Chapter 198: Completion

Forced to endure Xi Yi’s relentless bullying for three or four days, Sha Yi felt her spirit had become utterly drained. As a result, over those days, aside from eating to fill her stomach, she spent most of her time catching intermittent naps.

By the time she felt her energy had mostly recovered, the brick-and-tile houses were nearly complete. In just those few days, even the roofs had been fully constructed.

Again, they utilized the bamboo vine resin, but this time, they chose a very peculiar type of tree trunk—completely green in color, with branches and leaves not entirely removed.

According to Xi Gu, this was likely to improve the seal.

With temperatures dropping in winter, they left the branches and leaves on the trunks for insulation, filling the gaps between the trunks as much as possible where the fit wasn’t perfect.

The idea wasn’t bad, but it looked rather odd—both in terms of color coordination and the fact that the leaves hadn’t withered yet, sticking out atop the houses… it was somewhat incongruous.

Still, fortunately, the structures were already finished. Though none of the houses were particularly spacious, they were built to suit the physique of ancient humans, at least taller than modern single-story brick houses in rural areas. The only downside was the limited number of red bricks, but they were more than enough to house two or three people and store items like beds and food.

Sha Yi considered herself easily satisfied, so seeing the houses completed, she was quite pleased.

At the very least, these were far better than stone caves, and most importantly, they perfectly resolved the privacy issues between couples. For that, she was genuinely happy.

Over these days, she hadn’t seen much of Jialuo. Even when their group was utterly shocked, amazed, and envious of their houses, she hadn’t spotted him.

Only Tuge was there, smacking his wrinkled, chrysanthemum-like lips as he circled their houses.

By now, it was already lunchtime. When she woke up, the sun was high in the sky, and after half a day of work, the people had even managed to install windows in the brick houses.

Without glass, they carved large, thick logs into thinner slabs, drilled holes in the middle of one side, threaded a slender wooden rod through, and secured it in a specially reserved slot. The slab could then be rotated to let in light and air.

This idea was rather unique and clever—at least, far from what she had suggested to them. Perhaps they couldn’t think of anything better, or maybe, in their eyes, this method was simpler.

She didn’t think the design was particularly advanced, but it was indeed convenient and straightforward. At the very least, anyone could figure out how to use it at a glance. Moreover, if they ever needed to go out hunting or gathering as a group, they could stick two small wooden blocks on the inner sides of the red bricks with bamboo vine resin to prevent outsiders from pushing the windows open.

As for the doors, though not fully completed yet, they planned to finish them in the afternoon. A prototype was already ready, and she happened to see it during lunch.

This one wasn’t too different from modern doors—composed of several thin wooden slats, forming a panel of moderate thickness, with smooth, square-edged wooden pieces framing it.

The only difference was that it was a single solid piece, not hinged on one side but instead slid in from the side. The brick houses were designed this way, both inside and out.

At night, the door could be slid shut from the inside using a latch. During the day, if no one was home, it could be secured from the outside.

This wasn’t as ingenious as the window design. Since they might need to move large items in and out, they didn’t replicate the window mechanism, making it slightly less secure.

But she couldn’t blame them. In their world, locks simply didn’t exist. For important belongings, they usually left a few people behind as guards when hunting.

Sha Yi figured she could manage other things, but crafting locks was beyond her. Even if she tried using vines or twisted metal, it wouldn’t help—the men of this era were incredibly strong, capable of carrying hundreds of pounds while sprinting. Ordinary metal would be child’s play for them to bend.

So, the idea of locks had to be shelved for now.

Lunch was the same as always—the eternal roasted meat and meat broth. The only thing worth celebrating was that the mushrooms she had discovered when encountering that sinister stranger had been gathered by the women. Having gone so long without eating them, the mushrooms tasted even more delicious now.

Because of this, even the shameless Tuge caught a whiff of the aroma and came over to freeload.

Sha Yi ate plenty of mushrooms and drank a lot of broth, but she had little appetite for the roasted meat. In the end, she gave her entire portion to Xi Yi.

