Chapter 190 - 84: Going Home
On the morning of the 25th, Chen Zhou, along with his precious darlings, left the River Valley Plain and returned to the beach.
Though this trip was quite fruitful, time constraints left some regrets.
For instance, he couldn't find cassava, the staple food of the Native Americans mentioned in the book, and the exact location of Pigeon Cave, or the migration path of the sheep, all remained unclear.
Regarding the cassava plant, Chen Zhou was completely unfamiliar.
He only knew it was a root-type plant, with its edible part buried underground, but as for what the above-ground plant looked like, he had no idea.
Therefore, trying to find cassava just by eye or luck in the River Valley Plain was basically hopeless; he would need to wield a hoe or shovel and dig shovel by shovel to uncover this plant.
Chen Zhou was genuinely looking forward to tasting cassava.
He had encountered many root vegetables in his life, such as potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, taro, and sweet potatoes, all with delightful flavors.
Especially potatoes, whether fried, stir-fried, or steamed, cooked, or baked, they were endlessly appetizing.
Sweet potatoes, although primarily sweet, did not become cloying like other sweets when eaten excessively.
Vegetables like purple sweet potatoes and taro, though he consumed them less often, felt versatile, suitable alone or with seasonings, fulfilling and easy to carry, all being quality meals.
With a fondness for potatoes and other root vegetables, and given cassava shares the term "potato," Chen Zhou naturally had a positive view of this "Native American food" he hadn't yet met.
Upon leaving the River Valley Plain, he decided that next time he must bring tools and dig deep for cassava.
In fact, this trip had already exceeded his expectations, especially the suspected wild chili and mountain celery plants, which if confirmed, would be transformative for his diet.
Chili, widely used as a condiment in various cuisines, enhances flavor and pairs perfectly with fish and mutton dishes.
It can be dried into chili skins or chopped into chili sauce, adding a fiery flavor to life.
On the humid island, regular consumption of chilies not only boosts appetite but also dispels dampness, their importance is self-evident.
While reading Robinson Crusoe, Chen Zhou never imagined this island held such a rich bounty.
Unfamiliar with botany, he didn't know, most vegetables common in modern life originated in America.
Such as his favorites like potatoes, chilies, corn, tomatoes, initially were brought out by colonists and raiders from America, then spread worldwide.
Also pumpkins, beans, pineapples, guavas, snow lotus fruit, sunflowers, corn and cocoa, the raw material for chocolate, all have roots in America.
If it weren't for the island being in the ocean, with vast distances from the continent, blocking species exchange, he likely would see far more "familiar faces" than he did.
...
The path home was different from the arrival path, yet mostly involved traversing the forest.
If the island were swapped with the primordial forests of Siberia or North America's mainland, Chen Zhou absolutely wouldn't dare venture so recklessly into the woods.
His confidence stemmed from the island's size and its non-threatening ecosystems, knowing he wouldn't get lost in the forest or encounter fearsome beasts, hence he dared to walk anywhere.
Furthermore, the terrain along the journey wasn't steep, no cliffs, just some brush, tree roots, and vines blocking the way, hardly impacting anyone.
Walking continuously for an entire day, only pausing at noon to have a meal, where he cooked a little food to fill Lai Fu's belly, he barely delayed the journey.
The path back home along the river to the beach was much smoother than the uphill track traveled before, Chen Zhou's pace didn't suffer from forging a new route; instead, it actually increased.
The sun hadn't set yet, and he could hear the distant sound of waves.
Emerging from the sparse coastal woods, he immediately saw the familiar mountain peak and the wooden stone wall stacked on the distant beach, and breathed a sigh of relief.
As he thought before, heading northwest or northeast from the landing would reveal two distinctly different rivers.
One originates from the mountains, flowing into the sea forming the Rock Beach.
The other runs through the River Valley Plain, primarily flowing within the island, its source unknown.
