Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System

Chapter 382 - 187: Choosing a Shelter: I Want Them All!

(ps: An extra Chapter is here! Asking for votes!)

On the fourth day, Li Younan finally managed to construct the main structure of the house. Next, he needed to lay down rafters on the roof, the sloped layer beneath the tiles.

With the rafters installed, he could lay thatch, waterproof cloth, or, if feeling a bit luxurious, even tiles on top.

It’s worth mentioning that Li Younan was selective about the wood he chose. The main framework of the house used another advantageous tree species found around the lake, the white spruce and black spruce. These trees have tall and straight trunks, with wood that is light and tough, easy to cut and split, and naturally resistant to decay, making them ideal for the shelter’s posts, beams, rafters, and other core framework.

To facilitate working at heights, Li Younan took some time in the afternoon to make an A-frame ladder for himself, also using the mortise and tenon structure.

Li Younan displayed his mortise and tenon techniques in front of the camera, saying: "There are many types of mortise and tenon joints that can connect wood pieces perpendicularly."

"Limited by our current conditions, without a chisel, just an axe and a saw, we’ll try to use this relatively simple yet strong mortise and tenon joint — the dovetail joint."

"I encourage everyone to try this joint; it’s very convenient. Just do it like this... like this... and then like that... that... hammer it in, and the connection is complete. It’s very sturdy without any glue."

While laying the rafters, Li Younan wasn’t as meticulous and didn’t bother to peel the bark. He just cut grooves at necessary places and laid them directly.

After all, his house wasn’t as large as a real ancient dwelling. Everything was scaled down, so the rafters were relatively small too.

Having laid the rafters, Li Younan then turned his gaze towards the temporary shelter, which had a waterproof cloth on top. However, for now, he couldn’t take the waterproof cloth to cover the new house yet, as it wasn’t ready for living, because the walls weren’t done.

During his break, Li Younan began to think about what material to use for the walls.

He considered making bricks but dismissed the idea.

Truth be told, although bricks have great advantages, making so many bricks would take too much time and effort. First, a big kiln would need to be dug for burning the bricks, then enough wood has to be chopped and constantly fed into the kiln, and finally, they need to be brought over to use. Without ten days to half a month, it’s tough to finish building the four walls.

This meant he would have to live in the temporary shelter for much longer.

No need for that.

So, making bricks for walls was the first idea Li Younan dismissed.

Of course, if later on, Li Younan had ample free time, doing this wouldn’t be a problem. Bricks are quite useful, like for building a fireplace. Even if he wanted to make a change in the future, he could always add a layer of bricks inside or outside the house.

Three more feasible options followed. The first was to build earthen walls.

Li Younan had observed that the clay here was of good quality. Mixing in some special grasses could further increase its adhesion, and ash from the daily fires would be readily available. With his carpentry skills, he could make a mold, providing a natural condition for tamping earth blocks.

The advantage of earthen walls is better insulation; thick earthen walls can greatly resist cold wind, locking in indoor temperature. Plus, given this location, it’s naturally sheltered from the wind, making it quite comfortable even when winter comes.

The downside of earthen walls is they take time and effort, but it’s far less than making bricks.

The second option was to directly build cladding walls using wood, a quicker method. At Li Younan’s speed, he could build the wooden house in at most two days.

The last method involved building stone walls. After much consideration, Li Younan decided he wanted to do them all.

Each method had its advantages, and Li Younan’s plan was to primarily base the walls on earthen construction. He would first set up a framework with arm-thick foundation stakes and then fill it with rammed earth.

Foundation stakes work like toothpicks in tofu, providing load-bearing support.

This would effectively enhance the structural stability.

Meanwhile, two positions would be left open. One fit a window made of wooden mixed with adobe, not too large, allowing natural light during the day.

On another wall, stone would be stacked to make a stove, integrating the chimney with the outer wall, solving both heating and smoke exhaustion efficiently.

Without delay, this period, Li Younan planned to dedicate all his non-foraging energy to building a shelter.

...

Each time he went out, Li Younan took his bow and arrows with him. Unfortunately, after several days, he hadn’t encountered an opportunity to use them. As for menacing bears, he hadn’t caught a glimpse of one.

Still, Li Younan wasn’t reckless enough to hope a bear would show up at his doorstep.

Fishing brought daily yields, complemented by carbohydrates. Currently, his body had no issues at all, and Li Younan even thought his weight might have increased a little.

But eating fish as the main meal every day, with carbohydrates as just an embellishment, was starting to get a bit tiresome.