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

Chen Mo seized the opportunity and rushed to the chicken coop, using his body to shield himself. The torch drew a semicircle in front of him, the flames crackling and popping, clashing with the low growls of wolves in the courtyard.

Inside the room, Chen Dashan peered out through the crack in the window, his heart pounding in his throat. Chen Ling'er woke up and was about to speak when Chen Dashan covered her mouth with one hand.

"Don't make a sound!"

Chen Dashan's voice trembled.

Suddenly, a howl came from outside the courtyard wall. It wasn't a threatening sound, but a pitiful one. Chen Mo glanced over there out of the corner of his eye and saw an arrow stuck in the rump of the wolf at the courtyard gate. The arrow shaft was rough, and it was Sun Dazhu's arrow.

A figure climbed over the wall, holding a crude hunting bow in his hand.

"Chen Mo, I'm late!"

Sun Dazhu shouted.

After dividing the meat, he returned to the cave and tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He kept thinking about the New Year and became increasingly uneasy. He decided to go and discuss it with Chen Mo. He hadn't gone far when he saw two dark figures quickly slip into the Chen family's courtyard. He immediately grabbed his bow and ran over as fast as he could.

The injured wolf, with its tail between its legs, limped away from the courtyard wall. The other wolf glanced back, then followed, disappearing into the darkness.

With the crisis averted, Chen Mo and Sun Dazhu were both panting heavily. Chen Mo went over to check the chicken coop. The three chickens were huddled in a corner, shivering, but they were still alive.

He patted Sun Dazhu on the shoulder.

"Thanks for this arrow, I'll get you a better one."

Sun Dazhu shook his head, sweat still streaming down his face.

"You saved my father, I should be thanking you."

Chen Mo didn't say anything more, turned around and went into the house, took out two dried fish, weighing about a pound, and handed them to Sun Dazhu.

"Here, add some dishes for the New Year."

Sun Dazhu tried to refuse twice, but couldn't, so he had no choice but to accept it.

At this moment, the door opened, and Chen Dashan came out and bowed deeply to Sun Dazhu.

"Zhu Zi, you saved my family."

Sun Dazhu was startled and quickly helped him up.

"Uncle Chen, please don't do this. Chen Mo and I are brothers."

As dawn broke on the horizon, it was already the morning of the 29th of the twelfth lunar month. The system refresh time had arrived, and Chen Mo told Sun Dazhu not to leave. The two of them warmed themselves by the stove and waited.

A panel that only Chen Mo could see appeared before his eyes.

[Daily information has been updated, please select:]

[1. Under the offering table in the village ancestral hall, there are three catties of glutinous rice that have been stored for a long time for sacrificial purposes. Although they are infested with insects, they can still be used to make New Year's cakes after being washed. (Low risk, the ancestral hall is eerie at night)]

Second, upstream of the hot spring in the back mountain, there is a clump of wild water celery that remains fresh and tender even in the cold winter, weighing approximately five pounds. (Medium risk, mountain paths are difficult to traverse at night)

[Three, on the northern slope of Black Wind Ridge, there are badger hibernation burrows. The badgers inside are plump, weighing about 15 pounds, and there is a reserve of food inside the burrow. (High risk, badgers are fierce, do not dig)]

A badger weighing fifteen pounds! And there's stored grain.

Chen Mo and Sun Dazhu exchanged a glance, sparks flying between them.

"Badger!" Sun Dazhu whispered, his mouth almost reaching his ears in a wide grin.

Chen Mo was also excited, but he and the wolf had just fought and were both exhausted. Moreover, the badger was a notorious digger and not easy to deal with.

But this opportunity...

"Let's do it!" Chen Mo slapped his thigh.

He chose [Information 3], the saying goes, "Fortune favors the bold," a principle he had understood in both his lives.

In the blink of an eye, a clear picture appeared in my mind: on the north slope of Black Wind Ridge, below a sunlit embankment, there was a hole about the size of a large bowl. The soil around the hole was slightly damp, with fresh paw prints. The hole went down about six feet deep, and at the bottom, a fat, grayish-brown badger was curled up, with a small pile of wild chestnuts and some tubers next to it.

Before dawn, Chen Mo and Sun Dazhu set off, bringing with them all their belongings: pickaxes, machetes, hunting bows, hemp ropes, and a pine torch.

Upon arriving at the north slope of Black Wind Ridge, they quickly found the cave entrance indicated by the system, which matched the image in their minds perfectly.

The two divided the work: Sun Dazhu picked up a pickaxe and began digging from a meter away from the side of the hole, avoiding the front to prevent the badger from suddenly rushing out; Chen Mo held a hunting bow with an arrow nocked and his eyes fixed on the hole.

"Huffing and puffing..."

The sound of a pickaxe striking the frozen ground echoed on the silent hillside.

After digging for about an hour, the soil on the side was dug out, revealing a dark tunnel. Chen Mo took out a rag wrapped in oil from his pocket, lit it, and threw it straight into the depths of the tunnel.

Thick smoke kept pouring into the cave, and soon, violent howls could be heard from inside.

A grayish-brown shadow suddenly rushed out of the cave entrance.

Sun Dazhu was prepared. He swung the hemp rope in his hand and accurately lassoed the badger's head. He pulled back with all his might, and the badger staggered.

Chen Mo moved the machete in his hand. He didn't use the blade, but the back of the knife, and slashed at the badger's head.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the badger struggled frantically for a few moments, kicking its four legs wildly, before finally collapsing to the ground and remaining motionless.

The two continued digging down, and at the bottom of the cave there was indeed a small pile of stored grain, about three pounds of wild chestnuts, more than two pounds of tubers that they couldn't name, and a small handful of pine nuts.

Inventory of spoils: One badger, gutted, estimated to have thirteen pounds of meat; the stored grain totaled about five pounds.

The two packed all their belongings into sacks, then took turns carrying them down the mountain. They didn't return to the village, but went directly to the cave where Sun Dazhu and his father were hiding.

On-site processing: the badger skin was completely peeled off, enough to make a hat or a small rug; the badger meat was cut into pieces, and Chen Mo made the decisions.

He took seven jin, mainly the front and hind legs and the tenderloin, all of which were good meat. The remaining six jin, including the bones, were all given to Sun Dazhu, so that the stored grain could be distributed equally.

Finally, there was badger oil, which Chen Mo separately rendered in a broken earthenware pot, filling two small jars to the brim. This stuff was a treasure for treating frostbite and burns.

Old Man Sun's hands trembled as he looked at the pile of meat in front of him.

"This...this is enough to last until spring..."

The old man's voice was choked with sobs.

Chen Mo then handed over a small jar of badger oil.

"Uncle Sun, this is good for treating frostbite."

Chen Mo returned home with seven catties of badger meat, half of his stored grain, and a small jar of badger oil. It was already noon. Chen Ling'er's eyes widened when she saw him pull such a large piece of meat out of the sack.

"Brother, what is this...?"

Chen Mo smiled.

"Let's have some good meat today, like it's New Year's meat."

Chen Dashan walked over, leaning against the wall.