From Robinson Crusoe

The factory was built not long ago, and due to a lack of materials and tools, it had never been painted. Only thin wooden boards were glued to the walls with resin for decoration in some areas.

During their time living in the factory, Chen Zhou, Saturday, and Sunday, the three of them cherished the house that had been painstakingly built and kept it very clean.

Therefore, there are basically no hard-to-clean oil stains and mold spots on the walls inside the factory, and even in the kitchen, there are not many traces of smoke and fire.

This benefit also saved the factory a lot of trouble in the process of applying white paint.

Simply apply the prepared putty layer by layer to the wall surface.

After the putty dries, shine a flashlight on it and touch it to check for uneven thickness, and then sand it.

While renovating his house, Chen Zhou also had some wooden baseboards installed.

The auto repair toolbox contains a laser level, which helped him to ensure the baseboards were plumb and reduce gaps.

After confirming that the putty is smooth, apply a layer of latex paint, close the windows tightly, put a basin of water in the room to maintain the humidity, and wait for three to five days. This work is then complete.

……

The factory, which was originally a gray and drab place, was transformed into something resembling heaven in the eyes of the locals after being painted white.

The pristine white ceiling and walls made the entire room appear incredibly bright, both clean and sacred.

Especially in the factory's second-floor office, the sunlight streaming through the large glass windows illuminated the leader's long table, chairs, and the items on the bookshelves, giving everything a golden edge.

The sight alone would make the natives feel ashamed, realizing that their little houses were nothing special.

……

After a simple renovation, adhering to the principle of doing the best the first time and not doing it a second time, Chen Zhou rearranged and organized all the furniture.

The furniture unloaded from the ship can be roughly divided into two types: one is unpainted, thin-board furniture used by ordinary sailors, and the other is high-end furniture used by the captain and first mate.

Chen Zhou previously prioritized practicality, using whatever was comfortable and mixing and matching different options.

He has now removed all the ordinary furniture and replaced it all with European-style carved furniture in a unified style, including long tables, chairs, beds, low cabinets, and shelves.

In addition to furniture from the 17th century, Chen Zhou also has some furniture made by himself.

These pieces of furniture then present a completely different style.

Perhaps due to his profession, Chen Zhou has never been particularly interested in furniture with elaborate carvings; his preferred design style is mostly minimalism.

Clean and crisp designs, smooth lines, and neutral or cool colors are all elements that Chen Zhou likes.

His self-made furniture is mostly minimalist in style and is mainly placed in his private spaces, such as his bedroom and study.

Chen Zhou believes that while minimalist furniture is comfortable to use, it is less psychologically stressful than European furniture with intricate patterns.

Therefore, when meeting with the natives, he would still use the furniture that had been taken off the ship and assign tasks in his office.

……

There is strength in numbers.

When there are only 10 people on the island, it always feels like there aren't enough people to do anything.

Especially during the dry season, there is a lot of work but not enough workers, which always leaves the Saturday coordinator responsible for scheduling and managing the indigenous people short-handed.

The number of people on the island has more than doubled, and Saturdays, which are used to hardship, can finally enjoy the happiness of "having plenty of money".

Road construction, land reclamation, fishing, and transporting supplies—he can handle all daily matters with just a word.

Moreover, as new members gradually learn Chinese, integrate into this new force, and master more work skills, the project is completed more and more quickly and easily.

……

Near the factory, the land that had just been cleared and leveled was now paved with stone bricks, forming 1.5-meter-wide paths.

New charcoal kilns and porcelain kilns are also on the agenda, and construction will officially begin once Chen Zhou completes the design and calculates the material usage.

On the other side of the hill, the herding native also got a helper, which immediately relieved a lot of his workload.

The sheep flock is steadily multiplying and growing, and the pregnant cows are getting closer to their due dates.

Chen Zhou specifically instructed the local herders to send someone to notify him a few days before the cow gave birth, so that he could handle any situations such as dystocia, malposition of the fetus, or the cow's exhaustion in time.

This is partly to protect the island's beef, milk, and livestock resources, and partly to accommodate the indigenous people who graze their livestock.

Although the number of wild goats on the island is not particularly large, it is still far from being endangered.

Losing a few sheep during the rainy season, or having lambs bitten to death by snakes, or a ewe dying in childbirth with her unborn child, are losses that the nomadic herders can afford.

