After setting up their own tent, Mu Fu and Wen Shu went over to help the cameramen with theirs. Once the camp was finally in place, Wen Shu checked his watch—it was already past two in the afternoon. Time for lunch.
Since they hadn’t had a chance to search for food yet, they had to settle for compressed biscuits.
Wen Shu asked Mu Fu to fetch some water so they could boil a bit for drinking, while he stayed back to build a simple fire setup. The area was full of rocks, so his plan was to stack some larger stones into a makeshift stove.
Mu Fu easily filled her thermos and two lunch tins with water, handing them to Wen Shu for boiling. Leaning in a little, Mu Fu said, “Wen Shu, on my way back I saw a patch of bamboo—really tall ones. I think we can cut some to make a cooking shelter, in case it rains.”
Wen Shu nodded. “That’s a great idea. Bamboo is super useful. I’ll head over and grab some. You can stay here and rest.” Seeing how sweaty she was, he didn’t want her pushing herself anymore.
But Mu Fu insisted, “No, I want to come too. I’m not tired yet.”
“Alright,” he relented. “But if you feel tired at all, tell me, okay?”
Since she was set on going, he didn’t argue. He figured he could handle the heavy lifting anyway.
After a light meal of compressed snacks, they set out.
Now that they weren’t hauling any bags, Wen Shu simply reached out and held Mu Fu’s hand.
“It’s safer if I hold onto you,” he said gently.
Wen Shu led the way, and Mu Fu followed like a child trailing someone she trusted. Watching his strong, steady figure ahead of her, she felt deeply at ease. With green grass underfoot and birds and insects chirping all around them, everything felt calm and peaceful.
They had marked the trail earlier, so there was no risk of getting lost. Soon enough, they reached the bamboo grove Mu Fu had spotted. The bamboo was thick and tall—easily over ten meters. She had to crane her neck just to guess the height. Each stalk was as wide as a bowl.
Wen Shu patted one of the trunks. “Perfect. We can build a proper shelter with this. Maybe even put up some fencing around the camp to keep us safer at night.”
That had been Mu Fu’s exact thought when she first saw the bamboo. The open campsite made her uneasy. The idea that wild animals could show up at any moment left her on edge. Truth be told, she just hadn’t felt safe in this unfamiliar environment.
This was where their machete really proved its worth. In no time, Wen Shu had chopped down several thick bamboo stalks. With quick, practiced movements, he trimmed off the branches, leaving only the sturdy trunks.
Mu Fu tried to lift one of the larger stalks, but quickly realized she could only drag it—lifting it was out of the question.
“I’ll take that one,” Wen Shu said, gesturing toward a smaller bamboo stalk nearby. “You can carry that one instead.”
Mu Fu glanced between the two sizes, then down at her own hands, lips curling in playful defeat. “I guess that’s all I can manage.”
Seeing her adorable, animated expression, Wen Shu couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Be careful! You could cut your hand like that!” he said suddenly, his tone shifting the moment he noticed her hand dangerously close to one of the jagged ends where he’d cut off the branches. Some sharp splinters still clung to it—she had been far too careless.
“Ah! I didn’t notice!” Mu Fu gasped, quickly nodding and pulling her hand back.
Once he saw she was taking his warning seriously, Wen Shu went to gather some thin vines and began tying several bamboo stalks together. The bundle was secure and sturdy—easier to drag back to camp.
Because the bamboo was so long, it swayed as it scraped the ground. They had to walk in a line, one ahead and one behind, to manage it. Luckily, the grove wasn’t far from camp, so they got back quickly.
“You stay here and collect some dry branches,” Wen Shu said. “We’re still short on firewood.”
Mu Fu thought about it. Since she could only manage to drag one stalk back earlier, she hadn’t been much help anyway. Gathering firewood sounded like a better use of her time.
She gave him a sweet smile, her eyes crinkling. “Alright! You be careful out there. I’ll be here waiting for you, at home!” Her smile was bright, almost dazzling.
Wen Shu’s heart jolted like it had been shocked. In that moment, it felt like she was his wife, seeing him off and asking him to come home safely.
Was this their home now? He looked around at their simple shelter, and a strange sense of longing stirred in him.
“Okay. You be careful too. If anything happens, don’t hesitate—just run, understand?” He couldn’t help worrying the moment she was out of his sight.
Mu Fu nodded obediently. “Got it!”
Wen Shu gave her soft, fair cheek a gentle pinch and smiled. “Alright, I’m off. If anything happens, just shout for me.”
“Okay!” she replied cheerfully.
After Wen Shu left, Mu Fu grabbed a nearby cameraman and went out to gather firewood. Normally, this sort of task would’ve been unthinkable for her—but now, circumstances left her no choice.
She let out a long, dramatic sigh. “Life is so hard…” She was starting to miss how things were just one day ago.
Fortunately, the forest was full of dry branches. In no time, she’d gathered a large bundle. A few dead trees, already brittle, fell with just a light kick. Mu Fu dragged those back too—logs burned longer, after all! She even collected a bunch of pine needles. She remembered reading online that pine needles catch fire easily.
During one of her trips back, she noticed a few more bamboo stalks had appeared around camp—Wen Shu must’ve returned a couple of times, though they hadn’t crossed paths yet.
After a few more trips, she finally spotted him returning to camp.
