Chapter 41: The Coming of Winter

Inside the wooden cabin, Chen Fan turned around with a smile on his face. "Cheng Dong, are you interested in joining me so we can survive together?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengdong’s face lit up with joy. This was exactly what he had been hoping for, and he nodded in agreement without a moment’s hesitation. "I am willing. Of course, I am willing."

"Do you know why I chose you?"

Li Chengdong lowered his head to ponder the meaning behind Chen Fan’s words. After a moment, he looked up with a serious expression. "When dealing with enemies, one must root them out completely."

"Mm, well said." Chen Fan patted him on the shoulder. "You can stay across the way with my brother, Xu Xinjie."

Li Chengdong’s eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. "Really?"

Chen Fan nodded and walked over to his workstation. He crafted a set of iron gear and a gleaming iron shield, handing them to Li Chengdong.

Looking at the equipment before him, a flash of astonishment crossed Li Chengdong’s eyes; he hadn't expected Chen Fan to be so generous. He made a silent vow to himself that he would follow Chen Fan loyally, become his most capable right-hand man, and share in the team’s successes and hardships. This decision would later bring him unexpected results.

Afterward, Chen Fan sent him down to the mine located in the house, as coal and iron ore remained vital resources. Especially coal; he had already planned to make a big move that night.

Immediately following this, Chen Fan set off once more toward the Great Plains with Yang Keli and Xu Xinjie. Reflecting on how Gu Feng’s gang had suddenly appeared to cause trouble earlier, Chen Fan thought that if not for them, he might have already coaxed quite a few animals into following him home. Time was pressing; they had to make the most of the few remaining hours to secure some gains on the plains and provide an extra layer of security for their survival.

As time slipped by, Chen Fan and his companions put in considerable effort, successfully coaxing a good number of animals back. The ranch now held nine sheep—including three lambs—nine cows, and five chickens. Chen Fan had originally considered crafting shears, but then he realized that winter was imminent. If the sheep lost their wool and froze to death, the whole day’s work would have been for nothing.

Subsequently, Chen Fan placed eight campfires throughout the ranch and sealed off the mine tunnels to ensure the space below maintained a stable temperature, allowing the animals to survive the winter safely. As he watched the warm glow of the campfires, Chen Fan calculated his next steps in his mind.

"It’s time to start selling campfires."

Winter was coming, and in this frigid season, the one thing everyone lacked most was heating equipment. These campfires not only provided warmth but, crucially, produced almost no smoke. They were perfectly suited for enclosed spaces like houses or tunnels. By leveraging this feature, he might be able to make a fortune...

Ahem, he could help everyone better withstand the bitter winter.

No sooner said than done, Chen Fan crafted 100 campfires in one go. It only consumed 100 pieces of coal, which was barely a dent in his half-crate supply. Furthermore, campfires were simple to make: four sticks, one piece of coal or charcoal, and any type of log were all that was required. He decided on a price of 150 gold coins each.

After listing them, Chen Fan joined the others in the house to prepare dinner. He hadn't dismantled the original wooden walls but had added a layer of cobblestone on the outside, which improved the overall structural integrity and reduced heat loss.

Outside, a heavy snowstorm raged, but inside, the group ate hot meals and chatted with laughter. Chen Fan picked up a piece of meat and chewed it. "It’s a pity we don't have any wine; otherwise, we could have a few drinks."

Rem, hearing this, smiled gently. "Master, are you craving wine?"

"That's right, do you have any?" Chen Fan asked, slightly puzzled.

"Of course!" Rem replied. She pulled two wine barrels from her inventory. As she opened the lids, the aroma of alcohol filled the air. "We brewed this from the berries we gathered earlier. The alcohol content isn't high, and the taste is a bit lacking, but it's fine for casual drinking."

The eyes of the three men lit up instantly. Chen Fan rubbed his hands together and picked up a barrel to pour it into a wooden bowl. "I didn't expect you to have this skill."

"It's nothing. It’s quite simple, really—much like making wine, only lacking sugar and yeast."

Chen Fan took a small sip, and his eyes brightened. "The taste isn't bad at all."

He immediately poured himself another bowl, making Xu Xinjie, who was watching from the side, itch with anticipation. "Brother Fan, don't just keep it all to yourself; give us a bowl too."

"Haha, alright! Tonight, we drink until we drop."

"Brother Fan, cheers."

Chen Fan raised his bowl. "Come on, everyone, let's have a toast. To survival, let's drink up!"

Everyone raised their bowls, shouting in unison, "Cheers! To survival!"

Two hours later, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they returned to their respective rooms. Outside, the temperature continued to plummet, but inside the house, the burning campfires kept the temperature steady at around 25 degrees. Chen Fan went to the basement to check on the animals. On this planet, these creatures had their own ways of retaining body heat, and with the campfires, there was no need to worry about them freezing. Several hay bales had been placed in the enclosure, and the animals were huddled together, keeping warm.

After adding a few more logs to the fire, Chen Fan returned to the ground floor. Looking at the heavy snow outside the window, he worried about whether Lin Haojie and the others could survive the winter.

"Brothers, where exactly are you?"

At that moment, two notifications for new friend requests chimed. Chen Fan ignored them; he had been receiving too many lately from people wanting lower prices or looking to trade for supplies. Just like when he had listed the campfires, a large number of survivors had sent requests.

Elsewhere, in a cramped cave, two men were sitting by a campfire for warmth. When they opened the trading platform to search for items, they saw a large number of campfires listed, all sold by Chen Fan. They exchanged looks, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

Lin Haojie immediately sent a friend request, hoping to confirm if it was his good brother Chen Fan. Before this, they had added several people with the same name, only to be swindled out of food and resources. When they asked questions, those people couldn't answer at all.

"Haojie, could this person be the Brother Fan we’re looking for?"

Jiang Dali slowly lowered his head, his voice fading into a whisper. "What if... what if he has already forgotten about us?"

"He hasn't," Lin Haojie said firmly. "He is the most loyal and righteous person I know; he wouldn't forget us. Perhaps he is looking for us too, but with the winter arriving, he has no way to head out. Maybe he's just busy right now. Let's keep sending friend requests."

He wasn't entirely certain, but a gut feeling told him that this might be the real Chen Fan.

"But..."

Lin Haojie quickly interrupted Jiang Dali. "No 'buts.' You have to trust Brother Fan. Back on Blue Star, when you were being beaten up by those thugs, Brother Fan didn't say a word—he went in alone to save you."