The Primitive Adventures of a Chipmunk 85

Chapter 85

One was unconscious, one was injured, and two were exhausted. It was destined that they couldn’t walk for too long today. Just as the sun began to set, Hong Yong and Mo Huaishan had stopped early to find a place to rest.

The primeval jungle was fraught with danger, and there was no absolutely safe place. After much deliberation, they could only clear a space at the foot of a tree.

But unlike yesterday, they had chosen a tall banyan tree today. Its branches and leaves were lush, suitable for concealment. Its bark was rough, suitable for climbing. And most importantly, there was a tree hollow high up on the trunk, more than enough to accommodate four squirrels.

With their backs against a large tree, they felt at ease. If they encountered danger, they could just climb up the tree.

Of course, Hua Shi’an couldn’t climb at all now.

After a day of traveling, the wound on Hua Shi’an’s arm had worsened. It wasn’t very obvious in his beast form, but as soon as he changed back to his human form, Mo Huaishan, who was always watching him, sucked in a breath of cold air and was so anxious he was spinning in circles. “The wound is bleeding again! Shi’an, why didn’t you tell me?”

On the way, Mo Huaishan had repeatedly suggested resting and had repeatedly asked about the wound. Hua Shi’an was in agony, but he didn’t want to delay their journey. Every time, he would just wave his paws in response, indicating that he was fine.

He couldn’t hide it in his human form. Hua Shi’an grinned at him and explained in a low voice, “With such a large wound, a small amount of bleeding is actually very normal. It takes time to treat the wound. I was thinking of treating it at night when we rest, so as not to delay things.”

“Stop talking, Shi’an. Let’s treat the wound first.”

The wound was oozing blood, his lips were pale, and his face was completely colorless. Mo Huaishan’s heart instantly clenched. He quickly rummaged through his back basket and shook a bamboo tube. “Water, there’s still some water in the back basket, and also kudzu powder. Can we use it?”

Hong Yong stared at Hua Shi’an’s wound, his just-relaxed brow furrowing again, a trace of regret in his eyes. “I didn’t even know until I looked. Shi’an, you’re actually, actually so seriously injured! It’s my fault. I was in a hurry and didn’t pay attention—”

“Hey, hey, don’t say that,” Hua Shi’an interrupted him. “That black bear is extremely vengeful. It was right to leave as soon as possible. You did nothing wrong. Compared to treating the wound, saving our lives is more important.”

He hadn’t slept all night, and his nerves had been tense all day. It was a rare time to rest, and he should relax a little. Hua Shi’an gestured to Hong Yong with his chin and forced himself to say, “Let’s get some firewood and start a fire first. We need food more now. Oh right, Qiuyu has been unconscious for too long. You should check his head later and see if there are any external injuries.”

Hong Yong nodded and stood up to gather firewood.

The black bear was a shameless predator. It had taken most of their food, eating all the beef, not leaving a single piece. There were also very few sweet potatoes left, and many of the bamboo tubes with water and kudzu powder had been crushed, leaking onto the ground and impossible to pick up.

There were only six bamboo tubes of water left, not even enough to drink, yet he still had to use it to clean his wound.

There was nothing he could do. Using coconut water to clean it was just a temporary measure. That thing had sugar in it, and after washing, the wound was both painful and itchy. Hua Shi’an just hadn’t said anything.

The bamboo tube was filled with cool, boiled water. If conditions allowed, he would of course wash it again. Hua Shi’an had Mo Huaishan hold the bamboo tube and pour the water, while he himself gritted his back teeth, pushed aside the unhealed wound, and carefully cleaned it.

This process was no less than torture. After the wound was cleaned, Hua Shi’an’s back teeth were almost crushed, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. However, this was just the beginning. The wound was too large. To heal quickly, it had to be sutured.

In a primeval forest with nothing, what could be used for suturing?

After sprinkling a small pinch of salt, Hua Shi’an shook the bamboo tube and drank the last bit of water. Countless ideas flashed through his mind, but none of them seemed very reliable. And just as he was putting the bamboo tube back on the ground, his peripheral vision inadvertently swept over a group of inconspicuous ants, which caught his attention.

Attracted by the spilled kudzu powder, a group of brownish-yellow ants were circling the bottom of the back basket. The ants were very large, three to five times the size of a common small black ant, with a wide head and a narrow abdomen, and a pair of sickle-shaped mandibles.

The characteristics were very obvious. Hua Shi’an, who loved documentaries, recognized them at a glance.

—Army ants, a type of ant distributed in tropical regions, whose image can be seen in various documentaries. Its wonderful use is that in cases of extreme lack of medical conditions, its sharp mandibles can be used for wound suturing.

This is really a pillow for a sleepy head. Hua Shi’an was instantly interested. He looked down at the small, scurrying ants and hesitated whether to catch them.

He was hesitating because this thing was slightly toxic and also carried bacteria. Using it to suture a wound had a certain risk of infection. But then again, would it not get infected if it wasn’t sutured?

In this stuffy and humid rainforest, the natural healing speed of a wound was extremely slow, especially since his wound was so large. If it was not treated, it would become red and swollen and inflamed in a couple of days, and in serious cases, it might even fester. By that time, it would be too late.

Suture, it has to be sutured. Hua Shi’an decisively called Mo Huaishan to catch the ants for him.

After running back and forth several times, he had finally gathered enough dry firewood. Hong Yong let out a hot breath and was about to find a fire starter to start a fire when he glanced to the side and saw this scene.

A sub-beastman and a beastman were sitting side by side, rummaging in their back baskets, catching bugs. The two of them were very close, their shoulders touching. Occasionally, when they caught a large one, the beastman would present it to the sub-beastman as if presenting a trophy, and the sub-beastman would smile at him, his water-soaked eyes only seeing the beastman.

