Building Two

Since bricks and stones were limited at the moment, and wood was plentiful, Victor ordered the engineering team to prioritize using wood to build sheds, then fill the gaps with hay, and finally coat the outer walls with a layer of earth to get through the winter first.

The first batch of bricks and stones produced would be used to renovate the dock and construct watchtowers on the opposite bank of the river. To detect any barbarians who might come from the north in time, Victor established about ten watchtowers along the northern bank of the Great Fish River, forming an alert belt that could provide timely signals. These watchtowers were designed by the calculation module, making them not only sturdy but also fire-resistant and simple to build, as Victor had adopted Portland cement.

Back in Bole County, Victor had already experimented with cement by calcining limestone and clay in a specific ratio to produce clinker, then grinding it. The actual results were very good. Currently, Victor had also added a task to the calculation module's linear tasks to improve the cement production process. However, the current Portland cement already met his needs, so the computational load was kept very low, and the task completion time was set to be very long.

Over the next few days, Victor spent half a day inspecting various parts of the territory, examining the terrain, landforms, and local specialties. He also brought Michael and little Paru along. Little Paru truly lived up to his word; he was very good at discovering special things.

On the western side of the territory, they discovered an iron ore deposit whose reserves could not be determined. However, Victor observed that the reddish-brown land stretched beyond his line of sight, indicating a considerable area. The calculation module's assessment was that this iron ore was likely hematite, but its grade was not high, making its smelting value relatively ordinary.

This conclusion disappointed Victor slightly, but soon Number 1 provided him with information that immediately excited him.

"Victor, this land might be very suitable for the growth of Iron Bean. Through the calculation module's simulation of Iron Bean's growth data, it appears somewhat similar to potatoes and has similar characteristics. It might be a mistake for the barbarians to cultivate it as an annual plant; its growth cycle is similar to potatoes. The above-ground part withers and dies after each growing season, while the underground tubers can survive for many years under suitable conditions and sprout again every spring. You could try planting the tubers in this land before winter. After about a year of growth, its iron yield and quality should change."

"This is indeed good news. If we were to mine and smelt this iron ore through normal methods, the cost would be high and the profit low. If Iron Bean can be used to mine and preliminarily refine the iron ore, it would indeed save costs and reduce the requirements for smelting technology."

"Number 1, honestly, with my limited knowledge, it's hard to understand why such an advanced civilization would create these things. What was their purpose?"

"Victor, through data collection during this period, we've discovered that this world is very young, so young that it almost lacks fossil fuels. However, other resources in this world are very abundant. Combined with several magical plants already discovered that can serve as energy substitutes, the calculation module judges this to be a cradle; a cradle prepared for a nascent civilization. It doesn't require arduous development; one only needs to understand the principles and master the knowledge to utilize these convenient production tools, allowing civilization to grow stronger more quickly. When civilization possesses sufficient technology, it can study the characteristics of these plants and animals, converting them into more profound theories. It's like an encyclopedia, with a lot of basic knowledge on the surface, but also hiding more universal scientific truths through codes, requiring research and exploration."

"I can feel the goodwill towards civilization here. When they built this place, they must have been full of hope for the future, just like the Moonlit Prophet building the Beacon Lighthouse."

"I never expected this. It seems I am truly fortunate. The seed module is my golden finger, but isn't this world also my golden finger? If I starve even when food is served to my mouth, wouldn't that make me seem incompetent!"

Victor dismounted and stood on the grass, gazing at the distant sky, filled with unprecedented confidence and courage.

"I already possess the power to change this world. The rest is just a matter of time. If I cannot transform this beautiful world into what I envision, I would rather go back and continue to be a beast of burden."

"Number 1, let's go. It seems my path is still long, and you must help me well."

"Of course, Victor. You are the inheritor, and you possess the highest authority of the Beacon Lighthouse. I will always obey your commands."

Victor burst into laughter, mounted his horse directly, and galloped towards the territory. Michael and little Paru quickly followed. At this moment, little Paru once again realized that Victor was indeed a strange person.

In the afternoon, after returning to the territory, Victor immediately started new work with renewed vigor. He would personally guide the engineering team in constructing facilities for livestock to overwinter, especially the most crucial ones for storing ensilage.

According to Victor's memory, ensilage facilities included ensilage pits and above-ground ensilage tanks. Victor did not plan to build ensilage tanks. Considering the territory's situation, he decided to directly construct ensilage pits. The design of the pits needed to consider the compaction and sealing of the raw materials, and the bottom needed waterproofing.

In his previous life, it was very simple; a layer of plastic film could be used for waterproofing. However, in this life, such convenient materials were unavailable. Fortunately, Victor had previously purchased a batch of tung oil, which he found to have excellent waterproofing properties. He had brought it along this time, and it could be used as a waterproofing material for the ensilage pits.

Based on the materials he had, Victor planned to build 10 ensilage pits in the first batch. Each pit would be 5x5x40 meters, with a storage capacity of 1000 cubic meters per pit. Calculations indicated that, combined with hay, this would be sufficient to ensure the livestock could normally overwinter. Of course, some weight loss for the livestock was unavoidable, as the current number of livestock meant that even building 10 more pits wouldn't be enough. Fortunately, hay could supplement a certain amount of feed.

In the following days, Victor arranged for the engineering team to construct the ensilage pits. Simultaneously, he dispatched all the herdsmen, regardless of age or gender, to collect all the pasture grasses they could find that could be used as ensilage feed. He also organized people to crush the grass, adjust the proportions of the pasture, control the moisture content, and use manual labor to remove air, creating an anaerobic environment. They would use light yew wood and tung oil to make sealed lids.

This process took 10 days. Fortunately, there were enough people, and the plan provided by the calculation module was detailed enough. They managed to complete the sealing of the 10 ensilage pits before the deadline.

Victor looked at the completed ensilage pits with relief. "The rest depends on the fermentation effect. We don't need to worry for the short term; I'll check on them regularly. No one has done this before; if it weren't for my status, this project would have been impossible to accomplish."