Silence, awkward and prolonged silence.
Clutching the phone case wrapped in a colorful plastic bag, Chen Zhou’s mood was like a roller coaster, plumting from the peak to the bottom.
His gaze slowly moved between the beach and the sea and sky, as if he could see an invisible giant hand toying with him.
All his rage, frustration, and disappointnt were bottled up in his chest, with no one to vent them on.
"Damn it!"
Chen Zhou cursed under his breath, throwing the box and phone case onto the beach harshly, and flipping off the sky.
"I don’t need your crappy rewards!
I can live just fine on my own!"
To express his disdain for those high and mighty ones, Chen Zhou moved his body from side to side, waving his forearms as if giving his middle finger a double emphasis, underscoring his anger.
But the sea breeze remained just as salty and fishy, and the woods stayed silent as ever; nothing had changed.
Taunting without a response brought no sense of accomplishnt.
"Phew~"
A long exhale.
Like a deflated balloon, Chen Zhou slouched, his arms hanging down, taking slow, heavy steps to the tree where he hung clothes.
Unraveling the cloth strip and taking down the bundle, he plopped down under the tree, resting his head against the trunk, his mind in turmoil.
If he hadn’t thought of this so-called "mysterious reward," he would probably still be imrsed in the joy of stockpiling supplies.
But as the saying goes — I could have endured the darkness, if I had not seen the sun, yet the sun has made my desolation, an even lonelier loneliness.
Having fantasized about getting sothing for nothing, having hoped for help that could change everything, even if they never had it, it’s hard to regain the simple joys.
Lai Fu seed to sense Chen Zhou’s mood, slowly walked closer, sat quietly, wagging his tail gently, maintaining silence.
After a long ti, Chen Zhou opened the bundle, looking at the clothes that belonged to him inside, long pants and short sleeves, underwear, shoes and socks, feeling sowhat lancholic.
Clearly, nothing had changed, yet it felt like sothing was lost.
He cald himself, soothing his injured heart with words he didn’t even believe.
"Even though they are industrial garbage from Pinduoduo, 9.9 yuan including postage, piles of waste at the dump.
But in 1659, these are one-of-a-kind items.
Think about your half-sleeves, long pants, and sneakers, in modern tis they’re just ordinary wear. But here, in the 17th century, no one can make such things.
This era, petroleum hasn’t been exploited, synthetic rubber hasn’t appeared, and the liquid silicone to make this phone case is even further off.
Although it may not be of any use now.
But keeping it, at least it’s a nto."
"Keep it, ’good stuff’ every fifteen days, maybe it’ll co in handy later.
And it can’t be delayed any longer, emotions and venting are irrational behaviors.
The tide is about to rise, return to camp for breakfast, there’s still work to do."
Not sure if he convinced himself, Chen Zhou eventually stepped forward and picked up the box and phone case.
Looking at the silly smiling face of the pink hairdryer on the back of the phone case, he tried to control his expression, pretending to be in a good mood, forcing a stiff smile.
"It’s fine, not a loss!
A free phone case.
Thinking positively, the challenge lasts ten thousand and three hundred days, one mysterious reward every 15 days, even if all 686 items are phone cases, store them well, and when you return to modern tis set up a stall, selling them two bucks each could earn more than a thousand.
And the packaging box can be torn open and used as paper.
It’s not just not a loss, it’s downright profitable!
Damn, it’s profitable..."
Packing up his bundle, Chen Zhou ntally added a note.
"Profitable enough to make my teeth itch."
Stuffing the phone case and box into the bundle, confirming nothing was left behind, tightening the matchlock gun on his shoulder, he and Lai Fu returned to camp.
A layer of rainwater accumulated in the fire pit under the big iron pot, and the muddy ground made it impossible to start a fire.
After the rain, the river water level rose, pushing the raft ashore, requiring the silt under the raft to be dug out to push it back into the river.
One unlucky thing after another.
Chen Zhou gnawed on white bread, trying to remain patient to solve problems, finally boarding the raft before noon, crossing Rock Beach to the sailboat.
As planned yesterday, he began to dismantle furniture on the boat and took away the bedside table, tables, chairs, and razors.
The trouble caused by the torrential rain ultimately delayed ti, on the 14th, Chen Zhou only managed two trips.
In the evening, the sky gathered another layer of clouds, the streak of clear days seed never to return.
The simple tent couldn’t shield against wind and rain, nor provided enough moving space.
After another miserable night in the rain, upon waking the next day, Chen Zhou was determined to temporarily set aside the transportation work and first build a shelter big enough and sturdy enough.
From the riverside up the slope, low river willows gradually disappeared, taller, sturdier trees beca more frequent, providing solid and reliable pillars for the shelter.
Chen Zhou planned to select two large trees a short distance apart and use long planks with horizontal nails to construct a beam between them.
Finally, putting long sticks on both sides of the beam, covering them with branches, and draping a layer of canvas over them, he could make a tent that’s tall enough and spacious enough.
One side of the tent could be used to place a bed, the other side to hang the iron pot.
After the rain, the forest terrain was extrely soggy, wanting to eat cooked food without wasting ti starting a fire required setting the kitchen in a rain-sheltered place.
Chen Zhou initially wanted to imitate the northern earth kang, digging a hollow pit to set the big iron pot on top to cook.
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