A small plot of land in a mountain village

"snake--"

The two had only gone a short distance when a long black snake slowly slithered past them along the side of the road.

The large wolf in front howled softly, while the long black snake raised its head and hissed, but still slipped into the weeds.

"Fatty, are you afraid of snakes?" This was said when they saw the trembling fat man behind them.

"Yeah, I was scared of snakes when I was little. Even now, when I see a live snake, my whole body tingles. It's true what they say, once bitten by a snake, twice shy," he said, drooping his head.

It's surprising that the fat guy, who usually loves to brag, is afraid of snakes. But that's not surprising, since even Zhang Niu himself is afraid of snakes, let alone the fat guy who used to be terrified by snakes.

The wolf sniffed where the black snake had appeared, then jumped into the weeds but found nothing.

Based on what Zhang Niu just saw, this black snake was definitely a venomous snake. Snakes rarely attack unless they are accidentally stepped on or disturbed while resting.

Fortunately, the presence of the wolves prevented the black snake from attacking. Ordinary snakes are even more timid than humans, and they would quickly slither into the bushes when they saw people.

"Let's go! The snake has already escaped."

Soon, following the shortcut, one could hear the gurgling of the stream.

"We're almost there."

The fat man was panting heavily as he walked; if it weren't for his determination to drink, he would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

Now, the wolves are leading the way. Zhang Niu, who is following behind, feels much more at ease. As long as he pays attention, there's no need to worry about anything happening.

"No way! We're going to have to go through this crevice?" The fat man exclaimed, looking at the crevice hidden by vines.

When he first arrived, Zhang Niu couldn't find the crack at all. Now, the mountainside is covered with vines, completely obscuring the crack's opening. If he hadn't been relying on his memory, he really wouldn't have been able to find it.

The green vines hanging down looked like a green city wall, covering the ground densely.

"Yes, the valley is right behind here."

The wolves had already gone inside. They were howling softly, indicating that nothing was wrong inside.

The fat man quickly waved his hand, "Then I'll go first! You can stay behind me, I feel safe that way."

He pushed aside the vines and squeezed in. "Help me out, I'm stuck. Push me down hard." The fat man got stuck as soon as he squeezed in.

This reminded Zhang Niu of the last time King Kong was in the same situation. He had to push him from behind to get in. Now Fatty was doing the same thing. Luckily, Fatty had come in first, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to push him from behind.

"They're here."

With Zhang Niu's help, the fat man managed to get inside with a little effort.

"My god, this crack almost got me stuck here and I couldn't get out!" he shouted.

The crack remained as dry as ever, with no weeds growing underfoot, only weathered pebbles.

"You should really lose weight. Who told you to have this body type?" Zhang Niu chuckled and teased.

The fat man couldn't really argue, so he could only resist by not answering. He walked forward.

"This crack is really strange; it allows people to pass through. Without someone to guide me, I wouldn't have known there was such a path."

The crack wasn't very long, and since no one had led the way, they were unaware of its existence. There seemed to be another shortcut, but Zhang Niu had forgotten that last time he had come in with poachers and hadn't paid any attention to the path.

A white light appeared ahead; the mountain crevice was about to be crossed.

The crack on this side was much wider than the one outside, and the fat man easily squeezed through.

Before me grew weeds taller than a person, swaying in the wind.

"Hey Niu, is this all I'm supposed to do with look at this superior weed?" He turned around and roared at Zhang Niu.

The fat guy is going crazy for coming all this way just to look at weeds.

Even his tone of voice became much heavier. He was exhausted. He had just passed through this mountain crevice and was very excited. It was his first time crawling through a mountain crevice, so it would be a lie to say he wasn't excited.

Who knew it would turn out like this?

"Don't rush, we're not there yet. Your shouting is really scary."

"I thought we'd arrived, but it's your fault for not explaining clearly." Hearing Zhang Niu's words, he felt a little embarrassed.

However, Zhang Niu was to blame for not explaining things clearly earlier. In most people's minds, passing through the mountain path crevice should have led to a certain view. But the result was the opposite.

He pulled out his machete. It was impossible to crawl under there in the summer, but the weeds were all densely packed, making them relatively easy to cut.

"Cut through here, and you'll reach the valley. It'll be quick, don't rush. It won't make a difference how much time you spend here."

A sharp machete was the easiest way to deal with weeds taller than a person, and the fat man quickly joined in. The two men's machetes flew through the air.

The knife rises, the grass falls.

A road has been built through it, and the ground underneath is all clean. It seems that the grass has grown so tall that the weeds underneath are not qualified to survive. The survival of the fittest in nature is adapted to every place.

After cutting down the last clump of weeds, the vast blue lake came into view.

The mist and fog obscured this small place.

"This place you mentioned was definitely worth the trip." The fat man ran over happily.

Zhang Niu found it strange. The fog had disappeared after winter, so why was it reappearing now? It was truly perplexing.

