By the picturesque lakeside, Wen Qian noticed not the wildlife or fish, but rather the towering reeds that stood taller than a person - these were the first things she wanted to collect.
Thus, she spent her time gathering reeds along the shoreline, having never used them for anything before.
Yet she knew these materials would come in handy later, so she collected them first.
The reed thickets stretched from the shore into the water, but Wen Qian did not venture into the lake, opting instead to gather the relatively longer reeds from the shore.
Sure enough, years later, this scenic spot remained stunningly beautiful, but aside from the occasional upward glance during her rest breaks, Wen Qian kept her head down and worked tirelessly.
If this had been before the calamity, this highway would likely have seen plenty of traffic, with many people exiting to take photos or even camp here.
The snowy mountains, sunrises, and sunsets, along with the jewel-like lake surface, were a sight to behold.
Indeed, after the calamity, while human activity had ceased, nature remained unchanged.
It quickly reverted to its original state, but for humans to regain their former scale and level after the volcanic eruption would be extremely difficult.
Wen Qian had seen how people in other places collected reeds - they usually waited until the entire lake froze over in winter before venturing onto the ice to harvest the reeds protruding above.
As for the reeds' many uses, Wen Qian couldn't recall them all, but she clearly remembered two: the roots could be used for medicine, and the reeds themselves could be made into paper.
She couldn't remember their other uses, but she knew these plants were valuable treasures.
Unfortunately, although it was cold when she arrived, the lake's ice had already melted, so for safety's sake, she kept her distance from the water.
Despite it being spring, Wen Qian had the uncanny feeling of harvesting in autumn.
Of course, while collecting reeds, she didn't forget to set fish traps and bird snares.
Especially with the fish traps and bird nets, once set up, she only needed to check on them periodically.
With the spare time, she could focus on gathering supplies.
Sometimes, when bored, Wen Qian would try digging for reed roots in the soil.
At this time, the reeds were also starting to sprout, so she left some tender shoots as well.
In the grasslands by the water where no reeds grew, Wen Qian identified a few edible plants and collected those too, without hesitation.
For Wen Qian, many of the wild vegetables she had found in previous years were repeats.
So as she ventured outward, much of what she saw was new and fresh, which of course had to be collected.
After spending two days by the lake, Wen Qian followed the highway onward, stopping for a while at another part of the shoreline.
In total, she spent quite a long time by this lake, with a satisfactory haul.
She knew her mapped journey so far was only about two finger-widths long, and reaching Jade Lake would require traveling twice that distance.
However, Wen Qian was not in a hurry, as she did not plan on planting any crops this entire year.
This meant she could travel from spring to autumn, as long as she found a suitable place to stay before winter arrived.
With no societal rhythm to follow, the pace no longer mattered.
These days, people's greatest goal should simply be to stay alive and well, free from illness and harm.
Having lived alone for so long, Wen Qian no longer worried about what would happen when she grew old, nor did she face concern or doubt from others about her way of life.
She had complete control over her time, though a bit lax, she still maintained a general pace.
After all, she alone had to bear the consequences of her actions, with no one to help her.
In the past, in pursuit of a better social status, quality of life, education, and healthcare, many families carried a heavy burden across three generations.
The first two generations strived for a better future for the next, an effort that was meant to elevate but often brought greater mental strain.
Now, reduced to mere subsistence, nothing else mattered.
If people didn't work for sustenance, they could only await death, and no one could blame society, parents, or their environment.
To some degree, this complete spiritual freedom also meant living day-to-day, though Wen Qian adapted well.
Even when gathering supplies now, if she felt tired, she would simply rest, never pushing herself to exhaustion.
In the past, people who worked overtime might end up in the hospital, with their earnings going towards medical bills.
Now, if one fell ill from overexertion, there might not even be a hospital - so why bother? This mindset allowed Wen Qian to be more relaxed than before.
Leaving the lakeside, Wen Qian began heading east along the highway.
The highway wound through mountains and desert, neither environment particularly hospitable.
The desert was barren, while the mountain valleys offered narrow passages hugging steep rock faces.
On either side were sheer cliffs or dense forests - the people who constructed this road were truly remarkable.
However, continuing onward yielded no rewards, so aside from stopping overnight, Wen Qian spent her time traveling, picking up her pace.
As she passed over a viaduct, she didn't know its purpose, only that it spanned the valley.
Wen Qian's highway ran along the ground, with ample space beside it, though mostly seasonal riverbeds devoid of grass.
For a stretch, the viaduct's direction converged with the ground highway, running alongside it.
Wen Qian couldn't see where the viaduct began, so she didn't venture up.
But as she continued forward, she understood why the viaduct was built here.
The ground highway hugged cliffs that were too steep, risking rockfalls and collapses.
Wen Qian noticed the scattered boulders on the ground, realizing the danger.
Moreover, Xia Province was prone to earthquakes, though her former home didn't experience many perceptible ones, the frequency might increase in this area.
The viaduct was likely built to prevent road closures from collapses.
Wen Qian cautiously skirted the collapsed sections and pressed on.
Further ahead, the terrain leveled out as she entered a desolate desert plain, where an unusual man-made landscape emerged.
Xia Province has a relatively long daily sunshine duration, so some areas have solar photovoltaic power stations.
These areas have thin, dry air with little rainfall, and abundant solar radiation resources, which is why solar power plants were set up there in earlier years.
However, after the volcanic eruption, volcanic ash swept across the globe, and for many years, these so-called solar power plants would have struggled to continue operating.
There are hardly any sunny days, and this place is highly unsuitable for human habitation. Apart from the original staff, there should be no one else left.
Therefore, after so many years, Wen Qian didn't expect to encounter any humans here.
