Surviving in the Beast World with a System

Chapter 279: Corvée Labor

Teng Kun jerked back, wrapping his arms around himself. "I said... a well..."

Wu Yue leaned in closer again, her voice sharp with impatience. "Not that part, the line after it."

Teng Kun flinched, intimidated by the look on her face—as if she were about to eat him alive. "It’s missing a... well curb?"

Wu Yue slapped her hands together, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Yes, yes! That’s it! A well curb!"

’If the cellar couldn’t be built near a water source, that meant they had to get the waterproofing right.’

Puffing out her small chest—not nearly as impressive as Teng Kun’s pecs—Wu Yue was brimming with renewed vigor. "Alright, men! Let’s build a sturdy well curb for our cellar!"

Teng Kun looked at Wu Yue in utter disbelief. "A cellar needs a well curb?"

Wu Yue’s eyes narrowed. "You have a problem with me?"

Teng Kun immediately tensed, shaking his head like a rattle. "We’ll build it! If you say so, then of course we’ll build it."

With that, he called out to his crew to get to work.

He wiped his face, feeling miserable. ’This is just like being forced into labor by some corrupt, whip-wielding official.’

After the crowd of workers finally finished building the well curb, the progress bar on Wu Yue’s panel at last reached ninety-five percent...

Ninety-five!!!

’What happened to the one hundred percent?’

’System, get out here! Do you have something against me?’

The System shuffled out, whimpering, looking for all the world like a new bride on the verge of facing domestic abuse.

"Host, the task’s completion level isn’t just about getting it built. It also has to be durable and practical.

That’s all I can say. You’ll have to figure out the rest on your own."

’Figure out what?’

Staring at the crowd of men who were watching her expectantly, Wu Yue suddenly felt like a foreman who couldn’t make payroll.

"HMM HMM~~ LA LA LA~"

Amidst the tense atmosphere, a tune suddenly drifted over from nearby. It was impossible to identify the song, only that it was awful.

Everyone turned to look. Teng Kun was walking over, cradling a large bag of reddish soil with a bundle of firewood on his back.

The humming Teng Kun began to panic when all eyes suddenly fixed on him.

"Wh-what’s wrong?"

’Why are you all looking at me like that? You’re scaring me!’

Wu Yue’s eyes, however, landed on the red soil he was holding. "Are you planning to paint the well curb?"

Teng Kun: "..."

’I was momentarily stunned by the question.’

He pointed at the newly built well curb. "You mix this pottery clay, coat the curb with it, and let it dry for a day. Then you fire it. After that, no water will get into the cellar, even when it rains."

With that said, he shot Wu Yue a smug look. "What do you think? Pretty smart, huh?"

The moment Teng Kun finished speaking, the progress bar for the "Build a Cellar" mission instantly shot up to ninety-eight percent.

Wu Yue looked at the blockheaded Beastman Warrior with admiration. "I never would have guessed, Teng Kun. You’re actually a Beastman Warrior of great wisdom."

Teng Kun: "!!!"

’All this sudden praise... I feel like I’m floating on air.’

He thumped his chest. "Leave the rest to me."

With that, he directed his apprentices to start plastering the well curb with the clay.

It was only then that Wu Yue finally felt a sliver of gratitude toward Yuan Lang.

’Look at how professional Teng Kun is. He’s sifting the red clay through a woven grass mat over and over again, not starting until every last impurity is gone.’