This spot was right next to the house built by Aqiu and Amu.
Since he was building a new house for Xing and Collei, Arkz planned to build a new house for Aqiu and Amu as well.
The house Amu and Aqiu were currently living in was built casually back then. Compared to Arkz's construction skills, which had been updated many times since, they naturally deserved a better living environment now that they had the means.
As for the original house, they should keep it.
If Amu wanted to continue living there, she could move back anytime. The farm was large enough, so there was no need to worry about future constructions not fitting.
"Hee-haw!"
"Hee-haw!"
"Hee-haw!"
Xing, Amber, and Collei were seen marching over, chanting slogans while carrying wooden planks towards the location.
To accommodate Collei, Amber and Xing only let her carry two planks. Collei, aware of her current physical condition, did not force herself.
Xing and Amber kept a close watch on Collei, one on each side, one in front and one behind, ready to step in the moment Collei couldn't manage.
"Hold on, hold on."
However, Collei's perseverance clearly exceeded their expectations.
Even though sweat streamed down her forehead and her body was exhausted, Collei still did not give up, moving steadily toward the target location where Arkz was.
Placing the plank on the ground, Collei wiped the sweat from her forehead, a genuine smile blooming on her face.
"I did it!"
Clap! Clap! Clap...
Seeing the three people applauding her with expressions of relief and satisfaction, a warm current surged through Collei's heart.
"Is this what home feels like?"
With the materials in place, Arkz began to show off his skills in front of the three.
First, he had the wooden figures dig the foundation, then used the Geo Element to lay the pillars and cornerstone, constructing the frame.
Under Arkz's exquisite control of Elemental Power, and while the three watched dumbfounded, the basic framework of a house was completed.
After that, things became much simpler: fitting the wooden planks onto the stone frame, building the roof, and then Arkz summoned the Dendro Element to reinforce and beautify the house.
Under Arkz's manipulation, green vines climbed up the sides of the entire house, blossoming with beautiful flowers, making it exceptionally lovely.
Under their shocked gaze, Arkz repeated the process, building another house next to it with a similar layout but a different style.
"Is this the world of the strong?"
"This Elemental Power control is too exaggerated!!!"
"If only I could be this strong..."
In less than five minutes, a two-bedroom, one-living room house complete with a bathroom and toilet was finished.
From the time Collei and the others started transporting planks until the completion of both houses, the entire process took no more than fifteen minutes. If Arkz decided to enter Mondstadt's civil engineering industry, many people would probably lose their jobs.
"Hoo—!"
"Finally done building. I'm utterly exhausted."
The three people beside him were speechless.
You claimed to be almost dead from exhaustion after less than fifteen minutes of total work. People who painstakingly built houses for a year would cry if they heard that.
"Collei, Xing, Amber, the houses are built."
"You all handle the interior decoration and furniture yourselves."
With that said, Arkz turned and walked toward the warehouse.
He planned to grab his fishing rod and find a nearby spot to cast a few lines.
If he got a bite, he'd make fish soup tonight!
Watching Arkz's departing back, Xing and the other two cheered and rushed into the new house Arkz had built.
The framework inside the new house was set up, but there was no interior decoration or furniture; the three of them still needed to arrange and purchase those items.
Amber looked at the clean, empty room and couldn't help but sigh, "It's so empty."
Xing mimicked Amber's mannerism, shaking her head: "So empty."
Collei hesitated for a moment, then followed Xing's lead: "So empty."
Amber scolded playfully:
"Are you a repeater?"
Xing: "Are you a repeater?"
Collei: "Are you a repeater?"
Amber feigned anger: "Oh, you, Xing! Look what you've taught Collei!"
Collei: "Exactly! Look what you've taught me!"
Seeing the older and younger one'scolding' her together, Xing laughed instead of getting angry.
"Hehe."
"What does 'hehe' mean, hey!"
After a bout of playful roughhousing, the three started on the main task—furnishing the rooms.
Arkz had simply finished building the rooms and then left to go fishing, leaving behind empty rooms without even beds or benches.
It was fine for Aqiu and Amu; their old room was fully equipped, and they could move in anytime.
But it was troublesome for Xing and Collei.
"Xing, you're going to say you're Arkz's distant cousin who only arrived in Mondstadt today to seek refuge with Cousin Arkz, so you didn't bring any belongings."
"That's right!"
Xing proudly put her hands on her hips, making Amber speechless and amused.
Amber couldn't help but think to herself: "What is there to be proud of? I really don't understand Xing's thought process."
Then Amber looked at Collei. Seeing Collei's ragged, tattered white robe, Amber decisively shut her mouth.
"Um, actually, I know a bit of carpentry..."
Collei spoke up shyly.
Back in Sumeru, Collei's elders were carpenters, and through constant exposure, the young Collei had mastered some woodworking skills.
If Collei hadn't contracted the withering sickness, perhaps her whole family would have lived happily, and Collei would have become an excellent carpenter in the future. But alas, there are no 'ifs'.
"That's right! There's so much wood on the farm! We can use some to make our own furniture!"
"Collei, you're amazing!"
Amber couldn't help but hug Collei and spin her around, cheering and praising her.
Seeing this, Xing jumped in playfully as well, and then the three nearly fell over due to spinning too fast.
Fortunately, no one was hurt; instead, everyone was amused by their own and their friends' comical appearance.
"Alright, alright, we need to hurry up and get to work."
Amber put her hands on her hips, speaking to Xing and Collei with the patient guidance of a kindergarten teacher to little babies:
"If we take too long, we won't finish everything."
"We need to make beds for Xing and Collei first, or you two will have to sleep on the cold, hard floor tonight!"
Xing forcefully patted her chest, displaying her strong body with a "thump, thump, thump" sound.
"Sleeping on the floor is fine too."
"Look at my robust body; even sleeping on the roof wouldn't be too much for me."
Amber helplessly held her forehead, thinking: "Why is Xing sometimes so mature and reliable, yet other times she acts like a child?"
However, the moment she recalled Xing's gallant figure during combat, a suspicious blush subtly appeared on Amber's face.
Collei: "Stare!!!"
Collei, who had been closely watching Xing and Amber, felt a bad premonition rising in her heart, sensing something was suspiciously amiss.
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