Chapter 346: Building an Ice House (Subscription Request)
Wang Bingbing held Meng Chao’s hand, her eyes revealing reluctance and anxiety.

“Brother Chao, don’t do anything yet.” She said softly.

Meng Chao was slightly stunned and looked at Wang Bingbing in confusion.

Wang Bingbing pointed to where a group of Arctic foxes were gathered not far away and said, “Look, they seem to be guarding something.”

The two of them observed quietly and saw the Arctic foxes digging at the snow with their claws.

After a while, the snow was dug up, revealing some frozen fish and other small prey.

Wang Bingbing’s eyes lit up, “Brother Chao, we don’t need to hunt them. This food should be enough to sustain us for a while.”

Meng Chao put down his hunting bow and nodded. “You are right. A portion of those foods is enough. Fox meat is not tasty either. It has too strong a smell.”

They watched the group of Arctic foxes continue to guard their “treasure” and did not take any immediate action.

There are quite a lot of them, and in this situation, Meng Chao really has no way to take away the food they buried without hurting them.

“We can wait until the Arctic fox leaves and then go get some food,” Wang Bingbing suggested.

Meng Chao agreed, “Okay, this will not harm the Arctic foxes and will also solve our food problem.”

They waited patiently, and after a while, the Arctic foxes seemed to feel that there was no danger around, so they dispersed.

Meng Chao and Wang Bingbing cautiously approached the pile of food dug out by the Arctic fox.

“These frozen fish look very fresh.” Wang Bingbing said as she picked up a frozen fish.

Meng Chao checked the other prey and said, “These should be enough for us to eat for a few days.” They collected the food and put it in their backpacks.

“We are really lucky this time to have found these things,” Meng Chao said to Wang Bingbing with emotion.

With these unexpected gains, Meng Chao and Wang Bingbing felt relieved.

With food, the two people have time to do other things.

For example, building an igloo.

“There is a large forest over there. Let’s go there. We will definitely not lack food.” Meng Chao said, pointing to the distance.

Wang Bingbing never worries about where to go.

After all, she would go wherever Meng Chao said to go.

The two men determined the direction and then slid towards that direction.

However, fate always seems to like to create waves in the calm.

Just as Meng Chao and Wang Bingbing were heading towards the seemingly vibrant forest with hope, a sudden snowstorm broke the original tranquility.

The wind and snow were as sharp as knives, and the sky and the earth were instantly swallowed up by a vast expanse of white.

Meng Chao and Wang Bingbing had to urgently find a place to shelter from the wind, and the original gliding plan was forced to be interrupted.

They found a half-collapsed snowdrift and squeezed in with difficulty, blocking the entrance with their backpacks and personal belongings to prevent the wind and snow from invading.

In the small space, the two of them clung to each other, relying on each other’s body temperature for warmth.

There was a hint of worry in Wang Bingbing’s eyes, but more of it was trust in Meng Chao.

Meng Chao patted the back of her hand gently to comfort her: “Don’t worry, we can continue on our way after the snowstorm passes.”

Wang Bingbing nodded. As long as she was with Meng Chao, she felt at ease.

The worry in his eyes disappeared and he looked at the barrage.

[The climate in the Arctic is so changeable. Snow and wind can come at any time.]

[If it wasn’t so bad, would there still be no-man’s land? ]

[I heard that there is a passage to the center of the earth in the Arctic. Is it true? 】

[Isn’t it Antarctica? I heard it was Antarctica! ]

[You guys have thought of so many things, including the inner world. Your imagination is too rich, isn’t it? ]

[How come it’s gone? Think about how Chaoye and his crew’s flight suddenly appeared on the sea and got stuck on that deserted island.]

[There are still many unsolved mysteries in this world. After all, we humans are too small to understand this planet. ]

Wang Bingbing looked at the various fantastic discussions on the barrage and couldn’t help but smile.

Although she knew that most of these speculations were based on fiction or misunderstanding, this curiosity and desire to explore the unknown made her feel a little warm.

She turned to look at Meng Chao and found that he was also smiling, his eyes flashing with yearning for the unknown world.

“Brother Chao, do you think there really is an inner world in this world?” Wang Bingbing asked softly, with a hint of mischief in her voice.

