Chen Lan found a relatively clean stone and sat down. First, she bought a large basket in the system and put the more than a hundred wild eggs she had just collected from the system warehouse into the large basket.
She was about to sit down and rest, waiting for Xiang Xi and the others to arrive, and also thinking about how to proceed in the future. As she thought, Chen Lan felt that this wouldn't work. If everyone lived together, it would be inconvenient for her to casually take things out from her space. Her own family was already used to the existence of her father-in-law.
However, others didn't know about her father-in-law's situation. What would they think if they knew? That was hard to say.
Also, she had forgotten that Lin Mao could also drive. She first purchased the bulldozer Lin Mao was supposed to drive from the system and released it. Then, another bulldozer was released, flattening another patch of wild grass as tall as a person. Now there were no more wild pheasants or wild eggs, as Chen Lan had already collected them all.
Next, Chen Lan released all the light steel villa components and related building materials she had custom-ordered in the system long ago: light steel frame, all building materials, light steel keel, light steel plates, and a series of supporting materials and equipment, as well as matching construction tools, still red bricks, steel bars, imitation stone paint, solar power generation panels, and other materials, including supporting construction tools. This again flattened a large area of grass that was half a person high.
Chen Lan used her mind to access the system and check the weather forecast for the next fifteen days. The forecast showed that it would rain continuously for three days seven days later.
Therefore, she needed to finish preparing the foundations for the five houses in the next few days. Otherwise, if they had to pour the foundation again later, it would be difficult to explain the cement, sand, and red bricks.
She could release more sand and red bricks without any issue, but not cement. Cement had a shelf life and was sensitive to water.
Chen Lan looked at the system time. Twenty-five minutes had passed since Xiang Xi left. She estimated that Xiang Xi had just returned to their location, and it would take at most another twenty-five minutes for him to gather his men and bring them over.
Chen Lan stopped hesitating and immediately took action. She opened the system and purchased 500 bags of cement for the light steel villa foundations, 500 tons of sand, 20,000 red bricks, and 2 tons of steel bars. She also released ten handcarts for transporting cement and gravel. She would release these first and add more secretly later if needed. After all, with so many items, no one knew the exact quantity.
These were all materials for building the strip foundations of the light steel villas. Strip foundations had good seismic performance and good load-bearing capacity.
There were also ten large rolls of plastic film, intended for covering the cement.
Chen Lan deliberately walked a distance forward before releasing these materials, which again flattened a large area.
After finishing these tasks, Chen Lan felt very tired and weak. She guessed that using her mind too much had drained her physical energy, and she had overused it again today. Chen Lan quickly found a nearby stone and sat down to rest.
Chen Lan had not been sitting for three minutes when she heard voices. She turned her head and saw that Xiang Xi had brought the others over. Lin Mao, Uncle Fu, Uncle De, Zhou Jicheng, and his four students also followed.
Chen Lan quickly stood up and greeted Uncle Fu, Uncle De, and everyone else. No one responded to Chen Lan. They were all stunned. Chen Lan didn't care about their astonishment. She uniformly gave the operating manuals for the excavator and bulldozer to Xiang Xi, and handed a large stack of blueprints and installation manuals for the light steel keel villa to Zhou Jicheng. As long as these blueprints and manuals were read carefully and diligently, they would understand, and she wouldn't need to explain them one by one. Even if she explained, it might not be as clear as the manuals.
Chen Lan gathered everyone and said, "Uncle Fu, Uncle De, Teacher Zhou, and everyone else, starting from now, we will build a home for ourselves. From now on, everyone will have to work hard! You have also seen that the building materials and tools are in place. The rest depends on our own efforts."
Everyone responded in unison, "No problem, Xiao Lan, you can rest assured! Just watch us!"
Chen Lan continued, "Uncle Fu, Uncle De, Teacher Zhou, when we build houses in our hometown, they are always built facing south, right?"
The three of them nodded and replied in unison, "Yes! That's right!"
After hearing them, Chen Lan pointed north with her finger and said, "Then we will build our houses at the foot of the northern mountain. As for how far from the mountain, you all have more experience than I do. You should discuss and decide. My suggestion is to reserve front and back yards. As for the specific size of the front and back yards, as I said, you discuss and decide. Also, leave enough distance between the houses, which will be convenient for future expansion if the family grows. After speaking, she handed a tape measure to Teacher Zhou.
After speaking, Chen Lan left them to discuss. She walked over to find Xiang Xi and the drivers who were studying the excavator and bulldozer.
As Chen Lan approached, she called out, "Xiang Xi, Xiang Dong Ge, Er Hu Ge, come here for a moment. I have something to tell you."
Everyone stopped their research and walked over together.
Xiang Xi asked, "Xiao Lanzi, what is it?"
Chen Lan pointed to the foot of the northern mountain and said, "After you figure it out, start from the foot of the northern mountain and level the ground forward. Ask them how wide it needs to be leveled," she said, pointing to Teacher Zhou and the others.
"Oh! Comrade Xiang Xi, the foundation needs to be dug about one meter deep, at least not less than eighty centimeters. Here, take this tape measure," Chen Lan said, handing Xiang Xi a tape measure.
Chen Lan turned and walked towards the bulldozer, asking as she walked, "Xiao Xigua, who has the car key for the bulldozer?"
Lin Mao, who was standing by the bulldozer, replied, "I have it. Here," he said, handing the key to Chen Lan.
Chen Lan took the key and thanked him. She then said to Lin Mao, "Watch carefully how I do it." After speaking, she climbed onto the bulldozer and then asked Lin Mao to sit next to her. Once Lin Mao was seated, Chen Lan accelerated and started the engine. The bulldozer began to move.
Chen Lan explained to Lin Mao while leveling the bulldozer's scoop with the ground and moving forward along the foot of the northern mountain. Soon, the shoulder-high wild grass, small branches, and small slopes were cleared away, revealing the fertile black soil.
Chen Lan and Lin Mao made three passes with the bulldozer, and soon a large area of flat black land appeared before everyone's eyes.
The group of people who were discussing the specific location of the houses and the size of the front and back yards also came over to watch the commotion. Upon seeing the large area of black land cleared by the bulldozer, there were gasps of astonishment.
Uncle De had the loudest voice. He said, "I've only heard people say that although the land outside the pass is a harsh and cold place, it is rich in resources and fertile, with black soil. At that time, I didn't believe it. I thought, you say it's black soil and fertile, so crops would grow well! Why do you still call this a harsh and cold place? Now I see, they really didn't lie. It is indeed black soil. It seems we really made the right choice, haha..." He then burst into laughter.
Everyone chimed in, "It's really black soil, we really made the right choice!"
Chen Lan thought to herself, "You made the right choice indeed. You might not feel it now, but in a few years, you won't leave even if you're asked to."