Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Surprise Inside the Sleeping BagXu Yi had once received a gift pack for making bows and arrows, naturally including the method for crafting a recurve bow.
However, without many tools, making it is quite troublesome.
But Xu Yi also has a basic wood art gift pack, so he's like a carpenter who hasn't graduated yet. He has the theoretical knowledge, just lacking practical experience.
As long as those woodworking tools are made, the quality of life will instantly improve.
Unfortunately, he lacks iron tools now, otherwise, Xu Yi could indeed make some tools.
His greatest hope is that there are iron mines on this island, preferably an open-pit one.
Thinking about it, Xu Yi couldn't help but pause.
Lu Ke glanced over, thinking Xu Yi had finished eating.
"I'm full, there's a little meat left, do you want it?" Lu Ke lifted the pot to look at Xu Yi.
"No need, I've already had some, you should eat more." Xu Yi snapped back to reality and looked at Lu Ke, realizing she probably wasn't full.
"Well, alright then, it'd be a waste to throw it away." Saying that, she put the leftover into her own bowl.
After eating, Lu Ke washed the pot and the bowl.
Meanwhile, Xu Yi took a burning stick and set fire to the wood around the earthen kiln.
"Xu Yi, will this burn down the house?" Lu Ke asked worriedly, looking at the roaring fire.
"It shouldn't, it's three or four meters away, and there's no wind today, so it shouldn't be a problem. But, better be safe and fill some water in the basin." Xu Yi picked up the clay basin and started filling it with water.
"Don't worry, I'm here watching, it won't burn." Xu Yi consoled Lu Ke when he saw her anxious look.
Lu Ke nodded, thinking that if it really caught fire, there'd be no avoiding it.
After all, since the fire had already started burning, they couldn't put it out right now, could they?
In about four or five hours, the fire should burn out.
She glanced at Xu Yi, then turned and went back into the house.
It was somewhat bright inside, but she still took out the sleeping bag.
She had mentioned before about taking apart the sleeping bag to get the cotton out.
But she had been busy with the earthen kiln all day, so she hadn't had time.
Now that the fire outside was big, and the brightness was enough, she could take the sleeping bag apart and take a look.
Lu Ke carefully disassembled it, intending to save the threads for future use.
After taking it apart, Lu Ke discovered the sleeping bag was double-layered.
"Xu Yi, look quickly, cotton cloth! There's cotton cloth inside." Lu Ke was amazed to find that the inner layer was a fixed layer sewn with cotton cloth, with thread sewn into grids to prevent the cotton from shifting. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
"Looks like we have clothes to change and wash." Xu Yi grinned happily, this was indeed great news.
"Yes, with so much fabric, we can even make you a coat." Lu Ke couldn't stop smiling, realizing that they should have taken it apart long ago had they known about that inner layer.
"Using the cotton cloth for a coat is too wasteful; better to save it for close-fitting clothes." Xu Yi thought it too wasteful, so he suggested Lu Ke should make undergarments instead.
"Then I'll make one for myself, so the coat can be for you." Lu Ke thought Xu Yi needed the coat more since he often went out.
"It's settled then, you decide, and I'll stay indoors." Lu Ke, worried Xu Yi might object, reemphasized.
"Alright, it's your decision." Xu Yi nodded without further objections.
"Luckily, there are no mosquitoes or ants here, or tiny bugs of that sort; otherwise, it would be terrible." Lu Ke glanced at Xu Yi, noticing there were no insect bites on him.
Otherwise, without clothes, it would truly be unbearable.
"Yes, very few insects, I wonder what the birds here feed on." Xu Yi remarked, considering this is another world, its ecosystem couldn't be exactly like Earth's.
"Maybe there aren't any flies either." Lu Ke added, as she hadn't seen a single fly.
"After all, it's an alien planet; not having some species isn't surprising." Xu Yi thought it was quite nice to not have these annoying animals pestering them.
"I hope this world doesn't have these annoying creatures." Lu Ke said expectantly, considering the thought of staying in this world permanently.
Surviving 500 days means one could live a lifetime, right?
"Indeed they're annoying, if those creatures were here, people might easily give up, as they would make life very painful." Xu Yi nodded, recalling episodes of wilderness survival shows he had seen, some set in the Amazon Rainforest, where it seemed mosquitoes almost tore people apart.
Covered with bite marks, red and itchy, it's indeed very distressing.
But here, there are no such worries; everything is clean.
Otherwise, nighttime would be ruled by these little bugs.
Here, even with the fire burning, no insects come near at night.
Not even big cities can offer such conditions.
It's safe to say this world may not have insect-like creatures.
As for the absence of insects, whether the world's ecology is intact is a matter of its own rules.
Xu Yi isn't a biology expert, and he doesn't care about these things.
The fire is burning fiercely.
So far, the house appears safe, not at risk of catching fire.
Lu Ke carefully removed the inner layer of the sleeping bag, first unpicking the grid stitches, and then rolling them into a ball of thread.
With this thread, she could sew clothes.
"Xu Yi, tomorrow we should collect more dry grass, since after the sleeping bag is dismantled, we'd only have a pile of grass to sleep on." After all, it's quite chilly at night, and without the sleeping bag, sleeping would be impossible.
At night, she could still place the lining back, but after a complete dismantle tomorrow, there'd be no going back.
"In that case, might as well dismantle the entire sleeping bag. The outer layer is the same material as clothes, which can be used to make coats." Xu Yi glanced at Lu Ke and thought they should first make a bed.
Simply make two long benches, then lay wooden planks on top.
"There should be palm trees on the island, we can make a palm mat. Once I finish the bow and arrow, we can go hunting." Xu Yi felt they should fully utilize the sleeping bag.
"Can we even make a mattress?" Lu Ke looked at Xu Yi, thinking it'd be more comfortable that way?
Now, although Xu Yi had laid a row of logs on the ground, they were still very hard and uncomfortable to sleep on.
