Two minutes later, Chuck walked leisurely out of the kitchen, sipping warm milk from a clay bowl.
The rich milk, enhanced by the sugarcane syrup, tasted leagues better.
He gulped down the whole bowl, licked his lips, and let out a satisfied burp.
"Nice."
Half a spoonful of syrup. Not too much, not too little. Just right.
Tomorrow morning, the women would also get to taste this charming sweetened milk.
Sugar making and winemaking were done for now. They hadn't consumed much time; noon was still a while away.
Chuck could finally start preparing for the most important task.
Step one of the Tiger Strategy: Making Binoculars.
Naturally, Chuck consulted Momo, the household's strongest brain.
As it turned out, the basic principles of telescopes were important middle school knowledge. Chuck marveled at this.
In a way, the broad scope of exam-oriented education was excessive, but without this island survival scenario, Momo probably would never have used this knowledge.
Regardless, thanks to Momo's middle school teachers—especially physics and chemistry. Their competence helped Momo save the day repeatedly.
According to Momo, the most suitable design for a simple, usable monocular on the island was the Galilean telescope. Low magnification, but simple structure and an upright image.
Chuck vaguely recalled the concepts. To make one, he needed a convex lens and a concave lens.
Objective lens (large convex) and eyepiece (small concave). Momo even gave specific dimensions and focal lengths.
In short, though Chuck's peak intelligence had long passed, having a plan was like having a synthesis recipe. The remaining issue was materials.
Specifically, purifying glass.
The crude glass currently used for the house and distillation was bubbly, impure, uneven, and green-tinted. Unsuitable for lenses.
Momo provided a genius solution again.
"Baba, I've seen our glass. It's uneven and impure, but that means we can use a 'clumsy method'."
"Shatter the glass, pick out the clearer pieces, melt them again, and reshape. That's 'purification'!"
Chuck stood silent for a long time.
This time, he was genuinely impressed by Momo's little brain.
...
With a purification plan, the rest was simple for Chuck.
Well, not simple, but with the workbench, repetitive tasks were just tedious, not challenging.
He smelted two more panes of crude glass, shattered them in a wooden tub, and picked out the clearer fragments as Momo suggested.
Then he remelted them in the mold.
This time, instead of seaweed ash, he used precious charcoal to force the furnace temperature higher for purity. The result had fewer bubbles and impurities.
Still far from transparent.
Fortunately, he only needed two small circular lenses a few centimeters in diameter. He could repeat this "clumsy method" several times until the glass met his standards.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. sometimes, the clumsy way is the best way.
After lunch, Chuck carved a telescope tube from hardwood. Following Momo's advice, he blackened the inside with charcoal and made a simple sliding mechanism for focus. Now he just needed to insert and glue the lenses with resin.
By 4 PM, after burning through a lot of fuel, Chuck finally obtained three apple-sized pieces of purified glass with acceptable clarity.
Next was grinding.
Using a quartz sandstone grindstone on the forging table, he carefully ground the glass. Shaping the large piece into a convex lens and the smaller into a concave one without damaging them required patience and time.
Unfortunately, the sun set after a busy day.
The light dimmed. Chuck had to stop.
Before dinner, he checked on Jiang Qi in the storage room.
Knowing her condition was exposed, Jiang Qi stopped hiding. She rested all day except for essential needs. Momo lent her phone, loaded with dramas, novels, and music. Though tailored to Momo's tastes, it helped pass the time.
When Chuck entered, she was watching a US drama with relish. Seeing him, she stood up awkwardly, smiling embarrassedly.
"Hello... done working?"
"Mmh."
Chuck walked to the bed, observing her face. Seeing no signs of weakness, he patted her soft shoulder.
"Rest well. Don't feel guilty. Plenty of chances to work later."
With that, he turned to leave.
Seeing his back, hesitation flashed across Jiang Qi's face. Her expression changed several times before she called out just as he stepped out.
"Chuck, wait!"
Chuck stopped and turned.
"What is it? Need something?"
"No... are you busy? Can I talk to you?"
Maybe because of yesterday, Jiang Qi's personality had softened, losing the forced cheerfulness.
Though naturally lively, she hadn't been genuinely happy since her diagnosis.
Facing his sick ex-girlfriend's request to talk, Chuck, waiting for dinner with nothing urgent at hand, had no reason to refuse.