Meng Chao shook his head and smiled: “Who knows? But even if it really exists, we don’t have the opportunity to explore it now.”

Wang Bingbing nodded and turned her attention back to the reality.

It was unknown how long this snowstorm would last. As there was no sunlight, she could only stay close to Meng Chao to keep each other warm.

As time went by, the snowstorm showed no signs of abating, but rather intensified. Meng Chao and Wang Bingbing huddled in a small snowdrift, relying on each other’s body temperature and the emergency supplies in their backpacks to withstand the severe cold.

“Brother Chao, how long do you think this snowstorm will last?” There was a hint of trembling in Wang Bingbing’s voice. Obviously, the long-term cold and uncertain future made her feel unprecedented pressure.

Meng Chao hugged Wang Bingbing tightly, trying to give her more warmth. “It’s hard to say. The weather in the Arctic is unpredictable. Sometimes a snowstorm like this can last for several days or even longer.”

Wang Bingbing heard this, a trace of worry flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination, “No matter what, we have to persevere, right?”

Meng Chao nodded vigorously, “Yes, as long as we don’t give up, nothing can defeat us.”

To ease the tense atmosphere, Meng Chao began to tell about his past adventures, the thrilling moments and the stories of how he finally escaped danger, which made Wang Bingbing listen with great interest. Wang Bingbing was not to be outdone, and shared what she had seen and heard as a reporter, as well as those touching interview experiences.

As they talked to each other, time seemed to become less difficult. Although the blizzard was still raging, their hearts became warm and strong because of each other’s company and encouragement.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the snowstorm gradually subsided and the sky began to clear. Meng Chao and Wang Bingbing emerged from the snowdrifts, and the world before them had been reshaped, covered in silver and beautiful beyond measure.

“It seems that we really survived.” Meng Chao looked into the distance, his tone full of emotion.

Wang Bingbing smiled and nodded, tears glistening in her eyes, but they were tears of joy, “Yes, Brother Chao, we did it.”

The two smiled at each other, and their tacit understanding and trust were sublimated at this moment. They knew that no matter how many unknowns and challenges there were in the future, as long as they worked together, nothing would be impossible.

Next, they reorganized their equipment and continued their journey towards the forest.

After more than an hour, they finally arrived at the forest.

“Let’s find a place sheltered from the wind. The Arctic wind is too hard to bear.” Meng Chao said this without even taking a rest and continued rowing into the forest.

Wang Bingbing’s body is almost reaching its limit, and she has to find a suitable place to start building the igloo.

Meng Chao led the way, and Wang Bingbing followed closely behind. Their breath formed white mist in the cold air. They shuttled through the woods, looking for a place that was both sheltered from the wind and relatively flat to build an igloo.

After some searching, they finally found an ideal location.

This is a col that can block most of the wind and snow, and the ground is relatively flat, suitable for building. “Let’s do it here, Bingbing, you take a rest first, I’ll prepare the materials for building the igloo.” Meng Chao said, and started to get busy.

Wang Bingbing sat on a protruding rock, watching Meng Chao’s busy figure, her heart filled with gratitude. She knew that Meng Chao had been taking care of her all the way, which made her feel extremely warm.

Meng Chao took out an engineer shovel and began to make a simple mold using his skis.

Put the snow in and pat it tight, and it will become a snow brick.

He will use these snow bricks to build an igloo to protect himself from ice and cold.

Seeing this, Wang Bingbing also cheered herself up and joined the ranks of making snow bricks.

Although her physical strength was close to the limit, seeing how hard Meng Chao worked, she didn’t want to become a burden.

“Just make a circle of the snow bricks and leave the making of the snow bricks to me.” Meng Chao said directly.

Wang Bingbing nodded, moved the snow bricks over and started building the wall.

Next, Wang Bingbing began to build the frame of the igloo.

First, make a circle at the bottom, leaving space for a door.

Then stack the second layer upwards, moving the bricks inward little by little.

This way, less ice is needed as you go higher.

Meng Chao made snow bricks faster and faster because he made several models with the snow bricks and worked at full speed.

Meng Chao also joined in on stacking snow bricks, which would make the process faster.

