A daily intelligence report; in chaotic times and famine years, grain is plentiful.

"But you can't move now."

"Why?!" Sun Dazhu exclaimed anxiously. "This is a golden opportunity to bring down the Wang family!"

"An opportunity?" Chen Mo retorted. "What if we ruin the Wang family? The county government will definitely send people to investigate. To protect himself, Registrar Liu will surely throw the whole village into chaos. Where will you and your father hide then? How will we survive this winter?"

Sun Dazhu was stunned. The excitement on his face just now vanished instantly, leaving only confusion and lingering fear.

Yes, he only thought about revenge and didn't even consider what to do after he got his revenge.

Chen Mo patted him on the shoulder, then turned around and counted out twenty pounds of potatoes from the pile, putting them into a tattered sack.

"Let's settle your father first. We can talk about this later, in the spring."

He also scraped some coarse salt from the small earthenware jar with a wooden spoon, wrapped it in the oiled paper, and gave it to Sun Dazhu.

"Although the cave is a safe haven, it's not a long-term solution. Once this storm has passed, I'll find a way to allow you to return to the village openly and legitimately."

Sun Dazhu carried the heavy sack, his lips trembling, unable to speak for a long time.

He simply nodded heavily, then turned and disappeared into the dark cellar entrance.

Chen Mo sat alone in front of the oil lamp, listening to the howling north wind outside.

He didn't tell Sun Dazhu the whole truth.

The Wang family's secret is like a sword coated with poison.

If you use it now, you'll cut yourself before you can hurt others.

He would wait, until he had enough leverage, until he could withstand the sharpness of the sword.

Right now, the most important thing is to keep my family alive and make their lives a little better.

Back in that dilapidated mud-brick house, his younger sister Chen Ling'er and his father Chen Dashan were already asleep.

Hearing the two people's faint but steady breathing, Chen Mo's heart calmed down.

The potatoes in the cellar, if eaten sparingly, will last until spring.

But that's not enough.

A person cannot survive on potatoes alone. Humans need more nutritious foods.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the familiar panel appeared in Chen Mo's mind right on time.

[Daily information has been updated, please select:]

[1. The stream downstream of the hot spring in the back mountain is not completely frozen due to its high water temperature, and wild river crabs, weighing about three pounds, are gathered there. (Low risk, must be caught in icy water)]

[Second, in the abandoned brick kiln at the east end of the village, wild pigeons are nesting. There are four chicks and six eggs in the nest. (Medium risk; the brick kiln's structure is not very stable and could collapse at any time.)]

Thirdly, on the sunny southern slope of Black Wind Ridge, there are three wild walnut trees. About fifteen pounds of fallen walnuts are buried in the snow beneath them. (High risk; you may encounter wild boars coming down the mountain in search of food.)

Chen Mo's eyes lit up.

River crabs! Pigeon eggs! Walnuts!

In years of famine, which of these wouldn't be a life-saving treasure?

Protein, fat, and calories—these are exactly what his family is lacking right now.

He hardly hesitated.

Brick kilns are too dangerous; if one collapses, the losses outweigh the gains.

There are wild boars in Black Wind Ridge, and he doesn't want to fight that guy head-on right now.

The first option carries the lowest risk.

It's just putting ice water in, isn't it?

Compared to starving to death, what's a little freezing?

"Choose one!"

Instantly, a clear image unfolded in his mind.

Beneath the swirling white steam of the hot spring, a winding, chilly stream flows, and in the crevices of several black rocks, countless thumb-sized, bluish-gray objects are slowly crawling about.

That's it.

Chen Mo found the thickest old cotton-padded coat in the house and put it on. Then he took a bamboo pole and a piece of rag, made a simple fishing net, and went out with a wooden bucket.

The weather was freezing cold, and the whole village was lifeless.

He bypassed the village and headed straight for the back mountain.

Just as the system screen showed, the stream downstream of the hot spring was not completely frozen.

A thin layer of ice floated on the surface of the water, and the stones underwater were clearly visible.

Chen Mo gritted his teeth, rolled up the frayed edges of his trousers, and then stepped inside.

"hiss."

A sudden chill shot from the soles of his feet into his bones, and he shuddered.

it's too cold.

The stream wasn't deep; it just reached above my calves.

He braved the cold and, following the map in his mind, walked to the black rocks.

Bend down, insert the net into the crevice of the rock, stir it gently, and then pull it up sharply.

It became.

Three or four small river crabs were futilely waving their tiny pincers and struggling in the net.

Chen Mo was immediately overjoyed. He didn't even have time to care about his frozen legs and immediately started fishing a second and third time.

His movements became increasingly rapid, his hands and feet immersed in ice water, and before long he lost all feeling, leaving only a mechanical numbness.

But he didn't care at all; his eyes were only on the ever-increasing harvest in the net.

About an hour later, the small wooden bucket was about half full. I picked it up and estimated that it weighed more than four pounds, which was more than the system indicated.

enough.

Before heading back, he ran to the hot springs upstream, took off his soaked shoes and socks, and put his frozen, bluish-purple feet to the steaming hot spring.

Only when his feet were sore and itchy from the warm water and regained their color did he casually wipe them with dry grass, put on his shoes, pick up his bucket, and walk briskly towards home.

"Brother, you're back!"

As soon as Chen Mo pushed open the door, Chen Ling'er, who was tending the fire in front of the stove, raised her little face.

She saw her brother carrying a wooden bucket and curiously came closer.

"Brother, what's this?"

Inside the wooden barrel, a group of small, grayish-brown objects were climbing upwards layer by layer, shaking their tiny pincers and making rustling sounds.

Chen Ling'er had never seen this thing before, and she screamed "Ah!" and took a step back.

"insect!"

Chen Mo smiled.

"Silly girl, these aren't insects, they're crabs! Boil them and drink the broth—it's incredibly delicious!"

As he spoke, he found an old brush and began to process the river crabs.

"Ling'er, go and boil the water in the pot."

"oh!"

Chen Ling'er responded and watched curiously as her brother cleaned the little bugs one by one.

The water has boiled.

Chen Mo poured the prepared river crabs into the pot, then found a small piece of dried ginger from the corner of the wall, put it in, and finally sprinkled a small handful of precious coarse salt.

Cover the pot.

Not long after, an indescribable aroma, mixed with the spiciness of ginger slices, slowly wafted out from the cracks along the edge of the pot, instantly filling the entire room.

This aroma suddenly wafted into people's nostrils, stimulating their most primal cravings.

"Cough cough, what, what's this smell?"

Chen Dashan, who had been resting with his eyes closed on the kang (a heated brick bed), was awakened by the fragrance. He propped himself up and took a deep sniff.

"It smells so good, is it freshwater seafood?"

"Father, it's the river crabs that my brother caught!" Chen Ling'er exclaimed excitedly.

The soup in the pot quickly turned milky white.

Chen Mo lifted the pot lid, took a wooden spoon, scooped out a bowl, and handed it to his father first.

The broth was clear and bright, with a few golden specks of oil floating on top—the essence of the crab roe. Five or six small, bright red river crabs sank to the bottom of the bowl.

Chen Dashan took the bowl, his hands trembling slightly.

He carefully blew on it and took a small sip of soup.

His eyes widened slightly in an instant.

"So fresh, so incredibly fresh!"