Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 96
by Little PandaBamboo Juice Quenches Thirst, an Ancient Banyan Shakes the Soul
Huang Heshan needed a day to prepare the bamboo strips and bamboo arrows, so Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu used this time to explore the path to the bamboo forest.
Following the route Huang Heshan had drawn on the treasure map, they headed upstream along the Great Rocky Shoal. First, they located the small hill where three streams converged, then they scouted a path to climb over it, scaling the hill after quite a bit of effort.
Standing on the hill and looking east, they saw a small river flowing down between two hills to the north. The channel grew wider as it descended, merging with other streams into the main river. Right at the mid-upper reaches where the small river widened, a stepped waterfall tumbled down in several tiered drops.
The clear waterfall shimmered in the sunlight, cascading tier by tier to form a semicircular natural pool that glowed a deep, quiet green beneath the canopy of trees.
The vegetation gradually shifted from the hillside to the valley, transitioning from mountain flora to a tropical bamboo forest and its companion plants. A creek branching off from the river wound through the bamboo stalks. As the mountain breeze blew, it brought the rustle of bamboo leaves, and occasional birdsong echoed through the trees, bringing a touch of cool relief to the sweltering primeval rainforest.
【“One day I shall scale the highest peak, and see all other mountains dwarfed below!”~1】
【Wow! What a beautiful bamboo forest valley! This is practically a paradise on earth!】
【This bamboo forest… feels like the home of a banished immortal.】
【I want to jump into the stepped pool and swim a couple of laps.】
【Though it looks shallow, that deep green water is a bit scary (scared)】
【Yuyu didn’t come to the bamboo forest today.】
【Yu Yan is back at the shelter fussing over her orchids (cute)】
【Huang-jie is in the bamboo forest shaving bamboo arrows for Liu Yinxi (laugh-cry)】
【This is too beautiful! And it looks so cool—can they move their shelter here?】
【Definitely not. It’s too isolated, and you have to climb over a hill. It’s fine for an occasional rest, though (worry)】
【Yeah, Xixi probably won’t come back once she gets enough bamboo sheets.】
Liu Yinxi stepped onto a large boulder and let out a loud shout toward the bamboo forest, “Whoo-hoo!”
Nan Huaixu leaned against a tree, laughing at her. “You sound like a gorilla.”
Liu Yinxi scratched her head. “Heheh.”
The climb had left her drenched in sweat, her knees aching and her legs trembling slightly. Nan Huaixu leaned forward a bit, lightly patting her calves to relax the muscles.
“Are we going any further down?” she asked Liu Yinxi.
Liu Yinxi looked at the bamboo forest, thought for a moment, and said, “Let’s head back. Now that we’ve found the path, we’re good.”
They had set out rather late today, and scouting the path and climbing the hill had already consumed most of their time. If they descended into the bamboo forest now, it would be dark by the time they got back to the shelter.
Unable to climb trees, Nan Huaixu held onto a crooked tree trunk, straining her neck to look toward the stepped waterfall.
Liu Yinxi walked up beside her. “What are you trying to see? Want me to carry you up?”
Nan Huaixu suddenly turned to look at her. Her gaze swept over Liu Yinxi’s face and arms, a subtle emotion flickering in her eyes before she quickly looked away. “No need. I’m looking for that conspicuous banyan tree Huang Heshan mentioned. We need to go under it to retrieve the bamboo strips and bamboo arrows.”
“Oh, that one,” Liu Yinxi replied. “I see it.”
She raised her trekking pole, pointing through the air at a massive canopy of green on the eastern bank of the stepped waterfall. “That’s it right there.”
Nan Huaixu’s eyes widened. “You mean that entire massive patch is just one tree?”
It looked like a small grove formed by dozens of trees clustered together, resembling a shroud of green mist or a rolling wave of emerald.
Amused and charmed by Nan Huaixu’s shocked expression, Liu Yinxi laughed. “Yes, that entire canopy belongs to a single tree. That’s why Huang-jie said it was highly conspicuous. You can spot it instantly.”
Nan Huaixu marveled, “It’s so conspicuous that it didn’t even cross my mind that it could be a single tree. It’s just as breathtaking as seeing an aircraft carrier emerge from the ocean mist. When I first caught a faint glimpse of its shadow from the cruise ship, I thought it was an island…”
Liu Yinxi tried to picture it. “That is huge! I’ve never seen one before. But can you actually visit something like that?”
