Chapter 138: An Underground River with Fish (Part 1)

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: An Underground River with Fish (Part 1)

"Grandpa, I’m starting to think you just wanted to bring Grandma something tasty and made up that excuse," Gu Nuan Nuan said, covering her mouth to hide a giggle. "Just admit it, don’t try to hide it. Mom and I won’t laugh at you. When we get back, I’ll tell Grandma, and she’ll be absolutely delighted. I bet even if you brought her back burnt rabbit meat, she’d be so happy she wouldn’t even taste it."

"Get out of here with that nonsense. How dare you make fun of your grandpa and grandma," Zhang Dazhuang said, tying the rabbit’s legs and tossing it into the basket on his back. He freed a hand and gave Gu Nuan Nuan a light, exasperated swat on the head. "Why would I bring burnt rabbit meat back for your grandma? You think I want her to nag me?"

"Ouch, Grandpa!" Gu Nuan Nuan rubbed her head and protested with mock seriousness. "My final exams are next week. If you hit my head and mess me up, and I do poorly on my test, I’m blaming you. You know my uncle promised me he’d grant me one wish, no questions asked, if I do well. If I mess up, you’ll have to take full responsibility and convince my uncle to honor his promise anyway."

’Now I have an excuse to fall back on. This way, I won’t have to worry if I have an off day during the test. It’s like a safety net,’ Gu Nuan Nuan thought smugly.

"Dad, just ignore her. She’s learned how to play tricks now," Zhang Minzhen said, also coming over to give Gu Nuan Nuan a light tap on the head as she chided her with a laugh. "You think your grandpa’s an easy target, don’t you?"

"You’re all so mean! I’m clearly the one who’s easy to bully here, right?" ’Ugh, my plan failed.’ Gu Nuan Nuan pouted, looking like she was about to cry, and grumbled in a voice just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Alright, alright, let’s get going. No more delays. We’re almost there. We can catch some fish and shrimp first, then make lunch," Zhang Dazhuang chuckled. "Let’s not hit her on the head anymore. Nuannuan has a point. If we really make her dumb and she goes from being a top scholar to just third place, we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves."

"Did you hear that, Mom? You can’t hit me on the head anymore," Gu Nuan Nuan said, looking triumphant as she used her grandpa’s authority to her advantage. Her expression earned another laughing scolding from Zhang Minzhen.

After walking for a good half an hour more, they finally reached their destination. Seeing the clear little pool before them, Gu Nuan Nuan let out a cheer and eagerly started taking off her shoes to get in the water. The water wasn’t deep, only reaching up to her calves, so Zhang Dazhuang and Zhang Minzhen didn’t stop her. They just gave her a quick reminder before taking off their own shoes and socks, wading into the water with nets, and spreading out to catch fish and shrimp.

Perhaps because the area was so remote and no one usually fished there, the fish and shrimp in the water, though small, were plentiful. They weren’t afraid of people and were very easy to catch. In no time, they had caught a lot. Zhang Dazhuang and Zhang Minzhen weren’t greedy; seeing they had enough for a meal, they stopped. They didn’t ask Gu Nuan Nuan for help, letting her continue to play while the two of them started working together. They built a simple cooking pit by the side of the pool, gathered branches, and began preparing the rabbit and fish...

It wasn’t that Gu Nuan Nuan didn’t want to go help, or rather, join in on the "fun." It was because she was stunned by what Cao Cao had just said to her.

"Master, I can feel a Spirit Vein under this water."

’Spirit Veins can be found this easily?’ Gu Nuan Nuan’s jaw nearly dropped.

"Strictly speaking, you can’t even call this a Spirit Vein. It’s not even a branch. The Spiritual Energy is too thin. The opening is just a tiny crack, as fine as a strand of hair. The amount you could absorb wouldn’t even be worth mentioning." Cao Cao’s tone was full of disdain, followed by deep regret. "Master, if we follow it, there’s a ten percent chance we might find a larger fissure of Spiritual Energy."

’Only ten percent? Why are the odds so low?’

"Master, that’s a generous estimate. In reality, the probability is likely even lower. But it’s a chance, after all, which is much better than nothing." Cao Cao’s voice was filled with regret that they couldn’t immediately go searching for more Spiritual Energy.

"Don’t be so anxious. If we were to go deeper into the forest, it would be much more dangerous. My body isn’t strong enough for that right now. We’ll have to wait until I’m a bit older." Gu Nuan Nuan kicked at the water in the pool. "Cao Cao, you said the water here is sweeter than outside, and the fish and shrimp taste better. Is that because of the Spiritual Energy?"

"Of course." Cao Cao’s main stalk nodded within its space. Suddenly, it made a sound of surprise. "Huh?"

"Did you find something else?" Gu Nuan Nuan asked, her interest piqued.

"Yeah! Master, I found the entrance to an underground river about three or four hundred meters from here," Cao Cao said excitedly. "The fish in that river are bigger and more plentiful, and even easier to catch than here. Let’s go get them!"

Three or four hundred meters wasn’t too far. Gu Nuan Nuan carefully asked for the direction and location, thought for a moment, then emptied her small basket, put it on her back, and ran over to her grandpa and mom. She told them she was going to explore nearby, and the two nodded without thinking much of it. "Don’t go too far, and come back soon!" Zhang Minzhen called out, standing up worriedly as she watched her daughter scamper off in a flash.

"I know!" Gu Nuan Nuan shouted back.

"That child. Even with water to play in, she can’t stay in one place for long," Zhang Minzhen said with a sigh.

"Kids don’t have much of an attention span, do they? They all like running around, looking for new things to play with. It’s fine. I’ve walked almost this entire area; it’s safe. And Nuannuan isn’t the type of kid to be reckless and mischievous." Zhang Dazhuang smiled casually, his hands never stopping their work.

Zhang Minzhen nodded and didn’t say anything more.

Gu Nuan Nuan ran all the way, and with Cao Cao’s guidance, she found the entrance to the underground river without much trouble. The entrance was well-hidden; only after pulling aside a section of the cliff wall covered in vines and weeds could she see a crevice in the rock, just wide enough for an adult to squeeze through sideways. After about a dozen steps, the crevice slowly widened, and a downward slope appeared before her. As she walked on, she began to hear the sound of water. The sound grew clearer until the view suddenly opened up. The first thing she saw was a natural platform, formed by a huge, flat rock about half a meter high. Behind the platform, she could see a sizable cave entrance.

Next to the cave, a waterfall about half a meter wide cascaded straight down from a high cliff, forming a small pool below. The water from the pool spilled downwards, creating a shallow, meandering stream at the bottom. The stream flowed cheerfully onward before disappearing out of sight in the distance—

"Master, the underground river is inside the cave! Hurry up and go look, there are so, so many fish!" Cao Cao urged cheerfully.

"Okay." Gu Nuan Nuan nodded, but first, she observed the cave entrance. It was quite spacious, about two or three meters high. Since Cao Cao was so insistent she go inside, it probably wasn’t dangerous. Even so, Gu Nuan Nuan entered with a healthy dose of caution and care.