"Of course, having a mattress makes it more comfortable to sleep." Xu Yi, with limited tools, couldn't make planks, only shave logs flat, which are nowhere near as smooth as planks.
Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Making Bows and ArrowsListening to Xu Yi's plans, Lu Ke couldn't help but smile.
It increasingly felt like they were getting by, rather than just surviving in the wilderness.
"Then I'll dismantle all the sleeping bags tomorrow and make myself a set of clothes first, so that the jacket can be yours," Lu Ke thought. Without the sleeping bags, sleeping together would be much less awkward.
After all, the space in a sleeping bag is limited and confining.
Switching to a larger bed would be different; the space would be much bigger.
"Alright, I found some fluff grass today that should be nice for sleeping on the wooden mat," Xu Yi nodded. Without sitting by the fire at night, it gets quite chilly.
"I wonder if the clothes I make will look ugly," Lu Ke mused, already planning in her mind to make the most of the sleeping bag material.
After all, there's actually enough to make a set of clothes, so it should be used wisely and not wasted.
"You're so skilled; I'm sure they'll look great," Xu Yi grinned. He had confidence in Lu Ke.
"But you might want to make it a bit bigger because I feel I'm still growing. I wouldn't want it to be too small later," Xu Yi reminded, noticing Lu Ke's changes.
"Yeah, I feel that too," Lu Ke nodded, knowing the clothes couldn't be too small.
Bigger is fine; too small would be troublesome. Not that it couldn't be altered, but it would be a hassle.
Seeing the fire was secure, Xu Yi brought over the logs he had carried back today.
Using the serrated back of the machete, Xu Yi sawed the logs into two pieces.
It was his first time using the serrated part of the machete and found it surprisingly sharp, easily cutting through the wood.
"Is this the wood for making bows and arrows?" Lu Ke asked, since Xu Yi mentioned that finding suitable wood for bows and arrows was his main task these days.
"Yes, this type of wood is very hard, so it should be suitable," Xu Yi replied, standing the piece of wood upright, ready to split it with a knife.
As for the top piece, Xu Yi decided to keep it for now.
Bows and arrows are meant to be reused, so there's no need for too many.
The piece of wood in Xu Yi's hand was thicker than his thigh. All processed, it could make at least thirty arrows for hunting without needing that many.
Of course, the more the merrier, and Xu Yi didn't mind having more arrows. Even though they can be reused, they do wear out. Ultimately, bows and arrows are consumable.
"Will it be hard?" Lu Ke asked out of curiosity, having never seen an arrow made before.
"We'll see if it splits easily," Xu Yi said, placing the knife in the middle of the wood and picking up a stone to strike it hard.
The blade went straight into the wood, and Xu Yi found it easier than expected.
Then, he pounded the stone alternately left and right, working his way down.
"It's a fine knife, much easier than I expected," Xu Yi grinned, holding the split wood and continuing to split it the same way.
A few hours later, Xu Yi ended up with 32 square sticks.
As he estimated, all that remained was to shape them into cylinders.
For this delicate work, a machete wasn't appropriate, so Xu Yi took out a dagger and began carving his first arrow.
Lu Ke glanced over occasionally, with a hint of amazement in her eyes.
Xu Yi often bragged about his skilled hands, and Lu Ke thought the same. If he knew weaving, he might not be any worse than she was.
After a while, Xu Yi would glance up to check his work.
This was a fundamental skill in woodworking: identifying areas that needed more work and trimming them.
As time passed, nearing midnight, Xu Yi finally had a fairly regular arrow in his hand.
The arrowhead was carved into a triangle.
After testing, Xu Yi found it very sharp.
He believed it could pierce animal hides, though he wasn't sure if it would break.
Crafting a bone arrowhead was also quite tricky. Xu Yi felt the wood he found was comparable in hardness to a bone arrow. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Next was adding the fletching to the arrow.
Xu Yi had collected quite a few feathers from shooting down a large bird, enough to make the fletching.
But it was already past midnight, so it was time to sleep.
Lu Ke had already replaced the sleeping bag lining and placed it back in its original spot before crawling into bed.
Exhausted from a full day, Lu Ke went to sleep as soon as it was time.
The wood outside the earthen kiln had burned completely, but there were still some embers.
Xu Yi checked around before heading inside to sleep as well.
The next day, Lu Ke woke up earlier than Xu Yi, as usual.
"Day eleven," Lu Ke thought as she glanced back at Xu Yi in the room and stretched lazily.
Scanning the campsite, she added some firewood to the campfire.
The firewood was running out again, so Xu Yi would have to gather some more today.
There were endless tasks every day, with no time for rest.
Lu Ke checked the snake meat soaking in water, finding no signs of spoilage, so she started boiling it.
The delicious aroma must have woken Xu Yi, as he soon stirred awake.
After opening his eyes, Xu Yi didn't get up right away but silently murmured, "System, check-in."
After checking in, Xu Yi got up.
"Morning," Lu Ke greeted as Xu Yi appeared.
"Morning," Xu Yi yawned and stretched, inhaling the meat's aroma as he walked to the washbasin.
A bowl of finely ground charcoal was on the ground, and Xu Yi dipped his finger in it to brush his teeth.
'Gurgle, gurgle.'
After rinsing his mouth, Xu Yi splashed some water on his face.
"Xu Yi, the rabbit's grass is almost gone, so could you fetch some more later?" Lu Ke asked. She hadn't been out yesterday and figured she could gather fluff grass and some tender grass for the rabbit while she was out.
"Sure, let's grab some fluff grass for bedding too," Xu Yi nodded.
After a bowl of snake meat, he felt full of energy.
Once they rested a bit, Xu Yi and Lu Ke set out together.
The area with the fluff grass wasn't too far, just a twenty-minute walk.
With a basket full, Xu Yi had Lu Ke take it back first.
Since one basket wasn't enough for bedding, at least three were needed. Given the short distance, Xu Yi had Lu Ke go back alone.
Meanwhile, Xu Yi continued gathering as much fluff grass as he could.
After all, besides bedding, it's excellent for kindling, so the more, the better.
Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Wood TofuLu Ke came back shortly after she left.
Upon her return, Lu Ke saw Xu Yi picking some leaves.
"Xu Yi, what did you find?" Lu Ke asked in surprise, thinking that those leaves couldn't possibly be to feed rabbits.
"Fire bean curd, have you heard of it?" Xu Yi turned around with a grin, as this was quite a good find.
"Uh, no." Lu Ke shook her head, looking at Xu Yi with a face full of surprise.
Since it's called 'bean curd,' it must be something edible.
But these are just leaves, how would they turn into bean curd?
"You've had turtle jelly, right?" Xu Yi continued picking leaves and asked.
Lu Ke nodded vigorously, of course she had eaten that before.
"It's a food similar to turtle jelly, you can add some sugar water, it's a kind of food that clears heat and relieves summer heat, and can also be eaten boiled."
"By the way, there's mint over there too. I'm planning to dig some up and plant them back home." Xu Yi pointed to a spot not far away; he had been cutting grass for the rabbits and stumbled upon wild mint, which then led to the discovery of fire bean curd.
"Mint too?" Lu Ke was completely astonished and followed the direction of Xu Yi's finger.
Unfortunately, she couldn't recognize mint, she just glanced at it.
"You take the velvet grass back first, I'll pick some fire bean curd leaves, so I can start making fire bean curd when we get back." Xu Yi was in a good mood, having discovered two nice plants.
After all, Xu Yi's bow was just missing one arrow feather; today it would definitely be completed and ready for trial shooting.
With good luck, he might even bring back some prey.
"Alright, I might need to make two trips." Lu Ke nodded, then put the ground velvet grass into her basket, pressing it down before carrying it back.
Her pace was brisk, as she was wearing proper boots that allowed her to run freely.
Xu Yi picked all the fire bean curd leaves nearby and then dug up the mint that needed to be transplanted; there were a total of seven plants.
With these mint leaves, they could be mixed with charcoal powder to make new toothpaste.
Mint is a commonly used Chinese herb. It is a pungent, cool fever-reducing, sweat-inducing medicine, used to treat influenza, headaches, eye redness, body heat, sore throat, and painful gums. Externally, it can treat neuralgia, itchy skin, rashes, and eczema. Typically, mint is used as a tea, clearing the heart and eyes.
Its uses are truly extensive.
Its tender shoots can be used as vegetables, which is why Xu Yi thought to transplant them back and plan to propagate more by cutting.
When Lu Ke came back, she finally saw the mint.
After Xu Yi explained the uses of mint, Lu Ke was stunned.
Firstly, she was amazed by mint's extensive functions, and secondly, she was surprised that Xu Yi knew so much about mint.
"Look at Loli Ke's surprised expression, so cute, this is my new phone background."
"Not just Loli Ke, I'm surprised too. How does Xu Yi know so much? I just found out mint can treat so many illnesses."
"Is Xu Yi carrying an encyclopedia or something?"
"Emm, our Xu Yi is an online writer, knowing a bit about miscellaneous stuff is normal. But, his memory is scarily good."
"The environment here is great, Xu Yi and Lu Ke should explore more, there are more plants waiting to be discovered."
"Looks like they missed a herb called Huang Jing."
"Huang Jing is Polygonatum, it's great stuff. But, it seems they don't need it."
"It's not just Polygonatum, I just saw a Notoginseng. There are quite a few herbs here, and they grow well."
"If Yun Qing were here, she definitely wouldn't miss it. I learned to identify many herbs from her live stream, it's full of insights."
"Although Xu Yi grew up in the mountains and had a skilled grandfather, he doesn't know everything."
"He's already pretty impressive, much better than me. If I were here, I probably wouldn't even recognize mint."
"Mint doesn't need recognition, just knowing its scent is enough, but others are not that simple."
While the live stream chat was discussing plants, Xu Yi and Lu Ke had returned to camp.
After returning to camp, Xu Yi planted the mint with an engineer shovel.
"Xu Yi, are you going to start making the fire bean curd?" Lu Ke asked, holding a bowl of water and glancing at Xu Yi.
Xu Yi grabbed a handful of wood ash and then took a pottery bowl to soak it in water.
"You do it. Grab a pottery basin, keep rubbing the leaves, and green pectin will come out. I'll proceed to the next step when I get back." Saying this, Xu Yi washed a portion of fire bean curd leaves and handed them to Lu Ke.
Lu Ke took the fire bean curd leaves and rubbed them hard.
Sure enough, mucus appeared, and the more she rubbed, the more it increased.
"There's also a basket of velvet grass. I'll go back and fetch it. You keep rubbing." With that, Xu Yi left the task of making fire bean curd to Lu Ke.
"Alright, be safe." Lu Ke nodded, but her hands didn't stop.
She thought this green pectin might also be great as a face mask.
Xu Yi carried the basket and then set off with his machete again.
When he reached the velvet grass area, Xu Yi stuffed the remaining velvet grass into the basket.
On the way back, he cut some tender grass as well.
"I'm back." With that, Xu Yi opened the fence gate.
"Xu Yi, I've already made one small basin, the leaves are completely rubbed out." Lu Ke reported to Xu Yi, still holding a basin of blue-green pectin.
She roughly understood the role of the wood ash Xu Yi soaked earlier—it was probably alkaline, which could be used to solidify the pectin liquid.
"Use the soft sack for salt to filter it, add some water. After filtering, mix the wood ash water evenly, and it will solidify after a short time." Xu Yi explained to Lu Ke, as the process wasn't particularly difficult.
"Got it, I understand." Lu Ke smiled happily, confirming it was similar to what she guessed.
"I'll go pick some lychees to make sweet syrup." After feeding the rabbits, Xu Yi prepared to set off again.
Since plain fire bean curd is relatively bland, adding some lychee fruit-made syrup would certainly improve the taste.
"Sounds good." Lu Ke nodded, as the house lychees were already eaten.
Thus, Xu Yi headed out once more.
