Hunting Wilderness: Starting with the Butcher

Chapter 14: Current Status of Each Group and Bamboo Shoot Digging!

Listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the roof, Yuan Linghan, lying in his sleeping bag, was thinking about how to add another layer of roofing to the tarpaulin the next day. This would not only increase the waterproofing but also reduce the noise from the rain.

Perhaps to others, listening to the sound of rain would help them fall asleep. But for Yuan Linghan at this moment, his enhanced physical abilities made his senses noticeably different from ordinary people. The slightest rustling of wind could easily wake him instantly.

On the other hand, Chen Duling, having eaten and drunk her fill, thoroughly enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of rain. Compared to last night, she felt much safer sleeping inside the bamboo house today, with the doors and windows closed. Before long, she drifted off to sleep, a rare occurrence for her.

Unless there's thunder in the sky, the rain outside will only make her sleep even more soundly!

Meanwhile, most of the other groups of guests were not sleepy. One group of guests thought that since they had chosen a tent, they didn't need to choose a raincoat, but now they were hiding in the tent and couldn't sleep. The makeshift shelter above their heads was also not very waterproof.

It was raining heavily outside and drizzling inside. If they hadn't been sleeping in tents, both contestants would probably have been soaked to the bone. The celebrity guest even remarked, "Zhi, shouldn't we rebuild our shelter tomorrow?"

"Indeed! I didn't expect it to rain so heavily on this island. It seems we need to go to the beach and collect some usable supplies. If we had known this would happen, we should have chosen waterproof cloth."

Hearing her partner Ah Zhi's words, Nini, a celebrity guest, felt helpless. A retired swimmer, she planned to enter the film and television industry thanks to her outstanding looks. However, her fame wasn't high, so her agency recommended her for this program.

But once she actually arrived on the island, she realized she had underestimated how demanding the show was. As for her chosen partner, according to the information, he was an outdoor blogger with millions of followers. But after getting to know him, she found that his skill level was really quite average.

Aside from knowing more about edible things in the wild, Nini couldn't see much survival experience in the other person. Even if she regretted it, she couldn't express it. If she were the first to quit, she was afraid she would become the laughingstock of the entire internet.

To the production team's surprise, the first contestant to withdraw from the show was an ordinary female contestant. She withdrew because the mountain path was slippery after rain, and she rolled down the slope, sustaining injuries.

Wu Yue, the male actor in her group, was also helpless about the situation, but he immediately called for help. Yuan Linghan, who had just finished breakfast and was weaving palm leaves, was also surprised to hear that a contestant had been injured and had to withdraw.

"Withdrawing due to injury? I wonder what caused the injury! I thought that no matter what, the participants would be able to last a week. Now it seems plans never keep up with changes. I wonder if the one who withdrew was an ordinary person or a celebrity!"

Without pausing his work, Yuan Linghan muttered to himself, but seeing Chen Duling still fast asleep in the room, he didn't disturb her. After all, even if Chen Duling woke up, she probably wouldn't be of much help with weaving palm leaves.

Considering the rain last night, Yuan Linghan didn't plan to go into the mountains this morning. Instead, he decided to go into the bamboo forest to dig up more newly sprouted bamboo shoots. He was afraid that if he didn't dig them now, these newly sprouted bamboo shoots would grow rapidly after the rain.

If too many bamboo shoots are unearthed, their flavor will suffer significantly, making digging them up unnecessary. However, bamboo shoots are one of the few foods that can currently be collected, dried, and stored. If you miss this opportunity, you won't have another chance to dig them up later!

When Chen Duling woke up naturally again and saw that it was already bright outside the bamboo house, she said with a helpless expression, "Sigh, I guess my biological clock just won't adjust. But being able to wake up naturally every day is indeed a kind of happiness!"

Even though she tells herself every night before bed to wake up early the next day, she can't actually fall into a deep sleep unless someone wakes her up or there's an alarm clock nearby. Otherwise, she can only sleep until she naturally wakes up and simply can't get up early.

After getting dressed, she saw Yuan Linghan weaving palm leaves and could only smile sheepishly. Chen Duling even suspected that her celebrity status was probably shattered in Yuan Linghan's eyes.

After washing up and having breakfast, Chen Duling was surprised to learn that a contestant had withdrawn from the challenge due to injury. She exclaimed, "Injured? We don't even know who it is! The production team is really something, they still haven't told us who the other guests are."

"Perhaps the production team feels the timing isn't right yet! This island is quite large, and it will probably take a lot of effort for the groups to meet privately. But regardless of who the other guests are, let's try our best to complete the challenge!"

"Okay! Brother Yuan, there's not much I can do to help you, but I promise I won't hold you back."

"That's an exaggeration. You've already done very well. In fact, the biggest enemy in the wilderness isn't the lack of food, but the loneliness of being isolated from the world. Perhaps that's why the show created the two-person challenge."

Hearing what Yuan Linghan said, Chen Duling thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed! When I first arrived on the island, I always felt like I was looking for my phone. Especially when I was resting, I always felt like something was missing, and it made me quite uncomfortable."

"Smartphone addiction is a common problem among modern young people. By the way, Dudu, we won't go into the mountains later; let's go to the bamboo forest to dig for bamboo shoots first. It rained last night, so there should be a lot of freshly unearthed bamboo shoots. Let's dig some up and make them into dried bamboo shoots."

"Okay, I'll do as you say!"

Three days after arriving on the island, a contestant withdrew, which was indeed unexpected for many. In contrast, viewers watching the live stream weren't surprised at all. Some even thought these contestants were quite resilient.

Viewers with outdoor survival experience felt that the real challenge might not arrive for another week, as the food provided to each group of contestants by the time they arrived would be almost entirely consumed.

If they can't find any edible supplies on the island, the contestants must be prepared to go hungry at any time. They might be able to endure missing one meal, but going hungry for a whole day would break their physical and mental foundations—how could they possibly persevere then?

Chen Duling placed the woven palm leaves directly on the bamboo roof covered with a waterproof cloth. Although she was a little puzzled, she knew that no matter how good the waterproof cloth was, it would still have a limited lifespan under the sun and rain every day.

What surprised and delighted Chen Duling the most was that Yuan Linghan used the hose and connectors he found in the garbage dump yesterday to make a simple shower for the bathroom. From now on, she wouldn't have to use a ladle to pour water on herself when she wanted to take a shower.

Watching the shelter gradually take shape from nothing under Yuan Linghan's hands, Chen Duling became increasingly confident in completing the challenge. The other nine celebrity contestants, however, were unaware of this; had they known, they might have suffered a mental breakdown.

Even viewers watching the live stream felt that Yuan Linghan single-handedly carried the well-behaved Chen Duling to new heights. However, Chen Duling's fans proudly declared, "Our Dudu has excellent taste; she chose the right person at first glance."

The group, focused on their challenge on the deserted island, were naturally unaware of the online uproar and controversy. Following Yuan Linghan into the bamboo forest, Chen Duling found the constantly unearthing bamboo shoots quite amusing.

She was responsible for finding and peeling the bamboo shoots, while Yuan Linghan was responsible for digging them out of the soil. Once the plastic baskets they brought were full of fresh bamboo shoots, Yuan Linghan finally stopped digging.

Then he said, "Dudu, we can go back now. These bamboo shoots should be enough for us to eat for a long time."

Immersed in the treasure hunt, Chen Duling felt a little regretful. But seeing the basket full of bamboo shoots, she ultimately didn't say anything more. This novel experience still brought her a long-lost sense of joy and accomplishment!