Robinson's shelter was indeed near the River Valley Plain's river.
On this beach, Robinson personally witnessed a giant stone shaken loose by an earthquake falling from a mountain into the sea, instilling a genuine fear of natural disasters.
His shelter on the mountain missed that spectacular scene.
Realizing his location differed from Robinson, he also had guesses about Pigeon Cave's whereabouts.
...
To differentiate, Chen Zhou gave simple names to the two rivers, one called Rock River, the other Valley River.
The Valley River region was mostly plains, forest trees were not dense, easy for passage.
On his way home, Chen Zhou saw tree bark chewed by goats and wool scraped on the bushes.
Later, he even discovered an old goat that had fallen behind, older and thinner than the one previously caught in the rope trap.
The old goat was blind in one eye, its teeth nearly worn flat, chin hairless, thin as a sheet, with hardly any meat left on its legs, lying in the woods barely surviving.
Faced with such poor-quality mutton, Chen Zhou wasn't keen to act—
You need a bit of meat when gnawing on lamb ribs, lighting a fire being so troublesome, couldn't just gnaw bones.
He intended to spare the old goat, letting it die naturally, but seeing Lai Fu running with him for several days, losing weight, he couldn't bear it, and killed the old goat with a single stab.
He let Lai Fu lick the released goat blood to replenish some salt and water, brusquely removed the goat leg, opened its chest, and took out a heart for Lai Fu to eat.
After finishing this delivered "afternoon snack," he led the satiated Lai Fu onward.
...
From the day of departure, a total of 5 days were spent, most time consumed in searching paths and confirming direction, actual exploration of the River Valley Plain totaling just a day and a half.
Fortunately, time was short, but gains were substantial.
Laying down the sugarcane bundles tied on his back with twine, and taking out the plants stored in glass jars from his pocket, seeing them still somewhat green, filled Chen Zhou's heart with joy.
After settling these plants in suitable places, he planned to visit River Valley Plain several more times, bringing back more plants or mature fruits and seeds.
Especially for high-consumption items like sugarcane and chilies, relying on their self-reproduction was too slow, still needed to transport them from the valley.
This wasn't about finding work for himself, mainly because the cave was built here, sunk costs invested here, even if the River Valley Plain was more suitable for farming, for now, he lacked time to cultivate it.
On the other hand, the mysterious reward refresh point was at the beach.
The complete reset every 15 days entirely bound him near the beach, unless the mysterious reward could follow him, otherwise, most of his time in over ten thousand days would remain spent here.
...
After checking the plants he brought back, Chen Zhou arrived at the mysterious reward refresh point and examined the wooden stone wall.
With the dry season bringing no wind or rain, the impact on the wooden stone wall became even smaller, after five days, not a change at all.
However, the beach, baked by the sun all day, remained hot even with the now dim sky, standing in it, he still felt intense heat.
On April 26, the 14th mysterious reward would arrive, by then he'd need to sort newly cut boards and stones, then build a new wall.
After walking all day, Chen Zhou was physically and mentally exhausted.
Away from home for five days, he deeply missed his wooden bed covered with quilts, his seal skin blanket, and the comfortable environment without the worry of beast attacks.
With work to complete tomorrow, if he were still camping in the wilderness, his accumulated fatigue over several days wouldn't recover so easily, he had to sleep in his bed—comfortably.
Then he thought of the crops in the fields, and Xiao Huihui, Tizi, and Little Dragon Cat left in the cave.
Wondering if they had been fighting or starving, if the food left was enough, and if they had messed up the place, breaking mirrors, overturning tableware, or defecating on the bed.
Only then did he realize, unconsciously, so many things worth his concern and capable of change had been added here.
Summoning his energy, he shouldered the sugarcane bundle, picked up the pocket, took out the water bottle, and drank the last bit of cool boiled water to moisten his throat.
Calling Lai Fu, along the beach, Chen Zhou began to complete the final puzzle piece of the journey.