From Robinson Crusoe

Doduru has been through a lot since the tribe was defeated in the conflict.

He saw with his own eyes his father's throat being cut and his mother being tied with a rope and dragged into the enemy's residence.

He then endured more pain and suffering, and was eventually bound hand and foot and taken to the distant island as a sacrifice in a sacred ceremony.

To this still ignorant boy, life and death still seem to be a vague concept.

He only knew that when the blood gushed out, his father left him forever and would never come back.

He once naively believed in the omnipotent gods of the tribal priests, and believed that his companions who died in battle had gone to the eternal heaven, where there was endless food and endless songs...

But the high priest of their tribe had died, killed in the reckoning after the conflict - he was executed by the hostile priest who wore a feather crown and had sharp eyes that he dared not look directly at.

The omnipotent gods did not favor them.

As for that distant heaven, no one has ever seen it.

Dodoru was already numb. The moment his hands and feet were tied and thrown into the canoe, his heart died.

He was convinced that he was going to be eaten, and during the rough sea life, he never thought that a miracle would happen.

I hope this kind of thing is a rare luxury for the natives of primitive tribes.

Perhaps only the chiefs and priests who hold the final say in the tribe would envision the tribe expanding in size and unifying the island.

For ordinary natives, trying to survive, gathering food, getting through the rainy season, praying that the men who go out hunting will not be caught in the storm, and hoping that the tribe will win in the conflict, is all they have.

……

It is unheard of that any victim survived the sacred sacrifice.

When Dodulu was quietly waiting for death, he never thought that such a big change would occur in this ordinary sacrifice.

When the thunderous gunshots rang out, when the warriors of the hostile tribe fell, when the terrible monster walked up to him and cut the ropes on his body...

Even at this moment, Dodulu was still in a trance, walking barefoot on the sand and gravel hot from the sun, following the monster closely.

His mind was blank just now, but now it became a mess.

He didn't even know whether he was dreaming or had died and gone to the legendary heaven.

Dodolu thought of his dead companions, who were his playmates who grew up with him and were from the same tribe.

They once wove straw ropes together, sharpened wooden swords together, went hunting together, and eventually suffered a crushing defeat on the battlefield and were captured together.

The interpersonal relationships in primitive tribes are very simple. Everyone lives together, eats together and sleeps together.

On weekdays, there is no chaotic information to distract people, making them focus on all kinds of gossip and tidbits, and neglect the people around them.

Growing up in such an environment, Dodulu always believed that his fate and that of his companions would be exactly the same. Although they were not born at the same time, they would die at the same time.

But he didn't expect that it was his companion who died, while he survived.

……

From a certain perspective, apart from the lack of reproductive isolation, indigenous people and modern humans are almost two species in terms of ideology.

Chen Zhou didn't understand what the thin boy following behind him was thinking, and Duodulu also couldn't understand Chen Zhou's thoughts.

He could see that Chen Zhou was trying to rescue his companions.

But bringing the dead back to life is something that even the gods cannot do. If this nightmarish "monster" can bring his companions back to life, doesn't that mean that the gods are no more than that?

Feeling that his thoughts were too offensive, Duodulu subconsciously lowered his head, not daring to think about it any further.

Following Chen Zhou in silence, ignoring the pain in his feet, he arrived at the top of the mountain - for the indigenous tribe, the top of the mountain was the ladder to heaven.

Duoduolu thought that the monster might be returning to heaven, but Chen Zhou did not stop there.

Dodoru didn't know where he was going. He felt that he might never return to the beach again, so he turned his head and looked back.

Looking down from here, the two canoes on the beach seemed extremely small, and only the campfire was still burning, emitting twisted smoke.

The woods turned into a dense dark green. He could only vaguely make out where his dead companion was lying, but he could not find the body.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Zhou, who was leading the way, had already taken several steps.

Dodulu quickly withdrew his gaze, took small steps and ran quickly to catch up with the monster - he had never had the concept of freedom in his life.

When he was in the tribe, there were always various things to do. As far as he could remember, he had to contribute to the survival and prosperity of the entire tribe, until he was knocked unconscious in a conflict and finally tied to the island and eaten.

Everything has been going on according to plan, like a narrow bridge with bottomless abysses on both sides.

The people on the bridge have no choice but to move forward, keep moving forward, until they reach the other side called "death" or fall into the abyss halfway.

Doduru should have continued walking on the bridge like everyone else and then been swallowed by death.

