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墨書 Inktalez
For safety reasons, I quietly climbed up a tree. The branches were dense, and as I pushed aside the thick leaves, I followed the rustling sounds until I finally found the source. A cold sweat broke out as I realized what it was, and my hair stood on end!
A wild boar!
A group of wild boars with sharp tusks.
There were about ten of them, a whole pack of wild mountain pigs. There's an old saying: "One bear, two tigers, three wild boars." Damn it, encountering something like this makes even a gun useless, let alone being unarmed. It's better to avoid them.
The reason some islands have wild goats and boars is quite understandable. One possibility is that they swam over from nearby land. Another possibility is that they were released by passing vessels. During the Age of Discovery, sailors would often release goats and wild boars on islands to ensure they had fresh meat when they returned to hunt them.
With the uncertainties of sailing and frequent shipwrecks, many islands in the depths of the Pacific Ocean managed to retain a number of these wild livestock, allowing them to thrive and multiply.
Wild boars are known for their reckless charge, resembling heavy tanks that leave destruction in their wake. These creatures are quite spirited and fierce; even wolves and tigers do not dare approach them easily. In the dense mountains, encountering them carelessly means one must find a place to hide temporarily.
I waited for a long time before these creatures finally wandered off with their grunts. Only then did I dare to climb down from the tree and gather some dry wood nearby.
The bear meat was already cooked, along with some wild potatoes. I used a coconut shell to serve the bear meat and carved a few chopsticks. A fragrant aroma wafted through the air, perhaps due to my prolonged wandering.
I didn't care about manners; the bear's meat was coarse like dried ham but carried a strong gamey flavor, concentrated far beyond that of beef or lamb. Even after mixing in plenty of mountain pepper, mountain cangshu, mountain ginger, and giant ginger, it still couldn't mask that taste.
The unique flavor came from the black bear's diet of birds and beasts in the forest—sweet wild fruits and rotten remains—refined over time through muscle movement and fat protection. This was my first time tasting such meat; I could boast about it later.
After a hearty meal and a brief rest, I prepared for the afternoon's work to ensure future rations. I assigned tasks to Wan and Xiao Xiao for what lay ahead.
I instructed them to stack stones by the waterfall at the cave entrance while I gathered suitable stones from the stream for them to build with. I found an area that seemed perfect for a dam; this water area was relatively calm.
Wan's eyes widened in surprise as she asked, "Brother Xia, are we going to build a dam to bathe? Although yesterday's water wasn't deep enough, squatting down would be fine!"
I suddenly felt her innocence; her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Xiao Xiao couldn't help but chuckle lightly: "Don't worry about fish biting; we can wash right in there." Upon hearing this, Wan feigned anger, grabbing Xiao Xiao's arm and lightly punching her while glaring at me with wide eyes.
"My lady, this is meant for catching fish, not bathing," I explained as she looked at me in confusion. I truly didn't know how someone so imposing could have such a silly side. "Alright! Once we finish building the dam, you'll understand how it works!" Wan stomped her foot in frustration and waded into the water with Xiao Xiao, ignoring me as they busily moved stones.
"Make sure you build it solidly around the edges and add a few more layers outside. I'll go chop some tree trunks for the door; let's try to finish before dark." With that said, I took out my Azure Dark Sword and left a dagger by the stream while instructing Wan: "You have excellent skills; keep this dagger close and be mindful of your surroundings!" She huffed angrily and completely ignored me.
I hadn't walked far when I came across a forest filled with trees as thick as my arms, each about four to five meters tall. If cut down, they could be fashioned into wooden planks. Wild boars roamed this area, and since the houses weren't built yet, I could only use these trees to create a temporary door to block the cave entrance at night. I had learned how to make such doors from some Old Hunters in the Northeast; animals like wild boars generally find it hard to break through this kind of fence door.
The cave entrance was two meters wide, and I roughly estimated that each tree was about ten centimeters in diameter, requiring around seventeen or eighteen tree trunks that stood two meters tall. By binding them with vines, I could create gaps in the door, making it large and sturdy enough.
My luck was much better than that of Uncle Bei and Uncle De. At least I had a sword that could cut through iron like mud. In fact, using stone axes and seashells like they did to chop down trees was extremely inefficient. At the Yuyao Hemudu Site, a large number of polished stone tools were unearthed. Archaeologists replicated several Stone Axes and took three full days to fell a tree the size of a bowl. This shows just how monumental the construction of the railings at Hemudu was.