But if one of the island's only two cows dies without explanation, the consequences could be severe.

Even if the death of the cattle was not related to the herding of the indigenous people, who could guarantee it without the presence of the chief's confidants? And who would dare to guarantee it?

When that happens, even if it's mud falling into your crotch, it'll still look like poop.

Whether it was to serve as a warning to other indigenous people or to demonstrate the leader's authority, herding indigenous people would not end well; at the very least, they would be beaten half to death.

Chen Zhou didn't want such a terrible thing to happen on the island.

He highly appreciated the working attitude of the herding natives, and since he had told them to study Chinese seriously last time, they had really taken it to heart.

According to the indigenous people who delivered the message, the herding indigenous people now speak Mandarin very fluently.

Such a conscientious and responsible person, and the only worker among all the island's natives who specializes in animal husbandry, is someone Chen Zhou, as the common leader of the natives, must protect.

If, on the day the cow gives birth, an unmanageable situation arises that leads to the cow's death, the local herders cannot afford the impact.

Moreover, Chen Zhou knew Simmental cattle very well. These cattle are large and have good genes. The calves they produce are larger than those of local cattle even in the womb, so difficult births are common.

Sometimes, when a cow has a difficult birth and the umbilical cord is wrapped around its neck, even a professional veterinarian can't handle it, let alone this local who has only been herding sheep for a little over a year.

He insisted on being there in person to observe the cows giving birth and to take charge of the situation, because he wanted to relieve most of the pressure on the indigenous herders.

With the leader present, there's no need to question whether it's fair or not.

Even if the precious cow really died, with him speaking up, the other natives wouldn't dare to say anything, and the herding natives would feel much better.

……

On August 18, 1663, belated dark clouds covered the entire island.

The heavy rainfall, which should have arrived on the island in mid-August, was delayed for a few days, as if it were gathering strength. When it finally fell, it was much stronger than in previous years.

Below the factory, the raindrops pattered against the roofs of the neatly arranged wooden houses of the indigenous people, creating a dull, drumming sound.

A layer of water quickly gathered on the stone path leading to the factory.

In front of the indigenous people's homes, the flat dirt road was battered by raindrops, turning into small puddles that quickly filled with water. With the onset of the rainy season, most work was forced to a halt.

Especially on rainy days like this, movement and visibility are hindered, and even the cattle and sheep on the other side of the hillside have to be driven back to their pens, let alone people.

The gloomy weather made the already dimly lit huts of the natives even darker.

Some of the indigenous people who performed exceptionally well were rewarded with a lot of oil, which they used to lavishly light oil lamps and carve wood on small tables by the window.

Some sociable indigenous people, carrying large straw hats, hurriedly rushed out the door and disappeared into someone else's house.

He makes friends through chess and wants to take advantage of his days off to play several games of chess with his companions.

There were also some introverted, taciturn natives who closed their doors and windows, curled up in bed, stared blankly at the ceiling, and recalled bits and pieces of the past.

……

The new life is so rich and varied that most of the indigenous people have forgotten their past.

They learned a lot of knowledge, saw a wider world, and experienced different cultures and novel forms of entertainment.

Gomoku and Chinese chess have been around for a long time, and recently, some people have learned a few new ways to play them from the chief.

One of them is called Tic-Tac-Toe, which is the simplest and doesn't require a board. You can find a piece of land, draw a few lines with a twig, and pick up a few stones to play.

However, the variations in Tic-Tac-Toe are limited, and after playing a dozen or so games, one can basically figure out the patterns, making it unpopular with those who consider themselves "intelligent".

Another type is much more complex than tic-tac-toe and is called playing cards.

Playing cards require very specific equipment; a full deck needs 54 cards.

According to the chief, the best playing cards are made of paper, with 54 cards stacked together in a thin layer, so that they can be easily shuffled in one's hand.

But the natives couldn't even get paper; they had to use clay slabs for homework. Asking them to get paper playing cards was really too difficult.

However, a living person won't die from holding their urine. Nowadays, the indigenous people have learned a variety of skills, and they have actually found a way to cope.

Zebra was responsible for making 54 thin, uniform wooden boards, on which a skilled native artist sketched patterns.

It could be "hearts" or "spades", or "diamonds" or "clubs", or "JQKA" or "King and Queen".

