Her voice was so soft that Wang Zhi wasn’t sure he heard it. Seeing her stay put, he climbed onto his own beam and stood at the start, just like Niu Niu.
“Niu Niu, get up. Your brother will walk with you.”
With her brother’s encouragement, Niu Niu got up.
“Good. You’re doing great. Falling is no big deal. Get back up. Never give up.”
Niu Niu walked cautiously, balancing with her arms, also trying to listen to her brother’s pep talk. The other three had their fragments. They were made of acrylic, shiny and cool to the touch. They had theirs. What about Youyou? The one they were all worried about was squatting at the tunnel entrance with his foldable shovel, digging for treasure.
Shen Yan was both amused and exasperated: “Youyou, we have to go inside to find the treasure.”
Five minutes earlier, they’d arrived at the tunnel entrance, a wall of ferns acting like a curtain to this secret place. The ferns were tall and lush, with wide leaves like feathers, spreading out. The plants were stunning, and the little guy forgot the mission, pulling out his shovel and refusing to move. The stalks of the ferns were thick and tough, covered in moss, bearing the marks of time. The leaves were a dark green, with a silvery sheen at the edges, sparkling like jewels. This was irresistible to a three-and-a-half-year-old plant lover. His mind was full of plants, not treasure.
Shen Yan crouched beside him: “Youyou, after we find the treasure, I’ll help you dig. The plants outside are beautiful, but the ones inside will be even more beautiful.”
The little guy’s eyes lit up. He grabbed his shovel and his brother’s hand: “Let’s go find treasure!”
Shen Yan smiled, took out the flashlight, and led the way.
“Do you want me to carry you?”
As they went deeper, the light faded.
“No. Youyou will walk.”
He held his brother’s hand and carefully entered the “Time Tunnel.”
It was dim inside, with occasional rays of light helping them see. Hoping to find even more plants, the little guy walked slowly, looking around, though he couldn’t see much. Most children would be scared in a place like this, some too afraid to even enter. Su Youli was different. With beautiful plants to find, a little darkness didn’t matter, especially with his brother there. It got darker, and the flashlight was less useful.
Afraid he’d fall, Shen Yan carried the little guy on his back. The little guy held tight, his face against his brother’s neck, holding the light for him. After about ten minutes, they saw the end. The little guy was eager. When Shen Yan put him down, he used the flashlight to open the treasure chest. Inside was a clear fragment.
“Big Brother,” he said, smiling proudly.
“We did it!”
Back on his brother’s back, the little guy was puzzled: “Why do we need this?”
He wanted to find mushrooms and maybe see deer and squirrels.
“You forgot. We need the fragments to get the key to the campsite.”
The little guy had been too excited by the forest to listen to the rules. His mind was full of new plants, ignoring the director.
“Can we dig some of that moss?” He wanted to grow it.
And the large fern. He didn’t know its name, but he knew it was a fern.
“I can only take a little bit of each.”
“That’s good,” the little guy said, his legs swinging happily.
After turning in his fragment, Shen Yan helped him collect moss. The little guy carefully packed the leaves and a piece of the fern, flat in his bag. With all the fragments, they got the map and headed to the campsite. The little guy showed his new treasures to his friends, asking if they liked the leaves. They were so beautiful.
The other kids wanted to find pretty leaves for Youyou too. They walked together, sharing their stories, heading to the campsite, surrounded by adults. The campsite was in an open area, surrounded by tall trees, and they arrived at noon. The sun was shining like a decoration for their camp.
The crew gave out tents, sleeping bags, and other gear. The adults set up camp. The kids ran onto the grass, rolling and playing, the others joining in. They lay on the grass, their eyes reflecting the sky. Youyou turned over, pulled out his treasures, and admired them through the bag. Even the grass grew tall and green here. He wanted to grow grass just as beautiful.
Reaching the Campsite
Her voice was so soft that Wang Zhi wasn’t sure he heard it. Seeing her stay put, he climbed onto his own beam and stood at the start, just like Niu Niu.
“Niu Niu, get up. Your brother will walk with you.”
With her brother’s encouragement, Niu Niu got up.
“Good. You’re doing great. Falling is no big deal. Get back up. Never give up.”
Niu Niu walked cautiously, balancing with her arms, also trying to listen to her brother’s pep talk. The other three had their fragments. They were made of acrylic, shiny and cool to the touch. They had theirs. What about Youyou? The one they were all worried about was squatting at the tunnel entrance with his foldable shovel, digging for treasure.
Shen Yan was both amused and exasperated: “Youyou, we have to go inside to find the treasure.”
Five minutes earlier, they’d arrived at the tunnel entrance, a wall of ferns acting like a curtain to this secret place. The ferns were tall and lush, with wide leaves like feathers, spreading out. The plants were stunning, and the little guy forgot the mission, pulling out his shovel and refusing to move. The stalks of the ferns were thick and tough, covered in moss, bearing the marks of time. The leaves were a dark green, with a silvery sheen at the edges, sparkling like jewels. This was irresistible to a three-and-a-half-year-old plant lover. His mind was full of plants, not treasure.
Shen Yan crouched beside him: “Youyou, after we find the treasure, I’ll help you dig. The plants outside are beautiful, but the ones inside will be even more beautiful.”
The little guy’s eyes lit up. He grabbed his shovel and his brother’s hand: “Let’s go find treasure!”
Shen Yan smiled, took out the flashlight, and led the way.
“Do you want me to carry you?”
As they went deeper, the light faded.
“No. Youyou will walk.”
He held his brother’s hand and carefully entered the “Time Tunnel.”
It was dim inside, with occasional rays of light helping them see. Hoping to find even more plants, the little guy walked slowly, looking around, though he couldn’t see much. Most children would be scared in a place like this, some too afraid to even enter. Su Youli was different. With beautiful plants to find, a little darkness didn’t matter, especially with his brother there. It got darker, and the flashlight was less useful.
Afraid he’d fall, Shen Yan carried the little guy on his back. The little guy held tight, his face against his brother’s neck, holding the light for him. After about ten minutes, they saw the end. The little guy was eager. When Shen Yan put him down, he used the flashlight to open the treasure chest. Inside was a clear fragment.
“Big Brother,” he said, smiling proudly.
“We did it!”
Back on his brother’s back, the little guy was puzzled: “Why do we need this?”
He wanted to find mushrooms and maybe see deer and squirrels.
“You forgot. We need the fragments to get the key to the campsite.”
The little guy had been too excited by the forest to listen to the rules. His mind was full of new plants, ignoring the director.
“Can we dig some of that moss?” He wanted to grow it.
And the large fern. He didn’t know its name, but he knew it was a fern.
“I can only take a little bit of each.”
“That’s good,” the little guy said, his legs swinging happily.
After turning in his fragment, Shen Yan helped him collect moss. The little guy carefully packed the leaves and a piece of the fern, flat in his bag. With all the fragments, they got the map and headed to the campsite. The little guy showed his new treasures to his friends, asking if they liked the leaves. They were so beautiful.
The other kids wanted to find pretty leaves for Youyou too. They walked together, sharing their stories, heading to the campsite, surrounded by adults. The campsite was in an open area, surrounded by tall trees, and they arrived at noon. The sun was shining like a decoration for their camp.
The crew gave out tents, sleeping bags, and other gear. The adults set up camp. The kids ran onto the grass, rolling and playing, the others joining in. They lay on the grass, their eyes reflecting the sky. Youyou turned over, pulled out his treasures, and admired them through the bag. Even the grass grew tall and green here. He wanted to grow grass just as beautiful.
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