Chapter 52 - 19: Mysterious Reward
Since returning to the island on October 9th, Chen Zhou has been completely transformed into a workhorse, spending nearly all his time on the raft except for necessary eating, drinking, and sleeping breaks.
Lai Fu, after coming ashore with him, has refused to return to the boat.
This fellow has been particularly energetic lately, with his massive seventy-pound frame fidgeting on the raft and constantly wanting to jump into the water.
At first, Chen Zhou felt sorry for Lai Fu and wanted to take him on trips, but he got tired of it and, after scolding him a few times to no avail, built a doghouse at the edge of the forest for Lai Fu to guard the slope and watch over the place.
Indeed, Lai Fu has done an excellent job in his role as "security."
Compared to the island’s creatures, Lai Fu is a giant, with a loud bark and a strong sense of vigilance.
Regardless of his fighting strength, at first glance, he’s quite intimidating.
After occupying the area by the forest, he spends all day marking his territory around the tree trunks. He occasionally chases off any wild cats or rabbits that dare approach and has driven away many waterfowl nesting in the reeds by the riverbank, ensuring no wild beasts come to harm the supplies.
Though the owner, Chen Zhou is far less carefree than Lai Fu.
After the strenuous task of sawing logs ended, he faced a new tough duty—transporting goods.
He endures three daily bumpy trips at sea. Once ashore, he has to drag the "door cart" loaded with heavy items uphill, leaving him utterly exhausted.
His body may be tired, but Chen Zhou’s spirit remains undaunted, growing increasingly positive and optimistic with each haul.
His ancestral hoarding habit is etched into his genes.
No matter how tired he gets, just seeing the supplies on the boat decrease and those on the island increase bit by bit, thinking about how today’s hardship will benefit him in the future, and knowing these supplies will sustain him for many years, Chen Zhou feels a reassuring sense of security.
Up north, people often fend off the long winter by stacking towering piles of firewood, and Chen Zhou’s approach is much the same.
After moving the supplies, Chen Zhou occasionally rests on shore when the wind direction is unfavorable.
He cleared a large circular space in the forest, neatly placing small shelters filled with supply boxes around the edge, inching towards the center.
The shelters are covered with flax-colored canvas, overlaid with fine branches, resembling a primitive people’s small campground from afar.
In the center of the clearing is a large fire pit, with a tripod made of thick wooden stakes hanging a large iron pot where Chen Zhou often stews food.
Ever since getting diarrhea from eating raw fish, he’s remained wary of unfamiliar foods, so even with a river nearby, he hasn’t fished or picked wild fruits or vegetables.
In terms of wild flora and fauna, Chen Zhou is a complete novice.
The fish he knows best are freshwater species, and the wild fruits he recognizes are common around the Tropic of Cancer, like hawthorn, sea buckthorn, mountain apricots, mountain cherries, and wild strawberries. This poor knowledge is useless on a deserted island in the South Pacific.
Fortunately, there are plenty of food supplies left on the sailing ship, enough to last until seeds sprout and the next crop is harvested, even if he eats generously.
Besides, there are goats, wild rabbits, and other game deeper in the island, so once he finds the time, there shouldn’t be any worry about food and drink.
From the 10th to the 13th, Chen Zhou maintained a steady transport rhythm.
He’d transport the first load every morning, unload it on shore, and cook lunch. After lunch, he’d return to the ship to start the second load.
Without resting after the second load, he’d begin the third trip directly. After unloading the cargo ashore, if the wind was favorable, he’d return to the ship to sleep; if not, he’d camp out in the woods.
Three rare sunny days.
On the night of the 13th, after unloading the cargo, Chen Zhou sat by the fire and gazed at the expanse of red clouds across the sky, knowing that his good days were coming to an end.
A southwesterly wind was blowing, the tide had receded, conditions seemed favorable, but he did not dare to paddle back to the ship.
Through newly gained experience, he knew that if it was a gusty storm along the coast, the sea would surely be frothy with waves.
In such weather, the sea could go wild at any time, and even a little raft, let alone a grounded sailing ship, could be in grave danger.
So he preferred to get drenched on shore rather than risk heading out to sea.
Moreover, his circumstances today were different from before.
Around him, eight small shelters contained over two thousand kilograms of supplies, which were Chen Zhou’s assurance.
Even if from tonight onwards, he never went back to the ship, he could still survive, though it might be a bit tougher.
Better to endure hardship than to gamble with life.
By the firelight, he erected a small tent for himself overnight, laying a layer of dry tree branches and sticks at the bottom of the tent for fuel tomorrow, with a ragged mattress to cushion his waist.
He scattered dirt to put out the fire, crawled into the tent, curled up on the makeshift bed, and closed his eyes.
As expected, by midnight, the rain began to fall, pattering on the thick canvas.
The forest floor eagerly absorbed the rainwater, nurturing abundant life.
Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the slope, revealing dust-covered young branches green with vitality.
Rain seeped in through the gaps at the tent’s bottom, soaking Chen Zhou’s pant legs, and the thunder’s roar roused him awake.
In such an environment and weather, he couldn’t possibly continue sleeping.
Peering out, the forest was pitch black, making outdoor activities unthinkable.
Bored and with nothing else to do, Chen Zhou reminisced about his transport work over the last few days, trying to identify any potential shortcomings or mistakes.
As planned, the first items to be moved ashore were all tools.