96: Discovering the spring

After clearing that piece of land, Lu Fan and An Lan heard the Wilderness Survival announcement. In an instant, they could not hide the surprise in their eyes and shared a smile, one filled with longing and hope for the future.

Hundreds of kilometers away, Ling Yue's face was flushed with excitement, and his voice trembled slightly: "Good job, good job!"

He was so excited that he spoke incoherently, simply repeating: "Everyone has food to eat, everyone has food to eat, hahahaha..."

That hearty laughter seemed to penetrate the screen, conveying boundless joy.

Back at the Shelter, Lu Fan and An Lan were as exhausted as two piles of soft mud, collapsing directly onto the bamboo chairs, panting heavily, not wanting to move even a single finger.

After a long while, Lu Fan spoke weakly: "An Lan, I'm really exhausted today. How about we massage each other's shoulders and legs to relax?"

As he spoke, he looked at An Lan with expectant eyes.

An Lan rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve up as she smiled and said, "Fine, since you performed quite well today."

So, Lu Fan massaged An Lan's shoulders first. Just as his hands touched her shoulders, An Lan couldn't help but let out an "Ouch": "Gently, gently! Are you trying to crush my shoulders?"

Lu Fan laughed awkwardly and scratched his head: "Sorry, I didn't control my strength well."

As he spoke, he carefully lightened his touch, massaging An Lan's shoulders bit by bit while mumbling: "An Lan, you know? There are many acupoints on the shoulders, like the Jianjing and Tianzong points. Massaging them often is good for the body, it can relieve fatigue and even prevent cervical spondylosis."

An Lan couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Oh, when did you become a health master?" She laughed until her eyes squinted into slits, full of teasing.

Lu Fan chuckled and scratched his head: "Haha, you forgot I used to do massages."

Then it was An Lan's turn to massage Lu Fan's legs.

Although her small fists didn't have much strength, when they landed on Lu Fan's legs, they brought a unique sense of comfort.

Actually, with Lu Fan's current constitution, he could recover almost completely after resting for a while, but who could refuse the attentive service of a beautiful woman?

Lu Fan squinted his eyes comfortably, pretending to enjoy it immensely, while constantly muttering: "Ah, so comfortable. An Lan, with your skills, you could open a massage parlor; business would definitely be booming."

An Lan said crossly, "Stop being so glib. If you keep it up, I'll start punching harder."

In the livestream room.

"Ahhh, what kind of divine scene is this? I'm going to die from the sweetness!"

"Lu Fan and An Lan are such a good match; this romantic chemistry is practically overflowing from the screen."

"I declare Lu Fan and An Lan as my favorite CP, and I won't accept any counter-arguments!"

"Stop shouting, those in front! I'm taking screenshots; I need to save this sweetness to savor it slowly."

Meanwhile, Lu Fan and An Lan were completely immersed in their interaction, knowing nothing of the excitement in the livestream room.

Looking at An Lan's serious expression as she massaged his legs, a warm current suddenly surged through Lu Fan's heart. He said softly, "An Lan, thanks to you today, otherwise I really couldn't have handled that land alone." His voice was light but filled with sincerity.

An Lan looked up at him, a hint of shyness in her eyes: "Stop being so glib. Didn't I finish it with your help too?"

The two of them chatted back and forth like this. Unknowingly, their fatigue gradually dissipated, and the romantic atmosphere grew thicker, as if only the two of them remained in the entire world.

"I'll cook first, you take a break," Lu Fan spoke somewhat awkwardly, breaking the sweet silence.

"I'll help you," An Lan responded with a smile. She didn't let Lu Fan work alone but went to his side to help wash and chop vegetables. The two of them coordinated with perfect tacit understanding.

In the afternoon, Lu Fan let An Lan rest properly in the Shelter while he shouldered his hoe, humming an out-of-tune little ditty, and went to level the land like a cheerful old man.

