Although they had captured the dozen or so macaques, figuring out what to do with them proved to be a problem for everyone.
Kill it? It's really hard to bring myself to use a butcher's knife on such a primate.
Not kill it? We can't exactly keep it as a pet, can we?
"How about killing two? Kill a chicken... or a monkey as a warning?" Ye Wu suggested.
If they really wanted to, they could do it. They've hunted so many animals, one more wouldn't hurt. Primates are difficult to hunt, but they can still manage.
"I'm afraid it might backfire, and the monkeys might retaliate against us," Wang Bing said with some concern.
"Is there a Monkey King inside?" Chen Yang asked.
Jiang Bo nodded and said, "Yes, I guess the Monkey King drank the most last night. He's still a bit out of it, but judging from the other monkeys' attitudes towards him, he must be the Monkey King."
Chen Yang nodded and said, "Leave the Monkey King here, lock him up for seven or eight days, and then release him."
"Would they be afraid if we locked them up for seven or eight days and then released them?"
"The goal is not to make them afraid," Chen Yang said.
Hou Yu suddenly understood, and then asked, "You want them to elect a new monkey king, and then put the old monkey king back, causing infighting. That way, no matter what the outcome, the monkey troop should learn a lesson and dare not come again. No matter which monkey king leads them, they should not come to the camp to seek their own death."
Chen Yang nodded; that was indeed his idea.
This was indeed a feasible solution, and everyone agreed. They acted immediately because the monkeys' cries were driving them crazy; it sounded like dozens of middle-aged women arguing. This was why they needed to resolve the issue quickly.
Jiang Bo went into the room, captured the monkey king, and then released the other monkeys. But they weren't released immediately; before releasing them, everyone picked up tree branches and whipped the monkeys' buttocks several times.
Upon discovering their freedom, the macaques immediately scattered, and at that moment, not a single monkey paid any attention to the monkey king.
The monkey king cried out in despair, and the girls felt a pang of pity. However, they knew they had to teach the monkeys a lesson, and sparing them all was already a great act of mercy.
The monkey king was locked in a room and given only some fruit and water. At first, it made a fuss and barked, but later it got tired and sat on the ground with a look of utter despair.
The monkey that fell to its death was not wasted; it was processed and stewed into a soup, which was very nutritious and delicious. However, compared to the losses caused by the monkey troop, this was nothing.
Fortunately, spring is approaching, and they have animals to raise, so the monkey troop hasn't moved much.
The three-fold increase in time speed allows animals to reproduce very quickly. A duckling can reach a carnivorous size within a few days of being born, but it still takes about three months to grow to adulthood.
Moreover, these chickens and ducks are laying eggs incredibly diligently these days; you can find eggs every day when you go there.
Finding feed every day is a huge undertaking. In winter, they are fed vegetable leaves and grass, but in spring there are many insects to find, which are quite nutritious.
“I want to go to the West Boundary River again. The climate along the river is different due to the influence of the desert on the other side. It should be springtime by now. Let’s look for usable resources.”
Chen Yang suggested.
As soon as he mentioned it, a bunch of people responded, wanting to go out. Although staying in the camp every day was fulfilling, it was really boring.
"Yining, Ye Wu, Brother Yunhu, Chen Liu, and Ye Wen. Come with me." Chen Yang selected a few people from those who had signed up.
Surprisingly, Li Su'er didn't sign up this time; she would never have missed such an event before.
"I want to help Bai Jing make pottery. I've recently taken a liking to sculpting clay. I'd like to make a tea set," she said with a smile.
Chen Yang nodded. "In that case, the selection of personnel for this trip is settled."
The goal of this trip is to collect as many resources as possible, and advancing through the Mo Plain is relatively safe, with good visibility and a low probability of being attacked.
So when Chen Liu raised his hand, Chen Yang didn't exclude him. If it was about collecting items, Chen Liu could help out a little and wouldn't be a burden, because Chen Liu was just too well-behaved, completely different from other children his age.
Since they were going to travel, they didn't delay any longer and set off that very day.
There's not much to pack; just bring food and water, weapons, a fire-starting kit, and a watch.
The existence of watches has indeed improved people's work pace and efficiency significantly. They can manage their time more effectively and avoid neglecting one thing for another. When going out, watches serve even greater purposes. Most importantly, they can indicate direction.
Chen Yang is already considering what to bring from the real world next month—tech products or something else?
He was still unsure of the Microverse's definition of quantity, because the watch contained many parts and could not be counted as a "piece" if it were disassembled. He guessed that the Microverse's definition of a "piece" might be an item that is unified and has a complete individual function. If so, he felt that there was an idea that could be experimented with.
Once he returns from this expedition, he will put his ideas to the test.
The villagers who remained at the camp saw Chen Yang and his group off as they left. Hou Yu and the others also returned to the island, some working as blacksmiths, others farming. Guo Zifeng, however, stayed behind, entrusting the blacksmithing work entirely to Hong Gui.
"Judging by the season, it should be February in the Micro Realm now. We can start looking for tea trees around in March. We must find them before the Qingming Festival," Guo Zifeng said.
The seasonal changes in the micro-world seem to be in perfect sync with reality, so people use real-world dates in the micro-world. Tea is a very particular thing, and the best time to pick many kinds of tea is around Qingming Festival.
"When we go out, please remind everyone to be careful. We'll explore more places, especially those suitable for tea cultivation."
Li Su'er also attached great importance to the search for tea. She herself loved tea and had learned tea art. Moreover, if there was tea in the micro-world, she could show off her tea skills.
Don't worry about teaware; earthenware is perfectly adequate. As long as it's made with fine craftsmanship, it's not much inferior to porcelain. Many tea connoisseurs prefer earthenware teaware to porcelain.
"I've been longing for spring day and night; it's been so long since I've felt this way," Grandpa Yun said with a smile.
He had farmed when he was young and understood this feeling; moreover, many resources in the micro-world wouldn't be available until spring. It needed spring even more than it had when he was younger.
Guo Zifeng and Li Su'er were focused on finding tea, while Jiang Bo began to think about how to find plants that could be pressed for oil.
There are many plants that can be pressed for oil, but given their current conditions, they are unable to extract oil from many of them. They need to find a plant that can be pressed for oil and whose extraction process is relatively simple.
This caused Jiang Bo to rack his brains, even going online to search for information. He looked for various plants and then selected those with a high probability of appearing in the micro-world.
It seems that with the arrival of spring, all things, including the inhabitants of the micro-world, have become more active, as if they have emerged from hibernation. Everyone is actively seeking their own value and striving for a better life.
(End of this chapter)
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