Since the fat man had already gone up, Zhang Niu naturally had to go up and wash his face. The biting cold of the lake had disappeared, and he could wash his face and freshen up in peace.

What a great place! Why didn't Zhang Niu bring me here? If I had brought my camera today, it would have been awesome.

Looking at the calm lake in front of him, the fat man really wanted to go for a swim. Despite his heavy size, he was quite a good swimmer. He could do the breaststroke, freestyle, and doggy paddle.

I ran to the lake and reached in to wash my face. It was still cold, but I thought to myself that I would definitely swim there next time I came.

"ah!!!"

The fat man had just scooped up a handful of lake water, and before he could even splash it on his face, the biting cold had already traveled through his hands to his brain. He couldn't help but scream.

Could something have happened to Fatty? Hearing the sound, Zhang Niu quickly ran towards the lake.

The fat man was already rubbing his hands together, which were red from the effort. Seeing Zhang Niu approach, he exclaimed, "You've ruined me! Why didn't you tell me about this freezing lake water? If I hadn't been able to resist swimming in it, I'd be a popsicle by now!"

"You're saying the lake water has turned bone-chilling?" Hearing the fat man say this, Zhang Niu floated across the icy lake water.

"Yes, I just scooped some up with both hands. My hands are so cold I can't feel them at all." He continued rubbing his hands.

Zhang Niu was a little embarrassed. "I'm really sorry about this. Last time, I only realized how icy the lake water was because of this. When I came back later, the water was normal again. I thought it was fine."

It seems Zhang Niu was wronged; he's just unlucky! The lake water is bone-chilling, even colder than lake water in winter. This lake has quite a few tricks up its sleeve.

"It's alright, I was just unlucky. I was just thinking about going swimming." She said, squeezing in some tears to look pitiful.

The icy lake water deterred Zhang Niu from washing his face. Summer was bitterly cold; he wondered if it would be the same in autumn. It seemed he'd have to wait and see.

Aside from the icy lake water, the landscape is quite beautiful, shrouded in mist. It's quite a sight to behold.

"This place is pretty good. It's a waste of my time to come here without you. It's a bit secluded. It would probably be hard to get here without someone showing you the way," the fat man said, rubbing his hands.

"Well, it's alright. In winter, you can walk on the lake. If you throw a stone at it, you'll only leave a white mark. You can imagine how well the lake freezes!" He said, recounting this amusing incident from last year.

Is it possible to walk on ice? Although it snowed last year and the temperature wasn't low, we really couldn't walk on ice. There was a lot of ice, but it was a thin layer. A stone could easily smash through it. But now, it takes a stone to make a mark. How thick is this ice?

Many thoughts raced through the fat man's mind. This lake is something special; it's probably due to its topography, environmental changes, and many other factors, too numerous to list.

"Why didn't you bring me along? Skating on the lake is such a great activity in the middle of winter. You've really wasted your time." He shook his head as he spoke.

"I just forgot. It's the dead of winter, and if you stay home all day, who's going to be interested in going ice skating?"

"If it's like this again this year, don't forget to tell me that it's really hard to find a proper ice rink these days in winter. We can open an ice rink. We'll just borrow this place for a bit, no problem, and the money will be flowing into our pockets in no time." The fat man said, gesturing as he spoke.

The fat guy was just saying he'd call him to go ice skating, and now he's back to this business. But thinking about it, it makes sense; this authentic ice skating spot would probably attract a lot of people!

If we're going to open this business, we'll have to discuss it with the village chief. I think the village will all agree on the way we make money!

"Businessman, you've got a really quick mind. My brain doesn't work as fast as yours. It seems there's a big difference between us." He said, gazing at the lake in front of him.

"I'll be eating my rice a few years longer than you. That's what I mean by business opportunities are everywhere. It just depends on whether you can find them. Businessmen are looking for business opportunities every day. What you just brush past might be a business opportunity."

The fat man is right; business opportunities are everywhere, but I just don't have the vision.

"Let's go back!" Zhang Niu suggested.

"Let's go back! But this wine and medicine will make up for it. Look at my hands, they're still a bit clumsy. And this lake water is fucking cold, no one can stand it."

The lake is beautiful, but it also represents a lot of danger.

The fat man kept cursing and swearing at the lake, which made Zhang Niu, who was walking along the road, laugh. The lake wasn't a person, so why was he talking about it like that?

When they came out, Zhang Niu pushed Fatty out again. All the vines outside were put back to cover the cracks in the mountain path. Although few people passed by this place, it was still necessary to cover it up as usual.

I imagine next time I come, this patch of green vines will be even more lush than before, making me feel more masculine. I've placed some stones nearby as a marker so I can find it easily next time.

In half a day, they picked quite a few honeysuckle flowers, which was a good harvest. However, Zhang Niu didn't know what to say when he saw the fat man's red hands.

It's all my fault for not trying it first, sigh!!!

P.S.: Third update! Thank you all for your donations. (To be continued. For more chapters, please log in to support the author and read the official version!)