Chapter 236: The Lakeside Cabin, A House-Building Game

South Lake.

Ning Fei arrived at the lakeshore. Staring at the seven or eight large crates piled up by the water, a helpless expression crossed his face.

These crates were roughly three meters tall and three meters wide, nailed shut extremely tightly.

Inside them was the custom-ordered timber he had purchased from the lumberyard to build his cabin.

Aside from the crates, several bundles of neatly wrapped long beams lay on the ground. These were essential components for the cabin's construction.

Because he had gone to restore the ancient painting yesterday, Ning Fei had told the lumberyard they didn't need to rush. He had already agreed on the price and would pay them regardless.

The lumberyard had treated such a massive order with the utmost seriousness. When packing the materials, they used the highest possible specifications.

"What are those?" the viewers asked curiously upon seeing the crates.

Ning Fei set Little Fox down and explained to the livestream room, "These are the custom wooden components I ordered. The lumberyard worked day and night yesterday to rush them out for me."

"I plan to build a cabin right here by South Lake."

Realization dawned on the viewers.

"So he's building a cabin."

"These are all building materials."

"Is Temple Master Ning going to build a house all by himself?"

"A friend of mine designs wooden cabins. Building one is incredibly difficult; you need a profound understanding of timber structures to pull it off."

"Almost forgot, Temple Master Ning seems to know architecture too. Didn't he design Qingfeng Temple himself?"

"He doesn't just know architecture, he's a master at it."

"Temple Master Ning is truly a jack of all trades."

The stream exploded with chatter.

At that moment, Xiaoxiong made an appearance. Seeing him, the viewers recalled his seductive tree-rubbing dance and couldn't help but smile.

Ning Fei stretched his body lightly and said, "Log cabins come in many forms. The most popular are light wood-frame, heavy timber-frame, and log-stacking construction."

"The cabin I'm building is a light wood-frame structure."

"Because the materials are relatively light and everything is already prepped, the construction speed will be much faster."

"I remember seeing a video before where a few people built a cabin in a total of six hours. That's the fastest record."

"Today, I'm going to challenge that record."

"It is currently 1:30 PM. I will try to finish the cabin by 6:30 PM."

The viewers found this completely unbelievable.

"Five hours to build a wooden cabin? Isn't that a bit too ridiculous?"

"Coming from Temple Master Ning, anything is possible."

"Who can blame him? The man is an immortal."

By this time, Ning Fei was already moving.

He grabbed a crowbar, vaulted onto a large crate, and used the tool to pry the edges of the box open.

The viewers could now see clearly that the crates contained prefabricated parts ready for assembly: wooden wall panels, roof sections, and stairs.

Then, carrying a shovel, Ning Fei moved to a flat, slightly elevated patch of ground nearby and began digging.

"This is the first step: laying the foundation. The foundation is crucial. It protects against insects and dampness while anchoring the cabin in place. The foundation for a small cabin like this is relatively simple."

The cabin Ning Fei was building wasn't very large. It covered roughly one hundred and forty square meters, split into two rooms.

Building the foundation involved digging holes, burying wooden support posts, and then constructing a wooden floor on top of them.

"Next is the second step: erecting the frame and installing the interior and exterior walls."

Ning Fei threw himself wholeheartedly into the construction work.

Erecting the frame meant standing square timber beams at the corners of the house after the floor was laid, and securing them tightly. Then, the wall panels would be fitted into place.

Under the viewers' shocked gazes, Ning Fei effortlessly hoisted an entire wooden wall panel, fitted it into the cabin's frame, and secured it with screws.

"Do you guys think this looks like Temple Master Ning is just playing a house-building game?"

"I used to do this when I was a kid, but I played with plastic toys. Who would've thought someone would play with a real house?"

"Same here. I loved playing with building blocks when I was little."

"To be fair, the way Temple Master Ning handles those panels is something an ordinary person could never pull off."

"Don't underestimate that wooden wall. It's solid wood, after all. It's incredibly heavy."

At that moment, Ning Fei was entirely focused on building his cabin.

The little ones sitting nearby watched him intently.

With the wooden walls installed, the rough shape of the house had already emerged.

"Next, we cap the roof."

"The cabin's roof consists of the trusses, purlins, wooden decking, and waterproof roofing materials."

"It is much heavier than the walls."

As he explained, Ning Fei lifted a section of the roof. He still looked perfectly relaxed.

