Chapter 335 - 144: Still More Gains (3)
This indigenous captive is already so thin that he's skin and bones, with joints wrapped in dark brown skin, and ribs clearly visible in his chest.
He looks slightly older than the indigenous youth beside Chen Zhou, body curled painfully like a shrimp inside the canoe, eyes tightly closed, appearing as though he's been dead for some time.
Chen Zhou tried to feel the captive's breath with his hand without an iron glove, found he still had faint breathing, and pulled him out of the canoe onto the sandy ground.
...
During Chen Zhou's act of dragging the captive, the indigenous youth remained quite docile.
His eyes were fixed on the unconscious captive, repeating the same sentence, almost sobbing, with an expression particularly sorrowful.
Chen Zhou kept observing the youth's behavior and realized, seeing his expression, that this emaciated captive was someone very close to him, and thus he felt assured to let go, ready to see if there was any chance to save the captive.
...
All the indigenous people are malnourished, but malnutrition to the extent of this captive is particularly rare.
His lower abdomen showed no signs of having ingested food, completely shrunken, his entire frame at about 165 cm tall estimated to weigh no more than 25 kg, utterly skeletal.
Weak to begin with, jostled inside the canoe, breathing scarcely any air, and enduring the scorching sun, the guy looked like he fainted from heatstroke.
No wonder the indigenous warriors, hosting a cannibal feast, didn't take him ashore—
Such inferior food couldn't produce much flesh, and looking half-dead, he seemed unhealthy. Even if offered as a sacrifice to the Celestial God, he probably wouldn't earn any praise.
...
Chen Zhou tried pinching his philtrum but got no response, so he splashed some seawater on him to cool him down.
But this method was merely palliative, Chen Zhou knew splashing water was just a temporary fix, so he put down the spear and lifted the captive in his arms.
He must quickly take the captive to a shaded area, then provide some saltwater and wipe his body with cool water to relieve the symptoms of heatstroke.
...
The indigenous youth didn't understand what Chen Zhou's actions signified; he didn't seize the chance to escape the big hands, always following behind Chen Zhou, concerned about the captive's condition.
When Chen Zhou pinched the philtrum and splashed water on the captive, and still got no response, the youth internally concluded his fellow tribal friend was dead, unable to restrain his sorrow, burst into tears.
The societal classes among the indigenous people are distinct, their language straightforward, relationships clear, their emotions easily discernible.
Chen Zhou could feel the youth's sadness, yet he couldn't tell him—this person is still savable, why cry.
Keeping silent, he carried the captive to the nearest shade, then removed his hand gloves and untied the grass ropes on the captive's hands and feet to allow normal blood circulation.
The beach here had no fresh water river nor salt; to save the captive's life, he must return to the cave.
Chen Zhou dared not leave the indigenous youth here.
Firstly, there was a chance he might seize the opportunity to flee into the woods.
Secondly, even if he stayed obediently on the spot, the indigenous warrior who escaped into the forest might return and kill him.
Thus, he had to bring him back to the cave together.
Before starting the plan to rescue the captive, Chen Zhou never thought he would so soon bring an indigenous person into his shelter.
But now time waits for no one, and the captive's life is slowly fading away, hesitating is no longer an option.
Considering that saving his life could win the loyalty of the indigenous youth and mean gaining an additional helper, Chen Zhou still decided to make an exception.