Early the next morning, before dawn, the Xu Family courtyard entrance was already packed with people.
Not only were there people coming to work, but many idle villagers also came to watch the excitement, wanting to see what the "gray mud" had turned into.
When they walked into the courtyard and saw the foundation, everyone was stunned.
Overnight, the previously wet, gray paste had solidified into a single, cohesive unit.
Its surface was smooth, and its color had turned dark gray, looking incredibly sturdy, completely devoid of the loose appearance that earth should have.
"Hey, it really dried!"
"It looks... pretty solid."
Xu Laosan, not believing his eyes, pushed through the crowd and walked to the foundation, raising his foot and kicking a corner hard.
"Ouch!"
A scream of pain, not from the foundation, but from Xu Laosan.
He clutched his foot, grimacing in pain, hopping on the spot.
The spot he kicked didn't even leave a mark.
Seeing this, everyone erupted in an uproar.
"It's that hard?"
"Brother San, didn't you eat?" someone teased.
"Scram!" Xu Laosan's Face flushed red, feeling he had lost Face.
He picked up a broken tile from the ground, squatted down, and, with all his might, scraped it across the foundation's surface.
Screech—
A harsh sound rang out, a layer of white powder was worn off the tile, and on the foundation, there was only a shallow scratch.
At this, everyone took a sharp intake of breath.
How was this mud?
This was clearly a massive, naturally formed rock!
It was then that Xu Fan slowly walked over. He picked up a large iron hammer, used for breaking limestone, from the corner of the wall and handed it to Wang Dashan, the strongest man in the village.
"Uncle Wang, excuse me, please give it a try."
Wang Dashan looked at the hammer in his hand, then at the foundation, a little hesitant: "Nephew Fan, if this... if it breaks..."
"It won't break," Xu Fan's tone was calm.
Hearing this, Wang Dashan no longer hesitated.
He swung his arm, bringing the several-dozen-pound iron hammer down!
Dong—!
A deafening crash, making everyone's ears ring.
The entire scene was silent.
Everyone's gaze fell upon the hard ground, where there was only a shallow, fist-sized pit, surrounded by a few fine cracks.
This... this was Wang Dashan's full-force strike!
With his hammer, ordinary bluestone slabs would split into several pieces!
But this "gray mud" only had a small pit?
"My goodness..."
"This... this is a Spell! It's an Immortal Spell!"
"Xu Fan... he must be an Immortal from the heavens descended to the mortal world!"
The crowd completely exploded.
Xu Laosan slumped to the ground, his Face ashen.
He looked at the indestructible foundation, then thought of the solemn vow he made yesterday, feeling dizzy and his eyes blacking out, almost fainting.
From now on, he really had to avoid this kid.
Xu Fan ignored everyone's reactions.
"Alright, the foundation is complete," he turned and announced to the completely petrified crowd, "Now, we can start laying bricks for the walls."
The legend of "Immortal Soil" spread like wildfire, reaching the entire Xu Family Village within a day.
Those villagers who had been observing before were now filled with regret.
The next day, before dawn, many villagers, carrying dry provisions and tools, ran to line up at the Xu Family courtyard entrance, afraid that if they were late, the opportunity to learn "Immortal Spells" would be gone.
Xu Fan welcomed everyone. Under his Coordination and arrangement, dozens of people had clear divisions of labor: some were responsible for mixing cement, some for transporting bricks, some for handing tiles. The entire Construction site was bustling with activity yet orderly.
[Coordination (Beginner 35/100)]
[Coordination proficiency +1]
Wall Construction officially began.
Xu Fan personally demonstrated.
He picked up a bluestone brick with his left hand, spread a layer of cement mortar with a trowel in his right, and with a flick of his wrist, the bluestone brick landed steadily on the wall.
His movements were dazzlingly fast; brick after brick extended on the wall at an incredible speed in his hands.
[Construction (Beginner 80/100)]
[Construction proficiency +1]
"Big Brother, you're amazing!" Xu Chengbo watched from the side, dumbfounded, his eyes full of adoring stars.
"Did you understand it?" Xu Fan asked.
"I... I understood it, but it's also like I didn't," Xu Chengbo scratched his head.
"You'll know if you try it yourself," Xu Fan handed him the trowel, "Go slow, no need to rush."
Under Xu Fan's guidance, Xu Chang and Xu Chengbo also began to learn how to lay bricks.
At first, they were flustered, getting cement everywhere, and the walls they built were crooked.
But with Xu Fan's patient guidance and the strong adhesive power of the cement, they gradually got the hang of it.
Although their speed was far from Xu Fan's, the walls they built were much neater and sturdier than traditional mud walls.
The entire family worked together, leading the whole village in building new houses.
This sight brought tears to Yan Aini's and her grandparents' eyes.
The entire village was immersed in excitement.
Only one person was an exception.
Xu Laosan was now a veritable "detourer."
As soon as he saw Xu Fan in the distance, he immediately turned around, preferring to walk an extra half-mile of mountain road than to appear on the same path as Xu Fan.
This became the latest laughingstock in the village.
"Hey, look, Xu Third Uncle, the detourer, is climbing the mountain again!" A few mischievous children at the village entrance pointed at a sneaky figure in the distance and burst into laughter.
Xu Laosan heard them, stumbled, almost rolled down the hillside, drawing even more laughter.
With everyone working together, three large bluestone and tiled houses rose from the ground at a miraculous speed.
The Construction period, originally estimated to be several months, took less than ten days to take initial shape.
This day, as Xu Fan was guiding the villagers in making prefabricated window frames, a magnificent carriage stopped at the village entrance.
The person who alighted from the carriage was Zhang Desheng, the head Steward of Master Chen, Qingyang Town's wealthiest Landlord.
Zhang Desheng looked at the bustling scene before him, at the rising, uniquely shaped gray walls, and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes.
He didn't disturb anyone but walked up to Xu Fan, who was busy working.
"Young Master Xu, I trust you've been well," Zhang Desheng cupped his hands, a polite smile on his Face, but his gaze was much more serious than last time.
"Steward Zhang," Xu Fan stopped what he was doing, wiped his sweat, "What brings you here?"
Zhang Desheng glanced around and lowered his voice: "Young Master Xu, I am here on orders from my Master to specifically ask for your assistance."
"Oh?" Xu Fan raised an eyebrow, "What does Master Chen need now?"
"Alas, to be honest," Zhang Desheng sighed, his smile fading, replaced by a look of worry, "The great drought is worsening. Several rivers outside the town have dried up, and the several thousand acres of fertile land under my Master's name are now almost turning into sand."
"Seeing that this year's harvest will be a complete loss, my Master is restless, consumed by anxiety, and has fallen ill again."
He paused, his gaze fixed on Xu Fan: "I heard that Young Master Xu possesses extraordinary skills, capable of Prospecting the earth's veins and finding living water. Therefore, my Master wishes to invite you... to our Chen Family estate."
"To help us see if... we can also dig a few wells to save those several thousand acres of crops."
As soon as these words were spoken, several villagers who overheard them gasped.
To go to Qingyang Town's wealthiest Landlord, Master Chen's family, to Prospect the earth's veins and dig wells?
This was a huge matter!
Xu Chengbo's Face flushed with excitement, and he tugged hard at his Big Brother's sleeve.