Chapter 131: Food, Shelter, and Travel

Yan Lao’er was feeling a bit panicked.

“Dabao! What should we do?! I never really trusted your Uncle Cui’s medical skills. I thought if we were careful enough, had good remedies, and took care of things ourselves, we’d be fine.

Once we reach Guanzhou, I was planning to find a few experienced midwives, keep them well-fed and housed at our place while waiting.

But now that you’ve said this, I’m feeling uneasy! Your mother has become picky with food—she doesn’t like meat anymore, she’s tired of eating wild vegetables all the time, and the only thing she can still stomach is wild fruit. But it’s the wrong season! There aren’t many wild fruits to be found, and they’re hard to get. Besides, those things can’t be a staple! Oh, right—she can still eat fish, but there are even fewer fish in these mountains!”

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he asked his daughter, “Do you think our cat realized your mother is lacking nutrition and started catching fish for her?”

“Dad! Don’t panic. We’re already thinking of solutions!” Yan Yu suppressed her frustration and focused on the problem.

Yan Lao’er kept quiet, not wanting to disturb his daughter’s thoughts.

“Food, shelter, and travel.” Yan Yu suddenly spoke. “Let’s approach this from three angles.”

“For food, we’ll try to find as much as we can. If we’re not available, we’ll let the cat search on its own.”

“Exploration and collection-type smart machines are designed to work independently—they don’t need someone watching over them.

The cat going out won’t draw attention, and it should be able to collect small things like fish and wild fruits just fine. Once we settle down, we’ll upgrade its database immediately, making sure it can recognize ginseng. Dad, don’t worry! There should be plenty of ginseng in the mountains around Guanzhou, more than enough for Mom.”

Yan Lao’er slapped his thigh in realization. His daughter was indeed sharp!

“As for shelter, I’ll move out.”

Yan Yu decided she wouldn’t sleep next to her mother anymore—her sleeping posture was too wild and might hurt her mom.

Elder Sister Da Ya, on the other hand, was disciplined and never crossed boundaries.

By moving out, her mom and elder sister could have more space and rest better.

“I’ll find someone to make you a small bed then. We still have some bamboo left in the village,” Yan Lao’er said.

In the village, families often made small bamboo beds for their children. They were easy to carry and could be propped up for sleeping. They weren’t too low to the ground, and with some medicine sprinkled around, there was no need to worry about snakes or bugs.

Yan Yu shook her head. “No need. There’s still space below. I’ll just sleep in the back of the cart. If we bring an extra bed, it’ll attract too much attention.”

Yan Lao’er wanted to persuade her further.

Yan Yu cut him off. “Dad! I can sleep soundly anywhere. If you’re worried, just ask Uncle Qi to make the fence taller.”

Yan Lao’er hesitated for a while before finally saying, “But won’t you find it smelly?”

Yan Yu chuckled. “If I sleep there, do you think the chickens will still have a place? Those old hens that don’t lay eggs anymore will have to make room for me! Right now, we still have food, so I won’t think about them. But when the time comes, they’re all going into my belly!”

“No, that’s not it…” Yan Lao’er looked embarrassed. “We can move the chickens, and I’ll clean it thoroughly—no chicken poop smell, I promise. It’s just… You know, I walk a lot during the day, and my feet… have a bit of an odor. Just a little! Really, barely noticeable!”

Yan Lao’er nearly lifted his foot for his daughter to sniff, wanting to prove his point.

“Ah!” Yan Yu gasped. “Dad, your feet stink?!”

“No, no, no!” Yan Lao’er denied immediately, his face turning red. “It’s just sweat! A quick wash will fix it. Really! Would I lie to you?”

Yan Yu thought for a moment, then nodded. “That’s true. You wouldn’t be able to hide it from me anyway.

It’s fine, Dad. I don’t mind. If you have the chance, just wash your feet. If not, I’ll just turn my head the other way. We’ll sleep foot-to-foot, and neither of us will have to smell the other.”

Yan Lao’er’s eyes lit up. “Good idea! Why didn’t I think of that? My brain really isn’t as sharp as yours.”

Yan Lao’er: Shh! This is life-threatening!

Damn, if his wife found out about this, would he still have a place beside her in bed? How would they stay close in the future?!

Danger! Danger! Danger!

Yan Lao’er suddenly became alert—he needed to protect himself… starting with his feet.

“As for travel, slowing down might be safer, but for Mom, having a stable environment would be even better. Out on the road, sleeping in the open and traveling under the scorching sun… Sigh! Mom is really suffering!” Yan Yu said with heartache. “And she never complains.”

“Your mom is tough. When you got trapped in that mountain village, she was scared pale, but afterward, she acted like nothing happened.”

“Mom doesn’t want to trouble others. But Dad, things are different now—we need to keep a close eye on her!” Yan Yu said seriously.

Yan Lao’er nodded. “Alright! We’ll both keep watch over her from now on.”

“We still need to move fast.” Yan Yu clenched her little fists. “An ox cart is more stable than a mule or donkey cart. Sanbao isn’t an ordinary ox either—he’s already minimizing the bumps as much as possible. Sigh… If only we had suspension.”

Yan Lao’er had a sudden realization. “We can swap it out on the platform!”

“That would be too obvious. We can’t swap it—it’d be noticed immediately,” Yan Yu’s eyes flickered with thought. “Dad, do you think we could make one ourselves? Just like how you modified the iron crossbow. The villagers saw it and managed to craft a simplified recurve bow. You can do it too, Dad! Suspension is basically just a spring!”

Yan Lao’er: Huh?! What did my daughter just say? Just a spring?!

“Sweetheart, I think you’re overestimating me. You see me as capable of everything, don’t you?

I mean, I do consider myself smart and skilled. If I had the right tools and some iron wire, maybe I could figure something out.

But right now, we don’t have anything to work with! I have to be honest with you, sweetheart—this is impossible for me!”

Yan Yu: …

“Alright, then we’ll just have to work with the wheels.”

Seeing his daughter shift her focus, Yan Lao’er sighed in relief.

“We could wrap extra layers of hemp rope around them?”

“For now, that’s our best option. We should also make Mom a softer cushion—yes! A thicker one. The upper sleeping area isn’t as soft as the lower one because it’s too thin.”

“We can move a few blankets from below. Your uncle definitely won’t mind.”

Yan Yu knew her uncle cared a lot about this baby.

“Dad, do you think Uncle is hoping Mom will have a little brother?”

Yan Lao’er thought about it and had a different opinion. “Your uncle treats you and Da Ya much better than Heng’er. He’s never said anything about wanting a son. Don’t overthink it! Whether it’s a boy or a girl, no one can take your place!

To your mom and me, you’ll always be our Dabao. The younger ones will have to listen to you.”

“Hahaha! So I’m already being assigned responsibility? I’m the eldest sister at home and the eldest brother outside—I get both roles! Managing my younger siblings sounds great!

But Dad, about Uncle and Brother Heng, I think you’ve got it wrong. It’s ‘deep love, strict discipline.’ The stricter he is, the more he cares.”

“Heavy or light, what does it matter? I’m your dad!” Yan Lao’er said sourly, feeling a little jealous. His brother’s charisma—not to mention his money-giving skills—was stealing his daughter’s admiration!

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—”Dabao” (大宝) means “Big Treasure” and is an affectionate nickname, often for the eldest child in a family. It conveys love and importance.