From Robinson Crusoe

Chapter 57: Reappearance
Light oil lamps and place them around the mirror to provide ample lighting.

Chen Zhou washed his hair with warm water from a wooden barrel, then picked up a razor and started cutting his own hair.

These razors have basically never been used and the blades are sharp.

Chen Zhou usually uses them to shave his beard, but this is the first time he uses them to shave his head.

Carefully lift handfuls of hair, look closely at the mirror, and slowly cut through the roots with a razor.

Mirror vision always gives people an illusion, making shaving very inconvenient. Chen Zhou was also worried that he might accidentally use too much force and cut his scalp, so the progress of shaving was extremely slow.

The wet hair fell to the ground, and he gradually shaved off half of his head.

After adjusting the direction several times in front of the mirror and making sure that the shave was clean and no small pieces of hair were left, Chen Zhou continued to work.

It took him more than an hour, and his arms were a little sore from lifting the razor, but he finally shaved all his hair.

The haircut made by razor is shorter than a crew cut. There is one less layer of weight on the head, which makes it feel cool, but this is the feeling Chen Zhou wants.

Wipe the razor clean, rinse off the remaining hair stubble on your head with warm water, rub your bald head with your hands from time to time, feel the slightly prickly feeling, then look in the mirror and look at the handsome guy inside.

Hehe ~
With a silly smile, he put his hair into a plastic bag - maybe he could use it to make a brush in the future.

……

On February 2, the long-brewing rain finally fell.

Chen Zhou heard the sound of dripping rain in the early morning, but this time there was no cold wind blowing into his bed and the rain was not heavy, so he did not get up to check the farmland.

Listening to the white noise of nature, I fell asleep in a daze, and when I woke up it was already dawn.

When he got up, the rain had stopped, but the air in the cave was full of moisture, feeling much cooler and more humid than usual.

“The real rainy season has arrived.”

While making a fire to cook, Chen Zhou realized that he should store some firewood in the kitchen.

Otherwise, when it is cloudy for a long time, it will not be easy to light those wet branches.

There is also a stove, which is built outside the cave. If it rains heavily, water will easily get into the chimney, so a dedicated small rain shelter has to be built outside for it.

In addition to the insufficient firewood reserves, he also thought of the spare wood that was piled up in the forest and drying in the sun.

Rainfall that lasts for half a month or even a month is likely to soak them and rot them. He must move those woods that are of good quality and suitable for being broken down into boards or made into furniture to the storage room.

There were also some rattan and willow branches drying outside. Chen Zhou had not taken care of them since he took them outside to dry again. This time, they were wet by the rain, and so much drying time was wasted, and they were all ruined.

Fortunately, the amount of vinegar made last time was quite large, and only a few small cups have been consumed so far, and there is no need to dry it out.

He would be heartbroken if the rum or barrels of vinegar hanging out to dry were spoiled by the rain.

……

After dinner, Chen Zhou put on thick clothes and a wide-brimmed hat and went to check out the farmland first.

The last heavy rain had already tested the quality of the field ridges. This light rain could not affect the crops at all. Both rice and wheat were thriving. Even the two plants that had been pecked by birds before had recovered some vitality and sprouted new leaves.

He walked through the fields, pulling out a few newly sprouted weeds, and headed down the slope.

The drizzle washed the forest and the air became fresh.

The croaking of frogs, which had disappeared for a long time, sounded again in the forest, disturbing Lai Fu so much that he jumped back and forth, extremely active.

Arriving at the campsite and walking in front of each shack, Chen Zhou leaned inside to observe whether there was any leakage from the canvas on the roof.

If there were any, he would leave a mark at the door of the shack, indicating that the supplies inside needed to be moved first.

Before I knew it, I had already completed the inspection.

While silently counting, Chen Zhou found that the situation was not optimistic.

Leaky shacks account for one-third of the total number.

Many of these huts were filled with ironware, cloth and furniture.

They started leaking after just a little rain, and if they had to face two months of continuous rainfall, they would be soaked to pieces.

This is the result after yesterday's special repairs and reinforcements. Chen Zhou really couldn't imagine how many more leaking shacks would have been if there hadn't been yesterday's repairs.

“Either we rebuild a batch of shacks and delay it for another two months.

Either start moving immediately or don't stop working easily even if it rains.

Otherwise, all the supplies I worked so hard to carry up here would be wasted."

Pull off a piece of wet canvas, cover the shack with new canvas, and then press several layers of branches on the new canvas.

While repairing the shack, Chen Zhou even felt a little regretful about moving so many things up there.

If he had done the same as Robinson Crusoe and only taken away food and some of his clothes and weapons, he would not have had this worry.

Furniture such as the carved wardrobes, shelves, bookcases and long nautical tables, although exquisite and expensive, have never been moved since moving into the shack.

They were big and heavy, and moving them to the hillside had already left Chen Zhou with psychological trauma.