Xi Yi was a bit concerned, but considering she had always preferred broth over roasted meat, he accepted her share and gave her his portion of mushroom soup in return.

Sha Yi didn’t refuse.

The two of them happily swapped their meals.

Since the door latches for the brick houses were already glued in place, the afternoon’s work wouldn’t require much effort. After lunch, everyone took a collective break.

Sha Yi had planned to return to the stone cave to rest, but the impatient Xi Yi carried her off to the hot springs for another round.

Honestly, she was starting to feel a bit broken. Xi Yi seemed to have boundless energy and no restraint. Ever since their first time, he seemed constantly eager to “bully” her—and Xi Gu was his accomplice.

Her stamina was no match for theirs, and she was a size smaller. After several rounds of “torment,” she felt half-dead. She had no idea what had gotten into Xi Yi—he used to be so obedient, but now he ignored her pleas for mercy. She was helpless against him.

By the time they returned to the communal stone cave, the post-meal mess had been cleaned up, and everyone had dispersed—except for Tuge.

He seemed happy to see them return, but his words were filled with concern for Jialuo.

According to Tuge, Jialuo had gone to scout the approaching group of women, but he hadn’t returned. The man they had beaten half to death was hidden near a mud cave. Though he had recovered somewhat after being fed medicinal herbs, they still couldn’t pry any useful information from him. They didn’t dare let their guard down, so two people took turns watching him every day.

Sha Yi suspected the man would rather die than talk, so whether they could extract anything from him was irrelevant. Just as he had once lurked in the forest to spy on them and attempt to manipulate others into killing them, they could now use him in the same way.

Now, Jialuo had gone alone to gather intelligence. Whether he’d succeed was uncertain, but one thing was clear—the stubborn, venomous man could serve as their bargaining chip.

Whether the other group cared about this man’s life or not, they had nothing to lose. If the group didn’t value him, they could try other methods. If they did, they could exploit that.

They were fully prepared to confront this group, but they lacked foolproof strategies against cunning schemes.

So, they had to stay vigilant and cautious.

Thinking of Saina, he might also be scouting the new group—and he’d likely do a far better job than Jialuo. She just hoped Saina and Jialuo wouldn’t cross paths again. Right now, the three factions were on the same side. If they fought among themselves, the only beneficiaries would be the incoming group of women.

Despite her warnings, Jialuo might not take her advice to heart. On the contrary, he might seek revenge on Saina. Aside from their conflict over her, he had deep-seated hatred for Saina—especially since Saina had recently captured him. Even if it was all part of the sinister man’s scheme, Jialuo was hot-tempered, impulsive, and lacked principles. That was the real problem.

As for the female-dominated group, several days had passed since Jialuo and the others arrived. She guessed they would soon reach this area. Given the numbers on both sides, coexistence was unlikely—especially since the captured man’s murderous intent made it clear they were driven by competition.

Hoping for harmony with the newcomers was nothing but a dream.

Fortunately, their brick houses would be fully completed that day. Otherwise, they’d likely suffer even more hardships.

While she spoke with Tuge, Xi Yi sat beside her, as usual. Unlike Jialuo with his scheming mind or Saina with his ambiguous ambitions, he remained calm and steady, showing no reaction.

Sha Yi understood—he just wanted to be with her peacefully, unwilling to involve himself in power struggles.

She got him.

Tuge, however, couldn’t grasp their perspective. In the end, he brought up the merger again.

Unlike his previous stubborn insistence, this time he didn’t beat around the bush or make unreasonable demands. Instead, he was sincere, focusing solely on the merger.

Sha Yi figured he had realized the severity of the impending storm and recognized the flaws in his own group. Maybe their brick houses and new metal weapons also played a role.

They were stronger, so he likely saw joining them as the wisest choice.

Besides, Jialuo had originally intended to merge with them.

But his arrogance and scheming had ruined his plans, leaving the two groups largely separate. Had he not been so unreasonable, they might have shared these brick houses.

Too clever by half!