It's already quite an achievement for the water in the pot to boil, but now you have to boil each whole grain of rice, which is a real ordeal for someone with an empty stomach.
Moreover, once the pot lid was on, nothing could be seen inside, and no smoke was coming out of the pot for a long time, making the wait even longer and more agonizing. Everyone remained silent.
To ease the awkwardness, it was finally Old Man Yun who spoke.
“I think we should start by building the basic outline of the house today. It will be hard work, but it’s already late autumn and winter is just around the corner. If we don’t have a roof over our heads by then, it will be very difficult to get through the winter.”
Li Yuedi twirled the plucked grass between her fingers and said with a smile:
"The weather in Yuecheng is quite extreme. Sometimes it's very hot in the middle of winter, with the sun shining directly down, and you feel like your head is going to crack from the heat. But other times it's very cold."
"Its cold is deadly, a cold that is damp, and the dampness seems to be everywhere. Even if you are hiding in a very warm bed, the dampness can still seep in and travel all over your body, chilling you to the bone."
"Fortunately, it doesn't snow in Yuecheng. I only saw snow in Pingcheng."
Li Yuedi's words did not make everyone feel relaxed. Instead, they added another layer of bad impression to the miasma and dampness that they had finally managed to forget. Everyone immediately felt that they were not very hungry. At this moment, steam rose from the pot.
Old Man Yun asked:
"Is Yuedi from Yuecheng?"
"Sir, yes, I am from Yuecheng. In the old days, my family was poor and my brothers had nothing to eat, so my parents sold me. After many twists and turns, I was finally sold to Pingcheng. I was lucky to be chosen by this young lady."
Old Man Yun sighed at Li Yuedi's background, but also admired her optimism. Seeing that even making porridge was impossible, he asked:
"Do you think our method of building it with bamboo and wood is feasible?"
"It is indeed good, but it is not very durable. Bamboo and wood are precious treasures in Yuecheng. Every spring, or at the turn of spring and summer, the climate always turns south. Bamboo and wood are affected by this climate and will grow a greenish-blue thing on their surface."
"At first we thought it was a mushroom. Some greedy children tried it, but they got sick from it, so we avoided it like the plague."
"Furthermore, there are many snakes, insects, rats, and ants. These insects like to burrow into the wood, and over time, they rot the wood, causing the house to deteriorate over time."
The steam rising from the pot grew stronger, and everyone stared at the wooden lid as if they could see something green hidden on it. Now, they felt even less hungry.
Looking at everyone's expressions, Yunling couldn't help but chuckle.
"Although Yuecheng is not a suitable place to live, haven't those people still managed to survive generation after generation?"
"What Yue Di just said is true. Mold caused by dampness during the humid season is unavoidable, and snakes, insects, and rodents are also characteristic of this place. If you can't avoid them, you can only take precautions."
Yun Ling then looked at Old Man Yun and said:
“Grandpa, I think we should keep these trees. After all, the framework and outline of this house are inseparable from the beams and pillars. As for the walls, we can find some stones and usable soil in the mountains to build them.”
"And the roof, if we could get some terracotta tiles to cover it, that would be great. They would provide shelter from the wind and rain, prevent rainwater from accumulating, and also insulate against the heat, bringing some coolness. But getting these tiles will probably take some effort, so we'll see when the time comes."
"The cold in Yuecheng winter won't last long. On the cold days, we can just burn charcoal indoors for warmth. As for snakes, insects, and rodents, they are most prevalent in spring and summer. We can sprinkle some insect repellent powder around the house and pull down a screen on the windows to block them. That will make things much better."
Yunling's words calmed everyone's anxieties, especially Zhang Shi, who felt increasingly proud as she looked at Yunling.
She had witnessed Yunling's efforts, abilities, and solutions to problems all the way from Pingcheng.
In the past, she was indeed not very comfortable with Yunling traveling alone, but who knew that this girl was so capable. Not to mention her alone, she managed to lead such a large group of people very well. She also knew how to negotiate and get things that were in her own interest. She really was born to run a business.
After eating porridge, the group split into several groups. Old Man Yun and Old Man Fan led the two Fan brothers and Yun Shenghua into the deep mountains to find large trees to make beams and pillars.
Since the Yun family and the Fan family are two separate families, they will definitely live separately after they settle down. Therefore, if they are to build, they will build two houses, and the materials needed will naturally be doubled.
Yunling had also thought of this, so she led Gangzi, Tangling, Xiaobai, and Dahei in the direction indicated by the superpower, as she was looking for usable soil.
Because they need a large amount of soil, they can't just dig on the mountain. The soil must be digable and not cause landslides after digging. Otherwise, it would be very dangerous for them to live halfway up the mountain, as it could easily cause mudslides and landslides, and they wouldn't even have time to run away.
Because the area was infested with snakes, insects, and rodents, Yun Chu had almost used up all the medicinal powder and other medicines she carried. In order to prevent them from being bothered by insects in the future, she took Li Yuedi to the mountain to pick herbs.
The others were either husking rice, picking wild vegetables nearby, or chopping firewood; everyone was busy with their own tasks, and no one was left out.
"Boss, do you think we'll be lucky enough to hunt another wild boar today? The meat of wild boar is so delicious, I can't stop thinking about it."
Yunling smiled and said:
"Even if a wild boar appeared right now, could the three of us really take it down?"
"Tang Ling and I aren't very good, but we still have you, Boss. We all know how capable you are."
"Don't give me that. Who would eat wild boar the day after moving up the mountain? Besides, Little White and Big Black are here. They'll probably end up in the wild boar's mouth if they're not careful."
As if understanding Yunling's words, Xiaobai barked at Gangzi in dissatisfaction.
Gangzi scratched the back of his head and said with a smile:
"How would anyone else know what we eat on the mountain?"
"Don't you smell anything when you cook? Not to mention my mother's cooking is delicious, there are quite a few villagers who go hunting in the mountains, so you can't escape other people's eyes."
Yunling counted on her fingers and continued:
"But don't worry, it won't be difficult to get meat. I bet someone will bring it to you soon."
"No one would do that."
Gangzi paused for a moment, as if he had thought of something interesting...
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