Chapter 354 - 153: The Mysterious Red Chunks (2)
Chen Zhou didn't really eat spicy food, but ever since he arrived on the island, with fewer condiments available, he gradually became addicted to chili.
He used to eat it occasionally, but now he couldn't be happy without it. If a meal lacked chili, it felt soulless, and no matter how he ate it, it was tasteless.
The two natives, upon trying chili for the first time, thought they were poisoned and gulped down several mouthfuls of cold water to relieve the pain in their mouths.
When they picked up the dumpling soup again, they dared not touch the small red pieces, and even the mild spiciness of the spring onions made them wary. When scooping up, they always avoided them, picking only the milky white dumplings to eat.
...
During meals, the three of them gathered around the campfire.
Gradually, the two native teenagers noticed that Chen Zhou not only did not avoid the small red pieces but even specifically picked them out to eat, and after finishing, he looked entirely satisfied, as if he didn't find it painful.
The two now were filled with admiration and reverence for Chen Zhou. To them——
Everything the Celestial God did had a reason, containing wisdom they couldn't comprehend.
Since they couldn't understand it, what's the best way to learn?
Imitation!
After exchanging a glance, Duoduo Lu and Ah Tun began to try eating the chili pieces.
Initially, they couldn't withstand the spiciness of the Sichuan pepper, and it took a long time to recover after eating a piece.
As they ate more chili, they found this strange food seemed to have a magical allure—it was painful to eat, but not hateful.
And since the dumpling soup had cooled, reducing the chili's intensity, they started eating faster and faster.
...
After the meal, Chen Zhou was fine, with only a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
The two natives ate with tears and snot flowing down, and their eyes were somewhat swollen.
Chen Zhou found their way of eating chili amusing and never stopped them.
He just thought that if the three of them cooked and ate together again in the future, it might be wise to reduce the chili so these two wouldn't end up with a psychological trauma.
He didn't know that after this meal, the two native teens who saw him as an idol, akin to a true Celestial God or even a father figure, actually came to enjoy this magical red fruit instead of fearing it.
...
In the afternoon, Chen Zhou's first lesson for the two natives was personal hygiene, including dish and dwelling hygiene.
The lesson included personal hygiene topics such as washing face and feet daily, regular bathing, and brushing teeth.
It also covered washing food containers before and after meals, cleaning the dishes, tidying up the cabin, and wiping windows.
Finally, Chen Zhou gave the two natives two large clay basins, a wooden box of laundry powder, and two sets of interchangeable underwear and clothing.
...
In front of the lush fields, beside the dying campfire.
With the rich scent of lavender, the clothes in the basin gradually became clean, and white bubbles surfaced in the water.
The transparent bubbles with rainbows were another sight the two natives had never seen, constantly eliciting their exclamations.
Having grown accustomed to the natives' exclamations, Chen Zhou paid no heed, focusing instead on teaching them how to use laundry powder and how to scrub, rub, and dry clothes.
...
By nightfall, Chen Zhou's lesson finally ended.
He hadn't wasted a single moment all day, teaching the two natives almost all the basic life concepts a modern human should know.
However, since many habits vastly deviated from those acquired by the natives since childhood, and given the extensive and complex content taught today, Chen Zhou reckoned the two natives couldn't fully apply what they learned in just a day or two.
But no matter, he had plenty of time, and the two natives had even more time than him.
With daily supervision and repetition, cultivating a habit wouldn't be too difficult.
...
Before lights out in the evening, Chen Zhou followed along the whole time, watching the two natives start a fire and boil a pot of water.
Then, using soil to extinguish the fire, a wet rag to hold the pot, they poured part of it into a container and part for washing feet with warm water.
After drying their feet, he supervised them as they poured out the foot wash, removed their outer clothing, got into bed in underwear, blew out the oil lamp, and covered themselves with blankets to rest, finally concluding the process.
Since they had never used these tools or had such habits before, the native teenagers weren't very adept at the whole process.
Even the usually clever Duoduo Lu got stuck once, but thanks to Ah Tun who followed closely and "copied his work," Duoduo Lu eventually completed today's "exam" smoothly.
Regarding their performance, Chen Zhou could only say it was barely passable.
But considering all the new knowledge they had to absorb today, even with great effort, mistakes were inevitable. Chen Zhou didn't scold or punish the native teenagers for their errors.
...
Upon leaving the cabin, recalling the two native teenagers' frail bodies, and thinking that they've been drinking raw water and eating unwashed fruits since childhood, even eating raw meat, Chen Zhou guessed they likely had parasites.
Fortunately, there was still a pristine supply of antiparasitic medicine "albendazole" stored in the kiln. He planned to give the two natives a few doses the next day to deworm them.
"The body is the foundation of revolution." Taking care of one's health is essential to be a more outstanding laborer.
Having finally gotten two such obedient and sensible natives, Chen Zhou decided to invest a bit to train them to be his confidants.
...
A day was nearing its end, and although the natives' work was finished, Chen Zhou still had tasks to attend to.
He had only written half of his "textbook," with many illustrations left to draw.
Since he had taught the natives a lot about lifestyle habits today, a consolidation method was needed. He began by meticulously outlining what he had taught today, like personal hygiene, on a white clay board.
While drawing the "textbook" at his desk, Chen Zhou couldn't help but recall the small brown faces of the native teenagers, scrunched up and teary from the chili's heat.
Their embarrassed and bewildered expressions, coupled with the chili-induced confusion in their eyes, made Chen Zhou laugh several times.
In the original work, Robinson, after interacting with Friday, was gradually moved by his innocence and straightforward loyalty, considering him the most loyal servant in the world.
While reading the book, Chen Zhou sometimes couldn't understand why Robinson would trust a cannibal tribesman so much.
Only after real contact did he realize that these people, raised in primitive tribes from childhood, indeed differed significantly from modern people.
The pure information environment endowed them with a unique focus, and also gave them a clear character.
They didn't have many tricks. They didn't know how to use their power to benefit themselves. They wouldn't mask their true thoughts with fake smiles and false promises.
They were like a blank sheet of paper, or a glass of clear water, transparent even at a glance.
How could one feel uncomfortable being with people like that?
It's no wonder Robinson, who didn't listen even to his father, rebellious in his youth and embarking on his nautical path, would trust someone like Friday without reservation.
Sometimes, sincerity is the best way to communicate.
...
After finishing the "lifestyle habits" textbook, since the day's work was not tedious and didn't require much physical effort, Chen Zhou still had some energy left.
He took out a piece of corrugated cardboard, feeling a long-lost urge and inspiration to draw, and while reminiscing about the day's experiences, he painted on the cardboard.
It didn't take long before he finished a painting depicting the two natives sitting shoulder to shoulder, holding wooden bowls with pained expressions in the "eating chili painting".
This was Chen Zhou's first time drawing people since embarking on his two-year challenge, and the native proportions were not quite right, not meeting realistic standards.
However, he had a deep impression of the expressions, so although the natives he drew were disproportionate, their expressions were extraordinarily vivid, giving a comic-like feel.
...
With the final stroke completed, Chen Zhou looked at his work with great satisfaction and stylishly signed his name at the bottom-right of the cardboard with a pen.
"Where should I hang this?"
Looking around his bedroom, he felt that this painting clashed with his serious landscape paintings and object sketches.
But with the island so vast, there would certainly be a good spot for the painting.
Chen Zhou quickly decided where to hang it—in the small cabin of the natives.