Chapter 38: The Approaching Storm

Chapter 38: The Heavy Rain Arrives

Su Keke gathered some deadwood, but it was not enough.

"Keke, have you seen any larger pieces of deadwood?"

Xu Yi wanted to take advantage of the fact that the insides of the deadwood were still dry and quickly bring some back.

"Over there, there are larger ones in that direction," Su Keke said, pointing.

"Alright, stay here and watch the campfire. Dad will go and haul some wood back."

With that, Xu Yi took off his shirt and trousers, leaving only his underwear. A heavy downpour was falling outside, and he did not want to get his clothes soaked. The temperature had dropped significantly after the rain started, and the water felt icy against his skin. There was plenty of deadwood nearby; Xu Yi selected pieces that weren't too thick and, after half an hour, managed to carry a good supply back to their makeshift camp.

He also cut down a few water vines to keep at the camp, ensuring they would have access to clean drinking water. The ground in the camp had already started to accumulate water, so Xu Yi had to dig small drainage trenches around the perimeter. He then piled up earth to raise the ground level and moved the fire onto an elevated platform. Xu Yi worked tirelessly, never stopping. This rainstorm had kept him in a frantic rush.

Since it was all physical labor, there was nothing Su Keke could do to help. She sat obediently in the hammock, watching Xu Yi work. By four o'clock in the afternoon, Xu Yi was finally able to sit down and rest. The area where they were staying had been raised by thirty or forty centimeters with packed earth, so he no longer had to worry about the rising water extinguishing the fire. The firewood they had stored was also processed and ready for use.

Outside, the heavy rain continued. Fortunately, there were no leaks, and Su Keke remained dry. After drying his clothes by the fire, Xu Yi put them back on.

[This rain came at such a bad time. It puts Keke and Number 1 in real danger.]
[I don't think so. Don't the animals all retreat to their dens when it rains? It should be safer, right?]
[Exactly. Predators don't hunt in the rain because they can't smell anything. It’s actually quite safe; they can lower their guard and get a good night's sleep.]
[But there's constant thunder. Isn't it dangerous if they get struck by lightning?]
[The location Number 1 chose is excellent. There are taller trees nearby; if lightning strikes, it will hit those, not them.]
[Have some dinner, then get to sleep early and rest well. There’s no danger of landslides or flash floods in this spot, so they can sleep soundly until dawn.]
[Maybe heaven feels that Keke is too tired and wants her to have a good night's rest.]

Xu Yi took the termite mushrooms out of his basket and sliced them all up.

"It's a good thing you found these mushrooms today, otherwise we'd be going hungry tonight."

Su Keke used her chopsticks to place the mushrooms onto the stone slab, helping Xu Yi with the preparation. While Su Keke grilled the mushrooms, Xu Yi took out a piece of snake bone. After snapping off a few segments, he began grinding them into needles.

This rain had exposed many of his shortcomings. Once he had the bone needles, he could stitch two pieces of snake skin together to create a simple frame, then drape the skin over it to form a basic tent. Additionally, he could finally sew a proper pack. The small satchel he had carried held too little and wasn't waterproof, but a snake-skin bag would be.

The charcoal fire inside the bucket was burning steadily, now reaching a depth of twenty centimeters. Since the walls of the bucket Xu Yi had burned out were relatively thin, he estimated that once he scraped away the carbon, they would only be about a centimeter thick.

"Dad, it's ready to eat."

Su Keke handed a large bowl to Xu Yi after grilling it.

"Hmm, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Xu Yi was indeed hungry; he had been doing manual labor all afternoon, consuming a great deal of energy. The portion was substantial, and after finishing it, he felt almost full.

After eating, Xu Yi continued to polish the snake bone needles. Although they were slightly curved, they were quite hard. He polished a total of five, so even if a few broke, he would have spares. The next challenge was the thread. Should he unravel his own clothes, or weave something from tree bark or other fibers? After deliberating, he decided it wasn't the right time to tear up his pants. Although the temperature difference between day and night wasn't extreme, walking through the jungle without pants would make him prone to scratches.

He set his sights on his shoelaces. The laces were woven from multiple strands of fine fiber and were over a meter long. Once unraveled, they were still incredibly strong. Without the laces, he could use vines to tie his shoes, which wouldn't affect their utility. He promptly untied them, cut off the tips, and unraveled them into fine threads.

"I must be quite lucky. These shoelaces are woven from nylon thread; they’re very sturdy and hard to break."

After unraveling them, he had twenty strands, each a meter and a half long.

"I plan to sew a satchel first so we can carry things, and it will be somewhat waterproof."

Xu Yi took a piece of snake skin from his basket. It was from the tail section, so he wouldn't feel bad if he wasted some material. Besides, Su Keke's satchel would need to be smaller, making the narrower tail section perfect for her.

Xu Yi first used a branch to draw the structure of the bag on the ground so he would know how to cut the skin. Using only two pieces of fabric would be simple but structurally unstable. He recalled the green military satchels that had been popular in China for decades. Relying on his memory, he sketched the design. He then snapped a few branches to serve as measuring sticks. Once ready, he laid the snake skin on the ground and used charcoal to mark the shapes he needed. He then used his stone knife to cut the skin.

After Su Keke finished eating, she had Xu Yi teach her five more characters and began practicing them on the side.

In the jungle, the rain continued to pour. However, Xu Yi and Su Keke remained unaffected. Their makeshift camp was warm and dry.

"Dad, there are mosquitoes now. There weren't any the past few days."

Su Keke slapped a mosquito and felt a bit frustrated. Because they had been staying in a very dry part of the forest, there had been almost no mosquitoes, so the two of them hadn't paid much attention to insect repellent. But here, she had already been bitten twice. Not only were the bites swollen, but they were also incredibly itchy.