Chapter 122 - 47: The Most Useless Episode
The heavy rain poured down.
Outside was shrouded in darkness as Chen Zhou stepped out of the cave, with the continuous sound of rain echoing in his ears.
The brim of his wide-brimmed hat was bent downwards by the pounding of the rain, and the fabric was soaked within seconds.
He tightened his collar to prevent rainwater from flowing into his clothes, lowered his head to discern the path, and stepped down from the platform.
The sun hadn't risen yet, and darkness was the dominant hue of the world.
His view was obscured by the rain, and everything was submerged in blurry water traces, making the familiar slopes appear alien.
The sandy soil at the platform's edge hadn't been reinforced, and under the rain's erosion, it began to transform into mud, flowing down, even causing layers of soil with small stones to slip away in chunks.
Witnessing this scene, Chen Zhou reminded himself to build a wall or construct an embankment at the platform's edge, then held onto his hat being blown by the wind with one hand and grasped his collar with the other, rushing towards the nearby fields.
In the flash of lightning, he saw the scarecrow at the edge of the field drenched like a drowned rat.
The fabric strips that used to flutter with the wind were now all drooping, having lost their proud demeanor, and its shrunken figure made it look utterly miserable.
The banner hung with rabbit hides was tilted, and an unstable pole had even been blown to the ground, sticking to the waterlogged earth, covered in mud.
The furrows in the fields hadn't accumulated water yet, and the drought-stricken soil greedily absorbed the moisture.
The rice seedlings, barley, and wheat were bent by the rain, swaying like bows in the wind.
Their stems and leaves appeared so delicate, yet were incredibly tough and resilient.
Washed by the rain, the crops cast off their previous drab appearance, revealing a fresh and vibrant green.
Seeing the precious crops still intact, Chen Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.
With his boots caked in mud, he slowly traversed the rice field, inspecting the barley and wheat along the furrow, refilling soil on the collapsed rows, straightening crops about to be toppled...
Only after ensuring that these two hundred-something resilient plants could withstand the storm did he rush back to the cave.
Having stayed outside for nearly half an hour, Chen Zhou's wide-brimmed hat and heavy clothing were soaked through.
After all, they were just made of fabric and a bit of leather, ordinary clothing not meant to withstand prolonged heavy rains.
The kitchen's bonfire was burning fiercely, and the rabbit meat porridge in the large iron pot bubbled, emitting a rich aroma.
The crackling firewood and the rolling heat waves reddened Chen Zhou's face.
He took off his hat, wiped off the remaining rainwater from his face, removed his clothes, and hung them on a rack beside the bonfire to dry.
Between the cool breeze and the warm waves, Chen Zhou's back and chest were exposed, his skin reflected a bronze hue as he held a wooden bowl, scooping out a large spoonful of porridge, blowing on it, and taking small bites.
This time, compared to when he was drenched on the boat, he was much better prepared.
After finishing a bowl of porridge, the part facing the fire was completely dry, and his stomach felt warm.
He turned sideways, enjoying the meticulous and persistent massage of the heat waves, and filled another bowl of porridge.
After satisfying his hunger, and his body was almost dry, he took off his boots to warm his feet, added a few logs, and walked on the pebble-laden ground back to his bedroom.
In the bedroom, there was no bonfire, and the temperature dropped significantly.
Grimacing, he walked across the stony ground, stepped onto the wooden floor, brushed off the small stones sticking to his foot, and quickly approached the cabinet by the bed, taking out a set of thin underwear to put on, feeling much warmer.
While putting on socks, looking at the sore red soles of his feet, Chen Zhou vowed to cover the entire house with flooring.
The rainy season is approaching, and he doesn't want to go through this again.
...
The bonfire kept burning until the rain stopped.
The sun had long risen, but the sky was gray and overcast, unsure when another rain might fall.
This kind of weather was like nature granting a day off, allowing outdoor labor to halt temporarily, and stay indoors to rest or do some light indoor chores.
But Chen Zhou donned his still slightly damp clothes, put on his hat, picked up his Hand Axe and Dagger, preparing to go out.
The reason was simple—the day marked the arrival of the eighth mysterious reward.
He worried that this reward might be an item that feared the rain, or that he might be soaked for too long and catch a chill, or get sick beyond recovery.
Patiently waiting for the rain to stop, Chen Zhou finally decided to go take a look.
If this time's reward was indeed a water-sensitive precision instrument or water-susceptible ironware, or books or electronic products, the loss would be significant.
He trained Lai Fu to remain in the kiln for rest, and Chen Zhou alone headed toward the beach.
He navigated the wet forest path, his footing occasionally slipping.
Luckily, he had brought the Hand Axe, quickly chopping down a thick branch, trimming it into a staff.
He slowed his pace as much as possible, ensuring each step was stable, taking twice the usual time to reach the beach.
Not long after the rain, the waves stirred up murky foam, and the beach was filled with an unusually intense fishy odor.
The box containing the reward was soaked by the rain, turning dark brown; its surface was slack, already revealing outlines of the contents.
It was a long item, resembling a ruler or a sheathed longsword, though its thickness didn't quite match.
Its shape was so simple that it didn't feel like a book, electronic product, or precision instrument to Chen Zhou, but possibly ironware.
Transparent tape secured the paper box, so even drenched, it retained its overall shape.