Every weary cell seemed to cheer, and he picked up another piece of tender, braised fish. The delicate meat melted in his mouth, a flavor quite different from pan-fried or grilled.

He spent a full half hour on this lunch, finishing all the fish and mussels in the pot, not leaving a drop of soup.

He could clearly feel a powerful heat burning in his stomach, rapidly transforming into energy to sustain his work in the afternoon.

Full and satisfied, he took no rest, immediately throwing himself back into the work.

In the afternoon, as the wall was built up to the third layer, a new issue arose. Gaps resulted from the natural shape of the wood, large enough in places to fit a finger.

"The warmth of the shelter doesn't depend on how thick the wood is, but on how small the gaps are. Now, I must complete the caulking work."

Thanks to the moss he had gathered previously while collecting logs, he spread the moist moss on a flat stone, rubbing it repeatedly with his palms.

He shaped it into uniform strips, then picked up a stick with a flattened end, gradually stuffing the moss into every gap between the logs.

He started from the inside of the shelter, forcefully wedging the moss in until he felt resistance. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Then, circling to the outside, using the same method, he filled it from the outside in. The two batches of moss met and compressed in the gap, forming an airtight layer.

With each completed layer of the wall, he carefully ran his palm over it to check for any drafts.

This process was tedious and time-consuming, but the results were remarkable.

What initially seemed like a wall full of "light leaks" turned into an integral, primitive, and robust structure once filled with green moss.

Simultaneously, another project was underway: the construction of the chimney.

He mixed mud with dry grass and water, prepared earlier, to create a highly sticky mortar.

He spread the mortar evenly on the stones below, paying special attention to coat a thicker layer at the contact surface between the stone and the adjacent wooden wall.

This not only served as an adhesive but also formed a fireproof and insulating layer.

When Lin Yu'an placed the last log of the wall, he exhaled deeply.

His stock of three-meter logs was entirely used up, and the walls finally reached the height he had predetermined.

He stood at the doorway, needing to bend slightly to enter the shelter; the internal space was not tall.

The back wall, or the lowest point, stood about 1.2 meters, while the front wall, the highest point, was only about 1.5 meters. This height was intentional.

"As you can see, this shelter is extremely low."

He half-squatted in the center of the shelter, explaining to the camera: "In an extreme cold environment, space is the enemy."

"Every cubic meter of extra space you build is an additional burden you'll need extra fuel to heat."

"A low ceiling concentrates the heat generated by the fireplace into my activity area, instead of wasting it above my head."

"This height is enough for me to sit up straight, lie down, and that's all I need. Given the tight timeframe, this size shelter is the most suitable choice."

He stood in the center of the completed walls, looking around.

A solid stone foundation, heavy logs, tightly fitting saddles, moss-packed gaps, and the now-seamless stone chimney integrated into the walls.

An unprecedented sense of security surged over him!

"Main walls, completed!" he said to the camera, his voice hoarse but filled with uncontrollable excitement.

"Now, only the final and most critical task remains: building the roof!"

But it was getting dark, so Lin Yu'an had to return to the temporary shelter to rest, resuming the roofing work tomorrow.

Day twelve.

The sky was overcast, the lead-gray clouds hanging low, the air filled with the foreboding of an impending snowstorm.

A heavy snowfall could arrive at any moment! So Lin Yu'an decided not to check the traps or gather mussels today.

He had to seize the time to put a roof on the shelter before the snowstorm hit!

"Today's task is roofing," he said to the camera, his voice tinged with urgency.

"As per my design, this roof won't be a flimsy framework; it's a horizontal wall in itself."

"A barrier formed by whole logs laid side by side, it must endure snow accumulation possibly up to a meter thick in the future."

He needed timber both long enough and sturdy, yet not too heavy.

He ventured into the forest again, this time seeking straight, dried spruce or pine trees with diameters around 10-15 centimeters.

He spent the entire morning chopping and hauling back a dozen such "roof logs."

The logs were longer than the depth of the shelter, allowing them to create eaves at the front and back.

Building such a solid roof involved no shortcuts; logs had to be laid one by one.

The front wall of the shelter was 1.5 meters high, while the back wall was 1.2 meters, this natural slope designed to facilitate drainage from the roof.

Hence, all roof logs needed to follow this slope, laid vertically from front to back.

He first hefted one end of a log onto the stone base, then, using his shoulder to support the lower part, heaved it onto the top of the wall with a forceful thrust.

Then, he climbed up the wall, cautiously adjusting the position of the log.