By the time Xu Yi was back with the lychees, the green fire bean curd had solidified, looking quite appetizing. Now, it was just waiting for Xu Yi's lychees to be brought back and some sweet syrup made.
Chapter 66: Chapter 66: A Qualified Bow and ArrowThe two of them peeled some lychees into a bowl, removed the seeds, and mashed the pulp with a wooden spoon.
They made two servings of the sweet juice and then scooped out some firewood tofu with a spoon.
"It's so soft, like jelly," Lu Ke said in surprise as she scooped.
"Indeed, it does look like jelly. It should taste good," Xu Yi said, swallowing a bit as he spoke.
He scooped some into his bowl, then mashed it with a soup spoon, perfectly mixing it with the lychee sweetness. Then Lu Ke took a bite.
"So delicious!"
Lu Ke's eyes lit up as she glanced at Xu Yi.
The texture was incredibly smooth, mixed with the sweet and fragrant taste of lychee.
The firewood tofu itself had a herbaceous fragrance, blending with the lychee aroma to create a brand-new flavor.
Soon, a bowl of firewood tofu ended up in Lu Ke's stomach.
"So what Xu Yi called firewood tofu is actually the cold jelly from our place. It seems nice with lychee sweet water; I will try to make some tomorrow!"
"It's called cold jelly here too, and it's very refreshing in summer. You make me crave it now."
"Doesn't it look just like grass jelly?"
"You guys in this group are too much, even having snacks. Many other groups can't even eat enough for the main meal."
"What's too much about it? What's wrong with having some snacks? This firewood tofu looks so green; it seems packed with vitamin C. We should eat more."
"I checked, the nutritional value of firewood tofu leaves is quite high. Compared with common vegetables, their crude fat content is much higher than greens and spinach, and the crude fiber content far exceeds amaranth. It's especially rich in pectin, almost three times that of hawthorn. The vitamin C and chlorophyll content in the fresh leaves are much higher than spinach, soluble sugar content is higher than bok choy, and amino acid content is similar to asparagus."
"Whoa, the one upstairs went overboard."
"Impressive, this firewood tofu is more powerful than vegetables."
"I can't handle it anymore; I need to get some firewood tofu to eat."
Lu Ke and Xu Yi finished all the firewood tofu, still looking a bit unsatisfied.
"It's truly tasty. It's been so long since I've had something this good," Lu Ke said, touching her bloated little belly, a bit embarrassed.
"Right, we've been here for 11 days now." Being away from modern civilization for 11 days, far from all kinds of delicious food.
Indeed, what one misses is not just air conditioning, the internet, and mobile phones, but also these delicious foods and comfortable environments.
"Time passes so slowly. I feel like I've been here for a month," Lu Ke said, puffing her cheeks in frustration.
"Yeah, and on top of that, each day here has 26 hours," Xu Yi said, glancing at the Star Chart in his hand.
"To get through 500 days, mental fortitude is really important. Otherwise, it's easy to break down," Lu Ke said as she stood up, preparing to take out the sleeping bag to continue dismantling it.
"Fortunately, we're a two-person team. After holding out for a hundred days, we can cooperate with other teams. Otherwise, the loneliness alone would be overwhelming," Xu Yi agreed, acknowledging the importance of mental fortitude.
Seeing Lu Ke go inside to fetch the sleeping bag, Xu Yi also went to take out two feathers.
He took out the bow and arrow whittled the previous day, then carefully cut a cross shape with a knife.
Next, Xu Yi processed the feather and inserted it into the cross-shaped notch.
Then Xu Yi used thread made from umbrella tree bark to bind it together.
Half an hour later, a bow and arrow with a feathered tail appeared in Xu Yi's hand.
"Lu Ke, my bow and arrow are ready. I'm going out to test it; do you want to join?" The appearance of the bow and arrow marked a crucial stage. It meant Xu Yi had the conditions for hunting.
"Of course, I'm definitely going. I can't miss such an important moment," Lu Ke quickly put down her work and went out with Xu Yi.
Xu Yi didn't go far, just to an open space outside the fence.
He placed the arrow on the string and pulled the bow to its full extent.
Xu Yi took a deep breath and aimed at one of the trees.
He released the string, letting the arrow fly.
With a "whoosh," the arrow flew straight out.
It missed the target.
Xu Yi saw his arrow veer off target and fly away.
"It hit, it hit, so impressive!" Lu Ke applauded enthusiastically.
Xu Yi naturally wouldn't admit he missed, and he turned back to look at Lu Ke.
"It's a qualified bow and arrow; hunting can be arranged now," Xu Yi said, touching his nose with some pride.
The arrow he shot had pierced a tree 50 meters away.
At longer distances, Xu Yi felt there should be no major issue, which already met his needs.
After all, the further the distance, the lower the accuracy.
Generally, he would seldom draw the bow for over 30 meters. After all, it's unrealistic to bring down prey with a single arrow, especially with larger animals. Even after being shot, they'll often hop around for a while before collapsing.
"So, we'll soon have lots of fur?" Lu Ke blinked at Xu Yi, placing a sort of inexplicable trust in him.
"Yes, we can use the fur to make blankets, quilts, and clothes," Xu Yi nodded, then headed towards the bow and arrow. Next, he could take time to practice his archery and improve his accuracy.
Hunting would become Xu Yi's main task.
Food was still scarce, and without sufficient provisions, nothing felt secure.
Pulling out the arrow, Xu Yi checked its head, relieved that it hadn't dulled.
The wooden arrows were rather sturdy, allowing him to use the remaining wood to craft sharper arrowheads.
The two of them returned to the campsite, where Xu Yi began crafting new bows and arrows, while Lu Ke continued dismantling the thread.
By the end of the day, Xu Yi had carved out six new arrows, though none had been fitted with feather tails yet.
Lu Ke, meanwhile, had finished dismantling the inner layer of the sleeping bag and collected the cotton inside. There was quite a bit of cotton, and it was very useful, so it must be stored properly.
Xu Yi glanced at the sky and then stood up.
