So, we were very busy in the next few days. Bailu was mainly responsible for collecting flax seeds, but she had to go out from the main gate and go around the wooden fence outside to collect them. This was quite dangerous, so I accompanied her. While she was collecting, I was responsible for keeping watch and using a saw to try to saw an exit in the right fence to facilitate future collection and reduce danger.

Afterwards, Yingchun collected some willow branches, and made some winnowing baskets and baskets by weaving them. She then made a clay jar for oil and placed the woven basket on the clay jar, which was then placed not far from the horizontal rotating shaft. Yingchun did some tinkering on the shaft, and Wang sawed a suitable gear shape out of wood and put it in a fit. The gear connected the wooden bearing and the two wooden pieces.

Once the iron pestle is opened and the waterwheel starts running, the wood chips are driven by the power to form a sequence of opening and closing, and in this way, the preparation is done.

Half of the flax seeds collected in the backpack will be kept for future planting, and the other half will be dried, washed, shelled, crushed, and then put into a stainless steel pot for stir-frying. After about ten minutes, it will emit a full fragrance.

Afterwards, wrap it with cloth, hang it on a piece of wood, pull the iron pestle, and the waterwheel will start to rotate driven by the water flow. The gears connected to the waterwheel will rotate, forming a chain reaction that drives other gears until it affects the horizontal gear, which in turn affects the gears for Yingchun to build and expand, thus driving the two pieces of wood to open and close back and forth, squeezing the roasted flax seeds in the cloth.

Since it is a kind of labor-saving lever principle, it saves distance and increases effort, so the force brought by the rotation of the waterwheel is not small. In addition, the continuous squeezing, dozens or hundreds of times, is enough to make the oil in the flax seeds flow down and flow through the woven basket, which is the coarse oil. A lot of glue is filtered out from the basket and flows completely into the clay jar, which is almost edible flax oil.

As for washing, dehydrating and the like, that is not possible for the time being, but it can be used for cooking or lighting oil lamps without any problem.

Then, every time we cut some threads from the rope, we could use them as wicks. So at night, we would hold a bowl, pour linseed oil into it, light the wick, and use it as an oil lamp. In addition, the linseed oil could also be used to cook dishes or mix with noodles, and it would be delicious. Life became more and more fulfilling.

However, this last step uses the waterwheel to generate kinetic energy. The only drawback is that when the waterwheel is running, water will flow out of the channel, which is a waste. Therefore, wooden oxen and flowing horses are used to carry wooden buckets to collect water, and the water is poured back to the spring pool once in a while to avoid too many puddles on the ground.

Thanks to the efforts of Yingchun and I, a hole has been opened in the right door. At the same time, Yingchun used mortise and tenon techniques to splice the sawed wood pieces and made a barn door that can slide left and right. This way we can go out and lock the door and bolt when we come back to prevent wild beasts from invading at night.

The girls also used the willow weaving method to make a lot of baskets. Some were used to hold washed clothes, some were used to hold flax seeds, and there was a larger one that was said to be used to hold flax stems. For this purpose, a large wooden barrel was also made, which was also used in the process.

I didn't get involved in this matter. It was mostly the girls who were playing. They plucked the flax one by one, loaded them on wooden oxen and flowing horses to carry them back, and then poured them into a large wooden barrel and poured in warm water, which was the so-called retting. After that, they took wooden sticks and beat them together. After it became hemp, they began to arrange it. Yingchun made a comb, and they combed the hemp, and gradually they began to organize it. After the strips were formed, they made coarse yarn, which was stretched, twisted and wound.

After boiling and bleaching, and subsequent more delicate pulling and twisting into threads, it is almost ready. Then they start to weave things for fun, such as linen bags, linen curtains, linen sheets, linen slippers, and even linen clothes to wear. During this period, as no one could go out much, they were busy at home doing these things, which was also a way for them to have fun.

They seemed to be fed up with the camouflage uniforms on the dead bodies, so they each knitted a piece of clothing for themselves. Not only did they compete in speed, but also in workmanship. They also asked me to be the judge. They wore the uniforms they made and asked me to score and rate them. For a moment, this dangerous place became a catwalk for them, which shocked me a little.

Yingchun's work is the most skillful. Her clothes are very finely crafted. It is an off-shoulder sweater. Bailu's is a cardigan. It is more conventional, but definitely the most practical. After all, it has pockets and can be taken off when it is hot and put on when it is cold. Yunwen's is naturally the most beautiful and the most meticulous. It is a fairy-like linen skirt with a woven flower on the chest. It is as beautiful as her.

The three of them showed themselves to me, and none of them were convinced by the other. I was really pleased and overwhelmed by the sight!

In order not to offend anyone, I learned my lesson this time. I didn't give any ratings or rankings. I just praised them. After they were so happy, they forgot about the difference between them. I also successfully avoided a disaster of cholera in women's relationships.

In the blink of an eye, we have been staying in this inn for more than half a month. During this time, everyone was immersed in joy and forgot many sorrows. I almost forgot those things I was worried about before. Most of the time I just chatted with them, picked food, and replanted seeds in the places where the flax was pulled out so that it can be used again next year.

I just felt more and more uncomfortable late one night, wondering what the gorillas had been doing recently and whether they had completed the so-called sacrifice. Otherwise, why was there no movement or trace at all? It made me feel uneasy.

The dog days of summer passed in a flash, and the hot weather was beginning to subside. That evening, everyone sat around the table and had dinner, eating luncheon meat fried with wild vegetables cooked with flax oil, mushrooms stewed with herbs, a plate of mixed vegetables, and a clay plate of steamed buns.

However, as everyone was eating happily and chatting about everything under the sun, there was suddenly a grunting sound coming from the roof. Everyone immediately put down their bowls and chopsticks. I panicked and immediately gestured to everyone to keep quiet. They understood and nodded.

Something was clearly stirring on the roof, and judging from its direction, it might jump in through our bedroom window.

I whispered to the girls, "Pour the charcoal in the stove onto the ground and put it out. Follow me to the backyard and don't make any noise."

So, we all picked up the pot, turned the earthen basin underneath it upside down on the ground and covered it with soil. Then I took them and moved quickly towards the back door, quietly opened the door and went to the backyard. At the same time, something from the other end had already rushed into the house. Listening to the movement, the sound was more frequent. It was because the two fists were on the ground and the fists and feet were used together to walk. It should be those gorillas. Sure enough, they came. Why did they come again tonight?

It was panting and wandering around inside. At the same time, there were more and more noises from the front and back. There was more than one coming, and they were really smart. I heard the sounds continuing in four directions. It seemed that they were planning to search in all four directions.

"Listen to me, everyone hide in the spring pool, don't show your head. Before entering the water, try to take as much air as possible, you may have to hold your breath for a long time." I said.

The girls now had no choice but to listen to my instructions and followed me into the water. I took a deep breath and took the lead by diving into the water. She followed suit and dove into the water like dumplings. Sure enough, the door was soon opened and an orangutan ran over. From its footsteps, it could be seen that it was standing there, not moving, and seemed to be observing.

However, after nearly a minute, it was still lingering around. If it continued like this, I might be able to hold on, but the girls would definitely not be able to bear it.

At this time, I turned my head in the water and saw that the girls were all suffocating due to lack of oxygen, and Yingchun and Yunwen were relatively worse off. At this time, Bailu put her mouth to Yingchun without hesitation, extending the oxygen content of the two in the water. Yunwen was about to be unable to bear it and immediately came out of the water. I could only follow her example, pulling Yunwen's neck and kissing her tender lips.