Chapter 62: Sleepless Night and a Treasure Hunt

That night, Huang Dalian lay beside Ming Dai, while Zhou Sinian slept on the other side of the firewood pile, effectively dividing the shelter into two separate “rooms.”

“Xiao Ming,” Huang Dalian said, “it’s a good thing you let me soak my feet. Otherwise, I’d be afraid of stinking you out.”

Ming Dai snuggled into her blanket. “It’s nothing. Conditions are tough, and after a whole day of traveling, I’d probably stink you out if I didn’t wash either.”

Huang Dalian burst into hearty laughter. “Oh, you couldn’t stink me out if you tried! You don’t know—back home in winter, the whole family sleeps on one big heated brick bed. The smell?  Oh, let me tell you! Especially my husband—he’s got the sweatiest feet! When I wash his shoes, I have to pinch my nose… gah!”

She suddenly fell silent, as if someone had grabbed her by the throat.

Ming Dai turned her head and saw Zhou Sinian peeking out from the firewood pile, staring at them intently. He was clearly displeased with Huang Dalian’s nonstop chatter.

Only after confirming that there was no more talking did he lie back down.

When Ming Dai turned around again, Huang Dalian had curled herself completely under her blanket, covering her head.

Well, that worked too.

Ming Dai nudged the warm water bottle at her feet and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Zhou Sinian also rested his large feet on the warm water bottle, feeling the heat spreading from his soles upwards. Only after making sure that the steady breathing from next door indicated deep sleep did he finally begin to feel drowsy himself.

However, having Huang Dalian there kept him on edge, so he hardly slept at all.

Huang Dalian, on the other hand, trembled under her blanket the entire night, terrified that the lunatic next door might come over in the middle of the night to beat her up!

As a result, the next morning, Ming Dai woke up feeling completely refreshed, while the other two looked utterly drained.

As soon as Zhou Sinian got up, Huang Dalian swiftly crawled out of her blanket, hastily patted her bedding into shape, muttered something about going outside for a bit, and then disappeared without a trace.

Even after a long time, she didn’t return.

Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian finished breakfast without seeing any sign of Huang Dalian, but they didn’t think much of it. Instead, they grabbed some radishes and headed to the river to wash them.

The area was near a reservoir, and the construction work being carried out was mainly for storing water in winter. Because of this, the river where they planned to wash vegetables was quite far away.

Halfway there, a man hurriedly passed by them, with a woman chasing after him.

It was Qi Zhijun and Liu Yan.

Qi Zhijun seemed very angry. He swung his arms and took large strides ahead, completely ignoring Liu Yan, who was calling out to him from behind.

Liu Yan stumbled as she ran, shivering from the cold, yet she didn’t stop. Before long, the two of them had overtaken Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian and disappeared into the forest.

Ming Dai clicked her tongue twice as she watched them but didn’t follow. She simply thought they must not be tired yet since they still had the energy to argue.

Zhou Sinian, on the other hand, was absentmindedly using his fingernail to press into a radish, leaving crescent-shaped marks, seemingly enjoying himself.

When they arrived at the river, Zhou Sinian took the initiative to wash the radishes. His hands were large and rough, and with just a few rubs, most of the dirt came off. Ming Dai, feeling that the river water was freezing, didn’t have the courage to put her hands in. Instead, she helped rinse out the basket.

They quickly finished washing the radishes and headed back, only to see that unhygienic cook sitting at the entrance, cutting radishes.

He didn’t even bother washing them. Instead, he grabbed a cloth—who knew what it had been used for—wiped off the dirt, trimmed the excess roots, and then started chopping the radishes directly on the cutting board. Ming Dai shook her head at the sight and quickly dragged Zhou Sinian away. It was better not to see such things.

Once the two of them had left, the cook finally lifted his head. He glanced at their retreating figures with lingering unease, making sure they had gone far before spitting a mouthful of yellow phlegm onto the ground.

“Tch, pretending to be clean. A little dirt never killed anyone!”

