Chapter 5: Thatched Grass and Coconuts

Listening to the broadcast in her mind, Shi Nianqing was momentarily speechless.

In a sense, the popularity value in a livestream room represents the number of viewers present.

The lower the popularity value, the fewer people are in the room.

The fewer people in the room, the fewer points she could exchange.

Right now, the people in Shi Nianqing’s livestream were rapidly leaving, which meant her points were slowly slipping away.

If this continued, Shi Nianqing would truly end up with nothing.

Originally, the original owner’s reputation wasn’t very good, so now she had to rely entirely on herself to attract those viewers in the livestream.

Suddenly snapping out of her daze, Shi Nianqing quickly stood up.

Those who were about to leave the livestream stopped immediately upon seeing her move, curious to see what she intended to do.

She sensed the camera’s presence and turned toward it, flashing a brilliant smile.

“Dear viewers, we’ve just undergone an intense survival challenge that drained a lot of energy. What we need now is food that can quickly restore our strength.”

“The host has rested well and will soon head into the forest on this island to look for something edible.”

As she spoke, Shi Nianqing rose and walked toward the grove near the edge of the island.

Her face directed at the camera wore a radiant smile, completely free of any gloom.

She found a high vantage point and began explaining to the viewers.

“I just took a look around the surroundings.”

Using her finger, she pointed for the livestream viewers.

“By observing the sun’s movement, we can determine that this spot is roughly to the east. Once we confirm one direction, we can figure out the rest.”

She pointed toward the sun and the dense forest.

“Our goal now is to head that way, where the trees are thicker. There’s a better chance of finding something there.”

[Congratulations, host’s skill ‘Directional Marking’ has been upgraded to level 2.]

[Please keep up the good work!]

At this moment, the viewers in Shi Nianqing’s livestream were completely bewildered by what she said.

They couldn’t understand a word of it.

“Is what Shi Nianqing just said true? Why do I feel like I don’t understand any of it?”

“East, south, west, north? We all have smart devices now that can easily determine direction. Is this old-fashioned method reliable?”

“As an experienced wilderness survival enthusiast, this is the first time I’ve heard of such a way to identify direction.”

“Can someone explain this?”

“I found it — according to the Ancient Earth Handbook, this way of identifying direction was used only by humans on ancient Earth.”

“It’s not very precise and has been phased out, but in situations like this, it’s still quite useful.”

“Wow, is it really that amazing?”

“Wait, how does Shi Nianqing know so much? I thought she was just playing the innocent role, but she seems different from what people say online.”

“Wow, my impression of this ‘innocent flower’ just changed.”

“Sending 10 little stars.”

“Sending 20 candies.”

…

After Shi Nianqing finished her explanation, the popularity value in her mind finally stopped plummeting so rapidly.

She breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Heading toward the forest, luck was on her side as she soon spotted a small palm tree not far away.

The palm was still young, wrapped in thick branches and covered with palm fibers.

Shi Nianqing’s eyes lit up when she saw it.

“Dear viewers, this is a palm tree. Its heart is edible, sweet, and crisp, rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber. It’s an excellent survival food.”

As she introduced it, she slowly stepped inside the grove.

The livestream viewers were dumbfounded.

They thought, Didn’t she just find food? Why isn’t she stopping to gather it?

Seeming aware of their question, Shi Nianqing explained, “The outer branches of the palm tree are very thick. Without tools, extracting the heart requires a lot of energy, so it’s not suitable right now. But it can serve as emergency rations…”

As she ventured deeper into the woods, she soon spotted tall coconut trees.

Beneath them lay fallen coconuts, though their husks were all blackened.

At this, the livestream erupted with excitement.

“I know, I know! Those are coconuts — legendary ancient food, supposedly very delicious.”

“I just looked it up. Shi Nianqing’s luck is incredible! These coconuts can quickly replenish carbohydrates.”

“Such good fortune! But our goddess is still more impressive. This innocent flower is just riding on luck.”

“Yeah, when it comes down to real ability later, I guess she won’t hold up.”

…

However, much to the viewers’ surprise, Shi Nianqing merely shook the coconuts a few times before tossing them aside.

She continued searching nearby for food that could replenish energy.

Soon, she spotted tiny pointed grasses covering the ground, and her eyes brightened.

She broke off a twig and used it as a hoe to dig into the soil, revealing white roots.

These were miscanthus roots.

Surprisingly, she found miscanthus here — a plant once used as emergency food during famines. It could save lives in desperate times.

Shi Nianqing kept digging with her stick, revealing row after row of miscanthus roots on the screen.

Everyone was stunned.

“What is this innocent flower doing? There are coconuts right there, but she’s digging up grass? Has she lost her mind?”

“I think she might be crazy. The coconuts are sweet and provide carbs, but she’s ignoring them to dig up some unknown weed.”

“Can someone explain?”

…

As if sensing the audience’s skepticism, Shi Nianqing explained while digging.

“I noticed those coconuts on the ground fell a long time ago. They emit a strong rotten smell and are probably inedible.”

“Eating them could cause diarrhea, and without medicine, even a simple case of diarrhea can be fatal.”

She went on to describe various conditions under which coconuts become inedible. Viewers recorded her explanation, cross-referenced it with information, and found she was right.

Shi Nianqing placed a handful of the dug-up miscanthus roots aside, wiped them clean with her pants, and held them up to the camera.

“This is called miscanthus root. On ancient Earth, during famines, it was a treasure — the legendary famine food, a very valuable resource.”

“In our current situation, eating this can help replenish energy.”

She then popped some into her mouth and chewed slowly, eyes slightly squinting as she looked at the livestream camera.

“It tastes sweet, with a slight gritty texture. It’s quite good. Everyone should try it if they get the chance. On ancient Earth, it was a favorite snack among children.”

Seeing Shi Nianqing enjoy it so much, combined with her detailed introduction, the viewers’ mouths watered, and many were tempted to try this legendary miscanthus root themselves.