The three of them accepted the roasted squirrel, their eyes sparkling with surprise and gratitude.

Bai Jingting then laughed and said, "Fatty, Li Qin, and Chaoyue, your cooking skills are amazing! You can even make roasted squirrel smell so good. We've really had a feast today."

As he spoke, he carefully tore off a small piece of meat, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly, his face beaming with satisfaction.

Wu Jing wasn't to be outdone. He took the roasted squirrel, tore it apart with his hands, and ate it in big bites, mumbling between mouthfuls, "Yes, yes, this taste is amazing! It's even more satisfying than the delicacies I've had outside!"

Although he looked a bit disheveled, his genuine enjoyment was so endearing that it was hard not to laugh.

Peng Yuyan, on the other hand, appeared more refined. He gently tore off a squirrel leg, took a small bite, and nodded in praise as he ate: "This roasted squirrel is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fragrant but not greasy. The heat is just right. It's a rare delicacy."

The group sat around the fire, enjoying this rare lunchtime. Their fatigue and hunger seemed to be dispelled by the delicious food.

They ate and chatted, sharing their stories and jokes in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

Looking at them, Li Yinsheng felt a surge of warmth and contentment in her heart.

Although everyone worked hard all morning, this experience deepened their friendship.

After lunch, I rested for a while.

They got busy again.

Li Qin continued fishing, Li Yinsheng helped Yang Chaoyue build a temporary shelter, and Peng Yuyan, Wu Jing, and Bai Jingting dug the foundation and cut down trees, each doing their own job.

In the morning, Yang Chaoyue had already set up the framework of the temporary shelter. All that was needed was to cover it with a waterproof tarpaulin and secure it tightly, and it would be able to form a small haven that could withstand the cool night breeze and light rain.

After the temporary shelter was set up, Yang Chaoyue went to help Bai Jingting dig the foundation. Li Yinsheng wielded an axe with neat and powerful movements. She was busy cutting branches and trunks. The trunks would be used to build the shelter, and the branches would be used to prepare enough firewood for the campfire later.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling her focused face. Sweat trickled down her forehead, dripping onto the ground beneath her feet and instantly absorbed by the earth.

After selecting several tree trunks suitable for making wooden bowls, Li Yinsheng pulled on the trunks, sat down, and began to make the wooden bowls.

This place is by the lake, so no matter what happens in the future, we'll be able to catch fish. We can't eat grilled fish every day. The fish soup we drink at noon is extremely inconvenient, with each of us holding one end of the pot while the other drinks from the other.

Therefore, the wooden bowl must be made as soon as possible.

Cutting, slicing, digging, grinding—every movement was so skillful and powerful.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on her. The light and shadow danced with the wood chips, and the air was filled with a faint scent of wood, which calmed the mind.

Li Yinsheng's gaze was focused and gentle, as if she were having a silent conversation with the wood in her hands.

Li Yinsheng first carefully chopped off the excess branches from the tree trunk with a sharp axe, making it more neat. Then, she took out a Swiss Army knife and gently traced the pre-designed lines, each cut precise and accurate, as if she had drawn it countless times in her mind.

As the carving knife penetrates deeper, the surface of the wood is gradually given a new shape, and the prototype of a bowl slowly emerges. But this is far from enough; what follows is a more refined polishing process.

Li Yinsheng replaced the sand with fine sand and gently rubbed every corner of the wooden bowl, removing the roughness and imperfections on the surface until it became smooth as a mirror and radiated a warm luster.

Time passed second by second, and sweat slid down Li Yinsheng's forehead and dripped onto the soil, but it did not affect her work in the slightest.

Finally, after a lot of hard work, a perfect wooden bowl appeared in her hands.

Li Yinsheng examined her work with satisfaction, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her face.

Not far away, Bai Jingting and Yang Chaoyue were working together to dig the foundation, their figures appearing and disappearing in the dust.

Bai Jingting held the shovel, digging deep and steadily with each stroke, while Yang Chaoyue reinforced the earthen walls with stones and sticks to ensure the foundation was stable. The two worked together seamlessly, as if they were used to this kind of cooperation.

Peng Yuyan and Wu Jing, armed with saws, searched for suitable trees. Working in perfect harmony, one in front and one behind, the saws seemed to come alive in their hands. Each pull was accompanied by a rhythmic "squeak," and amidst the flying sawdust, one sturdy tree trunk after another gradually fell.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating their focused and determined faces. Sweat trickled down their cheeks, but it did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm for work.

As time went by, the sun gradually slanted westward, and the horizon was tinged with a faint orange-red.

This also means that today's work is coming to an end.

"Everyone has worked hard. Come on, take a break! Have a bowl of fish soup." Li Qin had already prepared dinner.

Roasted squirrel and grouse, and a pot of fish soup.

This afternoon, Li Qin went fishing with the help of squirrel and grouse entrails. She caught two trout weighing over two pounds each, a river trout weighing over one pound, and a pike weighing over one pound.

The two river trout and pike, weighing over two pounds each, were cooked into a soup. After cleaning them, they were saved for breakfast the next morning.

"After breakfast tomorrow morning, Jing-ge, you continue to lead Yan-ge and Xiao-bai in building the shelter."

I found a patch of blueberries in the grass this morning, and I'll take Chaoyue to pick them tomorrow.

"Li Qin, you continue fishing, and while you're at it, take a walk along the lake and see if you can find any useful trash." Li Yinsheng sat by the fire, arranging tomorrow's tasks.

"Xiaobai and Chaoyue have finished digging the foundation in all four directions today. We can start laying the foundation tomorrow. After laying the foundation, we will dig towards the center, at least two meters deep."

Tomorrow, Xiaobai and Peng Yuyan will lay the foundation, while I will be responsible for measuring the location and starting to use the wood sawed down today as the initial support frame.

"At today's pace, our shelter will be ready in seven to ten days at the fastest." Wu Jing also carefully arranged the tasks for himself, Bai Jingting, and Peng Yuyan.

"Ten days is too long. It will snow here in about ten days, and the weather will get cold quickly. We'll build it in seven days, and then we'll explore the surrounding area in pairs to find and store food for the winter." Li Yinsheng set a timeframe for building the shelter.

As night fell, a campfire roared in front of the shelter, its light illuminating several young and determined faces.

In this wilderness full of unknowns and challenges, they rely on each other and face difficulties together.