Exploring the Bottom of the Lake

There was originally just a small hole, but when Lu Zhe dug it open, countless acorns came tumbling out in a clattering rush.

It was just like a malfunctioning vending machine.

Lu Zhe and Shen Bing exchanged a glance, quickly using their backpacks together to catch the acorns.

"It must have taken a lot of time to collect so many nuts," Lu Zhe said.

"Squirrels are natural collecting experts. Some squirrels hoard over ten thousand nuts a year. I remember reading a news story that on the other side of the ocean, a little squirrel hid walnuts in the hood of a car. When the owner discovered it, there were a full 140 pounds of walnuts inside."

"Practically a model worker in the squirrel world. What did the car owner do?"

"What else could they do but tearfully accept it?"

"All it needs is enough to eat. Why hoard so much?"

"For winter."

"But the winters here aren't even cold."

"The two squirrels we just met looked like Indian giant squirrels. They're distributed from the Tibetan Plateau south to Southeast Asia, from temperate coniferous forests to tropical rainforests. In the north they need to get through winter, so their genes carry the habit of hoarding food. Only squirrels native to the tropics don't hoard food when it's abundant."

"It's just like black bears. Even if they live in the tropics and don't need to hibernate, they'll instinctively dig dens, while native sun bears won't."

"Exactly!"

As the two chatted, they packed away a full ten pounds of acorns.

Squirrels aren't just great collectors, but great preservers too.

The acorns in the hole were dry, clean, and despite the large pile, not a single one showed signs of mold or insects.

"Are these things edible?"

"Acorns contain tannins, so eating them raw tastes a bit bitter. If we boil or roast them, season with salt, the texture will be much better. And it'll kill bacteria."

"I remember they're also a kind of grain!"

"That's right, and their history is even longer than rice or wheat. There are over six hundred subspecies of oak trees, distributed all over the world.

The Tang Dynasty poet Pi Rixiu even wrote, 'In deep autumn acorns ripen, scatter down slopes of brown brush. The hunched old woman with yellow hair picks at the frost-bitten dawn. Takes time to barely fill her palms, labors a whole day to fill baskets. Roast and steam them this many times, makes three winters' worth of grain.' That shows at certain times they could even be a staple food.

It's just that the forest is so big, we can't find the oak trees for now. Come to think of it, we owe thanks to the generous squirrels' gifts."

Shen Bing pictured the Ice Age squirrel's fixation on acorns, looking at the now empty hole.

"But we took everything. Isn't that a bit... inhumane?"

Lu Zhe thought for a moment: "You're right, even if we divide fields from landlords, we can't take it all. Leave a sliver to be human. We should leave them some."

With that, Lu Zhe took three acorns out of his pack and put them back in the hole.

Done!

"Goodbye little ones! Wish you a happy newlywed life!"

Lu Zhe took Shen Bing's hand and they continued on.

Along the way they encountered all kinds of unknown insects and birds.

There were also big and small snakes, up to seven in total.

But now Lu Zhe had a better protein source, no need to risk catching snakes to eat.

It was just that for the sake of a safer living environment, Lu Zhe casually killed any venomous snakes and properly buried them.

At three in the afternoon, they reached the other shore of the lake.

It was another patch of dense forest, covered in a thousand trees and shrubs.

There was even valuable wood like redwood, camphorwood, rosewood, and sour plum wood.

Lu Zhe patted a tree trunk, marveling: "Oh dear! Just this single measly rosewood, I reckon we could at least carve ten thousand pearls from it. Sell each pearl for thirty to fifty yuan, that's three to five million. Enough to buy a bathroom at Tangcheng One Mall!"

"You'd carve pearls from such a good tree?"

"What else?"

Shen Bing smiled, pursing her lips: "Sure, and how would you transport all that back?!"

Lu Zhe smacked his lips: "Good point!"

Then he patted a slightly larger tree: "This tangerine tree is perfect for making furniture and ships. It's a shame we don't have precise tools, otherwise we could make some. But everything comes slowly. Once we make a full set of woodworking tools, we'll build our own luxurious villa here."

Shen Bing also nodded, looking forward a bit: "Even though we don't even have a proper toilet now, it doesn't interfere at all with anticipating and longing for the good life... But transporting it will be quite a hassle."

"The main thing is getting across this lake. Later we can build two docks on either side, use bamboo rafts to ship goods over. Open up a road, get cattle to help us carry things back to camp."

Shen Bing nodded: "That's a good plan."

If they circled the lake via the northern shore, they encountered another extensive swamp area.

It wasn't impossible to traverse, just very difficult.

There was a risk they couldn't make it back before nightfall.

It seemed there was no way to circle the whole lake, so they could only retrace their steps.

But before heading back, Lu Zhe decided to go into the water for a look.

Shen Bing was a bit worried: "Won't it be very dangerous?"

Lu Zhe nodded: "But to understand it more deeply, we have to try."

"What if we run into crocodiles and pythons?"

"I can set them free still, right?"

Shen Bing was utterly speechless. She felt some mysterious barrier had arisen in communicating with Lu Zhe.

"Don't worry darling, I know how to avoid danger. You just wait by the shore and maybe start a fire."

"Then at least tie a rope, so if there's any danger, I can pull you back up."

"Alright, be careful."

"You be careful!"

Lu Zhe stripped down to just boxers and dove into the water.

It wasn't cold, about 28 degrees Celsius.

Gradually submerging into the water, he opened his eyes to a colorful underwater landscape.

All kinds of unknown freshwater fish swam freely among the aquatic plants, occasionally spotting frogs and shrimp too.

A 40cm black tan carp swam past Lu Zhe's eyes, completely ignoring this abruptly intruding invader.

Lu Zhe nodded to himself.

This guy just looked good to eat.

He swam towards deeper waters, seeing more fish and crustaceans.

The emerald water plants swayed with the waves, driftwood and sunken stones overgrown with algae, like an underwater primeval forest.

Massive swarms of tadpoles roamed about like clouds of black mist.

Medium and small fish like zebra danios and banded gourami schooled in the plants.

Occasionally he even glimpsed beautiful larger fish species.

Subspecies of arrowana and iridescent shark.

Similar to those in aquariums, yet slightly different.

There were also ruby barbs, smallscale archerfish, flagtail glass catfish, botiid loaches...

But the largest of these fish was only 70-80cm or so.

It seemed this lake's waters weren't suitable for even larger fish to survive.

Lu Zhe believed that even if they had nothing else, they could survive solely on this lake's resources.

It was time to head back.

Lu Zhe climbed out of the water. Shen Bing asked: "So how was it?"

Lu Zhe wiped his face: "Actually, if we went back and opened an aquarium shop, I think we could live quite well."