Setting up a ladder, he hoisted the roof section and began to climb.

One had to realize that each roof section was roughly two meters long, one meter wide, and nearly twenty centimeters thick.

A timber component of that size weighed at least a hundred jin.

Yet Ning Fei simply held the roof section aloft, keeping his perfect balance as he stood on the ladder.

The viewers broke out in a cold sweat watching him.

Was he performing acrobatics on top of everything else?

Ning Fei then set the roof section onto the cabin's assembled frame. It fit seamlessly together, perfectly covering one side of the cabin.

He tested it by trying to shift the roof section. Once he confirmed it was perfectly secure, he climbed up and started driving the screws in.

The drone ascended high into the air.

Looking out, the shot captured mountains, water, and spiritual beasts. It was utterly beautiful.

Ning Fei simply continued his busy work with absolute focus.

Little Fox was quite agile. Seeing Ning Fei climb onto the roof, she actually followed, hopping up the ladder rung by rung. Her graceful movements lit up the viewers' eyes.

Down below, Little Dog watched how nimble Little Fox was and let out a few barks, its voice full of envy.

Up on the roof, Little Fox sat on her haunches next to Ning Fei, watching him.

Ning Fei, meanwhile, kept securing the screws.

After fastening this side of the roof, Ning Fei noticed Little Fox beside him. He smiled, scooped her up, and carried her back down the ladder. He then moved the ladder to the other side and began securing the next roof section.

From 1:30 PM until around 5:30 PM, Ning Fei worked continuously on building the cabin by the lake.

The viewers watched him start from laying the foundation to slowly erecting a house piece by piece.

Those who watched continuously didn't feel the speed was anything crazy, but some viewers had popped out to handle errands. When they returned to the stream two hours later, the cabin had completely transformed.

Moreover, building a cabin was never a simple task. It involved a wealth of knowledge concerning architecture and timber structures.

The slightest carelessness could result in an irreparable flaw at any stage, causing the entire project to fail entirely.

Yet looking at Ning Fei, every single step he took was steady and precise.

His method of securing the wood and the way he assembled the structure were flawless. Even if a log cabin design expert were invited to evaluate his work, they wouldn't be able to pick out a single fault.

The kicker was that he was incredibly fast.

At around 6:20 PM, Ning Fei finished securing the cabin's crossbeams, driving the final screw tightly into the wood's groove.

He stepped outside, stretched lazily, and said with satisfaction, "It's finally done."

Ning Fei looked back at the cabin. The drone's camera followed his gaze, panning over to capture the structure.

There, by the edge of the lake, an exquisite wooden cabin suite had risen from the ground. The suite consisted of two rooms: a master bedroom and a recreation room.

The cabin's exterior was a light brown, the natural color of the timber. Since Ning Fei had purchased top-quality building materials, a faint, fresh scent of cut wood still lingered in the air.

"So beautiful."

The viewers couldn't help but gasp in awe at the sight.

"Traditional wooden cabins like this use the most natural building materials," Ning Fei said softly as he stood beside the house.

"Traditional materials like wood, bamboo, stone, and brick can regulate air humidity and improve comfort. That's why many people who live in big cities yearn to vacation in countryside cabins."

"Here, you can get much closer to nature."

"Of course, there are pros and cons. A cabin like this lacks water and electricity, making some basic living needs harder to manage."

"Ultimately, it's a matter of personal preference. Everyone has their own choices to make."

As he spoke, Ning Fei opened the wooden door. He let the drone follow him inside, allowing the viewers to see the cabin's interior layout.

The first part of the cabin held two rooms. One was the bedroom, which contained a wooden bed, a wooden table, and a wooden chair. It was simple yet spotlessly clean.

Outside that was a larger room. It was currently empty, but what truly amazed the viewers was the fireplace built into the cabin's wall.

Ning Fei had asked the lumberyard to prep the fireplace. It was constructed from stacked clay tiles, seamlessly embedded between the partitions of the double-layered wooden walls.

The fireplace had excellent fire resistance. Even if a massive blaze were lit inside, it wouldn't pose any danger to the house.

A lakeside, a wooden cabin, a roaring hearth.

If one added a rocking chair and a cup of hot tea to the mix, waiting for the sun to set while quietly warming oneself and sipping tea by the fire... that kind of life truly had a unique charm of its own.