A new household had emerged in the forest, but Wen Qian's life remained largely the same as before.
Previously, the soy sauce she attempted to make herself turned out quite well, so she prepared to make a large batch.
She used soybeans stored in her space, which she had previously purchased in bulk, as her self-grown soybeans contained a lot of bad beans, dirt clumps, and impurities.
If she were to use her own beans, it would take a very long time just to pick them over, so Wen Qian decided to use the beans she had from before.
As for the soybeans she harvested last year, she now had time to spread them out at her doorstep to sun-dry and thresh.
She followed the ancient soy sauce brewing method from the books, as the experimental batch she made previously was passable, but she had to be more diligent when making a large batch.
Although she didn't lack grains, she would still feel reluctant to waste them.
The beans were first soaked and then steamed. During this period, Wen Qian was also threshing the beans she harvested last year in the courtyard, storing the straw in her space to burn in the kang stove in winter.
The baking oven in the courtyard was smoking, baking fish. Wen Qian would never neglect her stomach while diligently working.
A few days ago, the children from the Big Jin family spotted some lotus leaves growing downstream while fishing.
The children picked a few leaves and even gave two to Wen Qian.
They said wrapping brined chicken with the leaves and then with mud could make a dish called "Huahua Chicken".
Wen Qian told them the leaves could also be dried and used to make tea, so they went home to try it.
Lotus roots could grow successfully downstream, so if there were enough in the future, she might be able to make lotus powder.
When it came to food, Wen Qian had always had a strong desire to explore, willing to try growing and making anything.
This year, Wen Qian planted some black sesame seeds at the forestry station. Sesame typically has a low yield, but she didn't intend to extract oil from them, but rather to make black sesame paste later on.
A ring of small sea buckthorn and wolfberry seedlings was planted around the forestry station, and she set up traps nearby to prevent wild boars from damaging the crops. So far, there had been no major disturbances, with only some small prey caught.
After the beans were steamed and cooled naturally, they were evenly mixed with qu fermentation starter and flour for the first fermentation.
During the long process of making soy sauce, Wen Qian did not forget to go hunting.
She set out from the first cabin, intending to find a suitable location for her second cabin.
She walked along the fence adjacent to Lisa's area, which was currently the only place with a semblance of a path to prevent her from getting lost.
On the other side of the fence, there were traces of logging, likely a path opened by hunters on patrol.
She planned to build three hunter's cabins within her domain, totaling four outposts including her home.
In the future, she could go hunting in faraway places without worrying about returning too late, as she could rest in the cabins.
The second location she chose was on a sunny slope with only some stunted trees.
Wen Qian spent some time clearing the area, but it was impossible to finish in one day, so she returned to the first cabin to stay the night and resumed the next day.
She couldn't stay away for too long, as there were still things to take care of at home, like the rabbits she had been raising in the backyard.
After being away for three days, she returned home to find the rabbits' food and water nearly depleted. She immediately replenished their supplies.
Next, she went to the forestry station to check on the crops and traps. Perhaps due to summer, the vegetation and water conditions were excellent, with no signs of wild boars near her home yet.
After returning home, the fermented beans needed to be rinsed with water, then placed in a glazed jar with salt added and sealed for the second fermentation.
After that, they had to be sun-dried daily, with a cover placed over them at night.
In the later stages, the jars were inverted to drizzle the beans with oil to facilitate more thorough fermentation.
Wen Qian finally understood why some traditionally made soy sauces could be so expensive - it was pure manual labor, time-consuming and laborious. How could they not charge a high price?
The soy sauce she had previously bought only cost a few dollars per bottle, or even cheaper in large plastic barrels when purchased in bulk.
As time progressed into July, Wen Qian no longer ventured deep into the forest, instead roaming around her home or near the river.
The lotus flowers were quite beautiful when in bloom, but Wen Qian preferred eating the lotus seeds and left the flowers alone.
The lotus roots and seeds she had previously waited to sprout at home were later planted downstream.
Growing them at home would require large barrels, which might crack in the courtyard during cold weather, so she didn't cultivate them there.
A gunshot rang out, and a wild chicken fell into the grass. At that moment, Wen Qian wished she had a hunting dog.
That way, she wouldn't have to search through the grass, especially during a season when snakes liked to come out.
In the hot weather, meat spoiled quickly. Without the space, she would need to return home early to clean and gut the game, then quickly smoke and salt it to preserve it.
Now, she only needed to confirm the kill before stuffing it into her space. As for the game she hunted in summer, she stored the fresh meat in her space after processing it.
Too much smoked and cured meat wasn't good, so Wen Qian had stored plenty of fresh meat in her space.
In summer, Wen Qian switched from rice to handmade noodles or porridge, paired with appetizing dishes.
She preferred drinking soups and liquids in the hot weather, not wanting to eat dry rice.
The clay basin for kneading dough was obtained from Ni Sha's family, who had made many bowls, pots, and jars.
Both Big Jin and Wen Qian had exchanged for some, as these containers were great for storing various things and were very durable, with a simple glaze applied to them.
On slightly warmer days, Wen Qian rarely placed a small basin in her room filled with snow or ice blocks to cool the temperature.
It was quite amusing, as she stockpiled ice and snow blocks every year but had never used them for cooling until now.
At least they had finally served a purpose, as she hadn't needed them in previous years.
This summer's highest temperature was slightly higher than last year's, with more warm days, so perhaps in a few years, the climate would return to its pre-volcanic eruption levels.
In the south, food crops could now be grown twice a year, and the previously cold-resistant varieties could now be introduced northward.
The south was now using varieties from before the volcanic winter, indicating their climate had recovered.
Currently, the population density in the southern regions is higher compared to other areas, with cities and nearby towns experiencing relatively good public security.
In the central regions, the population is sparser, mostly consisting of small villages and some small towns, but with fewer people.
The areas with the lowest population are the plateaus and the northern regions, which the people from the south refer to as the "lawless lands."
Some individuals who are wanted with bounties in the south would flee to these two areas.
However, the people living in the lawless lands are not entirely defenseless against mistreatment, as most households possess firearms.
Those who thought they could evade pursuit and punishment by leaving the south have sometimes ended up being killed by the guns of northern hunters and farmers.
To a certain extent, it could be considered another form of judgment.
