Raft for All: I'm guaranteed to get a golden affix when I upgrade!

Lin Xiaoya curled up her legs, trying her best not to touch him.

Xiao Zheng leaned back, stretching out his long legs, which pressed against her calves.

"..."

"The bucket is only this big."

Lin Xiaoya snorted and fell silent.

The sound of water was soft and gentle.

Then, Lin Xiaoya moved slightly.

She turned to the side and put her arm around his shoulder.

Xiao Zheng opened his eyes.

She didn't look at him, her head was down, and her wet hair clung to the side of her face.

"Senior."

"Um."

"You said after you found your sister..."

She paused for a moment.

What if she doesn't like me?

Xiao Zheng remained silent for two seconds.

Why did you suddenly think of this?

"I just want to."

Lin Xiaoya wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Your sister must be really fierce. The kind of mother who spoils her younger brother from childhood is a real tigress."

Xiao Zheng looked down at her.

"...How did you know?"

"I guessed."

Lin Xiaoya finally raised her head, met his gaze, and smiled.

"You guessed right."

bingo.

Xiao Muxue does have a temper, but she's only fierce to others; she's the kind of person who protects him.

Xiao Zheng neither admitted nor denied it.

"Are you afraid she doesn't like you, so you're trying to get close to me?"

"...Who bothered you?"

"Then what is this arm of yours?"

Lin Xiaoya moved slightly but didn't pull her hand back.

A gentle ripple spread across the water's surface.

She leaned closer, her arms encircling him more tightly, her chin resting on his shoulder, her voice low and soft.

"Anyway, I think I did pretty well, moving goods, sorting, finishing up..."

Have you ever cooked?

"I can learn it later."

Xiao Zheng couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly.

Lin Xiaoya sensed it and pulled him over, preventing him from escaping.

Most of the water in the bathtub splashed out, wetting a section of the wooden floor, and the drain made a slight sound.

for a long time.

Xiao Zheng grabbed the dry cloth draped beside him, and the two dried themselves off before going upstairs.

This excellent-quality bed ultimately held up.

After a night of tossing and turning, Lin Xiaoya finally couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep, curled up with her back to him, her breathing steady.

Xiao Zheng pulled the thin blanket over her shoulders.

Then I closed my eyes too.

……

It was still dark.

Xiao Zheng went downstairs, pushed open the wooden door, and the sea breeze hit his face directly, salty and slightly cool.

The deck was quiet, with only the low creaking of the sails in the wind.

He glanced at the supplies area; the boxes of items that hadn't been counted last night were still piled up as before, and Lin Xiaoya hadn't touched them.

Upon entering the planting area, four large planting boxes are lined up, with branches of dragon fruit trees already sprouting from the box walls, their bark faintly gleaming with a metallic sheen.

Xiao Zheng put his hand on the tree trunk.

The phrase "all things grow" flowed through my consciousness, a warm current seeped into my palm, the tree trunk trembled slightly, the leaves quivered, and a few still green fruits quickly turned red within seconds, their skin texture deepened, and the mutation progress value climbed one level in the system.

50%.

It's 10 points more than yesterday.

Xiao Zheng stopped and turned to walk towards the banana tree.

The banana bunch swelled from the size of a fingertip to the standard size in three seconds, its color changed from green to yellow, and its skin had some fine brown spots, which was the sweetest state before it was overripe.

The jade coconut tree next to it also moved.

Several coconuts burst through the shell's texture, their surfaces gleaming with a pale blue light. Two of them fell down with a clatter, rolled once on the side of the box, and he caught them casually.

Xiao Zheng brought over an empty box and put all the newly ripened produce inside.

A bunch of bananas, four coconuts, and I also picked a few small fruits growing on the side branches of the Cold Jade Coconut Tree.

He pushed the box to the storage area, clapped his hands, and that was it.

Then use the entry "Heavenly Mandate of Heaven and Earth".

Three illusory bamboo sticks floated above the palm of the hand, spinning silently.

The first one landed, its surface turning red, pointing due west.

A very unlucky divination.

The commentary consisted of only two lines: "A deep abyss, a dead end with no return; do not go there."

