After more than ten days of living there, the large outer cave had changed quite a bit. Thanks to Gu Yu’s efforts, the ground and walls were now much smoother and more presentable, though the space still felt rather empty. They didn’t have many supplies to begin with—most of what they owned was stored in the inner “bedroom” cave, with a small portion placed in the tiny cave on the right. Other than that, there wasn’t much left to fill the space.
That said, they had set up a stone table inside the cave. It was made from a large, flat stone slab they had found by the river. The slab was incredibly heavy, and it had taken them a great deal of effort to haul it back. Stones were placed underneath as table legs, and several similarly sized flat stone blocks were arranged around it as stools.
Surprisingly, it had a rustic charm—and it was very practical.
They could use it for food prep, meals, and even simple handicrafts.
The stone table and stools were positioned roughly in the middle of the right side of the cave, while the fire pit they used for cooking was set closer to the cave entrance. Keeping the fire near the entrance made it easier for smoke to escape. It worked well for now, but once winter deepened—with strong winds, rain, or snow—it would be miserable. Cold aside, smoke would become the biggest problem.
Eventually, they would need to build a proper stove with a smoke outlet. Ideally, they would also block off most of the cave entrance and, if possible, construct a heated kang bed. That would be the perfect setup.
On the left side of the cave, a sizable pile of firewood had already accumulated. All of it had been gathered little by little during breaks while transporting supplies.
Life was different now—fire was needed for cooking, warmth, and just about everything else. As the weather grew colder, their consumption would only increase. They hadn’t even had time to properly gather food yet, let alone collect firewood in bulk, so everything depended on grabbing what they could whenever possible.
Thankfully, this area lacked many things—but firewood wasn’t one of them. Dry branches and dead tree trunks were everywhere, already dried and ready to use, with no need for extra curing.
Even little An’an had learned that he couldn’t come back empty-handed from an outing. If he didn’t bring supplies, he had to bring back at least a bundle of dry branches.
Still, what they had now clearly wouldn’t be enough to last an entire winter. Fortunately, they still had time. Spending half a day cutting nearby dead trees should cover their needs.
More importantly, though, was food.
With all the supplies finally transported, starting tomorrow they would focus entirely on foraging.
After discussing it, Tang Jiao and Gu Yu decided to keep setting the fish traps. Even though the catch had been meager lately, something was better than nothing.
They also planned to climb to the top of the mountain to survey the surroundings—understand the terrain and get a sense of the nearby plant life. While their cave was well-positioned with a decent view, it only overlooked one direction. Beyond that lay endless mountains, larger, higher, and more densely packed than the one they lived on.
Tang Jiao suspected that those distant peaks were the true deep wilderness—and that the wolf howls Gu Yu had heard earlier likely came from there.
That was the true domain of large wild animals. Their cave, by comparison, was merely on the outskirts.
And Tang Jiao was perfectly happy with that “mere” status.
Fewer resources, perhaps—but far greater safety.
In her view, staying alive mattered more. Better to lie low and survive.
The next morning, the family rose early, ready to explore this new “map.”
Ever since arriving in this strange world, they had fallen into an incredibly regular routine—early to bed, early to rise. Insomnia had vanished without treatment, and every day felt full to the brim. After all, when survival was on the line, there was no room for laziness.
Today was no exception. They woke early to prepare breakfast, along with food and hot water to take with them for lunch.
This outing might last the entire day, so supplies had to be sufficient. They also needed to bring whatever weapons they could.
Calling them “weapons” might have been generous. Gu Yu had a multi-purpose military shovel and a slingshot. That was about it. Later, he tied a sharp-tipped fruit knife to the end of a long stick, creating a crude spear—barely adequate, but better than nothing.