novelhk Chapter 13 The Box by the Sea
Chapter 13 The Box by the Sea
The two walked along the coastline.
The sun was already high in the sky, baking the entire beach from due south-southwest. Fan Yubing couldn't help but hiss as she stepped on the sand.
Qin Chuan walked ahead at a fast pace, and Fan Yubing had to jog a few steps to keep up.
Why are you walking so fast? Wait for me!
"Setting traps on the beach has to be done before the tide goes out, otherwise it's all for nothing."
Qin Chuan found the natural pool surrounded by rocks that he had seen yesterday.
When the tide rises, seawater will flood in, and when the tide recedes, most of the water in the puddles will recede, but the fish and shrimp inside cannot escape.
Qin Chuan threw the pig offal and bones into the puddle. The fishy smell would attract nearby sea fish, shrimp, and crabs to come and feed. After the tide receded, they would be caught like turtles in a jar.
"Is this a trap?" Fan Yubing squatted down beside him, watching him operate.
"The simplest tide trap doesn't require much technology; it just utilizes the tidal range. During high tide, fish and shrimp come in with the seawater, and during low tide, the water recedes and the fish can't escape, getting stuck inside."
Fan Yubing nodded thoughtfully: "Quite clever."
"That's common sense, not intelligence."
After Qin Chuan laid out the bait, the two continued their search southward along the coastline.
Fan Yubing followed behind Qin Chuan, like a burden.
Although the abrasions on her legs no longer affected her walking, they still hurt when she walked fast. Qin Chuan glanced back at her every now and then, but did not slow down.
After walking about two hundred meters, Qin Chuan's pupils suddenly caught something.
Several lines of semi-transparent text popped up in my field of vision:
[Several man-made objects were detected 60 meters directly ahead, at the boundary between the beach and bushes. Multiple pieces of clothing and one suitcase were found; condition: stranded after being submerged in seawater.]
Qin Chuan quickened his pace.
Upon getting closer, Qin Chuan could see those things clearly.
A dark blue pull-along suitcase lay diagonally at the edge of the bushes, with several scratches on its surface and the zipper still closed.
Several pieces of clothing were scattered around, including T-shirts, skirts, and sweatpants, in various colors. They were wrinkled from being soaked in seawater, but they still looked intact.
On a deserted island, these things are treasures.
"Brother Chuan, look here!" Fan Yubing also noticed it, quickly ran over, squatted down next to the pile of clothes and started rummaging through them.
Qin Chuan unzipped the suitcase and rummaged through its contents.
Cosmetics, casual clothes, and daily necessities. Tissues, toothbrushes, towels, hand sanitizer, and a few pieces of women's underwear and stockings.
There was no food and no lighter.
Qin Chuan was a little disappointed, but then he thought that even a tissue would be useful on this deserted island.
Towels can be used to wipe wounds, tissues can be used to start fires, and toothbrushes can maintain oral hygiene and prevent infection. Hand sanitizer contains alcohol, which can be used for disinfection in critical situations.
"Great, finally I have clothes to change into!" Fan Yubing pulled out a white tank top and a khaki skirt, her eyes lighting up.
The sportswear and bikini she wore on the cruise ship were long gone, and the banana leaf outfit she was wearing was about to fall off after a few steps, so she had to hold it up with her hands all the time. It was not only ugly, but more importantly, it was inconvenient.
Qin Chuan took everything out of the box and laid it out one by one on the bushes next to him to dry.
"These are all wet, let them air dry first. With the sun shining on them, they shouldn't be dry for long."
Fan Yubing had already started picking out clothes, gesturing to each piece while muttering to herself.
"This one is too small, I can't fit into it... This color is awful... These pants are okay, but the waist is wrong..."
Qin Chuan watched her pick and choose, and his lips twitched slightly: "You think you're shopping in a mall? You should be grateful you have anything to wear."
"You still have to choose something suitable, right? It's more uncomfortable to walk in clothes that don't fit."
Qin Chuan was too lazy to argue with her and continued to look ahead along the coastline.
"There are no other supplies. Just this one box and a few pieces of clothing. If only a toolbox could have been found, at least with a hammer or pliers."
Fan Yubing: "That's probably very difficult."
