177: Chapter 176 Construction in Progress

They gathered around Lu Fan from all directions, their faces filled with expectation, eagerly hoping to be assigned new tasks.

They surrounded him in an orderly fashion, their eyes wide and round like stars twinkling in the night sky, watching Lu Fan's every move with rapt attention, for fear of missing any crucial step.

The Monkey King was not to be outdone; with his agile movements, he jumped directly next to Lu Fan and squatted there steadily, tilting his head and concentrating fully on every detail.

That serious expression made it look as if what was happening before him wasn't simple bricklaying, but the study of some profound and mysterious branch of knowledge.

"Watch closely, this circuit board... bah, this floor, it must be level."

Before laying the walls, in order to create a solid and level ground, Lu Fan first spread a uniform layer of cement over the foundation, which served as a sturdy lining for the house.

This step required immense patience and care. Lu Fan's every movement was fluid and skilled; he knew that only by laying a sufficiently solid foundation could the subsequent work proceed smoothly.

Lu Fan intended to save the remaining cement for building the walls, making the best use of everything and wasting not a single bit.

After roughly spreading it out, Lu Fan picked up the iron shovel. At this moment, the shovel was like a professional trowel in his hand; he skillfully used the power of his wrist to smooth out the cement surface bit by bit.

The shovel made a subtle, rhythmic scraping sound as it touched the cement. The monkeys listened with great interest, and some even unconsciously imitated Lu Fan's movements, gesturing with their small hands in the air.

The entire scene was filled with warmth and harmony, as if everyone was not performing heavy construction work, but participating in a fun group activity.

After finishing the floor, Lu Fan began to build the walls. He stood by the foundation with a brick in his hand and made an announcement to the Monkey troop.

"Monkeys, we're going to build a 5x6 rectangular house. The walls will be about two meters high, and we need to partition a room in the middle. Although it looks simple, every step must be treated with care!"

The monkeys let out "squeaks" of half-understanding, but from the excitement in their eyes, it was clear they couldn't wait to continue helping.

The Monkey King jumped up and down nearby, constantly cheering on his companions as if saying, "Everyone, put in some effort, let's finish this big project together!"

The wall-building officially began. Lu Fan picked up a brick, applied cement evenly to one side, and then placed it steadily onto the floor. The placement of every brick was precise to the millimeter, ensuring they were perfectly horizontal and vertical.

As he worked, he muttered, "Building a wall is like playing with building blocks; you have to stack them up steadily one by one. If it's even slightly crooked, the whole wall won't be sturdy!"

The monkeys had a clear division of labor: some were responsible for mixing the cement, and others for passing bricks to Lu Fan.

The monkeys in charge of mixing cement gathered around a large basin of cement, imitating Lu Fan's previous actions by stirring vigorously with wooden sticks.

One Little Monkey used too much force and got splashed with cement, instantly turning into a "cement monkey." Its ridiculous appearance made the other monkeys burst into laughter.

But it didn't mind at all, shaking its body and continuing to stir with great enthusiasm.

The monkeys passing bricks didn't have it easy either; they lined up and passed the bricks to Lu Fan one by one.

The Monkey King personally took the lead, waddling over to Lu Fan's side while clutching a brick and handing it to him, his serious and responsible manner resembling that of a dutiful little foreman.

As time passed, the walls gradually grew taller.

Every time Lu Fan finished a layer of bricks, he would use a long wooden stick to check the verticality of the wall, ensuring there was no deviation.

He also checked with his eyes from time to time to ensure that every layer of bricks was level.

At noon, the sunlight became exceptionally strong, and everyone was a bit tired.

Lu Fan decided to take a break.

An Lan had already prepared food; she took out some fruit and Nuts to distribute to the monkeys.

The monkeys happily accepted the food and sat to the side, eating with great relish.

Some monkeys even tucked fruit into their bosoms, planning to save it for later.

After eating and resting for a while, everyone returned to work.

As the walls got higher, passing bricks became somewhat difficult.

The monkeys came up with an idea: they used bricks to build a set of stairs.

Several monkeys stood on the stairs, passing bricks to companions standing higher up, who then passed them to Lu Fan.

Although this method was a bit crude, it was very effective and greatly improved work efficiency.

When building the partition wall in the middle, Lu Fan needed to be even more careful, because this wall not only had to bear its own weight but also serve the purpose of dividing the rooms.

He carefully measured the dimensions to ensure the partition wall's position was accurate.

The monkeys also felt the tension in the air; each one held their breath and cooperated seriously with Lu Fan's work.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the sun was about to set.

After a full day of effort, the walls were finally successfully built.

Looking at the two walls that had begun to take shape before them, the monkeys cheered with excitement.

They hopped and skipped around the walls, and some even climbed trees to "squeak" loudly at the setting sun, as if announcing their achievement to the whole world.

Lu Fan stood by the wall, his face beaming with a gratified smile.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, let out a long breath, and said, "It's finally built. Everyone worked hard today!"

An Lan also walked over, and looking at the two walls, she couldn't help but praise, "You're really something, managing to build these walls with this troop of monkeys."

The Monkey King ran to Lu Fan's side and pulled at his hand, "squeaking" as if claiming credit and asking for a reward.

Lu Fan smiled and patted its head, saying, "You were a great hero today. Tomorrow we'll keep up the good work and make the house even more beautiful!"

Although everyone's backs and legs ached from the exhaustion, no one felt truly weary.

The monkeys gathered around Lu Fan, listening to him describe the work plan for tomorrow.

Lu Fan pointed at the walls, explaining in detail the next steps for installing doors and windows and building the roof.

The monkeys listened with rapt attention, letting out occasional "squeaks" as if asking questions or expressing their opinions.

The sky gradually darkened, and Lu Fan and An Lan lit a bonfire to prepare dinner.

The monkeys also sat around the bonfire, their eyes fixed on the ingredients in Lu Fan's hands, looking forward to a delicious dinner.

Tonight, they were going to properly celebrate the day's results and recharge their energy for tomorrow's work.

After dinner, the monkeys returned to their own territories one after another to rest.

Lu Fan and An Lan lay in bed, reflecting on the bits and pieces of the day.

Although the process was full of hardships and laughter, seeing the house gradually take shape gave them a sense of immense satisfaction.

In this wilderness, they and the monkeys had created a miracle together, and this miracle was still being written...