Not long after, just as Li Ling and Liu Ruoling were erecting the second pillar, Wang Lun returned carrying two bundles of tree branches and a bundle of firewood.
Wang Lun put down the tree branch and went to help erect the other pillars. He first erected the pillar, then called Liu Ruoxi over to hold it up. Wang Lun then backfilled the soil to secure the pillar.
Soon, with the combined efforts of the four, all four pillars were erected. All that remained was to build the framework. Wang Lun had Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi stay behind to build the framework, while he took Liu Ruoling to the banana grove to cut some banana leaves to cover the pillars for waterproofing. They also collected some banana pith to eat that evening.
Wang Lun, accompanied by Liu Ruoling, each carrying a basket on their backs, headed towards the banana grove. Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi weren't idle either; they continued building the framework. Now that the pillars were erected, all that was left was to build the framework. The banana leaves on top provided shelter from the rain, which was basically enough.
Wang Lun and his companion cleared a path through thorns and brambles, expending considerable effort to finally create the way to the banana grove. Although they had cleared it once before, it had long since become overgrown with weeds.
When they arrived at the banana grove, both were exhausted and thirsty. Wang Lun, carrying a knife, found a banana tree. With a few strokes, he felled it, dug a small hole at the stump, and then began cutting down the banana leaves. Liu Ruoling wasn't idle either; she helped Wang Lun gather the banana leaves together so they could be carried back later.
Soon, all the banana leaves were removed. Wang Lun then used a knife to cut a slit in the banana tree, continuing upwards along the slit until he felt he had cut enough, then he continued cutting deeper. He stopped when he saw the banana core inside. He broke off a piece of the core, handed one to Liu Ruoling, and then picked up a piece and began to eat. Liu Ruoling told Wang Lun to eat, so she started eating too. The taste was quite good, with a hint of sweetness, and most importantly, it was very juicy.
After eating one section, the two felt they had had enough and could hold on for a while longer. So Wang Lun continued to chop banana leaves until he estimated they had enough, and then he stopped.
Wang Lun then gathered some banana tree cores, which the two shared. Afterwards, he tidied his baskets. Since there was extra tree bark, Wang Lun had Liu Ruoling carry two baskets, and then he carried some more banana tree bark. The remaining banana leaves were bundled into two bundles, which Wang Lun carried back by himself.
And you know what? It was quite a weight. When Wang Lun lifted it, the stick was bent low on both sides, but he still managed to lift it. So, Wang Lun, bracing against the heavy weight, started walking forward. Liu Ruoling quickly shouldered the basket and followed behind.
The two didn't stop along the way, all the way to the shelter. Wang Lun put down the banana leaves and collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. Liu Ruoling quickly caught up, put down her basket, and also sat down on the ground, panting heavily.
Seeing this, Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi quickly put down the branches they were tying, poured them a bowl of water, and helped them sit on a rock. They then asked Liu Ruoxi what had happened. Liu Ruoxi took a sip of water and said, "Wang Lun is walking ahead, getting faster and faster, and I can barely keep up. The load is heavy, and he's walking fast, so I have to quicken my pace, and in the end, I have to jog to keep up." Wang Lun smiled wryly and waved his hand, saying, "It's too heavy. I'm afraid I won't be able to carry it if I rest." Hearing this, Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi immediately said, "Don't do that again! If it's heavy, just run again. Don't do it like that." Wang Lun nodded, and Li Ling continued, "Then you two rest, we'll continue building the shed." Wang Lun, panting, said, "Don't forget the windbreak." Li Ling said, "I know, it's almost finished." After saying that, she led Liu Ruoxi to continue building the shed, leaving Wang Lun and Liu Ruoxi to rest.
Wang Lun and his partner rested for about half an hour, while Li Ling and her partner finished setting up the shed. All that remained was to add water to the roof. Since it was still early, they decided to rest for a while before laying down the banana leaves.
Wang Lun made room for Li Ling and Liu Ruoling, then poured them a bowl of water and said, "The three of you can spread out some leaves later. I'll go get some grass for the goats." Liu Ruoling said, "I'll go with you." Wang Lun shook his head and said, "No, I can go by myself. It'll be faster if the three of you spread out the leaves." Liu Ruoling then said somewhat aggrievedly, "Okay then." Liu Ruoling glanced at Wang Lun and asked, "Where will the goats stay tonight?" Wang Lun thought for a moment and said, "If I haven't returned by the time you've finished spreading out the leaves, then we can build a space next to the windbreak wall and leave the goats there tonight. It might smell a bit, but it's the easiest way. Let's just bear with it for the next few days." The three of them nodded and then began to chat about other things.
After more than ten minutes, Wang Lun got up, picked up his basket, and headed towards the banana grove to cut some grass and collect some wild vegetables.
After Wang Lun left, Li Ling and the other two didn't rest any longer. Instead, they got up to spread banana leaves on the shed. Li Ling spread the leaves on top, while Liu Ruoxi passed them down from below, and Liu Ruoling carried the banana leaves to Liu Ruoxi's side. However, Liu Ruoling could carry a large handful of banana leaves at a time, and Li Ling couldn't spread them as quickly. So, in the intervals, Liu Ruoling moved the branches used to build the windbreak and the goat's kennel together.
Once the materials arrived, they started building the windbreak while simultaneously delivering banana leaves to Liu Ruoxi. The shed wasn't very large, but the banana leaves were quite big. In less than an hour, Li Ling had covered the roof with banana leaves, even using two layers. However, some banana leaves were left over, so they decided to save them to cover the goats as well, to prevent them from getting wet in the rain.
Li Ling and the other woman didn't rest; instead, they immediately came over to help Liu Ruoling build a windbreak and a shelter for the goats. Both were quite simple. The windbreak was just a wooden fence, with branches covered in leaves used to block the gaps in the middle. This would block some of the wind and keep the people behind from getting too cold.
The goat's enclosure is even simpler. One wall serves as a windbreak, and the other three walls—one of which is where the campfire and shed will be located—don't need any additional construction. A simple fence is all that's needed behind it. With people around, the goats certainly can't escape. So, in reality, only two more walls are needed, and they don't even need to be too sturdy, since with people around, the goats can't escape even if they wanted to.
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