Day Thirty-Eight: The Forgotten Treasure (Part Two)

The door was kicked open!

But as soon as I rushed inside, I was forced to retreat.

“Ugh!” Yes, I was retching, but I’d only eaten a single piece of fruit that morning, so nothing came out no matter how hard I tried.

I exhaled heavily, stuck my head out as far as I could, and took several deep breaths of fresh air, desperately trying to suppress the nausea.

Behind the cabin door lay a pile of bones, reeking unbearably...

The moment I charged in, the stench assaulted my senses, pouring into my nostrils and circulating through my lungs—a sensation so unbearable it was worse than death.

Those remains had long since turned to bone, and after so many days in the stifling heat of the ship’s hold, the decay...

Beneath the pile of bones was a large, dark stain—blackish-brown and shocking to behold.

Instinctive fear urged me to flee, yet the possibility of finding something inside the cabin drew me in, making it impossible to resist.

Conflicting desires battled within me, each trying to dominate and win my favor.

This feeling of being torn in two was enough to drive me mad.

Go in? Or not?

“What should I do?” I paced back and forth, clutching my head.

“Forget it, I’ll just go back for now...” I seemed to have finally made up my mind and walked out of the ship.

But as the sea breeze swept over me, my thoughts shifted once more.

“Why leave after coming all this way...” A sudden clarity struck me. “How can I go back if I don’t even take a look inside!”

In the end, I decided I had to go back and see for myself. But first, I needed to prepare—otherwise, that instinctive reaction would be too much to bear.

As for the stench, I already had a plan. The coconut grove by the shore was filled with all sorts of wildflowers. I picked several dozen of them.

When I went in, I’d stuff these fragrant little flowers up my nostrils. The image was almost comical to imagine, but compared to that suffocating stench, I’d rather look ridiculous—after all, no one was there to see me, right?

Bits of trash often washed up on the shore, so I decided to find a fishing net or a plank to cover the bones—out of sight, out of mind.

At the same time, memories of TV scenes I’d once watched drifted through my mind—scenes of burial, of resting in peace...

What an absurd thought. I had no intention of letting such ideas take root. Was I joking? There was no way I could do something like that. I could barely look at the bones without trembling, let alone touch them.

I walked along the shore for a while but didn’t find any planks. Then, not far ahead, I spotted a large fishing net.

There were plenty of torn nets in this area, but I’d never seen a fishing boat along the coast—no, not any kind of ship, for that matter.

This net was huge, with a couple of smaller pieces nearby. These were treasures—perfect for building fences, rabbit hutches, roofs, or reinforcing walls...

With a bit of modification, they could even be used for fishing.

I picked up all the nets, set the two smaller ones aside to take back later, and folded the large one a few times.

With each fold, the mesh grew smaller, and now it was just the right size to cover the remains.

Ready at last, I headed back in. To say I wasn’t afraid would be a lie; there was still a trace of reluctance in my heart.

But whatever might be inside the cabin compelled me to take the risk.

Ahead was the cabin with the bones. The flowers were in place. I summoned all my courage, rushed in, and draped the folded net over the remains.

Much better—out of sight, out of mind. I felt a wave of relief. No one had set foot here for days, and even with the flowers, I could still sense the foulness in the air.

With the door open, light poured in. I saw that it was just a corridor, about ten meters long, with several doors along either side.

I tried pushing a few of them, but they didn’t budge. “Could I really be this unlucky?” I was frustrated—opening the first door had been such a struggle!

I pushed and kicked at them for a long time, but nothing happened.

Yet, after a few minutes, I managed to open one with ease.

How, you ask? The damn door opened outwards—just a simple pull on the handle, and it swung open.

“Damn it!” I couldn’t believe I’d spent so long pushing. How utterly foolish...

But what lay before me interrupted my self-recrimination. “Oh my god!”

I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Even the little flowers in my nostrils fell out with the sudden change in my expression, and I didn’t even notice.

Excitement! Elation! Joy! For a moment, I was surrounded by pure positive energy—if someone had been nearby, I would have hugged and kissed them. My god! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d find these things!

In the dim light, I could see everything inside.

Bedding—the bedding I had longed for day and night! Finally, I could say goodbye to the hard, unforgiving floor. Even with straw, it was never as comfortable as a mattress...

This tiny cabin was a crew member’s quarters. On the floor were several messy basins...

I could easily spot towels and toothpaste inside them...

It was a gift. I was so moved I nearly choked up.

When I went over and opened the bedside table, an even bigger surprise awaited me...

Medicinal oil, cold remedies, some famous ointments...

A carton of Chinese cigarettes! Though there was no lighter.

Fighting back my excitement, I quickly gathered everything together, packed it all up, and wrapped the bedding into strips to tie it tightly.

There were five quilts in total—a bit heavy...

I wasn’t planning to carry them back right away, so I left them at the cabin door for now.

Only then, as the stench returned, did I remember the little flowers for my nose.

After adjusting them, I looked at the remaining doors. Each one was like a lottery ticket about to be scratched—my anticipation only grew.

I opened the second cabin door to find another sleeping quarters, but this one had a hole in it. Aside from a filthy, tattered quilt by the opening, there was nothing of value—leaving me a bit disappointed.

Fortunately, there were still more doors waiting to be opened.

The farther in I went, the darker it became, but I wasn’t bothered. I slowly pulled open the next door.

As I entered and glanced inside, I started to tremble all over!

Yes, trembling—I couldn’t stop tears from welling up at the corners of my eyes. It had been so long since I’d felt this way that I almost forgot when was the last time.

It wasn’t an act—before my eyes were sacks of rice! Even flour! And...