171: Brick making

An Lan slowly woke up. The afterglow of the setting sun gently dyed the entire world a warm orange, as if draping a dreamy veil over everything.

She blinked her eyes softly; the residual warmth of Lu Fan's jacket still lingered on her body.

Looking up, she saw Lu Fan's busy figure in front of the simple stove. The rising smoke and fire sketched a peaceful and beautiful picture.

"You're awake! Come quickly and taste my skills today. I guarantee it'll make your eyes light up!"

Lu Fan called out with a smile, a hint of pride on his face. That smile was like the warm spring sun, dispelling the loneliness of the wilderness.

Dinner was a simple seafood soup and a cold kelp salad.

The two sat together, eating while sharing the interesting things that happened today.

Laughter and conversation intertwined, echoing in this tranquil wilderness, filling the originally desolate place with the warmth of home.

After finishing dinner, the sky gradually darkened.

Lu Fan touched his greasy hair and said with a bitter smile, "I've been so busy these past few days my head is spinning. My hair is oily enough to stir-fry vegetables; I need to wash it."

An Lan covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents. "I'll help you wash it. I just happened to make some fresh honey locust liquid."

Lu Fan's eyes lit up instantly, but he still pretended to be calm and gave a light cough. "Cough... then I'll have to trouble you."

As he spoke, he nimbly lay down on the chair, looking like he was ready to enjoy himself to the fullest.

An Lan brought a basin of warm water and her homemade honey locust liquid. She gently lifted Lu Fan's hair and began to slowly rub and massage it.

"Wow, your hair is really a 'disaster zone'; it's all clumped together," An Lan said while increasing the strength of her hands.

Lu Fan closed his eyes and let out a comfortable hum. "Ouch, take it easy. You're about to twist my head right off."

"You're complaining that I'm using too much force? Look at your hair; it's practically a bird's nest." An Lan's words were sharp, but the movements of her hands unconsciously became much gentler.

Under An Lan's rubbing, black foam constantly emerged, and Lu Fan's hair gradually became clean and refreshed.

As An Lan washed, she didn't forget to tease him: "The oil washed off your hair could probably light a lamp."

"Hey, stop mocking me. Once we're back in the civilized world, the first thing I'll do is go to a barbershop and get fixed up properly."

Lu Fan responded with a smile, his eyes full of longing for the future.

After washing his hair, An Lan took out a razor, preparing to help Lu Fan trim his beard.

"You're the first person to ever help me shave. I'm giving my 'first time' to you," Lu Fan joked, a hint of smugness on his face.

"In that case, I'm quite honored," An Lan smiled, her movements becoming even more gentle for fear of hurting him.

Just then, Lu Fan suddenly asked, "An Lan, if this survival ordeal ends and we return to the real world, what do you want to do most?"

An Lan stopped her movements and thought for a moment, a trace of yearning appearing in her eyes.

"I want to open a Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic. You know, I've always been interested in TCM. During this time in the wilderness, I've used TCM knowledge to help us solve many small ailments. I want to spread the concepts and methods of TCM so more people can benefit."

Listening to her, Lu Fan's eyes were full of approval, and he nodded seriously. "That's a fantastic idea! I believe you can definitely do it. So, have you thought about where to open the clinic?"

"I want it to be in a quiet small town, preferably the kind of place full of the breath of life. Surrounded by flowers and plants, so people can feel the beauty of nature while they seek treatment."

An Lan became more excited as she spoke, as if that cozy TCM clinic was already right before her eyes.

"What about you? What do you want to do when you return to the real world?" An Lan asked back.

Lu Fan scratched his head and said a bit sheepishly, "I don't know what I want to do either. How about I go be your apprentice?"

An Lan couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this. "You? An apprentice? Can you even sit still?"

"Of course. I used to be able to lie in bed and play with my phone all day without moving."

"Fine, when the time comes, I'll let you be the 'Boss-Husband'."

"Boss-Husband? What kind of title is that?"

The two looked at each other and smiled, their laughter echoing in the night sky.

In that wilderness, the days were always long yet filled with surprises.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed. The bricks they had worked so hard to make were mostly dry and could finally be fired.

This was a major project, and both Lu Fan and An Lan took it very seriously.

Before firing, Lu Fan first went to the place where he discovered the Coal Mine to dig up a lot of coal to use as fuel for the bricks.

He worked with heavy grunts, sweat soaking his back. Every drop of sweat reflected his anticipation for the future.

"Bitterness first, sweetness later... If I'd known, I would've just let the monkey help me dig."

He muttered to himself as he dug, as if this coal was their hope for reaching the civilized world, carrying their yearning for a new life.

Everything was ready, and the brick firing officially began.

The first kiln held over 2,000 bricks. Lu Fan looked at the brick blanks piled up like a small mountain, feeling a bit apprehensive.

He carefully stacked the bricks neatly on both sides inside the kiln, leaving a passage in the middle for the fire source.

"This has to go smoothly, otherwise all our hard work will be for nothing," Lu Fan's voice carried a hint of nervousness.

An Lan cheered him on from the side, her gaze firm. "Don't worry, it will definitely work." Her encouraging words were like a warm spring breeze, soothing Lu Fan's uneasy heart.

As the flames roared to life, the temperature inside the kiln gradually rose.

Lu Fan was like a guard protecting a treasure, staring intently at the kiln, not even daring to blink, as if he would miss some important moment if he looked away for a second.

"The temperature must be controlled well. If it's too low, the bricks won't cook; if it's too high, they might turn into glass."

He spoke with great solemnity, looking like an experienced old craftsman who knew every detail of brick firing like the back of his hand.

An Lan laughed and teased from the side, "Don't be a jinx, just focus on firing your bricks." Her laughter added a bit of lightness to the tense atmosphere.

The first stage was low-temperature firing, mainly to dry out any residual moisture inside the bricks to prevent them from bursting.

Lu Fan constantly monitored the heat, occasionally adjusting the amount of coal added.

The second stage involved gradually raising the temperature to decompose the organic matter inside the bricks.

The third stage was high temperature, requiring the heat to be maintained for a long time to allow the bricks to solidify.

All that was left was to keep the fire from going out and the long wait.

The firing lasted for a full day.

During this day, Lu Fan barely rested. He was busy adding coal one moment and checking the temperature the next, his feet hardly touching the ground.

"I feel like I'm turning into a coal man. I'm black all over, and washing my hair was basically for nothing," he said to An Lan with a bitter smile, though his weary face held a trace of optimism.

An Lan looked at his comical appearance and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Your look right now would give anyone a fright."

The laughter relieved Lu Fan's fatigue, making this arduous time become interesting.