Chapter 216

The woman beside them also leaned over to look.

That person took a few photos of them, and they were excellent.

The proportions were balanced, the lighting was just right; the key point was that it made the man look more burly and the woman look slimmer, which was very important.

"Anyway, there aren't many people here; shall we do it together?" the woman said with a smile.

So, without waiting for Ning Chen's opinion.

The man went to a small wooden hut nearby and started carrying things out from inside.

A crate of beer, a barbecue grill, ingredients, and the like.

This couple had arrived here a couple of days ago, and their things had already been placed in advance in the small wooden hut at the viewing platform.

These small wooden huts are rented on demand; they had rented one for five days in total.

They prepared to wait here for five days; if they still hadn't seen the rime ice, they would leave.

The barbecue grill was placed on the bonfire.

The girl took various ingredients out of the packaging bags.

There were chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, small green shrimp, green peppers, potato slices, lotus root slices, gluten, and the like.

Among them, a bag of tomahawk steaks was the biggest hard currency.

It was clear that this couple's living conditions were not bad, and they knew how to enjoy life very well.

The boy's name was Hao Ze Yan, and the girl's name was Yang something or other; they had introduced themselves with a roar earlier, but Ning Chen hadn't heard clearly and didn't ask further.

He and Hao Ze Yan sat by the bonfire.

Hao Ze Yan was responsible for grilling the chicken wings, while Ning Chen handled three pieces of tomahawk steak.

The tomahawk steaks were coated with spices; another rack was found and placed over the bonfire, and they were flipped every few minutes.

In a short while, the steaks began to sizzle and bubble with oil.

The aroma tempted Shabi, who was digging a hole in the snow not far away; Shabi came over.

Squatting beside them, he looked at the steaks with a serious expression.

The girl thought Shabi was cute, so she fed him a grilled chicken wing.

Shabi ate with a serious expression.

The beer was opened, and the three of them ate, drank, and chatted.

The entire world, because of the snow, appeared brilliantly bright and very clear.

Hao Ze Yan said they had driven here from Meng Province specifically to see this year's first rime ice.

The two of them had started dating after graduating from university.

Both families were from Hohhot, Meng Province; it was a coincidence that both families had lived in the same residential compound since childhood, attended the same class in elementary school, the same class in middle school, the same high school, and then different universities.

However, after graduating from university, three years ago, the two of them confirmed their final relationship.

Both families were very satisfied with each other, and the two young people were preparing to get married at the beginning of next year.

"Childhood sweethearts," Ning Chen said, raising his beer.

"Haha—thank you!" This couple, sitting opposite Ning Chen, raised their beers at the same time.

"Brother, where are you from?" Hao Ze Yan asked after taking a sip.

"Dong Province."

"The south, huh? That's very far."

"Mm."

"Just brought a dog to the north to see the rime ice? Your girlfriend didn't come along?" the woman asked, looking at Ning Chen.

"No girlfriend," Ning Chen smiled; "this dog was also just adopted."

All three looked at Shabi beside them.

Shabi licked his lips and looked at the barbecue grill.

"Times have changed," Hao Ze Yan said; "a distinguished-looking guy like you, big brother, having no girlfriend is truly tragic."

"So, you should be content?" the woman glanced at her boyfriend.

Hao Ze Yan burst into laughter.

People from Meng Province might all have rather bold personalities.

"The steaks are ready!" Hao Ze Yan jumped up; "we should have brought mutton; eating mutton on such a cold day drives away the chill~"

Ning Chen raised his hand and flipped the three pieces of tomahawk steak one last time.

They were ready to eat.

Shabi didn't look at those two.

He just stared at the steak in Ning Chen's hand.

He knew Ning Chen was his master, so naturally, he had to make plans regarding him.

After a while.

Ning Chen tossed the gnawed steak bones to Shabi.

Shabi walked away, grumbling and whining.

As he walked, his paw stepped on saliva on the ground, and he almost slipped and fell face-first like a dog eating rice.

"Your master is simply too bad!" the woman looked at Ning Chen, watched Shabi walking away in the distance with the bone in his mouth while grumbling, and was also speechless between laughter and tears; she then took a few more chicken wings to find Shabi.

By the bonfire.

Only Ning Chen and Hao Ze Yan remained, drinking beer.

"I have a feeling we might not encounter it this time," Hao Ze Yan said.

Ning Chen said nothing.

"Rime ice like this is truly rare to see; it all comes down to luck, a gift from the heavens," Hao Ze Yan said.

Ning Chen raised his gaze, looking toward the red pine forest in the distance.

A sea of white.

"It just snowed, the mist isn't humid enough yet, but it will come," Ning Chen said.

"Where do you live, brother?" Hao Ze Yan asked.

"At the inn over there."

"Once our little cabin is built, she will agree to my proposal," Hao Ze Yan said, looking toward the distance where a girl was squatting in the snow feeding chicken wings to Shabi.

"Congratulations," Ning Chen said.

"You didn't expect it, did you? I haven't even proposed to her yet," Hao Ze Yan laughed, stood up, and looked toward the east.

That area to the east.

Nestled within the red pine forest.

It is a tourist attraction, a self-guided check-in spot that has existed for many years.

After paying the fee, the scenic area provides tools and timber.

Travelers can select a small area of about ten square meters in that zone.

And build a small wooden cabin for themselves with their own hands.

This was originally intended to attract tourists and build the reputation of this tourist area.

Later, one year, a couple of internet celebrities came here and live-streamed the construction of a small wooden cabin together.

This place became an internet-famous scenic spot.

Many couples come here to build a small wooden cabin with their own hands as a testament to their love—of course, the cost is not insignificant.

Currently, hundreds of such small wooden cabins already exist in that area.

Standing close together within the snow-covered red pine forest, they resemble a fairy-tale town.

At night, the bonfire still burns.

Hao Ze Yan and his partner went on to build the small wooden cabin in the pine forest to the east.

This is not a simple task.

But it made both of them very excited.

It was clear that their love for each other was very deep.

Ning Chen sat alone by the bonfire on the viewing platform, gazing into the distance, with Shabi dozing beside him.

After he activated this check-in task.

The system displayed.

A rime ice event would arrive at this location at some point over the next few days.