Temporary Shelter

After filling both waterskins to the brim, Zhou Ye scooped up water with his hands, washed his face, and rinsed his mouth. He had ultimately come to the great river to replenish his drinking water.

There was actually a broad stretch of mudflat along the riverbank, extending for dozens of paces. Dense reed beds grew here, along with branching streams and little ponds that held standing water.

Zhou Ye was currently standing beside one of those small streams. The water was clear and slow-moving. He could even see schools of fish swimming beneath the surface.

Zhou Ye could not help nodding to himself. This was truly a blessed land for the Air Force boys, an excellent place to catch fish.

But then again, this was not somewhere he could linger for long. Rivers drew wild beasts in to drink and also served as important markers for human travel. Whether he encountered beasts or people, there would always be a certain degree of danger.

With that in mind, Zhou Ye judged the direction and headed quickly toward a small hill in the other direction...

Half an hour later, Zhou Ye arrived at an open patch overgrown with weeds and shrubs.

This was a gentle slope on the back side of the hill. The area was not large, at most a few mu, and sparse woods surrounded it. People by the riverbank definitely would not spot it.

Farther behind it stood a towering, sheer cliff. To one side ran a small stream several paces wide and ankle-deep. Across the stream, he had even discovered a bamboo grove?

He grabbed a handful of soil from the ground. It was dark, rich humus, incredibly fertile, as if he could squeeze oil from it. Zhou Ye grinned, making his decision at once. This would be where he made his home.

He found a patch of grass several paces around, set down all his belongings, and used his shovel to quickly clear away all the weeds.

He still needed to build a temporary shelter. It did not need to be large, just enough space for one person to sleep.

Once the temporary shelter was finished, he would build a ring of fences around the area. Only after safety was assured could he confidently build a proper home.

Picking up his axe, Zhou Ye entered the nearby woods. He selected a tree as thick as a bowl and hacked at it dozens of times, quickly felling it. After stripping away its branches and leaves, he was left with only the bare trunk. Dragging the tree behind him, he returned to the clearing.

In this manner, Zhou Ye cut down four similar trees in succession. Then he dug several holes at the four corners of the clearing and planted all four trees upright.

Zhou Ye went to the stream again. Stepping across the rocks in the water, he entered the bamboo grove on the other side. He cut down another four fairly thick bamboo poles, along with a number of bamboo stalks of varying sizes.

After cleaning the bamboo as well, he was left with only the poles. He cut them to roughly equal lengths, tied the thick poles onto the four upright tree trunks at a height a little over a man's head, and built a square frame. Then he laid the other bamboo poles side by side, bound them securely with hemp rope, and made a bamboo platform across the top.

Amid all the bustling work, it was soon time for dinner.

To his surprise, Basic Chopping had actually gained 1 experience point? Zhou Ye fell into thought. The chopping efficiency of an axe should be about the same as that of a machete... right?

He lit three bonfires around the area and scattered a ring of beast-repelling powder. After dinner, Zhou Ye climbed onto the bamboo platform again. Using the short bamboo poles left over from the day, he tied another circle of bamboo fencing around the platform, chest-high.

That was right—Zhou Ye intended to sleep on top of the bamboo platform. Up high, there would be far fewer dangerous beasts.

He moved his tent onto the platform and set it up. He also placed his waist saber and bow and arrows inside the tent. With the tent as shelter, there were at least fewer insects and mosquitoes. The bamboo platform was terribly uncomfortable to sleep on, but with limited conditions, he could not ask for more...

The night passed without alarm or incident, and he slept soundly until morning...

When morning came, Zhou Ye woke and climbed down from the bamboo platform. It was much safer, but the hard bamboo poles had left his entire body aching. It would be best to lay down a layer of dry grass; that would make it much more comfortable.

This was important. Remember it!

And cutting grass with a knife or axe was inconvenient. It would be best to have a sickle. Remember that too!

After breakfast, Zhou Ye, filled with happiness, made another circuit around his Little Homestead.

After inspecting it carefully, Zhou Ye settled on the location of his Little Homestead. It would be here, roughly thirty paces long and thirty paces wide. It did not need to be too large; a few rooms and a courtyard would be enough for one person. This temporary shelter would sit in a corner and could later serve as a place to pile up miscellaneous items.

He marked the four corners of the Little Homestead. As for where the buildings inside would go, he could consider that over the next few days. He had to think it through in detail and make thorough arrangements.

This was equally important. He had to remember it!

At that moment, Zhou Ye could not help laughing a few times. There seemed to be far too many things to remember; it would be best if he could write them down with paper and pen. Speaking of paper and pen, the Old Camp should have some, right? They burned charcoal there, and the soldiers had needed to divide accounts, so they had always kept ledgers.

He came to the side of the clearing. The terrain here was flat and close to the stream, so he should be able to reclaim a few mu of farmland. Watering it would be convenient as well. He needed to remember this too—he had to find some seeds.

Although the Old Camp had plenty of stored grain, he might live here for a long time. He had to prepare for danger in times of peace; when he had time, he still needed to farm. Besides, how could he possibly wrong the farming talent ingrained in his race?

These were the Little Camp's near-term plans. After thinking them through, Zhou Ye took his machete into the woods and began chopping.

No matter what, his highest priority was still strengthening himself. He could also cut down trees while he was at it. During future construction, there was no way he would ever complain about having too much wood.

After chopping for about an hour, Basic Chopping gained another 1 experience point.

This time, Zhou Ye was fairly certain. If he chopped with full concentration for an hour, he could gain one experience point. And the effects of the machete and axe were basically the same.

He dragged the felled trees to the edge of the Little Homestead. Wiping away sweat, Zhou Ye took a large gulp of water and rested for a while.

But just then, a new thought suddenly came to Zhou Ye—why not try the standard-issue waist saber from the army?

With that thought, Zhou Ye immediately switched to the waist saber. Drawing it from its sheath, he regained that focused state and began slashing forcefully through the air.

After all, the waist saber was a dedicated weapon, and Zhou Ye did not have many around him. He simply could not bear to use it to chop trees.

Yet this kind of chopping practice had roughly the same effect. If anything, because it was a specialized weapon, Zhou Ye found it even easier to handle.

But after only a quarter of an hour, Zhou Ye suddenly sensed that something was wrong and could not help letting out a startled, "Eh?"