Wang Bingbing helped to stabilize the ice blocks to ensure they would not slide or collapse. She used the snow shovel in her hand to fill some small snow particles into the gaps between the ice blocks to increase the overall stability.

As the frame of the igloo gradually took shape, Meng Chao and Wang Bingbing became more and more confident.

They continued to work, piling up blocks of ice until the igloo was as high as they wanted.

After the top was sealed with snow bricks, the prototype of an igloo was completed.

After completing the basic framework of the igloo, Meng Chao and Wang Bingbing took a short break and then began to prepare for the next step – reinforcing the igloo and making a fire for heating.

Meng Chao looked around, looking for materials that could be used to reinforce the igloo and start a fire.

“Bingbing, we need to find some firewood so that we can reinforce the interior of the igloo and boil water for cooking.”

Wang Bingbing nodded in agreement, and the two of them went their separate ways.

Meng Chao walked deeper into the woods, looking for dry branches and wood blocks, while Wang Bingbing stayed nearby, collecting fallen leaves and twigs for kindling.

Soon, both of them returned with a full load. Meng Chao also accidentally discovered a small bush half-covered by wind and snow, with many dry branches hanging on it, which was a rare fuel.

“Brother Chao, let’s boil the water first, so we can grill a few fish at the same time.” Wang Bingbing suggested, already holding a few frozen fish found from the Arctic Fox, ready to thaw and cook.

Meng Chao nodded and quickly started a fire. At first, due to the extremely low temperature, the flames almost went out several times, but with the unremitting efforts of the two, they finally stabilized.

The flames jumped, illuminating their tired but hopeful faces.

The kettle hangs above the stove. As the water temperature rises, steam rises, bringing a touch of warmth to this cold Arctic world.

At the same time, Wang Bingbing skewered the thawed fish with branches and slowly roasted it by the fire. The aroma of the fish gradually spread, arousing the appetite of the two.

“This fish smells so good, Brother Chao, please try it.” Wang Bingbing handed a golden fish with a slightly charred skin to Meng Chao.

Meng Chao took it and took a bite. The fish meat was tender and juicy, and paired with the warmth of the fire, he couldn’t help but sigh: “What a delicacy! In such an environment, it is such a blessing to be able to eat such grilled fish.”

After eating, the two began to build the igloo.

The original igloo was not strong enough and needed some water.

Once the water freezes, it will be very solid.

If you pour boiling water on it, it will freeze quickly.

The two men boiled more than a dozen pots of water, covering the outer layer of the igloo with an ice shell.

“Okay, it’s okay now.” Looking at the ice house, Meng Chao suddenly felt a lot more at ease.

“Let’s go in and find a suitable place to make a fire.” As he said that, Meng Chao took the engineer shovel and went in to get busy.

The follow-up ball also flew in and live broadcast the situation in the ice house.

It is not easy to find a suitable location. After all, we need to keep warm, but the ice and snow cannot melt.

At the same time, ventilation is also needed to allow air circulation.

Otherwise, you will be poisoned.

There is a vent on the top, but you need to find the right location.

After all, they had no existing stoves and chimneys.

Meng Chao observed for a while and then found a suitable position.

Now, all they lacked was a place to make a fire.

Meng Chao laid a layer of wood to isolate the ice and snow.

In this way, you can make a fire on it.

He used an engineering shovel to move some of the fire outside in, and then started a fire inside.

With the fire, the temperature in the igloo began to rise.

The fire cannot be too big, otherwise the temperature will be too high and the smoke will be too heavy, and there will be no way to rest.

Because it was isolated from the cold air outside, the temperature inside was heated, and the temperature in the igloo directly rose to two or three degrees.

Two or three degrees is already warm enough for them.

After all, they were wearing down jackets and down pants, which were very good at keeping warm.

“This igloo is really nice. It’s the first one we have built that is so good.” Wang Bingbing is very satisfied with this igloo.

She took out a thermal blanket from her backpack, spread it out and lay down to rest.

The sun outside was so glaring that she couldn’t sleep well.

Now, it’s finally getting darker and I can have a good sleep.

However, she planned to let Meng Chao go to sleep first.

Compared to her, she felt that Meng Chao was more tired because he did more work.

But Meng Chao didn’t do that. Instead, he asked her to hurry up and go to sleep.

(End of this chapter)