Once the buns were heated through, Tang Jiao took out a salted duck egg, split it, and stuffed it into a bun for An’an. She and Gu Yu ate buns filled with pickled vegetables instead, washing them down with the remaining hot water from the thermos.
The salted duck eggs had also been cooked and brought back from her mother’s place the day before—more than twenty of them. Her mother had also sent her home with a small bucket of raw, salted duck eggs, a bucket of free-range chicken eggs, and a large glass jar of pickled vegetables with fermented watermelon bean paste.
Ugh… now I miss Mom even more…
But she was a mother herself now.
The situation was still unclear. Although they seemed to have plenty of food, once she really calculated it, the supply wasn’t actually that much. And An’an was still very young—he couldn’t afford to go hungry, nor could his nutrition suffer. So Tang Jiao and Gu Yu both consciously chose to leave the better food for An’an, eating only buns and pickles themselves.
Gu Yu had wanted Tang Jiao to eat the same as their son, but she refused.
They simply knew too little about this place. So far, they hadn’t found any edible resources. Worse still, it felt like the season here was already edging toward winter.
Just yesterday at noon, they’d still been wearing short sleeves.
Whether this place got cold earlier than their world—or whether time itself ran ahead here—either possibility was bad news.
Winter consumed enormous amounts of energy, and food was far harder to find. If they couldn’t return home before then, they would have to stockpile enough food to survive what could be a brutally cold season. By conserving what they had now, even if they failed to find much food later, their current supplies could at least keep them going longer.
While thinking through all this, Tang Jiao poured the boiling water from the steamer into the thermos, then immediately set another pot of water to boil.
She planned to fill the thermos, An’an’s insulated cup, her own large insulated bottle, and Gu Yu’s cup to the brim—so that even if it became inconvenient to make a fire tomorrow, they would still have hot water. All of these containers had excellent heat retention and could keep water warm for a day or two. Even if it cooled down later, it would still be far better than drinking cold water.
…
While Tang Jiao was busy with these tasks, An’an played nearby with the two little animals. Gu Yu, meanwhile, had somehow found some vines and was busy working on something.
They did have rope, but no one knew where it had been packed. Besides, modern manufactured rope was a non-renewable resource here—if natural substitutes were available, it was better to save what they had.
After finishing up, Tang Jiao added more firewood to the fire pit, making the flames burn brighter.
It made the area warmer, and since the pit was close to the cave, the stronger fire also helped dry the interior further, making it more comfortable for sleeping at night.
After checking that An’an was playing safely nearby, Tang Jiao walked over to Gu Yu.
Only when she got closer did she realize—he was making a door for the cave.
The design was simple but effective. He selected four straight sticks about five centimeters thick and tied them into a rectangular frame with vines. Then he laid thinner sticks of equal length across the frame, securing them tightly with more vines. Finally, he layered bundles of tall thatch grass from bottom to top, binding them firmly in place.
Once set at the cave entrance, this door would block wind and rain, letting them sleep soundly inside no matter how bad the weather became.
Watching him work, Tang Jiao silently gave him a thumbs-up. Gu Yu grinned sheepishly and kept going.
Night was approaching—he had to hurry.
After finishing the door, the two of them used vines and grass to weave several large grass mats, which they draped over the supplies stored outside the cave.
The cave itself was small—just barely large enough for the three of them to lie flat. Even An’an could only sit up with difficulty. Storing supplies inside wasn’t an option. Electronics and essential items were placed inside, while everything else was kept outside, covered as best they could. Judging by the sky, it might rain again in the middle of the night, so at least the coverings would offer some protection.
As darkness closed in, Tang Jiao and Gu Yu hurried to secure the supplies, tying everything down and weighing it with heavy stones to prevent the wind from carrying it away. Then they ushered An’an and the two little animals into the cave.
Considering that the cave sat lower than the surrounding ground—and that heavy rain might cause water to flow inside—Gu Yu piled up soil outside the entrance to form a small barrier. Only after that did they place the makeshift door inside the earthen mound.
Their temporary shelter was finally ready.
Because the door was made slightly larger than the cave entrance, once it was pressed against the outside of the opening, a double-stranded rope was tied to the inside of the door. A wooden pole was then slid through and laid horizontally across the inner side of the cave entrance, locking everything in place.
Unless the rope snapped or the pole was removed from the inside, the door simply couldn’t be opened. It was extremely sturdy.
Gu Yu had twisted several strands of vine into a thick rope, making it especially strong, and he had chosen a solid, heavy wooden pole as well. Together, these made the door even more secure.
With that, their safety increased noticeably. And in a relatively enclosed space, people naturally felt more at ease.
It was overcast, and darkness fell early. By now, night had fully settled in. Earlier, Tang Jiao had found a rechargeable night-light and switched it on, placing it inside the cave.
Warm yellow light spilled out, instantly making the cave feel cozy. The family huddled together under their blankets inside the cave. If one ignored the uncertainty of tomorrow, it was a scene of simple warmth and comfort.
Crammed together in the small but solid space, their sense of security grew stronger.
The tension from a long, exhausting day gradually melted away in the gentle glow of the light, and drowsiness slowly took over.
Tang Jiao first discussed their plans for the next day with Gu Yu, then told An’an a bedtime story. Before long, the family fell asleep in each other’s arms.
…
Tang Jiao had always been easygoing, so she slept soundly through the night.
She woke in the morning to crisp, cheerful birdsong.
For a brief moment after waking, she felt disoriented, unsure of where—or even when—she was. Then her thoughts cleared, and she remembered where she was.
Turning her head, she saw that her son was still sleeping peacefully, while Gu Yu had already gotten up at some point.
She took out her phone and checked the time: 6:06 a.m.
Only then did she realize how long she had slept. It hadn’t been long after nightfall when they went to bed, yet she’d slept straight through until now. She vaguely remembered hearing rain in the middle of the night, but knowing everything was well covered, she’d drifted right back to sleep.
She tucked the blanket more securely around An’an, then bent low and stepped out of the cave.
The weather was lovely—clear and bright after the rain. The temperature was slightly warmer than the day before. Tang Jiao took a deep breath; the air was unbelievably fresh. She stretched, and instantly felt refreshed and energized.
Gu Yu had already lit a fire. The steamer sat over the fire pit, and a large pile of firewood lay nearby, making it obvious he’d been up for quite a while.
The two little animals were playing in the grass nearby, pouncing and tumbling around Gu Yu as if they were hunting insects.
When Gu Yu saw Tang Jiao, he said, “You’re awake? Did you sleep well? There are some wet wipes over there—wipe your face and rinse your mouth, then come eat something.”
She did as he suggested, then sat down beside him.
Gu Yu took a bun and filled it with salted duck egg for her, while he himself stuck with a bun and pickled vegetables.
Seeing that, Tang Jiao broke off half of her salted duck egg and firmly stuffed it into Gu Yu’s bun. Before he could protest, she said, “Eat it. Don’t say a word.”
Gu Yu looked at her exaggeratedly fierce expression, chuckled softly, handed her a cup of water, and then lowered his head to take a bite of his bun.
Watching this good-natured, simple man, Tang Jiao felt a sharp ache in her chest.