a long time.