As expected, the stir-fried wild vegetables and green peppers were the most popular at noon, fresh, tender, fragrant, slightly spicy, and slightly sweet. Chen Lan’s mouth was soothed by the spiciness that she kept slurping, but her chopsticks never stopped, constantly scooping food into her own bowl. Even the little ones, Mingzhe, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi, who usually didn’t eat much green vegetables, said it was delicious and kept picking it up.
At this point, the mother-in-law said that there was a reason why the stir-fried wild vegetables and green peppers were so delicious today.
Everyone looked up at the mother-in-law, waiting for her to continue. The mother-in-law no longer kept them in suspense.
The mother-in-law said that one reason was that they hadn’t eaten any green vegetables for several days due to the continuous travel. The second reason was that Lin Mai had stir-fried this dish today. How was it? Delicious, wasn't it? Lin Mai was responsible for stir-frying dishes in her former employer's home! Her master had learned from a master chef!
Everyone praised in unison, saying that the stir-fried wild vegetables and green peppers were truly delicious. They never expected that Lin Mao's sister, Lin Mai, also had this skill. They asked Lin Mai to show off her skills more often so they could enjoy her culinary talents.
The crowd's praises made Lin Mai’s small face blush, looking exceptionally lovely.
At this opportune moment, the mother-in-law continued, "I, the self-proclaimed kitchen manager, announce that Comrade Lin Mai will be responsible for the kitchen's stir-frying from today onwards. The others, Hu Yuzhen, Mingwei, Cuigiao, and Zhao Xiaoyue, will assist her."
The mother-in-law asked the women, "Do you have any objections?"
They all shook their heads repeatedly, and Lin Mai also shook her head with a blush.
Mingzhe called out, "Mom, what about me, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi? What are we three responsible for?"
The mother-in-law suppressed a smile and said, "You three are responsible for eating!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Mingzhe, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi also joined in with silly smiles!
After lunch, Xiangxi and the others, in order to save time, went back to the valley to work without even taking a nap.
Chen Lan couldn't hold back and took a nap with Wen Rou's mother and the children.
When Chen Lan suddenly woke up, it was already 2:30 PM. Chen Lan quickly got up, washed herself, opened the car door, and walked quickly towards the valley. The electric bike was parked at the foot of the valley. It would be a waste to buy another one in the system, and it wasn't necessary. Walking would be healthier anyway!
Chen Lan soon reached the foot of the mountain and saw the electric bike parked there. She didn't linger at the foot of the mountain and walked up the mountain. She soon emerged from the woods. The valley now looked very different from when she arrived in the morning. In the morning, the wild grass and leaves in the valley were waist-high, and wildflowers bloomed everywhere. Now, it was a bare patch of black earth. Sudan Novel Network.
Chen Lan looked to the north and saw that the foundation for the houses was already being dug at the foot of the northern mountain, and it looked almost complete. From a distance, she saw Teacher Zhou holding blueprints and talking about something.
Chen Lan hurried over. Xiangxi and Teacher Zhou saw Chen Lan and quickly went to greet her. Xiangxi said anxiously, "Little Basket, there's no water in the valley. How are we going to mix the cement now? Without a water source, how will we live in the future?"
Chen Lan smiled and said, "Little Watermelon, Teacher Zhou, don't worry."
Xiangxi anxiously said, "Can I not worry? What time is it? You're still smiling?"
Chen Lan quickly explained, "Little Watermelon, didn't you forget? We drove along the stream, which is our water source."
Xiangxi nodded and replied, "Yes! But there's a stream at the resting point, and there's no stream here."
Chen Lan said, "There is water here. There's an underground river beneath the ground. Otherwise, how could the flowers, plants, and trees here grow so lushly without water?"
Xiangxi mumbled, "Then what should we do? We need water soon. Even digging a well now wouldn't be in time!"
Teacher Zhou also nodded and said, "Yes! The foundation is already dug and is being cleared. After clearing, we will start bundling rebar and then pouring concrete."
Chen Lan interjected, "Teacher Zhou, then please follow the construction drawings and tie the rebar firmly. Don't skimp on the rebar, or the house won't be sturdy and safe to live in. This might be where we live our whole lives. Teacher Zhou, please make sure of that!"
Teacher Zhou said very seriously and earnestly, "I understand what you're saying. Don't worry, I will definitely keep an eye on this."
Chen Lan then asked, "Teacher Zhou, are there any problems with the construction of the underfloor heating?"
Teacher Zhou replied, "No problems. The blueprint is very clear, step by step, how to do it. As long as we follow the steps, there will be no problem. Don't worry! Go and get water quickly!"
Chen Lan bid farewell to Teacher Zhou and, with Xiangxi, walked into the valley along the direction of the stream. As they walked, she used her mind to scan for water within a 50-meter radius. Soon, she saw a large red dot on the 3D map, which should be the location of the underground river. She clicked on the red dot for a location reminder. The underground river was nearby. Chen Lan looked around and decided to enter the woods to check it out. After walking for less than ten minutes, when she and Xiangxi emerged from the woods, they saw a large pool of water. The water was dark green, suggesting the pool was very deep. The air was filled with moisture, and the temperature felt noticeably cooler.
At this moment, Chen Lan was very sure that this was the legendary underground river. In her previous life, when she read that travelogue, it only mentioned the existence of an underground river but not its specific location.
Chen Lan estimated the distance from here to the construction site, about 300 meters. She asked Xiangxi, "Little Watermelon, how far do you estimate this is from your construction site?"
Xiangxi thought about it and calculated, "At most 350 meters. Just count it as 350 meters."
Chen Lan immediately used her mind to open the system, click on purchase, select a 350-meter long, thick-mouthed plastic hose with a faucet, placed the order, took it out of the system warehouse, and handed it to Xiangxi to open it. She told him to put one end of the hose into the underground river and let it go deeper into the water. Xiangxi, in a daze, did as Chen Lan said. Chen Lan looked at Xiangxi and burst out laughing.
"Little Watermelon, wake up! Go and move a large stone to hold down the plastic hose here. Don't use too large a stone, or it will flatten the hose, and the water won't flow well."
Chen Lan watched as Xiangxi secured the plastic hose with a stone and continued, "You follow me back. We'll lay the hose as we go. Yes, just like that!"
When Chen Lan and Xiangxi emerged from the woods, Xiangxi was still in a daze. Chen Lan patted Xiangxi's shoulder with great force, and only then did Xiangxi snap back to reality. When he recovered, he complained, "Little Basket, you're trying to scare me to death! Next time you take something out, you have to tell me in advance, okay?"
Chen Lan repeatedly said, "Okay! Okay! Little Watermelon, are you ready? I'm going to take something else out!" With that, she took out a water pump. By the time Chen Lan installed the water pump according to the instructions and it was pumping water normally, she looked at Xiangxi, who still hadn't returned to his usual lively self. Chen Lan thought mischievously, "Scaring him more is healthier!"
Seeing that Xiangxi was still in a daze, Chen Lan explained what needed to be done to Brother Xiangdong. Then, she turned and walked towards the direction of the valley exit and the RV parking spot.