Chapter 4 Exploring the Cave

Half an hour later, Pan Mengyan called out, “Alright, stop searching and come back quickly!”

Hearing this, Jiang Ruoxi immediately hurried back to Pan Mengyan’s side. She held a few earthworms in her hand and handed them over with a hint of excitement on her face. “Here, I only found these.”

Pan Mengyan smiled as she took the earthworms from Jiang Ruoxi and reassured her, “It’s okay. I still have over a dozen here; that’s more than enough!” She then poured the earthworms Jiang Ruoxi had found into her small bucket, squatted down, grabbed a handful of moist soil, and gently covered the earthworms. Finally, she plucked a few leaves, and together with Jiang Ruoxi, they returned to the cave.

Pan Mengyan took out several earthworms, wrapped them in leaves, and tied them tightly with vine bark before tossing them into the fishing cage. She then went to the edge of the pond. Carefully, she placed the fishing cage into the water, making sure it wouldn’t float, and found a few rocks to weigh it down. Once everything was set, she ran outside to break off a small bundle of twigs and returned to the pond to start making a small trap. Skillfully, she inserted the twigs into the soil to form a simple enclosure, placed some earthworms inside, and covered them with a few leaves. Finally, she gently covered the surface of the trap with water, making the setup look natural and concealed.

Pan Mengyan nodded in satisfaction, feeling quite proud of her handiwork. She knew that with a little patience, the fish would surely be lured in and fall into her carefully designed trap. Now, all that was left was to wait and see if there would be any results. After finishing these tasks, Pan Mengyan turned to Jiang Ruoxi and said with a smile, “Let’s explore this cave together.” Jiang Ruoxi readily agreed, and the two walked side by side deeper into the cave.

The cave was filled with a damp atmosphere, but it wasn’t unpleasant. They moved cautiously, carefully observing their surroundings. The cave was roughly one to two hundred square meters in size, and its walls were covered with exquisite murals. These murals were likely left by someone who had lived here before, depicting moments of his life with an adorable little Gouzi. The water in the pond seemed to seep out from the rocks, and the rocks along the edge were covered with water stains and moss, indicating a long history of water flow. The pond spanned about fifty square meters, with clear water that allowed them to see small fish swimming about. The layout of the cave was simple and straightforward, without many complex structures, giving off a serene and comfortable feeling.

Pan Mengyan and Jiang Ruoxi strolled through the cave, soaking in the tranquility. As they admired the murals, they discussed how they would survive in the future. Though they didn’t know how long they would have to stay in this cave, both were determined to live well.

For now, shelter was not an immediate concern, and water was plentiful, but the issue of food had not been fully resolved. Although they had made some simple fishing tools, they weren’t sure how effective these tools would be. Moreover, the number of fish in the pond was limited and couldn’t sustain them indefinitely. Therefore, they needed to find other food sources or figure out ways to improve their fishing efficiency.

“We should try exploring the surrounding area to see if there are other food resources we can utilize,” Jiang Ruoxi suggested. She felt they couldn’t rely solely on the fish from the pond for survival and needed to actively seek more food sources.

Pan Mengyan nodded in agreement: “Yes, we can start by searching nearby. Perhaps we’ll discover some edible plants or fruits.” She recalled survival shows she had watched, knowing that understanding local vegetation and ecosystems was crucial for wilderness survival.
Thus, they decided to venture out together the next day to explore their surroundings and search for more food sources. They hoped to find sustainable methods to meet their basic needs and establish a relatively stable life within this cave.

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