Cave Refuge

This method could directly scorch the pig hair on the surface as well as the residual pig hair within the pores, and then only a tool was needed to clean the pigskin surface thoroughly.

After processing, the pigskin was cut into small strips, and at a ratio of one to five, put into cold water and brought to a boil over high heat; when the water in the pot began to boil, it was turned down to medium-low heat and simmered slowly. Once the gelatin had separated from the pigskin and dissolved into the water, the heat was reduced further to a gentle simmer to reduce the liquid.

By the time the proportion of pigskin to water in the pot had reached two to one or three to one, it was directly poured into a mold to cool, occasionally stirring with chopsticks in the beginning to prevent all the pigskin from settling at the bottom, as this would produce an aesthetically unpleasing aspic.

In fact, aspic itself has little taste; it is delicious only because of the savory sauce it's served with. Yet, its soft and sticky texture is by no means inferior to jelly, making it suitable even as a snack for adults.

The leisured Thompson family of three spent their whole afternoon making this rather intricate dish.

As night fell, although there were only three of them, the table was set with an assortment of ten rich dishes.

Although the ancestral teachings were to eat in silence and sleep without talking, for most people, many essential matters were actually discussed and negotiated over the dining table.

"Mom and Dad, I'll go check out the official residence again in a while, and if it's suitable, maybe we should move from here."

When Zachary suddenly said this, Mr. Thompson didn't pay much attention; after all, he was already well aware of the situation.

Although the camp seemed to be thriving at the moment, to Mr. Thompson, who had twice experienced starting from scratch with a camp, it was clear that this camp could not operate sustainably.

The main reason was that the survivors living in the camp could not achieve self-sufficiency in food. Ye Liuyun was able to keep the camp firmly in her grasp because, fundamentally, all the food consumed in the camp relied on her provision.

Once Ye Liuyun faced the slightest obstacle in her actions within the camp, all she had to do was stop providing the daily food ration, and she wouldn't need to lift a finger; there would naturally be people in the camp willing to resolve matters for her.

But anyone with sharp eyes could see the problem; at that time, apart from relying on Ye Liuyun to provide food, the camp had no other method of obtaining extra food.

After all, the floodwaters had only just receded, and if not for the sudden appearance of forests in the wilderness, there wouldn't have been any animals to hunt, let alone a single weed outside.

Although the ground had been underwater for a prolonged period and the soil was now rich in nutrients, no amount of nutrients in the soil would matter without seeds; nothing would grow.

Even if the people in the camp wanted to go out in search of a stable food source, it would have been futile; going out would only be a waste of energy without finding any viable source of nourishment.

Ye Liuyun, the camp controller, was also very aware of the situation. That's why, even when she heard from Zachary about the abundance of meat in the forest and suspected a problem, she still chose to ignore it.

Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Thompson had no resistance to their son's idea of moving away from the camp; after all, they weren't fools and knew their son wouldn't deceive them.

Furthermore, after the natural disaster, every plan that Zachary had made had kept them from facing any direct danger or calamity. So when Zachary proposed this, they didn't even ask for the reason behind his decision; they simply nodded and agreed.

Watching Father Dong and Mother Dong continue to eat without a care, Dong Tianyu tentatively began, "Should I try to persuade Ye Liuyun? If it really doesn't work out, we can abandon the camp. Although all the supplies we originally invested would be wasted, cutting our losses in time is still a way to reduce our own detriment."

Upon hearing Dong Tianyu's inquiry, Mr. Thompson casually took a sip of wine from his glass before replying with satisfaction, "You shouldn't be the one to speak about such matters. If someone really needs to persuade Ye Liuyun, it can only be Old Taylor. Anyone else who tries to interfere is likely to cause a misunderstanding."

By saying this, Mr. Thompson was actually hinting to Dong Tianyu; after all, although the relationship between the two was close, Ye Liuyun had already devoted so much to the camp, which for the time being showed no signs of decline. If Dong Tianyu were to rashly give advice, it would surely affect their friendship.

So, as the old saying goes, "understanding without pointing it out makes for the best friendship."

Seeing Dong Tianyu take his advice to heart, Mr. Thompson nodded with satisfaction. Just as Dong Tianyu was about to speak up about something else, Mrs. Thompson immediately interjected, "Enough, let's not talk about these matters right now.

Zachary, your mother wants to ask you something, and you answer me honestly—did you and that girl named Walker Violet, whom you brought over last time, break up?"

Upon hearing his mother's question, Dong Tianyu felt a bit helpless. Right then, he somewhat regretted having invited Walker Violet over to pretend to be his girlfriend before.

Although Walker Violet could do everything a girlfriend could do and, in fact, she appealed to Dong Tianyu more than an average girlfriend might, a fake relationship was still fake. Despite often meeting with Walker Violet and sharing a bed, the pretense was, after all, not real. No matter how convincing the act, certain details would eventually betray the illusion.

Dong Tianyu did not want to entangle with Mrs. Thompson over this matter, so after a brief pause, he said, "Mom... I was actually worried about you, and I didn't bring it up, but Walker Violet got hurt in an accident and didn't make it, so..."

To prevent Mrs. Thompson from seeing Walker Violet again in the future, Dong Tianyu deliberately did not finish his sentence, simply showing a sorrowful expression.

Mrs. Thompson, seeing Dong Tianyu's current expression and, although she did not hear the outcome directly from him, naturally inferred the unfortunate fate of Walker Violet from his heartbroken demeanor, so she did not bring it up any further.

Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly awkward, Mr. Thompson directly said, "Children have their own fate, so there's no need for you to worry overly about Zachary's affairs. Look at that young fellow Ye Liuyun; although he's also unmarried like our son, he certainly doesn't lack female company in his day-to-day life.

Remember, one is influenced by the company they keep. Since our son can hang out with him, he naturally isn't the type to remain chaste. Thus, you don't need to worry too much about these matters."

Hearing his father discussing himself this way, Dong Tianyu naturally felt a bit disgruntled, but before he could speak up to defend himself, Mrs. Thompson, feeling somewhat indignant, retorted, "You know exactly why I'm saying this. Look at others who are Zachary's age—they not only have children old enough to 'send to the store,' some are even at the age of Martial Arts Practice.

Look at Zachary now, still all alone; I say these things not for myself, but for the future of the Thompson Family."

As Mrs. Thompson's tone grew more impassioned, Dong Tianyu knew that if he did not say something soon, Mr. Thompson would definitely bring the focus back to him.

Just as Dong Tianyu was considering how to speak up and reassure his increasingly agitated mother, a sudden, violent shake came from outside.

At that moment, the table inside the cabin began to sway severely. Had Dong Tianyu not quickly steadied it with his fast reflexes, the dishes on the table might have slid off to the floor and gone to waste.