Centering on the shallow bank, the upper stream’s water was deeper and the trees on both sides were lush; downstream, the river widened and there were fewer trees on both banks. Comparing the two stretches of river, there was no doubt the upper stream was more likely to yield something useful.
So after coming ashore, Qin Tian led Ye Lin upstream.
Qin Tian had walked this direction twice before: once to set the ground cage, and once to retrieve it. This was his third time.
However, unlike the last two fruitless trips, this time they hadn’t walked for more than a few minutes before Qin Tian made a discovery.
Not far from the two of them stood a large tree, about a dozen meters high. Its canopy was huge, the branches mostly growing outwards and sideways. From a distance, it looked like a giant umbrella, easy to spot.
Qin Tian had actually noticed this tree the first time he came, and had even used it as a landmark. Every time he saw this tree, he knew how much farther it was to reach the spot where the ground cage was set.
But until today, after acquiring the Wild Plant Encyclopedia, Qin Tian had finally learned this tree’s name.
The moment he saw the tree, related information surfaced in Qin Tian’s mind.
Soap Pod Tree: Deciduous arbor, can grow up to 15~20 meters tall, canopy up to 15 meters, with thick, sturdy thorns. The Soap Pod Tree is an economically valuable tree. Its wood is hard and fine-grained, making it an excellent choice for furniture. Its fruit is rich in saponin, so the juice can be boiled as a soap substitute for laundry. Its thorns can treat urinary retention, intestinal bleeding, and other ailments—making it highly versatile.
“Qin Tian, look over there, it’s a Soap Pod Tree!” As Qin Tian spotted the Soap Pod Tree, Ye Lin noticed it too.
“You recognize it?” Qin Tian was surprised.
“There are quite a few Soap Pod Trees planted in my residential compound,” Ye Lin replied, then wondered aloud, “I remember you said your hometown is in the countryside—shouldn’t there be Soap Pod Trees too?”
“It’s just like what Mr. Lu Xun wrote about in the Sanwei Study Room.” After thinking for a moment, Ye Lin gave an example.
“Not all villages are the same.” Not quite sure how to explain, Qin Tian said, “There aren’t any in our Village.”
“I remember, Soap Pod can be used for washing clothes.”
“Mm, you can actually use it to wash your hair too.”
“For washing hair? Compared to lard soap, which is better?!”
***
The Soap Pod Tree wasn’t on the riverbank but deeper into the woods on either side. The two chatted as they walked, soon arriving beneath the Soap Pod Tree.
The trees on both banks were rather sparse, but around the Soap Pod Tree, a large area was completely cleared.
It seemed the Soap Pod Tree’s root system dominated here, preventing other trees from growing nearby—which, in turn, made things easier for Qin Tian and Ye Lin.
“I’ve never used Soap Pod to wash my hair either, so I’m not sure which is better.” Standing on the tree root, Qin Tian looked up at the canopy. “But one thing’s certain: Shampoo made from Soap Pod and other Chinese herbs is definitely better than lard soap.”
“Can you actually find those Chinese herbs on this deserted island?” Ye Lin was excited.
Hair was very important to women. You could say, as long as it’s a woman, she’ll hope to have beautiful hair.
During this period, Ye Lin had been using lard soap to wash her hair. It cleaned well enough, but each time afterward, her hair became dry and frizzy—terrible for its health.
Now that she heard there was a better Shampoo than lard soap, Ye Lin couldn’t help feeling a little excited. But when she looked up at that tall tree trunk, her excitement was instantly snuffed out.
“Want to use Soap Pod to wash your hair?” Hearing Ye Lin’s tone, Qin Tian laughed.
“No,” Ye Lin replied firmly, “On this deserted island, being able to wash my hair with lard soap is already good enough. Why be so particular?”
The Soap Pod Tree was so tall; she definitely didn’t want Qin Tian risking danger by climbing it.
“I was actually thinking of making you some Shampoo, but since you put it that way, never mind.” As he spoke, Qin Tian turned to leave, and Ye Lin quickly caught up.
But to Ye Lin’s surprise, Qin Tian had only taken a few steps before he stopped, then turned around. Before she could react, Qin Tian dashed toward the Soap Pod Tree.
***
Although the Soap Pod Tree was tall, the lowest part of the canopy was only about two meters above the ground.
Rushing to the tree, Qin Tian jumped up and grabbed a branch, pulling himself up and landing on it.
“Qin Tian?!” Ye Lin was truly startled by this move.
“I’ll climb up and take a look.” Holding onto the trunk, Qin Tian looked up, searching for his next foothold.
This Soap Pod Tree must be decades old—the branches were thick and sturdy, much easier to climb than a smooth coconut tree.
Soon, Qin Tian had climbed into the canopy. From here, he didn’t go any higher, but looked around. Clusters of black Soap Pods came into view.
The Soap Pods grew outside the leaves. Qin Tian was now leaning against the trunk. If he wanted to get a Soap Pod, he’d have to crawl over.
Luckily, the branch he was on was still thick—about as wide as a utility pole, more than enough to support his weight.
