Chapter 72 Squirrel’s Selection

Chapter 72: Curated by Squirrel

After working hard for most of the day, the house finally started taking shape.

But having just a house wasn’t enough—it could only shield them from the wind. To make the interior warmer, Yu Xin also planned to build a fireplace.

Out in this wilderness, there were no bricks to use. Fortunately, not far away was a nearly dried-up riverbed. Yu Xin led the guests to collect many well-sized river stones from there. The gray silt at the riverbed served as natural mortar—clean and odorless, perfect for building the fireplace.

The fireplace was constructed against the mountain-side wall, where a space had been prepared in advance. They started by laying a base with larger river stones, smoothing it over with silt to ensure it could withstand high temperatures. Then, they used smaller stones to build the body of the fireplace, coating the outer layer with silt to make it smooth and even. The structure gradually narrowed upward, eventually extending through the roof as a chimney, resulting in a finely crafted river stone fireplace.

In this weather, the silt acting as adhesive quickly froze solid. After a short while of drying out, it would be ready to use.

Building the house and fireplace had taken up most of their day, but thankfully, the main work was mostly done. They wouldn’t have to sleep under the open sky tonight.

"Ah—I’m exhausted," Ruan Qing straightened her back, rubbing her sore muscles from building the fireplace.

Moreover, her soft, well-cared-for hands, freshly manicured before the show, were now covered in silt and nearly numb from the cold.

"I’m so thirsty. Do we have any water left?" Shen Tong’s voice was hoarse. The long hours of labor had drained her body of moisture, and as soon as she relaxed, her throat felt parched.

"We’ve run out of the water we brought, but—" Sheng Xingyao gestured toward the pristine snow nearby, "Look, water is the last thing we’re short on. Just grab some snow to eat, and you’ll quench your thirst. Easy and convenient."

Shen Tong glanced at the white snow, genuinely tempted. But before she could act, Yu Xin spoke up, "No, you can’t rely on eating snow to quench your thirst."

"Why not?" Sheng Xingyao asked curiously.

Yu Xin scooped up a handful of snow and held it in his palms, letting it melt slowly. "Snow is mainly composed of condensed liquid water, but it contains a lot of cold air and impurities. The actual water content in snow is only about ten percent. Even if you eat a large amount, the hydration you get is very limited."

As he spoke, he opened his hands, revealing only a small puddle of water mixed with impurities.

"Besides, snow is cold. Melting it in your mouth will draw precious heat from your body, causing your core temperature to drop rapidly. So, unless it’s absolutely necessary, avoid eating snow to quench your thirst in the wild. If you must, it’s better to melt it into water first."

"Learned something new today."

"No wonder melted snow yields so little water—only about ten percent is actual water."

"I never knew that," Qin Shizhen said. "I’m also a bit thirsty. Let’s melt some snow to drink."

They dug out the iron pot provided by the production team and filled it with snow. Earlier, while cutting trees and building the house, they had gathered plenty of wood scraps for firewood, which now came in handy.

They lit a fire to boil the snow. A full pot of snow indeed melted down to only a little water. They continued adding snow and boiling it until they had half a pot of boiling water. After letting the impurities settle, everyone poured themselves a cup and sipped it slowly.

"Drinking hot water feels so good," Shen Tong sighed, never imagining that having a sip of hot water could feel so blissful.

A mouthful of warm water spread warmth through her body from the inside out. Perhaps due to the high altitude and untouched environment, the melted snow tasted exceptionally sweet—far better than any branded water like Nongfu Spring or C'estbon.

After resting while boiling and drinking water, their body heat gradually recovered. Refreshed and energized, they resumed their work.

Time flew by unnoticed. The sun, once high above the forest, gradually sank westward. The light in the woods grew dim, and as tall shrubs blocked the remaining rays, darkness began to set in.

The temperature dropped rapidly. Only by staying close to the fire could they retain some warmth.

The forest, once bright and serene under its silver coat, now appeared shadowy and solemn as visibility decreased. Tree shadows overlapped, and the deepening darkness obscured their vision beyond a certain point.

The wind picked up, howling and stripping away what little warmth remained on their bodies.

Shen Tong shivered involuntarily, a chill creeping over her. She instinctively moved closer to the person beside her.

Since primitive times, humans have harbored an innate fear of cold and darkness—a trait that persists even in today’s technologically advanced world. Thankfully, their house was nearly complete, sparing them a night in the open.

Yu Xin glanced at the sky. "We have less than an hour before it’s completely dark. We need to speed up."

Fortunately, most of the work was done. Only some finishing touches and a door remained.

Following the doorframe dimensions, they arranged appropriately sized wooden planks in a row, securing them from behind with three Z-shaped wooden strips. After attaching hinges, the door fit snugly into the wall.

Finally, just before darkness fell completely, their house was finished.

The production team had dug up a few kerosene lamps from who-knows-where. Two lamps illuminated the interior, while another hung above the doorframe, casting light on the area outside.

The warm orange glow of the kerosene lamps bathed the snow-covered cabin, giving it a fairy-tale-like coziness.

