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Tang Yun's friend officially joined Bai Tang's group. Although traveling with a baby would be troublesome and increase the danger, everyone could not abandon such a life and leave her in a situation where she would surely perish.
Even though Tang Yun's friend has the surname Tang, she is closer to Tian Yanran, preferring to snuggle in Tian Yanran's arms, which displeases the two men. Tang Minglang pinches Tang Yun's tender cheeks, calling her ungrateful, while Yuan Mingyi pokes at Tang Yun's cheeks, lamenting that since she arrived, he has had little time to be affectionate with his fiancée.
The heat persisted for another week, and just as everyone felt they were about to be roasted, a strong wind suddenly blew in, sweeping away the unbearable heat and bringing coolness. However, before anyone could enjoy this coolness, the temperature began to drop rapidly. Snow fell with the wind, and while everyone marveled at how it could snow before autumn had even arrived, the heavy snowfall had already covered the entire world in white. It not only obscured all buildings but also trapped the dead in the snow, making it impossible for them to be safe.
The threat of Zombies had diminished, but the dangers faced by humanity had not lessened; the cold was also a significant threat. During the Ice Age, even land-dominating creatures like dinosaurs went extinct due to freezing temperatures. Now, the climate was reminiscent of that era; without thick skin or feathers for protection, humans who had dressed lightly due to the previous heat found themselves freezing to death as the cold wave hit.
"June snow! What kind of grievance must there be for such heavy snow to fall?" Tang Minglang wrapped his military coat tightly around himself. Despite wearing a fitted down jacket underneath and a military coat on top, he still felt unbearably cold. The wind felt like it could freeze bones.
"Isn't humanity facing an overwhelming disaster? Isn't that a great grievance?" Tian Yanran said as she held Tang Yun, drawing closer to the fire. In this kind of weather, children and the elderly were most vulnerable. The four of them devised various ways to keep the child warm, wrapping her in layers of insulating clothing until she resembled a ball. They used a glass bottle as a hot water bottle to warm her up and placed her inside their clothes to share body heat.
Tang Yun was fortunate; although she had lost her parents, she encountered four capable individuals from Bai Tang who treated her well. Otherwise, in such harsh conditions, it would have been inevitable for her not to survive. Now, with her belly full and nestled in warm arms, she happily blew bubbles, her chubby face particularly adorable, making everyone smile and forget about the harsh environment outside.
Bai Tang poked at the baby's round face and said, "Although we found shelter before the snow fell, I think we should head back to S Province soon!"
They were currently in a cave dwelling that had seen better days but was well-decorated inside; it seemed someone had lived there for a long time. The cave was carved into a hillside and served as an ancient form of housing for residents on the Loess Plateau in Northwest Huaxia. This "cave dwelling" style can be traced back over four thousand years. Cave dwellings are warm in winter and cool in summer; they are comfortable and energy-efficient while also harmonizing with nature. Their simple appearance is unique in architectural aesthetics. Digging cave dwellings is quite an art; it's not just about making a hole in a hillside. First comes digging the foundation—determining the type of cave dwelling and shaping it is labor-intensive work. Nowadays it's easier with machinery, but in ancient times people relied solely on manual labor to dig out caves bit by bit using baskets to carry soil away—a very arduous task. After shaping the foundation roughly, they would smooth out the surface—a process called "scraping cliff surfaces." Only those with good eyesight and skill could create beautiful patterns on the walls.
Once that was done, they would start digging out the cave itself—removing soil carefully so as not to collapse it due to excess moisture. After finishing digging out the cave, they would then plaster it with yellow earth mixed with chopped straw and clay for insulation. The plaster must be smooth; wet clay is not suitable for use. At least two layers of plaster are applied—one coarse layer followed by one fine layer.
After living there for some time, if the walls became blackened from smoke, they could be re-plastered. The next steps involve building mountain walls and installing windows called Anmen. After finishing plastering the cave walls, they would use earthen blocks to build mountain walls and windows—typically placing high windows above doors alongside lower windows—one door with two windows. Inside near the window would be a heated platform (kang), while outside against the wall would stand a chimney; this arrangement allows smoke to escape quickly improving air quality inside.
