The rope ladder could bear a weight of 1,000 jin, and three people climbing simultaneously would not strain it.
It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the top.
Gu Qingcheng noticed that the ice shell they had poured was being covered by the continuously falling snow, concealing any traces and preventing suspicion.
At the summit of Cliff Mountain, because the old house was built below the cliff face, some distance from the lower part of the ice shell, it appeared dark and unnoticeable from below, giving no indication that anyone lived there.
Perfect.
Safe.
Hu Lanfang was already waiting for them upstairs.
Her method of checking if they were safe was to retrieve something from Qingcheng's storage locker every half hour, be it food, drink, or supplies. As long as she could retrieve them successfully, she would be at ease.
Having learned from their first late return, she wasn't overly worried this time when they came back somewhat late.
However, as they approached the brightly lit doorway, upon seeing their disguises, Hu Lanfang's stomach ached with laughter. She said:
"If I hadn't heard your voices, I would have thought three thugs had come up. I almost gave each of you a good whack."
Gu Chaobei chuckled and removed his fake beard as he entered the house.
Upon seeing Mi Guo, who looked like a delicate "little girl," Hu Lanfang was overjoyed and asked:
"What on earth happened to you three to end up looking like this?"
Gu Chaobei explained the situation about the guards at the city gate.
"It seems Prince Xia's reign has resumed normal operations. It's best we don't provoke them. We have enough to eat and drink, so we should stay put and be at peace here," Hu Lanfang said worriedly.
Gu Qingcheng tallied the coal, food, and drinks, deeming them sufficient.
They had scoured the city and nearby villages, and even plundered the grain reserves of wealthy households.
What remained was the grain from ordinary citizens' homes, and not much of it. A family might have thirty to forty jin of reserves, which was already alarming; normally, they would keep three to five jin and then find ways to earn money to buy more. Gathering these remaining supplies was both troublesome and meant leaving others with enough to survive.
As for other prefectures, Gu Qingcheng had consulted the map. The nearest, Danyang City, was over 200 li away and smaller than Jinsha City. If they were to raid it, they might find some gains.
But how would they travel 200 li? Transportation was a major problem.
Moreover, if Danyang City had also resumed normal operations, they might be caught and imprisoned upon being seen as suspicious outsiders.
Therefore, considering both transportation and time costs, they could no longer afford to search other cities.
However, in Jinsha City and its surroundings, they had been lucky enough to find a boat, which was a good development.
Gu Qingcheng unbuttoned her tunic and took out the orange cat from within.
The funniest part was that Kele, the orange cat, was sleeping soundly due to its injuries healing. Gu Qingcheng placed it on the quilt on the floor, and it didn't wake up. It even slept on its back, legs spread wide, truly trusting Gu Qingcheng unconditionally.
Wangcai kept circling around Qingcheng, as if sensing something was wrong, likely smelling the cat.
Dogs and cats truly were natural enemies. The moment Kele, the orange cat, was taken out of Gu Qingcheng's embrace and placed on the quilt, Wangcai pounced, intending to bite it.
Startled by Wangcai's lunge, Kele woke up and immediately agilely leaped onto the dining table. Wangcai, panting at the edge of the table, raised its paws to scratch it.
Kele was also quite fierce, unfazed by the danger. Seeing Wangcai peek its head over, it directly swiped a claw at its dog face.
Unexpectedly scratched, Wangcai suddenly became timid and looked back at Gu Qingcheng with a wronged expression.
Gu Qingcheng almost died laughing. She said:
"You big fellow, getting beaten by a little orange cat. Aren't you ashamed?"
"Will they fight all the time? What do we do?" Mi Guo asked worriedly.
Gu Qingcheng reprimanded them, "Wangcai, you and Kele are good friends from now on. No more fighting. If you fight again, I'll throw you both out."
Wangcai seemed a bit unconvinced, but the thought of enduring the cold outside was unbearable. It let out a low whimper and nuzzled Gu Qingcheng's hand affectionately with its dog head.
Gu Qingcheng then suddenly remembered the Great Strength Pill and quickly obtained one, popping it into Wangcai's mouth.
If one bowl of water is to be kept level, then as her beloved pets, they should receive the same treatment.
Wangcai hadn't figured out what was happening when, unexpectedly, a warm current flowed through its entire body.
Ah, it felt so comfortable! Previously, after being hit, its internal organs and bones were certainly not restored to their original state, and it still suffered from pain.
Now, after taking the Great Strength Pill, it felt comfortable all over, as if it had been reborn. Wangcai visibly became more energetic.
Gu Qingcheng happily went to hug it and said:
"See how well I treat you? You have to be good to Kele too. Kele, come and get to know Wangcai. You're now partners in crime."
Both the cat and the dog were stunned. Hey, wasn't it supposed to be 'cat and dog friends,' not 'partners in crime'?
Gu Chaobei and his wife were quite relieved to see their daughter mediating between the cat and the dog, with Mi Guo also helping to calm them down. At least the child had a smile on her face.
Under this extreme cold natural disaster, it was truly difficult to ensure the child's physical and mental well-being and happiness.
Under Gu Qingcheng's mediation, Kele and Wangcai reached a preliminary reconciliation. She forcibly brought their paws together and made them shake hands.
Having consumed the Great Strength Pills, Kele and Wangcai were at the peak of their feline and canine lives. The cat was free from its burns from the stove, and the dog's hidden injuries from being hit were all healed.
Under Gu Qingcheng's attentive mediation, they sniffed each other and finally showed signs of peaceful coexistence.
Gu Qingcheng took out wet wipes from the pet supplies section of the Mountain Cat Supermarket and, with Mi Guo's help, gave Kele and Wangcai a bath.
Wangcai was fine; wiping it down made it look even cleaner.
But Kele was different. After being wiped, its dusty fur revealed its beautiful calico stripes, and its eyes were a lovely, charming amber.
"Oh, I thought it was a little grey cat! It turns out it's a calico."
Hu Lanfang chuckled, not objecting to her daughter keeping pets. She herself liked fluffy little creatures.
"Extra mealtime. Kele gets goat milk, and Wangcai gets bones."
Gu Qingcheng made the arrangements.
This cat and dog were fortunate to have found the Gu family; they had fallen into a nest of fortune.
After eating and drinking their fill, when they slept, they nestled together. Kele burrowed into Wangcai's warm embrace, and Wangcai held Kele. Both were male, and at that moment, they looked like a picture of brotherly affection, which delighted the whole family.
These two fluffy little ones didn't need to do anything but be cute. No wonder people used to say that pets were like a piece of candy in life; even fluffy ones made you happy just by looking at them.
Gu Qingcheng spent her return time tending to them. After they fell asleep, she planned to get them vaccinated the next day, including the triple vaccine and rabies vaccine. They hadn't come into contact with other cats or dogs yet, but they would eventually when taken out, so it was best to get vaccinated early.
Mi Guo propped her chin in her hands and gazed at them sleeping adorably, her face full of doting affection. Pets truly could soothe the soul.