Before crawling out, Qin Tian tied a hemp rope to the trunk, securing the other end around his waist, then made his way along the branch.
It went smoothly at first, but when he reached halfway, Qin Tian’s speed slowed.
The further out the branch, the thinner it became. Now, the trunk beneath him had shrunk by a full circle. It could still support his weight, but there wasn’t enough space for him to lie flat anymore.
With no other choice, Qin Tian slid down and hung upside down from the branch, continuing his crawl.
When he was two-thirds of the way out, Qin Tian stopped again. Here, the branch was already very thin, unable to support him—but it was enough.
He called down to Ye Lin, then took out his stone axe and started hacking at the branch, aiming right for the Soap Pod Husk.
The Soap Pods had long since dried up. After a few swings, they fell, along with a bunch of Soap Pod Thorns.
Using this method, Qin Tian knocked down all the Soap Pods nearby, then crawled back.
He didn’t come down right away, but squatted on the trunk and looked off into the distance.
From this height, the view was vast. Qin Tian took in the surroundings near the Soap Pod Tree at a glance, but aside from trees, there wasn’t anything special.
Just as Qin Tian was about to climb down, something suddenly caught his eye.
Looking in that direction, Qin Tian couldn’t help but shout, “Sugarcane!”
That area was also lush and green, no different from the surrounding woods. But having spent so much time rolling around sugarcane fields as a kid, even if he couldn’t see the Sugarcane itself, he could recognize those signature leaves in an instant. It was a patch of Sugarcane.
That Sugarcane patch wasn’t too far from here, and it was only around three in the afternoon. If they moved fast, they could check it out.
With that thought, Qin Tian climbed down.
***
Jumping from the tree, Qin Tian wore a wide grin, about to share the good news with Ye Lin. But just as he was about to speak, Ye Lin’s words cut him off.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t going to make Shampoo?!” Ye Lin hurried over, her tone revealing her anger. “Why did you still climb up?!”
“I, uh…” Not knowing why Ye Lin was suddenly upset, Qin Tian was at a loss for words.
Seeing his reaction, Ye Lin realized she was overreacting. Taking a deep breath, she slowly said, “Sorry.”
Hearing her apology, Qin Tian was first stunned, then warmed inside. He understood—Ye Lin was only angry because he’d done something so dangerous.
“I wasn’t planning on making Shampoo, really. I just wanted to see if I could get some Soap Pod Kernel.” Qin Tian spread his hands and glanced at the pitch-black Soap Pods. “But from the looks of it, getting Soap Pod Kernel is impossible.”
Soap Pods mature in October. During that month, they’re plump and green, and you can harvest excellent Soap Pod Kernel. These black ones, though, had long since dried out and shriveled on the tree; the kernels inside were inedible by now.
But from the start, Qin Tian hadn’t held out much hope. After all, it was already April. He’d only climbed up to try his luck.
“Soap Pod Kernel?” Ye Lin blushed. She’d thought Qin Tian climbed up for her. Suddenly, she felt awkward.
“Otherwise, why do you think I rushed over here?” Qin Tian laughed, seeing her embarrassment. “Still, since we knocked down the Soap Pods, we might as well use them to make Shampoo. What do you think?”
“Whatever you want.” Ye Lin tried to sound indifferent, but the corners of her mouth couldn’t help curling up.
The amount of Soap Pod Husk Qin Tian had knocked down wasn’t much—about four or five jin—but it was enough to make Shampoo.
Qin Tian and Ye Lin tossed all the Soap Pods into Han Pi’s bamboo basket, along with the Soap Pod Thorns.
The Soap Pod Thorns were several centimeters long and very hard—maybe they could be made into weapons.
Of course, the main value of Soap Pod Thorns was medicinal. Leaving them behind would be a waste.
“Where to next?” Thinking of being able to use Shampoo soon, Ye Lin was in great spirits.
“We’ll go this way in a bit.” Qin Tian pointed toward the direction of the Sugarcane field. “When I was up in the tree just now, I saw a patch of Sugarcane not too far off.”
“Sugarcane?!” Ye Lin swallowed unconsciously.
“Don’t get your hopes up too much. Sugarcane’s harvesting season is from October to March of the following year.” Seeing her reaction, Qin Tian couldn’t help but laugh. “The Sugarcane in April is all leftovers—maybe it’s already turned to liquor.”
“And, by the way, the Sugarcane I’m talking about is Earthen Sugarcane, not the Black Sugarcane you usually eat.” At the end, Qin Tian added.
“Earthen Sugarcane? What’s the difference from Black Sugarcane?” Ye Lin was puzzled. All she knew about were Black Sugarcane and Yellow-skinned Sugarcane. What was this Earthen Sugarcane?
As expected, Qin Tian replied, “The difference is, it probably won’t be as easy to eat.”
He didn’t explain further. Qin Tian patted Han Pi’s backside and headed toward the Sugarcane field. “You’ll know when you try it—if there’s any edible Sugarcane left, that is.”
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