Because of the noise that DouDing and his mother made when they rushed out of the woods, the two rabbits immediately ran into the grass and disappeared without a trace.
Chen Jian turned his head, about to shout, but when he saw Dou Ding and Dou Ding's mother, his face lit up with joy and he quickly ran over.
DouDing and her mother were very perceptive; they gently placed the bird eggs they were holding into the baskets we had brought, and then tilted their heads and swayed their bodies at us, looking very cute.
Chen Jian looked at the seven or eight bird eggs, and his eyes suddenly reddened. He hugged Dou Ding and Dou Ding's mother tightly and kissed their heads.
DouDing was very pleased, squeaking and chirping, clearly delighted.
DouDing's mother broke free from Chen Jian's hand and climbed back up the tree, probably to steal bird eggs again.
I never imagined that these two little monkeys would not only find that fruit grove for us, but also help us collect bird eggs. This really surprised and delighted me.
Overjoyed, Chen Jian wept tears of joy. He stroked Dou Ding and coaxed her for a while. Dou Ding ran out of Chen Jian's arms, and soon the mother and son ran back. This time, the bird eggs in their hands were even bigger than the ones they had found before.
Seeing that the basket was almost full, Chen Jian and I stopped doing anything else and followed Dou Ding and Dou Ding's mother back and forth in the woods.
In less than half an hour, both of our baskets were already full.
Chen Jian, holding Dou Ding, looked at me with a smile like a triumphant warrior: "Brother Sihai, those two are really amazing! The fruit grove we found back then already surprised me enough, and this time they even helped us collect bird eggs. Does that mean we won't need to go out and search anymore? They can totally help us transport these bird eggs back to the mountain!"
This is truly an unintentional unlocking of a new skill!
Sigh, I was thinking of not bringing them along, but they turned out to be such a big help.
I never expected this either, but I already knew that monkeys are primates and very intelligent. Perhaps after spending so much time together, he sensed Chen Jian's grief and wanted to help us.
This time, however, their help really solved a big problem for us.
We returned triumphantly with two baskets of bird eggs. When we got back to the top of the mountain, Wang Xiaoxiao and the others were very surprised to see our two baskets full of bird eggs.
Liu Jiaojiao happened to be hungry at this moment. Although these bird eggs were very small, these two baskets would be enough for Liu Jiaojiao to eat for three or four days.
Wang Xiaoxiao immediately went to gather firewood and started a pot to steam egg custard for Liu Jiaojiao. Liu Jiaojiao squatted by the stove with longing in her eyes, licking her lips incessantly.
Chen Jian breathed a sigh of relief. After making the steamed egg custard, Liu Jiaojiao ate a whole bowl by herself, along with some fruit, before returning to her wooden house, completely satisfied.
That evening, we stewed the dried brown bear meat with some wild vegetables. After we were full, I went down the mountain to take a bath, and coincidentally, Wang Ping was also standing at the foot of the mountain.
He had his hands behind his back and his eyes held a strange emotion; I thought he was homesick again.
Wang Ping told me that his father passed away early, leaving only his mother and younger sister. He worked at Bai Wei's company and sent all his salary home.
His mother and sister also lived in poverty, so he was always the one who had to support them.
Now he has disappeared at sea and stranded on this deserted island, but he has no way to tell his mother and sister that he is still alive. He doesn't even know what his mother and sister are feeling right now, so Wang Ping always feels sad whenever he thinks about this.
Seeing him like this, I was a little worried, so I went over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, we'll always be able to get back to the city. We have a house and food here now, so even if we encounter a rainstorm, we can survive. As long as we're alive, there's hope. Don't worry too much, try to look on the bright side. Otherwise, no matter how sad you are, we won't be able to go back. Wouldn't you just be adding unnecessary burdens to yourself?"
Wang Ping turned to look at me, paused for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.
“I’m not sad. Although we’re stranded on this deserted island and don’t know what to do, I know that survival is the greatest hope. I was just studying this waterfall. Didn’t you say you wanted to move the water to the mountain? Yesterday afternoon when I was chopping wood, I suddenly thought of a method. Do you know what a waterwheel is?”
After listening to Wang Ping's words, I nodded: "I have certainly heard of waterwheels, but what do we use to make waterwheels in a place like this?"
“I’ve thought about that too. We have kitchen knives and hacksaws now. If we were to cut down trees to make a waterwheel, all the parts and tools could be put together perfectly, and it should be completed in about 20 days.”
“Build a large waterwheel, and then we can build a reservoir on the mountaintop. That way, the women won’t have to come down the mountain to wash vegetables and clothes, and they can also avoid some dangers. After all, although we have fences in these places, they are too fragile. If they encounter any large wild beasts, they will be no match for them.”
"Also, if we want to grow rice on a large scale on the mountain, then water is a necessity. We can't just carry water up the mountain bucket by bucket."
As I read Wang Ping's words, I looked up at our mountaintop. The distance between the bottom and the top of the mountain was about ten meters.
How big of a waterwheel would it take to transport this water up there? I've been worried about this for a long time. Since Wang Ping has this idea, it means he's already started thinking about how to do it.
I can't discourage his enthusiasm just because I find it difficult myself. Besides, if this matter can really be accomplished, it would be a beneficial measure for the community.
It's definitely worth studying. We have enough food now, and we have enough time to build the waterwheel. We've always been worried about whether this place has a winter, so we need to prepare everything we need before winter arrives so we can get through it safely.
I patted Wang Ping on the shoulder and nodded, saying, "Since you want to do this, let's go find Chen Jian and Bai Wei's group tomorrow. After all, it's not just our group that's using this to bring water up the mountain. Bai Wei and the others should also participate. That way, more people means more power, and we can get things done more easily."
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