That evening, the four of them sat around the campfire. Having transported all the bark back to camp that day, Wang Lun invited everyone to have a barbecue to treat them.
The barbecue was incredibly lavish. There was dried meat, soaked wild vegetables, seafood, crab, octopus, oysters, clams, and more. Wang Lun and Li Ling also brought dried fruit from the camp, and Liu Ruoxi cooked some seaweed soup. The two even brought some Sichuan peppercorns from the camp to use as seasoning. It was truly a feast; Wang Lun had never imagined eating like this back in the city.
The barbecue and various dishes were ready. The four of them sat down around the campfire. First, each person ladled out half a bowl of seaweed soup and clinked their glasses together. In short, a sense of ritual was essential.
Wang Lun even summarized the work of the past four days. In short, all the tree bark had been transported back to camp, and it was hoped that everyone would have a new set of clothes in the future. Even Liu Ruoxi and the other two who stayed behind at the beach achieved remarkable results. First, they had filled four bamboo tubes completely with sea salt. Second, they had completed one-eighth of their food reserve target, and even more.
After Wang Lun finished explaining the results, the four of them were somewhat shocked. They had been so focused on their work that they hadn't paid attention to these details, thinking they could just do more and have an easier life later. Who knew they'd overexert themselves and be surprised by the final results? In fact, Wang Lun was also surprised when he checked the supplies that afternoon. Besides the food they'd had for the past few days, their reserves had actually increased significantly, which was quite astonishing.
After Wang Lun finished explaining his findings, he picked up his bowl and said, "Cheers!" The three women also picked up their bowls with great gusto and drank the seaweed soup in one gulp. The rest of the time was a feast—in short, all about eating.
More than an hour later, the lavish feast finally came to an end. All four of them had bulging bellies. They even lay on the ground, completely unconcerned about the mess they left behind, utterly oblivious to the chaos.
During their rest, Wang Lun outlined the tasks for the three women for the next day. He would take Liu Ruoling and Li Ling fishing at sea first, while Liu Ruoxi would remain at the camp. However, for safety reasons, they were advised not to leave the camp unless the three women returned.
In the afternoon, Wang Lun and Liu Ruoling continued out to sea, while Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi processed the morning's catch. To avoid the sun, Wang Lun planned to build a shed on the shore during the lunch break to provide shade.
The plan for the next few days would be the same: until the food stockpiling was completed, or the seven-day period was up. If either condition was met, Wang Lun planned to return to camp the following day. After all, there was still some food left, but other winter supplies weren't ready, and those would also take time.
After Wang Lun finished explaining the work arrangements for the next few days, Li Ling and the other two were still a little anxious about the goal, but after four days of hard work, they felt that there seemed to be some hope of achieving it.
Li Ling and the other two exchanged glances and decided to teach Wang Lun a lesson today. They then informed Wang Lun that he would be in charge of cleaning up the mess tonight. The three of them turned and went back to the shelter to rest. Wang Lun pretended to be resentful and agreed. In reality, Wang Lun knew that the three of them wanted to rest more and have more energy to prepare for tomorrow's work.
As for Liu Ruoxi, she had returned to the shelter to rest because she planned to keep watch for the rest of the night. They had barbecue and seaweed soup for dinner. All that needed cleaning was some fish bones and crab shells, which could be thrown into the campfire to burn. The pot used for the soup was even simpler; a bamboo tube of fresh water was poured in, and a quick wipe was enough to clean it. After all, it would need to be washed again when cooking rice tomorrow morning.
The next day, just as dawn broke, the four of them began packing their things, preparing to set off. Wang Lun, along with Li Ling and Liu Ruoling, carried baskets on their backs and went to the beach to paddle a raft and go fishing at sea.
Although there have been some fish near the shore these past few days, it's ultimately a matter of luck, and the timing is unpredictable. Now that we're out at sea, casting our nets a few more times will surely yield a catch. The chances are also much greater than staying on the shore.
Only Liu Ruoxi remained in the camp. The vast camp was now empty except for Liu Ruoxi and a goat. Liu Ruoxi suddenly felt a little lonely, but she couldn't call them back. She could only stand by the windbreak wall and quietly watch them walk towards the sea.
Suddenly, Liu Ruoling turned around and ran towards the camp. As she ran, she called out, "Sister, come quick, let's go together." Liu Ruoxi was a little confused.
It wasn't until Liu Ruoling ran up to Liu Ruoxi and told her what had happened that Liu Ruoxi was both surprised and delighted, unsure of what to do. Liu Ruoling led the goat into the shelter, blocked the door, and then pulled Liu Ruoxi along towards the sea.
On the way, Li Ling said to Wang Lun, "Isn't it a bad idea to leave Ruoxi alone at the camp?" Wang Lun was lost in thought and didn't understand what she meant, so he said, "What's wrong with it? It's safe in the shelter." Li Ling looked at Wang Lun and said, "Before, when I was alone in the shelter, I would be terrified if you left for even a short while. When we were separated, did you ever worry about me?" Wang Lun was still lost in thought and casually said, "Of course I was worried. It's so dangerous for someone to be out there alone." Li Ling continued to stare at Wang Lun and said, "Now that Ruoxi is alone, are you worried about her safety?" At this moment, Liu Ruoling dared not say a word, because she knew very well that if she dared to speak, she would be the one to set off the explosives.
Wang Lun said, "Yes, I'm worried. I told her to stay in the shelter before I left. I prepared spears and all that." Li Ling said, "So, do you think she's worried about us now?" Wang Lun stopped and said, "What do you mean?" Li Ling said, "Think about how we felt when we had to separate after we got to the island." After saying that, Li Ling looked at Wang Lun quietly. Wang Lun seemed to remember something, his expression changed, and he said, "Well, what can I do? There needs to be someone in the camp." Li Ling said, "What for?" Wang Lun said, "To watch over the food, the fire, and the goats." Li Ling said, "Put the food in the shelter, bring the goats in too, and put plenty of firewood in the fire. That should be enough to last until we come back." Wang Lun said, "You think you're right. It's up to you." After saying that, Wang Lun waved his hand and continued walking towards the beach.
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