August 8th

[Golden Camellia: Its petals are as brilliant as a golden sunset... and it clears heat and detoxifies.]
[Golden Camellia: +33 Stamina, +20 HP]

It really is edible! Hooray!
Jiuli felt quite happy.
As a raw, unprocessed food, this recovery amount is actually quite good... I wonder if there are more?

The pixelated Jiuli seemed to sense the player’s delight. On the screen, the little silver-haired figure reacted as if she had just received a gift. She raised her arm to touch the little flower behind her ear, then tilted her head left and right, searching for more Golden Camellias.

The Golden Camellia tree was not far away. Unfortunately, the accessory slot could only hold one item, so the flowers could not be stacked.
But to think this is a harvestable item...
Come to think of it, the number of harvestable items in this installment is unusually high, and they unlock gradually as one interacts with NPCs. Jiuli was certain that when she first arrived, the little golden flowers were just background textures and could not be picked.
So, this is how the developer lures players into sticking with the game... How clever.
This requires players to focus more on socializing and building affinity with NPCs beyond their daily farming tasks, offering much greater rewards than the friendship system in the base game.
So that’s how it is! That’s how it is!
Jiuli felt she had attained enlightenment once again.

The silver-haired pixel avatar dashed to the Golden Camellia tree.
As the mouse cursor hovered over the golden flower, a green plus sign appeared, indicating it could be picked. The player began clicking frantically!

Chu Liuxiang: "..."
Chu Liuxiang rubbed his nose and, being a tactful man, began helping Jiuli pick the Golden Camellias.
However, he made sure to keep a respectful distance from her.
Chu Liuxiang was handsome, free-spirited, and could be considered a favorite of the heavens—he was perfect in every way, except for one thing: his nose was useless. He couldn’t smell a thing.
Even Ye Xingshi, the greatest physician in the land, could only shake his head and sigh when examining his nose.
That was why he usually liked to sprinkle a bit of tulip powder on himself; he feared that he might carry some unpleasant odor and offend others without even knowing it.
Now, the problem was clearly more severe. Stranded on a desert island, where could he find any more scented powder? Besides, he hadn't bathed in days...
Chu Liuxiang felt like sighing again.
But for the player, if an NPC doesn't express their inner thoughts, they simply do not exist.

[Acquired: Golden Camellia *24]
A bumper harvest of Golden Camellias~ A bumper harvest of Golden Camellias~ A bumper harvest of Golden Camellias~
[Practice makes perfect. You have gained insight from this repetitive action...]
[Gathering: Level 2]
[Obtained Recipe: Spring Wreath]
[Spring Wreath: Any Spring Flower *12, Any Wooden Twig *1]
[Spring Wreath: A decorative item woven from branches and flowers.]

Ah, a wreath.
So... if I make the Golden Camellias into a wreath and wear it on my head, I can fit a whole bunch of flowers into a single accessory slot!
In that case, using Golden Camellias as emergency rations is a very cost-effective strategy. They can be stacked, and they occupy an accessory slot rather than the inventory, saving precious space.
In the early game, players only have twelve inventory slots, so one must be frugal and manage resources carefully.
Hooray!
Jiuli, holding a pile of golden flowers, ran back excitedly.
Chu Liuxiang rubbed his nose, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He wasn't in a hurry; he strolled through the woods, observing the environment and trails while collecting some thatch along the way.

By the time he returned to the Bamboo Hideaway, Yidian Hong and Zhang San had already chopped a good amount of bamboo. After removing the side branches, they had sturdy poles. They took two pieces of bamboo and used their internal energy to split them, then trimmed them into sharp bamboo wedges to serve as structural fasteners.
Having bamboo was a massive blessing, easing much of the pressure of survival.
It was easier and lighter to chop than other woods, making it perfect for building shelters and furniture. It was spring, and bamboo shoots were growing abundantly—a vital food source. The area was humid, and the bamboo grew thick; one could simply cut a section to use as a container, saving the trouble of digging for clay or firing pottery. Furthermore, roasting bamboo joints over a fire allowed one to collect bamboo sap...

Chu Liuxiang returned with a large armful of thatch, having thoughtfully removed the roots first, as they were edible.
To build the house, they needed to borrow tools from Jiuli, who readily lent them the stone axe she had just acquired.
With the sounds of "ding-dang," the frame of the bamboo house was quickly erected.
The main purpose of a house is to provide shelter from wind and rain, but beyond that, elevating the floor was crucial.
Raising the floor prevented them from sleeping on the damp, muddy ground, which would reduce the risk of illness.
Chu Liuxiang, Zhang San, and Yidian Hong were all renowned figures in the martial arts world, yet they were also pragmatic men who understood that they couldn't rely on their martial prowess alone to ignore the dangers of a desert island.
Even Yidian Hong, usually the most aloof and disdainful of cooperation, didn't say a word and worked in perfect harmony with the others.

