Chapter 19: A Bountiful Harvest

In the open area outside, there were more than twenty people gathered together, including Uncle Xu, Uncle Liu, Tian Dabiao, Tian Mi, and Old Village Chief Zhou from Fengqiu Village along with his son. Everyone came together to plan for this place.

Tian Mi said, “It’s now autumn, and winter is coming soon. We need to divide into two groups: the men will be responsible for building houses, while the women will go up the mountain to find food to prepare for winter.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Tian Mi continued, “After careful consideration, I think the houses should be built inside the village since everyone in Fengqiu Village relies on farming. Our team from the Fenwei Escort Agency can build houses at the village entrance, so we can respond quickly if any officials or outsiders come.”

Old Village Chief Zhou looked at them with tears in his eyes and said, “You have saved us and are thinking of us. On behalf of the villagers of Fengqiu Village, I declare that for the grains we cultivate in the future, we will give you thirty percent, just like we do with the court.”

The people from Fengqiu Village all nodded in agreement!

This was something no one had thought of; they only considered that having more people would give them more strength. However, if they dedicated their time to guarding this place, it would also be feasible for Fengqiu Village to take responsibility for farming.

Uncle Liu said, “Let’s just leave it at that for now! No need to rush!”

Then Tian Mi designated the areas for building houses and a large square, which would be important for autumn harvest activities and a place for everyone to gather. This spot had good sunlight.

Next, they marked the positions for the escort agency and her grandmother’s family on both sides of the C-shaped entrance, allowing everyone to choose their spots for building houses.

Uncle Xu hardly recognized Tian Mi anymore. Throughout this journey, this girl had been so organized; he remembered when she used to solve problems with just one foot in the air.

Tian Dabiao was very happy to see his daughter’s current demeanor, smiling foolishly. Uncle Xu said, “Alright, let’s follow Tian Mi’s arrangements. Once everyone chooses their spots, we will build the houses together, and we’ll draw lots to decide whose house to build first.”

Old Village Chief Zhou said, “Let’s start with the entrance to your village! It will be easier to handle any issues that arise there, and we’ll be safer inside.”

What he said made sense, and everyone agreed without hesitation. As night fell, they gathered around several open areas, lighting a few bonfires for dinner: one bonfire for the Fenwei Escort Agency and two for Fengqiu Village.

The villagers of Fengqiu also ate together. Their village appeared very united, and they listened closely to the words of the old village chief and his son. They were eating thin porridge with wild vegetables and leaves they had gathered, while Tian Mi and the others enjoyed meat porridge and steamed buns. Finally, in a relatively stable environment, they could eat something decent.

They sent ten steamed buns and a jar of meat porridge to Fengqiu Village, and the villagers were extremely grateful.

After Tian Dabiao and Uncle Xu left, Old Village Chief Zhou said to the people of Fengqiu Village, “Fellow villagers, we have encountered good people; this is our blessing. These good people are quite capable, and this is our fortune and good luck. Following them will be the right choice. Be quick and diligent, work hard, and listen to their arrangements, and we will be fine.”

After the old chief finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement, saying, “Chief, don’t worry; we understand. We remember the kindness of those who can give us water in such times.”

Tian Mi’s food supply was also down to just a few bags, so gathering food became a top priority. She would find ways to bring out the food from her space to ensure they wouldn’t run out.

Now it was autumn, and the nights were getting a bit chilly. Sleeping on the hay mat, Tian Mi finally took a moment to appreciate the starry sky of this era.

In her past life, Tian Mi had never seen such bright stars or such a beautiful starry sky dotted against the deep blue night. It was stunning! The sky was so clear, without a hint of impurity, leaving Tian Mi enchanted.

Suddenly, she felt a mosquito bite her. She thought, on the road of fleeing, there were rarely such things, but now there were so many mosquitoes here; it was unbearable. Her uncle took out mosquito repellent and sprinkled it around them. Tian Mi quietly used mosquito repellent patches from her space to cover her clothes in hidden places.

Sigh! Looking at all the gold and silver in her space, this rich woman was still up in the mountains swatting mosquitoes. Is there no justice in this world?

