I'm involved in poverty alleviation in a primitive tribe.

That night, after finishing his meditation as usual, Jiang Ning felt a chill. He wrapped the animal skin he was using as a blanket around himself and fell into a deep sleep.

When Jiang Ning got up and walked out of the cave the next day, she was surprised to find that it seemed to have rained all night.

The air was exceptionally fresh after the rain, and the damp ground exuded the fragrance of earth. Jiang Ning looked up at the sky; the clouds were thick, and the rain seemed destined to continue for a long time.

Jiang Ning slowly stretched out her hand to catch the raindrops falling from the sky. The slight chill seeped through her fingertips, clear and distinct. The seasons here change quickly; after a few autumn rains, winter will officially arrive.

The rain was heavy, the raindrops splashing on the ground, the sound seeming to announce the changing of the seasons. Jiang Ning couldn't help but tighten her collar, feeling the arrival of winter, a strange emotion welling up inside her.

Beside Jiang Ning, Bai Ya quietly kept her company as she watched the rain. Bai Ya had grown to over a meter tall, and its fur had become thicker due to the upcoming change of season.

Those dark, moist eyes revealed curiosity. Come to think of it, this was the first time Bai Ya had ever seen rain.

A gust of wind blew by, and a few raindrops were blown onto Baiya's fur, sliding down the tips of the fur and leaving behind a string of crystal-clear water droplets.

Baiya seemed curious about the sudden rain. It stepped out of the cave, and its fur was immediately soaked by the rain.

Feeling the coolness of the rain, Baiya retreated, shaking off the water droplets from its fur, which bristled like a sea urchin. Then it turned to look at Jiang Ning, its eyes filled with innocence.

Jiang Ning touched the water droplets that Bai Ya had splashed on her face, and could only grit her teeth and mutter to herself, "I raised him." She knew that Bai Ya was only doing this because he was curious about the rain, but she still couldn't help but want to laugh.

This adorable little guy always brings her joy.

To ensure a sufficient food supply during the winter, the tribe is making a final push for the autumn harvest.

They have devoted all their energy to collecting winter supplies, including sweet potatoes, ginger, and dried meat and vegetables.

These foods were the tribe's most important food source during the winter, so they carefully stored them all in underground caves. Only the mustard greens and red finger fruits were left outside.

In addition, the tribe members collected a lot of yam beans this year, so the tribe will have one more thing to plant next year.

Jiang Ning found a unique stove in the storage area. This stove was made from an ironwood trunk, shaped like a barrel, with a perforated top to conveniently hold a stone pot. The pot could be placed stably on the stove, while also maximizing the heat of the fire.

The bottom of the stove is made of a mesh-like perforated structure, used to clean up the ashes from the burnt firewood.

An opening was cut into the belly of the stove on one side to allow wood to be added.

This tribe is located in a mountain range blocked by heavy snow, where the winter climate is extremely cold, making it almost impossible to leave the tribe.

Even warriors wouldn't risk venturing out to forage in the cold weather. Wild beasts become exceptionally ferocious and dangerous in winter, attacking any creature that comes into their sight.

Therefore, the people of the tribe can only store enough food and fuel within the tribe to get through the cold winter.

Jiang Ning had tried making a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove) before, but because she didn't know how to operate it, she couldn't control the temperature well. Either the kang was too hot to lie on, or it was too cold to provide any warmth.

This stove is a substitute that Jiang Ning invented. A fire can be lit underneath for warmth, and soup can be cooked on top. Previously, the tribe simply used a pile of stones as a stove.

When winter arrives, the tribe stops providing communal meals, and everyone needs to cook for themselves. This is also for warmth, so everyone is allowed to stay in caves to hibernate during the winter.

There are also fire buckets, smaller than stoves, made of hollowed-out ironwood with only an opening. When needed, embers are placed inside, the opening is sealed, and they are good for sleeping with at night or warming hands during the day.

"System, do you know how to make a heated kang?" Jiang Ning thought that there were still a few days before winter, so why not try making a heated kang again?

"This is a bit complicated to explain, so I'll just show you a video tutorial instead."

"What do you think?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a video appeared in front of Jiang Ning's eyes. She immediately looked at Bai Ya, but found that Bai Ya didn't react.

"This is projection technology; only you can see it, so don't worry."

“Projection? I’ve seen projections before, but the kind that everyone can see is visible to everyone. How come you were able to make it so that only I can see it?”

"This one……"

"The technology isn't actually difficult, and only you can hear me when I speak. This projection is simply because the video website protects intellectual property rights; we only bought your membership. The video website can detect how many people are watching its videos."

"I don't know why, but I feel like I'm very familiar with this operation," Jiang Ning said quietly.

"It was indeed a patent I bought from you."

"..."

Jiang Ning began to observe the process of making the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove). First, the location and shape of the kang needed to be determined. A rectangular shape was usually chosen for ease of construction and maintenance.

Then comes the preparation of materials. Materials needed include bricks, stone slabs, soil, turf, and stone slabs for laying the kang (heated brick bed).

Dig a pit. Dig a rectangular pit in the ground to serve as the foundation for the kang (heated brick bed). Lay bricks and stone slabs at the bottom of the pit to form the base of the kang.

Then fill it with soil and turf. Mix the soil and turf together and fill the pit to make the kang (heated brick bed) sturdy and durable.

The surface of the pit was filled with wooden boards and soil to make it a kang (heated brick bed) surface.

Chimneys and vents are installed on both sides of the kang (heated brick bed) to prevent smoke from accumulating and to maintain air circulation. A waterproof coating is also applied to the surface of the kang to prevent moisture.

The process of making a heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) seems simple, but looking at the winding flue in the video, Jiang Ning couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. She began to understand why she had failed before; the heated kang she made was practically sleeping directly on a fire, not much different from grilling meat on a hot plate.

Jiang Ning looked up at his cave dwelling, pondering the current situation. It seemed he would have to shelve the plan for now. He would consider designing and making a heated kang (traditional Chinese bed) when building the house later.

Fortunately, her body has been strengthened considerably, and she's not as sensitive to the cold as before. Even in the coldest part of winter, she no longer needs to curl up in a ball to stay warm. Moreover, in winter, she can sleep with Bai Ya, snuggling together for warmth.

In winter, the tribe members would huddle together with their celestial wolves for warmth. These wolves were three or four meters long, with thick fur, like a portable blanket. Their fur was not only soft and warm, but also effectively insulated against cold air, making it better than any stove.

Jiang Ning checked the stove and fire bucket and confirmed that there were no problems.

Now all three hunting teams have been sent out hunting, leaving only one hunting team to stay behind in the tribe.

The rest of the people were busy butchering the game, processing the fur, and drying wild vegetables.

Once the rain subsided a bit, Jiang Ning went into her kitchen and carefully inspected the area. She discovered that the ceiling was leaking, and water droplets were dripping down, hitting the countertop and making a pitter-patter sound.

Jiang Ning looked up at the roof and noticed that the leaks were covered in black spots, likely from insect infestation. After all, the roof was simply covered with leaves.

So she decided to repair the roof to prevent the leak from getting worse.

The roof of this shed had collapsed under the weight of heavy snow before, so Jiang Ning added some wooden beams to form a frame. Now all that's needed is to replace the leaves covering it.

These leaves are easy to find; they grow everywhere on the mountains where the tribe lives.