Yan Qing returned to the cave entrance, retracing her steps. She stored all the cucumbers and other gathered items into her space. Then she walked around, collecting a few dead trees, also storing them away, before heading back into the valley.
The creek wasn’t very wide—its widest part only three to four meters—but it grew deeper closer to the pool. On the opposite cliff face, several small caves caught her attention. She decided to investigate them.
Using the longest dead tree from her space, she placed it across the creek. Luckily, with her ability to control objects from her space with her mind, she positioned it perfectly, saving herself some trouble. A few large steps, and she crossed the creek.
After several minutes of walking, she finally reached the base of the cliffs.
Yan Qing was satisfied with the valley’s size. The plain was large enough, and the distance from the creek to the cliff could accommodate a house and farmland—everything needed for settling and cultivation.
There were about a dozen caves of various sizes nearby. Yan Qing spent roughly half an hour exploring them all. She used her smoke technique to inspect each cave thoroughly. After selecting a site, it took about an hour in total to finalize her choice.
She chose a cave beneath the waterfall, slightly to the right, roughly a five to six-minute walk from the pool. To the left of the entrance stood a sturdy old tree, nearly ten meters tall—the tallest tree in the valley. Upon closer inspection, it was an ancient locust tree.
The area between the tree and the pool was perfect for her future home. She could open a small vegetable plot nearby, and the cave’s cool interior would be ideal for hot weather.
The cave entrance had a gourd-like shape. The interior measured roughly ten square meters—perfect for a bedroom. The outer cave area was around 30 square meters, ideal for a living room and kitchen.
Wearing her mask, Yan Qing grabbed her broom and cleaned the entire cave inside and out. An hour later, she laid down the floor mats she had stored, cut to size. She brought out her bed, bedding, and a wardrobe.
In the outer cave, she only laid floor mats near the bedroom area, then placed a two-person sofa and a small coffee table. She draped a fluffy blanket over the sofa.
Next, she set up a long table at the cave entrance, arranging a gas stove and kitchen utensils. Outdoor lighting was installed to illuminate the area.
She positioned the black bear cubs’ nest near the sofa. The two cubs whimpered softly, sniffing around and familiarizing themselves with their new surroundings.
It was almost six o’clock, and the sky still hadn’t darkened. Yan Qing took out dead wood from her space, preparing to chop it for firewood. The chainsaw buzzed through the quiet valley, startling birds into flight. Squirrels peeked from the trees, then scampered away with a loud “squeak.”
After such a long journey, Yan Qing finally had her permanent residence—and it made her ecstatic. Tonight, she decided to treat herself to hotpot.
She washed the pork bones, filled the pot with water, and added the bones, scallions, ginger, and cooking wine. She simmered them over medium heat.
While waiting, she decided to wash herself. She built a small fire to heat water, filled a basin, and used the creek nearby to take a quick bath.