Shen Fu and Wan Ziqian, two kids from the north, had seen the little river at their doorstep dry up since they could remember; in fact, they weren't very good at swimming, barely managing a doggy paddle.
So, the water in the pool was kept shallow, and lifebuoys had been thrown in beforehand, making them look more like they were strolling in the water.
And this was rather in keeping with Xiaodie's style of saving water.
As for Xiaodie in the water, she was like a little mermaid, diving underwater and swimming inside. Despite her large drag, she was really quite fast.
The small mountain village where she grew up had mountains, water, and pandas. Even though that time was brief, she had experiences like going down to the water with the kids to catch shrimp—something hard for northern kids to comprehend.
