The deep pit was located at the back of the cave, accessible only by crossing a relatively flat uphill path. The entire trail was covered in thick wild grass, so dense it felt like walking on a soft sponge mat.
Amid the rustling of their footsteps, Zhang Liu and Anya followed Qin Ruoshuang through a rocky area until they finally reached the entrance to the pit.
As they got closer and took a better look, Zhang Liu understood why Qin Ruoshuang had decided this spot could serve as a bath or water reservoir.
The pit was over a meter deep and about two meters wide. If filled with water, it could easily fit someone like Zhang Liu for a soak.
As for Anya… He glanced at her with a peculiar expression, mentally estimating the space. It could probably fit three people without feeling cramped.
Putting aside its size, the pit was indeed suitable for use as a bathing spot or a water storage tank.
However, Zhang Liu didn't dare climb down to inspect it closely. The depth of over a meter was just Qin Ruoshuang's rough estimate, based on eyeballing the distance between the pit's edge and the leaves and weeds inside. No one knew how deep it actually was.
Qin Ruoshuang had naively assumed they could clear out the debris and fill it with water to use as a reservoir or bathtub.
Zhang Liu couldn't help but think, Girls really do have some whimsical ideas, don't they? He glanced at Qin Ruoshuang, who was brimming with anticipation, and gave a helpless smile.
Clearing out the fallen leaves, dead grass, and other debris would be a massive task on its own.
And even if they managed that, hauling water from the cave to fill the pit would be an even bigger project!
Worse still, what if the goat-like creature he'd seen drinking from their puddle last night came by in the middle of the night, took a sip, and then left a pile of droppings to mark its territory?
The thought alone was enough to make him furious. And if the animal left something even worse in the water—something toxic, perhaps—he'd be beyond livid.
As Zhang Liu stood there, lost in his wandering thoughts, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him.
"This is perfect!" he exclaimed, turning to Qin Ruoshuang with newfound enthusiasm. "This pit is really great!"
If not for the awkwardness of their different genders, he might've even hugged her in excitement.
Qin Ruoshuang blinked, confused by his sudden excitement. Does Zhang Liu want to take a bath too? she wondered.
"Last night, while I was keeping watch, I saw something that looked like a goat drinking from the puddle near our cave," Zhang Liu explained, stroking his chin and pointing at the pit.
"That means this area must be a water source for nearby animals. This afternoon, I'll head into the woods to gather some food and supplies. Then, starting tonight, I'll light a fire outside the cave to scare the animals away and cut off their access to water. Tomorrow, I'll clean this pit out during the day and turn it into a trap, using water as bait!"
His biggest worry was that something unexpected might delay his return while he was scavenging supplies from the plane wreckage, leaving Qin Ruoshuang and Anya short on resources.
From the past few days spent together, Zhang Liu had noticed that both girls had a tendency to indulge in unrealistic fantasies.
For instance, Qin Ruoshuang saw this stone pit and immediately thought of turning it into a bathtub or reservoir. And Anya… well, she'd done something as bizarre as inviting someone to scrub her back.
As long as he was around, he could keep their ideas in check. But if he wasn't, things could go wrong.
However, if they could catch that goat-like creature, 90% of their problems would be solved.
That was a lot of meat! It would be enough to feed him, Qin Ruoshuang, and Anya for a while, with plenty left over to stockpile.
The thought made him even more excited.
Still, Zhang Liu didn't dare venture into the pit recklessly. He picked up a stone about the size of three fists and tossed it into the pit.
Splat.
It landed with a sound like it had hit a mud puddle. Suddenly, a sticky black liquid oozed out from the seemingly dry pile of leaves, spreading a foul stench of decay into the air.
"It stinks!" Anya immediately covered her nose, grimacing.
Qin Ruoshuang, standing beside her, also looked repulsed. Neither had expected that the pit they'd envisioned as a bathhouse would be filled with such rancid sludge.
In contrast to the girls' disgust, Zhang Liu's face lit up.
The stone had only sunk halfway into the muck, which meant the pit wasn't too deep, and the rot wasn't extensive.
If he could clean it out and set up the trap properly, they might be able to catch that goat by tomorrow night. Then, the day after, he could take some "lamb" with him to explore the plane wreckage!
His excitement grew, but his hunger was getting the better of him.
"Let's head back and eat," he said, glancing at Qin Ruoshuang, who looked a bit disappointed.
"The black mud in there is just leaves, grass, and rainwater that's rotted together. I'll dig it all out and get rid of it later."
"Can you really clean it out?" Anya asked skeptically.
Though she'd never done much housework, she instinctively felt the sludge would be a nightmare to remove.
Qin Ruoshuang looked at Zhang Liu, a questioning glint in her eyes.
"Of course," Zhang Liu said confidently, shrugging. "There's plenty of dry grass along the path. I'll gather some tomorrow and toss it in here to burn. Once it's dried out, it'll be much easier to handle."
He'd already planned this after seeing that the pit only had a thin layer of decayed matter.
He wouldn't discard the wood ash either—it could be mixed with the rotting leaves to make fertilizer, a valuable resource if they were going to live here long-term.
"Let's go back and eat some hot shellfish first, then we'll split up this afternoon," Zhang Liu said, his gaze settling on Qin Ruoshuang. "You seem to be feeling better, right?"
"Yeah!" Qin Ruoshuang nodded enthusiastically, a confident smile spreading across her face. "I'm back to normal now!"
"Great. Then, if you have some time this afternoon, could you head to the nearby beach and see if you can collect any driftwood to store?" Zhang Liu suggested, stroking his chin.
"We already have a big basin of water back at the cave, so I think we're good for water today and tomorrow…"
"No!" Anya suddenly shouted, cutting him off. "You can't drink that water!"
"Huh?" Zhang Liu looked at her, bewildered by her intense reaction.
"That water… I used it to wipe down my body," Anya explained, her voice faltering. "I asked Qin Ruoshuang to keep it so we could pour it into the pit."
Qin Ruoshuang's face flushed with embarrassment.
"I was going to dump it out this afternoon and refill the basin with fresh water," she added.
Zhang Liu froze, instinctively covering his mouth.
He'd just gulped down several mouthfuls of water back at the cave because he was thirsty. He'd thought the slightly salty taste came from wood ash on the pebbles.
Now, though…
He tried not to let his eyes drift toward Anya, but his reaction gave him away.
"You didn't drink it, did you?" Anya asked, her face a mix of despair and horror.
Qin Ruoshuang's expression was equally complicated.
She hadn't meant to betray Zhang Liu like this.