When they got back, Huang Dalian had not yet returned. Liu Guoqiang was busy keeping accounts. Seeing Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian, he gave them a small smile but didn’t dare greet them.

Ming Dai nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Noticing that the sun outside was quite warm, she brought the cutting board to the communal dining table and instructed Zhou Sinian to slice the radishes while she went into the shed to gather seasonings.

Liu Guoqiang continued his bookkeeping, his ears filled with the rhythmic sound of chopping. The sound was light and crisp—just what one would expect from fresh radishes.

Zhou Sinian worked quickly, and before long, both baskets of radishes were neatly sliced.

Ming Dai mixed the radishes with seasoning and also pickled the wild garlic she had collected. There was just enough for everyone to have a bite. She even generously added a bit of sesame oil, and the fragrant aroma instantly made Accountant Liu’s mouth water.

After everything was prepared, Ming Dai informed Accountant Liu and told him to have Huang Dalian return to wash the mixed grains.

After lunch, she hurried up the mountain with Zhou Sinian.

By now, in Zhou Sinian’s mind, going up the mountain meant getting delicious food.

Sure enough, he wasn’t disappointed. Once they confirmed that no one was around, Ming Dai led him into her special space.

He went to clean out the sheep pen, dumping the manure into the fermentation pit.

Meanwhile, Ming Dai was in the kitchen, making small egg pancakes filled with shredded potatoes and sausage. Each of them got two fried eggs, and the meal was incredibly satisfying.

After their little feast, they stepped out. Ming Dai wanted to check if there was anything edible nearby. After all, they would be staying here for a long time, and the food provided by the commune certainly wouldn’t be enough.

However, after searching around, she found nothing. The nearby area had already been picked clean by the workers.

She glanced toward the distant mountains. At some point, she would have to go explore over there.

But not today—there was still lunch to prepare.

Just as they were about to leave, Ming Dai suddenly remembered the treasure-hunting function in her space.

Maybe she could try it here. Who knows? She might even find some valuable treasure that an old landlord had hidden in the mountains.

Following the memory in her mind, she activated the function. Suddenly, several small windows appeared before her, each showing different plants, fruits, and all sorts of things.

Ming Dai sucked in a sharp breath—what she saw were huge, fat rats!

In an instant, she understood. These small windows weren’t just random—they were all rat nests!

Zhou Sinian noticed her wide-eyed, breathless expression and grew concerned. He reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

Unfortunately, he didn’t control his strength well and ended up knocking Ming Dai flat onto the ground.

“Pfft! Pfft!”

With a mouth full of dirt, Ming Dai didn’t even have time to be angry. She quickly wiped her mouth and, instead of stopping, excitedly ran around the mountain, counting as she went.

“One, two, three, four…”

“Hahaha! There are too many to count—really too many!”

Zhou Sinian scratched his stubbled head through his red headscarf, looking at Ming Dai’s excited antics with confusion.

Fortunately, she quickly snapped back to reality and waved her hand decisively. “Down the mountain!”

She led Zhou Sinian as they rushed downhill, making sure to gather some dry firewood along the way.

When they reached the shed, they saw that Huang Dalian had already returned and was cooking a pot of rice over the fire.

She still seemed a little wary of Zhou Sinian, but when she looked at Ming Dai, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Oh my, Xiao Ming! Where on earth have you been? Your pretty little face is as dirty as a kitten’s!”

Only then did Ming Dai realize something was wrong. She wiped her face and found her hands covered in dirt. Shooting an innocent-looking Zhou Sinian a glare, she quickly washed her face with cold water.

“It’s nothing, Sister Dalian. I just slipped on the mountain.”

“Alright then. You clean yourself up. The rice is cooking, same grain mix as yesterday. It should be enough. Oh, and I tried that pickled garlic you made—it’s delicious!”

Grinning, Ming Dai sidled up to the stove and whispered to Huang Dalian, “Sister Dalian, do you want to eat white rice every day from now on?”