From Robinson Crusoe

"It wasn't stolen."

The oppressive feeling emanating from the zebra made Kuru instinctively take a step back, almost stepping out of the cabin.

He looked up at the zebra, trying to appear courageous, and said.

"It was given to me by the teacher."

Upon hearing this, a look of disbelief flashed in the zebra's eyes—

Of the seven natives, he was closest to Saturday and Sunday. Why would Saturday give this dull-witted guy the precious brown sugar?

His first reaction was that Kuru was lying, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

He knew Kulu's character best, and if anyone dared to steal from him or deceive him, he thought it was somewhat possible.

"Kuru? He wouldn't dare do that even if you gave him a million lives."

Besides, even if he really stole something, he wouldn't use the explanation that it was a gift from the teacher.

Whether it was given by the teacher or not, we'll find out tomorrow by asking. This kind of lie is too clumsy.

"In other words, Kuru wasn't lying; those few pieces of brown sugar in his hand really were a gift from his teacher."

Why did the teacher give him brown sugar? Wasn't he the least noticeable person?

He got the brown sugar, so why is he coming here to me?

In just a few seconds, countless thoughts flashed through Zebra's mind. After determining that Kuru was not lying, his angry expression immediately changed, and he became much more amiable.

Zebra affectionately put his arm around Kuru's shoulder, ignoring Kuru's displeasure, and forcibly pulled Kuru into the cabin, pressing him down into a chair.

……

"Hey, I'm just worried you'll do something stupid or wrong."
You know that gallows is ruthless; if you steal anything, you'll be in big trouble.

Zebras change their expressions faster than turning the pages of a book; one moment they looked displeased, and the next they were all smiles.

While talking to Kuru, he took a clean ceramic cup from the wooden shelf next to the table and poured Kuru a cup of hot water.

"Of course, I believe you are an honest... no... honest person, you certainly wouldn't lie to me."

I'm just curious, why did the teacher give you brown sugar? And what does it mean that you brought sugar here?

As he spoke, Zebra pushed the water glass so that Kulu could pick it up more easily, but his eyes were fixed on the brown sugar block in Kulu's hand.

……

They all came from the same tribe and saw each other all the time. Although Kuru really didn't want to talk to the zebra, he couldn't do that.

After all, the teacher had specifically told him on Saturday that if anyone asked, he had to answer truthfully. If he deliberately didn't tell and caused a dispute, and it escalated to the teacher or even the leader, no one would benefit.

Just as Kuru was preparing his words, recalling what he had said on Saturday, Zebra spoke up before Kuru could even open his mouth.

This time, his attitude was more approachable, and his tone was kinder than before.

“Brother Kuru, I know you’re not a petty person. You don’t talk much, but you never hide anything from us.”

Actually, I don't really need to know this. Given my relationship with the teacher, I can just ask again tomorrow and find out the answer. I just don't want to bother them.
Besides, it's the middle of the night, and you've worked all day, so you should hurry up and finish what you need to do. You need to go back and rest after you're done, right?

Of course, you don't have to tell me, and I don't necessarily need to know. Just tell your brother, and he'll understand.

……

Some people are naturally very sensitive to interpersonal relationships and can easily disguise themselves as anything.

One second he might be threatening people with a ferocious look, the next second he might kneel down and kowtow for something he wants.

Zebras are that kind of people.

When he lived in the tribe, he was still very ignorant—there was no suitable environment for him to grow up there.

This "face-changing" skill was something the zebra gradually learned after arriving on the island.

Initially, he only wanted to live a better life and avoid being whipped. He was only given special attention by Chen Zhou because he was lucky and knew more information than others.

However, as the zebra gradually began to reap the benefits from this so-called "insightful" and "sensible" behavior, it grew to love this art of communication with people more and more.

His enthusiasm for learning Chinese stemmed not only from the fact that fluent and standard Chinese could bring him closer to the chief and the two administrators, but also from the fact that Chinese was far more comprehensive than the tribal language.

Many meanings that cannot be expressed in tribal languages ​​can be perfectly described in Chinese.