Standing outside the cabin, Sheng Xingyao marveled, "Did we really build this?"

Unlike the boat they built last time, this was a real house—a house he had built with his own hands!

The more he looked at it, the more satisfied and fond he grew. He dared say it was the cutest, most exquisite little cabin in the world!

"Wow... it really looks like a proper house."

"They finished it in just one day? That’s incredible!"

"I thought they’d only manage a windbreak shed, but they actually built a house. My apologies for doubting them."

"Don’t forget who’s here! With Yu Xin around, is there anything they can’t accomplish?"

"Can you believe I spent the whole day watching them build this? I love this kind of daily life—building, hunting, farming. Is my ancestral blood awakening?"

"Please preserve this cabin! It’s so charming and storybook-like. I’d love to stay there for a few days."

The others, like Sheng Xingyao, stood mesmerized by their creation.

"Don’t just stand there staring. Let’s go inside and light the fireplace," Yu Xin interrupted their admiration, leading the way indoors.

Once everyone was inside and the door closed, the biting wind was completely shut out. Though they could still hear it howling through the forest, not a single draft made its way in.

Yu Xin quickly lit the fireplace, adding the prepared firewood. The flames roared to life, and warmth soon spread throughout the cabin. It felt like a sanctuary, isolating them from the freezing world outside.

The rising temperature relaxed everyone. They collapsed onto the beds—two wooden beds they had built during the day, placed on either side of the fireplace, one for the boys and one for the girls.

The cabin was small, and with sleeping bags, they could barely fit. But having beds to sleep on in the wild was already a luxury, and no one complained.

Too exhausted to cook, they thankfully had enough nutrient supplements provided by the production team for the day. Washed down with hot water, it was enough to fill their stomachs.

After boiling more water for a quick wash, they curled up in their sleeping bags. Their weary bodies relaxed, and lulled by the howling wind outside and the crackling fire in the fireplace, they soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning.

"Ah—I slept so well last night!" Ruan Qing stepped out of the cabin, stretching luxuriously.

It had been a long time since she’d enjoyed such high-quality sleep. Waking up naturally without any dreams left her refreshed and free of fatigue.

"Physical labor really does lead to better sleep."

Sheng Xingyao nodded in agreement. He usually struggled with mild insomnia, finding it hard to fall asleep and waking easily, with dark circles perpetually under his eyes—though makeup usually hid them. On his top-tier bed at home, with sleep aids and the comfiest pajamas, he still tossed and turned. Who would have thought that on a hard wooden bed, squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder with others, still in his clothes, he’d sleep straight through the night?

Outside, the sun was already high, and the forest had returned to its tranquil, spacious state. The crisp, fresh air filled their lungs, waking them up instantly.

"You two just woke up?" Shen Tong suddenly appeared, slapping them lightly on the back. "We, Qin Shizhen and I, have been up for a while. Of course, Yu Xin was up even earlier."

At this, the two felt a bit embarrassed and quickly asked, "Is there anything that needs doing?"

"Not much. This place is barren—there's nothing here. Qin Shizhen and I foraged in the woods but couldn’t find anything edible. Yu Xin went deeper into the forest alone and isn't back yet."

"Before he returns, let’s boil some water. You’ll need it to wash up later."

"Sure thing." The three of them set to work—lighting a fire, gathering clean-enough snow, and after some effort, ended up boiling a full pot of hot water.

Just as they finished boiling the water, Yu Xin and Qin Shizhen returned one after the other. Qin Shizhen came back empty-handed, but fortunately, Yu Xin came through—he was grabbing a full handful of various nuts.

Everyone accepted them in amazement: "So many nuts!"

"There are more in this pocket." Yu Xin dumped out what was in his pocket—enough to fill two large handfuls. The wide selection was impressive too: pine nuts, acorns, hazelnuts, and even walnuts and chestnuts could be seen.

"Yu Xin, where did you find so many nuts?" Shen Tong asked curiously. The others also stared at Yu Xin with shining eyes, waiting for his answer.

Yu Xin lowered his gaze and scratched his nose. "I borrowed them from someone."

"Huh? In this remote wilderness, who could you possibly borrow pine nuts from?" Sheng Xingyao was utterly confused. Could there be some reclusive master living out here?

Yu Xin paused suspiciously. "Well... I borrowed them from the squirrels."

"What??? From whom??? Squirrels???"

"LOL, you’d better have 'borrowed' them."

"The squirrels when they return: Huh? Where’s my huge stockpile??"

"I’m dying laughing, folks. I just checked Yu Xin’s solo livestream—he only took a small portion from each squirrel’s nest and gathered from several to get this many."

"Squirrels: Wait! There’s something shady in these woods (alert) (perking up) (looking around)."

Nuts are rich in oils and nutrients, providing them with plenty of calories. Each one was plump and full—roasted over the fire, they tasted delicious.

Truly, squirrels know how to pick 'em.

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A note from the author:

Thank you all so much for your support. I’ll keep working hard!