I returned to the ground and secretly vowed that one such experience was enough; I never wanted a second. To say I wasn't scared would be a blatant lie. Xia Lan and I carefully studied the bones, which were covered with crooked runes. I recognized one that looked like the character for 'small'. After pondering over them for a long time, Xia Lan and I couldn't figure out their meaning, but Wang Yan discovered similar 'small' runes on several trees around us. I checked my pocket watch; it was nearly noon. I couldn't waste time on such insignificant matters, so I led Wang Yan and Xia Lan to continue heading in a northwest direction. Xia Lan took back her iron rod and water bottle, walking ahead and chatting animatedly with Wang Yan. Seeing their enthusiasm, I finally understood the saying: 'A woman's heart is as unfathomable as a needle at the bottom of the sea!' As we climbed over the hill, a pebble-strewn sandy beach came into view, with a shimmering river flowing slowly from southwest to northeast into the sea. The river mouth, eroded by the water over years, formed a delta. Across the river was a swampy area, with lush mangroves stretching to the horizon. Sturgeon fish rushed from the sea, swimming upstream along the river. Wang Yan and Xia Lan had never seen such a sight before, and both of their faces showed expressions of surprise. Suddenly, Wang Yan asked me, "Lu Yuan, did you know from the start that heading northwest would lead us to the river mouth?" I smiled and replied, "Remember that stream? The one where the brown bear caught sturgeon to eat."

The stream flows from southwest to northeast. As long as we follow the dense forest in the northwest direction, we will definitely find the estuary where the sturgeon migrate. Moreover, the tall mountain peak to the west, which pierces the clouds, is also the best reference point." Suddenly, Xia Lan asked, "How long can the sturgeon migration last?" After thinking for a moment, I replied, "The Chinese sturgeon migration lasts for two months. It's early September now, and I don't know how long this kind of sturgeon migration can last." "So it seems that we don't have to worry about food for the time being," Wang Yan said happily, bouncing up. I shook my head with a wry smile; now we could only pray that the heavens would allow the sturgeon migration to last a little longer. I carefully surveyed the riverbank and did not find any traces of wild beasts; this place should be relatively safe. If we want to build a boat, the impact sand area at the estuary is a good choice. When the tide rises and the seawater covers the sand, it can carry the ship into the sea, and we will be able to leave this deserted island. However, the only decent tool we have now is a military knife. To build a ship that can sail far with six people on board is indeed a long and arduous task! We need to make tools first, then gather materials. To overcome all the difficulties in between and complete the task, it would take at least two or three years. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sigh with emotion; indeed, meals must be eaten one bite at a time, and roads must be walked one step at a time. The density of sturgeon in the river is really high; I can easily spear one with an iron rod.

I speared three sturgeons in a row, and Wang Yan and Xia Lan started a fire to roast the sturgeons. Wang Yan and I chatted intermittently, and the embarrassment from last night gradually dissipated. It seemed that we both intended to keep that incident buried in our hearts. After lunch, I speared six more sturgeons. I took out my pocket watch and saw that it was about time. After Wang Yan cleaned them up, I threaded the gills with vines and tied them to an iron rod to carry back. At dusk, we returned to the cave, where Jiang Dandan was idly guarding the stone slab where we cooked last night, on which lay a few pitiful clams. Upon seeing us return, Jiang Dandan immediately stood up, staring straight at the sturgeons on my iron rod. "Did you work today?" I asked. Jiang Dandan pointed proudly to the pile of firewood at the cave entrance and said, "These were all collected by this young lady." Seeing Jiang Dandan, the stone in my heart finally settled; this young mistress had finally come to her senses. I handed the sturgeons over to Wang Yan and Xia Lan, who began preparing dinner. At that moment, Lin Xian'er supported Zhang Xi'er as they returned. Zhang Xi'er's complexion was pale, and she was sweating from her forehead, looking quite ill. I hurried over to support Zhang Xi'er and asked, "What happened?" Lin Xian'er said, "On the way back, she was bitten on the thigh by a snake in the dense forest."

I looked at Zhang Xi'er's thigh, there were two pinhead-sized bite marks on the inner side of her thigh root, with a grass vine tied above them. I quickly laid Zhang Xi'er down on the ground. Wang Yan and Xia Lan also gathered around. Lin Xian'er squeezed Zhang Xi'er's wound hard, and a slightly blackish blood oozed out from the bite marks. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, 'Fortunately, it's not a highly toxic snake, but we must still suck out all the poisoned blood. I have mouth ulcers and can't do it.' Without any hesitation, I leaned over Zhang Xi'er's thigh and started sucking. I spat out mouthful after mouthful of poisoned blood. Actually, I found Zhang Xi'er's skin quite smooth, especially the inner side of her thigh root.