The next step is to make the matching "tenon".
He used charcoal to draw the outline of the tenon at the end of another log.
Making a tenon is more complex than making a mortise because it needs to be machined into a specific shape so that it can be inserted into the mortise and lock tightly into place.
He first used a stone axe to roughly carve out the basic shape of the tenon, and then used a bone chisel and a sharp, small stone knife (also made of obsidian, as thin as a cicada's wing, specifically for fine scraping) to refine it little by little. The tenon shoulder had to be flush, the tenon tongue smooth, and the dimensions had to be exactly the same.
Once the first tenon was completed, Lin Feng took a deep breath and slowly brought the two huge logs closer together to attempt the first trial assembly.
"Creak..."
The tenon was slowly pushed into the mortise. Lin Feng's heart leaped into his throat. Too tight? Too loose? Or was the angle wrong?
Surprisingly smoothly! The tenon and mortise fit together perfectly. Although there was a slight resistance in the last few millimeters, with a little force, it clicked and was fully inserted.
Lin Feng shook the connection point, but it didn't budge. Its sturdiness far exceeded his expectations!
"I did it! Haha, I did it!"
Lin Feng plopped down on the ground, letting the sweat of joy flow freely.
This small mortise and tenon joint held extraordinary significance for him.
It proved the authenticity and validity of that mysterious knowledge, and also proved his ability to overcome the difficulties at hand and build his own home.
In the days that followed, Lin Feng became completely immersed in the joy of working with wood and mortise and tenon joints.
He designed an ingenious "lock" at the corner of the original wooden wall.
When each log is stacked upwards, the tenons at both ends must fit tightly with the logs below and adjacent to it.
He discovered that if it is just a simple saddle-shaped weft, gaps may appear after the log dries and shrinks.
So he searched his mind and found an improvement method—adding a small "dovetail" locking structure to the saddle-shaped wedge, so that the logs could restrain each other in all directions and become tighter and tighter as they were pressed.
The creation of these complex mortise and tenon joints requires increasingly sophisticated tools.
He continuously improved his stone axe, stone knife, and bone chisel.
He even used fire to carbonize some hard, thin wooden sticks, making them even harder, to scrape the inside of small mortises.
He also made a simple "hand drill" using flexible vines and a small, flat, hard stone. Although it was inefficient, it was enough to drill some small holes for making more precise pin-and-pin structures or for auxiliary connections in certain parts.
After completing each component, he would check it repeatedly, using a homemade level (a transparent animal skin bag filled halfway with water to observe whether the water surface was parallel) and a plumb line (a small stone tied to a thin rope) to calibrate its verticality and horizontality.
His workbench was a flat, large stone slab, on which were scattered various simple but effective tools, as well as piles of sawdust and scraps of different shapes.
This process is lonely and arduous.
Often, to achieve a perfect fit between a mortise and tenon joint, he would stare at a piece of wood for hours, pondering and revising it repeatedly.
Sometimes, due to a moment of carelessness or a hidden flaw inside the wood, a nearly completed component is scrapped, and he can only throw it into the woodpile in frustration and start all over again.
But Lin Feng finds joy in it. He enjoys the process of creating something from nothing, giving a pile of raw wood a new life and function through his own hands and wisdom.
Every precise cut, every perfect mortise and tenon joint, gave him an indescribable sense of creative pleasure.
He reserved spaces for the door and window frames. For the door frame posts and beams, he used a more robust combination of "shoulder tenon" and "pipe tenon". The bottom tenon of the post is inserted into the reserved mortise in the foundation stone, while the top is connected to the beam with a tongue and groove joint.
He even began to think about the roof's beam structure. For this cabin, he planned to use a simple "gable" roof.
This requires the construction of a sturdy "central ridge purlin" and several pairs of "rafters".
The two ends of the central ridge purlin need to be connected to the "load-bearing timber" at the top of the gable wall using "beam head tenon". The rafters need to be connected to the central ridge purlin and the "eaves purlin" at the top of the wall at a certain angle using "beam rafter mortise" or "rafter mortise".
The names and construction methods of these structures were clearly presented in his mind, as if he were born to know them.
He no longer doubted the source of this knowledge, but devoted himself wholeheartedly to learning and practice.
He discovered that these seemingly complex mortise and tenon techniques all share the same core principle—utilizing the inherent properties of wood to disperse and transmit force through ingenious interlocking of concave and convex joints, thereby achieving a stable connection.
As his skill improved, he made mortise and tenon joints faster and with greater precision.
What used to take half a day to complete a pair of mortise and tenon joints can now be done in just two or three hours. His stone axe and bone chisel seem to come alive in his hands, precise and efficient.
Gradually, the walls of the wooden house extended upwards, layer by layer, like building blocks.
The rounded logs are tightly interlocked, showcasing a primitive and rugged beauty.
Lin Feng stood beside the nascent wooden house, stroking the cold but solid wood, his heart filled with pride.
Soon, thanks to his frantic work, the walls and roof of the wooden house were finally taking shape, at least enough to provide shelter from the wind and rain.
