SDIWD - Chapter 49
Chapter 49
From the fifteen kilograms of fresh meat, Bai Zhen minced over ten kilograms, added spices, and prepared to make sausages. The pig's heart was sliced for salt-grilling, the liver was brined, and the streaky pork belly was grilled, sizzling on a stone slab.
Wild boar meat was lean and firm, making it chewier than ordinary pork.
Bai Zhen offered the first two grilled slices to Hua Mu, who forced herself to eat them.
She had been the one to say she wanted to eat it, so she had to at least make a show of it, or else even a simpleton like Bai Zhen would see through her. Besides, the pork wasn't bad at all; in fact, it was quite tasty.
She just couldn't quite stomach it psychologically, so she didn't savor the taste.
Most of the pork ended up in Bai Zhen's stomach. Hua Mu didn't eat much meat, but she filled up on fried breadfruit afterward, leaving her uncomfortably stuffed by the end of lunch.
Her joy was short-lived. Perhaps because she hadn't eaten meat in years, Hua Mu suffered from several bouts of diarrhea that afternoon, leaving her legs feeling weak.
Now she had a perfectly legitimate reason to avoid the meat, but Bai Zhen fell into a deep state of worry.
If the Young Lady couldn't eat meat, what was the point of her catching the wild boar?
Capturing the boar had cost her one Little White Pill. If it wasn't going to help the Young Lady's survival, the effort was a complete waste.
While Hua Mu slept, a worried Bai Zhen began to inspect their recent food stores and the condition of their tools.
They were low on firewood, so she needed to gather more. The knives had to be sharpened, and she needed to prepare more leaves for toilet paper. And...
Bai Zhen looked at the three remaining Little White Pills in her hand and felt a flash of regret. If she hadn't hunted the boar, she could have held on for about three more days.
But it was useless to think about that now. She had to immediately make up for the mistake she had made.
Hua Mu finally confirmed it wasn't her imagination—something was truly wrong with Bai Zhen. She had been acting even stranger ever since catching the wild boar. Sentinels were supposed to be calm and cautious. Even when they had first arrived on the island, unable to even secure a source of fresh water, she had never seen Bai Zhen so agitated.
But for the past week or so, Bai Zhen had been noticeably impatient and reckless. She had prepared almost twice as much dried seafood as before. In addition to dried fish, there were dried oysters, squid, and lobster—their clay pots were already overflowing.
Did Sentinels hibernate like bears?
Unable to figure it out, Hua Mu gave up. Seeing the abundance of seafood, she began experimenting with making her own fish sauce, oyster sauce, and shrimp paste. If she succeeded, it would greatly improve their quality of life. Making condiments was a food-intensive process, not to mention the waste involved in trial and error.
The idea had only occurred to Hua Mu because she felt their food supply was so abundant that it would be a waste not to use it. Bai Zhen had tried to dissuade her a few times, but when she saw Hua Mu paid her no mind, she could only work harder to gather even more food.
Fish sauce and shrimp paste required a long fermentation period, but the results of oyster sauce could be seen much faster. She boiled dried oysters with salt to create a broth, removed the oysters, and then simmered the liquid for four to five hours. The resulting thick sauce could be used directly as a seasoning.
Making condiments wasn't as complex as making perfume. After a few attempts, Hua Mu was able to produce a decent final product. For preservation, she made the oyster sauce extra salty, which meant she could even save on salt when cooking.
It was now their seventy-fifth day stranded on the island. Although Hua Mu still hoped for rescue every day, she had also grown accustomed to disappointment.
Having adapted to her environment, she gradually found it less difficult to bear. With things to do, she never felt bored and even experienced a sense of accomplishment from time to time. There were inconveniences, of course, and she missed her family dearly, but in terms of freedom, this place seemed to offer its own unique kind.
She didn't have to wear a mask all day, constantly watch her words and actions, or restrict her diet. She could even sleep until she woke naturally. Although Bai Zhen still managed to anger her occasionally, things were much better than before.
She decided to think of it as a long vacation. She had learned so much, and she would definitely have a lot to show off when she returned.
As Hua Mu collected the finished oyster sauce in a bottle, she thought with relish about lunch. She would make stir-fried tender shoots with oyster sauce; adding a bit of cured meat would surely be delicious.
She still couldn't eat much meat, but she could tolerate it as a flavoring.
By the time Hua Mu finished her work, it was nearly noon. She mulled over what to make for lunch, but Bai Zhen still hadn't returned.
Four hours had passed since Bai Zhen left that morning. Hua Mu hadn't noticed the time passing while she was busy, but now she began to feel that something was wrong.
Four hours. Bai Zhen had never been gone for so long at once.
Had something happened?
Hua Mu waited and waited. When another half hour passed with no sign of her, anxiety began to creep in. But there was nothing she could do but wait. If she went into the jungle alone and encountered danger, she would only need Bai Zhen to rescue her.
If only she had a phone!
