Eating roasted rat

It was well hidden and very quick, a fleeting sensation!

"Did you see that?"

"What?"

"That thing seemed to flash!"

"I didn't notice!" Ning Shu stood on tiptoe and looked that way. "There's nothing there. Could your eyes have been playing tricks on you?"

Lu Zhe gazed at the moon rising in the distance and said mildly, "Maybe!"

An hour later, the two returned to camp, but saw no one beside the fire!

"Where is everyone? Did the rescue team take them away?"

"Surely not!"

Only when they approached did they discover that all three girls had hidden inside the shelter!

They were trembling with fright, not daring to come out!

Lu Zhe asked, "What's going on with you three?"

Tang Xiaoguo's voice came from inside. "There's a ghost... a ghost wailing..."

"A ghost wailing? What ghost wailing? All I hear is you three scaredy-cats screaming!"

Jiang Yao said, "No, there's really a ghost!"

Lin Qianqian said, "Yes, yes! Listen, he's still wailing!"

Were they hearing things?

There was clearly nothing!

Just then, a rustling came from nearby, followed by shrill cries of "Eee, aaa..."

Ning Shu's scalp practically exploded, and she threw her arms around Lu Zhe! "There really is something!"

Lu Zhe finally heard it too. The sound wasn't very loud, but it was piercingly high and mournful!

Hearing it without warning, it really did sound like a ghost wailing!

But Lu Zhe immediately understood what was going on!

Rather than being frightened, he was delighted!

"Haha, that's no ghost! Wait here!"

Only then did the three girls poke their heads out. "Looks like Lu Zhe knows what this is!"

"Then why didn't he tell us?"

"He wasn't trying to scare us on purpose, was he?"

"Scaring girls is very ungentlemanly. Lu Zhe might be a little strange, but surely he wouldn't be that bored!"

While the girls talked, Lu Zhe had already taken a torch and ducked into the forest!

Before long, he emerged carrying a large rat!

It was making that same strange noise!

The girls' pretty faces paled with fright!

Lu Zhe gave it a shake. "Look, it's just a rat! This fellow stepped into the trap I set!"

"I get all that! But why is a rat making human noises?" Tang Xiaoguo cried!

Jiang Yao guessed, "Could the rat have become a spirit?"

The moment she said that, the girls hugged one another in fright again!

"Many rodents make this kind of strange noise in emergencies. It's actually an instinctive way to protect their own kind! To warn them away from danger!"

Lin Qianqian marveled, "Life really is amazing!"

Ning Shu sighed in admiration. "Incredible. Even rodents can speak foreign languages now!"

"The greatness of life sometimes lies in how it ensures the continuation of its kind. This spirit of sacrificing the individual to preserve the whole is worthy of admiration. So I've decided..."

As he spoke, Lu Zhe held it by the tail and swung it against a rock!

With a smack, it immediately stopped crying.

"To eat it!"

Then he slit its skin with the small round blade and gave a hard tug!

He pulled off the entire rat hide!

Then Lu Zhe cut off its head, tail, and paws, thrust his fingers into its bloody body, scooped out the innards and tossed them aside, and washed the body clean with seawater!

The rat soon became a rat cutlet!

Then he spread its body open and tied it to a branch!

Next, Lu Zhe pried open a starfish, scooped out its roe, and put it into a spicy-strip wrapper, squeezing and shaking it!

He thoroughly mixed the leftover chili oil with the starfish roe, then smeared it over the rat meat!

Finally, he placed the rat meat over the fire to roast!

Jiang Yao said, "It looked so disgusting just a few minutes ago. Why does looking at it now actually make my mouth water a little?"

Lin Qianqian said, "I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I don't think I could make a rat look like this!"

Tang Xiaoguo said, "No matter what, I'm not eating that!"

Ning Shu nodded. "I hate rats more than anything!"

Lu Zhe smiled. "It doesn't matter if none of you eat it. I can eat it myself!"

Ning Shu sighed. "I'd better prepare the other food!"

Tang Xiaoguo said, "Class monitor, what else did you find?"

Ning Shu tipped everything out of the plastic bag!

When the girls saw the bamboo razor clams, they were all astonished!

"Why can Lu Zhe catch things like these, while we can only find hermit crabs and sea snails?"

Ning Shu smiled. "He used a special method. I can teach you later!"

The girls began preparing the food together!

They roasted the mussels, then put the bamboo razor clams, kelp, and sea snail meat into the tin, added water, and boiled it into soup!

Coconut flesh dried beside the fire served as their staple!

Compared with the first night, the quality of their food had improved significantly again!

Before long, the rat meat gave off an enticing aroma!

The aroma of this protein was different from seafood, somewhat reminiscent of chicken!

It teased everyone's greedy little worms out!

Lu Zhe tore off a lower leg and put it in his mouth, chewing heartily. "So delicious! Want some?"

The four girls exchanged glances!

It was Lin Qianqian who spoke first. "Give me a little!"

Lu Zhe tore off one of the rat's thighs and handed it to Lin Qianqian!

Although it couldn't compare with a chicken drumstick, it was still the meatiest part of the rat!

Lin Qianqian tore off a strip of meat and put it in her mouth. "Mmm, it's delicious! Just like chicken!"

Seeing that even Lin Qianqian was eating it, Tang Xiaoguo swallowed and said, "Um... give me some too!"

Lu Zhe tore off the other leg and handed it to Tang Xiaoguo. She took a bite, getting grease all over her mouth. "Wow, it's so good!"

Lu Zhe said smugly, "I told you there wouldn't be any left!"

Ning Shu and Jiang Yao looked at each other and actually spoke in unison:

"How about giving me a little too?"

Once the rat had been shared out, although everyone had only eaten a bite or two, its flavor brought them a comfort they had never experienced before!

After everyone had eaten the rat meat, Ning Shu sliced open several bottles with the blade, used the bottoms as bowls and seashells as spoons, and served everyone seafood soup and roasted coconut flesh!

The seafood soup was delicious and savory. Everyone had even completely forgotten that it was made with water distilled through Lin Qianqian's sock.

As they ate roasted coconut flesh and drank seafood soup, everyone once again felt happiness and ease!

Lin Qianqian sighed. "Life in the wilderness isn't as bad as I imagined!"

Ning Shu smiled and patted Lu Zhe on the shoulder. "Really, we have our sports representative to thank!"

Jiang Yao smiled. "Of course. Xiao Zhe never makes me lose face!"

Tang Xiaoguo frowned. "Hey, Xiao Zhe belongs to all of us. Why do you make it sound like he's part of your family?"

Ning Shu said, "You know, Guo'er, after being stranded on this deserted island, I really do feel like we're family!"

Lin Qianqian nodded. "The class monitor is right! Lu Zhe has given me a new view of boys!"

Lu Zhe was a little curious. "What view?"

Lin Qianqian said with a beaming smile, "Boys can be very cute sometimes too!"

Jiang Yao asked suspiciously, "Qianqian, you don't have a thing for Xiao Zhe, do you?"

Tang Xiaoguo said, "Huh, Qianqian, aren't you a lesbian?"