From Robinson Crusoe

Chapter 20 Cat

Silence, an awkward and long silence.

Clutching the phone case wrapped in a colorful plastic bag in his hand, Chen Zhou's mood was like a roller coaster, quickly falling from the peak to the bottom.

His gaze moved slowly between the beach and the sea and sky, as if he could see an invisible giant hand playing with him.

All his anger, frustration and disappointment were piled up in his chest, but he couldn't find anyone to vent them to.

"My darn thing!"

Chen Zhou cursed in a low voice, threw the cardboard box and phone case hard on the beach, and raised his middle finger to the sky.

“I don’t need your shitty rewards!

I can live a comfortable life just by relying on myself!"

In order to express his contempt for these high and mighty people, Chen Zhou moved his body left and right, waving his arms, as if he was putting double quotation marks around his middle finger to emphasize his anger.

But the sea breeze is still salty, the woods are still silent, and nothing has changed.

There is no sense of accomplishment in a provocation that goes unanswered.

"Whoo~"

Take a long breath.

Chen Zhou was like a deflated balloon. He hunched over, with his arms hanging down, and walked slowly to the tree where the clothes were hung.

After untying the cloth and taking off the package, he sat down under the tree, leaning his head against the trunk, feeling very confused.

If he had not thought about this so-called "mysterious reward", he would probably still be immersed in the joy of hoarding supplies.

But how does the saying go - I could have endured the darkness if I had not seen the sun, but the sun has turned my desolation into a new loneliness.

I have fantasized about getting something for nothing, and expected help that could change everything. Even if I have never had it, it will be difficult to regain simple happiness.

Lai Fu seemed to sense Chen Zhou's depressed mood. He slowly walked up to him, sat down quietly, gently wagged his tail, and remained silent.

After a long time, Chen Zhou opened the package and looked at his clothes inside, including trousers, short-sleeved shirts, underwear, shoes and socks, feeling a little disappointed.

Nothing has changed, but it feels like something is lost.

He calmed himself down and comforted his wounded heart with lies that he himself didn't even believe.

"Although they are industrial waste and piles of waste in landfills.

But in 1659, this was something that was unique to Scorpion Poop.

Think of your short sleeves, long pants and sneakers, which are also common wear in modern times. But here, in the 17th century, no one could make such things.

In this era, oil had not yet been mined and utilized, synthetic rubber had not yet appeared, and liquid silicone for making this phone case was even more out of the question.

Although it may not be of much use now.

But keeping it is always a thought.”

"Take it, this 'good stuff' that comes once every fifteen days, maybe it will be useful in the future.

And we can't delay any longer. Sighing and venting are both irrational behaviors.

The tide is about to rise. Let’s go back to the camp and have breakfast. We have to work again.”

Not sure if he had convinced himself or not, Chen Zhou finally stepped forward and picked up the cardboard box and phone case.

Looking at the silly smile of the pink hair dryer on the back of the phone case, he tried hard to control his expression, pretending that he was in a good mood, and forced a stiff arc at the corners of his mouth.

"It's okay, no loss!

Get a cell phone case for free.

On the bright side, the challenge lasts a total of 15 days, with a mysterious reward every 686 days. Even if these items are all mobile phone cases and they are stored away well, you can still make more than a thousand yuan by selling them on the street for two yuan each.

The packaging box can also be torn open and used as paper.

This is not just breaking even, it’s a huge profit!
Fucking bloody profit..."

After packing up his package, Chen Zhou added something in his heart.

"I'm so tired of making so much money."

He stuffed the phone case and cardboard box into the package, made sure nothing was missing, tightened the matchlock on his shoulder, and returned to the camp with his rifle.

There was a layer of rainwater in the fire pit under the big iron kettle, and it was impossible to start a fire on the muddy ground.

After the rain, the river water level rose and washed the raft onto the shore. The silt under the raft needed to be dug out to push it back into the river.

Bad things happen one after another.

Chen Zhou munched on white bread, trying to remain patient and solve the problem. He finally boarded the raft before noon and crossed the rocky beach to the sailboat.

As planned yesterday, he began trying to dismantle the furniture on the boat and took away bedside tables, tables and chairs, and razors and scissors.

The trouble caused by the heavy rain ultimately delayed time, and on the 14th, Chen Zhou only made two trips.

In the evening, a layer of dark clouds gathered over the sky again, and the continuous sunny days seemed to be gone forever.

The simple little tent could not shelter from the wind and rain, and there was not enough space for activities.

After suffering another night in the rain, Chen Zhou made up his mind the next day to put the moving work on hold and build a shelter that was large enough and strong enough first.

From the riverside up the hillside, the low river willows gradually disappear, and there are more and more tall and sturdy trees, which provide solid and reliable support for the shelter.

Chen Zhou planned to select two large trees that were close to each other, and then use long wooden boards nailed horizontally to build a beam between them.

Finally, place long wooden sticks on both sides of the beam, lay branches on them, and cover them with a layer of canvas. This way, you can make a tent that is tall enough and spacious enough.