Never mind! It’s all fate; there will be a time for me to enjoy!

She rubbed her belly, thinking that this child was also a part of her fate. She would keep it, as it was someone she was connected to in this world.

The next day, the men started building houses. They divided into several small groups: some were leveling the ground, some were digging soil and mixing mud, and others were gathering and breaking stones. Even though these would be temporary houses, they still wanted to make them beautiful and sturdy. There were plenty of stones in the mountains, so they built stone houses. With many livestock to help, the work progressed quickly.

The women went into the mountains to look for wild fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms. They gathered anything edible and acted in groups, making sure not to go in one direction. Tian Mi also instructed them to bring large knives, warning that if there was danger in the mountains, they should return quickly and not wander too far. Each group was given a livestock animal to help carry their finds.

These animals were not prone to getting lost; they would find their way back on their own and knew where to find spring water to drink.

Tian Mi, Xu Feiyan, Aunt Bai, two aunts, and two cousins formed one group. Only Tian Mi and Xu Feiyan carried large knives, and Tian Mi also brought along Tian Dabiao’s bow and led a cow.

Everyone carried an empty bag and their weapons as they set off. Since their survival depended on gathering food for winter, everyone was very careful, not wanting to miss even a tender blade of grass. Seeing this made Tian Mi feel a bit sad.

The mountains were indeed vast; standing at the peak, she could see for miles around. The leaves in the forest were just beginning to turn yellow, adding some brightness to the landscape.

However, she was not interested in that; she wanted to hunt. Throughout the journey, she often snacked from her space, enjoying treats, but the others had little meat to eat.

On the way, they saw wild melons, which they loved to eat in previous years. They quickly picked some, each having a few right away, eating the opened ones and putting the rest in their bags to take back. There was plenty of food in the mountains during this season; they also found wild kiwis, raspberries, and wild persimmons, yielding a good harvest that greatly encouraged everyone, feeling like they had struck gold.

Immediately, they gained confidence in the forest’s bounty.

The fruits wouldn’t last long; once picked, they either had to roast them into dried fruit or make fruit jam. After walking a bit deeper into the mountains, they came across a grove of chestnuts that were ripe, with many fallen on the ground. This was much more valuable than fruit, as it could serve as a staple food.

They all hurried to gather the chestnuts, laughing joyfully.

Tian Mi made a hat out of branches to protect her head and asked everyone to step back. She kicked each chestnut tree a few times, causing a rain of chestnuts to fall, and she yelped as they hit her, which made everyone burst into laughter.

Aunt Bai laughed so hard she couldn’t stand up, saying, “All this way, I thought you had become mature and steady, but you’re still so silly!”

Xu Feiyan also laughed uncontrollably, saying, “It’s still that Tian Mi, the familiar flavor!”

Looking at the fallen chestnuts, Tian Mi smiled and let them gather while she looked inside her space.

Her second cousin reminded her, “Be careful and don’t run around!”

“I know!”

Tian Mi walked deeper into the mountains and found a flat area where she placed some cabbage soaked in spring water on the ground, waiting in her space. Before long, a group of rabbits and eight wild goats came over to snatch the cabbage, totaling dozens of animals. Tian Mi directly accessed her space and captured them all. Once in her space, they all fainted. Tian Mi then killed five wild rabbits and two wild goats and took them out of her space. Only then did they start bleeding and struggle, but soon they were quiet. Tian Mi tied their legs with rope and hung them on her big knife, weighing them in her hands. Her strength had increased, and drinking spring water every day made her even stronger. She shouldered her catch and returned to where they were gathering chestnuts.

Seeing Tian Mi come back with so much game, Xu Feiyan and Chen Miaomiao danced with joy.

“Cousin, you’re amazing! You’re the best!”

Chen Miaomiao had always admired Tian Mi since she was little, but Tian Mi had thought she was too young to play with, yet she still insisted on sticking around.

“Tonight we’ll have a feast and eat well!”

In the end, they filled all their bags, and there were still plenty of chestnuts left. They decided to let the cow carry everything back and then come back for more, as there was surely more to find in the mountains. Tian Mi had also spotted some ripe konjac sprouts earlier.