Liu Ruoxi called Wang Lun over. Wang Lun carried a pot of chicken stew with mushrooms, while Liu Ruoxi carried a pot of taro and chicken stew. The two placed the two pots on the table. The four of them sat down and began to eat dinner. For a long time, they had been eating wild vegetables stewed with fish. Today, suddenly eating pheasant made all four of them feel that the pheasant tasted much better. No one spoke; they only focused on eating. Even Wang Lun, who usually planned for the next day during meals, ignored it and just ate his fill first.
Soon, the four of them finished both pots. There was nothing left in the pots, not even the broth. Although they usually did this, the last bit of soup and food was always passed around among them, not out of politeness, but because they had truly eaten enough.
After dinner, Wang Lun picked up a chicken bone, picking his teeth as he explained tomorrow's plans. In short, they would go to the beach tomorrow morning, take a raft, and head all the way to the banana grove. In the afternoon, they would build a temporary shelter using banana leaves for the next day or two. If it weren't for the fact that it would take more than an hour to paddle the raft to the beach campsite, Wang Lun wouldn't have bothered building a shelter; staying at the beach campsite every day would have been much safer.
Tomorrow's tasks are simple, but walking in the morning will be tiring, and setting up the shed in the afternoon will also be tiring for a while. Everything else is relatively easy. Of course, there will be one more member tomorrow: the goat. Wang Lun has decided to bring the goat along. The goat behaved very well today, and Wang Lun thinks it must have been tamed. As expected of a creature tamed by humans, it is indeed easier to tame than other animals.
When Wang Lun mentioned bringing the goats, Li Ling raised a question, saying, "Walking is fine, but will the goats get used to riding on the raft?" Wang Lun thought for a moment and said, "Just cover the goats' eyes with something, and there shouldn't be a problem." Li Ling looked at Wang Lun suspiciously and said, "Will that work?" Wang Lun said, "I don't know, but this is the only way I can think of. Why don't you suggest a solution?" He then looked at the three of them. All three shook their heads; if they had a solution, they would have said so already.
Wang Lun knew this was probably the case, so he told them to go wash the dishes while he prepared what he needed to take tomorrow. Various tools and plastic bottles were needed. There were also spears for self-defense; Wang Lun checked each spear carefully to ensure they were in good condition before carrying them. Most were fine, except for one short spear, which was somewhat rotten. Fortunately, Wang Lun only planned to bring five short spears this time, so he could just replace one. The faulty short spear could be used for starting a fire.
The remaining pots, pans, and other household utensils can be packed away tomorrow morning. After all, cooking is needed tomorrow morning, so it's the same to pack them up after eating. As for the fishing net, Wang Lun plans to leave it behind for now. He intends to take it to the beach when transporting bark to the camp. Although it will be tiring, it would be a waste to leave the fishing net unused for several days.
Tonight, it's still two shifts. Wang Lun and Liu Ruoxi are on duty for the second half of the night, while Li Ling and Liu Ruoling are on duty for the first half. So, after Wang Lun packed his things, he went to the sink to wash up and then went to bed on the kang (heated brick bed). Liu Ruoxi washed up while washing the dishes, then went back to her room and went straight to bed. Li Ling and Liu Ruoling are on night watch, watching the fire where pottery is being fired.
Nothing happened overnight. In the morning, after dawn, Wang Lun and Liu Ruoxi went about their own business. Wang Lun fed the pheasants, rabbits, and goats, while Liu Ruoxi boiled water to prepare breakfast.
After the meal, they packed up their tools and baskets. Wang Lun and Li Ling each carried a basket filled with their belongings, Liu Ruoxi carried two empty baskets, and Liu Ruoling led the way with the goat. Thus, the four of them, along with the goat, embarked on their journey back to the beach.
After walking for more than two hours, the four finally reached the place where the raft was placed. Wang Lun told Li Ling and the other two to put down their baskets and rest for a while. Wang Lun then went to take care of personal matters. Of course, Li Ling and the other two had also planned to go with him. However, they waited until Wang Lun returned and handed the goat over to him before going.
The four rested for a while. When Wang Lun saw that they had rested enough, he called Li Ling and Liu Ruoling, and asked Liu Ruoxi to lead the goat. The three of them then pushed the raft into the water.
It took the three of them a great deal of effort to push the raft into the water. Wang Lun had Liu Ruoling hold onto the bamboo pole to prevent the raft from drifting away. Wang Lun then led the goat, and Li Ling blindfolded it. The goat tried to break free, but Wang Lun punched it twice and held on tightly, preventing it from escaping.
Seeing that his eyes were covered, Wang Lun led the goat onto the raft. During the process of getting onto the raft, the goat seemed somewhat afraid, as if it knew it was about to leave the ground and didn't want to get on. Wang Lun pulled from the front, while Li Ling urged it from behind, and they finally got the goat onto the raft.
Wang Lun handed the straw rope to Liu Ruoling and took the bamboo pole from her. Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi each carried a basket and climbed onto the raft. Then Li Ling carried the last basket onto the raft. Wang Lun saw that all three baskets were being held, and the goat was being led by Liu Ruoling. Moreover, the goat seemed quite obedient, lying down directly on the raft. Wang Lun checked on the three of them, and seeing that they were all steady, he released the bamboo pole, then used it to propel the raft towards the sea.
Although it had been several days since Wang Lun had last rowed a raft, he hadn't forgotten the conditions of this stretch of road. The journey was uneventful, and it seemed the goats sensed it too. Even their bleating gradually decreased.
When passing the seaside campsite, Wang Lun stopped ashore once more and took out six fish baskets from the campsite, placing them in the sea. He planned to leave them there and retrieve them when he returned the next day or two. If it weren't for the tight schedule and the fact that the three fishing traps on the beach were severely damaged by the seawater, Wang Lun would have liked to repair them and keep them in use. But unfortunately, the damage was too great, and repairing them would take some time, so Wang Lun gave up and only put the fish baskets down.
Before long, when the sun was high in the sky, Wang Lun and his group of four arrived at the beach near the banana grove. Wang Lun chose to set up their temporary shelter next to the coconut grove. Firstly, its proximity to the coconut grove meant they could easily replenish their freshwater supply. Although they had brought many plastic bottles, all filled with fresh water, it would last them a long time. Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi had filled these bottles while they rested and on the raft. Secondly, its proximity to the beach and the previous path facilitated the transport of tree bark.
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