Gum Open Coconut

No, my train of thought has gone off track again. Am I really considering whether he's a pervert or not?

I guess there's no other way for now!

"We're moving too slowly like this. Xiaoguo, you hold the torch and I'll carry Guoer!"

Guoer pursed her lips: "Why are you being so nice today?"

"Don't talk! I don't mean to take advantage of you. We need to hurry or the torch will go out before we reach our destination!"

With that, Lu Zhe crouched down, grabbed Tang Xiaoguo by the waist and lifted her up onto his shoulders! Tang Xiaoguo's snowy white legs were left dangling in front of Lu Zhe's chest!

"Oh my..."

Tang Xiaoguo blushed and said: "Lu Zhe, what are you doing? I wasn't ready yet..."

Lu Zhe said coldly: "Be quiet! Or I'll drop you."

Tang Xiaoguo obediently kept silent.

Carrying Tang Xiaoguo on his shoulders felt as effortless as holding a child to Lu Zhe. It must be because he had become stronger!

He picked up the plastic bag without any trouble either!

Lin Qianqian said: "Just hand those things over to me!"

Lu Zhe replied: "You just watch over the torch."

"Alright then..."

Moving in this formation greatly increased their pace!

Sitting on Lu Zhe's shoulders, Tang Xiaoguo happily gazed at the scenery around her, while her thoughts began to wander...

In the future when we have a child, our child can sit on my shoulders while I sit on Lu Zhe's. How blissful would that be!

But what if...we have two children?

Could Lu Zhe and I each carry one on our shoulders?

Then where would I sit?

No no, two is not ideal. One child is best...

"Xiaoguo, sit properly! Don't move your legs around!"

"Oh..." Tang Xiaoguo responded sweetly.

After about half an hour, the three arrived at the two coconut trees!

Ning Shu had gathered a pile of firewood nearby and prepared the bonfire. She was now arduously cracking open coconuts.

The torch in Lin Qianqian's hand was also nearly extinguished. Lu Zhe quickly set Tang Xiaoguo down and rekindled the fire!

Lin Qianqian put her things aside to check on Jiang Yao's sprained ankle, which had swollen into a radish shape. Distressed, she asked: "Does it hurt?"

"A little..." Jiang Yao glanced at Tang Xiaoguo, "Xiaoguo, aren't you being too unreasonable? Lu Zhe is so tired yet you're still bullying him!"

Tang Xiaoguo pouted her lips and said sweetly: "It was Lu Zhe who insisted on carrying me! I refused several times but he was adamant, said he was worried about me."

"Tang Xiaoguo, please act your age!"

When Tang Xiaoguo turned back, she saw Lu Zhe looking at her with utter disdain.

"I did offer to carry you because it was too slow with you walking. I was afraid we would run out of time before the torch extinguished, that's why I brought you."

Embarrassed, Tang Xiaoguo stuck out her tongue.

Jiang Yao had an epiphany: "Oh, so that was it. It reminded me of a father carrying his daughter!"

Tang Xiaoguo muttered with a pout: "Typical straight man, we've slept together yet he can't even give a more romantic reason."

"Tang Xiaoguo, let me make this clear, sleeping together and having slept with someone are two different things!"

Tang Xiaoguo kept pouting: "What's the difference?"

Jiang Yao explained sagely: "One occurs between a husband and wife, while last night...you can consider it parents huddling together to keep their sick daughter warm!"

Outraged, Tang Xiaoguo exclaimed: "Who's the daughter?!"

Jiang Yao leisurely replied: "Whoever's cuter is!"

Tang Xiaoguo was rendered speechless.

While they were bickering, Lin Qianqian noticed over 20 coconuts on the ground and happily said: "There really are a lot of coconuts! Now we'll have something to drink!"

Tang Xiaoguo urged: "Quickly, open one! I'm parched."

While massaging her sore arms, Ning Shu said: "Don't celebrate too soon. I've been smashing them for half a day but haven't cracked open a single one!"

Lu Zhe asked: "What have you been using to smash them?"

Ning Shu pointed at the protruding rock on the beach: "That! I learned it from Bear Grylls, he cracks coconuts by hitting them against rocks!"

Lu Zhe examined the stone: "That's one way, but this rock isn't sharp enough and you don't have enough strength. No wonder you can't open them."

"Can you do it then?"

"Of course I can..." But looking at the 20 over coconuts, Lu Zhe thought to himself: I probably could crack them open, but smashing 20 plus coconuts would still tire my ass out!

Do we have any tools?

Nothing at all!

Just then, Tang Xiaoguo blew a tiny bubble with her chewing gum.

Lu Zhe's eyes lit up!

That's right, he had seen this method on a science program before!

On the show, the genius student Gao forcefully smashed open coconuts using chewed gum, which the beauty Shen greedily drank. Who knows what Du Tao Tao thought then!

The trick is to shape the gum into a cone with the tip facing up, then smash the coconut hard onto the tip!

Chewing gum may be soft but it has non-Newtonian fluid properties. Under a sudden immense impact, it can become very hard!

This pierces the coconut shell to obtain the juice inside!

And now, the students had each chewed a stick of gum for oral hygiene that morning.

But one piece was too small to form a cone capable of piercing the coconut shell.

If they combined everyone's gum into one bigger piece and dried it slightly to harden it, it could pierce the shell!

Lu Zhe said: "Everyone spit out your gum..."

Still chewing, Tang Xiaoguo asked in surprise: "Why?"

"To open coconuts with the gum!"

Tang Xiaoguo laughed behind her palm: "You're kidding me right? I'd sooner believe you could gnaw it open with your teeth. Opening coconuts with gum is too absurd..."

Ning Shu nodded: "I agree, it does sound far-fetched."

Jiang Yao said: "Buddy, you're not joking are you?"

"He's not joking!"

Lin Qianqian spoke up: "Chewing gum has non-Newtonian fluid properties, I read about it in a physics book. It said gum can be used to open coconuts!"

Tang Xiaoguo shook her head in disbelief: "I don't buy it. How does he know all these weird facts?"

To her, it seemed as incredible as using beer as rocket fuel.

"We won't know if we don't give it a try!"

Somewhat hesitant, Lin Qianqian said: "But isn't it kind of awkward for girls to spit gum into a guy's hand?"

Jiang Yao said: "True, though I am curious!"

With that said, she spat her gum out onto her palm and held it out:

"Here you go, Lu Zhe!"

Lu Zhe accepted Jiang Yao's gum and directly popped it into his mouth.