Starting from Robinson Crusoe-Chapter 59 - 21: The Coming Storm (Part 2)

Chapter 59: Chapter 21: The Coming Storm (Part 2)
Chen Zhou plans to stop transporting on October 23 and start constructing a sturdier Shelter on the island.
The entrance to this new Shelter must be safe and concealed, and the internal space needs to be larger than a dozen temporary tents combined, for storing supplies in an organized manner.
At the same time, the new Shelter should be close to a water source, sheltered from the wind, able to receive sunlight, and have a thick waterproof roof.
The interior of the Shelter requires a separate kitchen with a chimney, and the bedroom should have space for furniture and room for a hammock.
After the transport work concludes, building the Shelter will become a new, long, and arduous project, not something that can be pulled off in just a day or two.
To stockpile enough building materials, Chen Zhou decided to strip away the entire upper deck of the ship, including the waterproof tiles at the top.
He also needed to dismantle the stove in the kitchen and transport those small bricks to the island in batches.
Between the 18th and the 22nd, Chen Zhou was continuously completing his tasks according to plan.
The once intact sailing ship had been dismantled into pieces, with the chimney protruding from the middle deck gone, the sturdy mainmast missing, and even the two-story aft castle and the rudder removed.
Looking from the back of the ship forward, you could still see square holes sawn into the lower deck and the ship’s exterior, resembling a sea monster that had gnawed on them relentlessly.
On the 23rd, taking advantage of the low tide, Chen Zhou chiseled open a hole in the side wall of the ship’s prow hold, releasing the accumulated seawater and bringing ashore burlap sacks and several boxes of seaborne rice.
He originally planned to remove the large winch used for anchoring.
Unfortunately, this task was only half completed.
However, relying on the rich experience accumulated during this time, Chen Zhou successfully dismantled the winch from the keel and removed the cables from the winch.
The heavy anchor lost its support point, dragging its chain into the sea, buried in the sand, leaving only the winch on the ship.
According to Chen Zhou’s plan, he merely needed to saw through the upper and lower deck boards and then use a crowbar to move the winch to the top of the raft below, waiting for high tide to carry it away.
Little did he anticipate that the winch contained a lot of metal components, increasing its weight significantly.
Even using all his strength, bending the crowbar couldn’t budge it an inch.
With no other choice, Chen Zhou had to remove as much of the winch’s wooden handles and rivets as possible to extract the metal components from the inside, preparing to save them for future use.
Or once the furnace is built, forge them into other mechanical components.
Like a percussion flintlock mechanism.
With the tidal currents rising, the raft, sails up, followed the familiar route into the channel.
The last transport completed as scheduled.
Standing on a slope, gazing distantly at the sea, watching the clear sky and the gradually dimming light, Chen Zhou took more heed of the coastal region’s volatile weather.
Had it not been for reading Robinson Crusoe, who could have expected, that just a day later, it would be overcast here, stirring up waves capable of shattering a sailboat?
That night, after dinner, Chen Zhou didn’t rest but instead sat by the bed and picked up Robinson Crusoe.
Since boarding on October 1, he hadn’t read a book for over twenty days.
He now wanted to know if he missed anything if the ship harbored other treasures.
Page by page, through Robinson’s actions, Chen Zhou felt as if he saw himself.
Whetstone, needles and thread, rum, ale, rigging, anchor chain...
Whether Robinson found them or not, he moved one item after another ashore.
In terms of total supplies, he already surpassed Robinson several times over.
The old brother’s raft transportation plan on Tieba was finally successfully verified.
"Of course, this couldn’t have been achieved without my diligent hands."
Happily praising himself in his mind, Chen Zhou couldn’t help but close the book and spread his hand out.
His once fair and delicate hands had grown a thin layer of calluses, with several unhealed scratches on the back, and his left pinky was red and swollen, with dried blood beneath the nail.
It had been inadvertently smashed while moving a cabinet a few days ago, luckily he dodged in time, or the whole back of his hand would have been under it.
Such mishaps occurred from time to time amidst the high-intensity work.
Posts sawed off at their bases, bookshelves toppled over, broken tree branches in the woods...
They either bruised a bump on Chen Zhou’s forehead, swelled his shoulder, or cut a gash on his leg.
With insufficient labor experience, Chen Zhou paid for his lessons with scars and bouts of pain, gradually learning how to protect himself while completing his tasks.
At home, reading books most of the time, his parents rarely let him do dirty or heavy work, hoping only that he would study hard and make something of himself, experiences he seldom had.
"If mom saw the current state of my hands, she would surely feel heartache..."
Clenching his hands into fists, Chen Zhou’s gaze pierced through the non-existent tent door to the sky.
"Maybe so, but she’d definitely be proud of me.
I’ve survived here for 23 days by my own strength, and I will continue to live on!"
The sparse stars surrounded the faint silhouette of the half-bowed moon.
Reclining in the tent, his gaze through the canvas above looked toward distant lands.
All time-sensitive tasks had been completed, this should be the easiest moment, yet Chen Zhou felt a bit homesick.
Closing his eyes, all the light inside the tent vanished instantly.
Like turning off a light, like returning to the warm, familiar apartment back home.