The day's work begins in the morning.
With everyone's cooperation, everything was managed in an orderly fashion.
Su Miaomiao even helped clear some snow, shoveling it from the yard outwards, and also clearing away some snow from where the traps were set.
The remaining bit of snow served as a good cover, though it made things difficult for people to distinguish.
Su Miaomiao then stuck the shovel borrowed from Shanaocun village into the ground and, with one hand on her hip, declared, "If you can't remember the locations, then just stay away from here! Walk along the edges, and you'll definitely be fine!"
Everyone naturally agreed upon hearing this.
She then clapped her hands.
Returning the shovel to a passing villager, she continued to adjust the traps.
She didn't seem bothered by the cold.
Cheng Hao, after finishing his discussion with Uncle Ji, had also helped others along the way before finding his childhood sweetheart. Seeing her working diligently and not running off, he sighed inwardly at how well-behaved she was, yet he felt reluctant to let her work.
He went over and squatted down beside her, "How is it? Are you done?"
Su Miaomiao knew it was him just by the sound of his footsteps, so she replied without looking up, "It wasn't much work to begin with; I was just slightly covering the tracks."
She muttered this.
Then she stood up, looking quite satisfied, indicating she was finished.
Cheng Hao stood up as well.
The young man's stature seemed to be growing straighter and taller.
This made his childhood sweetheart appear petite and delicate.
Seen from a distance, their figures were a perfect match, well-suited for each other!
The villagers couldn't help but sigh, "This is truly a case of talented man and beautiful woman!"
Su Miaomiao also looked up at him, suddenly narrowing her cat-like eyes. She squinted at him, scrutinizing him carefully, before comparing their heights.
"Cheng Hao, have you grown a bit taller again? How are you growing so fast?"
Su Miaomiao said this with a hint of dissatisfaction. She looked at her own height and puffed out her cheeks, not entirely pleased with her current stature.
Cheng Hao simply responded, "Hmm? I suppose I have grown, but it's nothing strange."
His body was naturally in its growth phase; it was normal for him to have a growth spurt.
"Wasn't I also going through a rapid growth spurt around this time back then?"
Cheng Hao didn't dwell on it. Instead, he took Su Miaomiao's hand and felt it. It was cold, so he instinctively rubbed it for her before putting it into his pocket. FQ Xiao Shu Ge
"Where to next?"
He seemed ready to accompany her anywhere, clearly intending to follow her.
Su Miaomiao was happy that he was with her, so she stopped worrying about heights and said with a smile, "Let's go out for a stroll. See if there's anything we can pick up cheap. In this cold weather, some animals might have been caught off guard and frozen to death last night, like birds. We can also look for other edible things and bring some back."
She also mentioned wanting a "blackboard." Since there wouldn't be one here, she wanted to find a stone slab, a rough one, on which she could write and draw. Later, she could use a wet cloth as an eraser.
It could be reused.
Chalk could be replaced by a fire poker.
"If we could find a few more medicinal herbs, it would be even better as teaching material for everyone."
Cheng Hao nodded upon hearing this, indicating no objection, "Then let's go."
He said this coolly, with his hands in his pockets.
Su Miaomiao became happy and tickled his palm with her hand in his pocket.
She was beaming.
She was just happy that he was willing to accompany her in whatever she did, and she found it exhilarating!
Cheng Hao was content as long as she was happy.
Then the two of them walked towards the woods.
Lai Fu saw them and was worried. He was about to ask them where they were going in such heavy snow!
But Little Wuzi, who happened to pass by, shushed him, "Don't mind the masters. Don't disturb them, don't disturb them."
He felt he was very perceptive and that the two were very close. He saw how affectionate they were, so it wouldn't be good to disturb them rashly.
These past few days.
Little Wuzi and Little Liuzi had also become familiar with Lai Fu and Jia Wang. Now, they talked about everything.
Lai Fu, somewhat clueless, seeing that Little Wuzi, who was younger than him, seemed to know what was going on, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why are you telling me not to call out to the masters?"
In this icy weather, what if they got lost? Lai Fu was very worried.
Little Wuzi, having seen through it all, was holding a basin of water and shaking his head, "If it were anyone else, I would worry too, but the Eldest Young Master and Eldest Young Mistress are divine! If others can get into trouble, they definitely won't. The Eldest Young Master is also very thorough in his actions, so he must have something important to go out with the Young Mistress for!"
Either it's a serious matter or the young couple is out for a walk.
Their Eldest Young Master and Eldest Young Mistress have a very good relationship. Little Wuzi and Little Liuzi often see them, either holding hands or whispering intimately. It makes them envious and shy.
In those days, people were still relatively reserved. Even the Head of the family and his wife would at most adjust each other's clothes, and that was already considered overly intimate.
Unlike this young couple, holding hands was considered discreet, and they were always together.
So.
They, as servants, shouldn't disturb them, lest they feel embarrassed. After all, they were holding hands again, and their affection was truly strong.
Little Wuzi couldn't help but smile as he watched their well-matched backs.
Lai Fu, though he only half-understood, nodded and chose to believe him. When he came to his senses and wanted to ask him a few more questions, Little Wuzi had already left.
He could only scratch his head.
Finally, he went back to work.
Meanwhile.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao were not in a hurry. They tapped and poked around with sticks, searching, and occasionally prodding anything suspicious.
This just goes to show that if one isn't lazy, they won't starve. If they go out, they won't necessarily return empty-handed.
Su Miaomiao's lucky charm also seemed to have crossed over with her. She actually found several snakes that were frozen stiff, and quite a few birds.
"Even mosquitoes are meat, no matter how small! This is great, truly great! Another bountiful harvest today!"
Cheng Hao watched his childhood sweetheart tie a string of snakes and birds together with a stick. The scene was both strange and amusing. She had also collected all the bird eggs from the nests.
Otherwise, they would have frozen to death, so it was better to benefit human stomachs.
With Cheng Hao around, Su Miaomiao didn't need to be vigilant about anything; he handled everything. She just needed to collect things. Occasionally, in places where there were snowdrifts, she could see the tips of grass, and even then, she managed to find a few medicinal herbs. The snow had fallen so abruptly that many plants were still green.
But they wouldn't last much longer.
The two of them went out for a walk, considering it exercise and a chance to bring back some supplies.
Everyone saw that they had returned with a rich harvest again and couldn't help but praise them for never returning empty-handed whenever they went out. As for others, it was good enough if they could find their way back. The outside was now a vast expanse of white.
Without keen eyesight and a good memory,
One would truly get lost.
Cheng Hao earnestly warned everyone, "If you have nothing important to do, you should go out less. If you must go out, don't go in groups of two or three; at least seven or eight people."
However, he still advised against venturing out privately without any organization.