nyslfriends Chapter 16 Every loss has a gain
Chapter 16 Every loss has a gain
The rain just wouldn't stop.
After a day and a night, the heavy rain gradually subsided, turning into a light drizzle that slowly drifted down from the sky. Fortunately, Cai Xuan had built a house and stored enough food; otherwise, this rain alone could have left him in a terrible state, or even put his life in danger.
It was this rain that made him realize he was missing many things, such as a straw hat and raincoat to keep out the rain.
Forget about rain boots; where would you get rain boots in this area?
Um...
Cai Xuan suddenly thought: perhaps he could make a pair of rain boots from the skin of a red-maned jackal. As for whether he could succeed, only heaven knew.
The bamboo hat was easy enough; he could just pick some leaves from that tree with the big leaves and try weaving one according to the bamboo hat-making method. He wore a bamboo hat every day at home and knew its structure like the back of his hand. Even if he couldn't make an authentic one, he should be able to make a hat that could shield him from the sun and rain—although it might look rather ugly.
However, he didn't rush to take action; instead, he went to check the field first.
He had considered the possibility of heavy rain beforehand, so he dug drainage ditches in the newly cleared land. It seems to be working well; the rainwater drains smoothly and hasn't affected the crops.
The sweet potato vines have now grown quite long, covering a lush green expanse.
Cai Xuan had already cut some vines and planted them elsewhere to expand the cultivation, and also picked some tender shoots to take home and eat. Back home, he used to look down on this stuff. But having not eaten it for so long, he was starting to miss it.
Ah, people! You really shouldn't eat too much, because when you're too full, you tend to think about all sorts of random things.
The large sweet potato seedlings (purple-footed sweet potatoes), hairy sweet potatoes, purple-skinned peanuts, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes in the field are all growing well. The seeds of tangerines, pears, and mangoes are also sprouting one after another, and the seedlings stand vigorously in the soil, growing very well.
Strangely, not a single seed from the giant pumpkin ever sprouted again.
Cai Xuan refused to believe it and sowed the remaining seeds again, but still none sprouted. It seemed that only the giant pumpkin seedling that had grown overnight had survived.
The tomatoes that were planted initially thrived, growing into a dense thicket. Cai Xuan had to prepare the land and cut bamboo to build trellises. It took him quite a while to get the tomato seedlings planted. The purple sweet potatoes, on the other hand, were planted less. He only had five jin of seed potatoes initially, and the seedlings didn't grow very many. Sometimes, when he felt like it, he would pick some to eat, so he would cut them as they grew, then plant more, gradually expanding the planting area. So far, it's only reached Wuling.
Cai Xuan straightened each of the seedlings that had been knocked down by the heavy rain, added some soil, and then headed down the mountain.
This kind of heavy rain will wash some things down from the mountain. Go and take a look; you might find something unexpected.
Just as he reached the cave where the tricycle was located, he turned back to the house and retrieved a basket, a fishing net, an eel spear, and a machete.
After the heavy rain, the water in the spring ditch rose considerably, and the turbid, muddy water churned downstream, flooding the burrows of some three-colored crabs. The weather also cooled down a bit after the rain, and the three-colored crabs all hid in their burrows and did not come out. There were no red eels either, but he did spot a golden-edged soft-shelled turtle with his sharp eyes.
The golden-edged turtle lay by a clump of water plants, completely unaware of the approaching danger.
Cai Xuan reacted quickly, stepping forward with the net and scooping it up in one swift motion!
The giant bald urchin struggled desperately in the net, its four short legs flailing wildly, and it even stretched out its long neck as if to bite. He quickly put the net down and raised the eel spear to stab the urchin's neck. It struck hard, drawing blood, and the urchin immediately went still.
Cai Xuan found some large leaves and grass stems to wrap the golden-edged turtle, put it in his basket, and continued walking forward.
Heavy rains rushed down the mountain, causing the mountain streams to swell.
The stream, which had only reached his ankles, suddenly rose to waist height. Cai Xuan raised his net and scooped it into the water, hoping to find something to grab. Unfortunately, there was nothing. Although the mountain stream had a large flow, it was ultimately limited and couldn't wash everything down the mountain like a flash flood.
Finding nothing of value, they were about to head back when they suddenly noticed that the fruit on the mangrove tree by the spring had grown to about a finger's length.
He had always suspected that this thing was a mango, and now that he saw the fruit gradually taking shape, he wanted to pick a few to take home and taste, to see if it tasted like a mango.
Looking up, he saw that some branches of the giant mangrove tree had already reached onto the rocks above, with clusters of green fruit hanging down, resting against the surface of the rocks. Too lazy to climb the tree, Cai Xuan simply climbed onto the rocks to pick them.
I picked a few fruits, held them in my hand, and smelled them. They did indeed have that familiar mango fragrance. As for whether it was real or not, I'd have to go back and taste them to find out.
Not wanting to stay outside any longer on a rainy day, he carried his basket up the mountain.
Back in the cabin, Cai Xuan couldn't wait to peel the mango, cut off a small piece, and put it in his mouth. It was crunchy with a slightly sour taste, definitely like a mango. When it's green and tender, it can be used in cooking or pickled.
Cai Xuan didn't know how big this thing could grow, and if it was very big, it would be a pity to pick it now.
But with so many trees growing nearby, it doesn't make a difference if there are a few more.
With a quick change of heart, he put that concern aside and decided to pick some to cook when the weather was better. Pickling would require jars, but unfortunately, he didn't have any. His previous cans were all made of tin and were too small to be suitable for storing anything.
"Huh—"
He could easily pick some tender mangoes, cook them, slice them, dry them, and store them. Wouldn't that give him another food source in the future? Cai Xuan felt that he was really too clever.
Now is arguably the best time to eat young mangoes, with their crisp and tender flesh and slightly sour taste.
In a few days, as the mangoes grow larger and their seed coats harden, they will become incredibly sour and inedible. They will only become sweet when fully ripe, at which point they will have a completely different taste and be prepared in a different way. Therefore, he decided to pick the mangoes as soon as the weather improved.
In the afternoon, he began practicing his skills again.
Once you start practicing external martial arts, you can't stop, or all your previous efforts will be wasted. Now that he has a good start, he can't afford to be lazy or slack off.
Cultivating the external martial arts method actually requires a medicinal bath to remove the hidden injuries and bruises caused by tempering the body. Unfortunately, there aren't even any medicinal herbs here, let alone a medicinal bath. Cai Xuan could only settle for second best and drink more soup made from red-maned jackals and nine-oxen divine power potatoes to replenish his strength.
To his surprise, while he slept at night, the faint internal energy within his body slowly repaired his damaged body. Moreover, the "True Interpretation of the Western Region Arhats' Attainment of Tao" also had the effect of repairing hidden injuries and improving the flexibility of muscles and bones.
It can truly be said that every loss has its gain; what is lost on one front is gained on another.
At night, Cai Xuan lay in bed, listening to the fine rain outside, feeling the warm current flowing slowly through his body, as if countless warm little hands were massaging every inch of his tired muscles.
Gradually, his breathing became long and even, and his consciousness slowly sank into a tranquil darkness.
The rain is still falling, softly and densely, like the gentlest whisper between heaven and earth.