Volume One, Chapter Four: Crafting Straw Sandals and Clothing

After exchanging names, the two immediately grew much closer.

Zhuang Fan hoisted her onto his back and began moving forward slowly.

Along the way, they started sharing basic information about themselves.

Only then did Zhuang Fan learn that the seemingly delicate and adorable girl before him was about to enter her freshman year of university.

Her frail and slender frame was due to a lifelong history of poor health.

Upon hearing this, a twinge of guilt welled up in Zhuang Fan’s heart.

She was so physically weak, yet he had treated her so roughly just moments ago—he felt like a beast.

For this cute girl with a slightly tsundere personality, Zhuang Fan found himself harboring a growing sense of protectiveness.

“Are you tired already? Put me down; I can walk on my own,” Zhong Xiahan’s voice was as soft as a whisper, tinged with a hint of shyness.

Now that there was no life-threatening danger, she suddenly realized they were both still completely naked!

With the natural boundaries between male and female, and having only just met, Zhong Xiahan felt her cheeks burn as if ablaze.

The sun was setting, and the temperature began to drop.

A gentle breeze stirred the air, bringing a chill that made Zhuang Fan shiver involuntarily.

Though still reluctant to part, he carefully lowered Zhong Xiahan from his back.

Yet, when she turned around, she found Zhuang Fan’s eyes still fixed intently on her.

Blushing deeply, she scolded, “How much longer are you going to keep staring at me...?”

She quickly turned away, unwilling to meet his burning gaze any longer.

Her movements were flustered, her petite figure appearing somewhat uneasy under the fading light, yet exuding a unique charm.

Zhuang Fan’s eyes widened, nearly popping out as he thought to himself: such a beautiful sight could never be seen enough!

But reason ultimately prevailed over impulse.

After much effort, he reluctantly tore his gaze away and looked down at the patch of weeds beside them.

Clearing his throat, Zhuang Fan tried to sound composed. “Cough, cough… it’s going to get colder tonight. We need to hurry and make some warm clothing.”

“I heard someone in the chat channel say you can use wild grass to make clothes. Maybe we should give it a try.”

With that, he bent down and pulled up a few strands of grass.

But after a long wait, the grass in his hands remained unchanged.

It neither transformed into cloth as he had imagined, nor showed any sign of becoming wearable fabric.

“Is this some kind of scam? Or maybe it’s because I don’t have enough?” Zhuang Fan frowned, puzzled.

Still, he refused to give up.

He bent down again, hands busy gathering more.

One, two, three stalks…

Before long, a neat pile of wild grass lay before them.

“Now, what do we do next?” he pondered deeply. “Don’t tell me we have to make it ourselves—I have no idea how!”

Just then, a sudden thought struck him, and something miraculous happened.

The towering pile of grass vanished in an instant, as if drawn away by some mysterious force.

Immediately, a prompt from the auxiliary system appeared: [Obtained Plant Fiber (x2)].

“Really?” he muttered.

“But all that grass only gave me two units of plant fiber?”

“This system’s ruthless—swallows so much at once.”

“If only I knew how to weave straw sandals, it’d be easier to just make them myself.”

“Too bad I’m not Liu Bei…”

After a few grumbles, Zhuang Fan got back to work.

Zhong Xiahan helped too, and together they kept collecting grass.

As time passed and dusk deepened, they tried to gather as much plant fiber as possible.

“I’m exhausted, and this is all I’ve got?” Zhuang Fan checked his inventory bag, which had ten slots.

[Plant Fiber (x19)], [Twigs (x4)], [Vines (x2)].

(Each slot can hold up to 99 units of materials; non-material items occupy a full slot.)

After nearly an hour and a half of strenuous effort, this was the modest haul.

Zhong Xiahan, also worn out, wiped the glistening sweat from her face but smiled faintly and teased, “You’re so useless, mister! Gather some more!”

“Forget it. Let’s stop for now. Look at the sky—it’s almost completely dark. Our priority is to find a safe place to spend the night,” Zhuang Fan said solemnly, standing up and scanning the darkening horizon.

The forest at night was full of unknown dangers; without proper shelter, they could easily encounter trouble.

Hearing this, Zhong Xiahan looked up at the sky, her once playful expression growing serious.

She knew Zhuang Fan was right but was reluctant to admit it outright.

Pouting, exhausted but determined, she pressed on collecting grass.

Meanwhile, Zhuang Fan, panting heavily, collapsed onto the ground, paying no mind to her.

He quickly set to work making their first essential item: a pair of straw sandals.

On this rugged terrain, having something to protect their feet was vital to avoid injury.

Next, he crafted a second item—a pair of shorts (requiring 10 units of plant fiber and 1 vine).

Other clothing could wait, but there was one crucial part that needed proper protection.

His “little brother.”

Zhuang Fan was determined not to risk injury there while wandering the forest.

If that happened, he felt living would be worse than dying.

After just a few minutes, a dazzling blue light flashed, and the finely woven sandals and shorts appeared in his inventory bag as if by magic.

He quickly put them on, and an indescribable comfort immediately washed over him.

Though merely woven from grass, the shorts at least concealed his vulnerable areas and gave him a sliver of security.

He felt as if he had regained a fragment of civilization’s dignity, no longer exposed so plainly in this strange environment.

Beside him, Zhong Xiahan had also managed to make her own sandals and shorts.

She wanted to make a top as well, unwilling to remain bare-chested.

Besides, Zhuang Fan kept casting strange looks her way.

His scorching gaze fixed on her unsettled her, making her blush and flustered.

But sadly, she lacked the resources to make a shirt.

She glanced at Zhuang Fan furtively, wanting to ask for some materials, but her tsundere nature kept her from speaking.

Zhuang Fan saw through her thoughts and suddenly smiled warmly, leaning in with a playful yet sincere expression.

“How about it? Want me to lend you some first?”