One side of the tent is used to place the bed, and the other side is used to hang the iron kettle.

The forest was too wet after the rain. If you wanted to eat cooked food but didn't want to waste time making a fire, you had to place the kitchen in a sheltered place.

Chen Zhou originally wanted to dig a pit similar to the earthen kang in the north and place a large iron kettle on top of the pit to cook.

But rainwater always flows downhill, and if the drainage ditch is not well built, water will inevitably accumulate in the pit as before.

Moreover, the lack of a chimney on the earthen kang is also a big problem. When the fire is lit, the entire tent is filled with smoke, which not only makes it hard to open your eyes, but is also prone to fire. It would be better to continue using the wooden frame.

After making good plans, Chen Zhou spent most of the day setting up the new tent.

This simple shelter has no doors or windows, and is ventilated on both sides, so it is not very afraid of smoke.

Three large wooden boxes were combined to form a bed at one end of the shelter, and a large black iron kettle was hung at the other end. Combined with the bedside table placed on the dirt floor and the decorative paintings nailed to the tree trunks, it looked absurd and bizarre.

After arranging the interior furnishings, Chen Zhou spread the first mate's fur bedding on the bed and stuffed half a set of silver cutlery into the drawer of the bedside table. He felt quite comforted by the rare "feeling of home".

"At least it looks like a house."

Lying on the bed, looking at the slanted ceiling with branches exposed, Chen Zhou felt quite content.

It took the entire 15th to build the new house.

On the 16th, it will be sunny for half day and rainy for half day.

From that day on, Chen Zhou no longer stayed in the first mate's room to rest, even for a moment.

On the same day, most of the important resources on the ship were emptied, and Chen Zhou began to violently dismantle it and take the resources that Robinson had never gotten.

He cut off the main mast, pulled down the ropes, hung up the furniture, removed the windows, sawed the railings, and dismantled the toilets. He would not let go of any object that was in good condition.

According to Chen Zhou's plan, his courtyard should have a greenhouse.

In the rainy season, the greenhouses will be used to protect crops that are afraid of waterlogging. The windows with glass can be assembled into a row of roofs and installed above the greenhouses. They will be closed on rainy days and opened on sunny days. Although there is no shortage of sand on the island, there is no flux or closed blast furnace. If the temperature cannot reach a sufficient level, it is impossible to make usable glass. Dismantling it from the ship is the best option.

After taking away all the windows and doors on the ship, Chen Zhou began to study how to unload the well.

At first, he tried to pull the well out of the floor, which would have saved a lot of effort.

In order to complete this task, Chen Zhou took out a mechanical crane and placed it at the bottom of the well, attempting to tilt the iron pipe under the well and create a gap to facilitate the subsequent extraction.

Needless to say, the plan failed.

It’s not that the jack couldn’t prop open the wooden board, but the top of the jack was too hard, which squeezed a dent in the iron pipe at the bottom of the well.

In order to avoid making things worse, Chen Zhou had to give up the shortcut and began to forcibly dismantle the floor between the upper and lower cabins.

Axe, saw, sledgehammer, chisel...

Sawdust flew everywhere, and a deafening noise filled the entire cabin.

While sawing the floor, Chen Zhou vaguely heard some unique noises coming from under his feet. He thought it was a mouse and continued with his actions.

Unexpectedly, as a new piece of floor was lifted up, two cats jumped out from the gap between the upper and lower wooden boards.

They are small in size, one is gray and the other is black and white, with dull fur and skinny bodies.

As they fled, they tried hard to prop up their fur, trying to make themselves look bigger.

But from their sluggish running speed, it can be seen that they have not had a full meal for a long time.

Chen Zhou subconsciously dropped the floor in his hand and tried to catch the two little guys.

But the walls, doors and windows of the drainage room had been demolished long ago, and the well-lit lower cabin was empty except for a few cannons that could not be moved. He could not catch the kitten even if it wanted to escape.

In the sunlight coming through the holes in the side of the ship, Chen Zhou saw the remains of many cockroaches and bedbugs in the lifted floorboards.

Based on this, he speculated that the two kittens hiding in the floor mezzanine might make a living by preying on insects.

But cockroaches and bed bugs are not on a cat's regular diet.

Long-term consumption of insects has caused the two kittens to be malnourished. Not only are they thin, but Chen Zhou just noticed that the gray cat's eyes are white and there are heavy tear marks at the corners of its eyes, indicating that it is already ill.

The cat was in such a bad condition that it would not survive for more than a few days if it did not receive prompt medical treatment.

Putting aside the work of dismantling the drainage well, Chen Zhou followed the direction in which the two cats fled and finally successfully blocked them in the bottom cabin of the bow.

The accumulated water in this room had not been cleaned up in time. Due to frequent rainfall in recent days, the water level rose again, and even most of the steps leading into the room were submerged.

The two kittens were being chased and had no choice but to stand beside the puddle, huddled together trembling, looking at Chen Zhou in horror.

