They followed Ivan's footsteps and walked into the forest, where they gradually saw wooden houses.
Ivan pointed to the houses and said, "We built these ourselves. Since there are no houses in the forest, we had to build them ourselves."
Looking at the houses of varying sizes, Cheng Zhi asked, "Shouldn't we build them ourselves too?"
Ivan nodded. "Yes, there aren't enough people right now, so basically everyone has to get involved. I can provide you with technical guidance."
Huang Yiyi then asked, "If we can't finish in one day, where should we stay tonight?"
Ivan replied, "Your captain also needs a few days to rest before setting sail. You can go back to the ship and stay for the next few days."
After finding a clearing, Ivan stopped. "This spot is for you. If you have food, eat your own first. If not, you can hunt. There are small animals like rabbits in the forest. We only accept people here, we don't take care of anything else."
Cheng Zhi didn't expect anything from this large forest, so she quickly accepted it.
After saying this, Ivan left, but returned a short while later with two shovels. "Let's dig out the foundation first."
Cheng Zhi took the items, saying, "There are more than twenty of us, and two of them aren't enough."
Ivan had no choice but to say, "The rest have been borrowed, or they need them themselves. You'll have to make do with what you have for now."
Holding the shovel, Cheng Zhi looked at the large group of people behind her and said to her mother, "Why don't you take Great-Grandma and Little Sister back to the boat first? We don't have any extra tools."
Looking at the shovel in her hand, Cheng's mother was still a little worried. "This ground is so hard and thick. How can you guys possibly shovel it? Let your dad and your brother stay here and help you."
Cheng Zhi nodded, "Of course, we'll try to finish the foundation today."
Cheng's mother told everyone to head back first, and everyone cooperated, except for the four boys.
Seeing that they had stayed, Huang Yiyi asked one more question, "Are you sure you want to stay? We're digging now, then it'll be Zheng Wan and Si Yu's turn, and then you'll have to dig your own. Aren't you going to go and rest for a bit first?"
Chen Yiyi shook her head firmly, "We're not leaving. It's just digging a hole, it won't tire us out. Besides, I'm a civil engineer, this is my profession, how can you let me leave?"
Since they insisted, Huang Yiyi couldn't refuse again. "Then you can wait here for now. I'll go see if we have any more tools."
On the other side, Ivan was talking to Cheng Zhi and the others about how to build a wooden house and what materials were needed.
Cheng Zhi and Xiao Feiran were recording with their phones and taking notes of keywords, respectively. They sounded more focused and attentive than during an advanced mathematics class.
After a detailed explanation, Cheng Zhi was full of confidence.
Seeing her like this, Xiao Feiran couldn't help but ask, "Did you understand everything?"
Cheng Zhi shook her head, "No, but we have you, Master Xiao, our hope! You understand!"
Xiao Feiran: "...Get lost."
This is their first time building a house, so they need to hurry.
After leaving the shovel to Chen Yiyi and Huang Yiyi, Cheng Zhi took out a chainsaw to get some wood.
Cheng's father walked over and tapped Cheng Zhi on the head, "Young lady, how can you be so reckless? Have you ever cut down a tree? Aren't you afraid of getting crushed to death?"
After saying that, he casually took her chainsaw.
"Dad really goes all out," Cheng Zhi said, covering her head. "Everyone does it once, you know. I'll get the hang of it as I go. Besides, do you think you know how to do it all?!"
Mr. Cheng didn't want to talk to her, so he called Mr. Huang over and left with the four boys.
The girls who stayed behind immediately took out their measuring tapes and started measuring. After determining the size of the area, they marked the points and began digging.
Chen Yi, standing next to him, was stunned. "Aren't you guys in business management?"
Cheng Zhi shoveled down, "Can't we audit civil engineering classes? Can't we carry bricks on construction sites? Why be so limited?"
Huang Yiyi handed him the brand-new shovel, "Don't worry about that, just get started. There are quite a few of us from both families, so we need to dig at least two foundations."
With the efforts of the four of them, they quickly dug two perfectly square pits. To make it easier for them to go up and down, Chen Yi even dug a very simple set of steps.
While they were digging, Cheng's father, who had gone to cut down trees, returned several times.
Looking at the thick wooden pillars in front of him, Chen Yiyi said, "Shouldn't five pillars be enough as weighing columns?"
Huang Yiyi, standing next to her, shook her head. "We don't know about that. Think carefully, lest it collapses as soon as it's built."
Xiao Feiran, who was next to him, was listening to the recording. "Five sticks are fine. If you're not comfortable with that, six sticks are also fine."
Seeing her listening to the recording, Chen Yiyi suddenly realized, "I had forgotten that Ivan taught you guys. I really thought you were auditing the class!"
Since placing five pillars was feasible, Chen Yiyi prepared to dig a small pit and place the pillars inside.
Just as he was about to move it, Xiao Feiran stopped him, "No, Ivan said that this piece of wood needs to be treated a little before it can be buried. Cheng Zhi, you need to go and help him."
Cheng Zhi quickly gathered a bunch of dry leaves and small pieces of wood, then took out a lighter and lit them.
She pointed to the fire and said, "He said he wanted to roast it until it was charred before burying it in the ground, otherwise it would rot from being soaked in water."
After charring the bottoms of the five pillars, they officially began placing them inside.
Looking at the five wooden planks, Cheng Zhi couldn't help but worry, "I've never lived in a small house made entirely of wood before. Won't it collapse?"
While listening to the recording, Xiao Feiran added notes, "Don't worry, this is how everyone lives, so we'll definitely be fine. Besides, I'm here."
Master Xiao was always so reassuring. After taking a deep breath, Cheng Zhi went to help them with another foundation.
By the time the woodcutters returned, they had already laid out the outline of the top.
Seeing that they had made so many trips back and forth, Cheng Zhi said, "We don't need the shovels for now. You can go back and call Zheng Wan and Si Yu to come and dig the foundation. It'll be a good opportunity for you to rest as well."
Upon hearing that Zheng Wan was coming, Lu Yuan instantly felt less tired. He adjusted his glasses, feeling that he could still persevere a little longer.
Qi Yanche looked at Cheng Zhi, who was standing on a high place hammering nails, and he didn't want to leave either. "I'm not tired yet. Is there anything I can help with?"
Seeing that he was calm and composed, and seemed genuinely not tired, Cheng Zhi said, "Then help me pass the wood, I need to put on the roof."
"good."
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