“No, I just happened to spot it during an international cruise. A lot of people were taking photos, and it even made the news. I think this giant banyan could make the news too.”
“It’s my first time seeing one this large, too. It must be over a thousand years old.”
As they turned to head back, Nan Huaixu looked back at the thousand-year-old banyan king, her eyes filled with anticipation. “When we go down into the bamboo forest tomorrow, I’ll have to pay my respects.”
Liu Yinxi reminded Nan Huaixu to adjust her grip on her trekking pole, explaining how to use its support to conserve energy and protect her knee joints.
Nan Huaixu corrected her grip as instructed.
Suddenly, Liu Yinxi asked, “Teacher Nan, can I ask you some questions about the entertainment industry?”
Nan Huaixu found this unusual. “This is the first time you’ve asked about the industry since the competition started. I was wondering why you hadn’t brought it up, considering how much you love celebrities. Go ahead and ask. If it’s something I can’t talk about, I’ll just stay silent.”
After all, they were on a live broadcast, so there were industry secrets she couldn’t disclose. But if they were in private, she wouldn’t mind telling Liu Yinxi, as long as it didn’t violate anyone’s privacy.
Liu Yinxi leaned in closer and whispered, “Is it true that everyone in the entertainment industry relies on metaphysics2?”
Nan Huaixu gave her a questioning look.
Where did that come from?
Placing a hand on her hip, Nan Huaixu looked at her. “Why do you ask?”
Liu Yinxi said sheepishly, “When you said you wanted to pay respects to the thousand-year-old banyan, it reminded me of the entertainment news I used to read—things like burning incense before filming, hiring feng shui masters to pick shooting locations, and even directors checking the actors’ Bazi3 to see if they are compatible. Is all of that real?”
Nan Huaixu nodded. “Yes.”
“Does it actually work?” Liu Yinxi asked curiously.
“Who knows. Just think of it as a prayer for good luck, like picking a few lucky numbers before buying a lottery ticket. It’s just to get a favorable sign and make people feel better.”
“What kind of good fortune are you hoping to get from paying respects to the ancient banyan, Teacher Nan?”
Nan Huaixu looked up, locking eyes with Liu Yinxi for three solid seconds without blinking.
Just as Liu Yinxi began to feel a bit self-conscious and was about to look away, Nan Huaixu’s lips curved upward. She brushed past her, saying, “If we are destined, I’ll tell you on our hundredth day of survival.”
Liu Yinxi stood frozen for a moment before a wide smile suddenly broke across her face. She happily chased after her. “Teacher Nan, we will definitely make it to a hundred days!”
Nan Huaixu turned back. “Slow down. If you trip and roll down the hill, you’ll be disqualified.”
“Don’t say that. Teacher Nan, you have to tell me when we hit a hundred days.”
“Alright.”
Since the slope was steep, they slowed down and hiked back carefully.
Along the way, Liu Yinxi chattered like the birds in the forest. “Teacher Nan, can I sing?”
“Teacher Nan, it looks like Dog 6 is stuck in the mud. I’m going to pull it out.”
“Teacher Nan, I made you a banana leaf sun hat. It’ll block the sun and keep the UV rays from damaging your skin.”
“Teacher Nan, are you tired? Let me strap your backpack onto Dog 6.”
“Teacher Nan, let me peel a mango for you.”
“Teacher Nan…”
Nan Huaixu smiled as she walked, responding to every single one of Liu Yinxi’s topics.
To her surprise, she realized that these conversations, which she would have once found noisy and annoying, had somehow become the very companionship that chased away her daily boredom and loneliness.
She had originally thought her feelings for Liu Yinxi had started with that bowl of beef brisket rice, but it turned out that wasn’t the case.
Much earlier than that—back when she still believed she disliked Liu Yinxi—this secret affection had already begun to take root.
Looking toward the ancient thousand-year-old banyan in the distance, Nan Huaixu thought, Liu Yinxi, if there were a lovesick tree4 growing in my heart, would you be able to see it after only a hundred days?
A tree that grew for a thousand years could be seen at a single glance.
But humans only lived for a hundred years.
Bracelet date: June 2.
Before dawn, the two of them set off toward the bamboo forest.
Departing at 5:40 AM, they hiked upstream along the Toa River, crossing mountains and rivers, before finally reaching the stepped waterfall at 10:30 AM.
Across the stream, Liu Yinxi spotted them from a distance. Resting on a rock beneath the giant banyan were four bamboo sheets and ten bamboo arrows. They were bound together with a reddish-brown vine and weighed down by a small stone slab.
