Wang Lun explained to the three how to weave a fishing net, including the mesh size and how large to weave it. To maximize fishing efficiency, Wang Lun planned to make a casting net. Some stones would be suspended around the perimeter of the net, sinking before the net itself. When the estimated time was right, the rope would be pulled to haul in the net. At this point, the section with the suspended stones would contract inwards, creating a space inside the net, making it difficult for the fish to escape. When the bottom of the net came together, it became a sealed space, making it even harder for the fish to escape. This way, the net could be hauled onto a raft, completing one fishing trip.
Wang Lun explained to the three of them how to use the net, then how to make it, how big to make it, and what size mesh to leave. After the three understood, he let Li Ling and the others digest the information before cooking lunch. Wang Lun then prepared his things for the trip.
With everything prepared for the three of them, Wang Lun noticed they were still cooking. So, he went to get a bundle of dry grass and started weaving more straw rope. He planned to use the rope to secure the raft again, making it more stable. He also wanted to add a small flag to the raft to help it float faster.
While Wang Lun was still twisting straw rope, Liu Ruoling called him back for lunch. Wang Lun put down the dry grass and straw rope in his hands and went to the pool to wash his hands.
Back inside, lunch was again made with wild vegetables and fish. Although they were tired of the same old food, all four of them ate their fill. Even though they were tired of it, they really didn't want to eat boiled wild vegetables.
After the meal, Wang Lun took Li Ling and Liu Ruoling to the woods to collect vines. Liu Ruoxi escorted the three of them out of the campsite and watched them disappear into the woods. Only then did Liu Ruoxi return to clear the table and wash the dishes.
After washing the pots and pans, Liu Ruoxi thought she could take advantage of her free time while the stinky chaste leaves were still relatively fresh and quickly make them into jelly so she could eat it that evening. So Liu Ruoxi found the stinky chaste leaves, put them in the sink, and washed them clean. Then, imitating what Wang Lun had done before, she began to crush the stinky chaste leaves.
After working for over an hour, Liu Ruoxi finally managed to crush all the stinking chaste leaves and make them into jelly. Similarly, she saved the remaining scraps to feed the pheasants later. After placing the earthenware pot filled with the liquid in the pool, Liu Ruoxi returned to the house.
After resting for a while, Liu Ruoxi continued weaving the straw rope that Wang Lun had made earlier.
Wang Lun, Li Ling, and the other two hadn't stopped for a moment in the woods. They pulled down vines they saw, tied them up as they walked, and put them in their baskets. They didn't stop to rest at all. They even picked wild vegetables they encountered along the way. Of course, if they found mushrooms or wood ear fungus, they were willing to stop and pick them before continuing on their way.
As evening fell, Wang Lun and his two companions, carrying heavy baskets on their backs, slowly made their way back to the camp. All three were utterly exhausted. Even Wang Lun was incredibly weary. The last time they were like this was long ago. The last time was when he and Li Ling brought back all that seafood at once, carrying and lifting it on their backs, which nearly drove Li Ling to the brink of collapse. If Wang Lun hadn't been carrying so much, Li Ling probably would have collapsed on the way.
This time it wasn't as heavy as before, but it wasn't much different. During the rest breaks, Wang Lun didn't rest at all; he was busy collecting vines.
Liu Ruoling called Liu Ruoxi to open the door. Actually, Liu Ruoxi was sitting at the door twisting straw rope, and could see them just by looking up. When Wang Lun and the others were in front of the camp gate, Liu Ruoxi saw them, quickly dropped what she was holding, and ran to open the door for them.
The three men placed their baskets at the doorway, and immediately collapsed onto the ground, unwilling to move. Liu Ruoxi tried to pull them up, but couldn't, so she let them sit there for the time being. She turned and went inside to pour them some water so they could replenish their energy.
Each of them drank two bowls of water before they didn't want to drink anymore. Liu Ruoxi then gave each of them some dried fruit to replenish their energy. This included peaches they had picked earlier, which they had dried because they couldn't finish them all; the dried peaches tasted quite good. There were also bananas that Li Ling and Liu Ruoling had picked, which had been dried into banana chips, also quite tasty. Wang Lun usually didn't let them eat much of this; each person only received one slice of dried peach and two slices of banana per day, which was far from enough. But they didn't complain, knowing that even with this much dried fruit, it wouldn't last until winter, and that was only because Wang Lun controlled it; otherwise, it would have been gone long ago.
Wang Lun only ate two pieces before handing the rest to Liu Ruoxi. Partly, Wang Lun felt increasingly hungry and preferred not to eat. Partly, Liu Ruoxi had taken enough for three people without giving her any for herself, and as a man, it wouldn't matter if Wang Lun ate less.
The three rested for a while before forcing themselves to get up and sit on the stools.
Seeing that the sun had set, Liu Ruoxi went back inside to start preparing dinner. Wang Lun went to help her start the fire, leaving Liu Ruoxi to cook the meal, as all three of them were still quite tired, especially Li Ling and Liu Ruoling. Wang Lun, on the other hand, recovered somewhat quickly due to his better recovery ability.
Soon, Liu Ruoxi had cooked a pot of venison stew with wild vegetables, and added a large bowl of cold noodles. This was their dinner for the four of them.
During lunch today, no one spoke; everyone was focused on eating. Liu Ruoxi, the only one in relatively good spirits, wasn't one to talk much, and no one was talking to her today either. The other three were all busy eating.
After lunch, Wang Lun asked everyone to stay and discuss the plans for the coming period. He had originally intended to take Liu Ruoling to the beach the next morning to start logging and building a raft, but seeing the situation today, he changed his plans to depart after lunch the following day. Once there, they could build a sturdier shelter. Logging would begin the next day.
This was also to give Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi a good start in weaving fishing nets at the camp. It was also to see if they had truly mastered the technique. It would be a real waste if, after Wang Lun and the others left for the beach, the two of them discovered they couldn't weave nets and were still fumbling around at the camp, wasting a lot of time.
After Wang Lun explained his idea, Liu Ruoling immediately agreed. She was genuinely tired and worried about not being able to get up the next morning, let alone have the strength to cut down trees. Li Ling initially considered having all four of them go together, but after thinking it over, she decided against it. Although going together wouldn't waste too much time, it would still delay things by a few days. So Li Ling abandoned the idea. Liu Ruoxi, however, was worried about Wang Lun and Liu Ruoling's life by the sea, fearing they might encounter danger or other problems. Wang Lun repeatedly insisted that they build a sturdy shelter first before starting logging. This finally dispelled Liu Ruoxi's concerns.
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