Chapter 25: Want To Eat Fish

Last by Clara found a kind of plant vines, this kind of vines, after breaking, can pull out a lot of relatively soft fibers, feels similar to a toothbrush, great, there's a toothbrush now. Clara explained the purpose of the toothbrush to Gloria and instructed her to use it, with crushed fruit salt, to brush her teeth!

If only there was salt. In the countryside, the elderly like to use salt to brush their teeth. She has been brushing her teeth with salt along with her grandmother since she was a child! It was only later in high school that I switched to toothpaste after being told by my classmates.

Using salt is really good, it makes your teeth white and has an anti-inflammatory effect!

"Gloria! Is there a very large lake nearby, the kind that you can't see the end of at a glance?" Salt should be extractable from seawater, so first, you need to find the sea.

"Yes! Very big, very big. Does Clara want to go? But it's already late today, if you want to go, we have to walk a long way." Gloria pointed ahead, "We have to get out of the woods to see it."

There's a lake here, the waterhole under the waterfall! Eat! Wash, use water from there. Speaking of water, Clara wants to eat fish. She hasn't eaten fish since she arrived.

I don't know if there are fish in the creek. Later, when passing by there, take a look. Lions are large felines, will they like to eat fish like small kittens? Thinking about Mateo, like a kitten, with the happy expression of eating fish, Clara can't wait.

Before leaving the woods, Clara picked a lot of mushrooms and black fungus. It will be delicious in the meat soup! It's still early, Clara took Gloria to fish, but unfortunately, after looking around, no fish were seen. How could there be no fish?

Gloria, seeing Clara searching in the water again, was curious and asked, only to find out she was looking for fish. Gloria's expression turned a bit unpleasant, and she pulled Clara away from the water, speaking with a hint of fear and mystery, "That thing can't be eaten; it eats people. There was a beast in the lake before who got eaten, and some little cubs who went to play there also got eaten."

Fish that eat people! Clara was quite surprised to hear that. The lake Gloria mentioned must not be this waterhole. After careful inquiry, she learned that there was a large lake to the west of the woods.

She had been active in the east all this time and had never been to the west. She was curious about what kind of fish would eat people.

After returning, Clara considered whether to make a fishing net out of plant fibers. If there's a large lake to the west, she should be able to catch fish, maybe even shrimp or something.

When Mateo came back, he enjoyed a delicious meal of wild chicken stewed with mushrooms. Cats! They eat chicken without leaving any bones. Mateo watched her spit out bones and teased her about her tender teeth. So annoying, he knew how to tease her.

She decided not to bathe today; fetching water every day was quite tiring, and she was considerate of Mateo. Luckily, she made a bamboo basin, so wiping down was easy. After dinner, Clara handed the toothbrush made from plant vines to Mateo. The two stood outside brushing their teeth, but Mateo, holding the toothbrush, bit into it directly. Apparently, he thought it was something to eat.

Clara taught him how to use it, but Mateo couldn't get used to it. No tooth brushing! In the end, she had to use her killer move: if he didn't brush his teeth, he wasn't allowed to kiss her in the future. This sentence worked better than anything else. Without saying a word, Mateo frowned, brushed his teeth, and then wanted to kiss her.

In the playful moment, Mateo accidentally kissed Clara. Like a dragonfly touching the water, under the flickering firelight, his face turned slightly red, his eyes exceptionally charming. The tender lips lightly touched, as if scalded by fire, he pulled back suddenly, touched his ear, and then turned to climb onto the bed.

Is he shy? Clearly, she should be the one feeling shy. Clara watched Mateo's broad back, her heart pounding suddenly. Her face flushed, and she quickly hid behind the folding screen.

Clara has never liked anyone, not even celebrities. What is it like to like someone, dependence, security, or more emotions that she doesn't understand.

Behind the screen, Clara prepared water to clean herself. Mateo lay on the bed, waited for a while, and seeing Clara didn't come, he couldn't help feeling a bit anxious. He called out a few times, and Clara poked her head out from behind the screen, "I'm here."

Mateo breathed a sigh of relief, but when Clara shrunk back inside, curiosity arose. What was Clara doing behind there? There was a faint sound of water. Bathing? Why didn't she let him fetch water for her? With her small strength, how could she manage on her own? Mateo got up and went over to help.

As soon as he reached behind the screen, he saw Clara's naked back. In the dimly lit room, Clara seemed to glow, exceptionally prominent. Mateo suddenly felt his vision blur, as if surrounded by a sea of flowers. Something dropped onto his lips, and he licked it, feeling a bit fishy.

He got a nosebleed. How could he get a nosebleed? Suddenly, he remembered the scene of Clara bleeding, and rushed out. How could he think of hurting Clara again?

He walked around outside for a while before returning. Clara was sewing animal hides on the bed. Seeing him back, she smiled at him and said, "Go wash your feet."

Wash feet? Before he wore grass shoes, he always walked barefoot. Who washes their feet? It's too troublesome. After washing, you take a few steps, and they get dirty again. He didn't move, just sat there watching Clara sewing. Bamboo needles weren't easy to use, mainly because of the friction. Deer hides were also not easy to sew, and Clara struggled with them.

Summer was coming, and she couldn't wear such heavy animal hides in the summer; it would be crazy hot. She needed needles and fabric!

The flames in the stove went out with a pop. Clara accidentally pricked her finger with the needle, yelping in pain. "Cla, what's wrong?" Mateo grabbed her hand. In the pitch dark room, Clara couldn't see her fingertips, only feeling the sharp pain. Mateo, however, could see clearly. He stuck out his tongue and covered her finger, comforting her, "I'll cover it for you, and it'll be fine."

Feeling the pain easing as Mateo licked her finger, Clara's hand was still held by him. His big hand played with her small hand like a toy, flipping it back and forth.

Lately, she had been busy, and her hands had become quite rough. A girl's hands are precious, and she must take good care of them. She thought she should find time to research how to make skincare products.

The fire had already gone out, and Clara yawned. "Mateo! I'm tired, let's sleep early."

Mateo lifted Clara onto his lap, stroking her hair. Clara was the type to fall asleep as soon as she felt drowsy. After overusing her eyes recently, as soon as the room darkened, she closed her eyes and yawned.

Mateo found Clara's clothes uncomfortable. He couldn't understand why she wore clothes to sleep every night. Wouldn't she feel hot? In a few quick moves, he helped Clara take off her outer clothes, leaving her completely naked, except for a snug pair of underwear.

The morning sun rose again. When Clara woke up, she felt something was off. Why was she naked, with an arm draped across her chest, and a small white rabbit being held by a big hand? The intimate position both shocked and embarrassed Clara. Oh God! When did Mateo strip her naked? Thankfully, her underwear was still there.