Cotton is a light-loving plant and has high requirements for light. The more sunlight there is, the more vigorously it grows and the higher the quality of the cotton it produces.

At the same time, cotton requires higher temperature and water than other plants during its growth.

If the temperature is low and the moisture is insufficient, its growth will be slow and delayed, resulting in reduced yield, late ripening and reduced quality.

Plants, like animals, choose suitable places to live.

Therefore, Wen Xian specially picked a sunny place to find cotton. It's a pity that after looking for half a month, I found nothing, but there were more and more mushrooms and wild vegetables in the cave.

In the past half month, they have not encountered other large beasts such as wild boars except for some pheasants, hares and other small game meat in the mountains.

Wen Xian was very helpless and depressed, and after coming back for dinner, she collapsed in the cave and refused to move.

The corners of Wu Junlan's mouth moved slightly, and she couldn't help but speak: "Madam, do you want to go to the mountain on the other side?" ”

"Nope." Wen Xian didn't even think about it, and refused directly, "There must be wolves or other large beasts on the other side of the mountain, so you can't take risks." ”

Recently, because of her search for cotton, she found that this side of the cave was in the shade. Although the sun is still abundant, the light hours are shorter than those on the back.

It has no effect on life, but it does have an impact on plant growth.

Thinking of the howl of the wolf that she hadn't heard for a long time, Wen Xian guessed that those large beasts were all on the top of the mountain, or on the sunny side on the other side of the mountain.

Cotton is to be found right, but life is more important. Rather than going to the wolves to find cotton, she would rather settle for the next best thing and choose to burn more charcoal.

"What if." Wu Junlan gritted her teeth and said unwillingly, "What if there are no wolves, surrounded by mountains, we only have two sides." Besides, we didn't go to the top of the mountain. Maybe the wolves are at the top of the mountain, so let's just not go to the top of the mountain. ”

Seeing that winter was coming, living in such a leaky and damp cave, she was really worried that they would not survive and would freeze to death in this winter.

However, Wen Xian was unmoved. There is already speculation about why you have to die.

"No one is allowed to go," she sneezed, gathered the petticoat on her body, turned over and faced the cave wall, "From tomorrow onwards, the fourth child will first use pigskin to sew a leather coat out." I'll draw you a sample, and you can just do it. Others chop wood and prepare to burn charcoal. ”

The costume is cumbersome, and it must be done in this format, and the pigskin can only be made into a short leather coat.

She followed the practice of coats in her previous life, so she had to make a medium-sized leather coat.

I don't know if it's because it's surrounded by the sea, but the temperature has dropped unusually fast recently. Even though it's only September, Wen Xian feels that it's already winter.

The clothes they had been wearing were almost unable to withstand the cold wind, and they couldn't wait any longer, so they had to get the charcoal out as soon as possible.

Otherwise, I am afraid that they will not be able to wait for the cotton to be found, and they will be frozen to death or smoked to death in the cave.

In addition to burning charcoal, you also have to make more efforts to store more dry reeds and dog's tail grass and other hay, and then make them into hay quilts, so that they can withstand a little cold.

"But......" Wu Junlan opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Wen Xian mercilessly.

"There's nothing but, that's all." Wen Xian turned her back and didn't look at her, and said in her mouth, "If anyone doesn't listen to the call and runs up the mountain, whether they live or die is responsible, I won't save people from the wolf's mouth." ”

Wu Junlan's expression was dark, and she said with a stiff face: "I know Madame." ”

After a sleepless night, after breakfast early the next morning, Wen Xian went to the woods with a knife.

The right wood is essential for the quality of charcoal.

Generally speaking, hardwood is better for charcoal burning than softwood, and it is also easier to produce high-quality charcoal. For example, oak, teak, hickory, etc.

When selecting the wood to be burned after cutting the tree, it is necessary to ensure that the wood is dry, free of insects, and of moderate thickness.

Wen Xian didn't plan to use the firewood stored in the cave, she planned to cut down the tree to burn charcoal.

After choosing the right tree, Wen Xian and the others took turns cutting down the tree. When the cut is almost done, the trunk is chopped into pieces of wood about a meter long.

If there is a thick trunk, he will cut it open and cut it to the thickness of his wrist.

After that, the cut wood blocks are placed in a ventilated place to dry. Allow the moisture in the block to evaporate and dry out.

This step alone took a full week.

The temperature dropped a few degrees again, and Wen Xian faintly regretted that she didn't cut wood to dry earlier.

Although there is a sun these days, it is not as hot as before.

She looked up into the distance, and there were dark clouds approaching densely, faintly threatening to rain.

Wen Xian couldn't help but panic and said: "It's about to rain, hurry up and strive to burn two piles of charcoal tomorrow." ”

She took the opportunity to look at Wu Junlan and said, "The second child came over and took a handle and yarded wood together." ”

Don't think that she doesn't know what Wu Junlan is paying attention to, just seeing Wu Junlan shrink her sense of existence and carry a knife to go out, she knows that Wu Junlan wants to go up the mountain.

Wu Junlan hadn't given up the idea of going to the mountain behind her to find cotton, and Wen Xian was helpless and powerless.

She knew that Wu Junlan relied on her background in a family of military generals and some kung fu foundation, so she was not afraid of wanting to challenge.

But if their force was really enough, how could she not want to go looking for cotton.

After all, they are too weak, and she can't bear to watch everyone die.

"Yes, ma'am." Wu Junlan reluctantly moved over and followed Wen Xian like a marionette.

Wen Xian sighed in her heart and began to fiddle with the dried wooden blocks.

There are many ways to burn charcoal, and Wen Xian chose a relatively simple method.

First, the dried wooden blocks are stacked next to each other, and placed vertically, like a pyramid, layer by layer, up and out.

The first time she burned charcoal, Wen Xian didn't dare to waste firewood, so she could only stack a small pile first.

After stacking the firewood, paste the mixed thin soil along the perimeter of the firewood to form a cellar.

The cellar is in a closed and piled state, and a hole the size of a bowl is left at the top to ignite the fire.

At the bottom of the cellar, leave three small holes for ventilation, and then use a dagger to draw a dirt door along the soil.

The earthen door does not have to be opened now, but will be opened after it is burned. The purpose of scratching it now is to prevent the burned soil from being too hard to scratch.

When everything was ready, the fire began to be lit at the hole at the top of the cellar. After igniting the fire, slowly stuff it into the cellar, and the fire will slowly burn from the top down.

After the fire is completely burned, the hole at the top of the cellar is sealed and the wood blocks are burned and charred.

During the carbonization process, the moisture and volatile substances in the firewood will be gradually released, and eventually the charcoal will be left behind.

This method was learned by Wen Xian in her previous life by watching a survival video in the wild, but she had never experimented with it, so she didn't know if she could succeed.

Fortunately, only a quarter of the firewood was used to be on the safe side, and even if it failed, there was a chance to save it.