Once they arrived, Cheng Zongyang first had everyone start cutting down trees to prepare for building houses.
They wouldn't be able to produce salt for the first few days, so they had to build their houses first. At the very least, their living arrangements had to be settled.
After designating a location, he left his uncle and cousin to manage the work. Meanwhile, Cheng Zongyang searched for a water source in the vicinity.
Salt production, of course, required water—it was an essential part of the process. He had to find the closest water source available.
And so, in a single afternoon, the group managed to build a simple wooden cabin that could serve as temporary housing for everyone.
Cheng Zongyang also found a relatively close stream, but the water flow was quite weak. They would need to connect bamboo pipes to bring the water over. Later, they would also have to dig something like a reservoir to centralize their water supply.
