In the frigid lands, after my exile, I began to slay demons and monsters.

Chapter 50 Gathering Mode Enabled

Ning Xiaoxi caught up with the exile group before sunset. Wu Dayong didn't even ask her any questions, just nodded to her and let her follow the group.

Ming Luoying took Ning Xiaoxi's hand, her eyes reddening, but she didn't say a word.

Ning Shi and Ning Ziqing followed behind the mother and daughter, their steps somewhat heavy.

Soon, Wu Dayong led the group into a post station, one of the few places in Bingzhou Prefecture where exiled prisoners could rest. Wu Dayong specially arranged a single room for the Ning family of four, after all, Ning's daughter was no longer the same as before.

As soon as she entered the room, Ning Xiaoxi threw herself into Ming Luoying's arms and burst into tears.

"Xiaoxi, Xiaoxi, what's wrong? What happened?" Ming Luoying was heartbroken and held her daughter tightly as she listened to her heart-wrenching cries, tears streaming down her face as well.

Ning Shi and Ning Ziqing followed the mother and daughter into the room. Upon hearing Ning Xiaoxi's cries, Ning Ziqing quickly turned around and closed the door. Then, just like Ning Shi, he stood helplessly by the side, watching the mother and daughter crying their hearts out.

After crying for a while, Ning Xiaoxi felt a little dizzy. The suppressed emotions and troubled mind were completely released after seeing her parents and brother. "Mom, I'm fine. I'll be fine after a nap."

Ming Luoying settled Ning Xiaoxi down, covered her with a blanket, and sat on the edge of the bed, wiping away her tears. "What has this girl been through these past few days?"

Ning Shi leaned over and patted Ming Luoying's shoulder, "Let her get a good night's sleep."

Ning Ziqing clenched his fists, looking at his pale-faced sister lying on the bed. He could see that her already frail body had become even thinner in the past few days—far thinner than during their journey. He was the son of the Ning family, yet his sister bore all this burden. He felt a profound sense of his own powerlessness once again.

Ning Xiaoxi rejoined the exile group. In early spring, the earth gradually awakened from its slumber, and all things revived, presenting a vibrant scene.

Feeling the spiritual energy within my body resonate with the morning sunlight, constantly cleansing the impurities in my spiritual meridians, and nourished by the spiritual crystal heart, my spiritual meridians continue to expand, and my body gradually becomes lighter and more agile.

After entrusting the Light Cloud Beast to the post station, Ning Xiaoxi checked her small basket and found some extra tools: a small hoe for digging herbs and grass, a small knife, a small pair of scissors, a bag of salt, and several empty cloth bags. It seemed she could try using her natural perception ability to improve her family's meals. Thinking this, she slung her basket over her shoulder and quickly caught up with the group.

The exiles moved along the path, the ground beneath their feet still damp and soft from the winter.

Not far along, Ning Xiaoxi found a clump of shepherd's purse on the ridge of a field by the roadside.

Shepherd's purse unfurled its tender green leaves in the early spring breeze, glistening with dewdrops, as alluring as jade. Ning Xiaoxi crouched down, carefully examining the characteristics of the shepherd's purse. Once she was sure it was the right plant, she happily put down her basket, took out a small hoe, and dug up the shepherd's purse stalks one by one, placing them into the bamboo basket on her back.

When Ning Ziqing saw his younger sister squat down, he came over and asked, "Xiao Xi, are you tired? Why don't you give the basket to your brother?"

"No, brother, look, this is shepherd's purse. It tastes delicious and can replenish energy," Xiaoxi happily introduced to her brother, who certainly didn't recognize these wild vegetables.

Ning Ziqing looked at the tender green wild vegetables in her sister's hand, carefully examined them, and made sure she could recognize them the next time she saw them.

The guards nearby also noticed the brother and sister's actions, but seeing that the two had only dug up a few wild vegetables before following the group, they didn't say anything more.

The group moved at a steady pace, quickly rounding a mountain range and arriving at the edge of a forest. The path wound its way through the forest, and the group continued into the woods.

The trees here have just sprouted new buds, and their tender green color adds a touch of freshness to this forest.

Under a tall elm tree, Ning Xiaoxi discovered many elm seeds. The elm seeds hung in clusters from the branches, resembling ancient coins, hence the name.

Ning Xiaoxi gently broke off a branch, carefully picked off the elm seeds, and put them in her mouth to taste. A sweet flavor spread on her tongue. She picked another handful and quickly stuffed the elm seeds into her brother's mouth.

