Chapter 36: Building a Shelter
The further Chu Qiao walked in, the quieter the surroundings became.
The paths were bare on both sides, the weeds had frozen to death, and the evergreen trees were reluctantly gray-green.
"Master Chu, this is a bit scary."
"How can we find food when we are so bare?"
"The host really didn't bring any food?"
"Why do I not believe it? Going into the mountains in winter without food is like waiting to die."
Chu Qiao didn't answer. Her eyes lit up and she ran two steps quickly. She saw a patch of weeds growing under a big tree in front of her. The leaves of the weeds had turned yellow and withered, and broke when touched.
Chu Qiao pointed to the gray spike sticking out from the dead leaves and said, "Everyone, recognize this one."
"It's dogtail grass. Who doesn't know it?"
"That's right, Master Chu underestimated us."
"That's common sense, okay?"
"But what's the use? They're all withered."
Chu Qiao placed one hand under a spike of foxtail grass and used the other to knock on it. Seeds smaller than rice grains fell into his palm.
"Everyone is right. Since foxtail grass is an annual, it should have dried up and been torn off by now. These few should be the ones that are still alive."
"Master Chu, what is the use of this thing?"
"That's right, I can't eat it, and there's no water."
Chu Qiao raised the corner of his mouth and shook a finger: "You underestimate it, this is edible."
"Master Chu is so funny."
"You can't eat anything in the wild."
"Master Chu, we've just entered the mountains, and you're already so hungry that you won't be picky about food?"
Seeing that everyone was enthusiastically motivated, Chu Qiao enthusiastically explained, "In fact, foxtail grass is the ancestor of millet. Through continuous domestication of foxtail grass by humans, they repeatedly selected the seeds of the largest and fullest plants for planting. Finally, after thousands of years of hard work, they domesticated the millet we know today."
"Just now I shook the foxtail grass, and now there are many millet grains in my palm. The millet must call it its ancestor."
The camera turns to Chu Qiao's hands, and you can see many small gray-green particles in Chu Qiao's hands.
There weren't many foxtail grasses left, only about ten ears. Chu Qiao pulled them all out, put them in his palms, and rubbed them together.
After a while, a small handful of seeds fell into the palm of my hand.
Chu Qiao carefully put it into the kettle.
"I'll save it first. If I swallow it directly, it will get stuck in my throat and be difficult to swallow."
"Oreo gave the anchor 1,000 bottles of Coke to celebrate the victory."
"Panda Panpan is giving the anchor 1,000 bottles of Coke—it's getting dark, Chu Qiao, hurry up."
"Little Chicken gave the anchor 200 bottles of Coke—what if my Master Chu gets starved and becomes skinny?"
Chu Qiao watched the barrage of comments flash by quickly. Everyone in the live broadcast room was very active, the popularity index was still growing, and she was in a good mood.
While continuing on our journey, we searched for a suitable cave to stay for the night.
They walked without stopping until the shadow gradually disappeared. Chu Qiao looked up at the sky with a serious expression, "It's getting dark soon. The north is cold already, and the temperature difference between day and night is even greater in the mountains. I'm wearing very little for easy hiking. I must find a suitable place to stay at night, otherwise I'll easily freeze to death or be attacked by wild animals."
After saying this, she walked faster, looking left and right from time to time, trying to find a cave on the stone wall.
Dead branches and broken trees kept blocking Chu Qiao's way. She dodged back and forth, but her pace did not slow down.
"Master Chu is just like a monkey in the mountains."
"It feels like Master Chu is about to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive after entering the mountains, using both hands and feet."
"Put me in there, and I'll probably have to change the engine in less than an hour."
"You? Even changing all four pieces of clothing is not an option."
Chu Qiao walked a long way and found that the caves around her were too small and not suitable for people to stay in. If that didn't work, she would need to build a shelter by herself.
As the sky gradually darkened, Chu Qiao said to the drone, "It seems we won't be able to find a cave today. I'll have to build a shelter manually. We're just staying here for one night, so it doesn't need to be perfect. We just need a place that's sheltered from the wind and warm enough."
"That's true, but it's hard to find even a large leaf. What can I use to match it?"
"Master Chu isn't going to cut down the tree, is he?"
"Mr. Chu's small saber can cut down trees."
"Don't say that about Master Chu's equipment. It takes a little effort...that's all."
Chu Qiao shook his head: "There's no need to go as far as cutting down trees. I just noticed there are a lot of dead branches under my feet. I can use them to build, saving a lot of effort."
She entered a pine forest, found a not very tall pine tree, picked up a dead branch from the ground, and placed it between the two branches of the pine and bamboo trees, forming a triangular space between the pine tree and the dead branch.
Chu Qiao found a few willow trees. She took out her saber and cut off the dry willow branches one by one. She placed them on the dead branches, with the ends hanging down like door curtains, covering the space on both sides of the dead branches.
Chu Qiao explained as she did it, "There are no soft leaves in winter, but these pine needles and fallen leaves can be used as substitutes." She spread a thick layer of dry leaves on the ground of the shelter.
Chu Qiao dug some moist soil along the roots of another pine tree. The soil in the mountains was not only moist, but also had some wiry roots in it, which made the soil stick together and prevent it from falling apart.
Chu Qiao covered the top of the shelter with mud and secured it to prevent the willow branches from being blown away by the wind.
Chu Qiao finished and wiped his hands with dry leaves. "Okay, let's take a look at the results."
The drone intelligently approached the shelter, circling left and right, and the people in the live broadcast room could clearly see every detail.
"Master Chu, awesome."
"It's amazing. Not only does it block the wind, but since it's nestled in a pine forest, it also keeps out the rain."
"Please ask Master Chu for advice on the survival genius."
"As expected of Mr. Chu, the four-wheel drive all-round off-roader."
“666.”
"A die-hard Chu fan gifted the anchor a car - another day of being obsessed with Chu."
"Fengliubianye always sends Mr. Chu 1,000 bottles of Coke—to show off Mr. Chu's arrogance."
"Awesome."
"Awesome."
…
Chu Qiao was amused by everyone. "Thank you all, we built this shelter. Besides keeping out the wind and rain, it also keeps our body temperature from escaping. These dead leaves on the ground will separate the cold ground from our bodies, keeping them warm. The soil on top is not only to hold the willow branches in place, but also to prevent cold air from getting in."
Chu Qiao pulled aside the willow curtain and walked in with her back bent. The fallen leaves were soft and she lay down with her clothes on.
"Very comfortable." Chu Qiao said as he took a deep breath.
"The air in the mountains is indeed different from that in the city. Every breath I take feels refreshing and goes straight to my lungs."
"People with respiratory diseases, such as lung disease, rhinitis, and sinusitis, can go walking in the mountains more often. It is very beneficial for recovery. Of course, you can also go to Nanyang Island, where I first survived. The negative ion content there is extremely high, making it suitable for human habitation."
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