"Of course."
Chuck nodded, returning to sit beside her on the bed.
Jiang Qi stepped on her shoes with bare, small white feet, curling her toes slightly in nervousness.
After a brief silence, she spoke.
"How did you... find out?"
"Doesn't matter."
Chuck leaned back on his hands, looking at her slightly flushed face.
"I want to ask you, why hide it? Especially in a place like this."
"..."
She wanted to talk because she was confused, but his soul-searching question made her ears burn. She lowered her head, curling into a ball.
Why hide it?
Because...
"Because you thought telling me the truth wouldn't help, and I'd know why you broke up with me. You think your illness is incurable, so you'd rather tough it out alone until you can't anymore, then find a quiet place on this island to die?"
As Chuck spoke, Jiang Qi's expression stiffened, her pupils trembling.
Every word matched her thoughts exactly.
That was her original plan.
Seeing her expression, Chuck shook his head and sighed helplessly.
He knew Jiang Qi's family situation wasn't great; she had a younger brother. He could guess what she went through alone after their breakup.
Everyone on the island, including him, arrived due to disasters.
So if Chuck guessed correctly, the reason a terminally ill, unemployed Jiang Qi, who should be in a hospital or home, appeared here...
Was probably not a happy answer.
"I'm sorry..."
Suddenly, Jiang Qi's shoulders trembled. Large tears rolled down her delicate face, followed by sobbing.
Seeing this, Chuck hesitated, then sat up straight and pulled her soft shoulders into his embrace.
"Wait—"
Chuck's action stopped her crying abruptly. Her small hands panicked against his firm chest. Her tear-stained face showed alarm, her voice weak and trembling.
"Don't..."
Chuck frowned.
"I'm not trying to take advantage of you."
"No... I didn't mean that."
Tears fell again from her red eyes. Jiang Qi finally looked up, meeting his gaze.
"Don't hug me. I've been holding back so hard... I'm scared..."
Hearing this, Chuck's breathing quickened.
He didn't listen to her resistance. His arm around her trembling shoulder tightened. Looking into her evasive eyes, he asked in a low voice.
"Holding back what? Scared of what?"
"No... don't, Chuck..."
Chuck's face moved closer. Jiang Qi's hands on his chest grew weaker. Her tear-filled eyes, dodging his gaze, looked uncontrollably into his again.
In her trembling pupils, a heart-trembling love appeared.
Their distance closed. They could feel each other's rapid, hot breath.
After a moment of stalemate, the last worry in her heart was crushed by intense desire. Jiang Qi threw herself into Chuck's arms like a magnet, kissing him hard on the lips.
The nostalgic sweet scent hit Chuck instantly. He hugged her waist, capturing the soft tongue probing his mouth, tasting it with all his might.
Tongues tangled, saliva exchanged.
The taste and touch intoxicated Chuck, filling him with nostalgia. It was like returning to the school playground, the cinema, the hotels from five or six years ago.
Though he had forced himself to move on, though he was a different man now, the nostalgia remained.
"Mmph... mmph..."
The kiss deepened. Jiang Qi pressed her entire soft body against him, releasing days of accumulated desire.
Only one thought remained in her mind.
Since we kissed, let's kiss enough.
Saliva thickened between their lips, almost stringing. Her soft lilac tongue teased clumsily between his teeth. Though rustier than before, it felt familiar to Chuck.
Is this the charm of an ex?
Chuck felt blood rushing south. The heat in his lower abdomen began to escape reason's control. He finally understood why people say exes can't be friends.
With this much chemistry, how could they be friends?
His hands moved down, cupping Jiang Qi's soft buttocks, lifting her onto his lap. He locked her waist in place.
This finally snapped the equally intoxicated Jiang Qi back to reality.
Their suction-cupped lips parted with a pop, silver threads stretching and breaking in the air.
"W... wait, don't, Chuck, let's calm down..."
Panic appeared in Jiang Qi's misty eyes. Her hands pressed against his chest again, stopping him.
Chuck frowned impatiently.
"Wait for what? Didn't you kiss me?"
"I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself... sorry."
Guilt covered Jiang Qi's face again. Her eyes welled up. She looked at Chuck with deep, sorrowful affection.
"Actually... I've missed you so, so much."