The work in the carpentry workshop is nearing completion. After inspecting the wooden stakes, wooden fences, and pulleys made by Uncle Li, North decided that tomorrow would be a successful battle. She handed a packet of foreign explosive powder to Tong Xi, saying, "See if you can mix this powder with alcohol, soak some pointed wooden sticks, and tie them to the wooden fences to resist the force of the boars' impact. Should the arrowheads of several uncles also be soaked?"
"Alright, I'll handle these matters. It's too late; you should go to sleep now."
"I'm still energetic. Aunt Li has prepared fresh food. You've been busy all night. Take everyone to eat something and then rest." North said as she returned to the stone platform, taking out a bunch of ginger and garlic, chopping a handful of green and red peppers. She mixed wild perilla leaves, a large amount of salt, and a large bowl of wine into a large wooden barrel. She poured the cleaned intestines into it, uncovered the pot, scooped out the hot brine until it completely submerged the intestines, and then covered the barrel. North took out a few marinated hearts, livers, and stomachs, sliced them, sprinkled them with ginger and garlic, and placed them on a large lidded bucket. "Aunt Li, Uncle is almost done. I'll have Tong Xi bring everyone over to eat something before taking a break. The intestines can soak until tomorrow night before processing. There's no need to add more fire to the brine pot; just let it slowly extinguish like this. Everyone, eat something and then rest." With everything done, North bid everyone good night and returned to her bedroom.
Regardless of the anticipation of her husband's arrival for a late-night meal, the astonishment at the charm of the marinated dishes, North slipped into the Snow Jade Cave within the space, persisting in her daily practice of luck and Tai Chi. However, today was different. The dense fog suspended in the central pit appeared to be expanding and thickening. Droplets formed in the vortex's center, resembling raindrops falling. The pit's walls were moist, and the milky liquid accumulated to nearly two liters. This change should be due to the energy accumulation brought by the animals from the valley today. North extended her hand to catch a drop of the thick white droplet and tasted it on her tongue. It was neither sweet nor salty, lacking much flavor. After spending some time in the hot spring pit, North flashed back to bed and fell asleep.
Jingjing brought breakfast up, and when she called, the sun was already high in the sky, approaching noon. "Miss North, you rested late yesterday, so everyone didn't want to disturb you. They moved the tools to the valley in the morning, and by now, I guess the animals have left the pool and gone into the mountains. So, do you want to come with me to set up traps?"
"Of course, let's go." North quickly cleaned up and grabbed two spring pancakes stuffed with filling, heading towards the mountains.
"Jingjie, Jingjie, wait for us." Sinan and Jiawei emerged from the thicket and chased after the two of them.
"Why are you two running? You can't go into the mountains." North looked at Jingjing, who took Sinan's small medicine basket, feeling somewhat speechless. It was probably this girl's idea again.
"I've seen so many people setting traps there recently, and there's no danger. Moreover, it's not far from home. I want to take these two to learn the survival skills of our mountain people, so, so..." Jingjing was a little afraid of making North angry, so her voice got quieter as she spoke.
"You're right! How can you see a rainbow without experiencing wind and rain? Let's go, Sinan, go with your sister." North's words were like a pardon, causing cheers. Jingjing felt relieved.
In the valley, about ten meters from the cave entrance, a semi-circular trench about two meters deep and three meters wide had been dug. The bottom of the trench was filled with upright pointed bamboo skewers and forearm-thick wooden stakes. A shooter area of about nine square meters was enclosed in front of the cave entrance, with a flexible wooden fence that could be pulled up at any time, forming a secure area that could be attacked and retreated into the cave. North stopped the two smaller ones from going further, only allowing Jingjing to take them to observe here. She walked along the side, leaving a passage leading to the eastern exit of the valley.
At the narrowest section of the exit, a fence had been set up in the peripheral stream with wooden stakes, and the grassy path on this side had five groups of wooden stakes, about three meters apart. During the encirclement, there would be a wooden gate, twelve meters wide, placed between the wooden stakes, reinforced with long roundwood pins. This was the last line of defense if wild boars managed to cross multiple obstacles, evade the hunters' bows and arrows, and reach this point. They would encounter the roundwood stakes soaked in Mantra wine powder, tied at a ninety-degree angle to the wooden gate, which would pierce their skin and flesh.