Ning Ziqing was stunned by the sudden mouthful of food. After he came to his senses, he unconsciously chewed a few times, and the sweet taste made his eyes sparkle.

Ning Xiaoxi smiled and quickened her pace, soon gathering a full handful of elm seeds. Elm seeds can be directly mixed with noodles and steamed to make elm seed rice, or mixed with flour and pan-fried to make elm seed pancakes. They are a rare and delicious substitute for grains in early spring.

Ning Shi and Ming Luoying watched as the brother and sister deftly pulled down every branch they could reach to pick elm seeds, and came over to help.

Soon, the empty bag was filled.

Nearby, the old doctor Zhao also saw Ning Xiaoxi's actions and instructed his son to imitate her and pick elm seeds from the trees. However, the shackles on their feet and the handcuffs on the trees jingled, so they didn't pick many, but they broke off a few branches laden with elm seeds. They picked as they walked, and although they were a bit clumsy, they still managed to pick some. It was just that the elm trees were quite pitiful, with many branches broken off.

Ning Xiaoxi looked at the old man with a smile, and the old man smiled back at Ning Xiaoxi.

Just as she was about to leave the woods, Ning Xiaoxi's gaze was drawn to the wild dandelions on the grass.

Ning Xiaoxi smiled even more happily. The terrain of Bingzhou, with its many hills and mountains, was quite friendly, with so many wild vegetables to pick and eat.

Ning Xiaoxi collected some tender dandelion leaves, which can be used in cold dishes or soups and have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying.

Along the way, we kept picking and collecting, and every now and then we saw green grass, which swept away the gloom of the past few days.

Soon it was noon, and Wu Dayong chose to rest by a clear stream.

After walking around all morning, the prisoners were already quite skilled at leveling the ground, collecting firewood from the surrounding area, building a simple stove, and using earthenware pots to fetch water and placing them on the stove.

Ning Xiaoxi poured out the shepherd's purse and elm seeds from the bag, washed them by the stream, and then asked Ming Luoying to take out a bag of coarse flour. She poured the coarse flour into the bag, mixed it with the elm seeds and shepherd's purse, and steamed it in an earthenware pot to make shepherd's purse dumplings and elm seed dumplings.

Ning Xiaoxi had just seen a lot of water celery by the stream. The water celery had slender stems and pinnately divided leaves, swaying gracefully in the water.

However, after looking at the cool stream, she was reluctant to go in; it must be very cold!

"What's wrong?" Ning Ziqing came to Ning Xiaoxi's side and followed her gaze to the water celery in the stream. "Are you going to pick those?"

After Ning Xiaoxi nodded, Ning Ziqing took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his trousers, and stepped into the stream. The icy water made him shiver, but he did not stop what he was doing.

Zhou Liangwu's youngest son, Zhou Xin, had been following Ning Ziqing. When he saw Ning Ziqing go into the water, he glanced at Ning Xiaoxi, wanting to go in but also feeling a little worried.

"Zhou Xin, come and pick some more, there's still plenty left." Ning Ziqing called to Zhou Xin. Zhou Xin immediately took off his shoes and socks, lifted the chain between his feet, and walked into the stream.

Ning Ziqing picked water celery and washed it clean in the stream. In no time, she had filled a small basket.

Ning Xiaoxi happily took the basket from her brother and pointed to the snails clinging to the rocks by the stream. "Brother, brother, over there, those snails clinging to the rocks, pick them up quickly, we'll make snail soup tonight."

Following his sister's directions, Ning Ziqing picked up a few snails and then walked back. Zhou Xin picked up the remaining snails after he got up and followed him ashore.

"Brother Zhou, you need to soak those snails to remove the mud and sand before making soup tonight," Ning Xiaoxi reminded Zhou Xin, who had also picked up some snails.

"Okay, okay, I understand." Zhou Xin thanked Ning Xiaoxi with a smile.

When the two siblings returned to the stove, the elm seed dumplings and shepherd's purse dumplings were already steamed. Ming Luoying took them out and put them away. She filled the empty earthenware pot with water, boiled it, put the water celery in to blanch it, and then took it out and placed it on a stone slab that Ning Ziqing had just cleaned.

Ning Xiaoxi put the washed dandelions into a clay pot that had been refilled with water, added a little salt, and cooked a vegetable soup.

Then, I chopped the water celery with a knife, added salt, and tossed it in a cold salad.

Soon, a meal with rice, soup, and vegetables was ready.

The family of four sat together and happily enjoyed a reunion dinner.