"I'm going to get some firewood; you can cook the meal later." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
"Let's go together—I've finished my work," Lu Ke said to Xu Yi, thinking it would be faster with the two of them. Moreover, Lu Ke felt it wasn't right to always let Xu Yi handle this alone.
Xu Yi didn't object; he grabbed the machete and headed out.
With some chopping and cutting, they collected quite a bit of firewood.
In the evening, the two of them still ate snake meat.
After all, snake meat doesn't keep well, so it needs to be eaten quickly.
After dinner, Lu Ke boiled some water and then added a few mint leaves.
She figured trying the mint tea Xu Yi mentioned might be nice, at least better than plain boiled water.
Holding the Engineer Shovel, Lu Ke came to the front of the earthen kiln.
She moved aside the clay board and then shoveled out the charcoal from inside.
Only after thoroughly cleaning it out can they begin firing the pottery.
Now, she felt that time was in short supply, so she needed to arrange things for herself.
It's not very convenient to sew clothes by firelight at night; the brightness is insufficient. So, nighttime could be used for pottery making — crafting the clay body and letting it dry before firing.
During the day, she could make clothes — there's no rush to sew underwear; she could make her coat and pants first.
As Lu Ke was clearing out the charcoal from the kiln, Xu Yi was working on making the arrow feathers.
"How's it going? Is the kiln alright?" Xu Yi expressed concern as this kiln had taken up a lot of Lu Ke's time and effort.
"No issues for now, but we'll really know when we start firing the pottery." Lu Ke responded, not especially confident, as it was her first attempt.
"Well, even if it fails, it's okay," Xu Yi said while attaching feathers to the end of an arrow, trying to psychologically prepare Lu Ke to avoid her feeling too down if it really fails.
"Don't worry, I won't break down that easily, it's just the first try," Lu Ke smiled, understanding why Xu Yi said that.
Xu Yi touched his nose and said no more.
...
"Cough, cough, cough."
Beside a campfire, two girls gathered around the flames.
It was clear that the girl who was coughing badly was coming down with a cold.
"Sister Fen, let's quit. You're already this sick, are you still going to persist?" The other girl, who seemed to be in better condition, advised.
"I, I'm okay, drinking more hot water will help. Liu Li, we agreed to hold on for a hundred days before leaving," Ye Xiaofen glanced at her companion. She and Liu Li had grown up in the mountains, which was why they dared to sign up for this wilderness survival.
They appeared at the junction of a grassy beach and forest, finding a water source on the first day and starting to build their camp.
As for food, they didn't have to try very hard.
Because there were many field mice in the grasslands, setting a few small traps could catch them.
One could say they were one of the luckier teams, facing almost no difficulties.
"But it's already been 4 days, and I'm afraid you won't last. A hundred days isn't easy to persist through, and we don't have any weapons. Plus, you mentioned signs of leopards in the forest. If we quit now, we each get 100,000; I think that's enough," Liu Li wasn't unwilling to continue, but Ye Xiaofen's condition was worsening day by day.
"It's not about the money, I just don't want to lose. It's just a little... cough, cough, cough... cold. I don't believe I can't pull through it," Ye Xiaofen said with difficulty, then started coughing violently again.
"What if it's not a cold, but a viral infection? Everything's wrong, this is no simple wilderness survival,"
"Also, the gate we passed through at the beginning is far from simple. It's possible we're in another world. Who knows what kind of viruses exist here," Liu Li looked at Ye Xiaofen, feeling she had underestimated this wilderness survival game.
Ye Xiaofen glanced at Liu Li, having thought about what Liu Li said herself and even discussed it with her.
"Are you saying I might die?" Ye Xiaofen looked at Liu Li.
"As long as we quit, we can get medical help and it'll be fine," Liu Li expressed her thoughts, genuinely worried that continuing like this could lead to an accident for Ye Xiaofen.
After all, deaths from colds aren't unheard of. Why take this risk?
"Cough, cough, cough."
"Wha... what's wrong?" Ye Xiaofen looked at Liu Li, noticing her horrified expression.
"You're coughing up blood; we can't wait. I'm quitting; there's no point blaming me," Liu Li said, pressing the challenge quit button.
Ye Xiaofen looked at her bloodied hands, starting to get scared, and felt her breathing becoming difficult.
Her hand began to tremble, reaching for the Star Chart, then pressing the quit button.
Subsequently, she felt as though being tossed aside.
The situation in this live-stream room quickly spread to other live-stream rooms.
Consequently, the content was played back in the observation live-stream room.
"Liu Yi, is Ye Xiaofen really infected with some virus? If she comes back, could she bring back a virus from another planet?" Song Jia directly asked Liu Yi, as this was a concern for many viewers. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Their survival location being on another planet was the consensus among almost all viewers.
Every day, ordinary people were going to the government to inquire about that planet.
However, no government agencies in any country were answering these questions because they truly didn't know either, therefore, they weren't responding.
Liu Yi really wanted to say, if infected, they would definitely bring the virus back.
But, can she answer like that?
Clearly, she can't.
Answering like that would undoubtedly cause panic.
Just then, Dr. Glasses pushed up his glasses and raised his hand.
"No, because the base is completely locked down, with the world's best medical team there. All returning challengers undergo three months of health monitoring before rejoining society." Dr. Glasses said, standing up and taking out a remote control.
Inside the live-stream room, there was a big screen that had never been turned on.
Dr. Glasses pressed the remote, and the big screen lit up.
On the screen, a group of fully armed doctors in isolation suits stood in front of a circular door.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed across the door.
Then, Liu Li appeared, supporting Ye Xiaofen.
They appeared abruptly, with a ripple effect on the door.
Next, Ye Xiaofen was lifted onto a stretcher and taken into a completely isolated environment.
All monitoring equipment was connected, including a bronchoscope.
"Preliminary diagnosis: bronchitis, and esophageal abrasions. Moreover, we've started viral cultures. Please rest assured, global viewers, we will treat the challengers and have the capabilities to prevent any alien virus from entering our world."
