Chapter 9: Catching Fish, Wild Lotus Roots, River Snails, and Wild Duck Eggs
5 days ago
Su He noticed a patch of reeds in the distance and decided to wade into the water with Heixing. In case of any danger, Heixing could save him, a task the water buffalo had performed admirably before.
Although Su He grew up in a rural area, he had never learned to swim. His current self could swim, but after a near-drowning incident, he felt apprehensive.
Entering the water, Su He slowly made his way towards the deeper area, constantly checking on Heixing, his water buffalo, who gave him a sense of security.
Heixing followed step by step, sometimes lowering his head to munch on some water plants. Water buffaloes have large appetites, and like other ruminants such as cattle and sheep, have a single stomach with four distinct chambers: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. These chambers are not separate stomachs but parts of one complex stomach system that allows for efficient digestion through rumination. {Fact checked!}
Su He continued into deeper water, nearly sinking at one point, but he managed to float and swim clumsily. Surprisingly, he found himself mimicking a dog paddle. He soon became more comfortable and adept in the water, moving as easily as on land. Suddenly, a flash of white darted past. Su He dove and grabbed a fish by its gills—a skill from his past life.
Emerging from the water with the fish wriggling in his grip, Su He swam to the shore.
Xiao Nanhua, seeing the fish, excitedly ran towards him.
Alarmed, Su He shouted, “Xiao Nanhua, stop!” but the child, focused on the fish, ignored him. Fortunately, Heizi intervened, blocking Xiao Nanhua's path.
Relieved, Su He reached the shore and lifted Xiao Nanhua out of the water. The child clung to Su He’s leg, apologizing, “Dodo, I know I was wrong. I just wanted to see the fish!”
Looking at Xiao Nanhua’s innocent face, Su He couldn’t stay angry but knew he needed to teach a lesson. “Xiao Nanhua, you’re still small. The water is deep there, and you could have drowned!”
Xiao Nanhua nodded, acknowledging the danger, recalling how Dong Yazi, another child from the village, drowned while swimming due to a cramp. Understanding the peril, Su He decided to teach Xiao Nanhua more about water safety.
After putting the fish into a bucket with some water, Su He instructed Xiao Nanhua, “Stay here and watch the fish. I’ll see if I can catch more.”
Xiao Nanhua obediently guarded the bucket.
Su He warned, “If you don’t keep an eye on it, someone might take the fish, and we won’t have any to eat!”
Reassured by Xiao Nanhua’s diligence, Su He felt a pang of sadness. In the future, things wouldn’t be this hard.
Back in the water, Su He searched for more fish but found them elusive. He wondered if he could store water in his warehouse to catch fish more easily but dismissed the idea, realizing it would damage the warehouse and its contents.
Swimming towards the reeds, Su He discovered wild lotus with abundant roots beneath. He gathered several large lotus roots, weighing about a catty each. Excited, he thought about cooking delicious lotus root dishes. Su He remembered how his crossing to this world started with an attempt to dig wild lotus roots in another river, leading to his cramp and subsequent drowning.
Determined to collect more, Su He considered the warehouse’s preservation capabilities. Gathering plenty of wild lotus roots, he thought about selling them in the city to earn money for his family. Su Zhaohua’s injury was concerning, especially if it worsened.
As Su He continued digging, he found numerous river snails, a delicacy if cooked with enough oil. He decided to collect some to try selling them as well. While searching, Su He unexpectedly found a wild duck egg, leading to the discovery of more duck eggs in the area.
After collecting a substantial amount of wild lotus roots, a bucketful of river snails, and five duck eggs, Su He decided it was time to head back. Xiao Nanhua couldn’t stay in the water for too long. Returning to the shore, Su He placed the lotus roots and fish into a bucket, planning to store the lotus roots in the warehouse later.
“Xiao Nanhua, look what I got!” Su He called out, excited to show his haul.
Chapter 9: Catching Fish, Wild Lotus Roots, River Snails, and Wild Duck Eggs
5 days ago
Su He noticed a patch of reeds in the distance and decided to wade into the water with Heixing. In case of any danger, Heixing could save him, a task the water buffalo had performed admirably before.
Although Su He grew up in a rural area, he had never learned to swim. His current self could swim, but after a near-drowning incident, he felt apprehensive.
Entering the water, Su He slowly made his way towards the deeper area, constantly checking on Heixing, his water buffalo, who gave him a sense of security.
Heixing followed step by step, sometimes lowering his head to munch on some water plants. Water buffaloes have large appetites, and like other ruminants such as cattle and sheep, have a single stomach with four distinct chambers: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. These chambers are not separate stomachs but parts of one complex stomach system that allows for efficient digestion through rumination. {Fact checked!}
Su He continued into deeper water, nearly sinking at one point, but he managed to float and swim clumsily. Surprisingly, he found himself mimicking a dog paddle. He soon became more comfortable and adept in the water, moving as easily as on land. Suddenly, a flash of white darted past. Su He dove and grabbed a fish by its gills—a skill from his past life.
Emerging from the water with the fish wriggling in his grip, Su He swam to the shore.
Xiao Nanhua, seeing the fish, excitedly ran towards him.
Alarmed, Su He shouted, “Xiao Nanhua, stop!” but the child, focused on the fish, ignored him. Fortunately, Heizi intervened, blocking Xiao Nanhua's path.
Relieved, Su He reached the shore and lifted Xiao Nanhua out of the water. The child clung to Su He’s leg, apologizing, “Dodo, I know I was wrong. I just wanted to see the fish!”
Looking at Xiao Nanhua’s innocent face, Su He couldn’t stay angry but knew he needed to teach a lesson. “Xiao Nanhua, you’re still small. The water is deep there, and you could have drowned!”
Xiao Nanhua nodded, acknowledging the danger, recalling how Dong Yazi, another child from the village, drowned while swimming due to a cramp. Understanding the peril, Su He decided to teach Xiao Nanhua more about water safety.
After putting the fish into a bucket with some water, Su He instructed Xiao Nanhua, “Stay here and watch the fish. I’ll see if I can catch more.”
Xiao Nanhua obediently guarded the bucket.
Su He warned, “If you don’t keep an eye on it, someone might take the fish, and we won’t have any to eat!”
Reassured by Xiao Nanhua’s diligence, Su He felt a pang of sadness. In the future, things wouldn’t be this hard.
Back in the water, Su He searched for more fish but found them elusive. He wondered if he could store water in his warehouse to catch fish more easily but dismissed the idea, realizing it would damage the warehouse and its contents.
Swimming towards the reeds, Su He discovered wild lotus with abundant roots beneath. He gathered several large lotus roots, weighing about a catty each. Excited, he thought about cooking delicious lotus root dishes. Su He remembered how his crossing to this world started with an attempt to dig wild lotus roots in another river, leading to his cramp and subsequent drowning.
Determined to collect more, Su He considered the warehouse’s preservation capabilities. Gathering plenty of wild lotus roots, he thought about selling them in the city to earn money for his family. Su Zhaohua’s injury was concerning, especially if it worsened.
As Su He continued digging, he found numerous river snails, a delicacy if cooked with enough oil. He decided to collect some to try selling them as well. While searching, Su He unexpectedly found a wild duck egg, leading to the discovery of more duck eggs in the area.
After collecting a substantial amount of wild lotus roots, a bucketful of river snails, and five duck eggs, Su He decided it was time to head back. Xiao Nanhua couldn’t stay in the water for too long. Returning to the shore, Su He placed the lotus roots and fish into a bucket, planning to store the lotus roots in the warehouse later.
“Xiao Nanhua, look what I got!” Su He called out, excited to show his haul.
