Huo Lanfang quickly took out the clothes from the worn-out bundle and had everyone put them on.
Fortunately, since they were relocating their entire household, they had brought all their belongings. The three of them each had a stiff, darkened cotton-padded jacket.
Even though they could tell just by touch that these jackets wouldn't provide much warmth, they were enough to fend off the cold for now, so the three of them didn't complain.
"It seems we not only need to find a way to exchange food from the Mountain Cat Supermarket but also acquire supplies for winter," Gu Qingcheng said.
"Does the Mountain Cat Supermarket have anything besides food?" Gu Chaobei asked.
"Of course, it's the same Mountain Cat Supermarket we usually visit. It has 8 floors and offers everything you could need, from food and clothing to daily necessities."
Gu Qingcheng could only give a general overview as she hadn't had time to check.
"Oh, I remember the first floor is the dining area and car exhibition area, the second floor is for general merchandise, the third floor is for fresh produce, the fourth floor is for clothing, the fifth floor is for sporting goods, the sixth floor is for daily chemical products, the seventh floor has a pharmacy, and the eighth floor is a comprehensive area selling all sorts of peculiar items," Huo Lanfang explained articulately.
Gu Chaobei nodded and added, "This supermarket has many practical items. For example, I remember the clothing section has down jackets that can withstand temperatures of minus twenty to thirty degrees Celsius. The sporting goods section has lifebuoys, single and double kayaks, and I think there was even a speedboat – I wonder if it's been sold yet? The comprehensive area seems to sell solar power products and chargers. If we can unlock them all, they'll be of immense help to our lives. But if the natural disaster is real, how much time do we have left to stockpile?"
Gu Qingcheng tried hard to recall, "In my dream, there was about a month between the first snowfall and the truly extreme cold. It got colder day by day, and then one day, the temperature suddenly dropped by twenty to thirty degrees, killing many unprepared people."
"Then we must act quickly," Gu Chaobei urged. "You need to retrace the details of your dream repeatedly. Don't forget anything. That way, you can guide us to survive."
Gu Qingcheng felt her father was right. Dreams were like that; their memories were often strongest just after waking, but they would quickly fade upon getting out of bed, as if the dream had never happened.
So, she said, "How about I tell you the details of this dream from beginning to end while my memory is still clear? You two can help me remember too?"
"Okay, that's a good idea."
Gu Chaobei, as a licensed physician who had worked his way through various certifications, possessed a powerful memory. Although Huo Lanfang was just an ordinary community worker, she had to report various data to her superiors daily – information on population inflow and outflow, the proportion of elderly residents in the community, child vaccination status, and so on. This had also honed her excellent memory. With the two of them as backup, it was equivalent to having two powerful auxiliary memory banks.
Thus, Gu Qingcheng recounted the dream's details from start to finish. Gu Chaobei and Huo Lanfang listened intently, silently committing it to memory. Although they had heard it before, listening again still left them shocked, hearts pounding, and filled with anxiety. In such an extremely harsh environment, if it were to happen in the future, what were their chances of survival? If they were to face it empty-handed, let alone live until the seasons returned to normal, they might not even survive the next day or the day after.
When Gu Qingcheng finished telling the dream, she had omitted no detail and felt her throat dry. After she finished, the three of them, contemplating the harsh environment they would face, fell silent.
"Since things have come to this, we have only one thing to say: roll up our sleeves and work hard. There is no turning back, only moving forward. The three of us will strive to survive together and never be separated!" Gu Chaobei saw the dejected expressions of his wife and daughter. As the head of the family, he had to be their pillar of strength, their spiritual support, and not succumb to despair.
Indeed, inspired by Gu Chaobei's confidence and optimism, Huo Lanfang looked at her frail daughter and felt a strong sense of responsibility surge within her. Women, as mothers, often found strength. She hugged Gu Qingcheng tightly and said, "Daughter, believe that Mom and Dad will protect you. We will definitely survive until the weather returns to normal."
Gu Qingcheng's chest had been feeling heavy, burdened by the lingering weakness from the dream and a sense of despair about the apocalyptic weather. But hearing her parents' resolve, she couldn't help but say, "Dad, Mom, don't be afraid. Things aren't that bad yet. I still have the Mountain Cat Supermarket! With this cheat artifact, we will surely be able to live here smoothly."
The three of them encouraged each other. By this time, dawn was breaking. Due to the sudden drop in temperature, the body's need for heat increased. Although they had eaten the previous night, they all felt hungry again. Survival was the top priority, so they didn't hesitate to use their food. Each took out a baguette and ate half of it heartily. Gu Chaobei still had half a kettle of water, and everyone took a few sips before packing up to set off.
After a night's rest, Gu Qingcheng felt a bit better mentally, but the pain from Gu Dou's beating still lingered. Gu Chaobei and Huo Lanfang insisted on taking turns carrying her. Although Gu Qingcheng's original body was already 13 years old, due to malnutrition, she looked and was only about the size of a ten-year-old child in modern society, standing at about 1.3 meters tall, which frustrated her immensely. In her modern life, she was a beautiful girl who was 1.72 meters tall with fair skin and long legs! Fortunately, she hadn't had her first period yet, so with proper nutrition, her development could still catch up. However, this frail body made it much easier for Gu Chaobei and Huo Lanfang to carry her. Both of them were used to years of physical labor, and their strength returned once they had food, so they didn't walk too slowly even while carrying Gu Qingcheng.
After walking about two kilometers, they soon saw wisps of cooking smoke rising in the distance. Through the smoke, a cluster of people could be vaguely seen moving, resembling a dynamic landscape painting.
Gu Qingcheng said, "Those ahead are likely the villagers of Taoyuan Village."
Gu Chaobei looked ahead with determination and smiled at his wife and daughter, saying, "Let the storm come even more fiercely!" This was a line from Gu Chaobei's favorite literary work, "The Stormy Petrel," which he usually used for encouragement. However, before, he used it for motivation when studying for his physician's license or when facing unfair treatment from his superiors. He never imagined he would use this line for encouragement in ancient times. Next, they would have to face the storm brought by the Gu family. With this in mind, Gu Chaobei was determined to rally his family with his favorite aphorism.