WS - Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Over one and a half rabbits, almost a whole pot of rabbit offal. Though this meal couldn't restore Song Shiyue to her peak condition, it at least satisfied her appetite. She felt warm all over and had more drive than energy.
Song Shiyue was as good as her word. After the meal, before the sky had fully darkened, she took her stone knife into the nearby woods, chopped down two trees, and dragged them back.
The fenced-off camp was rather small, naturally not enough room for Song Shiyue to work.
The two trees were placed on the open ground outside the fence. Song Shiyue then took a flame from the still-burning fire inside and lit another fire not far from the trees to serve as illumination.
Song Shiyue had never made a cart before. With food scarce, the hard-earned strength couldn't be wasted; it all had to go into the crucial task. So she went back inside the fence, planning to carry Feng Qianqian out and sit her nearby, to see if two average heads might be better than one genius.
Feng Qianqian had pretty much gotten used to it these days—for small movements she relied on Ning Chuyang, for big ones on Zhuang Jiachuan.
Now that Song Shiyue was coming to carry her, Feng Qianqian weighed Song Shiyue's strength, which far exceeded Zhuang Jiachuan's, and naturally didn't object.
Feng Qianqian was slender to begin with, and after enduring so much these past days, she seemed even lighter. Just looking at her you wouldn't notice, but when Song Shiyue lifted her, she felt almost no weight at all, as light as a skeleton.
"You're far too light—you didn't eat much just now either. Your resistance won't hold up like this." Song Shiyue carried her out, weighing her in her hands as she walked.
Just as she was speaking, she came face to face with Yu Nianbing, who was lifting the curtain and stepping out of the washroom.
One person was carrying a girl in a princess hold.
The other was holding a dripping wet piece of clothing.
Song Shiyue glanced at the very familiar garment in Yu Nianbing's hand, and felt as if her feet had been struck. She could barely move her legs.
"Um... I'm fine now. Leave the clothes for me to wash... okay..." Not only did Song Shiyue's feet feel struck, her mouth felt slapped as well. She couldn't stop herself from stammering.
Yu Nianbing shook the wet clothes, flinging off some water, gave a noncommittal "mm," and walked past the two of them ahead, heading toward the vine clothesline strung between two nearby trees.
Yu Nianbing hadn't really said anything, but Song Shiyue couldn't shake the feeling that the other might be a little angry.
But why?
She was fine now—did those things still need Yu Nianbing to do...?
Really... as soon as the word 'wash' came up, Song Shiyue couldn't help but think of the two-times-a-day washing of a few days ago... her mind got even more tangled.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the diligent duo who had followed Song Shiyue after eating, intending to walk off their meal, but ended up frantically gathering every branch and twig that Song Shiyue had cut off the trees (unable to bear leaving them) and had just returned, happened to witness this 'passing by' scene.
Zhuang Jiachuan didn't think anything of it; he just kept his head down and dragged armfuls of branches to the firewood pile.
Ning Chuyang was different—perhaps because she had 'keen' eyes. To Zhuang Jiachuan, this was just an ordinary, simple scene, but in her eyes, it was a battlefield of invisible blades and swords flying everywhere.
Poor Feng Qianqian, Ning Chuyang thought, then chuckled twice, dragging the firewood and following behind Zhuang Jiachuan.
The world was too complicated. Song Shiyue, focused solely on making a cart, truly didn't understand.
Having found a spot near the two trees to set Feng Qianqian down, Song Shiyue officially entered her hardworking time.
When making a cart, there were two options: single-wheel or double-wheel.
In terms of stability and balance, a double-wheel was definitely better; it looked sturdier than a single-wheel, and correspondingly required less from the person pushing it.
Song Shiyue felt that a double-wheel would be more stable. After all, they had already eaten rabbit and had the strength to cut trees—was making an extra wheel really a big deal?
But Feng Qianqian voiced an objection.
Once they decided to use a cart to carry people and supplies on the road, they were essentially giving up on going up and down mountains; they couldn't fully follow the production team's preset route anymore. Regardless of the type of cart or number of wheels, it wouldn't be suitable for constant uphill and downhill travel. And if they didn't follow the route, they would be walking on unimproved paths.
Just like before, when they couldn't pass through the cave and detoured to this camp. The road conditions were terrible.
Tall grass, dense woods, large and small rocks on the path, and fissures left by the earthquake...
On a flat road, a cart is certainly better with two wheels.
But on such terrible roads—no, in places where there's basically no road at all—it's better to favor the more maneuverable single-wheel cart. Whether avoiding rocks and fissures or finding a narrow path through complicated terrain, a single-wheel cart is easier to handle.
Feng Qianqian made a lot of sense.
Song Shiyue didn't think she would have any problem pushing a cart up and down mountains—as long as there was food, none of that was an issue. But for the person and goods on the cart, once the incline exceeded a certain angle, it would definitely be very uncomfortable.
