Day Seventy-Four, New Member (Part One) - An Additional Chapter for Yun Qi You Ran

The reconstruction of the treehouse had finally come to a pause. At least now, it could withstand another storm like the one before without much trouble.

Although I still planned to build a larger, sturdier treehouse along the edge of the yard, time was not on my side for now. My strength seemed to be waning, and the prolonged repairs to the house and yard had begun to weigh heavily on me. In the past, I could rely on good food and new experiences to lift my spirits, but lately, my mood had been quite low. So today, I decided to take a day off and head to the seaside.

If the tide happened to be low, that would be even better. Passing through the coconut grove, I picked up a fresh coconut. After splitting it with an axe, I tilted my head back and gulped down the sweet coconut water, then scooped out every bit of the flesh without waste.

Leisurely munching on the coconut meat, I strolled toward the beach. The coconut crabs here had been quite active lately; the ground was littered with split coconuts, surely their doing. If only these crabs could be farmed, I would definitely raise a few. But sadly, with their massive claws, even small branches wouldn’t deter them, and they’d easily climb out of any makeshift enclosure.

I had thought about making some fully enclosed wooden traps but quickly dismissed the idea. It was impractical—the time and effort required far outweighed the value of the food. It was simpler to just go out at night with Xiao Hei and catch them directly.

“Hah!” I had guessed right—the tide had indeed receded. The sight before me filled me with joy, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

Yes, I was ecstatic. I hadn’t expected that just a casual visit would coincide with low tide! It felt like winning the lottery, and I was too excited to calm down.

But I didn’t lose my head. Instead of rushing straight onto the exposed beach, I sprinted back to the treehouse to grab a basin. Plastic baskets wouldn’t do—the mesh was too large. A basin was perfect; it would be so much easier to collect and hold everything.

Hastily, I gathered a large assortment of creatures along the shore—shellfish, small octopuses, eels, and more. The basin soon overflowed with a diverse bounty, half of it being small octopuses and oysters. I planned to dry them for later, to build a reserve of food.

Instead of returning immediately to the treehouse, I set the basin down on the beach and began collecting stones. Yes, last time I had intended to build a semicircular stone trap on this stretch of exposed sand. A simple pit to catch some food during low tide.

The stones couldn’t be too small—they’d wash away with the waves. Especially in the center of the semicircle, I selected rocks about the size of a fist, digging them out from beneath nearby reefs. Smaller stones could be used around the edges.

This trap was only moderately effective, but its advantage was that it didn’t require constant attention. I could simply check it during low tide, which was simpler than chasing after scattered puddles. Building it took just over ten minutes—quick and efficient.

After bringing the basin full of seafood back to the treehouse, I immediately hung the small octopuses to dry, while shucking the shellfish to separate their meat, hanging that alongside the octopus. I reserved a small portion for dinner.

With the tide still out, I wanted to find more food. But some of the pools I’d seen earlier were too large, making fish difficult to catch. That’s why I had returned for supplies, though I planned to head back out soon. Opportunities like this were rare, and I wanted to gather as much as possible.

I grabbed a fishing net from the treehouse, trimmed two sturdy branches, and tied them to each side of the net’s opening. Then, I fastened another branch across the bottom and secured it all together, transforming the net into a sort of scooping basket. Holding the upper branch like a handle, I could push it along like a wheelbarrow, trapping fish with nowhere to escape.

The tide had yet to return, and this basket-net worked wonderfully. Quickly and simply, it provided me with a full basin of seafood—more than enough to last me a good while.

After processing the extra catch, I hung the rest to dry. By the time I finished, I was thoroughly exhausted. I brewed myself a cup of lemon honey tea and began sipping.

Lately, I’d been drinking more than usual, without much restraint. I’d already consumed half a bottle of honey, which made me anxious. It even worried me about the bees—had the last storm washed their hive out to sea?

“No, I have to check,” I resolved.

For the sake of future honey, I cared deeply about the bees. If the rotten tree trunk housing their hive had been swept to the shore, I’d need to help push it back inland.

But it was already noon, and I’d only had a coconut for breakfast. Seeing all this food, I knew I couldn’t leave on an empty stomach. So I fed Xiao Hei and myself first.

Among the bounty, my favorite were the oysters and small octopuses. I’d eaten three oysters raw, a few drops of lemon juice enhancing their smooth, chewy texture with a refreshing tang. In this scorching heat, they felt like a divine blessing, instantly whetting my appetite.

I didn’t dare eat too much more raw—the heat made me wary of upsetting my stomach. I was no longer as desperate for food as I had been before and cared more about maintaining my health.

The rest of the catch I didn’t cook elaborately. I sliced a lemon and tossed it in as seasoning to neutralize the fishy taste. Everything, including the eels, went into a pot for a rustic stew.

But as I ate, I realized that eel soup wasn’t to my liking—the fresh eel had a bitter undertone I couldn’t place. Yet the broth itself was delicious. Paired with the tender, chewy octopus, even Xiao Hei couldn’t get enough. I left him a small, boneless fish, which he devoured completely. After we were full, about half the stew remained—enough for dinner.

The beehive wasn’t far from my treehouse. After eating, I decided to check on it. The worry had been gnawing at me.

Not far into the walk, I spotted a wild boar. It seemed startled by my presence and dashed into the forest, vanishing from sight. Although it fled, I grew concerned. What if there were more wild boars lurking there?

I drew my pistol and held it ready, but fortunately, the rest of the walk was uneventful.

Just as I began to relax, the scene before me froze me in shock.

“Dead?”