"I have a feeling these aren’t just weeds. They look a lot like coptis."

Evelyn Ford dug one up and sniffed it carefully. "It’s too small, so I can’t be sure, but it really looks like coptis. Ronan Kendrick, help me dig up that patch over there."

Evelyn Ford took out a small hoe and gave it to Ronan Kendrick. While the others were hunting, the two of them knelt on the ground, digging for coptis.

The deeper and damper the mountain, the more densely the coptis grew.

"Ronan Kendrick, you go hunt. I’ll dig for coptis. Blow the whistle later to let me know you have game for me to collect."

"Can you manage on your own?"

Evelyn Ford chuckled. "I can. No problem at all. Go on. We’ll divide and conquer—we’ll get both game and medicinal herbs."

Evelyn Ford glanced at a pile of rocks nearby and immediately rushed over. "Wild dendrobium! My luck is off the charts."

Seeing how engrossed she was in digging for herbs, Ronan Kendrick left the crossbow with her and headed deeper into the mountains with his long knife.

Evelyn Ford’s protective suit was covered in dirt. She knelt on the ground, head down, and continued to dig.

What surprised Evelyn Ford the most was unearthing a few Mandala plants. Mandala could be used as an analgesic, making it a viable anesthetic. The flowers, fruit, and leaves all had different uses, but Mandala was also somewhat toxic; improper use could lead to poisoning.

Evelyn Ford dug for over an hour before she heard the whistle and finally got up from the ground.

Ignoring her sore, numb legs, Evelyn Ford stored the hoe and medicinal herbs in her space, then quickly grabbed the crossbow and headed toward the sound of the whistle.

"Ronan Kendrick?"

"I’m here."

Ronan Kendrick leaped down from a tree, landing steadily in front of Evelyn Ford.

He looked at the dirt and leaves on her clothes and reached out to brush them off.

"The game is over there. I got a few rabbits, a muntjac, and a pheasant."

Evelyn Ford gave him a thumbs-up. "Impressive."

’Everything is coming back to life. Even the animals are becoming more plentiful.’

The two of them went over to collect the game. Carrying a pheasant, Evelyn Ford decided they should head down the mountain.

The descent was quick. The others were already back by the vehicles, where the black bear lay lifeless on the road, tied up tightly.

"Evelyn Ford, Ronan Kendrick, you’re finally back! I was worried sick when I didn’t see you."

Evelyn Ford waved the pheasant in her hand. "Sorry, Ronan Kendrick and I went into the mountains nearby. I also dug up some medicinal herbs. Plants are starting to grow in the mountains."

Serena Lynch’s eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really."

"That’s wonderful! If plants are growing, it means the soil is fertile enough for cultivation. We can grow vegetables in the future."

Evelyn Ford nodded. "That’s right. Once we’re settled, we can plant pumpkins and wheat."

The others were already processing the black bear. Someone had a minor arm injury, but it wasn’t serious.

Evelyn Ford gathered some wood, preparing to start a fire next to the vehicle.

"Let’s boil some water to pluck the feathers. Ronan Kendrick, we’re having beggar’s chicken later."

Ronan Kendrick filled a kettle with water. Evelyn Ford built a simple fire pit and set the water on to boil.

An adult black bear weighs around 250 kilograms. After removing the hide and organs, there was plenty of meat for everyone.

Since Ronan Kendrick had provided the bear’s location, the two of them received a large share of the meat, even though they hadn’t joined the hunt.

Black bear meat tasted pretty good, especially the paws, which were considered highly nutritious.

"Miss Ford, what time is it?" Wendy came over and wrapped her arms around Evelyn Ford’s shoulders, leaning her whole body against her.

"Did you forget, Wendy?"

"There are no numbers on it, so I can’t remember."

Evelyn Ford patted her shoulder. "It’s okay. I’ll teach you again, and you’ll remember. This is the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand. The top is twelve o’clock, the bottom is six o’clock..."

"I remember now! So it’s three-fifteen, right? Is it daytime or nighttime?"

After the polar day, there was no distinction between day and night, making it impossible to tell them apart.

"It’s three-fifteen in the afternoon, so it’s daytime."

Evelyn Ford’s pocket watch had a small digital display, so she could tell if it was day or night with just a glance.

Wendy looked at Evelyn Ford. "I’ve got it. It’s daytime now. After six o’clock, it’s nighttime, and when it gets to six o’clock again, it’s daytime."

Evelyn Ford nodded. "Very smart. Wendy, do you get carsick?"

"No. Miss Ford, I want to go hunting too, but Daddy won’t let me."

Wendy was already eight years old and had gotten much stronger, but she was still a child. Officer Graham would never let her do anything dangerous.

"It’s okay. When you’re a little older, around twelve, you can go hunting."

Wendy was excited. "So in four more years, I can be as good as you, Miss Ford?"

"You’ll be even better than me."

The water boiled. Ronan Kendrick went to prepare the pheasant, while Evelyn Ford washed the bear meat she had been given. She cut off a third of it, skewered it, and planned to grill it.

Evelyn Ford stored the rest in her space.

In fact, she still had a lot of black bear meat in her space from a few years ago on Broken Cloud Mountain, from two black bears Mr. Holloway had ordered killed. She had barely touched it.

After the pheasant was prepared, it was rubbed with seasonings, wrapped in paper, and then coated in a layer of mud.

Evelyn Ford mixed the mud herself. The others watched her disapprovingly, thinking she was wasting water.

Evelyn Ford just smiled and didn’t explain.

"Can you still eat it after it’s been covered in mud?"

"Of course. We kind of look like beggars ourselves right now, so eating beggar’s chicken is very fitting."

The bear meat finished grilling. The fire kept the insects at bay, so Evelyn Ford unzipped her protective suit, took off her hat, and quickly wiped the sweat from her brow with a towel.

"It’s ready to eat."

Evelyn Ford handed the grilled meat to Ronan Kendrick. He leaned in, took a bite, and his eyes instantly lit up.

"Delicious."

Evelyn Ford grinned. "Goes without saying. Grilling is my specialty."

When the beggar’s chicken was done, Evelyn Ford had just dug it out of the fire when Ronan Kendrick started staring intently at the ball of mud.

"It smells so good. Evelyn Ford, I didn’t know you could cook with dirt."

"Of course. You can also burn cow dung for fuel."

Ronan Kendrick fell silent. That was one fact he could have done without.

Cracking open the lump of mud revealed the paper inside, still perfectly intact. As the paper was unwrapped, a rich aroma filled the air.

"Let’s eat."

The pheasant wasn’t very fatty, but the meat was tender and flavorful.

"Evelyn Ford, do you have any salt to spare? I’d like to trade for some." Quincy planned to trade half his bear meat for it.

"Yes, I’ll go get it for you."

Evelyn Ford gave him a small bowlful, and Quincy was stunned. "I don’t need this much! Half a spoonful would be enough."

"Just take it. We have more."

Evelyn Ford pressed the salt into his hands and took the meat from him at the same time. "Ronan Kendrick has a big appetite. This will be perfect for a stew. Thanks."

"I should be the one thanking you. When we set off, I’ll drive. I’ll drive for three days straight."

Evelyn Ford waved a hand dismissively. "No need for that. Your driving is so bad, no one would feel safe. Alright, put your things away and hurry up and grill your meat. Wyatt Vaughn has been hungry all day."

Quincy wasn’t embarrassed by her jab. He just grinned sheepishly and quickly put the salt away.