Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System

Chapter 381 - 186: Shelter: The Most Common Structures Are Those Tested by Time and Nature [Update 2]

For the next two days, Li Younan continued to go out foraging in the morning and worked on his shelter in the afternoon.

Since most of his energy was still focused on the shelter, Li Younan did not venture far from the shelter’s area, instead foraging nearby.

Every day he had some harvest, but there were no traces of large animals. Fortunately, Li Younan was not anxious at all.

The smoked fish on the first day was quite a failure, not thoroughly smoked, and by the second day, the taste had already changed somewhat.

Luckily, Li Younan didn’t care and directly said to the camera, "This trout is a bit off in taste, indicating our smoking technique is not yet perfect. Although it’s not yet spoiled, to ensure the best flavor, we shouldn’t eat it."

Regardless of whether the phrase "to ensure the best flavor" would provoke the audience’s anger... standing up for the other contestants who are hungry and freezing.

So, the leftover trout from the first day became bait for his fishing on the second day.

Li Younan’s fishing skills ensured he always had a catch every time he went out to fish, and the fishing spot was so near his camp.

So here’s the question: since he can eat fresh fish, why bother with eating overnight fish?

Thinking about this, Li Younan had already decided, if he wants to eat fish, he’ll go fishing; he’ll catch as much as he wants to eat.

Mind you, even in winter, ice fishing is an option, so there’s no worry about running out of fish to eat.

For Li Youran, ice fishing might even be easier than the current fishing method... In winter, food is scarce, making fish more likely to bite.

It’s currently summer, and apart from trout, the easiest fish to catch are coho salmon and bull trout.

On the first day, Li Younan caught some trout, and on the second day, he planned to try a different flavor.

After catching the first trout, he thought for a moment and said to the camera, "Folks, today I want to try a different flavor of fish. We can save this fish as bait to attract other large animals, like bears...so we need to catch another fish today."

Then he continued using his masterful fishing skills, explaining to the camera while fishing, "Compared to trout, coho salmon and bull trout are easier to catch this season. For coho salmon, it’s best to use a float with a swivel to lure them, but our conditions are limited, so today we’ll mainly consider bull trout. Our fishing gear is limited, so we need to use some special methods to ensure the bait reaches the water layer where this fish is located."

After a dazzling display of operations and an hour of effort, he actually managed to catch a bull trout.

Since fishing doesn’t take much time, he spent the rest of the morning continuously searching near the forest by the shelter, mainly gathering cattail-type tubers, which are important sources of carbohydrates later on.

Aside from that, berries should still be gathered, but their quantity is small, and collecting them is inefficient, best if found incidentally, but no problem if not.

Despite this, over these three days, he managed to gather a full basket of blackberries and two baskets of tubers.

To make gathering easier, he made two new vine baskets by the firelight at night, one of which was larger, used to store these foods at the camp.

His harvest was incredibly substantial, benefiting not just from his meticulousness but also from the ability boost provided by the system.

At this point, Li Younan truly realized how much the botanist skill helped him—his mind held a precise and clear understanding of the habits of these plants, intuitively knowing which environments were more likely to harbor such tubers.

Over these few days, he searched almost the entire sector centered on the camp, within about a kilometer radius, in a 270-degree arc inland.

Only with such ability could he accomplish this; other contestants relying solely on luck, even if given 20 days, might not search it all.

After all, whether a particular area would have tubers, Li Younan could tell at a glance, his efficiency far surpassing the other contestants by countless times.

Now with two and a half baskets of tubers, he already had enough to grind a reasonable amount of starch, though he didn’t have suitable tools, so he temporarily stored them.

Food collection yielded these results, and all his afternoons over the three days were scheduled for continuing work on his shelter.

Unlike others, before building his shelter, Li Younan already had a clear plan in mind regarding its specifics, what it should look like, and what materials were needed, as familiar as the back of his hand.

These three days mainly involved preparing materials for the main frame of the beam lifting structure, peeling transported wood as the first step, and then crafting the beam frame using mortise and tenon techniques.

The factors limiting Li Younan in this task were tools, as he only had a saw and an ax, without a carpenter’s plane, making this task indeed troublesome, but for Li Younan, the thing he lacked least at present was time.

After peeling all the required wood, exposing the smooth wood core, Li Younan began assembling the beam frame.

Specifically, Li Younan first used mortise and tenon techniques on the ground to connect the main supports securely, then in one go pushed up the wood frames at both ends of the house, temporarily fixing them with a piece of wood.

It is worth mentioning that at this moment, when setting up the raise-beam structure, one can utilize a mortise and tenon system that doesn’t require drilling. Given Li Younan’s level of woodcrafting skill, he naturally chooses the most appropriate mortise and tenon for the conditions, even able to craft it with just an axe and saw.