Through deliberate flattery and clever tactics, Zebra quickly distinguished itself from the seven natives and rose to its current position.

He felt he would soon become the island's third manager, and in fact he was already using his power and connections to assign himself easier tasks. No one questioned his behavior on Saturdays and Sundays.

This allowed the zebra to continue on this road with a clear conscience, right up until tonight.

As Kuru sat in the room with brown sugar in his hand, he had no idea that this had anything to do with him.

He pressed for answers, driven not only by curiosity but also by a desire to know how brown sugar was actually produced.

He can't live without something this good.

……

Zebra watched Kuru expectantly, eagerly anticipating the answer he was about to receive. He practically pricked up his ears.

But when Kuru actually repeated what he had said on Saturday, Zebra felt a chill run down his spine.

The chill crept up from the soles of his feet, climbing up his spine to the top of his head, plunging him into a state of panic.

Slumped into another chair, Zebra stared blankly at the Go board, saying nothing more.

Seeing that he had fallen silent, Kulu didn't drink any water. Instead, he walked straight to another native who was stirring sugar, placed the brown sugar next to him, and then turned around and left the cabin on his own.

……

Indigenous people, who are not sensitive to interpersonal relationships, may find it difficult to perceive the hidden crisis behind this seemingly ordinary event.

But the zebra can sense it.

In Kulu's halting retelling, he seemed to see a gleaming butcher's knife poised to strike his neck.

The chill completely jolted him awake, making him realize—

He may become a manager, but he is not a manager yet. There are some things that he cannot arrange at will, and there are some things that are not their internal secrets.

There were only a few people on the island, so nothing could be hidden from the teacher and Sunday.

Fortunately, he got along well with others, had a good attitude towards learning, and his carpentry skills had been praised by the leader. He also frequently sent gifts on Saturdays and Sundays.

These purposeful actions, though utilitarian, unintentionally created a "get-out-of-jail-free card" for him.

Otherwise, he might not have received such a gentle reminder, but rather a Sunday flogging or even the gallows.

……

Having figured this out, Zebra quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The potential consequences were serious, but it hadn't come to that yet. It seemed that as long as he handled it well, the matter would be over.

After tidying up the chess pieces and board under the lamplight, he had long lost interest in continuing to play chess.

Zebra gulped down the hot water he had just poured for Kuru, then walked to his bed, remembering to tell the other two before falling asleep—

"Tomorrow I'll go stir the sugar. You two choose one to work in the fields. Come back early in the evening and prepare some hot food."

……

On Saturday, he didn't know if there had been any friction between Kulu and Zebra, but he was pleased to see that the hard work of stirring the syrup fell to Zebra the day after Kulu was found.

Zebra remained as diligent as ever. Whenever we met on Sunday, he would greet me warmly as usual, and occasionally he would ask me about the pronunciation and origin of idioms, or present me with exquisite little wooden carvings.

He pretended nothing had happened, maintaining a gentle and soft-spoken manner, and distributed the reward of brown sugar for his hard work to the zebra.

Hearing that there would be a reward of brown sugar for stirring sugar, the other indigenous people also became enthusiastic and took the initiative to do this unpopular job.

……

After resting for a few days, Kulu's arm gradually recovered.

Because he had offered brown sugar, the two natives who received it often started talking to him, and the zebra that had previously isolated him also began to take care of him.

Whether the zebra's care was genuine or feigned, it was a good thing for Kuru.

You can't speak a language well without practicing it. Besides understanding pronunciation, the most important thing is to muster up the courage to speak and communicate.

If you don't vent your frustrations, they won't dissipate; keeping them bottled up inside won't do you any good.

Communication with his companions relieved Kuru's worries, and a smile finally appeared on his wrinkled face.

Although it only appears occasionally, at least it has taken the first step.

……

Chen Zhou was also concerned about the problems the natives were facing. He had long realized that stirring the syrup by hand was too inefficient and would put a great strain on the natives' bodies.

Therefore, he has been working overtime to manufacture a machine specifically for stirring syrup.

Even when the locals were busy working until late at night, he didn't slack off.

Spending all his time in the forging room, Chen Zhou finally completed the assembly of the "foot-operated mixer" on March 10.