There is a dead end in front and pursuers behind.

All they can do is breathe and use the whining sounds squeezed out of their throats to intimidate their enemies.

But under the absolute suppression of size, their threats only make them appear weaker and more vulnerable.

Chen Zhou tentatively stretched out a hand to grab the black and white kitten by the scruff of the neck.

The kitten panted quickly and stretched out its claws to scratch Chen Zhou, scaring him so much that he quickly retracted his hand.

Seeing that the attack was effective, the two kittens looked around and prepared to escape again.

However, the corridor was narrow, and Chen Zhou was the only one guarding the corridor, so they had no chance to get around.

"hey-hey."

Smiling at the two kittens, Chen Zhou suddenly took off his coat, pulled it into a big net and covered the kittens.

I didn't expect this trick. The two kittens were caught off guard and were covered under the coat. They meowed, scratched and bit, but they couldn't break through the coat.

Slowly tightening his coat and making sure he had grasped the two kittens' bodies through the clothes, Chen Zhou lifted the edge of his coat and took the two kittens out one by one.

There was a carpenter's toolbox on the raft. It was originally used by Chen Zhou to carry an axe, hammer and long saw, but this time it was just right for using to lock up the cat.

After going back and forth to the camp, settling the kittens and preparing clean water and food for them, Chen Zhou returned to the boat.

He knew clearly which was more important, the drain well or the cat.

He could rescue the two kittens without delaying the progress of the work too much, but taking away the drainage well always takes priority over saving the cats.

The sound of sawing wood continued until dusk, and the drainage well was finally completely unloaded.

Dragging the heavy well and enduring the stench it emitted, Chen Zhou freed one hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and felt that he seemed to be getting better and better at these physical tasks.

He still remembered the first few days on board the ship. After sawing for a few minutes continuously, he felt his heart beating violently and he seemed to be about to collapse from exhaustion.

Now, even if he worked for more than half an hour, he would not feel very tired, but the hunger in his stomach was getting faster and faster and more obvious, as if the food in his stomach was burning.

After loading the drainage well onto the raft, Chen Zhou estimated that there was still enough load-bearing capacity left. He then took up all the dismantled floors and paddled in the afterglow of the setting sun, returning to the increasingly large camp.

After unloading the cargo, he used the preserved fire to stew bread paste - this was Chen Zhou's new staple food, replacing rice in his life.

Chen Zhou observed the kitten's condition.

They huddled in the corner of the wooden box. The bread in the box showed signs of having been gnawed, but the amount of cold boiled water in the small bowl had not decreased much.

Although the gray cat has an eye disease, it does not affect its eating and it eats until its belly is full.

In comparison, the black and white kitten, although seemingly healthy, had a poor appetite. It lay drowsily next to the little gray cat. The bumps and grooves of its spine could be clearly seen on its curled up body. It looked less energetic than the little gray cat.

Without medicine, Chen Zhou could only provide a sanitary environment and sufficient food as much as possible.

As for whether it can survive, it all depends on whether the kitten is tenacious enough.

I got some clean, cool boiled water, grabbed the little gray cat and rinsed its eyes.

Feeling the kitten's fierce resistance and strong desire to survive, Chen Zhou felt that it should not be a problem for the little guy to survive.

As for the little cat, when Chen Zhou stroked its body, he clearly felt that its limbs had become a little weak.

Pinching the back of its neck and lifting it up, Chen Zhou found that there were many water marks on its tail, accompanied by a smell of excrement.

"diarrhea?"

Chen Zhou frowned.

He has some experience in raising cats.

When I was a child, my grandma's cat gave birth to kittens. If the kittens had any disease, diarrhea would have the highest mortality rate.

If gastroenteritis becomes severe, it can develop into parvovirus.

Kittens have a weak constitution and will quickly become dehydrated after vomiting and diarrhea several times. Coupled with the loss of appetite, they cannot hold on for long.

Chen Zhou remembered that he once had a favorite calico cat, but the cat showed symptoms of diarrhea and died within a day and a night.

This little cat looks like it still has a chance of survival, but there is no medicine here after all.

Chen Zhou remembered the folk remedies mentioned by the older generation.

In the village, cat diarrhea is called "intestine upheaval". According to folk remedies, cat intestinal upheaval can be cured by eating some tadpoles and raw loaches.

Chen Zhou has never believed that these so-called folk remedies can cure diseases.

But there is really no other way at the moment, we can only try our best.

Keep the kitten alone in another wooden box to prevent it from spreading the virus to the gray cat.

Chen Zhou lit the oil lamp and planned to go to the river to see if he could catch tadpoles or loaches.

　Thanks to Kuyanmiexue, Dianhuxiemiao, Shengxingliangboi, Aqingtianxiadiyi, Thinking of Drawing Eyebrows for You When I was Young, Shuyou20190205144050613, and crtcy for their monthly tickets!
　　Thanks to my dad for the reward!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)