Qin Chuan turned and walked back, reaching out to touch the clothes hanging out to dry as he passed. The fabric was no longer very wet; the sun had certainly been strong.
"We'll come back to collect them when we get back. Let's go take a look ahead; I think I saw some fruit trees in the woods in the distance."
Qin Chuan led Fan Yubing across the beach and towards a grove of low trees about forty meters behind them.
After entering the woods, Qin Chuan's pupil technique automatically activated.
Two lines of annotations pop up in the field of view:
[12 meters directly in front: An otherworldly coconut tree, a level 1 ingredient.]
[18 meters directly in front: Anotherworldly mango tree, level 1 ingredient. First consumption grants an additional buff.]
Mango tree. This is a new variety; I've never eaten it before. The first time you eat it, you get an extra boost. I have to get this!
Fan Yubing also saw the golden fruits hidden among the broad leaves, their vibrant colors making her mouth water.
"Mango! Oh my god, is this a mango?"
"I'm not sure if it's a mango, but it looks like one." Qin Chuan walked to the tree and looked up to examine it.
Neither fruit tree is very tall; the square coconut tree is about four meters tall, and the mango tree is shorter, a little over three meters. They're about the same height as yesterday's tree—too tall for one person to reach, but two people stacked together would fit perfectly.
"The old way, build a human ladder," Qin Chuan said.
Fan Yubing looked at her banana leaf dress and hesitated for a moment.
Yesterday, when they formed a human ladder, Qin Chuan was on the bottom and she was on the top.
From that angle... Anyway, Qin Chuan definitely saw something he shouldn't have seen, even though he didn't say it.
"Just don't look up," Fan Yubing said, blushing.
Qin Chuan squatted down, his hands resting on his knees: "Don't worry, I'm a gentleman."
Fan Yubing thought to herself, "If you're such a decent person, pigs can fly." But she didn't say it aloud, and instead stepped onto Qin Chuan's shoulders to stand on top of him.
This time, the teamwork was indeed much better than the first time.
Fan Yubing has a great sense of balance, after all, she has practiced yoga for so many years. She stands steadily on Qin Chuan's shoulders, holding onto the tree trunk with one hand and picking fruit with the other.
Qin Chuan stood steadily below, his head slightly lowered, his eyes fixed on the tree trunk in front of him.
"Is that enough?"
"That's enough! This mango is huge, bigger than my fist!"
Fan Yubing picked a mango and threw it down, which Qin Chuan caught. The golden fruit was heavy, felt good to the touch, had a smooth surface, and gave off a sweet fragrance.
"Come on, pick a few more."
Fan Yubing picked seven or eight mangoes, then changed direction to pick coconuts. After working for about ten minutes, there were eight coconuts and nine mangoes piled on the ground.
When Fan Yubing got off Qin Chuan's shoulder, her legs were a little numb from standing for too long, and her legs went weak, causing her to fall forward.
Qin Chuan reacted quickly and caught her waist.
The two suddenly became very close, with Fan Yubing's face almost touching Qin Chuan's chest, and her hands instinctively resting on his shoulders.
"Stand firm?" Qin Chuan's voice rang out from above.
Fan Yubing quickly pushed him, regained her balance, and took two steps back: "Stand firm, stand firm, let go."
Qin Chuan released his grip, looked down at his shoulder where Fan Yubing had stepped on him, and saw two shallow footprints.
"Let's go back and carry the fruit and clothes back to camp."
The two carried the fruit back to the coastline and took in the clothes that were hanging out to dry.
Most of the clothes were already dry. Qin Chuan folded the clothes and stuffed them into his suitcase. Carrying the suitcase in one hand and the fruit in the other, he walked towards the camp.
Fan Yubing also carried a bunch of mangoes and walked beside her.
"Brother Chuan, what exactly is this place?"
"I don't know. But it's definitely not Earth."
"So, can we really never go back?"
Qin Chuan paused for two seconds: "I don't know if I can go back. But I know that only by living can I have a chance. If I die, I have nothing left."
Fan Yubing didn't ask any more questions.
After walking for a while, Fan Yubing suddenly spoke up again: "Brother Chuan, your system... the 'Many Children, Many Blessings' system, do you really need to have children to become stronger?"