This machine, made of wood, metal, and pottery, still requires human power, but it can be powered by either hand cranking or foot pedaling.

Moreover, the mixing rod inside the mixer is much larger than a spoon, and is divided into three blades, which greatly increases its contact area with the syrup.

Once the syrup has been cooked to the right consistency, the natives can immediately scoop it into a mixer.

When they still have strength in their hands, they can use their hands to shake and stir; once their arms are too weak, they can use their feet to kick.

Legs have far greater endurance than arms, allowing you to continue working while giving your arms enough rest.

This way, the workload that would normally require two natives to take turns stirring can be completed by one person, freeing up that person to do other things.

……

With more than a month left before the end of the rainy season, Chen Zhou just wanted to turn all the sugarcane piled up in the yard into brown sugar as soon as possible.

After solving the manpower shortage problem by manufacturing a foot-operated mixer, he added two stoves specifically for boiling sugar.

In this way, the efficiency of sugar production increased by more than double.

As time goes by, the volume of the sugarcane pile in the yard gradually decreases, and it is expected that it will all be processed before March 30.

……

After finishing manufacturing the mixer, Chen Zhou rested for two days.

During their rest, it happened to be a light rainy day, perfect for going out, so he took Laifu and made a trip to the factory site.

The waterproofing measures erected before the rainy season proved to be very effective. When Chen Zhou pried open the sealed layer made of wooden planks, white mud, and branches to check inside the foundation trench, he found that the trench was only more damp than during the dry season and there was nothing else unusual. There was no water ingress and no collapse.

If we had to pinpoint any changes inside the trench, it would probably be the increased number of insects.

This dark, damp, warm place, unaffected by rain, is an ideal environment for insects to breed, especially a centipede-like insect. When the light shines down, a large, dense patch of it covers the bottom of the trench, a sight that sends chills down one's spine.

Secretly planning to thoroughly clean up and deal with these unruly insects before starting work in the dry season, Chen Zhou resealed the white clay and left the construction site.

……

Back in the cave dwelling, Chen Zhou, having nothing to do, suddenly decided to visit the cabin on Saturdays and Sundays.

He hasn't been to the small house he built himself for almost half a year since the factory started construction.

Upon opening the door, Chen Zhou saw Saturday sitting at the table, perusing the textbook he had compiled.

This cramped little house was completely different from what he remembered.

To make the most of every inch of space in the room, cabinets and wooden shelves were nailed everywhere from top to bottom, with only a few small areas of the walls exposed.

In the few places where the wooden walls were exposed, Saturday's masterpieces were hanging.

Because there were so many paintings, after they were framed, they were all strung together on a wooden stick nailed to the wall. You could only see the one at the very front of the line unless you took them down one by one.

Chen Zhou thought that he had been too busy with work in recent months and would not have time to continue painting on Saturdays. He did not expect that he could still find time to practice in his busy schedule.

As someone who also loves painting, Chen Zhou highly approves of Saturday's attitude.

He turned slightly to the side and gestured for Saturday to sit down as he walked into the house.

Before Chen Zhou could even reach the paintings on the wall, his eyes were drawn to the wood carvings on the wooden shelf beside him.

It was a bull carved from pineapple wood.

The wood carving is small; it can be completely wrapped with one hand, but it is full of detail.

The bull is grazing with its head down, and the shape of its horns, the muscles faintly visible on its body, its high shoulders, its swaying tail, and the posture of its four hooves are all vividly displayed.

Although this wood carving is not finely polished and lacks depiction of hair, it appears somewhat rough.

But for the indigenous people who had not studied carving in detail, being able to do this was already a rare feat of genius.

"Tsk tsk~"

Playing with the small bull and observing the knife marks on the wood, Chen Zhou couldn't help but ask Saturday.

"Did you carve this?"

On Saturday, I was both nervous and expectant as I watched "God" approach his painting, especially eager to hear "God's" evaluation of his "Farming in the Rain" painting.

Unexpectedly, before "God" even saw his painting, he was already captivated by the wooden carving that Zebra had given him on Sunday. (End of Chapter)