Chapter 025: One of the Few Warm Moments

Following the water source, one could spot a fair number of footprints. Judging by the webbed marks left behind, they were likely from the flock of ducks seen moments ago. Picking up a few feathers from the ground, they were few in number, yet vibrantly colored and remarkably soft.

"Quack, quack, quack..."

The sounds of ducks continued to echo from above, seemingly protesting this sudden intruder. Su Yanwen looked up. The circling ducks were beautiful; some had chestnut-colored heads with striking white eyebrow markings that contrasted sharply with their dark green eye patches. They sported white collars around their necks, and their body feathers were deep brown, densely patterned with bright red, scale-like markings. Their speculums were metallic, appearing particularly eye-catching in flight.

According to Su Yanwen's memory, this species was known in the modern world as a falcated duck. Their meat was incredibly delicious. In his own world, they were listed as a protected species and could not be hunted at all. So, he could only look. But here, there were no animal protection laws. Seeing the ducks quacking in the sky, Su Yanwen sighed, wishing he had a shotgun. It was a pity. His hunting knife could hardly be thrown into the sky.

Su Yanwen continued forward, setting a few basic traps along the way to try his luck at catching a rabbit. He collected every bit of tender grass and nuts he found. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, he saw a few figures loitering about. Looking closely, it was Dalang and his companions.

"Dalang!" Su Yanwen called out.

Hearing his voice, Dalang was overwhelmed with excitement and hurried over. "Boss Su, you’ve finally come down the mountain! We didn't dare go up to look for you."

As he spoke, Dalang peered behind Su Yanwen. Seeing no one else, his eyes filled with sorrow. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "Where are the children? Where is Yue'e? Did you... did you encounter the Snow Ghost last night?"

The others also wore expressions of grief. One stamped his foot in frustration, his genuine concern showing: "That mountain is no place for people to live, Boss Su. You are being too reckless. Isn't this... isn't this harming them?"

The fear of the mountain was deeply ingrained in their bones, so they had reached that conclusion from the start.

"They are fine. I just came down to find some food," Su Yanwen said calmly.

"Thank goodness they're alright," the group breathed a sigh of relief. Su Yanwen recognized a few of the others; they were all fellow villagers. They looked honest and simple, smiling sheepishly upon seeing him.

"Boss Su, we heard your house burned down and your family went up the mountain. We were so worried."

"Yes, Cao'er is still so young. How could she endure the hardship on that mountain?"

"Boss Su, I know your heart must have been hardened by what happened. We discussed it among ourselves—we are all from the same village, and we watched you grow up. How about this: your family can rotate between our homes, staying with us until you rebuild your house."

Such a decision was incredibly generous for families in their current straits. Su Yanwen felt a warmth in his heart, but he shook his head. "No, thank you. Everyone is barely making ends meet; if we move in, someone will surely end up freezing."

"It's alright," Su Yanwen insisted.

It began to snow again. Flakes drifted down like goose feathers. Looking at the magnificent scenery, the men sighed. "It's snowing again. It will only get colder day by day. Who knows how many people will freeze to death this winter."

An elder looked at Su Yanwen. "The mountain is even colder. We may not be able to help much, but at least we can look out for one another."

At the very least, this was a rare moment of warmth Su Yanwen had felt since arriving in this world. "Thank you for your kindness."

As he spoke, noticing how everyone looked listless and kept yawning, Su Yanwen took a bamboo tube from his waist and handed it over. "This is a bit of brine. Take it." For them, this was life-saving medicine.

As soon as the tube was handed over, Dalang hurriedly covered it with his cotton jacket, and the others looked around nervously. "Boss Su, never let anyone else know you have this," the elder warned.

Another added anxiously, "The imperial court is going to war again, and taxes are being levied everywhere. Especially regarding government salt—I heard that several private salt traders were executed just yesterday. Fortunately, when the village head brought people to search last night, they only found a handful of yellow sand. Everyone said you hadn't found any salt at all and were just fooling them. Otherwise, the bailiffs would surely be coming for you right now."

They spoke with agitation, glancing left and right, terrified of being discovered. "Boss Su, the village head is now distributing salt. Every household can go claim some in exchange for grain at a ten-to-one ratio."

Dalang whispered a warning: "If you ruin his way of making a fortune, he will be the first to report you."

Su Yanwen’s face darkened. He had been so focused on finding salt to save his family that he hadn't considered all this. Looking at their simple, honest faces, Su Yanwen smiled dismissively. "Keep this. It's all I have; there won't be any more."

They understood. The men exchanged glances and nodded. "Boss Su, we won't take your things for free. It’s not easy for your family on the mountain. Wait here."

They hurried off toward their homes. When they returned, they were carrying things: Dalang brought pots, bowls, and a newly woven cage. Others brought old cloth, needles, thread, scissors, and other household essentials. They urged Su Yanwen to be careful before finally departing.

Su Yanwen felt comforted by these kind souls, though he still couldn't trust them completely. However, he trusted Dalang more than the others. He quietly told Dalang the location of his hidden dog and arranged a spot for future meetings. Only then did he take his supplies and head back home.

The round trip took another two hours, primarily because the mountain path was difficult to navigate. If only he had a nylon rope, he could rig a lift at the cliffside, which would save at least an hour and a half of trekking. He checked his traps on the way back, but the harvest was meager—only a single rabbit in the final trap.

"Daddy!"

He heard Cao'er's crisp voice from afar and quickened his pace. Under the warmth of the sheepskin vest, Zhao Yue'e had gradually regained consciousness.

"Daddy, look at this." Cao'er held out her hands. Her naturally rosy skin now showed patches of deathly white. "Mother has it too," she added, lifting Zhao Yue'e's hand. Sure enough, her hands were the same color.

Su Yanwen’s expression shifted instantly.

"It's so magical. Mother said this is the Snow Ghost’s greeting," Cao'er said. Zhao Yue'e remained expressionless, as if she were accepting their impending demise.

"Nonsense," Su Yanwen said. He hurriedly covered Zhao Yue'e with the pile of cloth, then took Cao'er's hands and began to rub them gently. His expression was grave. "Keep rubbing your hands to get the blood flowing."

This was likely Raynaud's phenomenon, a common vascular spasm reaction, not something related to ghosts or spirits. The first priority was keeping warm. But he only had pieces of cloth—fine for making clothes in the summer, but how could they keep anyone warm in the winter?