There were clearly no overly intimate actions, but the special atmosphere between the two of them seemed to be one that no one else could enter.

It’s just catching a bug. What’s so great about it?

Hong Yong snorted lightly and turned his face away.

Heaven does not grant one’s wishes. He had made up his mind not to look, but Hua Shi’an suddenly called out to him, “Hong Yong, come, come, lend me a hand.”

Hong Yong rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly. “Coming.”

Just as he walked over, a bamboo tube lid was handed to him. Hong Yong took it and saw dozens of brownish-yellow small crawlers circling in the lid. He couldn’t figure out what they were for. Hong Yong frowned and looked at Hua Shi’an. “For me? What are you guys catching these bugs for?”

“Not for you, but for you to hold, for you to see.” Hua Shi’an leaned against Mo Huaishan’s shoulder, pointed to his injured left hand with his chin, and said to Hong Yong, “You sit here. I’ll tell you how to use these army ants first. My wound will be up to you later.”

Army ants? A wound? He really couldn’t understand the connection between the two.

Hong Yong sat on Hua Shi’an’s left and waited patiently for his next words.

He was about to be tortured. Hua Shi’an’s temples were throbbing. He leaned against the beastman’s shoulder and said weakly, “Look carefully at the bugs in the lid. Do you see the curved mandibles on its head? Later, you’ll grab one by the back, aim it at my wound, and like weaving a bamboo utensil or a coir skirt, when it struggles and exerts force, let its sharp mandibles pierce both sides of the edge of the wound and clamp my split skin together.”

“What?! Use a bug’s mandibles to suture a wound?” Hong Yong’s hand trembled violently, and he almost threw out the army ants in the lid.

He carefully pushed the army ants that had crawled out of the bamboo lid back in. Hong Yong looked down at the pair of large and sharp mandibles, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter. “These mandibles are too big. The wound is already fragile. If it’s clamped by these mandibles again, that, that will be so painful. Why do we have to suture it? The wound will heal slowly on its own.”

Hua Shi’an: “It’s too slow. The environment is humid, and the wound heals slowly, making it prone to infection. It hurts, but there’s no other way. If I bear with it, a sutured wound can stop the bleeding and speed up the healing process.”

“But the wound is too big. I’m afraid such a small bug won’t be able to hold it.”

A two-inch-long wound, one army ant was naturally not enough. Hua Shi’an shrugged, a soft laugh escaping his lips. “Don’t be fooled by its small size. It’s very strong. Once it clamps down, it won’t let go. The wound is long, so one is indeed not enough. But you have more than one in that bamboo tube lid.”

“Come on, hold my wound and clamp it from bottom to top, one by one, as many as you can.” Hua Shi’an closed his eyes and held out his arm as if facing death with equanimity. But in just a second, he quickly added, “Be gentle, Hong Yong. You have to aim it right. If you clamp it crookedly, you’ll have to pull it out and clamp it again. That would be a waste of pain.”

“And, after you’re sure the army ant has clamped it properly and securely, when it’s not paying attention, twist off its body, leaving only its head.”

After giving his instructions, Hua Shi’an tilted his head and leaned against Mo Huaishan’s shoulder.

The task of suturing the wound was all arranged for Hong Yong. Mo Huaishan was slightly taken aback and pursed his lips, at a loss. “Then, what about me, Shi’an? What do I do?”

Hua Shi’an’s lips curved up. “You, you’re responsible for holding me.”

“Huh?” Mo Huaishan almost thought he had misheard.

Although he had been held before, and they had had even more intimate contact, to be so close in front of Hong Yong… wasn’t that a bit inappropriate?

Seeing his increasingly red ears, Hua Shi’an laughed out loud. “What are you thinking? An army ant biting into my flesh hurts, a lot. I might subconsciously dodge. You have to hold me, press me down, and not let me struggle, in case Hong Yong clamps it crookedly.”

“Oh, I, I understand.” Mo Huaishan smiled awkwardly, reached out from behind, and wrapped his arms around Hua Shi’an’s waist, avoiding his left arm and holding him in his embrace.

This was really a sore sight. Hong Yong’s gaze darkened. He took a deep breath and picked out a writhing army ant from the bamboo tube lid. “Get ready. I’m starting.”

Although he had long been mentally prepared, when the army ant’s sharp mandibles pierced his skin and passed through his flesh, Hua Shi’an still shuddered in pain. His right hand, which was hanging at his side, reflexively grabbed Mo Huaishan’s arm, his nails digging deep into his flesh.

He had used all his strength, but Mo Huaishan seemed not to feel the pain. His mind and eyes were only on Hua Shi’an. Looking at the other’s lips, which were trembling violently from gritting his teeth, his heart instantly clenched. He held his waist and hugged him tighter.

“Don’t grit your teeth. If it hurts a lot, just bite me. I’m not afraid of pain.”

Hua Shi’an was not polite at all. Another army ant pierced his skin, and a sharp pain suddenly came. A muffled groan escaped his throat. Without thinking, he opened his mouth and bit into the flesh of Mo Huaishan’s arm.

The three of them were not having a good time.

One was holding an army ant and suturing a wound, under great pressure, his forehead covered in beads of sweat. One was being held in an embrace, repeatedly tortured by pain, the veins on his neck bulging. And the other was suffering an undeserved disaster to share the pain, being grabbed by the hand and bitten by the teeth, his brow furrowed tightly.

He groggily opened his eyes and, changing back to his human form, he got up from the ground. Yan Qiuyu looked up and saw this scene. He was awake, but his soul was not yet. Seeing the two beastmen holding down Hua Shi’an, his pupils contracted sharply. He shot up and pointed at the two of them, shouting:

“What are you doing? Let go of the Lord Priest!”