"Additionally, any developments will be promptly announced."
The person speaking was clearly the head of the medical team. After speaking, the scene shifted to Liu Li.
Liu Li was undergoing various checks, and after that, was taken to an area.
Here, viewers saw those challengers who had previously quit.
Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Empty-Handed"Everyone can rest assured, the governments of all countries are taking this seriously. After all, this concerns the safety of all humanity, so all the teams will be very cautious."
"As you've seen, the challengers who exited early are all in good health and are getting along harmoniously in their new small communities."
"Previously, because of the need for security, we didn't disclose the situation of the camp. But from now on, there will be live streaming of the camp. If you're interested, you can watch the live stream to learn everything about the camp."
The sudden announcement took audiences all over the world by surprise.
After all, there had never been any official admission that the wilderness was on another planet.
Now, Dr. Glasses had actually revealed the camp's situation to the public.
As a result, a large number of viewers flooded into the camp's live stream room.
Obviously, the officials were well-prepared, with a total of fifty live stream rooms.
There were five just for medical care. However, at the moment, only one room had people, while the others had only equipment.
The rest showed scenes from within the community, offering views from various angles and distances.
The community was quite well-equipped, with unmanned supermarkets, libraries, gyms, various sports courts, and other activity centers.
It was clear that those who had exited the challenge were living quite well here, each looking quite relaxed.
Seeing that the people in the community were living well, everyone's worries gradually dissipated, and they turned their attention back to the challengers' live streams.
In live stream room 77, Lu Ke had already cleaned out all the charcoal from the mud kiln.
"Xu Yi, we shouldn't give up voluntarily, right?" Lu Ke glanced at Chu Yi, who was still making bows and arrows. Just now, Star Chart had already notified them that Team 112 had given up and voluntarily exited the challenge.
"Unless we encounter an unmanageable situation, I won't give up. After all, I don't want to die here." Xu Yi said seriously, as life was more important to him than the one-billion reward.
Being alive is the way to become stronger, once dead, everything is over.
"Me too, I won't give up easily. If I'm ever feeling down, you must encourage me. Girls have those days, you know." Lu Ke said, blushing slightly.
"Understood. I heard that not only women have them, but men do too." Xu Yi looked up at Lu Ke, then continued with his work.
"Really? I've never heard of that." Lu Ke looked at Xu Yi in surprise, knowing he wasn't one to speak without basis.
If he said so, he must have heard it from somewhere.
"I can't remember where I saw it, but it might be nonsense. A lot of self-media make stuff up just for clicks." Xu Yi commented.
The two chatted idly while busy with their tasks.
Time flew by, and soon it was past 11 o'clock.
Lu Ke took a shower and then sat by the fire to dry her hair.
Her hair was fairly short, so it dried quickly. After drying her hair, Lu Ke went to sleep.
There were no sleeping bags available tonight, but she still dismantled the outer layer of a sleeping bag and laid it on the soft grass.
Despite having clothes, she still felt a bit chilly.
In such conditions, she wondered how Xu Yi would sleep without any clothes.
"Looks like tomorrow I'll need to make some clothes and pants, otherwise Xu Yi will have nothing to wear." Lu Ke mumbled to herself, then found a comfortable sleeping position.
The soft grass was layered thickly, making it quite comfortable to sleep on.
After a while, Xu Yi also came inside.
However, he wasn't coming in to sleep; he brought some charcoal back inside.
After all, the nighttime temperatures were low, and without a sleeping bag, the temperature inside would also be low. It was necessary to raise the indoor temperature.
After setting up enough charcoal, Xu Yi lay down to sleep.
As soon as Xu Yi lay down, the girl rolled over and leaned toward him.
Xu Yi didn't dare move, closed his eyes, and gradually fell into sleep.
A good night's sleep brought them quickly to the next day.
All the teams successfully reached the 12th day in the new world.
When Lu Ke opened her eyes, Xu Yi's face was right there.
However, she didn't panic, just quietly withdrew her hands and feet, then sat up.
She glanced at the deeply sleeping Xu Yi, pursed her lips, and got up to go outside.
Upon exiting, she first checked the yard.
The fire had gone out during the night.
Grabbing the fire-starting tools and some soft grass, Lu Ke began to relight the fire.
After busying herself for over ten minutes, flames finally appeared.
With a satisfied smile, Lu Ke began to boil water to cook breakfast.
After a few more minutes, Xu Yi woke up.
"Are we going hunting today?" Lu Ke asked Xu Yi as she served breakfast into bowls.
She was a bit eager to see if Xu Yi would have any success today and what prey he might catch.
Hopefully, it wouldn't be another snake?
"Yeah, I plan to, and also search around to see if there are any vegetables." Xu Yi plucked a mint leaf, chewed it, and began brushing his teeth.
After brushing, his mouth was filled with a fresh minty flavor.
After breakfast, Xu Yi set out with his bow and machete.
Lu Ke watched as Xu Yi disappeared into the forest, then shut the gate behind him.
"Hope Xu Yi finds something!"
When she said this, she had a prayerful look.
Then, she picked up the engineer shovel and started leveling the ground.
She needed to lay the fabric on the ground, draw out the clothing pattern with charcoal, and then cut it out.
This was her main task for the morning, and as long as the pieces were cut out, sewing them wouldn't be a problem.
If all went well, she could finish making the coat today, so Xu Yi could wear it to sleep at night.
Although it was more comfortable to cuddle without clothes, she didn't want Xu Yi to catch a cold and get sick.
There were no medicines here, let alone a doctor. You couldn't be too cautious with illness.
After Xu Yi set out, he headed toward the Umbrella Tree Forest.
Last time, he encountered a muntjac and a goat there, so Xu Yi hoped he might see them again this time.
However, after spending half a day, he didn't encounter any animals.
It was as if they knew he had weapons, and they all disappeared.
He had promised to return for lunch, so Xu Yi couldn't go too far.
After searching around, Xu Yi headed back.