But his fate changed dramatically when he met Chen Zhou, as if he was pulled from the single-plank bridge to the wide road by a pair of big hands.

There are countless forks in the road ahead of him, and he can no longer see the abysses on both sides. He can choose to continue forward along the flat road, or he can go to the other side and lead another life.

However, Dodulu did not realize this at the moment. Although he had lost his physical restraints, he had not freed himself from his mental restraints.

Just like in the tribe, he still went with the flow, following Chen Zhou like a walking corpse, waiting for this "monster" to give him orders or eat him directly.

When facing enemies or wild beasts, he can be more barbaric and brutal than the beasts.

When faced with the dull life and the orders from those in high positions, he seemed more docile than the hardworking livestock. He didn't even utter a word when he was pushed into the slaughterhouse and put on the chopping board.

……

Worried about the safety of the prisoners who had suffered from heatstroke, Chen Zhou took big steps.

While going down the mountain, he never forgot to observe the performance of the boy behind him. He even deliberately increased his speed to test whether the boy would run away.

The distance between him and the aboriginal boy was as far as six or seven meters at its farthest. At this distance, as long as the boy dared to run as fast as he could, it would be difficult for him to catch up with him.

Putting himself in the other person's shoes, Chen Zhou felt that if he were an aboriginal boy, he would run away without even looking back if he got such an opportunity.

But what puzzled him was that this guy showed no signs of wanting to escape from beginning to end, and even behaved more obediently than Lai Fu when they first met.

Chen Zhou thought about it over and over again, and he didn't know whether it was because his own record was too intimidating, or because the young man was worried about his companions and didn't want to leave. He just found it incredible.

……

After passing the ridge, the road down the mountain has less sand and gravel and more weeds and soil.

The boy's feet were not used to the hard feeling of gravel, so his speed increased significantly when he got here.

Before reaching the cave, Chen Zhou heard a loud barking from afar.

It seemed to realize that today was a different day, and felt its master's solemn mood from Chen Zhou's expression as he wore armor and carried weapons.

So it did not stay quietly at home waiting for Chen Zhou to return as usual, but began to walk around restlessly, scratching the door and window, and finally barking wildly. This barking lasted for more than two hours. When Chen Zhou led the native boy to a place not far from the cave, Lai Fu's voice was hoarse and weak.

Hearing the familiar footsteps of his master, Lai Fu finally shut his mouth, stood up and leaned on the window, looking at the towering courtyard wall, waiting for Chen Zhou to appear.

……

The whole circle of stone wall that came into view shocked Dodoru.

There had never been such buildings in his tribe. Everyone lived in houses made of trees and branches.

Even the chiefs and priests with the highest status lived in houses that were at most a little bigger, with a few animal skins to make them look more solemn. No one had ever thought of building houses with stones.

He looked at the solid and thick wall, the watchtower inside the wall, and the sharp and ferocious chevaux de frise formed a circle under the platform. Just like the first time he saw Chen Zhou, he was so shocked that he was speechless.

……

When Chen Zhou pushed open the wooden door and led the native boy into the courtyard, he was overwhelmed by the stone-paved floor, the work area, and the wooden toilet.

For a moment, he was so focused on looking at all the new things that he didn't even notice Chen Zhou opening the door of the storage room and letting Lai Fu out.

……

After staying on the island for more than two years, this was the first time Lai Fu saw a human being other than Chen Zhou since the ship ran aground.

It wagged its tail wildly, jumped into Chen Zhou's arms, and stretched out its tongue to wash its owner's face. After venting its enthusiasm, it walked to the native boy with interest and sniffed his scent.

For a tall man like Chen Zhou, Lai Fu's weight of just over 100 pounds is just average.

But when it came next to the short and thin indigenous boy, it looked unusually huge.

While observing the tiger head on the watchtower, he suddenly felt a warm air flow on his legs. The boy lowered his head and immediately found the huge monster beside him.

He let out a sharp scream without making a sound when his throat was about to be cut, and hurriedly jumped to the other side. He lowered his body, raised his hands which were not yet untied by the rope, and put them together, ready for a fight.

Woo~
Seeing this, Lai Fu squeezed out a threatening sound from his throat, wrinkled his nose, and revealed his sharp canine teeth.

Fortunately, Chen Zhou was watching nearby and quickly pulled it apart, putting an end to the farce.

……

“No one is worry-free.”

Chen Zhou muttered, tugged at Lai Fu's skull collar, signaled him to return to the cave, and then took off his armor.

