Chapter 691 Labor
The silent woods were filled with the monotonous chopping sounds, mixed with the occasional dog barking. Bifang took off his coat and smashed the stone hammer down. The wooden wedge under the stone hammer further embedded itself into the tree body, working furiously.
The accumulated snow fell on his shoulders and quickly melted into water stains under his warm body temperature, but Bifang didn't feel the cold at all. After breakfast, he was full of strength. The heat radiated from his body, dispelling all the cold.
After dozens of hits, the fourth wedge was inserted into the tree, and the tree trunk was almost completely broken, but this still did not cause the tree to fall down. There was still just that last little bit.
The rough big hands tightly grasped the polished wooden hammer handle, and the strong forearm muscles were tightly tightened, contracting and relaxing. With the support of strong bones, the strength was increasing layer by layer.
The stone hammer was raised to the highest point, and finally, driven by the muscles of the upper arm, it drew a semicircle and hit the wooden wedge accurately.
Click.
The cracks penetrated the bark, making crisp sounds. The bark in the extreme cold region, lacking water, was dry and brittle, like breaking off a piece of fried crispy pork skin.
After a swaying, the huge pine tree that was completely broken slowly tilted to one side, and the last bit of snow remaining on the branches tilted down.
It was like falling on a cotton field, with a large amount of snow flying around and choking dust rising, but because it was all snowflakes, it didn't make people feel uncomfortable.
A moment later, Bifang came out of the woods carrying a log and threw it on the snow. His cheeks were slightly flushed, perhaps because of the cold or excessive physical exertion.
Bifang did not choose to build the wooden house next to the river, but chose a relatively open area about thirty meters away from the river bend.
The snow on the ground was cleared early, revealing the grayish-white soil, on which were piled the trees cut down by Bifang. There was also a two-meter-deep pit next to it, which was dug by Bifang and the three idiots.
The deep pit did not have any special function or meaning. Instead, after digging out the peat soil, Bifang had a sudden idea and wanted to see if there was any under the valley. To his surprise, there was indeed one.
However, compared with the excavation during the snowstorm, the peat soil here was buried very deep. It took more than one meter and nearly two meters to find it. Compared with normal peat soil, it is already a relatively deep level.
That’s great. I don’t have to worry about fuel anymore.
Bifang put and patted the sawdust on his hands. To him, this peat soil was simply inexhaustible.
Logs of all sizes were cut off from excess branches and neatly stacked together, but this was just the beginning. Further trimming, cutting, and digging out of the corresponding mortise and tenon structures were required.
Although it is not impossible to accomplish the task with only a dagger without special tools, it will undoubtedly be more troublesome. It is also a long and complicated process, and even the audience feels a little tired watching it.
“Since the wood doesn’t have grooves, you need to build a frame to hold the wood up.”
Bifang selected suitable wood and buried it in the soil to compact it.
"First, you need to collect 14 strong wooden poles between two and a half and three meters long. Bury three poles in each of the four corners, which will take a total of 12 pieces of wood."
"Bury the poles 20 to 30 centimeters into the ground, compact the soil around them, and secure the poles. Insert two more poles more than half a meter to the left of the right front corner. This area will become the doorway. It is important to note that all the support poles must be secured so that they can support the horizontal poles to form the shelter wall."
Bifang did it very carefully. He hammered the sharpened wood into the ground and finally shook it to find that it was very firm.
It is another extremely physically demanding process.
【Woodworker Fangshen is online】
[Learn another skill]
[Can I really learn it? I feel like you are lying to me]
[I was discovered by you (dog head)]
From felling the trees to leveling the ground and then driving all the stakes in, the day passed like this.
"I'm so tired. That's all for today. I need to rest."
Tired Bifang turned off the live broadcast.
…
The sun didn't show up even a corner today, and at noon Bifang was looking at the distant skyline.
Yesterday it was still hovering between showing a corner and just having a glow, but today it is really just having a glow.
Sighing, Bifang pushed the wooden stake he was fixed to. It was very solid. He ran up three meters and bumped into it, but it didn't move at all.
"Once all the support poles are in place, the logs can be stacked crosswise between them. The logs are reinforced with a 'mortar' made of grass and silt to seal the gaps."
Although Bifang didn't cut down many trees, each one could be split into several sections, which was enough for use.
“To make mud plaster, you mix equal parts silt and fibrous material, such as hay, straw or fern. Once dry, the mixture acts like super glue.”
Bifang dug a small hole in the snow nearby and poured river water, silt from the river, some ferns and torn strips of bark into it.
"The back wall of the cabin should be higher than 1.5 meters, and the front wall should be higher than 2 meters. The height difference should be large enough to avoid being crushed by snow and eventually collapsing."
Bifang placed a piece of wood across the front wall and the doorway, using the side walls for support.
Finally, he applied a large amount of prepared mortar on the inside and outside of the wall. In the cold wind, the mortar quickly solidified and turned a light grayish white.
Bifang placed the wood side by side on top of the shelter, at right angles to the doorway, until it was completely sealed.
All the gaps were then sealed with mud mortar and covered with turf and leaf clippings from logs.
"If you plan to have a fire in your cabin, make sure the vents are large enough and can be opened and closed. You can make a door out of any suitable material, or you can choose to build a wooden door with existing materials."
"But most of the time it is necessary because the shelter you build will become your home, so it is important to create an area for a fire."
"With fire, there is light, which can be used for heating, cooking and entertainment. But if it is used improperly, it can cause a fire and people may even die in the fire."
"Before lighting a fire in a shelter, ensure that ventilation vents are functional and smoke is exhausted to prevent asphyxiation and carbon monoxide poisoning."
"A good fire pit is usually located between the door and the center of the shelter. This location does not affect the use of the rear of the shelter. For best results, dig a circular fire pit with a diameter of less than half a meter, a deeper depth of more than two meters, and then line the bottom and sides with stones."
When Bifang built the wooden house, he left a hole in the outer wall and used rocks mixed with mortar to create a protruding opening in order to build a fire pit.
