mesbooks Chapter 6 Site Selection and Shelter Construction
Chapter 6 Site Selection and Shelter Construction
After on-site surveying and selection, Yuan Linghan finally found a suitable location in the bamboo grove beside the stream, which he believed was suitable for building a shelter. The reason for choosing this location was that it was relatively shady.
With its back against a flat cliff face and a drop of more than ten meters, Yuan Linghan didn't have to worry about animals jumping off the cliff and landing on the shelter at night. In addition, there were many flat, fallen rocks nearby, which were perfect for building structures.
It is only a dozen meters away from the bamboo forest and not far from the stream. Most importantly, the nearby stream has a drop, and all that is needed is to cut some bamboo to build a water diversion platform, so that the shelter will not have to worry about water sources.
Living in the tropical island jungle, one sweats a lot every day. Although Yuan Linghan isn't a germaphobe, she still hopes to take a shower before resting each day. Her partner, Chen Duling, must also need a bathroom.
Pull out the axe and clear away the few weeds and bushes at the foot of the cliff where the shelter would be built. Pile them up and let them dry in the sun; they'll be burned later when the supplies are moved over.
After finishing all this, Yuan Linghan worried that Chen Duling, who was still on the beach, might be concerned if he was away for too long, so he decided to return first. Considering that he would need to travel back and forth to the beach in the future, he specially cleared a path.
Meanwhile, sitting on the beach, watching over Chen Duling who was carrying supplies, she kept glancing at the spot where Yuan Linghan had disappeared. Although she knew in her heart that Yuan Linghan was being followed by a camera drone into the mountains, and should be safe, she was still concerned.
Even after being apart for a while, she still felt worried. Until a familiar figure appeared, Chen Duling couldn't help but reveal her brightest and most genuine smile. This scene was captured perfectly by a drone.
Many of her fans later dubbed this smile the "most beautiful smile." However, some fans worried that the innocent Chen Duling might develop feelings for Yuan Linghan because of it.
Seeing Chen Duling's somewhat excited expression, Yuan Linghan smiled and said, "Dudu, were you getting impatient? The location for building the shelter has been chosen; there's a stream nearby. I'll clean up the shelter for you. Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Brother Yuan, it's nothing! I was just worried you might get lost since you haven't been back for so long."
"Don't worry! If we really get lost, we can use a camera drone to guide us!"
Although the weather was still hot, in order to set up the shelter as quickly as possible, Yuan Linghan finally said, "Dudu, it's about a half-hour walk from here to where we'll build the shelter. Let's move the supplies there first!"
"good!"
To Chen Duling's surprise, Yuan Linghan only let her carry the backpack he was carrying, while she watched as Yuan Linghan used ropes and rattan to tie the remaining supplies into two large bags, which he then carried directly on his shoulders.
This scene prompted Chen Duling to exclaim in amazement, "Brother Yuan, you're incredibly strong!"
"It's alright! These things aren't heavy, but they're too scattered. We'll leave the rest of the coconuts here for now, and carry them back to the shelter next time we come to go beachcombing. With fresh water, we can use these coconuts as our drinking water."
"Okay, Brother Yuan!"
With everything ready, Yuan Linghan walked in front as usual, followed by Chen Duling, who carried an outdoor backpack. Although the path was not easy to walk on, Chen Duling could still see that the mountain path had been cleared.
By the time the two reached the foot of the cliff, Chen Duling was also covered in sweat. Fortunately, it was cool at the bottom of the cliff, with occasional mountain breezes that made her feel very comfortable. Most importantly, the view from this location was also quite good.
Knowing that she and Yuan Linghan would be living here for the next thirty days, Chen Duling asked, "Brother Yuan, are we going to start building the shelter later? Is there anything I can help with? Just let me know!"
Seeing Chen Duling volunteer to help, Yuan Linghan smiled and said, "Later, we'll first cut materials to build the shelter, and then clean up the area around it. From now on, you'll be in charge of all the cleaning, how about that?"
"No problem! I can definitely clean."
Physical labor would be beyond her small frame. Getting her sick would only add to her burden. But cleaning was no problem for Chen Duling; she even seemed eager to try.
After a short rest, Yuan Linghan told Chen Duling to stay where she was, and then he picked up his axe and headed towards the bamboo forest. He selected a few thick and straight old bamboo stalks, swung his axe and chopped them down, then knocked off the bamboo branches.
He gathered the fallen bamboo branches together, selecting those of similar size and with lush leaves, to make a bamboo broom later. Although he was only staying on the island for thirty days, Yuan Linghan didn't want to live a messy life.
Carrying the collected bamboo branches back to the foot of the cliff, Yuan Linghan carefully cleaned them and then tied them securely with rope. Soon, a simple yet practical bamboo broom appeared before Chen Duling.
After confirming that the bamboo broom wouldn't hurt his hands, Yuan Linghan smiled and handed the broom to Chen Duling, saying, "Dudu, give it a try!"
"Um!"
Holding the broom, Chen Duling swung it a few times on the slightly messy open space and saw that the swept area was indeed cleaner than before. But the weight of the bamboo broom was also somewhat unexpected.
Fortunately, Yuan Linghan said at the right moment, "Dudu, we don't need to clean up here yet. We still need to build a shelter later. Before we build the shelter, we need to burn the surrounding area to drive away any snakes, insects, or rodents that might be hiding there."
"Okay! Brother Yuan, are there snakes on this island?"
"This is a tropical island, there should be snakes! Are you afraid of snakes?"
When asked, Chen Duling blushed slightly and nodded, saying, "There probably aren't many girls who aren't afraid of snakes, right?"
Yuan Linghan, taken aback by the question, chuckled and said, "That's true! But snake meat is quite delicious. If I ever catch a snake, I'll stew a pot for you to try. Since it's a desert island survival mission, you'll need courage to try many different foods."
Upon hearing that she would have to eat snake meat, Chen Duling felt a wave of nausea. But then she thought, she was there to accept a challenge, and if she didn't even dare to taste what snake meat was like, wouldn't she seem pretentious?
He nodded and said, "Okay! If I have the chance, I'll definitely give it a try."
While chatting, Yuan Linghan evenly spread the dried shrubs and grass, which had lost much of their moisture, onto the ground where he planned to build the shelter. After doing this, under Chen Duling's watchful eye, he then used a fire starter to ignite the kindling.
"Dudu, stand a little further back, it might get a bit hot when the fire starts!"
"good!"
As the shrubs and withered grass that had been laid down burned fiercely, Chen Duling, standing on the edge of the cliff, could clearly see many insects and ants scurrying away in panic. Only then did she realize the importance of this burning of the wasteland.
Even with her single tent, the thought of spending the night with insects and ants gave her goosebumps if she didn't burn it down. Now that the fire has burned it, the insects and ants should not dare to approach the shelter for a while.
Looking at the nearly 100-square-meter clearing that had been burned away, Yuan Linghan pondered how to build a shelter for him and Chen Duling for the next thirty days, primarily using bamboo. In his opinion, sharing a room was definitely not a good idea.
This means that the shelter he's about to build should ideally have two adjacent rooms. This way, Chen Duling will have privacy without feeling afraid of being alone in a room.
As those wilderness experts have said, what's truly frightening about being in the wilderness, more than food shortages, is the endless loneliness of long nights. If Chen Duling were to spend a night alone on a deserted island, she probably wouldn't last even a single night!