Cave dwellings have been prevalent since ancient times across mountainous regions. During the Tang and Song dynasties, various types of cave dwellings emerged with clear divisions of labor among them—dark courtyards, bright courtyards, and courtyard-style dwellings appeared during Ming and Qing dynasties featuring tall earthen walls surrounding groups of cave dwellings or heated platforms for defense against invasions or bandits.
Cave dwellings come in various forms: cliff-style caves built against cliffs or mountainsides; sunken caves dug into square pits with inner walls forming underground courtyards; among these styles, cliff-style caves are most common as they are built on slopes displaying tiered levels downwards with expansive views from upper levels.
With economic development leading to more abandoned cave dwellings and fewer being excavated or known methods becoming obscure over time—within twenty years or so traditional excavation techniques may become lost altogether. Nowadays few people live in cave dwellings; most prefer high-rise buildings—even rural residents favor constructing two- or three-story houses rather than living in "dirt-filled" caves. Only older individuals who enjoy nostalgia tend to prefer cave dwellings since they are warmer in winter and cooler in summer compared to staying in air-conditioned rooms.
Perhaps because of their age, this particular cave chosen by Bai Tang's group still featured a heated platform; once lit up it would surely be very warm—at least now they didn't have enough firewood to heat it.
The main entrance of the cave was tightly shut; inside it was significantly warmer than outside—a temperature acceptable for ordinary people. Upon hearing that Bai Tang intended to brave the cold weather to travel further, there was a moment of hesitation among the other three. The outside conditions were too harsh; they feared they might never find such a good temporary shelter again.
"I agree with Bai Tang's suggestion. I need to hurry home; my grandparents and parents are still waiting for me. I want to return safely to their side and not let them worry anymore!" Tang Minglang was the first to express his opinion.
Yuan Mingyi thought of his Master and his Shishu, and he was the second to show his agreement.
Tian Yanran hesitated, "We adults can withstand the harsh conditions outside, but what about Jun?"
Indeed, children can be a hassle! Bai Tang frowned and suddenly remembered something. He quickly focused and began searching in his backpack.
"I found it!" Bai Tang happily took out a thumb-sized jade stone from his bag and handed it to Tian Yanran. "Let Jun wear this jade close to her body; she won't feel cold."
"What kind of stone is this?" Tian Yanran asked in surprise. "It can't be the legendary Warm Jade, can it?"
"Congratulations, you guessed it right," Bai Tang smiled. This Warm Jade was something she bought from the mall; originally a piece the size of a baby's fist, Bai Tang cut it into five pendants for Bai Dad, Bai Ma, Xing Xiaokang, Wu Xuemei, and Ai Wanxi to wear. The leftover material she casually put into her backpack, not expecting it would come in handy now.
"Is it really Warm Jade? You're not tricking us, are you?" Tang Minglang asked in astonishment.
"You can wear the jade and take a stroll outside to verify."
"Tian Yanran, give me the jade; I want to try it outside!" Tang Minglang said eagerly.
The milky-white jade felt warm and smooth as it rested in his palm. A warm current spread from his hand throughout his body, making him feel cozy and quite comfortable. Tang Minglang rushed back in less than two minutes.
"It's true; it really is Warm Jade! Although it can't completely fend off the cold, it's much better than not wearing jade at all. At least I don't feel that bone-chilling cold anymore," Tang Minglang exclaimed excitedly.
"It should be that the size of the Warm Jade is too small; for adults, it can only provide a little effect, but for a child like Jun, it's just perfect!" Yuan Mingyi speculated.
Bai Tang nodded, confirming Yuan Mingyi's words. When she made pendants for her family, she allocated the larger pieces of Warm Jade according to each person's physique.
"Bai Tang, do you have any more Warm Jade? The bigger, the better; I want to buy some from you!" Tang Minglang returned a thumb-sized piece of Warm Jade to Tian Yanran, who tucked it into Tang Yun's clothing, placing it close to her chest.