Before proceeding, Li Younan didn’t forget to further solidify the foundation, especially the part planned as the base. He dug a pit and filled it with stones inside to ensure it wouldn’t sink.

Throughout this program, most participants’ shelters are notably low, but Li Younan’s is different. Although it’s also for one person, he employs a raise-beam structure, allowing for a secure height, with the overall reaching two meters tall, preventing a sense of oppression inside.

While working, Li Younan explained to the camera: "This is the most traditional and common wooden construction structure in China."

"In fact, when building structures in the wild, my advice is to opt for the most common structures and avoid those niche constructions as much as possible."

"This type of structure is widely distributed from the north to the south in our country. What does this signify?"

"It signifies it has withstood the test of history and can adapt to any climatic environment."

Using mortise and tenon, even without any special reinforcement, the entire beam framework of the house remains extremely sturdy and stable—the main beams are as thick as a human thigh, and the grip of the mortise and tenon joint itself is strong enough to support the whole frame.

This process in the video doesn’t appear complex and even seems quick, yet it would be impossible for any other participant to achieve the same.

Firstly, Li Younan’s woodworking skills are already superb, allowing him to create usable mortise and tenon even with just basic tools like an axe and saw. For others, even with a full set of tools and a blueprint, crafting such a precise structure would probably still be unachievable.

Secondly, Li Younan’s physical condition has vastly exceeded the norm after multiple skills enhancements, and even during long-duration, intense labor, he remains full of energy.

By the third day, Li Younan had completed constructing two sets of raise-beam frames. Next, he needed to erect them individually and add transverse beams to prevent collapsing, thus completing the house’s framework.

In the evening, looking at the two sets of raise-beam frames on the ground, Li Younan spoke to the camera with a touch of emotion: "Folks, while working today, I suddenly had a realization regarding the protection of intangible cultural heritage."

"Every country has its intangible cultural heritage, and this Chinese house structure is a precious intangible cultural heritage of our country. Standing here today, replicating the craft of our ancestors, fills me with an indescribable sentiment."

"With technological advancements, reinforced concrete is gradually replacing this traditional construction craft, and maybe in decades or over a hundred years, this traditional construction method will be phased out."

"After all, despite withstanding thousands of years of historical tests, it doesn’t surpass the modern reinforced concrete-built houses in any aspect."

"Perhaps only in these alone in the wilderness types of programs can we witness its elegance once more... but I still hope these skills can be passed down because if one day they can only be seen in museums or old videos, thinking about it, isn’t that a rather poignant thought?"

After resting for a night, on the fourth day since arriving here, Li Younan began erecting the frames officially.

That morning, after a simple breakfast, Li Younan prepared to commence work.

He told the camera: "You know, in our country, building a house is a very important affair. On the day we erect the wooden frame, we hold a grand groundbreaking ceremony, especially for these traditional wooden houses; we burn incense and pay homage to our ancestors, seeking their protection."

The more abroad he was, the more Li Younan treasured these traditional rituals; before raising the frames, he also conducted a simple ceremony in front of the camera.

There were cypress trees here, which make excellent incense materials. Li Younan burned some cypress incense, plainly yet ceremoniously paid respects to the ancestors, placing the heads of three fish he slaughtered on a wooden stump, inserting three sticks of cypress incense, and amid the swirling smoke, he respectfully bowed three times toward the east.

The first rays of the morning sun fell on Li Younan, after which he began to erect the structure.

Due to meticulous preparations beforehand, this step didn’t take much time.

Li Younan had already set up a temporary supporting stake before raising the structure. After setting up the raise-beam frames, he braced them against the stake, and then followed the same method to erect the second frame.

The next critical step was placing transverse beams on the two raise-beam frames, allowing the entire wooden house to stand firmly.

The whole process went smoothly. Li Younan then removed the temporary supporting stake and proceeded to place all other transverse beams to further stabilize the structure.

To ensure the structure was impeccable, after fitting the transverse beams, he immediately placed purlins and the topmost beam known as the ridgepole, completing the frame of his shelter.

However, for now, it was just a frame. The next steps involved continuing to refine the roofing tiles and walls.

The whole construction, compared to a real traditional Chinese house, was much more miniature. Li Younan estimated it had a layout of about 3 meters by 3 meters, with a height reaching roughly two meters, but in the context of the Alone in the Wilderness program, such a structure could already be termed a giant.

With approximately 9 square meters of space, there was enough room for Li Younan to make a fireplace, fill the corners with firewood, make a large bed, and even place a dining table.

After completing this work, it was already afternoon. Looking at his work with great satisfaction, Li Younan turned to the camera and said: "Folks, next we need to lay purlins on the roof so that we can then cover with waterproofing fabric or thatch, achieving perfect wind and rain protection."

Nevertheless, the structure was still in a semi-finished state, and the four sides were still leaking air.