145: Making honeycomb briquettes

In the wilderness, Lu Fan and An Lan began their "great coal mining endeavor."

Holding their tools like two cautious treasure hunters, they gently pried open the coal seam, transporting basket after basket of shiny black coal to the side.

Da Hei had long since lost his initial fear, frolicking around and occasionally leaning in to sniff with his nose, looking as if to say, "What kind of treasure is this? I must study it carefully."

Big Horn grazed quietly not far away, occasionally lifting its head to look at the busy Lu Fan and An Lan, as if guarding this newly discovered "favorable site."

Unknowingly, the sun began to sink in the west, painting the horizon in a brilliant orange-red, as beautiful as an oil painting.

Lu Fan and An Lan looked at the mountain of coal; though their backs ached with exhaustion, their faces bloomed with smiles more radiant than the evening clouds.

"Today was incredible! Not only did we find a Coal Mine, but we also mined so much!" An Lan's cheeks were flushed with excitement, her voice rising an octave.

Lu Fan looked into the distance, his eyes shining. "This is only the beginning. In the future, we can use this coal to build amazing living facilities and make more practical tools. Maybe one day, we can even build a cozy little home of our own here!"

As he spoke, he stared at the Coal Mine before him, his eyes glowing and his hands rubbing together in excitement, looking exactly like a little money-grubber who had found a treasure.

"We need to hurry and transport these treasures back; our future good life depends entirely on them!"

No sooner said than done, Lu Fan quickly found some baskets and began loading the coal.

Every piece of coal was shiny black, as if silently proclaiming the earth-shaking changes they were about to bring to their wilderness life.

Big Horn seemed infected by the excited atmosphere too, taking the initiative to approach and steadily carrying two baskets of coal, looking as if to say, "Don't worry, leave it to me!"

"Big Horn, you're awesome! Such great spirit!"

Lu Fan patted Big Horn's neck, his face full of smiles.

Big Horn flicked its tail and let out a cheerful neigh, as if responding to its master's praise.

Lu Fan also shouldered two baskets of coal. Although the load was heavy and made his shoulders ache, his steps were as light as if he were walking on cotton, his heart filled with the joy of the harvest.

Along the way, Da Hei bounced ahead to scout the path, occasionally looking back with an anxious expression as if urging them, "Hurry up, I can't wait!"

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over them, sketching a scene full of hope, so beautiful one couldn't look away.

Back at the Shelter, Lu Fan didn't even stop to catch his breath before making another trip with Big Horn.

Before long, a small "coal mountain" was piled up next to the Shelter.

Looking at the pile of coal, Lu Fan felt wonderful, feeling like a tycoon guarding a mountain of gold and silver.

"It's time to see the power of this new coal!"

With great interest, Lu Fan picked a piece from the coal pile and tossed it into the roaring fire with a "whoosh."

In an instant, the flames shot up with a "thump," the temperature rising sharply and scorching his face as if it were being licked by fire.

"Wow, this firepower is way too intense!" Lu Fan shouted excitedly, his voice echoing in the air.

But after a while, a pungent smell wafted into his nose.

"Holy crap, this carbon monoxide smell is way too strong!"

Frowning, he quickly fanned the air, trying to drive away the unpleasant odor.

An Lan walked over covering her nose and said helplessly, "This smell won't do; we need to find a way to solve this quickly."

Lu Fan stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then his eyes lit up. "I've got it! We can wash the coal! By removing the impurities from the coal, the carbon monoxide emissions will definitely decrease."

With that, like an inventor about to start a major project, he bustled off to find coal-washing tools.

He first found a large basket, filled it with coal, and then called Da Hei to head toward the water.

At the riverside, he cautiously lowered the basket of coal into the water, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure.

"silly dog, come help me stir this!" Lu Fan shouted to the silly dog.

The silly dog ran over happily, stirring the water with its paws. Although it didn't understand what its master was doing at all, it was overjoyed just to be helpful.

With the silly dog's stirring, the water surface gradually became murky, and black impurities continuously fell off the coal and merged into the water.

"It seems this method really works!"

Looking at the changes in the bucket, Lu Fan's face beamed with a confident smile.

But washing coal wasn't that easy; after stirring for a while, Lu Fan found that some impurities were stubbornly attached to the coal and wouldn't come off.

"This won't do; I have to think of another way." He frowned, racking his brain for a solution.

Suddenly, he had an idea. "Wouldn't it work if I just smashed the coal?"

He quickly picked up a stone and smashed it against the coal, shouting as he did, "Eighty! Eighty!..."

He looked as if he were engaged in a fierce battle with the coal.

Under his efforts, the coal was smashed to pieces, and the impurities finally floated up obediently.

Looking at the clean coal, Lu Fan smiled with satisfaction. "This should be fine now!"

Then, he scooped out the coal to let it dry.

Once dried, the toxic substances in the coal would be greatly reduced, making it safer to use.

Looking at the already pulverized coal, Lu Fan raised an eyebrow. "I might as well just make it into Honeycomb Briquettes to save trouble."

No sooner said than done, Lu Fan crushed the washed coal, added an appropriate amount of clay as a binder, and then added a certain amount of water.

Then, like a chef, he began to stir it.

After mixing it evenly, he molded it into a cylindrical shape with his hands, and a simple Honeycomb Briquette body was born.

Da Hei approached curiously, his head turning back and forth following Lu Fan's movements.

Occasionally sniffing the black mixture with his nose, he looked as if he were studying some mysterious object.

An Lan was also helping on the side. The two worked in perfect harmony, and before long, they had shaped several Coal Ball prototypes.

"We have to make these Honeycomb Briquettes look nice; they'll be great helpers for our life later."

As Lu Fan spoke, he carefully used a piece of bamboo to poke neat little holes into the Coal Balls, his movements skilled and focused, as if he were completing a great work of art.

An Lan nodded with a smile. "Yeah, once these Honeycomb Briquettes are ready, we won't have to fear the cold in winter, and cooking or boiling water will be much more convenient."

Big Horn stood quietly not far away, occasionally flicking its tail to drive away insects, as if silently guarding this busy and warm scene.

As time passed, rows of neatly arranged Honeycomb Briquettes filled the drying area.

The sunlight spilled over them, reflecting a unique luster, as if telling the story of the fruits of their labor.