130: Making firecrackers

Lu Fan stopped what he was doing and looked at An Lan in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

An Lan directly took his hand and pressed him down onto the bamboo chair.

Seeing An Lan's serious expression, Lu Fan seemed a bit at a loss.

"W-what's wrong?"

Looking at Lu Fan's nervous state, An Lan's gaze softened, and she gently shook her head: "It's nothing important, I just wanted you to rest for a bit."

Seeing An Lan's gentle gaze, Lu Fan was suddenly at a loss for words.

"You're too tired. I've never seen you take a proper rest. Every day, as soon as you open your eyes, I see you busy with all sorts of things, exuding a sense of anxiety at all times, as if you can't wait to finish everything at once."

Hearing An Lan's words, Lu Fan couldn't help but speak up: "No, I just can't stay idle; I want to do a bit more."

"I know you're anxious. You must feel in your heart that if you don't do well, others will judge you and think you shouldn't have come here. But what I want to say is that you've already done very well. Don't put so much pressure on yourself." An Lan ignored Lu Fan's explanation.

Lu Fan's mouth hung open, but he didn't know what to say.

How could he refute her?

Everything she said was true. Ever since he was chosen as the representative of China, he had become less and less like himself, becoming increasingly anxious.

He was clearly just a loser who liked to slack off and brag, and he couldn't help but feel inferior whenever he saw those excellent people.

In his previous life, he had learned a few Wilderness Survival skills from a team, so he had become quite complacent.

But didn't he die in the end, leaving his parents to bury their child? What was there to be proud of?

Without the heavenly dao prompt sound, what would he even be?

There were plenty of geniuses in this world; why did he think he was the most impressive?

On one hand, he told himself he could do it, but on the other, he thought he was nothing—how was he the one chosen of all people?

So, he had also become lost.

People all over the world are watching. I can't slack off, I can't be weak. I'll try my best to do more, to trigger the ten thousand times rebate a few more times. If I rest, they'll surely scold me.

But, he was clearly just an ordinary person.

Seeing Lu Fan's state, An Lan couldn't help but touch his face: "Take a rest, okay?"

Lu Fan looked at An Lan and suddenly felt she was so wonderful. So good it felt unreal—strong, brave, understanding, able to withstand loneliness, and not anxious.

He really wanted to hug her... Lu Fan suddenly smiled, the first time he smiled so much he felt like crying: "Let's eat first!"

An Lan and Lu Fan made lunch. After finishing their meal, Lu Fan decided to take a break.

He brewed a cup of tea and quietly watched An Lan drying herbs.

Sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves, spilling over An Lan and outlining her soft silhouette, giving her a unique beauty of tranquility.

"An Lan, do you think our future days will always be like this?" Lu Fan took a light sip of tea, breaking the silence.

An Lan stopped what she was doing and looked up at Lu Fan, her eyes shimmering with a thoughtful light: "Who knows? But being able to have such a stable little world in this wilderness is already not easy."

Her tone carried a hint of emotion, as well as uncertainty about the future.

Lu Fan nodded thoughtfully, his gaze casting toward the continuous mountain range in the distance: "I always feel that we can't be limited to this place forever. Having Gunpowder is just an additional means—a means to protect ourselves."

His eyes shimmered with a visionary light, as if he could already see various possibilities for the future.

An Lan smiled and lowered her head again to organize the herbs: "You always have so many ideas. However, no matter what you want to do, I will support you. Just remember to stay safe no matter where you go."

Her voice was soft, yet filled with concern.

A warmth filled Lu Fan's heart. He put down his teacup, walked to An Lan's side, and squatted down to help her organize the herbs: "Don't worry, with you by my side, I'll definitely be careful."

In the livestream room.

"What's going on? Why is the conversation suddenly so flirtatious!"

"What happened? I just saw An Lan touch Lu Fan's face, and then the way he looked at her changed."

"I ship them so hard."

An Lan smiled and continued organizing the herbs, crushing them with a pestle.

Lu Fan asked curiously: "What are you planning to make?"

"Making Mosquito Coils. Haven't you noticed there are more and more mosquitoes lately?"

Lu Fan asked curiously: "How do you make them? Teach me."

An Lan smiled as she explained to him: "These are Mugwort, Mint, and Clove; they all have mosquito-repellent effects. First, mash them up..."

Then, An Lan mixed the crushed plant fragments with an appropriate amount of soil in a 3:1 ratio.

She slowly added water while stirring with a branch and other tools until the mixture reached a dough-like state, having a certain stickiness without being loose.

"Roll it into long strips and stick them onto the bamboo skewers." An Lan handed the mixture to Lu Fan.

Lu Fan immediately took it and used his hands to roll them into strips, sticking them onto the bamboo skewers.

Then, they placed them in a ventilated area to air dry.

After helping An Lan finish the Mosquito Coils, Lu Fan began tinkering with his Gunpowder. He decided to use the Bamboo Tubes to make some Firecrackers to test the effects.

He found several Bamboo Tubes of even thickness and suitable length, first rinsing the inside and outside with clean water and setting them aside to dry.

After finishing with the herbs, An Lan also came to Lu Fan's side. Watching him fiddle with the Bamboo Tubes, her eyes were full of curiosity: "How do you plan to make the Firecrackers?"

Lu Fan picked up a Bamboo Tube and explained enthusiastically: "I plan to pack the Gunpowder into the Bamboo Tube and then seal one end tightly with soil, leaving a small hole for the Fuse.

After igniting the Fuse, the expansion of the gas produced by the burning Gunpowder will make the Bamboo Tube explode. It's similar to the principle of a Firecracker."

No sooner said than done, Lu Fan carefully packed the dried Gunpowder granules into the Bamboo Tube.

With every bit he packed, he gave it a gentle shake to ensure the Gunpowder was packed more tightly. An Lan helped by handing him tools, her gaze full of trust and expectation.

After packing the Gunpowder, Lu Fan used the prepared soil to seal one end of the Bamboo Tube bit by bit, leaving only an extremely thin hole.

He picked up a simple Fuse made from a mixture of dried grass and Gunpowder and slowly inserted it into the small hole.

Then, he used soil to seal the area around the Fuse tightly, ensuring there would be no Gunpowder leakage.

"Alright, the first Firecracker is finished!" Lu Fan excitedly held up the Bamboo Tube, his face beaming with a proud smile.

An Lan looked at him, her eyes full of smiles: "It looks like the real deal, but won't it be dangerous when it explodes?"

Lu Fan looked at An Lan, his eyes filled with confidence: "Don't worry, I've calculated it all. As long as we test it in an open area, there won't be any problems."

To ensure safety, Lu Fan and An Lan went to an open grassland relatively far from the Shelter.