Chapter 2 - Big Shopping on Deserted Island_4

On the other side of the red willow forest was another beach, partially obscured by the trees but seemingly much larger than the one seen on the previous day. The beach where Liu Zhenhan woke up yesterday was separated from this one only by a mound of rock. Today, his destination was this second beach.

While traversing through the red willow forest, Liu Zhenhan refrains from harvesting bird eggs. With two coconuts already strapped on his back, he didn't want to add any more trouble. There was no rush as food was readily available in his environment. Chuckling to himself, he whistled a greeting at the nervous seagulls circling above.

It took him nearly half an hour to get through the red willow forest. To ensure he could find his way back, Liu Zhenhan marked his path by carving a large "X" into the tree trunks with a piece of Whale Bone, an effort that surely cost him extra time.

This beach was indeed larger than the one he found yesterday, boasting a greater abundance of palm and coconut trees. In the nearby sea, jagged reefs made their sporadic appearance as the waves crashed against them, the solitary sound in this secluded spot. As Liu Zhenhan set foot on the beach, covered in stains of bird droppings, it was quite possible that he was the first human to do so. Various items were strewn about the sand, from sun-dried animal droppings to shells left behind by the receding tide.

Tossing aside his wooden club, Liu Zhenhan tugged Guoguo off of his head and set him down on the beach. With the short Whale Bone spear clamped between his teeth, he made a spirited dive into the sea, avoiding the distant areas that could be harbouring marine beasts like the perilous whirlpool he'd faced the day before.

Swimming among several coral reefs, Liu Zhenhan found what he was looking for — a huge clam. The black, moss-coated shell was firmly attached to the reef, about as large as a round straw hat in diameter.

Using the Whale Bone spear, Liu Zhenhan pried the clam from the reef. Holding onto the shell, he swam back to shore. Once he raised his arm above water, he felt the hefty weight of his catch, totaling to nearly thirty pounds.

On the shore, Guoguo was frantically pacing around while calling out anxiously. Upon seeing Liu Zhenhan emerge from the water, he shrieked with joy and leapt onto his head, grabbing handfuls of his hair.

Chuckling, Liu Zhenhan patted Guoguo's head while holding onto his enormous catch. "Waited quite a bit, huh?"

After placing his catch on the beach, Liu Zhenhan attempted to pry open the clam shell with the piece of Whale Bone. After struggling, he changed his strategy by propping the shell upward and filling the opening with sand, causing the clam to reflexively expel a stream of water from inside. Finger by finger, he forcibly pried open the clam, displaying his impressive strength. There was a crisp cracking sound as the clam shell split into two halves.

The shiny yellow flesh of the clam was dazzling under the sunlight. Liu Zhenhan quickly scooped out the meat, and to his surprise, found several irregular pearls inside as well. After rinsing the clam shell in the sea, its lovely patterns were revealed. The shell's texture, resembling tree rings, filled Liu Zhenhan with immense joy.

He procured several stones to create a makeshift stove. Liu Zhenhan fetched a dozen or more bird eggs from the red willow forest and started a fire. Using the two halves of the clam shell as pots, he boiled coconut juice with poached eggs in one and sea water in the other.

Intrigued by the delicious smell wafting over from the clam shell, Guoguo sat nearby, waiting patiently to eat. The only time this little creature was calm was when food was about to be served.

Liu Zhenhan sampled the salt left over from the evaporated sea water and sprinkled it on the coconut-flavored poached eggs. After putting out the fire, he made chopsticks from tree branches to pick up an egg to feed Guoguo. The elated creature squeaked with joy. After taking a few bites, it started frolicking around in sheer delight.

"My culinary skills aren't bad, huh?" Liu Daguang felt pleased with himself, tasting a bite. Aside from a lingering clammy flavor, it tasted really good.

"When Liu Zhenhan arrives, the eggs are served straight away!" Daguang became increasingly pleased, his thumb standing upright in approval.

After the two finished their breakfast, the adjacent pot had produced a decent amount of sea salt. Liu Zhenhan carefully controlled the heat and put out the fire just in time when it was nearly dried out. He packed the salt in a large tree leaf, picked up two clam pots, and hurried back "home".

Building the hut had been quite a task for Liu Zhenhan. He went to the beach again to fetch a few whale rib bones, sharpened them on a rock, intending to use them for chopping wood. The sharpness of the ground bone knife was acceptable, but whale bone was not as hard as steel. When he tried to chop a tree, he realized it was unfeasible - the bone broke easily. Not wanting to ruin more such painstakingly crafted bone knives, he decided to stop.

In the end, Liu Zhenhan could only collect some branches. He hammered a few stakes, carelessly covered the top with thatch, snapped a few smaller red willow trees to add to the roof. The hut was finally, more or less, complete.

Lying on the bed, looking at the collection of whale bone machetes, eggs in coconut shells, a stack of coconuts, Liu Zhenhan felt a sense of calm. He peacefully proceeded with processing the wolf carcass. At first, he was worried about the giant wolf's kin seeking revenge but hadn't seen any yet. He guessed they were rare on the island. With his resources and his body mostly recovered, he felt relaxed, especially with the presence of his pet, Guoguo, who could blow out cold air like a refrigerator.

Liu Zhenhan didn't want the meat of the giant wolf since it hadn't been washed. He only kept the blue wolf skin, thinking it would make a soft bed cover. He also kept the sharp wolf teeth, which he liked at first sight. The rest of the stuff was cleanly burned. Liu Zhenhan didn't want any diseases spreading from the rotting wolf carcass. Dying from a plague would be the last thing he wanted.

After burning the wolf's body, Daguang made a new discovery—an egg-sized, six-sided, semi-transparent gem-like object was found in the ashes. The artifact glowed with a hauntingly blue light when burnt.

"This wolf must have had gallstones." Liu Zhenhan scrutinized the gem-like crystal and concluded. He threaded the "gallstone" into a necklace with a vine and put it on Guoguo. The little thing seemed to love the jewelry and hopped onto Liu's head, smearing him with slobber.

The leftover wolf skin was a bit tattered when Liu Zhenhan skinned it. It shrunk considerably after being dried over the fire. Nevertheless, the fur stayed soft. Liu Zhenhan cut a bit of wolf skin and used it along with the whalebone to make a bow. The natural curvature of a whale rib was perfect for a bow, and the wolf teeth were repurposed as arrowheads.

The only regret Liu Zhenhan had at this point was the lack of a water source. Though they had coconuts and wouldn't die of thirst, it was a pity not to be able to enjoy the readily available game with a pot and fire. He decided to dig a well the next day. The lush vegetation indicated that there must be a water source.

"What a big mooncake..." Liu Zhenhan watched the massive moon that had just risen in the sky, filled with endless emotions.

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