Chapter 449 - 12: A Rare Rest
The rainy season on the island is not like the heavy rain days in the north; it only lasts for a while and is not quite like the plum rain season in the south.
To say there is rain every day once the rainy season begins would be inaccurate.
However, based on Chen Zhou's experience of living here for over three years, while the rainy season doesn't bring rain every day, it's as good as raining every day.
...
During the rainy season lasting more than two months, at least 80% of the days have rain, with more than half of those days experiencing short bursts of heavy rain that gradually stop, leaving behind a sky full of residual clouds.
The remaining precipitation is continuous rainfall throughout the day, a rare but most annoying occurrence.
Once the rain starts, it goes on incessantly, yet there isn't much coolness outside; rather, it's muggy and humid, which makes someone like Chen Zhou, from the northern inland, quite uncomfortable.
Even after three years, facing this drizzly weather, he still feels a bit down.
...
The gloomy rainy season brings not only psychological oppression but also hinders many ongoing works on the island.
The factory construction progress has been temporarily halted.
The indigenous people have returned to their dilapidated huts near the gallows, and Chen Zhou left his outdoor sunny cottage, returning to the cave.
After being away from home for over two months, a thin layer of dust settled on the bookshelf in the cave, and the floors and glass were no longer as bright as before.
Yet seeing the bedroom without a single footprint gave Chen Zhou peace of mind—
This indicated that during his absence, no one entered the cave without permission, indirectly proving the indigenous people's awe of him.
...
The dwelling with poor hygiene urgently needed cleaning, so to lighten his workload, Chen Zhou called over Saturday and Sunday, and with the two of them spent a day thoroughly cleaning, wiping the forging room, kitchen, and bedroom clean.
As for the storeroom, since it housed too many mysterious rewards, many tools far exceeding the era, Chen Zhou didn't want Saturday and Sunday to see them.
Even though these two had proven their trustworthiness through their actions, humans are, after all, curious creatures.
Once curiosity is sparked, and given the opportunity, they will undoubtedly struggle to explore the secrets in the future.
Sometimes, human nature needs testing; however, more often, it's better to abandon the probing of human nature.
Even if Saturday and Sunday are obedient enough, Chen Zhou doesn't want them to struggle with whether to cross their inner boundaries, which benefits no one.
...
On the morning of February 19th, the sky remained a gray haze.
The shaded cave naturally received little sunlight, appearing even darker during the rainy season.
Outside the windows, drizzle fell, with two oil lamps lit inside the cave's bedroom, illuminating the desk and Chen Zhou sitting behind it.
He had just finished breakfast and intended to go out to see the fields but noticed from the lookout tower that indigenous people were already awake, wearing straw hats and working in the fields.
At once, he found himself idle with almost nothing to do.
...
Stretching lazily, reclining in a soft ergonomic chair, quietly gazing at the empty desk, Chen Zhou felt somewhat sleepy.
Lai Fu returned to the familiar place, lazily lying under the bedroom window, neither sleeping nor getting up, merely watching its owner, gently wagging its tail.
It is already a four-year-old dog, beyond the age of lively play, becoming increasingly stable in character.
In the past, Chen Zhou was busy with work, ignoring it for days, and it would always seek him out, hinting at its desire to play.
Now, Lai Fu seems to understand human behavior better; even though it longs for company, it no longer clings like before.
It learned to wait, using its not-so-lengthy life to await human favor.
...
Little Dragon Cat, Xiao Huihui, Dustball, and Ka Dang moved to the new home with Chen Zhou, and together, returned here.
With limited intelligence, leaving the cave for over two months before returning made them somewhat unfamiliar with the environment.
Especially Ka Dang, which forgot the fields it often patrolled, staying inside and not daring to venture out these past few days.
Little Dragon Cat was least affected; wherever it moved, it dwelled in its little villa, indifferent to the outside wind and rain.
As Chen Zhou sat at the desk daydreaming, the cats were moving around the room, sniffing here and scratching there.
Their footsteps were so light, that almost no sound could be heard indoors, only the continuous sound of rain outside and the rhythmic tick of the clock's hands—
The clock was a reward delivered on January 13th; upon unwrapping, Chen Zhou recognized its value, worried about damage during the indigenous transport, he directly moved it to the new home, keeping it as decoration in the bedroom.
Only days ago, when leading the indigenous people back to the cave, Chen Zhou casually brought it back and adjusted the time.
Enduring the rainy season without sun, unable to determine time using a sundial.
Thankfully, Chen Zhou had acquired a mechanical watch in advance, otherwise adjusting the clock's time would be quite troublesome.
...
The faint sound of the mechanical structure's movement always gives a precise feeling of time ticking away.
Casually pulling some books from the shelf, he intended to continue studying explosive manufacturing or advanced techniques of rattan weaving, yet after a few pages, Chen Zhou found himself uninterested in learning.
These past months he was perpetually pondering factory construction matters, worrying about an invasion by Spaniards, supervising the indigenous people, handling field and livestock details, along with everyday trivialities.