162: Zhang's idea of ​​mining clay

Back at the Shelter, Lu Fan carefully carried Little Monkey to the fire, finding a comfortable and safe spot for it to sit.

Little Monkey looked like it hadn't yet recovered from the narrow escape earlier.

It sat there obediently, eyes staring blankly at the dancing flames, shivering from time to time.

The Monkey King's reaction was much more interesting; it was both afraid and curious about the fire, looking like both a curious baby and a coward.

It had once seen a mountain fire's terrifying scene, where it destroyed everything in its path with unstoppable force.

Wherever the raging fire went, trees crackled as they burned and animals fled in all directions; that scene was still etched in its mind, making its heart tremble whenever it thought of it.

But it also knew that fire could make food more delicious; every time it saw Lu Fan and An Lan roast fragrant food with fire, it would crave it intensely.

Right now, it stood at a distance, craning its neck and staring at the fire without blinking.

Every now and then it would lean in a bit, then quickly retreat, looking exactly like a sneaky thief testing the waters, making one unable to suppress a laugh.

"I say, Monkey King, stop being so conflicted; as long as you don't mess with this fire, it won't hurt you."

Lu Fan said to the Monkey King with a smile, as if it could understand him.

As the flames toasted it, Little Monkey's fur gradually became fluffy and dry, and its originally soaking fur turned golden and bright, like it was draped in a layer of golden silk.

Little Monkey also gradually regained its vitality, hopping around by the fire and occasionally poking small twigs on the ground with its claws, as if playing a game with the flames.

Once Little Monkey was completely dry, Lu Fan finally remembered something important.

He stood up and walked toward An Lan, who was organizing supplies, his face filled with uncontrollable excitement.

"An Lan, let me tell you a huge surprise!" Lu Fan's voice was full of joy, like an explorer who had discovered a new continent.

An Lan turned her head and looked at him curiously: "What surprise? Look at how happy you are."

"I found Clay! Not far from our Shelter."

Lu Fan said excitedly, gesturing wildly as he spoke, "Do you know what this means? We can use it to fire bricks and build a house!"

An Lan's eyes lit up, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on her face: "Really? That's wonderful! But..."

Her brow furrowed slightly, "Mining and firing aren't easy tasks."

"It's fine, there are always more solutions than problems."

Lu Fan said with full confidence, "I've already thought it through; we'll bring some back first. This Clay is so sticky, the bricks we fire will definitely be very sturdy."

"But, will mining Clay be dangerous?"

An Lan was still a bit worried; after all, in the wild, any small matter could lead to big trouble.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Lu Fan patted his chest, "We just need to be careful. Plus, once we have a brick house, we won't have to fear big guys like that Brown Bear anymore. A bamboo Shelter will collapse with one hit from a powerful creature, but a brick house is much sturdier."

"Alright, then let's plan it out first."

An Lan said with a smile, "Let's first think about what tools we need, how to mine it, and the firing methods."

So, Lu Fan and An Lan sat by the fire and began to discuss seriously.

As they discussed, they drew sketches on the ground, planning what the future house would look like.

In the livestream room.

"Oh, so that stuff was Clay, no wonder Great God Lu Fan was so happy."

"With Clay, can they build a big villa?"

"Won't regular soil work? When I was a kid, I often peed to make mud to build houses."

Seeing this barrage comment, Zhao Hangjun also began to popularize knowledge: "Clay is mainly composed of Clay minerals. These mineral particles are very fine and have unique crystal structures; things like Kaolinite, Montmorillonite, and Illite are all common Clay minerals."

Clay has excellent stickiness and plasticity. When an appropriate amount of water is added, it can easily be molded into various shapes and maintain a stable shape after forming."

During the discussion with An Lan, Lu Fan would occasionally interact with the Monkey King and Little Monkey, as if they were also important members of this house-building plan.

"We can build the house with two rooms, one floor for living and another room for storage."

Lu Fan said excitedly, his eyes shining with the light of longing.

"That will require quite a few bricks; the workload for mining and firing won't be small," An Lan reminded him.

"It's fine, we'll take it slow."

Lu Fan was full of confidence, "And, maybe we can even get the Monkey King and its little companions to help."

The Monkey King seemed to understand its name, jumping and hopping while waving its claws, as if saying: 'I can definitely help!'

After finishing the discussion on the building plan, the sky had grown dark.

The night was like a giant piece of black silk, gently but undeniably covering the entire world.

Inside the Shelter, the light from the fire flickered and swayed, reflecting on the faces of Lu Fan, An Lan, the Monkey King, and Little Monkey.

The raging flames not only drove away the night's chill but also added a touch of warmth to this simple Shelter.

"After being busy all day, my stomach has been growling for a while; today we must reward everyone properly."

As Lu Fan spoke, he took out a large piece of Bear Meat from the food storage area.

This Bear Meat was a precious ingredient he had harvested after defeating the Brown Bear, and it had been properly preserved.

Lu Fan skillfully placed the Bear Meat over the fire; as the fat met the heat, it made a cheerful 'sizzling' sound, and the aroma instantly filled the air, drifting into everyone's nostrils.

The Monkey King had been curiously observing the flames by the fire, but as soon as this scent wafted over, it was immediately attracted.

Its nose twitched incessantly, and its eyes stared fixedly at the piece of Bear Meat sizzling and dripping oil over the flames, its drool almost flowing out; it looked exactly like a gluttonous child.

Little Monkey's appetite was also awakened by this enticing aroma, and it hopped over to Lu Fan's side.

It gently grabbed Lu Fan's pant leg with its small claws, looking up at him expectantly while making 'squeaking' sounds, as if saying: 'I want to eat too, I want to eat too.'

"Don't worry, don't worry, everyone gets a share," Lu Fan said with a smile.

Before long, the Bear Meat was roasted to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, its surface gleaming with an enticing golden luster.

Lu Fan cut the Bear Meat into small pieces, first handing a piece to An Lan, then dividing the rest between the Monkey King and Little Monkey.

The Monkey King took the meat, and not fearing the heat, stuffed it directly into its mouth, devouring it ravenously.

As it ate, it made satisfied 'squeaking' sounds and kept waving its claws, as if expressing its love for this delicacy.

After finishing one piece, it still wanted more, looking at Lu Fan expectantly again with an expression that seemed to say: 'It's too delicious, I want another piece.'