"Steam runs on coal, doesn't it?" Gu Qingcheng asked shrewdly.
"Yes," the system replied concisely.
While the mountain cat supermarket was well-stocked, it couldn't offer everything. Fuel, for instance, was not sold. The supermarket didn't carry gasoline, and solar panels alone weren't enough to power the yacht. Coal was also not available.
Fortunately, Gu Qingcheng had previously acquired a large quantity of coal from Prince Xia. If the yacht could be converted to a coal-powered vessel, her worries about propulsion would be solved.
"What do I need to prepare for the next upgrade?" Gu Qingcheng quickly inquired.
"Yacht upgrades are divided into primary, intermediate, advanced, and luxury levels. The host has completed the primary upgrade. The next stage is to upgrade to an intermediate yacht, requiring 10 tons of iron as raw material."
Gu Qingcheng was troubled. Why didn't it ask for 10 tons of coal?
Ten tons of iron, equivalent to 20,000 catties, was an outrageous amount. Where would she find so much iron?
"Host, this task must be completed, or the yacht cannot be upgraded."
After stating this, the golden finger system disappeared, no longer demanding a five-star review. It likely knew there was no hope of a five-star rating this time and left without even making a request.
However, as it departed, it did toss a yacht operation manual to Gu Qingcheng.
The moment Gu Qingcheng's finger touched the manual, it dissolved into shimmering stardust and integrated into her body. She immediately gained the ability to control the yacht without any prior learning.
With a thought, Gu Qingcheng became intimately familiar with every corner of the yacht.
This meant she would be able to detect any damage or anomalies in the yacht immediately. The operation manual was quite powerful.
Regardless, with this vessel, their chances of survival during the flood had significantly increased.
Having received a new mission and a new goal to strive for, Gu Qingcheng was no longer sleepy. She felt invigorated and immediately got up. She addressed her parents, who were engrossed in a game of Five-in-a-Row, enjoying their time together:
"Dad, Mom, we need to embark on a new mission."
"A new mission? What's going on?" Gu Chaobei and his wife were startled and quickly asked.
Gu Qingcheng proceeded to explain.
"Oh? So now we need a large amount of iron, but where can we find so much iron in these times? And we haven't heard of any iron ore nearby." Gu Chaobei mused, troubled.
"We'll have to go down the mountain and 'sweep' the buildings, collecting ironware from the common people, like iron pots and hammers. As long as it's iron, it'll recognize it, right?" Hu Lanfang suggested shrewdly.
"Yes, it recognizes any iron. It seems that's the only way," Gu Qingcheng nodded.
Although Hu Lanfang was worried and reluctant to go down the mountain, she knew this was a necessary preparation to face the next great natural disaster. Having experienced the harshness of the extreme cold disaster, she had to take the next one seriously.
"We'll go together tomorrow," Hu Lanfang resolved.
Gu Chaobei looked at his wife's determined face and knew her decision was final. He could only agree.
Thus, they decided to go down the mountain together the next day to collect iron. Mi Guo would stay on the mountain with Wang Cai and Ke Le, to guard the house. Mi Guo was still recovering, so he didn't insist on going down the mountain.
Thinking that Mi Guo might not be able to access her stored supplies, Gu Qingcheng left two bags of rice, ten pieces of cured meat, two large cabbages, a few tomatoes, two boxes of fresh fruit, and some snacks like potato chips in the house. They would descend the mountain early and return in the evening, but in case they were delayed outside and Mi Guo had nothing to eat on the mountain, he would starve. Therefore, the supplies Gu Qingcheng left were enough for him to last ten days to half a month. Wang Cai and Ke Le also had enough dog and cat food respectively. Gu Chaobei also took the opportunity to get rabies vaccinations for Ke Le and Wang Cai, and Ke Le received an additional trivalent vaccine to prevent feline distemper and rhinotracheitis. Mi Guo assured everyone that he would guard the house well.
The next morning, Gu Qingcheng woke up to a furry presence nuzzling her. When she opened her eyes, she saw it was Wang Cai.
Seeing her awake, the dog placed its paws on the ground, making "thump-thump" sounds. Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but laugh, realizing the dog's food bowl was empty. It was there to demand food! Looking at the dog's pitiful, wronged expression, Gu Qingcheng found it adorable. Animals with long fur were so warm. She quickly got up and refilled Wang Cai's food bowl. Ke Le was still sleeping, so she filled the cat's food bowl as well. Then, she went outside and placed a 50-pound block of meat under the low eaves. In the cold weather, the outside served as a natural freezer, freezing the meat solid. If Mi Guo needed it, he could take it out and thaw it.
Gu Chaobei and his wife also woke up one after another.
After the three of them had breakfast and everything was prepared, they dressed warmly and got ready to descend the mountain. Mi Guo lowered the rope ladder, and the three of them descended.
It took about 20 minutes to carefully reach the bottom of the slope. All three expertly put on their skis and sped down the mountain. By this time, the snow had been falling for several days, especially at night, sometimes turning into blizzards. The snowflakes gradually accumulated, covering some low-lying rooftops and transforming them into ski slopes. Gu Qingcheng's skiing speed had increased considerably. As she glided along the path, she sometimes felt like she was skiing over the roofs of former houses. Hu Lanfang's skiing skills had not diminished either. Although this was her first time skiing here, her skills, honed at professional ski resorts through paid lessons, were still sharp. She followed closely behind her daughter and husband.
Upon reaching the town, the three of them promptly stored their skis in the storage cabinet. They put on their thick cotton coats and hats, prepared for the cold, and cautiously decided to avoid the east gate of Prince Xia's manor and start their search from the west gate.
They hadn't anticipated that shortly after they left their old residence, two carriages would slowly approach the foot of Cliff Mountain. Two figures, bundled up like cotton balls, emerged from the lead carriage. They pulled aside their scarves and looked at the icy steps that had frozen into solid icicles. One of them said, "Boss Zhang, it seems the steps are frozen and difficult to climb!"
Boss Zhang nodded and replied, "Yes, it is. I wonder how Doctor Gu is doing now? Alas, if they didn't make it through the first night, it would be hard to say. They did have underfloor heating installed, so I think their family had a high chance of survival."
"With so many frostbite victims in the city, if he's alright, Prince Xia will surely need him," the other replied, identified as Steward Zheng. It was precisely because they were concerned about Gu Chaobei's medical skills that they had made this journey.
"Men, try to see if you can climb up!" Steward Zheng ordered several strong servants to attempt climbing the steps.
As a result, without exception, they were unable to climb. The icicles were too solid and slippery. After climbing only a few meters, they would slide back down. Steward Zheng saw that his subordinates had suffered minor injuries. He then said, "Forget it. We'll come back to check if the snow melts later."
Thus, the two carriages departed.