191: Chapter 190 Preparing for the Extreme Cold

Seeing the announcement, Lu Fan subconsciously rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.

"An Lan, what else do you think we need to prepare?" he asked, turning his head while pacing back and forth in the courtyard.

An Lan also frowned slightly and began to think seriously: "Hmm... we have enough Coal for heating now, and the Brick House is finished... Thinking about it, there really don't seem to be any major problems. How about we repair and reinforce the shed for Lightning and the others? Or maybe stockpile some more Coal?"

Lu Fan nodded in agreement, his tone light: "Alright, let's do that. I'll go bring back some more Coal."

With that, he walked quickly to the shed and nimbly hung the Baskets on Big Horn.

He muttered to himself: "Big Horn, oh Big Horn, I'll have to trouble you to make another trip. Once this period is over, I'll definitely find the freshest grass for you, as much as you can eat!"

Big Horn seemed to understand, excitedly shaking its majestic antlers and letting out a loud snort before galloping after Lu Fan toward the Coal Mine.

"An Lan, don't go. Rest well at home, and Da Hei will stay to guard the house." Lu Fan didn't forget to look back and remind her before heading out.

After nearly two hours of traveling, they finally arrived at the Coal Mine.

As soon as they arrived, Lu Fan instantly switched into "Coal Mining Maniac" mode. He swung his pickaxe high, put all his strength into it, and brought it down hard. With a hearty "Heave-ho!", a large chunk of Coal broke loose.

He worked with great fervor, beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks and quickly soaking his back, but he was completely oblivious, his eyes filled only with those pieces of shiny black Coal.

Before long, the Baskets on Big Horn were filled to the brim.

"Goodness, with this much Coal, it's more than enough for three days—even another three days and nights would be fine!"

Lu Fan straightened his back, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at the pile of Coal. A huge grin spread across his face, as bright as sunshine.

When Lu Fan returned to the Bamboo House with the Coal, An Lan was organizing supplies with Da Hei.

"You're finally back! I just moved some important things into the Bamboo House, so we won't have to worry even if it rains!" An Lan greeted him with a warm smile.

"Thanks for your hard work. Sit down and rest; I'll handle the rest." Lu Fan smiled back while unloading the Coal, his tone full of tenderness.

Lu Fan neatly stacked the Coal in a corner of the Bamboo House.

Looking at the high pile of Coal, the two felt incredibly reassured, as if they had an indestructible fortress, giving them a complete sense of security.

Immediately after, Lu Fan carefully moved the dozens of Honeycomb Briquettes he had dried earlier into the Bamboo House.

"We can't let these treasures get rained on, or starting a fire will be a problem, and that would be a huge mess."

After settling the Coal, Lu Fan took a brief rest and then rushed to the bamboo forest without stopping.

He grabbed his sharp axe and began hacking at the bamboo with a series of "crackling" sounds.

This time, he was cutting bamboo mainly to add windproofing measures and properly reinforce the shed for Big Horn and the others.

With his strong physical constitution, it didn't take much effort to fell a large area of bamboo.

Afterward, he tied the bamboo tightly with vines, hoisted them onto his shoulder with ease, and strode toward the Shelter.

Carrying the bamboo to the shed for Lightning and the other animals, Da Hei followed along, scurrying happily around his feet and wagging its tail excitedly from time to time, as if wanting to help.

"silly dog, don't cause trouble!" Lu Fan laughed, gently pushing Da Hei away with his foot.

Lu Fan first carefully inspected the shed, reinforcing the areas that had become loose.

He tied the bamboo firmly with vines, pulling hard on each knot and repeatedly checking for stability.

After reinforcing the main structure, Lu Fan added many wind-blocking bamboo poles around the perimeter of the shed.

He firmly planted the bamboo poles into the ground one by one, then meticulously wove them together with vines, sealing everything tightly except for the entrance.

"There, that's better. Even if there's a tornado outside, Lightning and the others can sleep comfortably inside!"

Lu Fan looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction and clapped his hands, only then realizing that the calluses on his hands were aching from the friction. However, he didn't care and still wore a satisfied smile.

At that moment, An Lan also walked over, carrying a bundle of hay in her arms.

"I brought this hay to spread in the shed; it'll keep them warmer," An Lan said as she crouched down and began carefully spreading the hay inside.

"You're so thoughtful!" Lu Fan praised her sincerely.

The two crouched side by side, spreading the hay evenly in the shed with perfect coordination.

Lightning seemed to sense its owners' care, letting out a cheerful neigh and pawing the ground with its front hooves as if expressing gratitude.

Da Hei also wagged its tail happily nearby, and the entire Shelter was filled with a warm and pleasant atmosphere.

It was as if the impending extreme cold was just a minor interlude in their lives, unable to affect this warmth and tranquility.

In the livestream room.

"As expected, watching the survival of our Chinese contestants is the most comfortable; everything is so harmonious."

"Hahaha, contestants from other countries were stunned by the news long ago and are now worrying in vain."

"Great God Ling Yue is also impressive. With just a stone axe, he's almost cut down all the surrounding trees. It seems he won't be lacking firewood."

"Truly, Heaven blesses our Great Huaguo!"

The next day, as the first light of dawn appeared and the horizon turned pale, Lu Fan quietly climbed out of his warm bed.

Although their food reserves were currently sufficient, adhering to the cautious principle of "being prepared avoids trouble, and more is better," Lu Fan decided to try his luck in the forest and bring back some game.

While nimbly packing his Bow and Arrow, he whispered to An Lan, who was still dreaming: "An Lan, I'm going to the woods to hunt some game. You stay home and organize the meat we stored earlier. If I'm back late, go ahead and eat first; don't wait for me."

An Lan nodded dizzily, turned over, and fell back into a deep sleep.

She was on her period these past two days and often found it hard to sleep at night due to the pain, so she was exceptionally drowsy during the day.

Lu Fan walked out of the Shelter. The morning air was fresh and pleasant with a hint of chill. He took a deep breath, stretched his limbs, and strode toward the depths of the forest.

Da Hei, like a well-trained scout, dashed ahead, its nose twitching constantly as it carefully searched for animal scents and tracks.

Along the way, Lu Fan noticed that many animals were exhibiting unusual reactions.

Squirrels were scurrying back and forth on the branches, busy as could be, with plump pinecones in their mouths, stuffing them deep into tree hollows. They seemed to be trying to stockpile enough food before the extreme cold arrived.

The birds had also abandoned their usual cheerful songs, hurriedly flapping their wings in an urgent search for warmer, more sheltered nesting spots.

Groups of ants could be seen everywhere on the ground, lining up and busy carrying things, using soil to seal their nest entrances tightly.

"It seems the animals all sense the impending drop in temperature," Lu Fan couldn't help but sigh.