Chapter 602: Entering the Lake

“Let’s just eat at the hotel today. Tomorrow, I’ll rent a boat with a kitchen, and we can go out on the lake where I’ll cook up some fresh food for you.” After driving for two days straight, Shen Yibin was a bit tired, so he just called the hotel to have some local delicacies delivered. He, Hah’Er, Bald Qiang, and his partner ate together in their room.

“Mm, the chef at this place is pretty skilled.” Shen Yibin picked up a piece of Junshan Silver Needle Chicken Slices with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. This dish, much like the famous West Lake Longjing Shrimp, was an exquisite culinary creation that incorporated tea. Junshan Silver Needle Tea had a light, sweet fragrance, making it a top-tier tea. Paired with tender chicken slices and cooked with perfect heat control by the chef, it was an absolute delight to eat.

“Hah’Er, you try some too.” Shen Yibin gave a piece to Hah’Er, thinking to himself, ‘There’s still a lot of empty land at the manor. Maybe I should get some famous tea seeds for Maphario to grow. The tea leaves it cultivates would definitely be top-grade. Whether for brewing or for cooking, they’d be fantastic.’

‘Tea grown by Maphario would probably cost several thousand yuan for just a small amount, right? I could launch “Maphario’s Tea Eggs” and sell them for 8,888 yuan each. Just thinking about it is exciting! Not many people in China could afford those tea eggs. Sigh, our country’s development still has a long, long way to go.’

“Mmm! Mmm!” Even with Hah’Er’s picky palate, it couldn’t stop praising the dish; half of the plate ended up in its belly. Shen Yibin figured that since Hah’Er loved it so much, he could stay at the hotel for a couple more days after finding the new pet. He could go to the kitchen to learn from the master chef, and before leaving, he’d buy some Junshan Silver Needle Tea. That way, he could make it for Hah’Er from time to time after returning to Yunzhong City.

Maphario, along with Bald Qiang and his partner, were also happily eating from their food bowls. Everyone was very satisfied with the food here. After dinner, Shen Yibin got them all cleaned up and prepared for bed. Hah’Er lay on the bed, while Bald Qiang and his partner soaked in the bathtub. They had been in the car for the past two days and hadn’t had a good soak in a long time. It looked like the two of them would be playing for a while before going to sleep.

“Don’t go chewing on the wood in here, okay? When you’re done soaking, go over there to sleep!” Shen Yibin reminded them before heading back to his own room to rest. He quickly fell asleep.

When he woke up in the morning and pulled open the curtains, he was greeted by the sight of East Dongting Lake, dyed golden by the morning sun. The view was of vast, boundless waters stretching beyond the horizon, a sight that made one’s heart swell. This was one of the 21 internationally important wetland nature reserves in China designated under the “International Wetlands Convention.” Its main purpose was to protect the wetland ecosystem and biological resources of Dongting Lake, so its natural scenery was exceptionally well-preserved.

Looking into the distance, the lakeshore was lush with green grass. From time to time, a flock of white birds would take to the sky, circling over the lake. Shen Yibin had done some research before coming and knew that the area was rich in species. There were seven Class I nationally protected bird species alone: the Siberian Crane, Hooded Crane, White Stork, Black Stork, Great Bustard, Scaly-sided Merganser, and White-tailed Eagle. There were also 37 Class II protected species, including the Tundra Swan, Mandarin Duck, White-naped Crane, Common Crane, and Lesser White-fronted Goose. In addition, there were several protected fish species: two Class I species, the Chinese Sturgeon and the Chinese Paddlefish, and two Class II species, the Japanese Eel and the Chinese High-fin Banded Shark.

This place was also an important habitat for migratory birds in China. Every year, 255 species of nationally protected migratory birds, such as the White Stork, Siberian Crane, Black Stork, and Egret, would spend the winter here. Many of the wintering birds had not yet left, and the ones Shen Yibin had just seen seemed to be Siberian Cranes. They had an ethereal air about them, truly worthy of being birds that frequently appeared in myths.

‘Sigh, it would be great if the pet this time was a Siberian Crane. I could get a Taoist robe to wear, let it perch on my shoulder, and parade through the streets. A lot of people would probably think I’m some enlightened master, right? I just wonder if any kids who are obsessed with Xianxia novels would run up and ask me to teach them cultivation.’

While he was lost in thought, Hah’Er woke up. The little guy wobbled over to Shen Yibin’s side, leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, and stared at the magnificent scenery outside, its mouth agape in surprise.

“I’ll call to have breakfast sent up. After we’ve eaten, we’ll go have fun on Dongting Lake!” Shen Yibin said, rubbing his stomach. He had been so absorbed in the scenery that he had forgotten to order breakfast.

He picked up the phone and dialed room service. Someone answered quickly. “Good morning, Mr. Shen. How may I help you?”

“Please send breakfast to my room. I’d like…” Shen Yibin said, flipping through the menu and ordering all the breakfast items that looked like local specialties.

“Of course. Please wait a moment, we’ll bring it to your room right away!”

“Oh, right, there’s one more thing. Can your hotel help me find a boat for rent? I’d like to take a trip out on the lake today.” Just as he was about to hang up, Shen Yibin remembered something else.

“We have tour boats at the hotel. Mr. Shen, were you looking to share a ride with others, or would you prefer to charter a private boat? Do you have any specific requirements?” The hotel was so close to Dongting Lake that many tourists came specifically for it, so they had purchased some boats to serve their guests.

“A private charter, please!” ‘I’m going to catch a pet, so sharing a boat with others would be inconvenient. Besides, if other tourists saw Hah’Er, they’d definitely crowd around.’ Shen Yibin continued listing his requirements, “The boat doesn’t need to be very large, just big enough for five or six people. The captain should preferably be a veteran who’s familiar with the local area.” ‘With an experienced captain, I’ll be able to find the location of the orange dot sooner, right?’

“Also, is fishing allowed on the lake? I’d like to fish and then cook on the boat, is that possible?” Shen Yibin laid out a whole list of requests.

“No problem, I’ve noted all your requests. I’ll make the arrangements for you right away. East Dongting Lake is a national nature reserve, so there are certain regulations for fishing. However, our captains are very familiar with these rules, so you just need to follow their instructions. As for cooking, we do have boats equipped with simple kitchen utensils. The boats have also been specially treated so that any pollution from cooking is brought back for proper disposal…” The staff member seemed accustomed to such requests and quickly arranged everything for Shen Yibin perfectly. “When will you be needing the boat?”

“The sooner, the better, of course. Let’s head out right after breakfast!” Shen Yibin could hardly wait to get out on the lake!

“Understood, I’ll arrange it for you now!” And just like that, the matter of renting a boat was settled, saving Shen Yibin a great deal of trouble.