164: Making bricks

After a brief rest, they shook off their fatigue and threw themselves back into the intense mining work once more.

Big Horn and Da Hei also seemed to have adapted to this busy rhythm; no longer as frolicsome as they were in the early morning, they cooperated with Lu Fan and An Lan with perfect understanding.

Trip after trip, they steadily carried the clay, working hard without complaint.

During the mining process, Lu Fan gradually discovered some patterns.

The clay from different locations had subtle differences in color and texture.

In some places, the clay was deeper in color and stickier, while in others, it felt slightly grainy.

He excitedly shared these discoveries with An Lan, and the two began to discuss enthusiastically, speculating on how these differences would affect the brick-firing process.

From time to time, they gestured on the ground, sketching out what the future bricks would look like.

Unknowingly, the sun gradually dipped toward the west, and the horizon looked as if nature had overturned its palette; orange-red clouds spread out wantonly, like a magnificent oil painting pushed to the extreme.

Lu Fan and An Lan looked at the mountain of clay, their hearts filled to the brim with a sense of achievement.

Even though today's work left them exhausted, the thought of being one step closer to their dream house instantly turned that exhaustion into sweet anticipation.

“Let's call it a day for now. Tomorrow, we'll keep at it and do some big work!”

Lu Fan's voice carried a hint of weary raspiness, but it was filled even more with infinite longing for the future.

An Lan nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling. “Alright! Today's harvest was a wonderful surprise. I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow!”

They took Big Horn and Da Hei and returned home fully laden.

Along the way, Da Hei ran about joyfully, occasionally looking back at Big Horn, who was steadily plodding along with the clay, as if showing off and feeling proud of today's results.

Big Horn took steady and powerful strides, carrying the heavy 'hope' as he walked toward the Shelter, one footprint at a time.

Back at the Shelter, Lu Fan and An Lan didn't even stop to rest before they began carefully organizing the clay mined that day, sorting and storing it by color and texture as if they were preserving precious treasures.

Afterward, they sat on the ground and began discussing tomorrow's work plan again.

“Tomorrow, let's try making some simple molds to see what kind of bricks we can make with this clay.” Lu Fan's eyes shone with light, full of expectation.

An Lan smiled and agreed. “Good idea! I think we should make some square and rectangular molds first; they're practical and easy to handle.”

As the two discussed heatedly, they carefully drew sketches of the molds on the ground.

Da Hei leaned in, tilting his head curiously and occasionally reaching out a paw to scratch at the sketches, as if he also wanted to participate in this 'grand house-building plan'.

Big Horn stood quietly to the side, occasionally letting out a low cry as if cheering them on.

Late at night, the Shelter gradually grew quiet as Lu Fan and An Lan lay on their simple beds.

Though their bodies were exhausted, the thought of tomorrow's plan made their hearts race with excitement, and they soon drifted into dreams accompanied by beautiful visions of the future.

Early the next morning, sunlight playfully filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting patches of mottled light and shadow on the floor of the Shelter.

However, Lu Fan and An Lan were still immersed in their dreams; the labor of mining clay yesterday had made them sleep exceptionally soundly.

It wasn't until the sun was hanging high in the sky that Lu Fan groggily opened his eyes and gave a great stretch, his joints making 'crack-crack' sounds.

He muttered to himself, “I slept so deeply. I feel like my bones are still aching.”

He turned to look at An Lan beside him and saw that she was still asleep, her face carrying a hint of weariness.

“An Lan, time to get up! The sun is already shining on your backside!” Lu Fan reached out and gently nudged An Lan, his voice carrying a bit of a smile.

An Lan sat up with sleepy eyes, rubbing them and yawning as she said, “Oh, I really didn't expect digging clay to be so exhausting. It feels more physically demanding than any difficulty we've faced before.”

The two rose slowly, and after a simple wash and tidy-up, they began preparing breakfast.

They cut the tender bear meat into small pieces and put them into a pot, cooking a steaming, fragrant pot of bear meat soup.

As the soup in the pot began to boil, the rich aroma instantly wafted out, immediately awakening their dormant appetites.

“Mmm, this smells delicious. I have to drink a few more bowls today to replenish my energy.”

As Lu Fan spoke, he ladled out a bowl and carefully handed it to An Lan, his eyes full of tenderness.

After finishing breakfast, Lu Fan was full of energy, as if he had been fully recharged. He said loudly, “Today we officially start making bricks. Once the bricks are done, we'll be one step closer to our warm, big house!”

An Lan smiled and nodded in agreement. “Alright, let's get to work then! Our dream home is about to be built bit by bit!”

Lu Fan first called Big Horn and Da Hei over, gently patted their heads, and led them to pull the clay mined yesterday to the edge of the clear water.

The clay piled on the ground looked like a towering little black hill, emitting the unique, rustic scent of earth, as if expressing its anticipation of being transformed into sturdy bricks.

Lu Fan began to mix the clay with water. His focused expression was like that of a top chef making a gourmet cake, as he carefully controlled the ratio of water to clay.

He first slowly poured some water into the clay, then picked up a thick wooden stick and used all his strength to stir it.

As he continued stirring, the originally dry and hard clay gradually became moist and soft, looking very much like a large mass of elastic black dough.

“Hey, feels about right. This texture is just like the mud I played with as a kid, but this is the treasure we'll use to build our house.”

Lu Fan said to An Lan with a smile, his eyes flashing with childlike excitement.

Next was making the molds.

Lu Fan found some wood of just the right thickness and, like an experienced professional carpenter, rolled up his sleeves and began hammering away with a clatter.

He first briskly cut the wood to the appropriate lengths, then used tough vines to bind them tightly together.

Before long, a neat rectangular mold was completed.

“An Lan, what do you think of my craftsmanship? This mold might be a bit crude, but it'll definitely be very useful.”

Lu Fan proudly displayed his work, his face brimming with a proud smile.

An Lan laughed and said, “Not bad, not bad! It looks the part; I can tell you put your heart into it! With this, our bricks will definitely be nice and tidy.”

Lu Fan carefully filled the mold with the mixed clay, pressing down hard with both hands to ensure every corner was packed tightly.

Then, he gently lifted the mold and placed the finished clay brick on the open ground nearby, his movements as soft as if he were placing a precious piece of art.

“Hahaha, the first brick of the wilderness is born! If this gets fired, it'll definitely be incredibly sturdy.”

Lu Fan looked excitedly at his masterpiece, his eyes full of beautiful imaginings for their future house.

Da Hei leaned in curiously and gave the freshly made clay brick a vigorous sniff.

Then he stuck out his tongue and gave it a lick, resulting in a mouth full of clay. He looked hilarious, just like a mischievous little rascal.