Despite the lack of success, Xu Yi didn't feel disappointed.
After all, this was his first time going hunting; it's normal not to find anything.
Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Skilled Hands"Lu Ke, I'm back."
Before opening the door, Xu Yi called out.
"Wait, wait a minute," Lu Ke shouted nervously.
After all, she couldn't say she was taking care of business in the corner, right?
Xu Yi stopped his hand, took down the Hunting Bow and arrows, and went to chop trees with his machete.
For safety, the nearby woods definitely needed to be cleared.
In case of a forest fire, it wouldn't reach their house.
After all, besides lightning causing forest fires, humans could cause them too.
There might be other groups nearby, and they could also be the cause of forest fires.
As for why she needed a moment, Xu Yi could probably guess.
Hearing the sound of Xu Yi chopping trees outside, Lu Ke breathed a sigh of relief.
Once she was done, she opened the gate of the fence herself.
In the morning, she not only finished tailoring her clothes but also cut fabric for two sets of underwear for herself. As for Xu Yi's, she didn't have a sample of his underwear, so it was hard to cut his.
In the afternoon, she planned to measure Xu Yi's size to make two pairs for him as well.
There was still plenty of cotton fabric left, and she planned to make a T-shirt for herself and Xu Yi, which would feel more comfortable to wear inside.
After all, since the fabric was already cut, it naturally had to be fully utilized.
Putting away the already cut fabric, Lu Ke began to cook.
She didn't ask Xu Yi if he had caught anything because if he hadn't mentioned it, he probably hadn't.
After cooking lunch, Lu Ke went to call Xu Yi to eat.
"This morning was a bust; I didn't encounter any animals," Xu Yi explained proactively, then hung up the Hunting Bow. He didn't plan to go out hunting in the afternoon.
"Since we have the Hunting Bow and arrows, we'll surely catch something. No need to rush," Lu Ke comforted, then handed Xu Yi a bowl of food.
"Yeah, I'm not in a rush. If we really can't catch anything, we can go to the sea. We won't starve," Xu Yi wasn't at all anxious, knowing it wouldn't help.
Tomorrow, he planned to stake out by the waterhole he found the other day; maybe he'd have better luck.
After all, Xu Yi didn't know the animals' habitats, and wandering aimlessly in the woods wasn't very meaningful, it was all up to luck.
"Yeah, we can also fish or gather shells to eat," Lu Ke nodded, feeling calm.
"By the way, after cutting the sleeping bag's outer layer, more than half is left. Should I continue making clothes or something else?" Lu Ke glanced at Xu Yi, thinking it best to get his opinion.
"Make two satchels. It'll be more convenient to carry things out," Xu Yi thought making clothes would be wasteful since after Lu Ke finished, they both would have a set.
For winter, they could use animal pelts.
"Okay, I got it," Lu Ke nodded. They did need a satchel to carry food and tinder, so they wouldn't worry about starting a fire in the rain.
"If there's any left, you can try making hats," Xu Yi suggested, and then started eating.
After lunch, Xu Yi was outside chopping trees with his machete.
The camp lacked a bed, a table, and chairs.
Additionally, they needed to set up some shelters in the yard.
The kitchen and wood storage had to be rainproof.
Furthermore, they needed to build a bathroom. These couldn't be delayed any longer.
Xu Yi had already planned his schedule: hunt in the morning, work around the house in the afternoon.
This way, he wouldn't neglect either task.
After all, Lu Ke also had things to do.
Lu Ke sat at the door, sewing a coat while watching Xu Yi chop trees outside.
After chopping down a tree, Xu Yi would clear the branches, leaving only the trunk.
The branches would naturally be used for firewood.
The trunks would be used for building shelters.
Even if it took 500 days, Xu Yi didn't worry about the shelters decaying and collapsing, so he could bury them in the dirt.
Xu Yi spent the whole afternoon chopping trees, hardly resting.
Thanks to his sharp machete, cutting down a tree wasn't too strenuous. He could chop one down in about ten minutes.
Compared to other team members, Xu Yi didn't know how much effort he saved.
Meanwhile, Lu Ke brought Xu Yi water twice.
In half a day, Lu Ke sewed her clothes and pants.
Returning to the house, she put on the clothes she made.
"Amazing craftsmanship from Loli Ke, these clothes look quite stylish,"
"The waist is perfectly fitted, saving some fabric,"
"She finished sewing in half a day, practically a human sewing machine!"
"Not exceptionally fast, but excellently sewn."
"Though a bit big, it's way better than wearing Xu Yi's, without that dress-like feeling."
"I hope Loli Ke never grows up, she's so cute and petite."
"Indeed, a legitimate loli is a gem."
"I can't believe it's her first time making clothes; it looks like it's straight from a store."
"Attention to detail, with pockets and straps instead of buttons."
"Adds a bit of a dashing feel."
"Looks good on her, everything looks good on her, screen licking~"
After trying on the clothes, Lu Ke checked herself, then jumped around to test the garment's durability.
Upon confirming there were no issues, she picked up the clothes she originally wore.
"Xu Yi, have some water," Lu Ke said, handing Xu Yi a bowl of water along with her clothes.
"Hey, did you finish sewing your clothes?" Xu Yi looked at Lu Ke in surprise.
"Yeah, how is it? Not bad, right?" Lu Ke twirled in place, her face showing a bit of pride.
After all, it was her first time making clothes.
"Very nice. If I hadn't seen you make them, I'd think you bought them from a store," Xu Yi squinted, feeling like Lu Ke seemed a bit taller.
"It's not that good, there were some mistakes with the pattern," Lu Ke said, slightly embarrassed.
Xu Yi didn't change into his clothes; he was all sweaty and it wasn't a good time.
"You've done great, especially for your first time making clothes under such limited conditions," Xu Yi said earnestly; if it were him, he'd be much less meticulous.
"Thanks for the compliment, I accept it," Lu Ke said, breaking into a happy smile.
After chatting for a bit, Lu Ke went back to make dinner.
Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Animal Night RaidDinner was fish fillets, most of the snake meat was already eaten.
Wearing new clothes, Lu Ke inexplicably felt cheerful, humming a little tune while cooking.
She hummed a popular song that everyone immediately recognized.
However, she only hummed softly and refused to sing out loud, which made the audience anxiously watching.
Everyone agreed that Lu Ke would sing beautifully because her voice was lovely.
After cooking the fish fillets, she placed them in a ceramic bowl.
"Xu Yi, dinner's ready," Lu Ke called out from the doorway.
"Coming," Xu Yi responded and then headed back.
"Hmm, are those bees?" Xu Yi noticed as he was heading back, seeing a dozen or so bee-like insects flying by.
If they really were bees, Xu Yi would be delighted.
Honey, that's a good thing indeed.
It can be used not only for making drinks but also for cooking food.
Having bees was no surprise to Xu Yi.
Because the lychees he picked earlier must have been pollinated by insects.
If there were bees, they probably played a role in pollination.
"Why are you smiling so happily?" Lu Ke couldn't help asking when she saw Xu Yi return with a gentle smile on his face.
"I think I saw bees," Xu Yi shared his discovery, which was indeed worth sharing.
"Really, if we find bees, does that mean we can get honey?" Lu Ke's eyes lit up, as she always liked honey water before.
"Yes, if they are indeed bees, there will definitely be honey," Xu Yi nodded and then went to wash his hands and face.
"Honey!" Lu Ke licked her lips, then glanced at the wooden tofu by the water basin.
Honey with wooden tofu must be delicious, right?
Thinking about it, Lu Ke felt that the fish fillets smelled even better.
"What are you thinking about?" Xu Yi gently tapped Lu Ke's smooth forehead with his finger.
"Honey, if we have honey, we can make a lot of delicious things," Lu Ke said without hiding anything, as she couldn't stop thinking about it.
Xu Yi chuckled, indeed, very few girls can resist sweets.
He picked up the bowl, took a sip of the fish soup, and began enjoying today's dinner. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
After dinner, Lu Ke carried two pieces of timber back.
Lu Ke started sewing a simple bag, having already cut out the fabric.
After bringing the timber back, Xu Yi sawed it into four pieces.
"Xu Yi, what are you planning to do?" Lu Ke asked when she saw Xu Yi was about to undertake a big task, drawing patterns on the timber with charcoal.
"Sawhorse, a wooden sawhorse used by carpenters, also known as a workhorse," Xu Yi explained while continuing his work.
What Xu Yi referred to as a sawhorse is an essential tool for carpenters.
Sawhorse, workhorse, there are different names for it in different places.
He made it with two thicker wooden pieces over three feet long and a thinner piece over four feet long. The two thicker pieces cross perpendicularly at two feet high, then are bound together by the thinner piece, allowing the longer end of the three pieces to rest firmly on the ground, stable on any terrain without wobbling.
When doing carpentry, place two of these workhorses opposite each other, lay the wood needing repair on them, and you can safely chop, plane, or carve the material with no wobbling.
Glancing up at Lu Ke's surprised expression, Xu Yi smiled and said, "Besides being a hunter, my grandpa was also a self-taught carpenter, so I know a bit about these things."
Saying this, Xu Yi continued processing the wood with the knife in his hand.
The challenging part is chiseling a square hole between the two thick woods, typically done with a carpenter's chisel. Xu Yi didn't have a chisel but had a sharp dagger.
Although a bit labor-intensive, it was still doable.
Lu Ke bit her lip, feeling like she was just a bystander compared to Xu Yi.
Then, she quietly resumed sewing the bag.
Unable to do anything else, she focused on what she could still do.
By the end of the night, Xu Yi had completed the two sawhorses, and Lu Ke finally understood what Xu Yi meant by sawhorses.
Even though it was her first time seeing them, she guessed their general use.
With the sawhorse, it became very convenient for Xu Yi to saw things.
"Xu Yi, I'm going to rest first. The bag is hanging here," Lu Ke said, yawning. After all, it was already past 11 o'clock, and she could no longer resist the sleepiness.
"Go ahead, I'll take a quick bath and come to bed," Xu Yi placed a log on the sawhorse and said to Lu Ke.
Lu Ke nodded and lay down once she went back inside.
"Better to bathe earlier next time, even if the water is warm, it still feels cold," Xu Yi shivered as a breeze hit him.
After bathing, Xu Yi put on his clothes.
The clothes had the fragrance of a young girl, making Xu Yi sniff a bit more.
After bringing some charcoal back indoors, Xu Yi added some firewood to the fire pit and then returned inside to rest.
He didn't lay down for long before falling into a deep sleep.
"Xu Yi, wake up, an animal broke in last night."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yi immediately opened his eyes and sat up.
"The fish fillets were turned over, and more than half were eaten," Lu Ke said nervously, as she thought the fence would prevent any animal from getting in.
But today, she found fish jerky on the ground, and smoked snake meat had fallen.
"Don't worry, don't be afraid," Xu Yi comforted, grabbing a knife and heading out.
On the ground, there were three fish jerky, one of which was half-eaten.
There were tracks on the ground, which Xu Yi recognized at a glance as feline paw prints.
Fortunately, the paw prints were small.
"It should be a wild cat or another small feline, not very dangerous," Xu Yi explained to Lu Ke and then grabbed the hunting bow, tying on the arrow quiver.
"I'll check around nearby; you must have startled it." Normally, it would carry off any uneaten jerky. Since it didn't, it must have been frightened.
"Be careful," Lu Ke cautioned, feeling relieved when Xu Yi mentioned it was a small animal.
"With me here, it'll be fine," Xu Yi assured as he opened the fence gate.
After leaving, he first checked the traps.
One area of thatched grass was missing, indicating the attacking animal fell in there.
Xu Yi noticed nothing inside, but there were marks on the pit wall, meaning the animal fell in but wasn't caught by the barbs.
There were also scratch marks on the fence in that area, very small marks, suggesting the animal's claws were small too.