I approached the tree trunks and began chopping from the base of each tree. Although the Azure Dark Sword was sharp, its blade was still too long and narrow, so I first carved a notch on one side. Once each tree was reduced to about two-thirds of its circumference, I would step back ten meters, run forward with force, and kick it down as if battling an enemy on the battlefield. This way, I could avoid unnecessary dulling of the blade or breaking it.
In less than three hours, I had knocked down many trees. Then I used my dagger to smooth them out and carefully bound them with vines, lifting four or five at a time onto my shoulder to transport them back to the cave.
When I returned to the stream, Wan and Xiao Xiao had already surrounded the Pit Pool beautifully and securely. Girls are always meticulous and aesthetic in their work. They were sweating profusely, sitting by the stream to rest with their feet in the water while laughing heartily at me.
Xiao Xiao looked at me struggling and said, "You rarely do physical labor, do you? Should we help you carry the wood?" Indeed, this floating task had nearly exhausted me, but I still wanted to appear strong. Internally I cursed, "Damn it, who asked for your help?" but outwardly replied, "Alright! Just carry one piece each; that should be enough!"
Sure enough, they each took one piece toward the cave entrance. With their help, my progress sped up significantly.
After about half an hour, we finally moved all the wood back. I then went to cut many flexible vines to use as ropes for weaving the wooden planks. To ensure that the door would be sturdy enough not to be easily broken by wild beasts, I carved grooves into each piece of wood so that they could interlock at their junctions and tightly bound each intersection with vines.
I measured with a stick horizontally and vertically and made markings; it fit perfectly. However, this door was quite heavy. While erecting the door frame, I used my dagger to carve shallow notches into stones for embedding two wooden pivots along the edges so that once installed, the door could swing freely.
With our combined efforts, we finally managed to set up this heavy door at the cave entrance, perfectly covering it.
I selected a thicker branch and dug a shallow pit inside it to brace against the door during the night.
By the time everything was ready, dusk had fallen. The seabirds on the island returned early to their nests for safety. We also needed to enter the cave early; thus we brought in sun-dried mugwort and Bear Skin. After lighting torches inside the cave, it felt warm and gave off a sense of home.
I gathered all the dried Bear Meat into the cave and added some freshly cut wet wood onto the fire pit before slicing several large pieces of beast meat with my dagger to roast above the thick smoke. This was a method of smoking meat—a primitive yet practical way to preserve it.
Even though we were living in a cave, we felt secure only when blocked by that sturdy wooden door at its entrance. It was akin to how felines enjoy hiding in boxes.
The Bear Meat quickly cooked through; I sliced it into many pieces for everyone to enjoy heartily.
At that moment, Wan huffed angrily: "Brother Xia, you need to explain to me what a Dam does! Hmph! Why can't you? You're just a fraud!"
I was both amused and exasperated. Was this really the reason he was ignoring me? No wonder he had been sulking all afternoon. I explained the principle to her in detail: "This dam is similar to a crab trap. The entrance of the trapping device has a one-way opening, allowing river crabs to enter but not exit. Our dam has a similar opening; once the fish swim in, they can't get out. When the time comes, catching them here will be just like catching turtles in a jar!"
"Moreover, all we need to do is close the mouth of the jar, and it will become a sealed water tank, completely enclosing those fish." As I said this, I gestured and smiled lightly.
Wang huffed, finally calming down. She and Xiao Xiao arranged the mugwort neatly, spreading soft bear skin on top; lying on it was much more comfortable than last night.
It was still early, and I couldn't fall asleep right away. I went outside to gather some unused vines and sat by the fire, planning to weave a basket.
Typically, baskets are woven from bamboo strips or vines like willow branches. They are flexible and durable; of course, I couldn't make anything too intricate. But something simple was definitely within my capabilities.
I focused intently on weaving the basket. The door was still open, but as night fell, my sense of security diminished along with my unease. So, I decided to close the door. Instantly, my vigilance relaxed, and I began to feel drowsy, my head swaying as sleep approached.
I didn't know when it happened, but Xiao Xiao came over and pulled my arm up, helping me sit up. In my daze, I let her do as she pleased. I was lying on the edge and felt so tired that as soon as my head touched the bedding, it was as if I had taken a sedative; I fell into a deep sleep…
Fatigue felt like a fierce beast, tossing and turning in my mind… Just before drifting off completely, I habitually glanced at the sturdy door one last time. I thought to myself that no beast could possibly break through this door. As that thought crossed my mind, it felt like a heavy stone had been lifted off me, and I fell into a deep slumber until dawn.
Everything was peaceful that night; everyone slept well. That wooden door proved its worth.
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