Chapter 312 - 137: Cacao Tree
The unexpected encounter with a snake discouraged Chen Zhou from continuing to explore the grassland.
Holding the oil lamp, he saw half of the snake’s body still writhing on the ground. He turned around the hand axe and smashed it a few more times with the hammer side.
After crushing the snake’s head and neck completely, he left the grapevines with Lai Fu.
That night, while setting up a place to rest and preparing to camp, he carefully checked the surrounding environment, cutting the grass flat and chopping down low shrubs, fearing that snakes might be hiding in dark, concealed corners, sneaking in to attack while he was asleep.
...
In the early hours of August 3rd, Chen Zhou was awakened by the sound of the river flowing.
At that time, it was still dark, and the campsite near the river was extremely damp, with the outer layer of the sleeping bag feeling wet as if it had just been wrung out.
Groggily lifting the down jacket covering him, squinting as he sat up, he saw Lai Fu obediently lying by the campfire, which gave him some relief.
"Stood guard the whole night again, huh?"
While asking, Chen Zhou got out of the sleeping bag.
Worried about being attacked by snakes, he always slept in his clothes.
In this desolate wilderness, it felt completely different from resting in the cave, providing no sense of security at all.
Having lived in that cave for more than a year, he had grown attached to the shelter he had personally dug, built, and perfected. Leaving suddenly, he felt inexplicably nostalgic.
However, a brief separation is for a better reunion.
He looked forward to quickly finding the cocoa and citron trees mentioned in the book, and checking if there were cassava here.
Chen Zhou packed up his sleeping bag, then took out some food, lit the campfire, and prepared to have breakfast before acting once the day grew brighter.
...
When sleeping at home, Lai Fu’s postures were varied and often bizarre, sometimes even leaning against the wall, exposing its belly and sleeping with all four legs in the air, like a modern domesticated pet dog.
Outside, however, it immediately reverted to its instincts as a guard or hunting dog, always lying straight on the ground to rest.
This way, in case of emergencies, it could get up quickly, alert, or attack.
The reason Chen Zhou liked to take Lai Fu out with him, besides not wanting to be so lonely alone, was also because Lai Fu dutifully provided protection during his rest.
Throughout the entire night, Lai Fu stayed beside the sleeping bag, barely sleeping.
When Chen Zhou was cooking and it realized its owner had awakened, it finally let down its guard and went over to the backpack, closing its eyes to catch up on some sleep, relieved.
...
After breakfast, the night slowly faded into the white glow of dawn in the east.
A few stars scattered across the dim sky, and once Chen Zhou had packed up the sunshade and extinguished the campfire, he woke Lai Fu and headed towards the unexplored depths of the plain along the riverbank where visibility was clear.
During the dry season, the island was most comfortable before sunrise.
By the river, the wind brushed his face, carrying a slight chill of morning dew, cutting down the heat, making it less oppressive.
In order to find cassava more easily, Chen Zhou specifically brought a spade head. Once on the plain, he only needed to pick a appropriately thick stick, make some modifications, and attach it to the spade head to dig into the soil.
However, despite the enhanced tool, he had never seen cassava and did not know what it looked like, so the search was still inefficient.
Compared to his hometown’s vast grasslands, this plain was not broad, but it was still too large for him personally.
Like a headless fly, he dug here and there, uncovering various insects but failing to find plants with particularly thick stalks.
...
By noon, the sun was high, and the scorching sunlight drained both man and dog of energy.
Quickly estimating, Chen Zhou felt he had basically dug through all the plants on the plain.
Working from sunrise till then, having dug at least seventy or eighty holes, he had not found a trace of cassava.
Logically, such a resilient, fast-reproducing, large plant should not be so hard to find.
Failing to find it suggested that there might actually be no cassava on the River Valley Plain at all.
Upon reflection, the original work mentioned that Robinson lived on the island for nearly thirty years, built a house, and lived long-term on the River Valley Plain.
If there were cassava, Robinson surely would have found it over so many years.
This was simply a task of spending time and effort, requiring no special skill, and Chen Zhou doubted he could be more meticulous than Robinson.
After searching and digging fruitlessly all morning, he decisively abandoned his initial plan to search the entire day, opting to head to Fruit Tree Valley after lunch to look for the cocoa tree first.
...
Propping up the sunshade, he quickly ate a lunch to avoid the hottest part of the day.
Chen Zhou noticed that this year’s dry season was noticeably hotter than the last.
Last August, though he felt hot, it was bearable with similar gear, but this year, it was nearly intolerable.
Not only him; even Lai Fu jumped into the river to cool itself in the water.
While eating lunch by the campfire, the dryness causing constant sweating was particularly intense.
Worried about heatstroke, Chen Zhou went to the river several times to wash his head, which made him feel more comfortable.
...
Finally enduring until the sun shifted westward, Chen Zhou took Lai Fu along the river straight into the depths of the plain.
The entire River Valley Plain was nestled within the surrounding mountains, with the river originating from the ridges, flowing straight along the riverbed, and entering the mountains at the end of the grassland.