Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 201 Digging the Ice Cave

Xu Xiaoyan thought for a moment. She was alone, so the brazier didn't seem that important... She had her own small charcoal stove, battery box, and rechargeable hand warmer, so she didn't need to rent a brazier for the time being. Moreover, renting a brazier meant buying smokeless coal specifically for indoor use, which would be another expense.

"I'll open a standard ice cave," she stated clearly, "without renting out braziers or coal."

Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao exchanged a glance, and Xie Yingtang said, "We'll open two standard ice caves, rent a brazier, and bring some coal ourselves. We'll buy more if we need more."

After paying the points, the staff tore off several different colored slips of paper and handed them along with a few small metal number tags printed with numbers. They quickly explained, "The blue slips of paper are the ice cave service slips. They show the number range of your cave, from 127 to 129. Go up to the ice and choose a specific location. Wherever you like, just stick this corresponding number tag nearby."

When you see someone wearing an orange vest and carrying an ice drill, show them your blue slip of paper and number tag. They will come over and drill the hole for you. After they finish drilling, remember to leave the number tag in a conspicuous place next to the hole for easy identification and subsequent maintenance.

"The red paper slip is the brazier rental slip. Take this and go find the person in the blue vest over there to get the brazier." He pointed to several figures on the ice outside the window. "The braziers have numbers on them. Make sure they match the numbers on your slip. When you return them, show the red paper slip and the brazier to get your deposit back." The three people took the slips and the cold metal number tags and turned to leave the shop.

They dragged their modified shopping carts and trailers along the riverbank, carefully making their way to the ice. The slope was uneven, covered in snow and ice.

The moment she stepped onto the ice, the sensation beneath her feet was completely different from that on land. Xu Xiaoyan subconsciously slowed her pace. Although Li Zhi had told her that in the continuous freezing temperatures of minus twenty degrees Celsius, the ice on this great river was thick enough to support heavy vehicles, the instinctive fear still made her heart tighten slightly.

There were already quite a few people scattered on the ice. After observing for a while, she noticed a clear pattern: the vast majority of anglers gathered within a range of about three to eight meters from the shore, forming a relatively dense strip of land.

It's close to the edge of the river, the water under the ice is relatively shallow, and the ice layer may be a little thinner. More importantly, it's close to the shore, so in case of an emergency, evacuation is faster, and the gathering of people also brings a sense of psychological security.

Xu Xiaoyan always felt that being too close to the shore was not a good idea. People were crowded there, the competition was fierce, and there was a lot of interference. The fish would be repeatedly disturbed and would probably be more wary. As for the central area of ​​the river... her gaze fell on the center of the glacier. Although the ice was definitely thicker and drilling holes would be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, the water was deeper and the current brought more nutrients, making it more likely that big fish would hide there. She decided to take a gamble.

"I'll go take a look over there," Xu Xiaoyan pointed towards the center of the river. Xie Yingtang looked in the direction she pointed. The area was empty and desolate, with only a dozen or so tents there. He frowned slightly, clearly having assessed the risks and costs involved. His lips moved under his mask as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded and uttered a single word in a deep voice, "Okay."

Wang Xiao's reaction was much more direct. He shrank his neck and exclaimed, "Huh? That far? It looks freezing over there! And the ice must be incredibly thick; drilling a hole would be such a hassle! Didn't Master say most people are on this side of the shore?"

Xu Xiaoyan ignored his complaints, simply pulled up her hat brim, then gripped the shopping cart handle, adjusted the direction, and the wheels made a soft "shush" sound on the smooth ice surface as she began to move towards the center of the river.

Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao exchanged a glance. Wang Xiao muttered, "This must be Xiao Yan's first time ice fishing..." Xie Yingtang patted him on the shoulder, signaling them to follow. In the end, the two decided to follow. When they were about twenty meters away from the approximate location chosen by Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Yingtang stopped.

"Let's go here." He looked around. This place was quite a distance from the shore, the ice was flat, and there were no other fishermen in sight. It was a transitional zone between the shallow and deep water areas. "It's not too far from Xiaoyan. If anything happens, I can call out or run over to help. The ice here looks to be of moderate thickness, and the water shouldn't be too shallow either. Maybe I can keep an eye on both."

Wang Xiao naturally had no objections. His main concern was that the wind seemed to be even stronger and more biting as he walked further into the river, making his heavy robes flutter loudly.

With the location initially selected, the next step was to mark it and summon the "drilling master." Wang Xiao volunteered, holding the three people's blue service slips and corresponding metal number tags, shouting, "I'm going to find the master! You guys wait!" Then he ran towards the area where he had seen the orange-vested figure moving around, and the figure quickly shrank on the snow-white ice.

Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Yingtang stayed where they were and began to organize their belongings. Xu Xiaoyan parked the shopping cart, untied some of the ropes binding it, and took out the single tent, sleeping bag, and heat insulation mat. Xie Yingtang then reorganized the supplies on the trailer, placing the fishing gear, bait, and fire pit preparations that might be needed on top.

Neither of them spoke, silently making preparations. About twenty minutes later, Wang Xiao's figure reappeared in sight, running towards them with a slight stagger.

Behind him followed a worker wearing heavy dark blue overalls, an earmuff hat, and a large scarf covering his face, revealing only his eyes. He carried a rather heavy-looking ice drill with a long drill rod and a gasoline engine on his shoulder, yet his steps were steady and powerful.

Before he even got close, Wang Xiao's distinctive loud voice and boastful shouts were carried by the wind, broken but full of pride: "Oh my god! Over there... there are so many people trying to steal the master craftsman! Several teams are waiting! Luckily, I was quick-witted and grabbed a master craftsman who had just finished work, so I grabbed his wrist and ran! No one else had time to react! Haha!" He ran up, panting heavily, his face flushed from running and excitement, but with a smug expression that said, "Praise me for being clever and brave."

Looking at his appearance, as if he had successfully "kidnapped" his master and returned, and then at the old master who had been "abducted" but didn't seem angry, Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but burst out laughing. The tension of the past few days was eased by this slightly comical scene.