Chapter 114: Chapter 113: Misunderstanding
Igloos of varying sizes can be built depending on the number of people, but to maintain stability, the maximum diameter generally doesn’t exceed seven or eight meters.
Just for practice, the igloo Jiang Si and the others were building was only two meters in diameter, with enough living space for two people.
With everyone working together, the ice blocks were gradually sealed completely from the inside.
Jiang Si went inside and could see the sunlight through the cracks.
These cracks would let in a cold draft. The next step was to fill them with snow. This would prevent leaks and also act as an adhesive, making the structure more solid.
They packed one layer of snow after another onto the igloo until it formed a perfect dome.
The more they looked at it, the happier everyone became. If this were on land, it would be as if they had built a home with their own two hands.
Jiang Si said to Niu Niu, "After the Inuit finish building an igloo, they have a child climb on top to test its strength. Little Niu Niu, would you like to give it a try?"
Niu Niu’s face lit up with excitement. She raised her hand like a little soldier and said happily, "I’m willing!"
Everyone helped Niu Niu climb up. She stood on top of the igloo, taking in the snowy landscape and the smiling faces of the others looking up at her. She stomped her feet, then lay down and rolled around before scrambling back up and saying excitedly, "It didn’t collapse! It’s really sturdy!"
Lu Zhifeng reached out and lifted her down, sighing in admiration, "Human ingenuity is truly limitless."
Jiang Si smiled. "That’s right, human ingenuity is limitless. We can build an ice bed inside, and we’ll have a place to sleep."
Niu Niu was surprised. "An ice bed?!"
’That sounds so cold,’ she thought.
Jiang Linhai, brimming with newfound confidence, said with a grin, "We can do more than just make an ice bed. We can make ice cabinets, ice tables, ice stools, ice shelves..."
The more Niu Niu listened, the more she admired Jiang Linhai. "Uncle, you’re amazing!"
Jiang Linhai hadn’t even started, but his ego was already soaring.
Zhang Qingfang looked at the warmly-furred Big Black and Little Black and suggested, "Why don’t we make an igloo for Big Black and Little Black, too? It’ll be good practice."
"Alright, let’s each make one and test our skills."
Jiang Si moved quickly. Drawing on her experience of living in extreme cold in her past life, she built a small igloo in no time, just big enough for Big Black and Little Black to curl up inside.
In terms of appearance, hers was the best-looking. Structurally, it was even more refined than the one built by Jiang Linhai, the self-proclaimed "foreman."
Lu Zhifeng’s was lopsided. Building an igloo alone was harder than he’d imagined, but at least he had grasped the essentials. It wasn’t pretty, but it was sturdy.
Compared to the small igloo Jiang Si had built right next to it, his looked downright embarrassing.
It made him exclaim, "Sisi really inherited Brother Jiang’s skills!"
Jiang Linhai burst out laughing. "That’s right! She definitely got it from me!"
Shen Baoying gently patted Jiang Si’s hand, her eyes filled with heartache. ’If Jiang Si hadn’t experienced the apocalypse in her last life, how could she build this so effortlessly?’ she thought.
Big Black and Little Black seemed to like the igloos. Being very obliging, they paid a visit to everyone’s creation.
But it was still very cold inside, and before long, Big Black and Little Black scurried back out.
Jiang Si inspected everyone’s work. Except for little Niu Niu, everyone had done quite well and mastered the key techniques.
Now, if they ever got separated from the group, each of them could build an igloo independently.
Spending a long time outdoors made it easy to lose body heat, even though they were bundled in many layers.
Jiang Si and the others returned to the ship’s cabin, drank steaming hot silver ear fungus soup, and felt incredibly comfortable as they lay back in the relaxing massage chairs.
Everyone unanimously decided that the next day, they would first go ashore, find a place to level the ground, build an igloo, and then find wood nearby to chop and stack inside it.
They didn’t know if the extreme cold would last forever. In this unknown apocalypse, wood was also a rare and precious resource.
The next morning, a blizzard kicked up, blowing the snow on the ground into the air. The surrounding visibility was near zero.
The howling wind also severely interfered with Qin Shen’s hearing, making it impossible for him to tell if anyone was approaching.
They could only patrol constantly and remain vigilant.
After the blizzard stopped, the Icebreaker was completely frozen in place by the accumulated snow and ice.
If they didn’t clear this snow, over time, the Icebreaker would become unusable.
This would lead to the complete destruction of the ship’s power generation system, and they would no longer be able to live so comfortably on board.
Jiang Si said, "We have to shovel the snow quickly, before it accumulates more and forms an iceberg. We’d be finished then."
Jiang Si wasn’t joking. In her past life, it was common for a mountain of snow to form overnight.
You could be following a route, and then suddenly be forced to take a detour.
The snowdrift under the Icebreaker was already over three meters high. Once the snow on the deck was pushed off, the pile could reach five or six meters.
It was at this moment that everyone realized just how useful their ice-breaking vehicle was.
Not only could it break ice, but it could also easily shovel and transport snow.
Driving was one of the essential survival skills for the apocalypse, and Jiang Si had taught Shen Baoying and Zhang Qingfang at the very beginning of it.
By now, they had more or less learned how. They were still inexperienced, but they could help.
First, they cleared the snow from under the Icebreaker. Then they pushed the snow off the deck for a second round of clearing and transport.
It took a total of six hours!
Everyone was completely exhausted.
Continuing to build the igloo and gather firewood today was out of the question.
Taking care of their bodies was the most important thing.
Shen Baoying lay in a massage chair to relax her muscles and sighed, "If it snows like this every night, we’ll end up working harder than factory workers for the rest of our lives."
Jiang Linhai said, "Exactly! And we still have to come back to study English and tend to the crops. Isn’t that enough to kill you from exhaustion?"
A smile tugged at Jiang Si’s lips. "Dad, are you saying that we still have to study English tonight?"
His little scheme exposed, Jiang Linhai threw his head back helplessly. Suddenly, he noticed Qin Shen’s calm, composed expression and asked curiously, "Xiao Shen, aren’t you tired? I noticed you’re not only strong, but your stamina is incredible!"
Everyone else turned to look at Qin Shen, belatedly realizing that his stamina did seem to be out of the ordinary.
Qin Shen’s expression faltered for a moment, as if he was thinking about how to answer.
Jiang Si suddenly looked up and said to Jiang Linhai, "Qin Shen works out a lot, so of course his stamina is good. Dad, if you’re so envious, you can be like Qin Shen and add an extra hour of training to your day."
Jiang Linhai: ... ’An extra hour of training? Would this old man’s life even be safe?!’
Everyone was exhausted. The moment they heard "an extra hour of training," they all avoided looking at Qin Shen, and no one dared to press the matter further.
Jiang Si breathed a sigh of relief. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Qin Shen was actually smiling at her.
Jiang Si pulled her gaze back as if she’d been shocked. ’I only helped explain because I understand how it feels to not want your secrets discovered, just like me,’ she thought. ’He... he won’t misunderstand, will he?!’
