The children were busy picking up branches for firewood, the elderly were busy building stoves and platforms, the women were each using a hoe to dig ditches, and the men were on the mountain cutting down trees. The axes seized from the Rebel Soldiers came in handy, and Qin Sang even brought out the saw her family had bought, making the work twice as efficient.
Heizi drove the only ox cart in the group to transport the cut wood, while others were responsible for carrying it.
Carpenter Zhao and his three sons were busy hammering away. With Qin Sang's iron nails, the shelters were built quickly. Everyone was working with a surge of energy, striving to have a shelter for cover by tonight.
Qin Sang's family had a tent, so they weren't in a hurry to build a shelter. She was using extra branches to make a fence to house the chickens and rabbits they had brought.
Eldest Girl helped pick up branches, running back and forth with Da Huang without showing a hint of fatigue.
Si Jin and Er Fu brought over a large bundle of thorns. If they hadn't wrapped their hands beforehand, they would have certainly been pricked until they bled.
"Mother, is this enough? If not, there's still a lot over there."
Qin Sang glanced over.
"It's not enough. Don't carry them in your arms; just pull some vines and drag them over."
"Alright!"
The two girls then led the other girls of similar age away.
These thorns were to be used for defense. Once the shelters were built, they would make a batch of barricades and wrap them with thorns to serve as the first line of defense, which could ward off both wild beasts and Rebel Soldiers.
The five hens needed to be penned up, but their roaming area didn't need to be very large. Within a single morning, Qin Sang finished the work. She used vines to tie and secure it, and a chicken coop was ready.
"Grandma, are there enough leaves?"
Eldest Girl held up the hem of her clothes, carrying a large bundle of leaves to make nests for the hens. She was covered in leaves from her hair to her clothes, making Qin Sang unable to help but smile.
"Enough, enough. Just make sure you don't run too far, okay?"
Eldest Girl looked up with her small face and said,
"I know. Don't worry, Grandma."
"Eldest Girl, wait for me. We'll go pick up stones together in a bit." Qin Sang placed two empty eggshells into the pile of leaves and then put the hens, whose legs had been tied for three days, into the coop. She then wiped her hands, took the waiting Eldest Girl's hand, and led Da Huang to pick up stones.
Because Qin Sang's family had livestock, chickens, and ducks, she chose to settle in the area closest to the exit. Many villagers were worried that the exit would be easily found by Rebel Soldiers, so they all stayed far away from it.
Only those few familiar families were settled near Qin Sang's tent.
Qin Sang didn't mind; this was better. It would keep what her family ate and used away from the prying eyes of many people.
Eldest Girl picked up small stones to use for her slingshot, while Qin Sang moved a few larger stones to build a stove.
Tian Wenmo, who had returned from recording work with the Village Chief, saw Qin Sang busy and walked over.
"Mother, let me help you."
Qin Sang hummed in response and said,
"Alright, then move a few more large stones back to the tent. When your eldest brother and the others return from cutting trees, they'll have a place to sit."
"Okay."
Tian Wenmo tucked his paper and brush into his robe and walked toward the largest stone in sight. However, even after using all his strength, he couldn't move it.
Eldest Girl saw him struggling and ran over.
"Youngest Uncle, I'll help you."
In the end, the young boy and the small child both turned red in the face, but they still couldn't lift the stone.
By the time Qin Sang brought a stone home, the two were still struggling there. So she spoke up,
"Wen Mo, did you learn about levers in your studies?"
Tian Wenmo's mouth hung open. "Levers? What are those?"
Qin Sang thought for a moment and didn't explain directly, saying instead,
"It means prying with a stick."
"Give me a fulcrum, and I can move the entire Earth."
Tian Wenmo was skeptical. He found a wooden stick and circled the large stone for a long time, not knowing how to start.
"This..."
Eldest Girl grew anxious watching him.
"Youngest Uncle, do you really not know how to pry things?"
Tian Wenmo scratched his head awkwardly.
"Do you?" He had never done farm work since he was a child, and his mother hadn't allowed him to play with the other children in the village before.
And when they were making mosquito coils at home earlier, he had done tasks like weighing ingredients, which basically didn't require much thought.
"I do." After saying that, Eldest Girl also picked up a stick, inserted one end under the stone, and then applied force with her small hands. The large stone actually moved from the prying. However, the stick was too thin and snapped with a crack.
Tian Wenmo's eyes widened.
"Eldest Girl, you're that strong? The stone actually moved?"
Eldest Girl giggled.
"Youngest Uncle, you try."
Tian Wenmo followed what Eldest Girl had just done with some doubt. After all, an eight-year-old boy had more strength; the large stone was pried over and rolled.
Tian Wenmo was stunned. Was this what his mother called—a lever?
Tian Wenmo pried the stone all the way back home like that.
"Mother, look! We brought back such a large stone."
Qin Sang curled her lips into a smile and nodded.
"Mhm. Get a few more, but be careful not to crush your hands."
By the time Tian Wenmo brought back four or five large stones, Qin Sang had already built the stove and was preparing to cook. Tian Wenmo said again,
"Mother, I'll tend the fire."
"Sure."
Tian Wenmo grabbed a handful of branches and stuffed them under the iron pot, then opened his fire starter to light them, but he couldn't get them to catch fire no matter what.
Eldest Girl directed him from the side.
"Youngest Uncle, you have to put leaves in. Branches don't catch fire easily."
So Tian Wenmo grabbed another handful of leaves. This time, the leaves caught fire easily, but the flames soon died out.
"Youngest Uncle, you have to blow on it," Eldest Girl said with much experience.
Qin Sang was mixing the batter. Seeing Tian Wenmo flustered under Eldest Girl's direction, she didn't say anything, trying her best to suppress the smile on her lips so the boy wouldn't feel like she was mocking him.
The Original Owner had doted on him excessively, and his practical skills were almost zero. Now that they were in the mountains, the one who needed to change the most was Xiao Wu.
"Youngest Uncle, do you really not know how to light a fire?" Eldest Girl expressed her doubt.
Tian Wenmo's expression stiffened slightly, then he spoke up,
"It's just lighting a fire, what's so hard about it? I definitely know how."
After saying that, he stuffed another handful of leaves in, filling the space under the pot tightly.
"It was because there were too few leaves. Look at me this time; it'll definitely light."
Eldest Girl pursed her small mouth and waited quietly for Tian Wenmo to light the fire.
Soon, the fire flared up for a moment and then went out again. Tian Wenmo was choked by the smoke and began to cough.
"Cough, cough..."
Eldest Girl crouched down and pulled some leaves out from under the pot.
"Youngest Uncle, if you stuff it too full when lighting a fire, it won't burn. It needs some space. Prop the firewood up, then light it. Once the fire starts, add more wood slowly."
Eldest Girl nimbly propped up the branches and stuffed a few leaves inside before turning to look at Tian Wenmo.
"Youngest Uncle, try using the fire starter again?"
Tian Wenmo curled his lip.
"Can just these few pieces of wood really light up?"
Before he could finish his sentence, the flame from the fire starter instantly ignited the leaves at the bottom. In a short while, the branches also caught fire, and the flames quickly enveloped the bottom of the pot.
Tian Wenmo: "..."
Eldest Girl laughed.
"Youngest Uncle, you lit it! Back then, I didn't know how many times I had to learn to light a fire, and I even got hit a lot..."