Chapter 284 - 126: Fishing Grand Prize Pack (Part 2)
His features carried an air of free-spirited heroism, with a beard on his face, holding paper and pen in hand. He smiled radiantly in the painting, showing a set of neat teeth, his eyes looking at the big fish filled with a sense of pride and flair, even a bit arrogant.
But this was understandable; to catch such a large fish with simple homemade fishing gear would make any angler laugh more boldly, even arrogantly, than him.
Beyond the two new creations, at the end of all the artworks, hung a bright red Chinese knot, leaving a joyful and hopeful conclusion to Chen Zhou's work.
...
That day, the rain fell intermittently all day, and Chen Zhou didn't do any work.
He read for a few hours and made some notes.
During this time, he developed some new ideas about firearms improvements and Vine Armor weaving, so he sketched a few simple design diagrams.
After taking a hot shower, he tidied up the house, carefully prepared a hearty meal, and drank a few glasses of rum.
With a tipsy feeling brought by the alcohol, he played with Little Dragon Cat for a while and then cuddled each member of the Lai Fu family, whispering and nuzzling their furry bellies.
Listening to their impatient meows or comfortable purrs, enjoying the softness of their fur and the nudges of their pads, he unconsciously fell asleep.
...
After the day of rest, it rained again for the whole day.
Chen Zhou rested for a day, slept for a full ten hours, and when he got up on February 6th, he felt refreshed and full of vigor.
Unfortunately, the weather was not on his side, leaving him with no chance to work outside.
So he moved his workspace indoors and began to dig out a cold storage area—the container had already been brought back, now it just needed a space for it to settle.
The container's volume was less than two cubic meters, and considering the reserved space, the job could be done in a day.
Chen Zhou needed to decide whether to bury it underground or to make a hole in the wall to place it inside.
After some thought, he reckoned the container wouldn't hold enough items.
In the future, he might need to store a large quantity of goat's milk, meat, as well as fruits, grains, and vegetables. Counting on just one container wouldn't be enough, so it was best to make a small freezer first, then dig a large earth cellar later.
The small freezer focused on convenience, placed in the wall, easy to access.
The larger earth cellar should be dug deeper with a sufficiently wide interior space, using a wooden ladder for access, aiming to store more items for a longer time.
...
After setting targets, he changed into his work clothes, designated an area in the kitchen for placing the container freezer, cleared away items that might get dirty or knocked around, and got straight to work without delay.
He worked until dark, and the space to hold the container was finally ready.
Lighting the oil lamp, Chen Zhou braved the rain to transport the container into the kitchen using a wheelbarrow. It took him about two hours to wedge it into the dug-out cavity, then fill in the gap at the edges, and build a stone frame around the door for decoration.
As for how to add water, mix saltpeter in it, and divide different storage sections inside the box, that would be addressed later.
After working a full day, taking only a short break at lunchtime.
Chen Zhou felt that his morning vigor was almost entirely spent.
Shedding his work clothes spattered with sand and mud, he boiled a pot of hot water to soak his feet.
Sitting at the kitchen door, watching the raindrops still falling outside, he thought of the mysterious reward waiting for him the next day. Chen Zhou could only helplessly pray for a sunny day tomorrow, then, with fatigue all over his body, he returned to the bedroom to rest.
...
On February 7th, the heavens did smile upon him; the rain that fell for two consecutive days had stopped, with only some old cotton-like clouds lingered in the sky.
Awakening with fatigue entirely gone, he marveled at his improved physical condition while dressing and tidying up his bed.
Following the routine of washing and cooking, he looked at the weather outside, concerned it might rain on the way back. So Chen Zhou wore a leather cape and his straw hat, shouldered his backpack, and headed straight for the beach.
Lai Fu had been mostly roaming free these days, becoming wilder. As long as Chen Zhou didn't restrain it, it behaved like a little tyrant, running around everywhere.
When he set out, it followed him at first, but after crossing the platform, passing fields, and entering the forest, it quietly slipped away.
Chen Zhou didn't know what fun the island held that could keep Lai Fu lingering so much; he only knew the fellow liked heading up the mountain, not venturing into the forest's deep pools or the dangerous seaside, so he let it be.
To make it easier for future material transport, he would stop to clear any road blockages caused by potholes, tree roots, or shrubs when descending the mountain.
After several such efforts, the originally flattened woodland path became a simple road suitable for a cart to pass through, albeit requiring more time.
In this way, by mid-morning, with the winds dispersing the clouds, Chen Zhou leisurely arrived in front of the wood-stone wall.
He casually glanced into the middle of the sandy area and noticed his mysterious reward seemed to be "bouncing back from the bottom," growing considerably larger.
The entire package, wrapped in black packaging cloth, lay flat on the beach, with its size not much smaller than a laid-out double mattress. Large and thick, it made Chen Zhou wonder what could be inside.
Climbing over the wall to get closer, he tried to lift it by grabbing the bottom edge of the package.
It was much lighter than he expected; a slight shake revealed the sound of items clashing inside, suggesting it might be an assembled object. While it could be a grand gift pack, the odds were quite low.