Chapter 18: Manor Level 18

It read on the piece of paper:

I’m very angry. The consequences are serious. Don’t call me for anything again! — He Xi.

Also, don’t barbecue outdoors. It’ll attract monsters. Idiot!!!

Tsk tsk~ Using such fancy paper just to write these few lines… would it be appropriate to call it a waste of good things or good cabbage being ruined by a pig?

However, after reading the note, Ai Ling still felt quite a bit melancholic. “Don’t call me for anything again,” which meant that the bell in her hand was going to become just a decoration?

Sigh, it was totally her fault. Knowing that this person was ridiculously picky, she shouldn’t have meddled with his room.

But the last sentence was a good reminder. She really needed to expand her house, she not only needed a kitchen, but living in a thatched hut was no good either.

After tidying up the aftermath, Ai Ling carefully planted the glowing flowers in a spot near the inside of the front yard fence, with one glowing branch in the hut and the other on the stone table.

As for the pig-shaped monster that was still making noise, Ai Ling built a small pigpen and kept it inside.

As for the crystal salt, she still had nothing to seal it in for preservation. Thinking about it, she would need to make a few simple clay jars. Later, her wheat and other things would also need containers for storage.

Sighing, Ai Ling looked at the big moon. There was really no end to the work every day.

She habitually wiped her hand on her shirt. This T-shirt was already so worn out it was like a rag.

Wait… He Xi had left, which meant she could finally take a bath today?

Great! Ai Ling immediately sprang into action once she realized.

Fetch water, boil water, take a bath.

However, using the big shell to carry water back and forth was just too, too, too slow, and she had to slowly boil it little by little.

After making several trips back and forth, Ai Ling couldn’t take it anymore and collapsed in the grass, squinting her eyes, falling asleep right there, and the whole night passed by.

In the morning, Ai Ling was woken up by the sounds of birds chirping, feeling quite disheartened. Why was taking a bath so difficult?

She truly didn’t believe it!

So, her main task for the day turned into making pottery.

She not only needed some jars but also urgently needed two buckets and a big vat.

She had already gone out to search for materials before, so the clay for making pottery was easy to find.

Using stones, she built a very simple earth kiln outside. Then, she used materials gathered on the spot to make small spice jars, medium-sized storage bowls, large storage jars, and a big water vat. She crammed everything into the kiln, added firewood, and roasted everything vigorously, burning it for a whole day and night.

When the earth kiln slowly cooled down, Ai Ling moved the items out.

Except for a few jars that had cracked and broken, most of the items were a success.

Looking at the pile of large and small jars, although they were a bit ugly, they were all incredibly useful items.

Ai Ling tied the two water buckets with small holes together using vines and found a sturdy piece of wood to make a carrying pole. This made the task of fetching water much easier.

After running back and forth more than ten times, feeling like her shoulders might break, she finally managed to fill a bath with water.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t do it, but the clay water buckets were too heavy. Every time she fetched a little bit of water, they became unbearably heavy.

She could only say that they were slightly better than the shells.

Fortunately, there were still some leftover raw scraps from when she had grilled meat for He Xi a few days ago. After roasting them and eating, she managed to keep her strength up.

Looking at the full bath of water, Ai Ling didn’t want to heat it anymore. On such a hot day, cold water was just perfect.

She first used the bucket to rinse her whole body, carefully looking around to make sure no one was watching. After confirming that no one was around, she sneaked into the hut.

【Is there a technician to solve this problem? Why can’t we see what’s inside?】

【Who is this creepy guy? Please roll away.】

【Is this your live stream? You think you can just tell people to leave? If you have the guts, cut off my internet connection!】

【……】

【Please everyone, be civilized. Don’t look if you shouldn’t. Of course, we won’t show you. It’s fine to embarrass yourself at home, but don’t embarrass the whole universe.】

【Support!】

【Hehehe, no need to be so serious, I’m just curious if Number 5 will become a different person after her bath. She’s always so dirty.】

【Hmm… that is true, hahahaha!】

【He Xi doesn’t mind, so who are you to say anything?】

【Oh, so we can’t say she’s dirty, huh? You brain-dead fans, don’t be so cocky.】

【What’s wrong with being cocky? She’s dirty, but still a thousand times more beautiful than you!】

【WTF, come out here and let’s settle this one-on-one!】

Quickly stripping off her clothes, Ai Ling climbed into the bath.

