Although the excavation of the frozen ground is progressing slowly at the moment, it is still within Zhang Chen’s tolerance range, and he can accept it. He is still young, and he has plenty of time. He can afford to wait! Moreover, he has not sat idle; he is thinking of other methods.
Zhang Chen collected firewood and only ignited it in the pit on his way home to observe the effect the next day.
"The underground space is quite sealed, the fire burns for a long time, and the heat accumulates for a long time. Once the fire starts burning, it’s no different from a kiln. Even the coldest frozen ground should be somewhat melted."
Zhang Chen took out the flint, first lit some moss, and only reluctantly exited the cave once he saw the pile of firewood burning.
"Actually, if there were coal, using it to melt the frozen ground would be most effective, but I’ve never heard of coal mines being unearthed nearby in these mountains." Zhang Chen stood outside the cave, and it didn’t take long before he felt the heat wave from inside the cave, forcing him to keep retreating.
The scorching heat twisted even the air. The dry temperature in the air was already quite hot, but compared to the wood in the cave, it was nothing.
Zhang Chen, carrying a basket, checked the traps. In the afternoon, he caught three rabbits. Zhang Chen immediately drained their blood, then took them to the stream to clean the innards, skin, and remove the tendons.
What puzzled Zhang Chen was that the width of the stream had reduced to only one meter. The shallow water was flowing with fish swimming uneasily, clearly sensing something was amiss.
"How can the drought progress so quickly?" Zhang Chen was filled with doubt. He had already sensed something ominous, yet there was nothing he could do.
He had no way to stop this natural disaster. The only way to reverse it would be rain, but unfortunately, Zhang Chen was not a deity and could not summon wind and rain. All he could do was barely protect himself in this disaster.
This was not just a disaster for humans, but also for the great mountains, beasts, and birds.
Perhaps the birds would fare better, sensing the danger, flying away quickly and escaping the effects of the drought. However, for the beasts, traversing mountains was not an easy task.
"It truly is a natural disaster! I’m afraid that after the natural disaster, there will be even more terrifying human calamities." Zhang Chen muttered to himself. Thinking of those old farmers forging weapons, a sense of unease arose in his heart.
"I just hope that before the chaos arrives, I have enough time to prepare. I need to make more gunpowder, just in case there’s not enough when I need it in the future." Zhang Chen’s knife skillfully glided over the rabbit’s surface, and with a tug, the whole pelt came off.
"Now’s not the right time to sell pelts. When autumn or winter arrives, the pelts will be valuable. But this year, I don’t plan to sell them; I intend to make fur clothes for my mother, brother, and little sister to get through the winter." Zhang Chen muttered to himself.
In this world, there was no cotton. The poor used down to stuff clothing and quilts, but it wasn’t warm at all, and many froze to death in winter. The rich fared much better, often using animal fur to make clothes or animal hair as stuffing. Ancient versions of down blankets and wool felt existed but were very precious, unaffordable even for ordinary landowners.
After handling the rabbit, Zhang Chen carefully processed the fur with prepared tools, stretched out the rabbit skin to prevent it from shrinking, then washed his hands and packed the rabbit meat and fur. Instead of heading directly home, he trained his hunting falcon deep in the forest. As the falcon cried out, traversing the blue skies, it startled the birds and beasts below into a panicked escape.
After feeding the falcon and hornet, Zhang Chen made some more gunpowder. As the sky gradually darkened, around three or four in the afternoon, he leisurely made his way home.
Glancing at the neighboring house, the Fox Spirit and the poor scholar Zhang Chen were both absent, likely gone to the mountains to study.
Upon returning home, Zhang Chen hung the prepared rabbit in a cool place, then grabbed a sickle and headed out to cut some branches in the mountains to weave some baskets. He planned to raise more wild chickens and ducks so that he would have some preparations even if a drought did come.
Just as Zhang Chen stepped out the door with his sickle, he suddenly heard the distant ringing of bells, followed by a carriage entering from outside the village.
The carriage was very luxurious, made of high-quality elm wood, polished smooth to a shine. It bore unique carvings and designs, clearly of great value. The horse pulling it was chestnut-colored, looking plump and robust, with perfect muscle lines all over. Even to someone who knew nothing about horses, it was evident that this horse was priceless.
The saddle was inlaid with green adornments, impossible to tell if they were jewels or glass. The entire pattern on the saddle was crafted with imprints, truly invaluable.
The coachman was no ordinary person but a burly man like a bear, with fierce eyes flashing. Behind him hung a reddish-green curtain made of layered silk, intricately embroidered with lifelike patterns. As the car moved, the embroidered birds and flowers on the curtain seemed to come to life, flapping their wings.
Trailing behind the carriage were two tall, strong footmen in yellow robes, each standing nearly two meters tall. They were like two moving mountains, standing behind the carriage.