Xiao Zheng didn't even bother to glance at it, simply ignoring it.

The second branch settled, pointing due east.

Neutral result.

The journey was peaceful, with supply barrels scattered around, and no special opportunities.

In other words, going to the east today is just doing odd jobs for basic supplies, with no real profit to speak of.

The third one was a beat slower; it spun around in my palm before settling down, pointing due south, its surface gleaming with a pale gold hue.

Auspicious omen.

Commentary: Tears like pearls, secrets of the deep sea, calamities of bloodshed, accompanied by the opportunity of obtaining rare blueprints.

There are risks, but the blueprints are rare.

He put the bamboo sticks away and walked toward the mast.

There's nothing to hesitate about; getting a favorable draw is already the best outcome for today. He's perfectly capable of handling any danger with his current strength.

As the sails adjust their angle, the deck changes direction accordingly, and the platform leaves a wide line of water on the surface, propelling the platform southward.

……

When Lin Xiaoya came downstairs, Xiao Zhengzheng was squatting on the edge of the deck, staring at the sea.

She was wearing his shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, the hem covering mid-thigh. Her hair was unkempt, with a tuft sticking out on one side. Her eyes were half-closed as she yawned as she came out.

Then he paused for a moment.

Over in the storage area, there was a whole box full of golden bananas and blue coconuts.

That box was empty last night.

"What time did you get up to do this?"

Xiao Zheng didn't even look up.

"Before dawn."

"..."

Lin Xiaoya walked over, rummaged through the box, pulled out a banana, broke it open, and took a bite.

It was excessively sweet, with a dense, creamy texture; it was completely different from the kind she used to buy at the supermarket.

She stood in the storage area, took a couple of bites, looked at the box of things, and didn't say anything.

He didn't speak for a long time.

"You get up early and don't go back to sleep, you come straight to farm?"

Lin Xiaoya walked to the barbecue grill while biting into a banana, squatted down, lifted the charcoal embers, added two pieces of wood, and then took out two pieces of high-quality deep-sea beast meat from the storage compartment and put them on the grill.

The oil drips onto the charcoal fire, making a soft sizzling sound, and the aroma immediately spreads.

She split open two more coconuts, poured the coconut juice into two cups, pushed one cup towards Xiao Zheng's side, and stood up to drink the other cup herself.

Xiao Zheng put away the map and came over to take the cup.

The two went up to the second-floor balcony, where the roasted meat was served with coconut juice. They ate their meal as the sea outside the deck began to turn white.

Lin Xiaoya took a bite of half a piece of meat, looked at the sea in front of her, and the sea breeze blew her messy hair in front of her face. She brushed it off with the back of her hand.

"Where are we going today?"

"South."

She nodded, didn't ask any further questions, and took another bite.

"What are my responsibilities today?"

"Let's finish sorting out the supplies we didn't count last night, then we'll wait."

"What are you waiting for?"

"We'll talk about it when we get there."

Lin Xiaoya glanced at him sideways.

"Could you not be so sparing with your words?"

"There's no point in saying more."

She didn't ask any more questions, lowered her head and continued eating the meat, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed very carefully.

After eating most of his breakfast, Xiao Zheng finished his coconut juice in one gulp and got up.

Lin Xiaoya followed them downstairs, went into the storage area, and began to take stock of the supplies they had seized from the robbers the day before.

One by one, the boxes were opened, revealing wooden planks, glass, ropes, and fresh water buckets, all neatly arranged in their respective categories. Occasionally, a number would be called out, and Xiao would listen in, keeping track of the contents in his mind.

She was incredibly efficient at doing this, without wasting words or dragging her feet. She had even mastered the art of moving goods, carrying a box of planks directly on her shoulder without caring about her messy hair.

Xiao Zheng glanced at it but didn't say anything.

The platform continued its southward advance. The wind was light at sea, but the waves were slightly higher than in the morning.

About an hour and a half later.

Lin Xiaoya was squatting down tidying up the last row of ropes when she suddenly straightened up and looked ahead.

"Senior."

Xiao Zheng walked over from the mast.

"What's that up ahead?"