Rainwater flowed down the trunks of trees and pooled at the bottom of the forest. Through the gaps between the leaves, you could see the floating foliage below. Judging by the submerged tree trunks and the exposed tops of shrubs, the surface appeared calm, but beneath it lay the hidden depths of the water.
Old Jin and Xiao Guang felt a slight tremor beneath their feet. They swayed momentarily before regaining their balance. Sharing a puzzled glance, they both sensed an immediate astonishment in each other's eyes. This was an upward tremor. An earthquake?
Sensations converged upon Xiao Guang from all directions, as if the forest spirits around the trees were transmitting their feelings to him. Lately, he had often experienced this kind of sensation, especially while controlling insects. It was like he could hear the insects' thoughts. Sometimes he felt the grasshoppers he rode were tired; other times, he sensed their impatience. Guided by these feelings, he would often tell Junya and Old Jin ahead of time that it was time to dismount because the grasshoppers were becoming harder to control. But he felt somewhat embarrassed to admit this. It was an inexplicable sensation, baseless and unreliable. Expressing it felt like admitting he was losing his mind.
Now he was feeling it again, as if all the creatures hiding under the branches and leaves were collectively emitting a sense of fear. This message, like a radio signal, was transmitted to him, leaving him unsettled.
Junya, who was lying nearby watching the rain and lost in her thoughts, turned her head to look in their direction upon hearing Old Jin's call, "Come over here."
Old Jin didn't share Xiao Guang's sensation, but he detected an underlying danger from the abnormal tremors. No matter what, in the face of danger, the first thing to do was stick together.
Junya immediately ran over, and the three of them held onto the vines, observing beneath the trees.
Another tremor shook the ground. Perhaps due to the psychological impact of directly witnessing the tremors, this time it felt more intense to all three of them.
Then, under the trees, beneath other trees, on low branches, many green grasshoppers, seeking shelter from the rain under the leaves, flew out one after another. They resembled the one Xiao Guang had ridden before. Also, some unfamiliar insects scattered and flew around, bouncing here and there, or clumsily scurrying outward. Some flew away, while others accidentally fell, landing on the floating leaves on the ground, creating a fluttering scene.
"Splash!" The sound of water splashing as a massive dorsal fin emerged from under the leaves. A water-dwelling behemoth surfaced, creating a large splash and sending nearby insects diving into the water. After a wave of disturbance, the water settled down.
A few minutes of silence followed, then the trees began to tremble again. They understood now that the fish beneath the water were slamming into the trees, trying to feast on the insects that had fallen into the water.
The three of them exchanged puzzled looks as they witnessed this scene. Their sizes were even smaller than the insects. Falling down would undoubtedly make them fish food.
"We need to enter and stabilize ourselves. Use branches to secure ourselves," Old Jin advised.
The three of them entered a tree hollow, each securing themselves with vines. After tying the vines around their waists, they even tightly sealed the entrance with a makeshift barrier that resembled a protective net. Then, they lay by the entrance, watching the scene below.
As the frequency of impacts increased, the trees shook even more violently. The earlier impacts seemed like a signal, and now the entire forest's water surface was in motion. The aquatic creatures, commonly called fish by humans, transformed into countless aquatic behemoths, colliding with trees in the forest, hunting unlucky insects.
"The trees have strong resilience, and the trees in the dense forest are interconnected. Their roots are intertwined, so even trees as thick as a bowl are not easily toppled. Even if they do fall, they'll just land on other trees. Clearly, the fish below lack this ability." Seeing the concern on the faces of the two young people, Old Jin reassured them.
"Although there's no immediate danger, the rainy season is going to last longer than expected, longer than just a few days of high tides. Look, even the fish have evolved this hunting skill. It's not something that can be accomplished during the few high tide days each year." Old Jin continued, "It seems we'll be stuck here for a longer time than I originally thought."
After he finished speaking, the three of them fell into a somewhat despondent mood, especially Junya, whose face was full of disappointment. However, after a while, Xiao Guang was the first to recover. He thought optimistically that it was lucky to have more time to learn from Old Jin before returning to normal life.
Junya was feeling a bit annoyed. Leaning on the railing, she muttered, "We don't even get hot meals. It's beans and juice every day. My stomach feels so bloated."
Xiao Guang suddenly realized that he had been responsible for their diet during this time. He had been neglectful. It was fine for him, being young, but it wasn't suitable for the old man and the girl. No wonder Old Jin had been eating less lately, mainly drinking juice. It was ironic that he had just taken the role of a master, yet his disciple was performing so poorly.
At this moment, the forest trembled. What might seem like nothing to the ordinary human eye was a colossal event to these miniature beings. The trembling continued for a whole half-day. Eventually, whether it was because the fish had eaten their fill, or they grew tired from colliding, or perhaps the number of insects falling into the water decreased, the impacts gradually ceased.
Noticing that there was no immediate danger, Xiao Guang suggested going to see what was happening nearby. With Old Jin's approval, he grabbed his bag and left.
After Xiao Guang had walked a fair distance away, Junya turned to Old Jin and said, "Dad, did you teach him too much and scare him off?"
Old Jin smiled. "Not very likely."
