Xuan Mu leaned against the trunk, idly sharpening a knife with a whetstone. "We should start preparing for the winter," he told Bing Shi, watching Ziek teach Stinky Bun how to skip stones across the lake near the sheep village.
Each attempt sank with a pathetic plop, followed by Bing Shi's booming laughter and Stinky Bun's cute squeals.
"Mommy!" He tugged at her pants. "You try!"
"Alright," Bing Shi knelt, selecting a flat stone. She flicked her wrist, and the stone skipped four times, dancing across the surface before disappearing.
Stinky Bun copied her, but his stone plopped again.
"Is the winter season that bad?" Bing Shi asked, glancing at Xuan Mu.
"Worse," Xuan Mu said. "I asked around, and apparently, lots of beastmen die when the frost hits. Most huts get destroyed by the snow storms."
