The fire was lit, and a simple stove was erected. Several wooden stakes supported sticks as thick as a child's wrist, upon which a pot was hung.
First, they needed to boil water so everyone could drink some hot water and then cook some porridge. Combined with their dried rations, that would be sufficient.
Before long, those who had gone to gather firewood began to return one after another.
To avoid freezing to death in the mountains, the fire could not be extinguished. They had collected a substantial amount of firewood, enough for the entire night. Additionally, two men had managed to hunt wild chickens, which was a good catch.
Having spent years on the road, they were adept at preparing wild game. They plucked the wild chickens, gutted them, cleaned them thoroughly, and then skewered them directly onto wooden sticks. Sprinkling them with salt and chili powder, they were soon roasting and sizzling with oil.
The aroma wafted out. With over a dozen people sharing two chickens, it was clearly not enough. They decided to tear the chicken meat apart and add it to the porridge, which tasted even better. They even ate two extra steamed buns.
"A Wu, arrange for the night watch."
"Yes."
A Wu immediately selected two people for the night watch and arranged for two more to relieve them. He himself rested near the cave entrance, ensuring he could react instantly to any unexpected events.
Li Man'er lay on the fox fur blanket, feeling extremely warm beneath her. She also had a blanket, similar to A Si's, not very thick but convenient to carry and excellent at retaining warmth.
With so many people around, it wasn't her turn to stand watch.
Li Man'er yawned, tucking half her face into the blanket, and soon fell asleep.
Qi Yihan sat beside her. Seeing her sleeping so soundly, his expression grew increasingly dark.
Little liar, she promised to share half the blanket with him!
He had waited with anticipation, only for this?
Qi Yihan pulled his cloak tighter and leaned against the stone wall to sleep.
Snow began to fall in the middle of the night, accompanied by a ceaseless wind.
Fortunately, they had found a cave and had enough firewood for the night. Otherwise, they would have fallen ill from the cold even if they hadn't frozen to death.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, when Li Man'er woke, the fire in the cave had not yet died out.
The scouts had already gone out, and A Wu was reporting last night's situation to Qi Yihan. Everything had gone smoothly, with no incidents.
Soon, a scout returned, reporting that they had found a water source. However, the pool was frozen over with a thick layer of ice. To get water, they would need to transport ice blocks back and then melt them in a pot.
"First, get the ice blocks. A Wu, take a group of people and go."
"Yes."
A Wu left with six people, while the others used the remaining water from yesterday to cook porridge.
There was no chicken left, so they tore the steamed buns into pieces and added them to the porridge, seasoned with a little salt.
After waiting for about half an hour, A Wu and his group had not returned. Qi Yihan was very worried and was considering sending someone to look for them when A Wu came back.
"Your Highness, we found something."
"Speak."
"When we were collecting water, we found this by the water's edge." He handed the object to Qi Yihan. Li Man'er vaguely saw what looked like a smooth bone, without sharp edges. However, the bone had a hint of jade color, appearing quite unusual.
Qi Yihan played with the bone, about the size of a baby's fist, and couldn't help but ask, "Did you search thoroughly?"
A Wu nodded. "We searched. There was only this one piece."
Qi Yihan was not satisfied. He turned to Li Man'er and said, "You stay here. I'll go take another look."
"Alright. You go ahead!"
Qi Yihan quickly emerged from the cave and followed A Wu to the water's edge.
A Si ladled the porridge from the pot and brought over another, smaller pot, into which she placed all the ice blocks A Wu and his group had brought back.
Li Man'er leaned closer and pushed two or three branches into the fire, asking softly, "What was the Prince holding? It looked like a bone to me."
A Si replied, "This servant does not know. A Wu has always been highly trusted by the Prince. There are many things even A Qi and A Jiu do not know, let alone this servant."
A Si surmised that Qi Yihan would not hide anything from Li Man'er, but now was not the time to discuss such matters. She comforted her, "The Prince will surely find a suitable opportunity to tell you."
Li Man'er pouted, indicating she didn't care.
Soon, the ice melted, and the water in the pot began to boil. A Si carefully took the pot off the fire and placed it aside to cool.
"Fill the bamboo tubes completely, and also fill the water skins generously."
If necessary, there was snow everywhere, and it could be melted and drunk.
Li Man'er finished her porridge, and Qi Yihan returned, covered in wind and snow.
His expression alone indicated that he had found nothing.
"Come, warm yourself by the fire." Li Man'er handed him the porridge. "Drink something hot."
Qi Yihan took it and finished the porridge in a few mouthfuls.
With his tall stature, this small amount was surely not enough. Li Man'er opened her small bundle and took out a large handful of dried meat, leaving a few for Qi Yihan and giving the rest to A Si to distribute to everyone.
Qi Yihan saw the dried meat in her hand and was even more surprised. "This is beef. Where did you get it?"
"Is beef rare in Mobei? As long as one is willing to spend money, anything can be bought. I noticed you didn't bring much dried food, salt, or meat when you set out, nor did you prepare any sugar. So, I had to arrange some myself."
Her face neither flushed nor did her breath falter as she described the dried meat from her spatial storage as something purchased in Mobei, a common food for the people and barbarians there.
"Eat quickly, so we can set off once you're done." Qi Yihan popped the dried meat into his mouth, and a rich, savory flavor spread across his palate.
Everyone else was also eating happily. With meat, they had energy. When they couldn't hunt, this dried meat could sustain them.
"It snowed last night. Although it wasn't heavy, the weather has become colder." Qi Yihan said, "If you can't carry it later, I'll carry it for you."
"No need." Li Man'er quickly packed up. Her belongings were all in her spatial storage; what was outside was just for show, to conceal its existence.
Soon, the bundle she carried attracted the attention of others, and even Qi Yihan found her bundle remarkable.
"I didn't notice it before. Did you make this bag yourself?" No wonder it could hold so much, like a treasure pouch.
"I don't know how to do needlework. This was made by someone helping me. Although I didn't make it myself, this bag was made according to my design. Look at these two straps; they can be worn directly over the shoulders, and the shoulder straps are wide, so they won't dig into you even after wearing them for a long time." Li Man'er added, "My blanket can be tied here, saving space and ensuring it won't fall off."
In reality, Li Man'er had asked someone to help her sew a large hiking backpack, the kind that could hold a lot. Even if she took out more items, people seeing her bag wouldn't find the presence of these items too out of the ordinary.
"What do you think? Isn't it good? I have another one, do you want it?"
Qi Yihan couldn't help but smile as he saw her eager expression, wanting to show off. "You brought it?"
"Wait!" She immediately put down the large bag she was wearing and fumbled in the outermost pocket, pulling out a neatly folded, square bag. "Found it."