The defensive capabilities of the rattan armor inlaid with iron sheets are indeed outstanding, but it is really heavy, and it is too hot to wear it on the island during the dry season.

After removing his armor, his body suddenly felt lighter. He trotted to the kitchen to get a can of cold boiled water, and then took out three pieces of chocolate and some coarse salt from the refrigerator.

He first broke off a piece of chocolate and put it in his mouth, enjoying the sweet and mellow taste while replenishing his strength. Then Chen Zhou took out a revolver from Tengjia's gun bag and put it in his arms. Then he put on the bow, hung the quiver, and walked out of the cave.

……

"Drink some water."

Chen Zhou handed the pottery jar to the indigenous boy.

With his hands and feet tied, he was tossed around in the stuffy canoe for so long, was left on the beach to wait for a while, and finally had to walk a long mountain road. Chen Zhou guessed that this guy must be very thirsty.

……

When the native boy saw Chen Zhou taking off his armor, he seemed to have just discovered that this "monster" was of the same kind. He opened his mouth slightly, not hiding his shock.

It was not until Chen Zhou repeated to him to drink water that he came to his senses. He looked at the pottery jar handed to him and stretched his neck hard to put his mouth into the jar.

Seeing that he was in such an uncomfortable position, Chen Zhou decided to be a good guy and took out a dagger to cut the rope tied to his hands.

The boy was so thirsty that he picked up the can and frantically drank water.

Seeing that he drank water too quickly, Chen Zhou was worried that he might drink too much water at once and affect his stomach. He guessed that the native boy had already replenished the last bit of water, so he took the jar back.

……

The native boy, who was no longer restrained by any restraints, showed no concern about Chen Zhou's actions.

He wiped the water from the corner of his mouth with his forearm, looked at Chen Zhou's face carefully, then lowered his body and lay on the ground.

Adjusting his body slightly, pressing his forehead against the ground and muttering something, the native boy tried to lift one of Chen Zhou's feet and place it on the back of his head.

Having read about Robinson Crusoe's first encounter with Friday in the original book, Chen Zhou never thought that he would have such an experience.

He knew that this action of the indigenous boy represented obedience and loyalty.

But as a modern man, faced with another living human being making such a humble and submissive gesture towards him, even though he knew that this was the indigenous people's usual way of expression, he still felt at a loss and even uneasy.

Listening to the aboriginal boy's chanting, Chen Zhou couldn't continue stepping on the other person's head, so he moved his shoes and lifted the boy up from the ground.

The boy who was forced to stand up still kept his head down, not daring to look him in the eyes.

Chen Zhou couldn't see the boy's expression, but he could probably sense the boy's inner uneasiness.

Without a language barrier and having not spoken to anyone for more than two years, Chen Zhou didn't know how to communicate with this boy.

Perhaps because he was younger than Friday, the aboriginal boy was not as active as Friday. After being rescued, he was not as excited as Friday. Instead, he was a little autistic, which made it more difficult for Chen Zhou to communicate with him.

The silence lasted for more than ten seconds. Chen Zhou patted the boy's skinny shoulder, put down the pottery jar filled with water, grabbed one of the boy's hands, and put a piece of chocolate into his palm.

“This is for eating.”

As he spoke, he gestured the movements of eating. Seeing that the boy was holding the chocolate blankly and still standing there motionless, Chen Zhou broke off a piece of chocolate and put it in his mouth to chew, demonstrating to him.

The boy then reacted and understood what Chen Zhou wanted him to do, so he followed suit and broke the chocolate in his hand and put it into his mouth.

The cooled hot cocoa tastes much rougher than modern chocolate. To Chen Zhou, apart from having more diverse flavors and a stronger aroma, it is not considered qualified chocolate.

But the indigenous boy had never experienced such delicacy.

The unique aroma of sugar and chocolate blended together, making him feel unprecedented sweetness and happiness.

He could feel the cocoa grains in his mouth turning into a thick and mellow liquid, and he could also feel the beauty that the liquid brought him.

"Is this the food of the gods?" he thought.

Enjoying the gift brought to him by the "new god", the native boy couldn't help but lie down in the yard again, trying to get Chen Zhou to put his feet on his head.

However, Chen Zhou had already packed water and food, and walked towards the gate with Lai Fu, without paying any attention to the young man.

……

He did not forget that under the shade of the trees near the beach, there was a dying native captive waiting for him to save him. (End of this chapter)