Chapter 259 - 116: Racing Toward Year 2 (Part 2)
First, it was because today was rain-free, a rare good weather, to admire the vibrant scenery of the island during the rainy season.
Secondly, he had eaten too much, so a walk would help with digestion, while taking Lai Fu out for some fun.
This guy spends all day sleeping at home, looking like he's about to sprout horns from boredom.
Thirdly, it was an opportunity to check on the mother goat.
She got pregnant around May 9th, and the gestation period for goats is typically around 150 days. So, in a week's time the kid should be due. Busy with trivial matters, Chen Zhou hadn't had time to act on the large herd, except for capturing an old goat with a rope trap and a sharpened wooden spear a few days ago, he hadn't had any close contact with the goats.
He reckoned that until all tools for increasing productivity were completed and agricultural planting and processing were on track, he would have to rely on the mother goat and her kid.
He really hoped the mother goat would deliver a female kid this time.
A female goat is crucial for herd reproduction, avoiding the risks of death from failed "sterilization" surgery, with a gentle temperament and capable of producing milk, simply perfect.
...
He did not wear the leather raincoat, nor did he wear the wide-brimmed hat that had lost its skin from too much rain.
Holding only a long-handled axe, Chen Zhou called Lai Fu as he moved toward the platform along the hillside.
After the rain, a cool breeze blew across the hillside.
Dew hung glistening on the tips of the grass.
Wildflowers bloomed beside the wet gravel road, with delicate petals in shades of purple red swaying in the breeze were the tender yellow stamens.
The sky and earth seemed washed clean, everything looked crisp and fresh.
The clouds appeared lower than usual, while the mist rose gently from the foot of the mountain like a white sea, drifting with the wind.
Lai Fu's barks rang out clearly, as it ran joyfully and freely, disturbing the insects in the grass.
A dragonfly with blue transparent wings traced a semicircle, then suddenly sped up, landing on Chen Zhou's shoulder, scrutinizing this large unfamiliar creature with its bright eyes.
As Chen Zhou locked eyes with the dragonfly, he faintly saw himself reflected in its eyes.
With a slight smile, he carefully extended a finger, cautiously attempting to touch the dragonfly.
The dragonfly shivered its blue wings and floated away like a leaf blown by the wind, gradually disappearing as it chased Lai Fu's wagging large tail.
Too long since it had accompanied its owner out in such weather, Lai Fu galloped freely along the mountain path, its flowing coat moving like waves, resembling a spirited horse.
Chen Zhou was unsure what it was chasing, and didn't call out, merely maintaining his steady pace, watching as it disappeared from view.
So between heaven and earth, only he remained, along with the insects fluttering and leaping by the roadside.
This marked the 365th day of surviving, or rather living, on the deserted island, undoubtedly a special day for Chen Zhou.
As he continued onward alone, he couldn't help but reminisce about his experiences over the past year.
In the early phase of his challenge, his life was undoubtedly extremely difficult.
Challenges came partly from fear of the unknown, doubts about himself.
Another aspect was departing from the modern environment, facing various things he needed to adapt to.
From the bed to clothing, then to food, and the tools used for work, all required him to gradually adapt, learn, and overcome.
Chen Zhou's grandmother often recited an adage — "There is no hardship one cannot endure, only blessings one cannot enjoy."
On the island this past year, he truly comprehended this saying, as well as the immense endurance humans possess in the face of fatigue and pain.
If there's anything that kept him going until today and urges him onward, he can only summarize it in four words — "hope and optimism."
Hope is the last light in the dark, while optimism is the continuous power within him that drives him toward a brighter tomorrow.
Although he has inwardly cursed the "Space-Time Administration Bureau" and the uncertain "program team" many times, expressing dissatisfaction with various mysterious rewards.
Yet Chen Zhou had to acknowledge the bi-weekly "mysterious rewards" from modern or future times served as indispensable milestones throughout his lengthy challenge, keeping him in relatively healthy psychological condition and continuously advancing toward the next goal.
