In the desert, the group finally reached the shady spot, but it was still incredibly dry, with not a trace of moisture in sight.
It took them most of the day to get here, even though it was within sight, the distance was actually quite far.
In just over half a day, they had already lost a quarter of the water they carried.
"Next time we must make a leather water bag, so that it can hold more water," Wengji said.
Their carrying capacity is limited, so they cannot carry too much water.
Even with careful conservation, the remaining three-quarters of the water will only last until the day after tomorrow.
“We’ll continue for another day tomorrow. If we still haven’t found anything by tomorrow night, we’ll have to turn back to replenish our water supply and continue exploring in a different direction,” Chen Yang said.
Ding Qihan pointed in a direction and said, "There are some clouds in the sky in that direction, so there's a high chance of water."
Chen Yang nodded and said, "Let's go a little further after the hottest period, and then turn back to save some water."
…………
Inside the campsite, the issue of wiring was also resolved. The wooden cabins were already quite close together, so there was plenty of wiring. Lights were installed in every cabin, and three rooms in the larger cabin even had lights.
The solar panels of the generator are very large; when laid out, they cover the entire generator. However, just to be on the safe side, a generator room was still built for the generator.
The loofahs have all been planted, and the trellises have been set up; all that's left is to wait for them to sprout and grow.
The newcomer, Xing Tu, also found a suitable job: carpentry.
Besides tea, he also does some woodworking in his spare time.
There are many small wooden items in the camp, but everyone's craftsmanship is average, so Xing Tu plans to redo or remake these things.
Grandpa Yun finally found a chess partner, and the two would play chess after dinner, sometimes for one or two hours at a time. If they didn't have to work, they could play even longer.
Most elderly people, once they get older, just walk around with their birds or play chess. But Xing Tu and Grandpa Yunhua are the kind of people who refuse to accept old age and are always looking for things to do.
Both are outstanding in their respective fields and have achieved considerable success. In particular, Grandpa Yun holds a very high position, and many influential people in the country have received his guidance. His old friends are all over the country, so the energy that can be mobilized by Grandpa Yun's order is unimaginable to ordinary people.
However, within the micro-world, what they can do is exactly what they desire. They want to do something truly useful.
As the number of people in the Micro World Camp increases, everyone can quickly find their place in the camp and is happy to do these things.
In the micro-world, there aren't many entertaining activities. Daydreaming is the most agonizing thing. You only feel fulfilled if you don't find something to do.
Right now, Li Sen is undoubtedly the busiest person, running around collecting video materials.
The video begins with nothing, so the origin of every item that appears in the video must be investigated.
He had Chen Tianming lead the way to the salt lake—the Mirror of the Sky—to collect salt, and they also took photos at the Mirror of the Sky.
The salt purification process was also filmed, along with a glimpse of the hot springs on the island in the middle of the lake.
This documentary covers a wide range of topics, starting with making pottery, but Li Sen also filmed building houses, blacksmithing, planting, and raising livestock, so it really puts his editing skills to the test.
Although Hou Yu was the one who actually did the editing, Li Sen provided guidance and supervision throughout the process.
He specifically sought out several friends who specialized in editing to learn from, and also studied a great deal of techniques from successful documentaries.
When he arrived at the Sky Mirror, Chen Yang and his group finally made a discovery.
They found a tree-shaped cactus, which was very tall and at least a hundred years old. If you cut the whole cactus, there would be some water inside, but they couldn't bear to destroy a life that was one or two hundred years old for a little water.
After failing to make an opening to get water, Chen Yang and his team had no choice but to give up.
Fortunately, the top of the cactus tree has red fruits. These fruits are not whole; they are more like Tibetan flatbread, in clumps. They taste quite sweet and have a good texture, and can barely replenish some moisture.
Since they had enough dry food, they didn't need to dry the fruit into dried fruit.
This grove of cacti has many cacti trees and a lot of fruit, but each of these trees is four or five meters tall.
The task of harvesting was assigned to Chen Yang. He was to find two sticks, tie them together, and attach a small knife to the top to cut the fruit. Chen Yang had good aim and could control the two- or three-meter-long sticks with ease, so it was best to let him cut the fruit, as it would save him the most energy.
"I heard that if you find a cactus in the desert, you'll find water. But this is different from what I thought," Ye Wu said.
“Not all cacti are rich in water,” Ongi said. “However, judging from the growth of the cacti, there should be water in the southwest direction.”
“I agree. There should be water in the southwest, but it’s quite a distance away,” Ding Qihan said.
Chen Yang looked southwest, pondered silently for a moment, and said, "I want to take a gamble and ask for your opinions."
"No objection."
"A real man shouldn't back down."
"No pain, no gain."
They all spoke, then smiled knowingly.
"Okay, let's speed up and distribute the water in batches, make a schedule, and drink water regularly and in measured amounts."
All the water was collected and then distributed equally among everyone.
"I'll take less. I have a strong ability to regulate my body, so I consume less water and energy." Chen Yang reduced his water intake by one-fifth and gave it to the others.
"Throw away the axe, a spear will suffice," Ye Wu said.
"I also threw away spare clothes, and only two bamboo baskets were needed. I also threw away straw mats, since we're leaving every night anyway. Anything that's not necessary is unnecessary," Chen Yang said.
In this situation, the group had already gone all out; if they continued for another day, their water supply would hardly be enough to sustain them on their return journey.
Their only way out is death, because they can be resurrected.
In this situation, all burdens are unnecessary. Except for water, food, and a few weapons for self-defense, everything else is left here. If given the chance, I will come back there.
The compass function of Chen Yang's watch played a significant role.
The sun can only provide a general direction, and sometimes it can be too hot to judge the direction correctly, while the compass function of a watch can ensure that the direction is correct.
Furthermore, the watch's temperature tracking function allows them to accurately know the current temperature, while most importantly, the time management function allows them to rationally schedule their water intake and understand their progress efficiency.
The first item Chen Yang brought into the micro-world is now demonstrating its immense value.
I've been busy with graduation matters lately, so my update schedule is irregular, but I can guarantee two chapters a day. Please understand and support me.
(End of this chapter)
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