Anlan slowly woke up. The afterglow of the setting sun gently dyed the whole world in a warm orange hue, as if draping everything in a dreamy veil.
She blinked gently, still feeling the warmth of Lu Fan's coat on her body.
Looking up, one could see Lu Fan busy at the makeshift stove, with smoke rising and creating a peaceful and beautiful scene.
"Wake up! Come and try my cooking today, I guarantee you'll be amazed!"
Lu Fan greeted him with a smile, a hint of pride on his face. His smile was like the warm spring sun, dispelling the desolation of the wilderness.
Dinner was a simple seafood soup and cold seaweed salad.
The two sat together, eating and sharing the interesting things that happened that day.
Laughter and conversation mingled together, echoing through the tranquil wilderness, filling the once barren place with the warmth of home.
After dinner, it gradually got dark.
Lu Fan touched his greasy hair and said with a wry smile, "I've been so busy these past few days that my hair is so greasy I could fry vegetables with it. I need to wash it."
An Lan covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents: "Let me help you wash. I just made some soap solution."
Lu Fan's eyes lit up immediately, but he still pretended to be calm and coughed lightly: "Ahem... then I'll have to trouble you."
As he spoke, he quickly lay down on the chair, looking like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
An Lan brought over a basin of warm water and some homemade soap solution. She gently lifted Lu Fan's hair and began to slowly rub it.
"Wow, your hair is a real disaster area, it's all matted." An Lan said, increasing the pressure on her hands.
Lu Fan closed his eyes and hummed comfortably, "Ouch, be gentle, you're about to twist my head off."
"You think I'm being too rough? Look at your hair, it's big enough to be a bird's nest." An Lan retorted, but her hands unconsciously became much gentler.
As An Lan rubbed his hair, black foam kept appearing, and Lu Fan's hair gradually became clean and refreshed.
While washing her hair, An Lan couldn't help but tease her: "The oil from washing your hair could probably light a lamp."
"Hey, stop teasing me. The first thing I'll do when I get back to the civilized world is go to the barbershop and get a proper haircut."
Lu Fan responded with a smile, his eyes full of anticipation for the future.
After washing her hair, An Lan took out a razor, ready to trim Lu Fan's beard.
"You're the first person to shave me. You're the one who gave me my first time," Lu Fan joked, a hint of pride on his face.
"In that case, I'm quite honored." An Lan smiled, her movements becoming even gentler, as if afraid of hurting him.
Just then, Lu Fan suddenly asked, "An Lan, if we finish this survival challenge and return to the real world, what's the first thing you want to do?"
An Lan stopped what she was doing, thought for a moment, and a hint of longing appeared in her eyes.
“I want to open a traditional Chinese medicine clinic. As you know, I’ve always been very interested in traditional Chinese medicine. During my time in the wilderness, I used my knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine to help us solve many minor ailments. I want to spread the concepts and methods of traditional Chinese medicine so that more people can benefit from them.”
Lu Fan listened, his eyes full of approval, and nodded earnestly: "That's a fantastic idea! I believe you can definitely do it. So, have you thought about where to open the TCM clinic?"
"I want a quiet town, preferably a place full of life. Surrounded by flowers and plants, where people can appreciate the beauty of nature while receiving medical treatment."
An Lan became more and more excited as she spoke, as if that cozy traditional Chinese medicine clinic was already right in front of her.
"And what about you? What do you want to do when you go back to the real world?" An Lan asked in return.
Lu Fan scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I don't know what I want to do. How about I become your apprentice?"
Upon hearing this, An Lan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You? Become an apprentice? Can you even sit still?"
"Of course, I used to be able to lie in bed all day playing on my phone without moving."
"Okay, I'll make you the boss's husband then."
"Boss's husband? What's that?"
The two looked at each other and smiled, their laughter echoing in the night sky.
In that wilderness, the days always seemed both long and full of surprises.
Three days passed in a flash, and the bricks that had been painstakingly made were almost completely dried, so it was finally time to start firing them.
This is a huge project, and both Lu Fan and An Lan attach great importance to it.
Before firing, Lu Fan first went to the place where the coal mine was discovered and dug up a lot of coal to use as fuel for firing bricks.
He worked hard, his back soaked with sweat, each drop reflecting his expectations for the future.
"No pain, no gain... I should have just had the monkeys help me dig."
He dug while talking to himself, as if the coal was their hope for a civilized world, carrying their longing for a new life.
With everything ready, the brick-making process officially began.
The first batch of bricks consisted of more than 2,000 bricks. Looking at the pile of brick blanks that resembled a small mountain, Lu Fan felt a little uneasy.
He carefully arranged the bricks neatly on both sides of the inside of the brick kiln, leaving a passage in the middle for a fire source.
"This has to go smoothly, otherwise all our efforts will be wasted." Lu Fan's voice carried a hint of nervousness.
An Lan encouraged him from the side, her eyes firm: "Don't worry, you'll definitely succeed." Her encouraging words were like a warm spring breeze, soothing Lu Fan's anxious heart.
As the flames roared up, the temperature inside the kiln gradually rose.
Lu Fan stared intently at the kiln like a guardian of a treasure, not daring to blink even for a moment, as if he might miss an important moment if he wasn't careful.
"The temperature has to be carefully controlled. If it's too low, the bricks won't be properly fired; if it's too high, they might turn into glass."
He spoke with a serious expression, as if he were a seasoned old craftsman who knew every detail of brick-making.
An Lan chuckled and teased, "Don't jinx it, just keep firing your bricks." The laughter lightened the tense atmosphere of the brick-firing session.
The first stage involves low-temperature firing, primarily to dry out any residual moisture inside the bricks and prevent them from cracking.
Lu Fan kept a close eye on the heat and adjusted the amount of coal added from time to time.
In the second stage, the temperature can be gradually increased to decompose the organic matter inside the bricks.
The third stage involves high temperatures, which need to be maintained for a long time to allow the bricks to solidify.
All that's left is to keep the fire burning and wait a long time.
The fire burned for a full day.
Throughout the day, Lu Fan barely rested, constantly adding coal and checking the temperature, keeping himself extremely busy.
"I feel like I'm turning into a coal miner. I'm covered in black soot, and all that washing of my hair was for nothing," he said to An Lan with a wry smile, a hint of optimism on his tired face.
An Lan looked at his comical appearance and couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Your appearance would scare people if you went out like this."
Laughter eased Lu Fan's fatigue and made this difficult time more enjoyable.
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