13: Building a blast furnace

Lu Fan picked up a wooden stick and walked leisurely to the beach to check the traps he had set.

Sure enough, the traps yielded a good harvest, with several plump fish flopping around inside.

Lu Fan carefully took out the fish, thinking to himself, "I have to make a grand seafood feast today to reward myself."

Back at the Shelter, Lu Fan began preparing dinner. He first washed the fish with clean water, then used a sharp stone knife to cut them open and remove the internal organs.

Next, Lu Fan took out the Bamboo Rat meat and sliced it into thin pieces.

He found some fresh leaves, placed the fish and Bamboo Rat meat on them, and sprinkled some Wild Green Onions and wild ginger he had gathered to add flavor.

Watching Lu Fan prepare dinner, the viewers in the livestream room flooded the chat with comments: "Wow, what kind of feast is Lu Fan making? I'm so excited!"

"Bamboo Rat meat and seafood—what a great combination! My mouth is watering."

Wang Tao also praised him, saying, "Look at Lu Fan's culinary skills. Today's feast is bound to be delicious!"

Zhao Hangjun analyzed, "Combining these ingredients provides rich nutrition, which will be very helpful for Lu Fan's physical recovery."

Lu Fan placed the prepared ingredients over the fire to roast, turning them from time to time to ensure they were heated evenly.

Soon, a fragrance wafted through the air, making one's mouth water.

He wrapped the roasted fish and Bamboo Rat meat in leaves; this not only maintained the temperature but also added a natural, fresh scent.

Once dinner was ready, Lu Fan sat in front of the Shelter, enjoying the fruits of his labor.

He took a bite of the grilled fish; the meat was tender and juicy. Paired with the rich flavor of the Bamboo Rat meat, it was simply a heavenly delicacy.

He sighed with satisfaction, "This meal is truly fantastic. The day's fatigue has completely vanished."

After eating, Lu Fan didn't stay idle; he decided to pass the time by weaving a Basket. He found some tough vines and began to weave them skillfully.

The viewers in the livestream room watched him weave the Basket and commented, "Lu Fan is truly amazing!"

"That Basket is so well-woven, I want to learn too."

Yu Rui also leaned toward the screen, admiring, "Lu Fan is truly versatile; he's great at everything he does."

While weaving the Basket, Lu Fan hummed a little tune, feeling exceptionally cheerful.

He thought to himself that there would be many uses for Baskets in the future. He became more and more proficient as he worked, and before long, he had finished an exquisite Basket.

Before he knew it, Lu Fan set the finished Basket aside, lay down on the soft leaves, and gazed at the starry sky, gradually drifting into a dreamland.

The viewers in the livestream room also said goodnight: "Goodnight, Lu Fan! Keep it up tomorrow!"

"Looking forward to your adventure tomorrow. Goodnight!"

Wang Tao, Zhao Hangjun, and Yu Rui also ended the broadcast, but their hearts were filled with expectations and blessings for Lu Fan, hoping he could continue to create more miracles in the wilderness.

The next day, just as the sun began to show its smiling face, Lu Fan climbed out of his bed of leaves.

He stretched, yawned, and muttered to himself, "A new day, a new beginning. Today I need to stay home to build my blast furnace and repair my equipment while I'm at it."

Lu Fan splashed some water on his face, then dipped his finger in charcoal powder to scrub his teeth, feeling much refreshed.

After a quick breakfast, Lu Fan went to a corner of the Shelter where the iron sand he had panned yesterday was piled.

Looking at the small pile of blackish iron sand, his eyes were full of anticipation: "This is precious stuff; I have to make good use of it."

After choosing a spot, Lu Fan began building a Smelting Furnace out of mud.

After mixing a large pile of thin mud, Lu Fan set to work, muttering as he built, "Building a blast furnace is a technical job. It has to be tall and large to smelt good iron."

Watching Lu Fan's busy figure, the viewers in the livestream room commented, "Lu Fan is preparing to smelt iron! That's incredible!"

"How is the blast furnace coming along? Is it sturdy?"

Wang Tao said excitedly, "Look at Lu Fan's craftsmanship. He'll definitely be able to smelt iron today!"

Zhao Hangjun analyzed seriously, "Smelting iron requires mastering the heat and timing. Lu Fan needs to be careful."

Yu Rui also leaned toward the screen, whispering, "Lu Fan, you must succeed. I've been following you all this time."

The viewers sent encouraging comments: "Go Lu Fan, we believe in you!"

"Hurry up and smelt the iron, we're all waiting to see!"

After nearly an hour of effort, Lu Fan successfully built a simple, miniature blast furnace that looked like a chimney.

Of course, it was a far cry from a real blast furnace, but it was sufficient for wilderness smelting.

Lu Fan looked at the mud blast furnace he had built and nodded with satisfaction.

Besides smelting iron, the blast furnace could later be used to fire pottery and so on, playing a very important role in improving Lu Fan's life.

The blast furnace needed to be dried after being built. Lu Fan found some dry firewood and carefully piled it around the furnace.

He lit the fire, and the flames cheerfully licked the outer walls of the blast furnace, as if giving it a sauna.

Watching Lu Fan's actions, the viewers in the livestream room commented, "Lu Fan is giving the blast furnace a beauty treatment, haha."

"If this furnace could talk, it would definitely be screaming 'It's so hot!'"

Wang Tao also joked, "Contestant Lu Fan's blast furnace looks quite professional."

Zhao Hangjun provided some scientific insight: "Drying the blast furnace is to prevent the moisture in the mud from suddenly evaporating during the high-temperature smelting process, which would cause the furnace to burst. This step is very important."

The viewers were also shocked: "So impressive, Contestant Lu Fan knows so much."

While the blast furnace was drying, Lu Fan set about making a simple Bellows.

He found several large leaves and tied them together with vines to make a simple fan blade.

Then he found a long bamboo tube and fixed the fan blade to one end. A simple Bellows was complete.

He took the Bellows and blew into the air intake of the blast furnace a few times; the fan blade spun, and air rushed into the furnace.

The viewers in the livestream room looked at Lu Fan's Bellows and commented, "This Bellows is way too crude. Can it actually work?"

"Lu Fan is using 'primitive technology' to smelt iron. That's so creative!"

Wang Tao also asked curiously, "Can Lu Fan's Bellows really do the job?"

Zhao Hangjun explained, "Don't underestimate this simple Bellows. It can increase the oxygen supply inside the blast furnace and improve combustion efficiency, thereby raising the temperature. This is one of the key steps in smelting iron."