"So, before making the cart, shouldn't we first discuss whether we should make it at all...? After all, if we give up on the route the production team planned, detouring will take more time, the road conditions will be more complicated, and most importantly, we'll miss the supply points and even camps set by the team." Feng Qianqian was very grateful that Song Shiyue had proposed using a cart to take her along, but the reality was what it was; she couldn't not bring it up just because they could go together.
"Detouring isn't necessarily a bad thing. Didn't you say before that everything along the production team's route had been cleared? If we follow that route, we probably won't find anything along the way. Look now: dandelions, rabbits—we got all that without following their route." Song Shiyue wasn't as cautious as Feng Qianqian. While casually stripping bark from a branch, she added with a laugh, "Besides, the team's supplies, the thermal boxes in the camps—the people ahead might not even have enough to eat. Relying on that is less realistic than counting on those female rabbits to give us another litter."
It wasn't that Song Shiyue thought the worst of people—it was just reality.
The reality was that with these road conditions, the people ahead couldn't possibly travel from one camp to the next in a day, so the supplies were definitely insufficient. They weren't model citizens; since they could abandon their teammates, how could they suddenly become so benevolent as to leave things for others at their own expense?
Song Shiyue held no resentment; she was just stating facts. Everyone had to rely on themselves.
Feng Qianqian fell silent, seeming to still have many misgivings.
Seeing Feng Qianqian's expression, Song Shiyue sighed.
So it's true: good people make things hard for themselves. At a time like this, still worrying so much about others, and not happily going along when someone is willing to take you—so foolish.
Even as she grumbled, Song Shiyue's expression softened, and she offered a few more words of comfort, as if they cost nothing: "For now we're just making our way toward the Old Castle—it's not like a rescue ship is already there, ready to leave the moment we arrive. The aftermath of the Yaoxing Storm, who knows how long it will last? There's no need to rush. Those people are hurrying because they have no food and can only fill their bellies by continually going to the next camp. If we take a different path, we might find even more than they do while rushing between camps. A cart is great—it can carry you and the rabbits. Our rabbits can have little rabbits. If we hurry to the next camp for boxed meals, can boxed meals have little boxed meals?"
Feng Qianqian couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Song Shiyue also laughed: "Look at what we have: rabbits, live dandelions—these are all food sources that can keep growing and multiplying. Maybe by not following the preset route, we'll encounter even more like them. So don't overthink it. Let's figure out this wheelbarrow. I remember it's something like making a board with a hole, then putting a wheel underneath, right?"
Feng Qianqian: "..."
Song Shiyue: "Then you add two poles and it's done, right? I'll start whittling then."
"Wait..." Feng Qianqian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Even a wheelbarrow has proportions. Otherwise, it'll be exhausting and inefficient to push."
Song Shiyue felt that now that she was full, there was no force she couldn't exert, but on this matter, she'd better listen to the craft expert.
"I once made a miniature siheyuan landscape model; I made several tricycles and wheelbarrows for it. I should still remember the proportions. Let me think... could you break a branch for me?" Feng Qianqian reached out her hand.
By the fire over here, two people—one using a branch to draw on the ground, the other crouching nearby—talked and talked, and before long, they burst into laughter over something.
Yu Nianbing stood at the clothesline in the distance, tidying the items of clothing.
From left to right.
Then from right to left.
Repeating over and over.
Ning Chuyang was scrubbing pots and bowls in the washroom, while Zhuang Jiachuan took in the dirty ones and brought out the clean ones.
After going back and forth several times, even Zhuang Jiachuan sensed something was off.
The next time he carried a dirty basin in, Zhuang Jiachuan couldn't help asking: "I just saw Teacher Yu going back and forth at the clothesline, tidying the laundry. Those wet clothes are nearly dry from her fiddling. Is she okay?"
"It's nothing... She's probably just walking off her meal," Ning Chuyang said, thinking that Yu Nianbing was still upset over that earlier princess hold. She covered for Yu Nianbing in front of Zhuang Jiachuan.
But, such a temper... In the future, Song Shiyue might have to carve herself a washboard to live on.
Ning Chuyang, still scrubbing the pots, couldn't help but laugh at her own imagination.
However, Ning Chuyang, having spent too long scrubbing in the washroom, had still misunderstood Yu Nianbing.
Earlier, Yu Nianbing had been angry, but only as big as a basin. Now, however, that anger had likely grown so large that the camp could hardly contain it.
Late at night, the prototype of the wheelbarrow was mostly done; a few more details after daybreak and it would be perfect.
Song Shiyue helped Feng Qianqian back to the tent, then went to the washroom to rinse off, and finally entered the tent where Yu Nianbing was.
Speaking of which, bathing by herself was really much more comfortable.
Feeling refreshed, Song Shiyue slipped into the tent.
Welcoming her was Yu Nianbing's back.
It was late; it was normal that Yu Nianbing had gone to sleep first.
Song Shiyue moved carefully and lay down.
Silence.
Silence.
In that profound silence, Yu Nianbing flipped over, and with a thud, her blanket landed on Song Shiyue.
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