Chapter 14 Pepper

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves and sprinkled onto the earth, Pan Mengyan and Jiang Ruoxi had already opened their eyes and gotten up one after another. After a quick wash, they brought several fresh fish to the Bonfire. Today’s breakfast will be delicious fish stew.

After a hearty breakfast, the two decided to head to the beach to check if the Sand Crab Trap they had set up last night had yielded any results. They arrived at the Sand Crab Trap in high spirits, and the sight before them filled them with delight.

“Wow!” Pan Mengyan exclaimed, her eyes widening at the dense cluster of sand crabs in the trap. “I knew we’d catch a lot, but I never expected this many! There must be at least fifty or sixty here, right?”

Jiang Ruoxi, standing beside her, nodded excitedly, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. “Yeah! There really are so many! If only we could catch this many every day.” Her eyes were full of anticipation, as if she could already see a bright future ahead.

With that, the two eagerly began collecting sand crabs. Pan Mengyan carefully reminded her, “Be careful, don’t let them pinch your hands.”

Jiang Ruoxi laughed and replied, “Don’t worry, I know! How about we release the smaller sand crabs back into the sea and only keep the bigger ones? That way, we ensure sustainability and don’t harm the ecosystem.”

Pan Mengyan nodded in agreement. “Good idea! Let’s do that.”

So, the two carefully released the small sand crabs back into the ocean, allowing them to continue growing freely. After a meticulous selection process, they ended up keeping twenty to thirty larger sand crabs, each about the size of the Two-yuan crabs commonly sold in markets.

After gathering the sand crabs, they went to the reef to collect some seafood. Then, they headed back toward the cave. On the way, they spotted the same coconut tree from before and noticed that a coconut had fallen to the ground. Without a second thought, they picked it up and continued their way.

Unbeknownst to them, after they left, a pitch-black Coconut crab crawled down from the tree and stared at the empty ground, lost in thought… It found it very strange why had those foods suddenly disappeared? Had some mysterious force taken them away? Another creature had stolen them. As the Coconut crab pondered this, it slowly climbed back up the tree and continued observing its surroundings.

Back at the cave, Jiang Ruoxi placed their harvest in a shady spot to let the seafood purge any sand. She was full of anticipation for these ingredients, hoping to prepare a lavish lunch.

Pan Mengyan looked at the items on the ground, feeling equally pleased. She said, “You go get the tools, and we’ll chop down some trees to make the things we need for now.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ruoxi immediately picked up the stone axe and Stone knife and followed Pan Mengyan out of the cave. The two went outside and began working together, dividing the tasks. Pan Mengyan oversaw cutting down trees, while Jiang Ruoxi used the Stone knife to gather vines. During this process, they also discovered a wild Pepper tree laden with dense clusters of fruit. Jiang Ruoxi excitedly picked some Pepper, planning to use it for cooking the seafood.

After much effort, the two had chopped down enough trees and collected a large quantity of vines. Next, they needed to use these materials to craft various tools and items.
After a busy morning, both felt ravenous. So, they returned to the cave and started a fire to cook. Jiang Ruoxi put sand crabs and conch shells into the pot, added coconut water, and simmered it into a delicious seafood soup. Then, she used the remaining ingredients to grill some food, filling the air with an appetizing aroma.

After the two women and the dog had their fill, they felt completely satisfied. Once the meal was over, they decided to rest for a while to regain their energy. After all, there were still many tasks waiting for them to be completed in the afternoon.

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