Sigh~ Ai Ling relaxed with a satisfied breath. After so many days of being dirty, the feeling of finally being able to take a proper bath was just amazing.

For this bath, she had specifically gathered some alkaline plants like soapberries that could remove dirt. Now, she was scrubbing her entire body, and all the grime on her body and face disappeared. She also cleaned her hair, making it nice and neat.

“Wash, wash, wash the bath, soapberry vines are a must, scrub and soak, clean all over, la la la…”

“Miss Ai, are you there?”

Just as she was lost in her cleaning, someone called from outside.

Startled, Ai Ling quickly sank her entire body into the water, hugging her chest and shouting, “Don’t come over! I’m… I’m sleeping! Don’t cross the fence, just wait outside. I’ll get up right away.”

“Okay, okay, Miss, you sleep first, I’ll come back later.” Judging by the voice, the gorilla had probably left.

Ai Ling let out a long breath and started scrubbing again.

Mainly, it had been so long since she had a bath, Ai Ling really didn’t want to leave the tub. She scrubbed and scrubbed, but less than ten minutes later, the gorilla from outside came back again.

“Ai Ling, are you up yet?”

Ai Ling wanted to hit someone. “I’m up, I’m up! Wait outside, I’ll be right there.”

Reluctantly, she got out of the tub, dried off with a towel, changed into new clothes, and casually wiped her hair. She quickly ran her hands through it and let it fall over her shoulder.

The gorilla was standing outside the fence, holding a few wild chicken-like little monsters, pacing around. When he turned around, he saw a beautiful little girl, freshly bathed and looking clean and refreshed, standing before him.

Her round face, big eyes, and bright black-and-white pupils blinked with joy. When she smiled, her eyes squinted, making her look especially sweet.

Despite spending the whole day in the sun and rain, Ai Ling hadn’t tanned at all. In fact, she had gotten even paler.

It could only be said that the dirt on her face had been so thick that her skin had never really had a chance to be exposed to the sun.

Although she did wash her face and body every morning and evening, it could never be as thorough as today. Plus, with all the busy days and nights, she never had the time to take proper care of herself.

Seeing the once-dirty Cinderella suddenly turn into Snow White, Yuan Muchen was momentarily stunned.

After a while, he blushed and bowed to her, saying, “Muchen greets Miss Ai. I never imagined that your true appearance would be so delicate and charming. I feel utterly unworthy and uneasy.”

Ai Ling laughed. “What are you uneasy about? The gorilla looks fine too. In our world, there’s a giant gorilla, and he’s a superstar with fans all over the world.”

Yuan Muchen was surprised. “Really? How can a gorilla become a superstar?”

“Because he’s strong and brave, kind-hearted, and even saved a beautiful woman. When people compare the tiny beauty with the giant gorilla, the visual contrast is quite striking, and they fall in love with him.”

She was making it up. She didn’t really remember what the movie King Kong was about.

Yuan Muchen, however, was very excited. “That’s great! That’s great! I will do my utmost to protect you, Miss.”

Uh… that wasn’t exactly what she meant.

“Miss Ai, look, I’ve brought you a few wild chickens. If you raise them, they should start laying eggs. Do you need them?” The gorilla raised the little monsters in his hands.

“Yes, yes, yes, of course I need them!” Eggs were a great thing, and many delicious foods in the future would rely on them.

Ai Ling quickly let Yuan Muchen in and temporarily put the wild chicken monsters and the fat pig monsters together in a pen.

Yuan Muchen carefully inspected her manor.