One autumn rain, one cold spell.
After several drizzling rains, the temperature had dropped significantly. The Dwarves began to wear extra jackets.
Lately, they had become obsessed with papermaking. The quality of the paper improved with each batch; even Eric’s toilet paper was much better.
After experiencing this "civilization." no one thought he was doing something frivolous anymore. They even proactively increased the production of toilet paper.
Even the Snow Wolves, after trying it once, couldn’t go back to their previous khổ sở life.
The good paper for writing and the toilet paper were carefully stored by the two chiefs in the second basement of Eric’s new house.
He found it a bit strange to have public goods stored at his house, but Thomas laughed and said:
"It’s more convenient to keep it here. Anyone who needs it can come and get it. Leaving it in the mountain cave is both far and prone to mold."
The foundation of the house was completely dry; it was time to start building. Everyone decided to build the communal kitchen first. This was a large project, involving not only all the Dwarves but also the Snow Wolves who were sent to help.
Eric’s house was also started at this time, despite his refusals. He planned to build a three-section house: one bedroom, one living room connected to the kitchen, and one warehouse.
He also wanted to fence a yard and build a separate outhouse. The scene of having to run into the forest every day to find a place to "relieve oneself" was really more than enough.
The Dwarves were very skilled at construction. When building the outhouse for him, they were so enthusiastic that they built it with sturdy bricks and tiles, with full ventilation, making it look more luxurious than many people’s homes.
Eric was speechless.
The septic pit they dug was also frighteningly large; he was afraid they would dig right into his storage cellar.
He thought, if only the Snow Wolves also used outhouses, wouldn’t there be a whole warehouse of natural fertilizer for farming next year. But then he thought of their super-sensitive noses... well, maybe he should just collect the dung of herbivores instead.
The construction progressed very quickly. When his house was one-third finished, the rough structure of Chief Joseph’s house was already complete.
He decided to try building a heated bed in his own house first. He called Eric over, and together with a few other Dwarves, they studied the blueprints. Eric only vaguely remembered seeing his grandfather repair a heated bed when he was a child, and that was over a decade ago.
He drew a crude diagram.
The Dwarves gathered around, one correcting a line, another adding a detail, and soon they had a detailed blueprint on a new sheet of paper. They were still very frugal with paper, just like the old folks in his hometown who, having lived through famine, didn’t dare to waste a single grain of rice.
According to Eric’s suggestion, the stove should be placed in the adjacent room to avoid smoke. The inside of the bed should be lined with smoke ducts, not left empty, covered with a layer of slate, and then plastered with a moderately thick layer of yellow mud.
They built a trial version, lit a fire in the stove, and smoke came out smoothly from the chimney on the other side, without any of it leaking into the house. The experiment was a success; now they just had to wait for it to dry.
The heated bed in Chief Joseph’s house was a success. The moment the first column of blue smoke rose from the chimney, everyone jumped up and cheered.
"Young Eric, we did it!" Chief Joseph excitedly looked at the smoke and turned to shout at him.
"Yes! We won’t have to worry about freezing in our sleep this winter." Eric was happy for them too.
He advised: "Before going to bed, put charcoal in the stove and cover it, and it will stay warm all night. But remember to open the door for ventilation, otherwise you’ll get carbon monoxide poisoning."
The Dwarves nodded, and one with a long beard said with a serious face: "That’s right, we must be careful. The curse of the black stone is very powerful."
A curse? Well, whether it was a curse or poisoning, as long as everyone knew how to prevent it, that was good.
The Dwarves’ houses sprang up one after another like mushrooms after a rain, looking just like the Hobbit houses in fairy tales.
They stood next to the tattered animal-skin tents of the Snow Wolf tribe, creating a strangely contrasting scene.
After finishing his own house, Chief Joseph led the "heated bed special forces" to build one for every other house.
Of course, Eric’s house received special care.
The heated bed in his bedroom was three meters wide and five meters long, almost as big as an entire Dwarf’s house. He lay down on it and felt just like a domineering CEO waking up in an 800-square-meter bed.
The Dwarves were afraid that he and Leo would grow up and turn back into their wolf forms while sleeping, causing the bed to collapse, so they went a "little" overboard.
Looking at the super-sized bed, Eric felt a little worried about how much coal it would consume this winter. But then he thought, a big bed has its advantages. He could build a low-legged table, and in the winter, invite friends over to sit on the bed, eat hot pot, and drink wine. What could be better?
He remembered the previous winters when the two brothers had to huddle by the fire, the grass-thatched roof was leaky, and the wind blew in from all sides. It was a good thing the Snow Wolves were so resilient; if they had been human, they would probably have gone extinct long ago.
The iron window the Dwarves installed for him looked exactly like the one in his old house. He suddenly remembered the jar of tree resin he had been saving for a long time. Fortunately, it had only thickened and not dried out, so it could be used as a sealant for the gaps in the window. After a successful test, he gave the entire jar to Joseph.
Watching his new house gradually take shape, a warm feeling welled up in Eric’s heart. This was no longer a lonely place to live; he had a younger brother, friends, and tribe members who loved him.
The house was built with the very bricks he had made; it could finally be called "home."
Thinking about the day he would move in, he enthusiastically started planning. There had to be a large wardrobe, a dining table, a small table on the heated bed, and plenty of chairs to entertain friends.
"Brother, is this going to be our house? It’s so beautiful, even more beautiful than Thomas’s house!" Leo ran around the room, his round eyes shining with excitement.
"I’ll make it even more beautiful." Eric smiled at his younger brother: "From now on, we won’t have to worry about the roof being blown away by the wind or leaking when it rains."
"You’re the best!" Leo looked up at him, his pure black eyes filled with admiration.
Eric gently stroked the boy’s soft golden hair, his heart melting. He thought to himself, [I’m the one who should be saying thank you]. Without Leo, he probably wouldn’t have been able to adapt to this strange world so quickly.
Autumn was the harvest season, and also the busiest. The Snow Wolves were busy hunting and storing meat for the winter.
Eric and Leo went to collect various kinds of seeds: alfalfa, wild vegetables, wild fruits, and especially wild onion seeds.
He had prepared several ceramic pots, intending to grow onions and garlic on the heated bed during the winter.
His storage cellar was now filled with all kinds of fruits, especially pomelos. Max brought him a large basket almost every day.