Once the frame was up, the roof and floor were the priorities; the walls could wait. Zhang San had expertise in shipbuilding and, surprisingly, knew a thing or two about construction. The three worked efficiently, and soon the thatched roof was finished. The little hut was taking shape.
Jiuli hovered nearby, repeatedly trying to help but failing, and even asked Yidian Hong in a clear, articulate voice if he needed a hand.
The assassin didn't turn red or even lose his breath; he didn't look like he was doing manual labor at all. He didn't stop his work, didn't even glance at Jiuli, and rejected her without a second thought, his tone devoid of emotion: "No need."
Jiuli sighed with the wisdom of age: "Tsk tsk, you guys don't even need my help, tsk tsk!"
Yidian Hong: "..."
The assassin gave her a strange look but didn't respond, proving through action that a normal person would never be ungrateful or just take without giving back.
...Wait, had he actually become a normal person?
The assassin didn't know what prompted that thought, but he suddenly felt bored and didn't want to dwell on it further.

Bored, Jiuli took a stool out of the bamboo house and sat in the yard to weave her wreath.
Making one wreath required 12 spring flowers. Jiuli had picked 24, enough for two.
Once finished, she excitedly placed the wreath on her head.
The player opened the system panel to admire the pixelated character in the lower-left corner.
In the game, the pixelated Jiuli performed the corresponding action. Wearing the wreath, she walked across the yard and stood by the pond, peering at the water's surface.
The water was calm, reflecting her image like a mirror, which was then truthfully reflected back into those quiet, emerald eyes.
A raindrop fell into the pond, sending ripples across Jiuli’s reflection, and ripples across the eyes that mirrored her.

The rain started falling again... The construction work couldn't continue, but fortunately, the roof was finished, and the floor had been carefully leveled with sand. The group built a fire and sat around it. Jiuli didn't seem to grasp the concept of seeking shelter from the rain and remained in the yard, weaving her wreath... until Chu Liuxiang picked her up by the scruff of her neck like a kitten and moved her inside to warm up.
Jiuli: "?"
Her eyes were filled with shock and disdain—as if she thought he was meddling in her business far too much!
Chu Liuxiang: "..."
Chu Liuxiang suddenly produced a dozen Golden Camellias as if by magic and said, "Still want to play with those? I have some here too."
Jiuli: "!"
Fine. Since he gave her a gift, she would forgive the meddling NPC!

Jiuli sat by the campfire, continuing to weave.
Chu Liuxiang said abruptly, "There are traces of other people on this island besides us."
Yidian Hong’s head snapped up, his sharp eyes fixed on Chu Liuxiang.
Chu Liuxiang continued, "While walking on the mountain earlier, I found signs of a campfire. It looked like it had been there for many days, though. With the constant rain these past few days, any footprints have long since washed away, making it impossible to track them. But judging by the size of the fire pit, it was large enough for seven or eight people to sit around."
Seven or eight people...
If a shipwreck had washed seven or eight companions onto the island at once, they were truly lucky.
Of course, it wasn't that the possibility didn't exist, but in their hearts, they were hoping for something else.
Zhang San said, "People live here? If people live here, there must be ships coming and going. If that's the case, thank heavens."
Chu Liuxiang nodded slightly. "Indeed... perhaps Xiao Hu and Miss Jin were washed to the other side and are currently feasting at an islander's home."
Zhang San couldn't help but chuckle.
Yidian Hong reached out and threw a twig into the fire. The wood crackled, sending sparks flying.
He was a man of deep thoughts and rarely spoke of his own affairs. At this moment, returning to the Central Plains should have been a joyous occasion, yet one couldn't tell if he was happy or melancholy.
Chu Liuxiang smiled but didn't press him, saying lightly, "Since there are residents on the island, it cannot be an nameless place. Every city in the world has a name, but I wonder what this island in the Southeast Sea is called?"
Jiuli, hearing this, suddenly looked up.
Jiuli: "I know what island this is."
Chu Liuxiang raised an eyebrow in surprise... then laughed. "Then please, enlighten us, Miss Jiuli."
Jiuli nodded.
She told them, enunciating every word with great seriousness: "This is Bat Island!"
Chu Liuxiang: "?!"
Yidian Hong: "?!"
Zhang San: "??!"
Wait, what did you say?!