Wen Shu was soaked with sweat, his clothes completely drenched. Mu Fu hurried over and handed him some water. He took it and drank deeply in one long gulp.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, water trickling down his neck—no one could say whether it was sweat or warm water—but under the sunlight, those droplets gleamed with a kind of quiet sensuality that caught Mu Fu off guard.
Her eyes were locked on him. She swallowed hard. I think I’m losing control here… what do I do?!
Wen Shu, sensing her lingering gaze, looked over. “What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing,” she stammered, quickly shifting her eyes away like she’d just remembered something over in the trees.
The forest around them was vibrant with green, the air sharp and earthy with a mix of fresh pine and the musty scent of fallen leaves.
Mu Fu cleared her throat lightly. “So… do you think this is enough firewood?”
Wen Shu glanced over at the pile of firewood. “That should be enough. We’re only staying here for three days. Oh, and I just set up a fish trap by the river. I’ll go check it later to see if we caught anything.”
He’d quickly woven a simple bamboo trap and baited it with some worms he dug up nearby.
“Really? You think we’ll have fish for dinner tonight?” Mu Fu’s eyes lit up with excitement. The compressed rations from earlier had filled her stomach, sure—but they hadn’t exactly satisfied her taste buds.
“Probably,” Wen Shu replied calmly.
Mu Fu was already fantasizing about their extra meal later.
After a short rest, the two of them got to work on building the camp’s perimeter. They had plenty of tools, so progress was quick. Wen Shu chopped the bamboo into lengths of about 1.3 meters, then used a folding shovel to dig holes roughly 30 centimeters deep. One by one, he buried the bamboo stakes into the ground, packing the dirt tightly around each one.
Mu Fu followed behind, tying the stakes together with vines, connecting each new piece to the last until they’d formed a circle enclosing the camp. They left a small opening in front of the tent as a makeshift entrance.
When they were done, Mu Fu looked at the over-one-meter-tall bamboo fence with a glowing sense of accomplishment. In this quiet, desolate forest, she never thought she’d feel this kind of peace—a surprising sense of safety, like all the dangers had been pushed far away. For a moment, she forgot about the scarcity of food or the stress of survival.
By the time they finished, it was already past 4 PM—time to start thinking about dinner.
Mu Fu hadn’t forgotten what Wen Shu said about the fish. “Wen Shu, should we go check the trap now? Maybe we’ve caught something!”
“Sure,” he nodded. “Let’s also set up a few small traps nearby. I saw some animal tracks close to the riverbank—they’ve been coming to drink water.”
Mu Fu nodded enthusiastically. “More food sounds great. Having a backup makes me feel safer.”
The sun dipped lower, casting its final golden glow over the forest. Slanted beams of light shimmered over the river, dancing across the rippling water.
When they reached the riverbank, Wen Shu turned to Mu Fu. “Wait here. I’ll check it myself.”
“Okay,” she replied.
The current wasn’t too strong. Wen Shu had placed the bamboo trap downstream, nestled beneath trees that stretched across the riverbanks. The area was cluttered with fallen branches and leaves—perfect for hiding the trap and keeping it from drifting away. It was also a natural haven for fish and shrimp.
Wen Shu bent down and opened the trap. “We got fish—and crabs!”
From the riverbank, Mu Fu’s face lit up with joy. “Really?! That’s amazing! Wen Shu, come up—be careful!”
“Alright,” he replied. He carefully stepped over the moss-covered rocks, moving slowly to avoid slipping. When he reached the bank, Mu Fu rushed over to peek inside the bamboo trap.
Inside, there was a palm-sized crucian carp—thin, not even a full pound—a smaller one about three fingers wide, a few small white shrimp, and most surprisingly… two little crabs!
“That’s quite a haul! We’re eating well tonight!” she beamed.
Wen Shu smiled as he watched her practically bouncing in place with excitement. “How do you want to eat them? I’ll cook.”
Mu Fu thought for a second, her eyes gleaming. “Let’s make fish soup! It’ll go great with the compressed biscuits!”
After the long day they’d had, she was already feeling hungry. Just thinking about thick, milky-white fish soup was enough to make her mouth water uncontrollably.
“Sure,” Wen Shu nodded. “Let’s pan-fry the rest.”
“Yum! Sounds delicious either way!”
“I’ll go set up a trap real quick. Once that’s done, we’ll head back and cook.”
Wen Shu gave the bamboo trap a gentle shake, then glanced toward a narrow path winding through the trees. It looked like a trail carved out by animals coming to drink water.
“I want to go with you,” Mu Fu said quickly. “I don’t want to be alone out here.”
He agreed. It wasn’t safe to leave her alone anyway, and the spot he had in mind wasn’t far.
He gave her a nod, and she happily followed behind. There was a lightness in her steps, a subtle smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
After scouting around, Wen Shu picked a good spot. Before they’d left earlier, he’d pulled a length of rope from their supplies. Now, he used it to set a simple snare.
Mu Fu watched him work—he finished it in just a few swift, practiced moves. “Wen Shu, how do you know how to do everything? That’s amazing!”
“What’s so hard about this?” he said, grinning. “Back in the Amazon, I once caught a wild boar.”
Mu Fu looked at him with admiration shining in her eyes.
Wen Shu felt a flicker of pride under her gaze. “Come on,” he said, slinging the bamboo trap over his shoulder. “Let’s get back and cook you dinner.”
Axolotl Translations 
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