He set up a simple campsite by the lake. Hunter Grandpa had taught Xia Fan wilderness survival skills, and they finally came in handy.
The camp was beautifully built. Situated between two big trees, Xia Fan used the method of binding tree vines to build the frame, and then layered it with soft branches so as to keep it hidden and warm.
Sustenance was fish that he caught from the lake, or the wild hares that ran about the forest grounds.
About twenty-seven kilometers south of the lake was a small farm. There lived a kindly old couple, and Xia Fan used the materials that he hunted to exchange for salt and other condiments from them.
This old couple operated a roughly four thousand hectares automated farm. They thought Xia Fan was a vagrant, which was why the childless couple invited Xia Fan to stay and help them with the work. In exchange, they would provide Xia Fan food and a living wage.