It takes more effort to transport things up the mountain. The road is rugged and there is no cart. People have to carry things by hand or on their shoulders. Only two large pieces of furniture can be moved up the mountain in a day.

But as for chopping them into pieces for firewood or letting them rot in the rain - I'm sorry, the Chinese people don't have this habit of wasting good things.

……

Eat one bite at a time and do things one at a time.

Faced with the arduous task of transporting supplies up the mountain, Chen Zhou became interested in making a cart.

Of course, before "rolling it into a wheel", he still had to use his strong body to carry the two large wooden boxes back to the cave.

After taking a short rest, Chen Zhou looked at the sky. It was still overcast and it looked like it was about to rain.

Assuming that it would not rain for a while, he took his axe and went to the forest to select suitable wood to make the wheel.

Since landing on the island, at least 800 trees have been cut down, 90% of which Chen Zhou couldn't name. He could only give these trees random code names.

Names like pineapple tree and driftwood are relatively outstanding and normal tree names.

If a frog was found lying on the trunk after the tree was chopped down, it was called the Frog Tree; if it was dusk when the tree was chopped down, it was called the Dusk Tree; if Lai Fu barked while the tree was being chopped down, it was called the Woof-Woof Tree…

If modern botanists saw these weird names given by Chen Zhou, they would be so angry that they would vomit three liters of blood.

Based on the names of these trees alone, no one except him could judge the differences in wood quality and the characteristics of the trees.

However, Chen Zhou has firmly remembered the appearance of most trees thanks to this unique naming style.

The kind of tree he is going to look for now is called "fake poplar". It is called this name because the appearance of the tree is nothing like a poplar, but after being cut down, the wood is almost the same as that of a poplar, white and clean, with long and tough fibers but not fine enough. It is the type that is not as good as the best but better than the worst.

Compared with pineapple, iron tree or sandalwood, its wood is loose, and compared with driftwood, it seems too dense.

Chen Zhou planned to first cut a piece of fake poplar wood, then split it into strips, and try to roast it over fire, or boil a pot of water and slowly heat it with steam to see if it can be bent.

If a curve can be formed, he will find a wooden barrel or directly use a large iron can to limit the shape of the wooden strip and bend it into a circle.

As long as there are round wheels, most of the problems with the cart will be solved.

Drilling holes in the rim, inserting spokes in the middle, and installing the axle are not difficult tasks, but they are more tedious and detailed. Chen Zhou is confident that he can complete them. Of course, the ideal perfect result usually only happens in dreams.

Chen Zhou knew very well that bending wood into wheels was a real ancient skill, and it was not as simple as boiling oil or peeling bark.

The short sentence “A piece of wood is straight as per the rope, bent into a wheel, and its curve follows the rule” contains countless skills and experiences that the ancient craftsmen have painstakingly cultivated. It is impossible to succeed in just one or two attempts.

Problems may occur in every step, including selecting wood, heating, bending and drying.

There are many difficulties, but Chen Zhou cannot give up because of fear.

Wheelbarrows are urgently needed now. If we can master this skill, we will no longer have to use wooden barrels to transport stones and soil in the future.

You can use toilet compost and go to the fruit valley to pick grapes and fruits, so that you can transport a large amount of them at one time. It also saves time on studying how to weave baskets. It has only benefits and no disadvantages.

Even if such a thing is ten times more difficult, he will work hard to achieve results.

……

In the evening, it started to drizzle again.

Chen Zhou hurried back to the cave carrying the cut wood, and Lai Fu ran wildly in front of him.

It rushed through the grass and bushes recklessly. Its hair was soaked by the rain and turned from light yellow to dark brown. The mane on its neck was no longer fluffy and hung down to the ground. It no longer had the temperament of a lion.

After being with Chen Zhou, this guy was finally able to escape from his suffering, and the quality of his food improved by several levels.

In the past, we could only eat half a piece of bread every day, but now we can eat as much as we want. We can also often eat fresh meat and offal that we cannot get on the ship.

After killing the seal, the menu also includes boiled and fried meat.

With adequate nutrition, Lai Fu has grown a little bit taller - in fact, he is less than one year old.

Not only has its height increased, but its size has also increased.

Usually, it is difficult to notice its body shape because of its dense hair.

Now wet by the rain, its fur has shrunk, and one can clearly see its strong muscles exerting force as it runs, especially the muscles at the front shoulders, which are several times thicker than the biceps that Chen Zhou is proud of.

The cool rain lowered Lai Fu's body temperature, reduced its heat dissipation pressure, and allowed it to run more happily and comfortably.

Wang Wang!

Barking with excitement, Lai Fu stopped, shook off the water on his body, and looked back at his owner.

When Chen Zhou, breathlessly carrying the wood and stepping over vines and tree roots, reached its side, it had already run away.

Knowing that this was Lai Fu's unique way of entertainment, Chen Zhou didn't take it seriously. He supported the wooden stakes on his shoulders to keep their center of gravity balanced and continued moving forward.

