After burying Squad Leader Liang, Wei Ran and the other two who stayed up all night gradually fell asleep while chatting about Squad Leader Liang. However, the young monk Sehao silently took out a sickle and went to cut a large basket of grass outside the cave.
At the mouth of the donkey, he also sprinkled a handful of coarse salt on the grass.
After feeding the donkey, the young monk Sehao took Zhou Guochang's submachine gun, led the donkey out of the cave, dragged back another fallen dead tree he found yesterday, and placed it beside the bonfire to bake slowly.
After finishing all this work, he sat cross-legged next to Squad Leader Liang's grave, clasping his hands together and silently reciting scriptures that only he could understand.
However, compared to the solemn look on the face of this fifteen or sixteen-year-old child, the submachine gun lying across his arms made this particularly devout faith in the war a bit bitter and helpless.
After an unknown amount of time, the young monk slowly opened his eyes, put on his bamboo hat again, carried the bamboo basket on his back, carried Zhou Guochang's submachine gun in one hand, and the engineer shovel in the other, and left the cave alone.
When I woke up, the rain outside the cave still didn't stop, but Qin Shouzheng beside me was anxiously talking incomprehensively in his sleep.
Patting the other party's shoulder to wake him up, Wei Ran looked around, only to find that there were bundles of chopped firewood and a banana leaf with many tropical fruits beside the bonfire.
On the extinguished bonfire, there was still an enamel kettle and the cast iron pot that Wei Ran had carried back so hard.
Lifting the bamboo hat that serves as the lid of the pot, there are actually several pieces of cassava boiling in the pot. Looking at the bamboo basket next to the pot, there are also several cassava stems that are about one meter long and as thick as an arm!
Seeing the young monk taking care of the bonfire smiling at him, Wei Ran quickly clasped his hands and bowed slightly as a thank you, then pointed at his own cheek, and then at the other person's cheek.
The young monk Sehao subconsciously touched the scarred wound on his cheek, and his brows furrowed involuntarily because of the pain, but then he smiled and waved his hand, signaling Wei Ran to put the hat back on.
After a while, Zhou Guochang also woke up from his confusion. Seeing this, Wei Ran quickly urged, "Guochang, please ask the little master where these cassava came from."
"Tapioca?"
Zhou Guochang was stunned, and quickly got up and went to the campfire. The little monk looked helpless and opened the bamboo hat he had just covered. Then he picked up the cassava in the bamboo basket and looked at it with curiosity.
asked Wei Ran about his doubts.
After the young monk finished explaining, Zhou Guochang immediately switched back to Chinese and said, "Little Master Sehao walked far upstream while we were sleeping and found those fruits. He also found those fruits along the way."
Hearing this, Wei Ran once again clasped his hands and bent down to express his thanks, and the young monk also clasped his hands and bent down with a smile.
After a while, Tan Shouzheng finally woke up from the nightmare. Then he came over and opened the newly covered bamboo hat for the third time.
When Zhou Guochang explained it again, Qin Shouzheng yawned and said, "This much cassava is enough for us to eat for several days. By the way, how much do we have left?"
"While these cassava are not yet ripe, let's take stock of them." Wei Ran took the hat from the opponent's hand and put it on the pot.
"I took inventory before going to bed," Zhou Guochang said immediately. "Now there is still more than half a barrel of fuel, which is enough for us to light the lamps and fire. But there is only half a bag of rice left, and the rest is on the other donkey...
"
"Keep talking"
Wei Ran brought the topic back in time. The donkey and the things on the donkey had probably reentered the underground river long ago, and it was impossible to retrieve them.
"In addition to rice, we also have two bamboo tubes of fried rice. These are enough for us to drink oil tea for two days."
Zhou Guochang pointed to the bamboo basket that Wei Ran carried back last night, "In addition, there are also most of the bamboo tubes with meat oil and various seasonings, as well as the few Japanese cans that Brother Wei dug out on the plane, but the dried meat he made earlier.
The dried bamboo shoots have been eaten up a long time ago, but fortunately, the little master has found so much cassava, which can allow us to hold on for a few more days."
When no one spoke, Zhou Guochang continued, "Basically the rest is inedible. The pots, bowls and kitchen utensils are all there, as are the two kerosene lamps. There are also the medicine boxes found on the plane, and finally
The survival raft that hasn't been opened yet and the broken life raft that Brother Wei brought back...that's all."
"And a gun"
Qin Shouzheng added, "We still have three flower traps and two spears. Let's leave one spear when we set out tomorrow. There are not many people with guns now."
"And a donkey"
Wei Ran finally added, "There is really nothing to eat. That donkey will last us a long time, as long as little master Sehao doesn't have any objections."
"I will find Master Sehao to buy this donkey."
Zhou Guochang patted the lunch box hanging on his waist. The lunch box not only contained individual rolls of film, but also contained many valuable small items, which Wei Ran had seen with his own eyes.
After discussing the remaining supplies, Wei Ran could not help but invite everyone to move to the newly lit bonfire nearby. After carefully debriding the ulcerated wounds on their bodies and feet one by one, he applied an extra layer of what was originally used.
Cod liver oil zinc oxide for treating burns.
Wei Ran is not sure whether these cod liver oils can protect ulcerated wounds. But at least they can help isolate the wounds from the moist environment.
Not only that, in order to protect the wounds on his feet, Wei Ran also cut up the broken life raft he brought back with a knife, and combined it with leggings to make a pair of simple waterproof shoes for everyone.
In fact, he didn't even waste the leftover materials. Instead, he cut them into cylinders one by one, and with the help of Zhou Guochang, tied one end to make a waterproof cylinder. In this way, they could not only better
He could save the two boxes of precious medicines and the few remaining rice, and even carry more clean water - even in this rainy season, there seemed to be no shortage of drinking water at all.
When the two of them wrapped the bottom of each bamboo basket with a tarpaulin and put an extra life raft float on it, the young monk Sehao finally fished out the cassava that had been cooked for an unknown period of time with a bamboo fence.
Place it on the banana leaf.
Seeing this, Qin Shouzheng also took out the Japanese lunch box containing brown sugar from his backpack, poured half a tray of brown sugar and placed it on the banana leaves. Then he borrowed the little monk's stone bowl and pestle, and poured a handful of coarse salt into it.
Grind it carefully into powder and pour it on the banana leaves.
Such a meal without oil and meat, but because of the rich starch in cassava, the four of them felt much more satiated than camellia.
After eating and drinking, everyone sat down again around the campfire, cleaning their guns and chanting sutras, but in fact they were all looking at the rain outside the cave and secretly worrying.
According to the previous plan, they will continue to set off tomorrow morning. To this end, the little monk even helped prepare enough firewood for the road. Weiran also waterproofed the bamboo baskets, but can they catch up with the big ones next?
The army is a question that no one knows the answer to.
There was nothing to say all night. In the blink of an eye, the next morning, the rain outside the cave showed no sign of weakening, but everyone had to continue setting off.
While Wei Ran and others were waiting, Qin Shouzheng knelt in front of Squad Leader Liang's grave and kowtowed three times. Then he stood up straight and raised his hand to salute solemnly.
"Let's go! Let's go home!" Tan Shouzheng lowered his arms and put the bamboo basket on his back, roaring at the top of his voice. Before the response disappeared in the cave, he walked out of the cave without hesitation and walked at the front of the team.
