The next morning, the group woke up feeling refreshed. The lean-tos they had slept in the night before were the most comfortable shelters they had ever known.
At dawn, those responsible for cooking rose early to call everyone over for mushroom and dough-drop soup with pheasant eggs. Although the soup was seasoned only with a pinch of fine salt, it tasted as satisfying as a meat dish. The mushrooms were so tender and smooth that they were nearly delicious enough to make one "eat their own eyebrows" in delight. The dough drops, having soaked up the mushroom broth all night, were equally flavorful. A single slurp was enough to make one’s whole body feel warm and cozy.
After breakfast, the young men reloaded the grain onto the mules and donkeys. The horses had it easier, carrying only the elders and the small children, who in turn carried bundles of dry grass. The group looked back at the shelters they had built with reluctance, but they knew leaving them behind was the only way.
Chapter 178