"No need to buy; these are just scraps. I'll give them to you!" Bai Tang pulled out several pieces of Warm Jade remnants from her backpack. The largest was only the size of a thumb, and the smallest was about the size of a mung bean, so their usefulness was quite limited.
"Bai Tang, you are such a good person!" Tang Minglang, Yuan Mingyi, and Tian Yanran were overjoyed, each choosing a thumb-sized piece of Warm Jade to wear close to them. Immediately, they felt a warm sensation on their bodies; Yuan Mingyi took off his military coat and felt warm even in just a down jacket.
Bai Tang did not take back the remaining scraps of Warm Jade; instead, Tang Minglang shamelessly stuffed them into his own bag. He wanted to bring these pieces home for his grandparents. Although both elders were in good health, they were getting older, and Tang Minglang worried that they might not withstand the cold.
Feeling the warm temperature on his body, Tian Yanran smiled and said, "Let's have a hearty meal tonight and set off tomorrow!"
"What do you want to eat?" Chef Bai Tang asked.
"Hot Pot! In this cold weather, we should definitely have Hot Pot; it's also easy to prepare! We can all help out!"
Bai Tang thought this suggestion was excellent. With a wave of her hand, she took out beef, vermicelli, potatoes, hot dogs, luncheon meat, and Hot Pot base ingredients from her backpack and handed them to Tian Yanran and the others. Tian Yanran placed the buns on the heated brick bed and started boiling water for the Hot Pot base while directing Tang Minglang and Yuan Mingyi to peel potatoes and cut beef. Bai Tang focused on the most important task: preparing the dipping sauces. The taste of Hot Pot largely depends on the dipping sauces. In a good mood, Bai Tang made several kinds of sauces: one with sesame paste as the base mixed with fermented tofu, garlic paste, cilantro, and chive flowers; another with chili oil as the base mixed with chili powder, Sichuan pepper powder, rice chili, cilantro, and chopped green onions; one with sweet and sour sauce as the base mixed with cilantro and horseradish; one with sesame oil as the base mixed with crushed peanuts, garlic paste, chili powder, and chopped green onions; one with satay sauce mixed with chopped pickled vegetables and garlic paste; and one with peanut butter as the base mixed with seafood soy sauce, garlic paste, dried shrimp, cilantro, and fried peanuts... All were well-received by the other three. However, Bai Tang preferred her Hot Pot plain—just sesame oil with garlic paste.
After nearly an hour of eating until they were sweating from the heat of the food, the four comfortably fell into a deep sleep. The next day, as they prepared to set off, they encountered a significant problem.
"The snow on the ground is over a meter thick; we can't drive at all. How are we supposed to get out?" Yuan Mingyi looked at the other three in confusion, who returned his gaze with equal bewilderment.
"Are we going to stay here? Are we not leaving?" Tian Yanran asked. She was the least concerned among them; neither S Province nor City D had any relatives for her, so she didn't feel an urgent need to return home.
"No way! We have to leave! We've already delayed for too long on our journey; I don't want to delay any further. I won't feel at ease until I see my grandparents and parents!" Tang Minglang gritted his teeth as he stared at the white expanse ahead with determination.
"I will too!" Bai Tang expressed her firm determination to leave.
"How can we go? If we use our legs, we won't get far before they freeze!" Tian Yanran frowned.
"Forest Sea and Snowfield!" Bai Tang said.
"What?" The other three did not understand what Bai Tang meant.
Bai Tang asked, "Have you seen Xu Ke's 'Forest Sea and Snowfield'?"
Tang Minglang and the others had all seen Xu Da's movie and contributed to its box office. Hearing Bai Tang's words, Tang Minglang and Yuan Mingyi's eyes lit up simultaneously: "Skiing!"
However, in such an environment, what could be a faster and more suitable means of transportation than sledding or skiing?
"But none of us know how to ski, right?" Tian Yanran pointed out an important fact.
"We can practice! The comrades in the movie didn't know how to ski either; after practicing, they learned, right? We're better than them, so we can definitely learn quickly!" Tang Minglang said optimistically. With hope for going home, the child's mood improved.
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