The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Water duck eggs, also known as wild duck eggs, are laid by a type of mallard duck. This duck is a typical representative of waterfowl in China, and its eggs are much smaller than normal duck eggs.

This type of wild duck has existed in my country since ancient times. There's even a ci (lyric poetry) title from the Song Dynasty that refers to the mallard duck. This demonstrates just how widespread this wild duck was during that era.

Wang Zhen happily stepped forward, intending to take the grass nest along with it. However, the grass nest was woven directly from fallen reeds, and to take it, he would have to cut off all the roots.

He thought for a moment, then took off his damp clothes and carefully placed the six duck eggs on the cashmere lining. Although the cashmere was wet, it was still soft.

After placing all six duck eggs in their places, he picked up his clothes and stood up, glancing at the empty straw nest out of the corner of his eye. After thinking for a moment, he squatted down, took one out, and put it back.

Whether it was the sight of the scene that stirred his emotions, or whether he was thinking about his own experiences along the way, he didn't want to be a person who left no room for compromise, whether towards people or things.

As the saying goes, things reach their extremes and then reverse; always leave a way out, whether for yourself or for others. This is a principle that Wang Zhenhuan has always believed in, so even when life is tough, he never complains or blames others.

He carried five duck eggs in his cotton coat and headed back towards the farm with a happy expression. Unlike his earlier bewilderment when he left, he now eagerly wanted to return to the woodshed and make a pot of hot soup for Lin Qingyan.

Five duck eggs may not seem like much, but they were Lin Qingyan's hope for survival. He jogged all the way, ignoring the cool early autumn breeze. In less than a quarter of an hour, he returned to the farm.

The manor remained unchanged, and the battlefield was still a scene of carnage. It seemed the Jurchens had no intention of leaving the city to clean up the battlefield anytime soon. This reassured him considerably.

He returned to the woodshed, opened the door, and saw Lin Qingyan still lying quietly on the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief. He put the soaked cotton coat aside, walked over, and touched Lin Qingyan's forehead.

Thankfully, she didn't have a fever. If she had, it would have meant the arrow was causing a rejection reaction inside her body. In that case, we would have to find a way to remove the arrow.

But given their current situation, lacking medical supplies, pulling out the arrow would almost certainly mean certain death. Fortunately, this worst-case scenario hasn't occurred.

Next, all he needs to do is wait for Lin Qingyan to wake up and eat something. Then he can take her south to find a village and a doctor to remove the arrow from her body.

Wang Huanzhen reached out and brushed Lin Qingyan's hair aside. He turned and walked out of the woodshed. It was past noon. The sun was beginning to set in the west, and only a few hours remained before nightfall.

He searched each room one by one, and finally found a small earthenware pot with a broken corner in a room in the backyard. He took the pot back to the yard and got some charcoal.

Back in the woodshed, not far from Lin Qingyan, Wang Zhenhuan started a fire with a fire poker. The small earthenware pot wasn't big, and it was missing a corner. So Wang Zhenhuan could only place it sideways on the fire.

Every time he did something, he would turn around to check on Lin Qingyan's condition. Fortunately, after the bleeding stopped, Lin Qingyan's complexion was slowly recovering. Everything seemed to be getting better.

Suffering itself is not terrible; what is terrible is the person who hesitates and falters in the face of suffering. Wang Zhenhuan put the duck eggs into a pot to boil, and then hung the cotton-padded coat next to the fire.

He sat beside Lin Qingyan, watching the rising steam from his cotton-padded coat; the white vapor gave him a sense of unreality. He and Lin Qingyan had been heading south for half a month since the village was massacred.

The past two weeks have been a tumultuous journey, feeling like a dream. Although he had anticipated that life on the run wouldn't be easy, he never imagined that reality would be far more bitter.

If his body hadn't housed the soul of an adult, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold on much longer. He turned his head and looked at the girl beside him with gentle eyes.

Just as Wang Zhen was enjoying a moment of peace, he faintly heard rustling sounds outside the door. He frowned, got up, took his curved sword, pushed open the door, and went out.

The courtyard was deserted, but the rustling sounds had grown much louder. He became alert and tiptoed towards the gate. When he reached the gate, he saw…

A short woman was squatting on the ground, seemingly digging something. The rustling sound was coming from right in front of her. Wang Zhenhuan gripped his curved knife and went outside.

The woman seemed to have heard a sound behind her and was startled. She stood there trembling, looking somewhat bewildered.

Seeing her like this, Wang Zhenhuan felt a pang of pity.

This was probably another civilian terrified by the Jurchens, so he put down his scimitar and spoke gently, trying to express goodwill: "Don't be afraid, I am also a Han Chinese refugee, just asking for lodging here for the night. Are you from this farm?"

The short, plump woman didn't respond to his words, but her trembling noticeably lessened. Seeing that his words had worked, Wang Zhenhuan spoke again.

"Don't be afraid, I mean you no harm. Have you eaten? I cooked some duck eggs, you can have one."

This time, the woman finally stopped trembling, as if she had heard that Wang Zhen really wanted to give her something to eat. She slowly stood up from the ground, hesitated for a moment, and then turned around.

When Wang Huanzhen saw the woman's appearance, he was immediately startled. The woman in front of him was only four or five feet tall. Although she had a graceful figure, her appearance lacked any feminine refinement or beauty.

Not only did she have a pointed, monkey-like face, but her eyes were also only the size of peanuts. At this moment, she was looking at Wang Zhenhuan with a fawning smile. Two enormous front teeth were exposed.

Although Wang Zhenhuan didn't consider himself a person who cared much about appearance, the woman in front of him, to be honest, was... too... too plain-looking.

He was so startled he almost stepped back; the moment the woman turned around, he thought he'd encountered some kind of monster. To be so ordinary-looking was no small feat.

Thinking this, his smile didn't fade. He reached out to the woman and said, "Let's go. The duck egg should be cooked by now. My wife is injured and hasn't eaten for many days, so I can only give you one. Please don't mind."

Hearing his words, the woman cupped her hands in greeting but remained silent. Wang Zhenhuan, seeing this, didn't take it to heart, turned around, and led the woman into the courtyard. After pushing open the door of the woodshed and entering the house...

The water in the small earthenware pot had already boiled. Wang Zhen used wood to prop it up over the fire, poured out the water, and then picked out four pieces. He placed them inside his already dried cotton coat.

With only one egg left in the pot, he gestured for the woman to accept it. But what happened next left him speechless. The woman nodded shyly and then grabbed the scalding hot duck egg.

Without even peeling the shell, he threw it straight into his mouth. With a tooth-grinding crunch, he chewed a few times and the duck egg was gone!