After downing a large bowl of salt and sugar water, Huaiyu let out a long breath, feeling as though she had regained some strength.
She picked up the multi-functional shovel and stood in front of the door, gesturing and planning her next move.
Of course, the toilet couldn't be built right next to the house, so Huaiyu decided to turn the area in the middle into an open-air storage shed—
With a roof, the dry hay that posed a danger inside the treehouse could be stored outside. The roof would also double as a corridor, and on the other side, she could build the toilet shed.
This way, on rainy days, she wouldn't have to worry about getting drenched while walking to the toilet.
She carefully selected the spot, and then began to organize the tree trunks.
She sawed off all the branches and piled them aside for later use as firewood.
Next, she found the "Y"-shaped branch points on the trunks and tried to keep the height consistent. Then, she placed thinner branches horizontally across the branch points, using tree vines and grass ropes to secure them as much as possible.
Finally, two "匚"-shaped structures appeared, both turned 90° to the right.
Huaiyu measured the distance between the tree trunks and dug a pit for each one, making it deep enough, then placed the trunks into the pits to secure them.
This work was tough for one person, but since it was just a temporary structure, a rough job was acceptable.
After crossing two beams above to form an "X"-shaped structure from a bird's-eye view, the first frame of the shed was complete.
But it wasn't finished yet.
She used four of the eight trunks, and the horizontal beams were made from thinner branches. Huaiyu thought for a moment and then set up another identical frame about one meter away.
By 3 PM, the frame was finished.
Next, she began covering it with grass mats.
To save on tree trunks, the shed was only about 1.8 meters high, but with two sheds and the space in between, the total length was over five meters.
Honestly, it was quite spacious.
Especially since Huaiyu had built it herself, it felt even more spacious.
But at 1.8 meters high, it was impossible for her to reach the top to cover the shed with mats, so she had to use a clumsy method.
— By stacking bricks.
She huffed and puffed as she carried red bricks from all directions, finally stacking them high enough for her to stand on. She then connected the grass mats piece by piece, tying them tight. To prevent rain from leaking through due to her poor craftsmanship, she added an extra layer.
After securing everything a second time and tightening it, she finally felt satisfied.
The toilet's location took up a quarter of the second frame.
Grass mats hung down on all four sides, with three sides secured, leaving one side open for the door.
From the outside, there was a large blind spot.
Once inside, Huaiyu began digging a pit in the blind spot, creating a deep, rectangular hole about 60 cm long and 20 cm wide.
The soil she dug up was not wasted—she piled it behind the squat pit and placed a long, thick branch beside it.
This way, after using the toilet, she could simply use the branch to cover the pit with a layer of soil.
She dug so deep because Huaiyu didn't want to dig out the toilet later. She also placed a row of thin branches around the pit to secure the soil layer, preventing the topsoil from collapsing.
With that, the toilet was done!
She admired her work from all angles, then headed outside, bringing the dry hay from the treehouse and piling it near the toilet door.
This made it even more concealed.
Perfect!
She was practically a genius!
But the work wasn't over.
Normally, when people build frames, they use heavy pounding or cement, but she hadn't bought anything. Instead, she stacked the bricks she had used for stepping on around the eight tree roots, offering herself a little psychological comfort.
She didn't waste anything else, using it to lay a layer on the ground.
There wasn't enough, so she huffed and puffed, carrying more bricks. By the end, she had covered the entire toilet area, leaving only the space for the branch to cover the soil.
It was already dark.
The work didn't look like much, but it was incredibly exhausting and time-consuming. However, now that Huaiyu looked at everything she had done, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
From today on, her clothing, food, shelter, and transportation were all sorted!
She grabbed her flashlight and collapsed back onto the bed, not bothering to undress, hugging her sleeping bag and falling into a deep sleep.
In the night breeze, the scent of roses mixed with the thick moisture filled the air, and the unique energy slowly flowed toward the treehouse.
The rose in the vase on the bedside table, which added so much comfort to the wooden house, began to gently sway.
Meanwhile, Huaiyu, lying there, breathed peacefully, unaware of it all.
...
"Ah-choo!"
Huaiyu sneezed loudly and woke up groggily. The treehouse was pitch black, with only a faint light spilling in from the edges of the door.
She sat up on the bed, dazed for a moment, then suddenly felt a chill. When she opened the door, a gust of cold wind rushed in!
"Hiss!"
So cold!
She quickly pulled back inside, put on her new down jacket, took a deep breath, and then rolled the door back up.
The next moment, she froze.
"It's raining..."
Last night, while she had been fast asleep, light rain had fallen. Now, the air carried a slight earthy smell, and the ground was wet, with the distant grass and trees all covered in a layer of fuzzy green!
Huaiyu turned her gaze to the interior of the treehouse—it was still dry, no leaks.
Looking over at the shed and toilet—they were intact, undamaged!
Only the edges of the red bricks had darkened, showing that they had been exposed to rainwater.
The morning broadcast hadn't started yet. Huaiyu checked the time—it was only seven o'clock. In the distance, Sanqing Mountain was shrouded in layers of mist, and even the petals on the rose corridor were damp, with the leaves a vivid green.
She stood there stunned for a moment, then suddenly turned and went inside—
"It's time to pick wild vegetables!"
She slung her basket over her shoulder, not even bothering to bring the multi-functional shovel, and ran straight up the mountain.
Although the rain had stopped, she didn't know if it would start again today, so she had to hurry!
She was already familiar with the mountain path, but Sanqing Mountain was vast, and the once-traveled paths had long since been covered by plants. Huaiyu carefully followed her previous markings. Not long after, she spotted the pearl flowers she had marked!
After a spring rain, she felt the energy of all the plants stirring, ready to bloom and grow.
The grass and trees would sprout quickly, and the roots would spread even further. The pearl flowers she was looking at, after just one day, had already sprouted more dense tender leaves and buds!
Without hesitation, she set down her basket and began pulling at the branches, happily picking the green buds, the joy of the moment clear on her face!
This tree wasn't particularly tall, but by the time Huaiyu finished picking, she had gathered nearly half a basket!
She looked at the bare branches, then gently touched them, feeling a subtle surge of energy. She whispered softly,
"Sorry."
The next moment, Huaiyu released her grip.
From this angle, she could see a patch of tender wild mushrooms growing on the large tree trunk diagonally ahead!
Wild mushrooms!