Even though clearing that land in the morning had exhausted him, the thought of being able to grow various grains and vegetables on this plot in the future filled Lu Fan with drive. It was as if he had been injected with adrenaline; his footsteps were much lighter.

Once at the field, Lu Fan set to work with gusto. As he hoed the ground, he calculated in his mind: "I'll plant some Taro first; the yield is high and it's filling. Then some green vegetables for vitamins. Oh, and I have to plant some corn; the taste of roasted corn, tsk tsk... too bad I don't have seeds right now."

He was so lost in thought that he almost started drooling.

Just then, he suddenly felt his hoe hit something hard. A "clank" vibrated through his hands, making them go numb.

"Damn it, again?"

Lu Fan grumbled, bending down to clear away the soil with his hands.

A round stone was revealed. He pulled hard, and while the stone came out, a stream of clear water immediately surged from underground.

Although the stream was only as thick as a finger, the flow rate was very impressive.

[Discovered Small Groundwater]

"Groundwater?" Lu Fan's eyes widened, looking completely dazed as if he couldn't believe his own eyes.

He quickly dug a few more times, expanding the outlet to the size of a basin, and the spring water was continuously gushing out.

"No wonder the soil here is so moist; turns out there's groundwater."

He quickly scooped up a handful of spring water and drank it. It was sweet and delicious, with a hint of coolness that instantly dispelled the fatigue from his body.

"Haha, we've hit the jackpot now!"

Lu Fan jumped up in excitement and sprinted toward the Shelter, shouting as he ran: "An Lan, An Lan, come out quickly! I've made a huge discovery!" His voice echoed in the air, full of joy.

An Lan was resting in the Shelter. Hearing Lu Fan's shouts, she thought something had happened and ran out hurriedly. "What's wrong? What's wrong? Why the panic?" she asked anxiously.

Lu Fan ran up to An Lan, panting, grabbed her hand, and said excitedly: "An Lan, I dug up groundwater! It's right next to our field. The spring water is so sweet and the flow is fast. We won't have to run several kilometers to that Small Pond to get water anymore!"

"Really?" An Lan looked at him half-doubtingly, her eyes full of confusion.

"Of course it's true, would I lie to you? Come, I'll take you to see it." Saying this, Lu Fan pulled An Lan and ran toward the field, their figures appearing exceptionally cheerful in the sunlight.

At the spring, An Lan saw the clear water and couldn't help but cheer: "This is great! This solves a huge problem."

After the two of them had been excited for a while, Lu Fan finally regained his composure.

He thought for a moment and said, "No, we need to put this spring to use right away. I'll dig a Reservoir here first to store the water. In the future, watering the fields, cooking, and washing clothes will all be convenient; we won't have to go so far."

As he spoke, he gestured the size of the Reservoir.

No sooner said than done; Lu Fan picked up the hoe and began digging the Reservoir next to the spring.

He muttered to himself as he dug: "This Reservoir needs to be dug deep, otherwise it won't hold much water. As for the width, it should be enough for about two people to stand inside." He looked as serious as a focused craftsman.

An Lan wasn't idle either, helping Lu Fan move the dug-up soil to one side.

Looking at Lu Fan's sweat-drenched face, she couldn't help but smile and say: "You really are a model worker today. Clearing land in the morning and digging a Reservoir in the afternoon—aren't you afraid of exhausting yourself?" Her tone was full of concern.

Lu Fan wiped the sweat from his face and chuckled: "Exhausted? This is a good thing. Once the Reservoir is dug, our lives will be even more comfortable."

As he continued digging, Lu Fan suddenly stopped and said with a frown: "Just digging a pit won't do; this soil will leak water easily. We need to find a way to make it more solid."

An Lan thought for a moment and said: "We can find some stones to line the sides and bottom of the Reservoir. That way we can prevent the water from seeping out."

Her eyes lit up as she proposed her idea.

"You're the smart one," Lu Fan praised, his eyes full of admiration as he looked at An Lan.