Before long, the idle natives made a deck of cards and started playing according to the rules the chief had described.

Compared to Gomoku and chess, which are played by two people, poker has more diverse gameplay and can be played by more people at the same time.

From the most basic game of comparing sizes, to Texas Hold'em, and then to Blackjack, each game has its own unique charm.

Humans are inherently inclined to gamble, and for these indigenous people who had never been exposed to gambling before, card games were much more interesting than board games at first glance.

It becomes even more tense and exciting, especially after you place your bets.

There are roughly two common "currencies" used among indigenous people today.

One type is the precious "brown sugar," which is basically unavailable except for distribution on Saturdays. Only indigenous people who perform exceptionally well at work can be allocated a few pieces.

Brown sugar can be eaten directly, used in cooking, or made into chocolate. It has a sweet taste and is considered a hard currency among indigenous people, commanding a high price. Apart from those who are obsessed with gambling, very few people use brown sugar as a bet.

Another major form of barter was grain and various food ingredients.

In this respect, the indigenous people in charge of fishing have the greatest advantage, because they only hand over a small portion of their highest quality catch each day, and handle the rest of the catch themselves.

When other indigenous people cook rice and eat stew, they always manage to fry a fish beautifully, or steam a crab and boil some shellfish, which is the envy of many.

To satisfy their appetites, the indigenous people responsible for planting often negotiated with those responsible for fishing, hoping to exchange rice and flour for some meat.

However, the indigenous people responsible for fishing also work in the fields on a regular basis, so they don't really lack food.

This trading relationship thus became a seller's market, and the price of seafood gradually increased.

Of course, such unstable trading relationships do not last.

When the rainy season arrives and everyone has more free time, the price of fish plummets.

We all come from the same tribe, so who doesn't know how to dive and catch fish? At worst, we can make a fishing rod and fish ourselves. Anyway, we have plenty of time. Fishing is fun, and we don't have to be subservient to others. Why not?

……

Besides the two types of common "currency", there are some truly rare items.

For example, the wooden furniture, small wood carvings, wooden chessboards and pieces made by Zebra are all high-quality items that are hard to find. In addition to being willing to spend money, you also need to have a good relationship with Zebra for them to spare the time to make them.

Another indigenous person is skilled in rattan weaving. His rattan handicrafts, rattan chairs, rattan baskets, etc. are both practical and beautiful, and are very popular.

The natives, who were used to hardship, only realized what it was like to have a full stomach every day after they came to the island.

In the past, they would never have dared to dream that one day they would be exchanging precious grains for useless wooden products.

……

While the natives were busy passing the time, the second floor of the factory presented a different scene.

Chen Zhou's office was devoid of bright LED lights, illuminated only by two oil lamps.

During the rainy season, the photovoltaic panels are extremely inefficient. In order to make the most of the electricity reserves, he had to go from extravagance to frugality and start using oil lamps again.

Rain poured down outside the window, and flashes of lightning occasionally streaked across the distance, casting the room in flickering light.

On the neat long table, there were several thick books.

Those were the mysterious rewards delivered on July 15th and August 14th. When Chen Zhou first opened them, he was overjoyed to find that they were valuable knowledge-based rewards.

However, his expression changed immediately when he saw the title of the book.

The several thick volumes delivered on August 14th are titled "Introduction to Russian," "Travels in Russia," and "Russian Language at Heilongjiang University." "Introduction to Russian" is divided into three volumes, while "Travels in Russia" is divided into four volumes.

The books delivered on July 15th were several highly professional, all-English medical journals, filled with a large number of headache-inducing medical terms and various illustrations.

This kind of book, let alone being on a deserted island, even during his most studious years in university, Chen Zhou wouldn't be willing to read it.

He originally planned to shelve the books and sell them on a second-hand platform after returning to the modern world.

But just as he was placing a few self-taught Russian books on the bookshelf, Chen Zhou suddenly remembered that there were many Russian documents in a safe he had once forcibly pried open.

He didn't understand Russian, and although he was very curious about what was written on the documents, he couldn't decipher them.

Now that I have these books, and it's the rainy season with plenty of free time, why not try to study them?

Driven by curiosity, Chen Zhou retrieved the documents and began studying several books in his office. (End of Chapter)