After walking for about forty minutes, we finally arrived at the bamboo forest. This bamboo forest grows in a mountain hollow. The bamboos are all extremely lush and thick, and the ground is covered with a thick layer of bamboo leaves. When we walked into the bamboo forest, a rustling sound came from ahead. Looking carefully, I realized that it was all caused by bamboo rats; there were indeed many of them here, and they were very plump, probably quite tasty. Zhang Xi'er looked at me excitedly and said, "Brother Lu Yuan, I didn't lie to you, did I? Hurry up and think of a way to catch them!" Looking at these bamboo rats scattering in all directions, I shook my head helplessly. Bringing this foodie Zhang Xi'er here, their doomsday has truly arrived. I found some small sticks, hammered them into some dark and damp corners with stones, then cleared a path, scattered some bamboo leaves on it, tied a noose in the middle, and hung it on the small stick. Zhang Xi'er came up to me, looking very puzzled, and said, "Is such a simple trap going to fool the bamboo rats?" "Let the facts speak for themselves; we'll know tonight," I said with a smile. I bent down to busy myself finding suitable locations to set the traps. Zhang Xi'er aimlessly wandered around the bamboo forest. When I finished setting the last trap, I suddenly heard Zhang Xi'er shout loudly. "Ah! Brother Lu Yuan, save me!" My nerves immediately tensed to the extreme. I quickly got up and followed the sound, only to see Zhang Xi'er leaning against a bamboo pole, staring ahead with a very frightened expression. Following her gaze, I saw a grey snake scurrying away in a panic.

With a swift stride, I stepped directly on the head of the grey snake, crushing it. The grey snake's nervous system still controlled its body, and it desperately coiled around my leg, struggling for a while before falling powerless to the ground, occasionally twitching. Zhang Xi'er leaned against the bamboo, turning around to vomit violently. The sturgeon meat she had eaten that morning was all spat out, emitting a foul smell. She was about to collapse from weakness, and I hurriedly went forward to support her, asking with concern, "Xi'er, are you alright?" Zhang Xi'er waved her hand and said, "Brother Lu Yuan, what about that snake?" "I crushed its head; it's dead beyond any doubt," I replied. Zhang Xi'er looked up at me, her complexion pale, tears swirling in her eyes. It's truly a case of 'once bitten by a snake, one fears even the rope for ten years'; this snake must have left an indelible psychological shadow in Zhang Xi'er's heart. "Brother Lu Yuan, don't waste it, let's take it back and make snake soup!" Zhang Xi'er said after calming her emotions. I was dumbfounded, looking at Zhang Xi'er in blank amazement. I was overthinking it; in front of a foodie, all psychological shadows are presumably illusory. I nodded, took out my pocket watch to check the time, and saw that it was already past one in the afternoon, time for lunch. I tied the grey snake with a rope and hung it around my waist. Supporting Zhang Xi'er, we left the bamboo forest, taking deep and shallow steps. "How about I carry you on my back?" I suggested. Zhang Xi'er adjusted her glasses, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Brother Lu Yuan, I'm quite heavy, I'm afraid you can't carry me."

I sized up Zhang Xi'er's figure, finding it neither fat nor thin, just right. She might be heavier than Xia Lan, but definitely lighter than Wang Yan. 'I'll carry you on my back, and we can get back faster,' I said, hanging the grey snake at my waist and crouching down in front of her. Zhang Xi'er hesitated for a moment, then said, 'Brother Lu Yuan, I won't be polite then.' With that, Zhang Xi'er lay on my back. I felt a weight on my back and quickly reached out to support myself on the ground in front of me. 'Brother Lu Yuan, I didn't lie to you, did I?' Zhang Xi'er said with a tone that suggested I wouldn't believe her. I was speechless inside, this girl must have fat in her bones, she's definitely heavier than Wang Yan! I adjusted my breathing and stood up abruptly. Zhang Xi'er wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek, saying, 'Brother Lu Yuan, you've worked hard.' I deliberately pinched Zhang Xi'er's butt, and she let out a coquettish sigh, complaining in my ear, 'Brother Lu Yuan, you're so lecherous!' 'Not bad, the butt still has a good feel to it.'

"I praised. Carrying Zhang Xi'er on my back, I headed towards the cave, enjoying the faint scent she emitted along the way, feeling the softness on my back, and occasionally taking advantage with my hands. We chatted and laughed, and she told me about her college roommate going out with a handsome guy in a luxury car, taking nude loans to top up game currency, and of course, the gossip about getting pregnant and having an abortion with her boyfriend. Listening to her, I couldn't help but sigh at the 'colorful' life of contemporary college students. Back in our day, having an abortion was already a big deal. When we returned to the cave, Wang Yan and the others had already come back. Seeing me carrying Zhang Xi'er, she asked nervously, "What happened to Xi'er?" I smiled and said, "It's nothing, she encountered a gray snake in the bamboo forest and was so scared that her legs went weak and she couldn't walk." Lin Xian'er came over holding a coconut shell, her face calm, but her tone slightly jealous, "Why did it take so long? The bamboo forest isn't that far from here, is it?" I squatted down, putting Zhang Xi'er down, and said, "I set some traps, hoping to catch some bamboo rats." Zhang Xi'er was very excited and said, "Sister Lin, I believe Brother Lu Yuan will definitely catch lots and lots of bamboo rats for us!" I patted Zhang Xi'er's head, and Lin Xian'er, seeing her silly appearance, pursed her lips and smiled faintly. I handed the gray snake to Wang Yan, and Lin Xian'er said it was a non-venomous snake that could be eaten. "Wang Yan, save the snake gall for me."

"I said," I began. Lin Xian'er looked at me speechlessly and said, 'There are many parasites in snake gall. What if you get diarrhea after eating it?' I turned to Wang Yan and said, 'Lin Xian'er is right. We should just throw it away.' 'Don't be silly, that's a great tonic. Think of a way to process it for me,' I said. Wang Yan nodded helplessly and then went to deal with the grey snake. I glanced at the small layer of white, flaky salt in the coconut shell in Lin Xian'er's hand and admired, 'I didn't expect you to extract such fine salt.' Lin Xian'er sighed and said, 'We've been busy all morning, and this is all the salt we've managed to boil, and it's still impure.' I slapped my forehead, realizing that this amount of salt was not enough for curing meat; we would have to wait for the salt fields to crystallize and produce coarse salt. 'No worries, let's ensure we have enough salt for our daily use first,' I said, patting Lin Xian'er's shoulder. Jiang Dandan and Xia Lan came back carrying firewood, chatting about terms I couldn't understand. Of course, one is a rich young lady and the other is a corporate president; they are both from high society and would naturally have their own common language. I also felt relieved in my heart; all signs indicated that Jiang Dandan was actively trying to integrate into our little team.