Junya, feeling irritated, began fiddling with the cocoon silk clothing on her body, adjusting and readjusting. Strangely, her pants seemed to have turned into a pair of jeans with holes.
By afternoon, Xiao Guang hadn't returned yet. Old Jin began to worry, staring anxiously in the direction Xiao Guang had gone. However, due to the obstructing leaves, he couldn't see very far.
At this point, Xiao Guang had subtly become a reliance for the father-daughter pair. Junya's eyes, once full of longing, had started to wander as she observed for the nth time. A green grasshopper, similar to the one Xiao Guang had ridden before, was dragging a clump of leaves larger than itself and approaching.
Based on the previous experience, Old Jin wasn't worried about this herbivorous and well-tempered insect. But after a brief pause and a closer look, he indeed saw Xiao Guang, covered in a dark substance, on top of the insect. The leaves behind him seemed to emit a warm vapor.
"Junya," Old Jin squinted, unable to see clearly, "what's up with Xiao Guang? Why does he look all dark?"
"I don't know. He had us worried for so long. All covered in black, maybe he had a stroke of luck again." Seeing that he was returning, Junya's anxious gaze was replaced with a pouty expression.
Before long, Xiao Guang arrived on the grasshopper. He grinned at Old Jin and said, "Teacher, sorry for making you worry. I came back late."
"It's good that you're back. Don't go away for so long again. Just stay nearby, remember that. Look at you, covered in dirt. What's with all the black and gray?"
"Did you succeed in crossing the tribulation?" Junya teased with a smile.
Xiao Guang grinned cheerfully, unfazed. "Look what I've got, look, look," he exclaimed as he opened a large leaf.
Inside was a big, dark object, emitting heat. Xiao Guang used a vine to carefully peel off the burnt skin, revealing a golden yolk that immediately released an even richer aroma.
"Roasted bird egg," Xiao Guang exclaimed excitedly. "Pretty good, huh?"
"Wow, that's great! Fantastic!" Junya's mood brightened instantly. "Where did you find it? Tell us quickly."
"I've been searching since morning. When I found it, the bird's nest was dry inside. I started a fire inside the nest, and voila, the nest was roasted," Xiao Guang explained enthusiastically, conveniently ignoring Junya's "found" as he handed over the hot roasted egg to both of them. "Quick, eat it while it's still warm. It's best when it's warm."
"Wow, how did you know? Did you sneak a taste?" Junya mumbled with a mouthful.
"Of course, I tasted it," Xiao Guang replied nonchalantly.
"It's quite dangerous. What if the big bird comes back? Even if it's herbivorous, it might not be interested in you and the grasshopper. If its wing flaps hit you, you might be in real danger. Don't do this alone again in the future." Old Jin gave Xiao Guang a meaningful look and refrained from tasting the delicacy.
"Teacher, don't worry. My luck is pretty good. Trust me, I won't go alone for now. This can last us a long time." Xiao Guang reassured.
"But what if? You shouldn't do things like this in the future."
"Teacher, you can absolutely rest assured. I knew that as long as I started a fire, the birds wouldn't come back." Xiao Guang guaranteed with a grin, his blackened face breaking into a smile. "Teacher, even in the rainy season, that bird's nest was particularly dry. A few rubs with some sticks, and it caught fire."
Though that was what he said, their diet diversified over time. Xiao Guang would go out every morning, sometimes bringing back fruits, other times mushrooms. He even found a peculiar vine with dried bean-like pods that were salty, providing a much-needed supplement for their otherwise salt-lacking meals.
Their nights were spent with Old Jin's explanations. They would discuss whatever came to mind, often leading from one question to a wealth of knowledge. Xiao Guang was a diligent student, and given the current situation, his questions mostly revolved around the identification of edible plants.
Once, Xiao Guang even found fish fry in a tree hollow. These tiny fish were quite sizable for the trio. Perhaps the fish eggs had been carried into the trees by the wind and subsequently washed down by the rainwater. This added fish to their diet, and Xiao Guang's skill at igniting a fire in dry tree hollows became increasingly proficient.
"Remember, never start a fire in the forest outside the rainy season." Old Jin would remind them each time.
The three of them lived like this in the trees for about twenty days. By now, the forest had turned into a vast expanse of water, with the withered leaves either sinking to the bottom or being carried away by the currents. Every one or two days, the big fish would collide with the trees. At these times, the entire forest seemed to tremble, and swarms of insects fell onto the water. Judging by the terrain, this forest was rich in rainwater. If this rainy season were to continue as it had, there would hardly be any insects left that could survive.
On this day, the tide finally stopped rising, and there were no more collisions with the trees from the large fish. Sunlight once again graced the forest, and butterflies started flying in. Old Jin informed the two that a new ecological cycle had begun. With ample sunlight and water, the breeding season for both animals and plants had arrived. The tides would recede soon.
Two or three days later, the three of them packed up the accumulated food from this time. Among the fruit juices, there were mostly dried chicken eggs and fish. Each of them carried a big bag full, and they ate their fill.
"Leave the leftovers. We can't take them with us," Old Jin responded to Junya, who was reluctant to part with things.
"Even if Xiao Guang rides the grasshopper, it can only carry us a certain distance. At most half a day. If we don't find suitable grasshoppers for the next leg, we'll have to abandon them."