Shen Meng got up early, and Lu Zhenping also had no habit of sleeping in. One cooked breakfast while the other took a flat cart up the mountain and chopped two cartloads of firewood.
There wasn't much usable firewood left at home, so while he was home, he had to stock up more to prepare for winter. Apart from firewood, there were also some dry fallen leaves, which were great for kindling.
Lu Zhenping brought two carts of firewood home in the morning. He spread the damp firewood in the yard, waiting for the sun to come out so it could dry for two days before storing it in the firewood shed.
When he came back the second time, Shen Meng had prepared hot water in the wash basin.
