Day after day passed. In the blink of an eye, everyone had been living in the small courtyard for over eight months. The corn in the greenhouse had all been harvested—over a hundred cobs from more than fifty stalks. Evelyn Ford pulled up some kale and radishes. Tonight was barbecue again, and the kale was a must to cut through the grease.

When Evelyn Ford returned to the courtyard, everyone was washing duck feathers. The sun had started to have a little warmth recently, so they could dry clothes and duck feathers.

A few days ago, they had slaughtered all the ducks and made them into cured pressed duck, leaving only two that would be easy to take on the road.

The number of horses had also increased to twenty-one, and one of the elk had given birth to a calf.

The wagons and wheels were all finished. After a test run, they found that two horses pulling a wagon together could haul over a thousand pounds of supplies.

After a group discussion, they decided to leave the courtyard in half a month and continue toward the Northwest. During this time, they needed to organize all their supplies and stuff the dried duck feathers into a few down jackets to wear on the road.

The temperature still hovered around minus sixty-six degrees. Compared to six months ago, they had now adapted to the cold. As long as it wasn’t raining or windy, traveling was no problem at all.

The number of argali sheep was a bit high, having grown to one hundred and eighty. Ronan Kendrick had tamed them well. Argali were typically aggressive, but now they were even more docile than domestic sheep.

All the corn kernels were being saved for seeds. They would also take any leftover firewood and charcoal. Anything in the small courtyard that could be taken had to be taken.

Several bonfires were lit in the courtyard, with quilts hung on wooden poles around them to dry.

Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick didn’t have many things. The wagon pulled by the Mammoth was theirs, and it was just big enough to hold all their belongings.

Everyone’s supplies were pooled together, and they ate their meals together too. The group was very united, with no one holding them back.

As for weapons, each person had a knife and a gun. Evelyn Ford was in charge of the ammunition and the remaining firearms.

After the duck feathers were dry, they were divided equally among everyone, and each person made a thick down jacket.

Everyone had received plenty of clothes and shoes left over from the fishing boat. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick had also brought some back from Westeria, so they still had enough to wear for now.

The wood used for the wagons was thick, and they had double wheels, making them very sturdy. The tarps were washed, folded, and stored in a shipping container. A quick inventory showed they now had four shipping containers and five horse-drawn wagons.

The day before they left, Taylor Vance organized everyone to slaughter an argali sheep for a lavish farewell dinner. Evelyn Ford took out three large green bottles, and everyone had a small cup.

At ten the next morning, the sun was already out. Taylor Vance opened the courtyard gate. Everyone got up one by one, washed up, and ate breakfast. Afterward, they loaded the supplies onto the wagons, fed and watered all the animals, and wrapped the young foals in warm, tattered clothes. With a shout of "Let’s move out!" from Taylor Vance, the group left the courtyard.

The courtyard gate closed, and the wagons set off with a CREAK. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick rode in the Mammoth’s wagon, bringing up the rear of the procession.

Traveling by wagon was much easier than before. They could even place a small stove on the floorboards by their feet.

Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick’s wagon was massive, with twelve wheels in total.

It was about the size of a small truck. The wagon had sliding windows and was furnished with a bed, chairs, and a table.

The Mammoths were incredibly intelligent. On the first day, Ronan Kendrick drove them from the front and gave them a few commands. By the second day, they no longer needed any direction and simply followed the group on their own.

It was very warm inside the wagon, with the temperature around ten degrees above zero. Evelyn Ford woke up from a nap to find the group had stopped. They were now in Arvane.

A bitter wind howled outside the window, but thankfully there was no rain or snow. Evelyn Ford bundled up completely before opening the wagon door and climbing down.

The city, abandoned for five or six years, was just like a ghost town from a movie: dilapidated, desolate, and utterly deserted.

They planned to spend the night here and continue their journey at seven the next morning. They found a spot sheltered from the wind, herded the animals there, and started a fire to melt snow, letting the horses and sheep drink first.

There were many trees nearby. Evelyn Ford and Wyatt Vaughn took machetes and went to chop down some leafy branches. The others had already set up the windbreak.

Each wagon was equipped with a stove. At night, they would crack open a sliding window to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. To guard against surprise attacks from tigers and black bears, they still needed people to take turns on watch.

Unable to sit still, Quincy and Miles Vaughn grabbed their guns and went into the city. After dinner, Evelyn Ford took Wyatt Vaughn and Wendy to use the restroom. To prevent frostbite, they had to carry a small stove with them when going to the toilet outdoors.

By ten-thirty at night, the two still hadn’t returned, and Wyatt Vaughn was getting anxious.

"Do you think they ran into a black bear?"

"I think they might have gotten lost."

"You don’t think something happened to them, do you?"

After another half hour, the two were still not back. Wyatt Vaughn was on the verge of tears. The group decided to go look for them, and in the end, it was Ronan Kendrick who found them in a deep pit.

"They fell into a pit and couldn’t climb out. By the time I got there, they were both unconscious from the cold."

It took Evelyn Ford half an hour of first aid to revive the two unconscious men.

The rescue method was very simple: she slapped them hard a dozen times. Once their faces were swollen like pigs’ heads, the two woke up.

"Where are your whistles?" Taylor Vance asked, his expression unusually stern.

Quincy felt around his body. The whistle was gone.

"The wind is strong, and the temperature is still very low. If Ronan Kendrick had found you any later, you two would have died from hypothermic shock."

"We’re sorry. We won’t be so reckless again."

Taylor Vance sighed. "There will certainly be more dangers on the road ahead. Even when we reach our destination, there will surely be plenty of trouble waiting for us. Everyone needs to be on high alert. Don’t let foolish fun lead to disaster."

"You were lucky nothing worse happened this time. We are a team, and everyone is responsible for the entire group."

The two were terrified in hindsight. If it had been ten minutes later, just as Taylor Vance said, they would have gone into shock from hypothermia.

To prevent them from catching a cold, Taylor Vance brewed a large pot of herbal medicine. Before setting off the next day, everyone drank two large bowls of it.

After this incident, everyone became much more cautious on the journey that followed.

Covering about forty-eight kilometers a day, they arrived in another city after ten days of travel.

The roads here were much easier to travel. It was a vast, endless plain; not a single mountain peak could be seen.

There was nothing here but snowfields and collapsed buildings, with the occasional bare fruit tree. A bell hung from the horn of the lead argali sheep, and as it rang, DING-DONG, a flock of black birds took flight from one of the trees.

Inside the wagon, the four little ones were fast asleep in their nest. Evelyn Ford took out a Gomoku set and played a game with Ronan Kendrick.

Wendy was down to just two Snow Rabbits; all the others had been slaughtered.

The two snow ducks were also on their wagon, and Evelyn Ford could hear their QUACK QUACK QUACK from a great distance.