Day Forty-One: When Narrow Paths Meet, the Brave Prevail (Part One)

Perhaps it's because I've had so much on my mind lately, but I've been waking up early these past few days.

Breakfast was a simple dumpling soup. It's quite easy to make: scoop out a bowl of flour, add some water, stir it into a paste with chopsticks, then use a spoon to drop it into boiling water. After a short boil, it's ready to enjoy—straightforward and hearty.

The taste was surprisingly good. What caught me off guard was that Little Black devoured an entire bowl, and then, as if nothing had happened, went back to sleep.

The island in the early morning was tranquil, comfortable, and harmonious. I sat on the swing, took a drag from a lit Zhonghua cigarette...

"Whoosh—cough, cough, cough." Perhaps it had been too long since I'd last smoked; the first puff choked me. Honestly, I'd long since lost any craving for cigarettes. After so many days teetering on the edge of life and death, I'd already forgotten what it meant to indulge.

"Sss—whoosh." I exhaled the second puff, swaying gently on the swing, feeling especially at ease.

Maybe a carefree life like this isn’t so bad after all?

When I first arrived on the island, my goal was simple—survival at any cost. Later, I built a small wooden hut, found juicy fruits to stave off hunger, gained a companion in Little Black... Now, I have enough food to last me a long time, knives, and other supplies.

Yet, for reasons I can’t quite explain, this comfortable environment brings with it a deep sense of loneliness and emptiness. I ran my fingers through my wind-tousled hair, trying to banish these gloomy thoughts.

An inexplicable restlessness welled up in me.

Fortunately, a flock of birds outside the yard caught my attention, snapping me out of my anxious reverie.

I stood up and saw many birds flying into the grove nestled in a nearby hollow.

Curious, I wondered what could be drawing them in.

I stepped outside, treading lightly and crouching as I approached the edge of the woods.

Soon, I saw what was happening. By a large tree in the hollow grew a cluster of low shrubs, their branches heavy with small black fruits the size of marbles, unlike anything I'd seen before.

The birds were feasting merrily, pecking rapidly at these black fruits. They ate quickly, moving on to a new fruit every five seconds or so, but strangely, they never finished a whole fruit—only half.

"What a waste," I muttered to myself. "These must be edible, right? I wonder if they taste good. The birds seem fine after eating them!"

Just as I was musing aloud, the birds suddenly took flight with a flurry of wings.

I was taken aback, looking around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Did they spot me?" I wondered.

Regardless, my need for food is still pressing. I can't afford to be wasteful. The fact that the birds eat these black fruits led me to guess they're both safe and tasty.

I walked over, picked one, and examined it in my palm.

The flesh inside was a dark brownish-black, with a very thin skin. I gave it a squeeze; not much juice came out. After tossing away the squashed fruit, I rubbed my fingers together. Once dry, they felt a bit sticky—perhaps high in sugar...

"Well, if Li Shizhen could taste hundreds of herbs, why can't I try this fruit?" I said, though I was not reckless. I split a fruit open and dabbed my tongue to it.

"Wow!" I couldn't help exclaiming. Despite its unremarkable dark exterior, the flesh was naturally sweet, with a subtle, osmanthus-like fragrance. The balance of sweetness and aroma was perfect. Excitedly, I swallowed the rest of the fruit.

Regret was pointless; I'd already chewed and swallowed both flesh and skin, spitting out only the pit.

The lingering fragrance danced on my palate and drifted up into my nose, refusing to fade. Compared to the juicy fruits I'd eaten before—which were like a half-sweet milk tea—this black fruit was full sugar, perhaps even extra sweet.

Two minutes after swallowing, the sweetness still tingled on my tongue.

Delicious!

I even thought about slicing and drying the fruit to use in tea or as a seasoning.

Its sweetness and fragrance were truly unforgettable.

Now that I'd discovered them, how could I possibly let the birds have all the delicacies?

So, after gobbling down a handful, I hurried back to the treehouse, grabbed a plastic crate and a knife, and rushed back.

The knife was for digging up a small shrub to transplant into my own garden. I wanted to see if it could survive, for the taste of its fruit was simply unforgettable.

The plastic crate had large gaps at the bottom, so the tiny fruits would fall through if placed directly inside. To solve this, I lined the bottom with branches and leaves, ensuring the fruits wouldn't fall out and their tender flesh wouldn't be crushed.

There is nothing more pleasant than picking and eating at the same time. My stomach soon reached its limit, and I began to hiccup from overeating...

Unfortunately, while the branches seemed separate, I discovered they were all part of a single root system when I tried to dig one up.

The shrub—more like a sprawling bush—covered nearly five square meters. It was clear that digging up the whole thing was unrealistic.

Luckily, it was very close to my yard. In the future, I could try setting up a scarecrow to keep the thieving birds at bay.

As I mentioned, the fruit isn't very juicy—I could try drying slices for tea.

No sooner thought than done. With the good weather, I grabbed a handful of fruit and hurried back to the treehouse. Carefully, I sliced them thin and spread them evenly on the upper deck to dry.

"Now I can bring the rest back," I thought, following my plan.

Since transplanting the bush was impossible, I made up my mind and stripped every last fruit from its branches.

Otherwise, the birds would soon finish them off anyway—I could see them still watching me from distant trees, perhaps protesting my actions. Of course, their opinions didn’t concern me...

Swish, swish—crack—snap! The sound of rustling grass, snapping branches—a series of noises suddenly erupted behind me!

At that moment, I was sorting through the freshly picked fruit.

At first, I thought it was Little Black, so I wasn't worried.

But as I picked up the crate and turned to head home, the terrifying sight before me was seared into my memory forever...