Finding a narrow spot in the current, Liu Yinxi crossed to the opposite bank and jogged over. She packed the bamboo arrows into her backpack. Since the bamboo strips were too long, she chopped them in half, tied them together, and stowed them in her woven vine basket.
Nan Huaixu walked up to the edge of the bamboo forest. A refreshing breeze blew from within, carrying the crisp fragrance of bamboo leaves. She breathed in the scent, finding it somewhat reminiscent of Liu Yinxi’s pheromones.
She took another breath.
“Teacher Nan, what are you doing?” Having packed all the supplies, Liu Yinxi turned and saw her staring blankly at the bamboo forest.
“I’m a little thirsty.” Nan Huaixu pulled an empty water bottle out of her bag. “I didn’t bring enough water. Have you finished yours?”
“Mm… let me check.” Liu Yinxi looked around, then tapped the handles of several young bamboo stalks nearby with the butt of her knife.
Clack-clack, tap-tap. The young bamboo stalks rang with a crisp, clear sound.
A few of the nodes sounded slightly different, revealing the faint sloshing of liquid inside.
Nan Huaixu was surprised. “There’s water inside the bamboo?”
Liu Yinxi was equally surprised. “Bamboo juice. You didn’t know about it, Teacher Nan?”
Nan Huaixu shook her head; she had only ever seen ornamental bamboo. “Can you drink it?”
“Yes. Only young bamboo in wet regions has this. It’s also known as fresh bamboo sap5, and it promotes fluid production and quenches thirst, and it tastes great. I’ll open one up for you to try right now.”
Liu Yinxi deftly chopped open a young bamboo stalk, cut out the section containing the juice, smoothed down the rough outer bark, and handed the bamboo cup to Nan Huaixu. “Just tilt it back and pour it directly into your mouth. Try not to let your lips touch the rim—there might be tiny splinters that could prick you.”
“Okay.” Nan Huaixu examined the bamboo cup. The liquid inside was crystal clear, with a faint hint of pale amber.
She tilted her head back and poured the bamboo juice into her mouth. It was cool and soothing, with a subtle, grassy aroma and a slightly sweet aftertaste, somewhat reminiscent of cactus water.
Liu Yinxi cracked open another section of bamboo. Holding it in her hand to offer to Nan Huaixu, she noticed her smiling eyes and asked expectantly, “Teacher Nan, does it taste good?”
Nan Huaixu wiped the corner of her mouth, her eyes shining. “It’s delicious. It really quenches thirst better than regular water.”
Liu Yinxi handed her the freshly opened cup of juice. “What truly quenches thirst and stimulates saliva production isn’t pure water, but fluids that share a similar osmotic balance with our saliva. They replenish hydration while lubricating the oral mucosa. That’s why plant-based drinks like bamboo juice, rice milk, peach gum with snow fungus stew, and water chestnut sugarcane soup are so much more refreshing.”
Nan Huaixu handed the bamboo cup back to her. “You should drink some, too.”
Liu Yinxi laughed. “If you’re thirsty, keep drinking. There’s plenty of young bamboo here, I can just cut another one.”
Reassured, Nan Huaixu happily drank the bamboo juice while letting her gaze wander around the bamboo forest. Suddenly, she spotted a few little tips poking out of the soil beneath some young bamboo stalks.
“Liu Yinxi,” Nan Huaixu whispered, gently tugging at her sleeve and pointing with curiosity toward the base of the bamboo. “Look over there.”
She had a feeling Liu Yinxi would love those little things.
Footnotes
- A line from the famous poem 'Gazing at Mount Tai' (Wangyue) by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu. It translates to 'I must ascend to the very summit, where all other mountains will seem small at a single glance.'
- In the Chinese entertainment industry, 'xuánxué' (metaphysics) refers to a widespread belief in spiritual practices like feng shui, astrology, and consulting fortune tellers to ensure a project's commercial success or a star's rise to fame.
- Bāzì (Eight Characters), a traditional Chinese astrological system used to determine a person's destiny based on their birth hour, day, month, and year.
- The xiāngsī tree (Acacia) is a traditional Chinese symbol of love, longing, and yearning, often featured in classical poetry to represent deep, unspoken affection.
- Fresh bamboo sap (xiān zhúlì), a traditional Chinese herbal ingredient harvested by heating or cutting live bamboo. It is used to clear heat, resolve phlegm, and promote fluid production.
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