The environment was so primitive, living conditions so humble, persisting for an entire year alone wasn't an easy feat.
Analyzing his inner self, Chen Zhou felt his mental state wasn't too bad, though he had various issues.
...
Sometimes he would inexplicably feel fatigued;
Sometimes he'd become extraordinarily irritable;
Sometimes he wished to abandon everything to sleep deeply, stop thinking, empty his mind, just sit quietly, for an hour, for an entire afternoon.
Perhaps his psyche had experienced trauma, yet it all healed on its own.
As for whether any "scars" remained after healing, he was uncertain.
Of course, facing "myself," Chen Zhou didn't want to lie.
He had to admit that over this year, many "ailments" emerged that he hadn't displayed before.
His mood had become increasingly mercurial, as if shedding the "kind and refined" mask of modern society, leaning toward following his heart, or being "temperamental."
Most of the time, he managed to maintain emotional stability, nurturing awe and compassion for the lives of nature's creations, including various small animals.
However, once his mood turned irritable, his actions could be harsh, his methods unprecedentedly cruel.
He would chop a tree until it was covered in fish scale-like scars, nail snakes to trees, skin them alive bit by bit, and sever the limbs of lizards, watching them wriggle despairingly on the ground...
The sight of blood overwhelmingly highlighted this terrifyingly violent attitude, at times he had to summon great restraint to set aside his weapon.
In the past, Chen Zhou also experienced moments of emotional unrest, but it seldom elevated his mood to such a degree.
Therefore, he was quite worried, worried whether living long-term in this primitive, self-willed place devoid of legal and moral constraints would gradually unleash the beast within him, progressively resembling the cannibal tribes, or becoming craftier and more brutal than them.
Meanwhile, Chen Zhou noticed that due to prolonged suppression of sexual desires, he frequently entertained bold ideas during nights or in high temperatures, typically revolving around female rabbits, mother goats, or fish and jellyfish in the sea.
Whenever this occurred, he would wash his face with cold water, submerge his head in a bucket, using the sensation of suffocation to maintain restraint.
Besides this, he had two reasons to convince himself not to do such things.
One was hygiene issues, while the other was the "Space-Time Administration Bureau" and those unseen "audience members."
He constantly reminded himself that this was a reality show, all his actions weren't genuinely private, hence he couldn't indulge himself.
If tangling with beautiful female creatures was "sensuous," entangling with ugly female creatures was "eye-stinging," then getting involved with another species could only be described as "perverted."
Humans are beings driven by desire, also longing for beautiful things.
Chen Zhou didn't want to see himself eventually falling to the level of "Teddy;" he hoped after these 28 years, when he returns to modern society, he could still maintain a basic behavior fitting to modern individuals, even if it was just a facade.
In control of his desires, Chen Zhou also noticed his inherent "perfectionist" tendencies becoming more pronounced, even radical.
When crafting crude mortar and pedal mills, he polished the wooden models used for theoretical validation like artworks, ensuring even minute parts that wouldn't affect the machine's normal operation remained precise.
He was well aware that such pursuit of perfection would inevitably consume vast quantities of time and energy, yet he couldn't change it during work.
Since if the manufactured parts didn't meet ideal standards, he'd feel nauseous, leading to agitation.
Since this pursuit of perfection wouldn't cause major harm for now, and somewhat beneficial from a certain perspective, coupled with no ideas for altering his "perfectionist" personality, Chen Zhou could only persist in doing so.
...
Lost in thought, unknowingly reaching near the cave, Lai Fu's barking grew nearer.
From afar, he could see Lai Fu running around the billy goat and the mother goat with a round belly, bobbing its head like a dancing lion.
Worried that Lai Fu's reckless antics might frighten the mother goat, leading to miscarriage, Chen Zhou quickened his steps down the mountain, loudly scolding Lai Fu for its running and pranks.