Chapter 123


    By the picturesquekeside, Wen Qian noticed not the wildlife or fish, but rather the towering reeds that stood taller than a person - these were the first things she wanted to collect.


    Thus, she spent her time gathering reeds along the shoreline, having never used them for anything before.


    Yet she knew these materials woulde in handyter, so she collected them first.


    The reed thickets stretched from the shore into the water, but Wen Qian did not venture into theke, opting instead to gather the rtively longer reeds from the shore.


    Sure enough, yearster, this scenic spot remained stunningly beautiful, but aside from the asional upward nce during her rest breaks, Wen Qian kept her head down and worked tirelessly.


    If this had been before the cmity, this highway would likely have seen plenty of traffic, with many people exiting to take photos or even camp here.


    The snowy mountains, sunrises, and sunsets, along with the jewel-likeke surface, were a sight to behold.


    Indeed, after the cmity, while human activity had ceased, nature remained unchanged.


    It quickly reverted to its original state, but for humans to regain their former scale and level after the volcanic eruption would be extremely difficult.


    Wen Qian had seen how people in other ces collected reeds - they usually waited until the entireke froze over in winter before venturing onto the ice to harvest the reeds protruding above.


    As for the reeds'' many uses, Wen Qian couldn''t recall them all, but she clearly remembered two: the roots could be used for medicine, and the reeds themselves could be made into paper.


    She couldn''t remember their other uses, but she knew these nts were valuable treasures.


    Unfortunately, although it was cold when she arrived, theke''s ice had already melted, so for safety''s sake, she kept her distance from the water.


    Despite it being spring, Wen Qian had the uncanny feeling of harvesting in autumn.


    Of course, while collecting reeds, she didn''t forget to set fish traps and bird snares.


    Especially with the fish traps and birds, once set up, she only needed to check on them periodically.


    With the spare time, she could focus on gathering supplies.


    Sometimes, when bored, Wen Qian would try digging for reed roots in the soil.


    At this time, the reeds were also starting to sprout, so she left some tender shoots as well.


    In the grasnds by the water where no reeds grew, Wen Qian identified a few edible nts and collected those too, without hesitation.


    For Wen Qian, many of the wild vegetables she had found in previous years were repeats.


    So as she ventured outward, much of what she saw was new and fresh, which of course had to be collected.


    After spending two days by theke, Wen Qian followed the highway onward, stopping for a while at another part of the shoreline.


    In total, she spent quite a long time by thiske, with a satisfactory haul.


    She knew her mapped journey so far was only about two finger-widths long, and reaching Jade Lake would require traveling twice that distance.


    However, Wen Qian was not in a hurry, as she did not n on nting any crops this entire year.


    This meant she could travel from spring to autumn, as long as she found a suitable ce to stay before winter arrived.


    With no societal rhythm to follow, the pace no longer mattered.


    These days, people''s greatest goal should simply be to stay alive and well, free from illness and harm.


    Having lived alone for so long, Wen Qian no longer worried about what would happen when she grew old, nor did she face concern or doubt from others about her way of life.


    She hadplete control over her time, though a bitx, she still maintained a general pace.


    After all, she alone had to bear the consequences of her actions, with no one to help her.


    In the past, in pursuit of a better social status, quality of life, education, and healthcare, many families carried a heavy burden across three generations.


    The first two generations strived for a better future for the next, an effort that was meant to elevate but often brought greater mental strain.


    Now, reduced to mere subsistence, nothing else mattered.


    If people didn''t work for sustenance, they could only await death, and no one could me society, parents, or their environment.


    To some degree, thisplete spiritual freedom also meant living day-to-day, though Wen Qian adapted well.


    Even when gathering supplies now, if she felt tired, she would simply rest, never pushing herself to exhaustion.


    In the past, people who worked overtime might end up in the hospital, with their earnings going towards medical bills.


    Now, if one fell ill from overexertion, there might not even be a hospital - so why bother? This mindset allowed Wen Qian to be more rxed than before.


    Leaving thekeside, Wen Qian began heading east along the highway.


    The highway wound through mountains and desert, neither environment particrly hospitable.


    The desert was barren, while the mountain valleys offered narrow passages hugging steep rock faces.


    On either side were sheer cliffs or dense forests - the people who constructed this road were truly remarkable.


    However, continuing onward yielded no rewards, so aside from stopping overnight, Wen Qian spent her time traveling, picking up her pace.


    As she passed over a viaduct, she didn''t know its purpose, only that it spanned the valley.


    Wen Qian''s highway ran along the ground, with ample space beside it, though mostly seasonal riverbeds devoid of grass.


    For a stretch, the viaduct''s direction converged with the ground highway, running alongside it.


    Wen Qian couldn''t see where the viaduct began, so she didn''t venture up.


    But as she continued forward, she understood why the viaduct was built here.


    The ground highway hugged cliffs that were too steep, risking rockfalls and copses.


    Wen Qian noticed the scattered boulders on the ground, realizing the danger.


    Moreover, Xia Province was prone to earthquakes, though her former home didn''t experience many perceptible ones, the frequency might increase in this area.


    The viaduct was likely built to prevent road closures from copses.


    Wen Qian cautiously skirted the copsed sections and pressed on.


    Further ahead, the terrain leveled out as she entered a deste desert in, where an unusual man-madendscape emerged.


    Xia Province has a rtively long daily sunshine duration, so some areas have sr photovoltaic power stations.


    These areas have thin, dry air with little rainfall, and abundant sr radiation resources, which is why sr power nts were set up there in earlier years.


    However, after the volcanic eruption, volcanic ash swept across the globe, and for many years, these so-called sr power nts would have struggled to continue operating.


    There are hardly any sunny days, and this ce is highly unsuitable for human habitation. Apart from the original staff, there should be no one else left.


    Therefore, after so many years, Wen Qian didn''t expect to encounter any humans here.