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

There were still several bags of cornmeal—this was sheer madness! I wanted to cheer, to scream; these foods, which once seemed so ordinary and unremarkable, now sent me spiraling out of control! After holding it in for so long, all I could utter was a single exclamation—I simply couldn’t find any words that could express what I felt!

For a while, I would no longer need to worry about food. A life free from want was about to unfold before me!

Taking stock was essential: one bag of rice weighed twenty kilograms, with a total of twenty-two bags. Wheat flour came in five-kilogram bags, eight in all. Cornmeal, also in five-kilogram bags, totaled nine. In the corner were two boxes of instant noodles and a box of canned drinks.

Staring at this mountain of supplies, my heart trembled with excitement; my whole body shook with exhilaration. This was, without a doubt, my greatest haul since arriving on this island. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a day would come when I could taste rice again. Happiness had descended so suddenly.

I paced the cabin for ages in my excitement, repeatedly checking the reality of these provisions. It must have taken me over thirty minutes to calm down. All this belonged to me now, but more cabin doors still awaited my exploration—perhaps even greater surprises lay beyond them.

With a pounding heart, I approached another cabin door. This one differed from the others: it had no handle, only a wheel-like device. I tried turning it; after two revolutions, there was a sharp click, like a lock springing open.

I tugged at the door, but it didn’t budge. After a hard shove, it finally opened.

I rushed inside, unable to contain myself—and nearly fainted. Rotting, suffocating stench surged into my body. I retreated instantly, but the odor had already flooded the cabin. Even with wildflowers stuffed into my nostrils, the stench clung relentlessly, worming its way inside me.

Enduring intense discomfort, I managed to close the door again. The spilled odor now permeated the space, forcing me to flee outside.

This time, I truly vomited, retching up every bit of bile in my stomach. I never want to describe that smell again. The stench of the corpse at the entrance was nothing compared to this!

Behind that foul-smelling door must have been the ship’s cold storage room; I saw rows of cabinets, and the remains of what might once have been fish or meat, now not entirely decomposed.

It was utterly revolting...

Inside the cabin, only one door remained unopened at the end of the corridor. My high hopes were now replaced by hesitation. I hadn’t expected to be confronted with another choice so soon. The stink kept me at bay, yet with resources so scarce, I couldn’t afford to waste any opportunity.

Time slipped away as I pondered, indifferent to my stomach’s loud protests and rumblings. Didn’t it know I’d lost all appetite after vomiting?

In the end, I compromised with myself—open the last door before leaving!

This time, I crushed a handful of wildflowers, squeezed out their juice, and stuffed it into my nose. “Hmm, fragrant!” It really was fragrant!

Determined, I charged inside. The cabin aired out slowly, so the stench soon broke through my wildflower defenses. I dashed to the innermost door, pulled hard, and it opened. Without even looking inside, I rushed in and closed the door behind me.

Here, once again, I was surprised—no less thrilled than by the food just now!

It was clearly a kitchen. On the cabin wall stood two louvered windows, with a vent pipe stretching from the stove to the outside. The small kitchen measured only four or five square meters. A huge electric rice cooker sat on the counter; though I had no electricity, the removable inner pot made my mouth water.

The inner pot could be used as a regular cooking pot—a valuable asset for me.

Every item in this kitchen was a treasure. The more I sorted through, the more I found that I wanted. There were five knives, apparently for chopping vegetables, bones, and meat, respectively.

There were three pots, all large, but I loved each one, picking them up and examining them repeatedly.

Under the sink, a plastic basket held a whole crate of potatoes, still fairly fresh. Their skins were a bit wrinkled, but they should still be edible! There were also some cabbages, though those had rotted and spoiled. Luckily, their smell wasn’t too bad—certainly mild compared to the cold storage room.

I rummaged through every cabinet, uncovering even more useful items. Bowls, chopsticks, ladles, spatulas, all manner of seasonings, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar—each in abundance.

The surprises kept coming, and I started to grow accustomed to them, though inside, I still felt as if I’d suddenly struck it rich overnight!

By now, I was almost numb, already imagining myself and Blackie feasting on all these delicacies.

I sorted, organized, and packed the items I’d gathered. I didn’t leave out a single thing I could use—even the induction cooktop was packed up.

There was so much stuff, I had no idea how long it would take to transport it all back to the treehouse.

Still, I decided to take the lighter items first. Oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar went into a plastic box. I opened the door, then slung the bundled quilts over my shoulder, gripped the knotted bag, crouched to lift the box, and headed outside.

The journey was arduous, especially getting off the ship onto the reef, where there was a gap between them. I worried about dropping my seasonings, so I moved carefully.

Along the way, a small episode occurred. Blackie, who was playing nearby, wagged his tail enthusiastically as he saw me emerge with a mountain of supplies. To my astonishment and delight, he picked up my battered fishing net and followed me back to the hut!

Blackie’s actions amazed and deeply moved me—he was so intuitive!

“Thank you, Blackie!” I squatted before him, gazed at him, and gently stroked his soft fur, expressing my gratitude sincerely.

There was still much left to move, and I couldn’t afford to waste time. After hurriedly adding some firewood to the campfire, I resumed my hauling...