Time ticked by, minute by minute, and lunchtime came and went. Hua Mu could no longer sit still, pacing restlessly at the edge of the jungle.
After thinking it over, she decided to fire a warning shot. If Bai Zhen didn't return within ten minutes, she would go into the jungle to find her, no matter what. Sentinels were formidable, but without their Little White Pills, they were actually weaker than ordinary people. If she ran into danger...
Little White Pills?
A thought suddenly struck Hua Mu. How many Little White Pills did Bai Zhen have left? She remembered seeing eleven the last time she checked, but how long ago was that? Twenty days? Thirty? Or forty?
Hua Mu hastily pulled out her gun and fired a shot into the air. In her rush, the recoil sent her tumbling to the ground. Military-grade firearms were vastly different from the pistols noble ladies used for sport. The shock of her first time firing it left half her body numb and her ears ringing.
But she couldn't worry about that now. She scrambled to her feet and shouted Bai Zhen's name toward the jungle.
Her only reply was the call of a few birds.
"Bai Zhen! Bai Zhen!"
With every unanswered shout, Hua Mu's heart sank. Just as she finally resolved to enter the jungle alone to search for her, the Sentinel's figure at last appeared before her.
"Bai Zhen!" Hua Mu cried tears of joy, fluttering like a butterfly toward the Sentinel, who was carrying a large bamboo basket on her back. But as she got a clearer look at Bai Zhen's condition, her joy instantly turned to fear and panic. "What-what happened to you? Are you all right?"
Unlike her usual tall, straight posture, Bai Zhen was hunched over, as if she couldn't bear the basket's weight. Her face was haggard, her eyes sunken, making her look terrifyingly gaunt.
The bamboo basket was piled high with food—breadfruit, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and a large jar of honey. The Sentinel herself was covered in wounds of all kinds, leaving Hua Mu unable to guess what she had endured.
Bai Zhen gave her a weak smile. "Young Lady, I heard a gunshot just now. Are you all right?"
Hua Mu's anxious tears fell even faster. "I only fired because you were gone for so long! What-what were you doing? Why do you look like this!"
"...Let's talk when we get back."
Hua Mu agreed that she needed to rest and reached out to support her, but the moment she made contact, Bai Zhen let out a low groan and shied away.
"Don't... I-I can walk on my own."
Hua Mu wanted to be angry with her for being so stubborn at a time like this. But seeing the pain on her face, worry quickly extinguished her anger.
"Are you in a lot of pain?"
Bai Zhen nodded honestly.
Hua Mu's worry and fear peaked. The Sentinel hadn't even lied to reassure her!
"Then-then let's head back first. The oyster sauce I made this morning is very good. The food I make with it will be even more delicious."
She tried to talk about something cheerful, hoping to dispel her ominous premonition and wishing for their daily life to continue just as it was.
Bai Zhen's steps were incredibly slow, even slower than Hua Mu's. Hua Mu chattered about her accomplishments all the way back to their camp, and Bai Zhen responded softly as she took the items from the basket and sorted them.
"You can put those away later. You should-you should rest first. Don't rush."
Hua Mu tried to stop her, but when she took Bai Zhen's hand, she couldn't help but shudder.
The Sentinel's body was terrifyingly cold, not a temperature a living person should have.
"Bai Zhen!"
Bai Zhen suddenly dropped to her knees, her head bowed low.
"Young Lady..."
"What are you doing? I-I'm not punishing you..."
Hua Mu didn't know why she felt such a strong urge to cry. Panic and fear seized her heart.
"Don't you need to rest? I can make lunch. You-you can go lie down."
Bai Zhen said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Young Lady..."
Hua Mu started to break down, crying, "What are you apologizing for? You've been doing so well, and I haven't lost my temper. Why are you apologizing!"
"...I can no longer accompany you. I'm sorry."
"Are you abandoning me? Are you going to leave me all alone? Have you finally had enough of me? I've improved so much, I can even help now..."
Hua Mu knew that wasn't the reason, but she wished it were.
"I'm sorry..."
Hua Mu sank to the ground, covering her face and sobbing. "I don't want you to apologize..."
Bai Zhen's heart ached with reluctance and worry. Even if Hua Mu could survive on her own, a deserted island was full of uncertainties. What would she do if she ran into danger? The pistol was only effective against small animals; it would be of little use against a large creature like a wild boar.
"Young Lady, don't eat anything you don't recognize. If you go into the jungle, please stick to the paths we normally take. They're generally safe. The food I've stored should last you two months, and if you fish every day, it will be enough to sustain you..."
Hua Mu covered her ears, refusing to listen. "I don't understand. Why are you saying all this..."
Bai Zhen hadn't cried once since becoming a true Sentinel, but now, she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
"I'm sorry, Young Lady. I'm a useless Sentinel. My Little White Pills have run out, so I must bid you farewell. Please don't be sad for me. When rescue finally comes, please take my body back with you. I want to be buried in my homeland."
I want to be buried in the same land as you.
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