Young dogs are full of energy and run without getting tired.

Before his master left the forest, Lai Fu ran to the middle of the mountain and went to play with the mother goat and his cubs as if he was familiar with the route.

After a while, when Chen Zhou walked out of the forest and turned to go home, Lai Fu ran up to him, wagging his tail.

Panting, Lai Fu sat down in front of Chen Zhou and stopped him.

Thinking that Lai Fu was being inappropriate and wanted to play games with him, Chen Zhou put on a serious expression and scolded him harshly.

"Don't make trouble, get out of the way!"

Woohoo~
Lai Fu wagged his tail wildly, tilted his head back, and his eyes sparkled; anyone could see his excitement and eagerness.

"what happened?"

After spending several months with Lai Fu, this was the first time Chen Zhou saw it behave like this. He quickly put down the tree on his shoulder and asked in a low voice.

Wang!
Lai Fu's response was short and powerful. He scratched Chen Zhou's trouser leg with his front paws, then stood up and ran towards the sunny slope.

After running more than ten meters, it stood on a high place, looked at its motionless owner, and called out again, as if calling Chen Zhou.

"Did you find anything?"

After seeing Lai Fu's actions, Chen Zhou understood what it meant. Worried that he would get into danger if he followed it, he took off the short axe from his waist and trotted forward to meet it.

A dog and a man, one in front and one behind, walked across the grassland where a goat and her kid were tied, heading east.

When they were about to reach the sunny platform, Lai Fu stopped first.

It lowered its body, reduced the frequency of wagging its tail, turned its head to look at Chen Zhou, and its meaning was clear - hide.

Secretly admiring Lai Fu's intelligence, Chen Zhou tightly grasped the axe handle, crouched down, and walked stealthily to Lai Fu's side.

He leaned over and looked in the direction Lai Fu was facing.

A group of familiar faces appeared on the sunny platform in the distance.

That was a herd of wild goats that had disappeared for more than three months.

After not seeing them for a long time, the size of the flock seemed to have expanded a little. Those lambs that were still breastfeeding had all grown into half-grown sheep. They no longer clung to their ewes for milk like before, but had dispersed.

There were also a few little ones who were just a few days old and followed their mother closely, looking around this strange place nervously.

The leading male goat raised his head slightly, stood proudly on a huge rock, and watched the flock of sheep grazing below the slope. From time to time, he turned his head to look left and right of the platform to keep watch for the flock.

"Your grandmother, where have you been with your flock of sheep during this time?"

Seeing the flock of sheep again, Chen Zhou was excited and cursed in a low voice.

God have mercy on him, he hadn’t seen any trace of the sheep for so long that he thought they would never come back.

To this end, he was even prepared to go deep into the island to catch wild goats. Unexpectedly, after hanging out outside for a few months, these beasts came back again.

"Weren't they scared away by the sound of gunfire or the explosion of gunpowder?
Is it because the dry season has arrived, the weeds on the outer edge of the island have dried up, and there is a lack of water, so they migrate to the deep part of the island where there is abundant water and grass? "

After thinking about it, Chen Zhou felt that this guess was very reliable.

"You guys are so idle that you have to migrate even though it's such a small island."

As he spoke, he reached out and rubbed Lai Fu's wet head.

"Well done, you have done a great job gathering intelligence. I will reward you with a large piece of meat tonight!"

Encouraged, Lai Fu became extremely excited. He wagged his tail and leaped forward without warning, ready to start hunting, which scared Chen Zhou.

The matchlock gun is useless on rainy days, and it is difficult to shoot the goat with a crossbow at such a long distance.

Besides, the flock of sheep had arranged a "sentinel", and he only had a short axe on him. Even if Lai Fu performed exceptionally well and scattered the flock, he would not be able to catch the sheep.

Unless Lai Fu catches a lamb first like he did last time, and uses the lamb to lure the ewe, it would be possible to give it a try.

But this time the flock was different from the last time. They were more vigilant, there were very few lambs, and they were all protected in the center of the flock. The probability of Lai Fu making a contribution was very small.

Fearing that a rash attack would scare the sheep away, Chen Zhou pulled Lai Fu back, calmed him down, and quietly left the mountainside.

He had no choice but to try out the trapping techniques he had learned from the rabbits now that the sheep had returned...

The rabbit trail is not easy to find, but it is not difficult to grasp the "sheep trail". As long as the height of the trap is correct, you can always catch one or two out of so many sheep.

By then, not only will you be able to drink goat milk, but you'll also be able to eat hotpot and grilled mutton!

　感谢：天子命我城彼朔方、书友尾号7614、浑元形意太极第一真传弟子、周灬粥粥、须臾不可或缺、淡然处事的账房先生、书友尾号0220、不愿回乡、书友尾号6626、成仙成佛且成人、书友尾号8448、Kelly瑶、书友尾号7091、我是神渊、一只路过的舰长、悦然电子的月票，感谢各位支持！
　　
　
(End of this chapter)