Mountain and Forest Kingdom

After I injured my hand, I couldn't do many things. Only then did I realize how important a healthy and intact body is.

Fortunately, winter is a time for health preservation. When there is enough food and fuel, the only thing to do is to spend this winter peacefully.

Dinner was bread, pickles, and bean soup.

Pea soup is cooked using a small pot suspended from the roof and a fire. Every household here has this kind of hot pot, and some pieces of meat are hung above.

When cooking and heating, the flame will rise and smoke out the meat above it, which can save a lot of fuel in the long run.

After Lawrence finished eating with his left hand, he said to the two people who were starting to clear the table:

"I happen to have time in the evening, so I'll give you some extra lessons."

Sophia said happily: "Okay!"

Salil actually wanted to go back to sleep. If she was full, she should rest honestly.

In the end, Salil didn't object. After cleaning up, she came over to listen to the class.

The three of them were still studying at the dining table, and the fire in the room was the best lighting tool.

It was pitch dark outside, but the house was warmly lit by the fire.

Lawrence was explaining a multiplication problem when he suddenly heard the sound of wind, turned his head and saw that the window had been blown down.

Some white snowflakes flew in from the window, accompanied by a cold wind that made the temperature drop.

"I'll do it!" Sofia saw that the wood and straw mats blocking the windows had been scraped off, and she quickly volunteered to fill them.

Lawrence didn't say anything. He walked to the door and looked outside. He could see the sky outside through the crack in the door.

The light rain had stopped long ago, and under the bright moonlight, the silver world was exuding a quiet winter atmosphere.

If you look carefully, it even looks a bit bluish.

"It's snowing outside."

Lawrence opened the door and said softly: "I'm going to see if the animal pen is closed properly."

Sariel stood up and said, "I'm with you."

"good."

Lawrence also needed help, so the two of them walked out carrying oil lamps.

The Dom sheep and the other goats and sheep in the sheepfold huddled quietly near the fodder, squeezing each other to keep warm.

The three little pigs also slept in piles in the pigsty. They knew exactly where the excretion area, the eating area, and the sleeping area were.

So Lawrence always prepared a bed of hay for the three little pigs, with clean sand nearby.

The sheep pens, pig pens and chicken coops are all semi-open-air, and they have to face the low temperature and harsh weather after it snows.

Salil said: "Drive the pigs and chickens inside, otherwise they will freeze to death outside."

"Okay." Lawrence agreed and was ready to take action.

Salil said directly: "You just go to sleep in the house and I will come."

Lawrence knew that Salil was a very persistent girl, so he could only say: "I held a lamp to help you illuminate, otherwise you can't see clearly."

Salil did not refuse and quickly went to the chicken coop to catch the chickens.

Several chickens were skillfully caught by Salil, then thrown into the kitchen and locked up.

In the kitchen, the chickens would nest in the firewood. The three little pigs would cause trouble if they were put in the kitchen. In addition, they were not as frost-resistant as chickens and sheep, so they were quickly caught and thrown into the main house with howlings like killing pigs. Room.

The process of hiding from chickens and pigs lasted for more than ten minutes, and the three sled dogs who were sleeping in the cabin also ran out excitedly to join in the fun.

Lawrence put his injured hand under his arm to keep it warm, but did not touch the three sled dogs as he usually did.

The commotion was only temporary, and the courtyard quickly became quiet again.

Lawrence returned to the warm hut and continued to warm himself by the fire. Sofia had blocked the windows with pieces of wood and cloth.

Everyone lost the desire to study and soon got ready to go to sleep.

Sariel said: "It's too cold in the hut. Lawrence, you sleep here today. The brazier will continue to burn at night. Our firewood can be used until spring."

Of course Lawrence had no objection. With the help of Salil and Sophia, he packed the bedding into the room where he slept before. The thickened animal skin mattress was more warm.

Although there are still many places in the wooden house where drafts leak, it is already very comfortable with enough food and water and heating supplies.

The three little pigs were not overly curious. After being thrown into the house, they lay close to the fire and had no intention of exploring the inner rooms.

The next day, it was almost noon when Lawrence woke up.

Lawrence sat on the bed and looked at his palms carefully. After a night's rest, his hands were no longer as painful as yesterday, and he could move his fingers normally.

Going out of the house, I found Sophia and Salil sitting by the fire knitting.

"Master, there is hot rice in the pot. I'll get it for you." Sophia put down the sewing kit that Salil gave her, stood up and went to serve Lawrence the meal.

Lawrence walked to the door and looked outside. It was still snowing outside.

"Saryl, when will this snow stop?"

Sariel continued to work on the gloves in her hands, "It stopped for a while in the morning, and it started snowing again just now. It should snow again tomorrow."

Lawrence also feels that the snow in the mountains will not be short, and the winter here in the north has always been difficult.

"My hand is healed, is there anything else I need to do?"

"No more." Salil thought for a moment, "The sheep, pigs, chickens, and dogs have been fed, and the meal has just been finished. After the meal, you can drink some wine to warm your body, and then sleep comfortably again. Sleep."

Lawrence said helplessly: "Then I won't be able to sleep at night."

Salil looked at Lawrence with a strange look on her face, "How is that possible? After drinking, you will definitely be able to sleep until dawn."

Lawrence was very speechless, "Then you get up and continue eating, drinking and sleeping?"

Salil thought about it strangely, and then explained: "It's all like this."

This is what savages do, sleeping away the winter nights.

Lawrence noticed the lack of entertainment here, so he said: "I will direct you two to make a backgammon board, otherwise it will be too boring in the winter."

Salil asked curiously: "What is backgammon?"

"An entertainment to pass the time." Lawrence went to the tool room to find a suitable board, and used a knife and a straight wooden stick to mark lines on it.

The chess pieces are replaced with wood pieces first, and after the hand is ready, some chess pieces that look better and feel better can be made.

The rules of backgammon are simple, and Salil and Sophia have strong learning abilities. Under Lawrence's demonstration and guidance, they knew how to play after a few games.

This game can only be played by two people, with the extra person watching from the side.

After Lawrence discovered that Sophia and Salil were playing so enthusiastically, he went out to look at the crops in the field.

Not only the peas grown by myself, but also the wheat from Andrew’s family.

After being busy for a long time, I came back from wandering outside for a long time and found that the two girls were still playing chess.

Lawrence found that he had not done anything all day. After returning to the warm room, he felt sleepy. He quickly shook his head to dispel the sleepiness.

There is no problem with sleeping, but sleeping and lying down all day and night is undoubtedly a waste of time.

Lawrence re-bandaged his hand and then lay on the bed thinking about charcoal firing, wheel bearings, and the internal structure of stone mills.

The snowy winter afternoon was quieter than usual. Lawrence thought about it and fell asleep unconsciously.

When I woke up again, it was already a silent night.

In the silent winter night, only the sound of fire and cold wind can be heard.

Day and night gradually became unclear.

When the sun rises, the memories of winter nights are like ambiguous dreams, frozen in the depths of memory.

Lawrence opened the door, looked at the dazzling snowfield outside, and then looked at the palm of his hand with the wound almost healed.

"It's time to get to work."

"You can use the sled today. Let's collect some fuel first and set up a few traps."

"At noon, go to the stone pile to find some stones. Later, you can polish the stone tools in the house and make a push stone grinder."

"Saryl, please put some butter on your bread today. I want to reward myself."

Although he had done nothing in the past two days, Lawrence was still eager to have fun and eat some sweets.

So the three of them had bread and butter today.

Warm bread with butter!

Lawrence took a bite and tasted the taste of life for the first time in a long time.