But the work wasn't over yet. The interior repairs, the installation of doors and windows, and most importantly, the hearth and chimney, were all waiting for him to complete them.
However, the intense physical labor left Lin Feng's stomach like a bottomless pit, and the little bit of jerky he had stored up was simply a drop in the ocean.
"Having strength isn't enough; you also need to eat meat!"
Lin Feng rubbed his rumbling stomach, hoisted his obsidian axe and the stone knife, polished from finer flint and capable of cutting hair with a single blow, and stepped into the vast snow forest once more.
Hunting remains his only means of obtaining high-quality protein and replenishing his incredible physical energy.
The biting wind was like a knife, whipping up the snowflakes on the ground and slapping against Lin Feng's resolute face.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the restless white figure in the snowy forest ahead.
It was a monster he had never seen before, as robust as a calf, covered in thick, snow-white fur, blending seamlessly into the icy world.
What is most striking is the single horn about a foot and a half long on its forehead, which shimmers with a faint blue light and exudes a primitive and dangerous aura.
Lin Feng secretly gave this guy a name – “Ice Horned Beast”.
Lin Feng took a deep breath of the cold air, suppressing the chill that came from his limbs, which were stiff from lying in wait for a long time.
He gripped an obsidian axe tightly in his hand, his eyes filled with intense tension.
Faced with this unknown beast with astonishing strength and speed, Lin Feng knew that a head-on confrontation was not the best strategy.
Two days earlier, he had observed the approximate range of activity of the creature he called the "Ice Horned Beast".
He chose a natural steep slope, used several sturdy pine trees as support points, and dug a deep pit.
At the bottom of the pit, he sharpened several wooden stakes cut from hardwood, with the tips pointing upwards, and carefully disguised the pit opening with fine branches and loose snow, making it look no different from the surrounding snow.
Along the path to the trap, he deliberately placed some moss and lichen that emitted a faint, peculiar scent, which he found very interesting to the "ice horned beast," as bait.
Today, the opportunity has finally arrived.
As expected, the "ice horned beast" followed the scent of the moss and slowly entered his hunting range at dawn.
Lin Feng, like a rock blending into the snow, lay motionless behind a snowdrift downwind, only his eyes visible as he observed.
The "ice horned beast" was clearly interested in the moss. It cautiously shook its head, and the single horn on its forehead flashed with a blue light from time to time as it slowly approached.
As the Ice Horned Beast lowered its head to sniff the last clump of moss near the edge of the trap, Lin Feng seized the fleeting opportunity.
He suddenly stood up from behind the snowdrift, letting out a low growl in the tone of a wild beast, and at the same time threw a piece of rag he had prepared beforehand, which was stained with his own scent, hard at another bush behind the "Ice Horned Beast".
"Thump!"
The sudden sound and unfamiliar smell startled the "Ice Horned Beast".
Startled, it instinctively rushed a few steps in the opposite direction, which it considered safe—the direction where the trap was located.
"Boom! Crack!"
With the sounds of snow collapsing and branches snapping, the massive body of the "Ice Horned Beast" vanished instantly into the snow. Its angry and painful roar echoed from the crater, a sound that made Lin Feng's heart leap into his throat.
Lin Feng's heart tightened, but he did not immediately step forward. From his previous observations from a distance, he had vaguely sensed that the vitality of this "ice horned beast" was probably extraordinary.
Sure enough, after a few roars, the "ice horned beast" managed to climb out of the pit, its body propelled by several broken wooden stakes!
Although one of its hind legs was pierced by a stake, making its movements slightly sluggish, and the horn on its forehead was stained with mud and its own blood, its ferocity was completely aroused. The dark blue horn shone even brighter, radiating a chilling aura.
The Ice Horned Beast's scarlet eyes were fixed on Lin Feng not far away, clearly regarding him as the culprit. It let out a deafening roar, pawed at the ground, and charged straight at him like a white lightning bolt!
"You beast, you're quite tenacious!"
Lin Feng advanced instead of retreating, knowing he could not show weakness at this moment.
He barely dodged the Ice Horned Beast's charge, which was accompanied by a foul stench, and used the momentum of the attack to draw a sharp arc in the air with his obsidian axe, slashing fiercely at the Ice Horned Beast's injured hind leg.
"Pfft!"
The obsidian axe blade was exceptionally sharp, instantly tearing a deep, bone-revealing wound into the "Ice Horned Beast's" thick fur, from which blood gushed out.
The Ice Horned Beast cried out in pain, then suddenly swung its head, its single horn, gleaming with a chilling blue light, sweeping across Lin Feng's waist with a whooshing sound. If struck, it would be severely injured, if not killed.
Lin Feng was prepared. He suddenly exerted force in his waist and leaned back at an incredible angle. The horn almost grazed his chest, and the force of the wind made his cheeks sting.
He rolled away, creating distance between himself and the "Ice Horned Beast".
A man and a beast engaged in a thrilling chase and battle on the snow-covered ground stained with blood.
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