Axolotl Translations

The all-consuming blizzard had finally quieted down. The temperature, as if breaking free from winter’s icy grip, slowly began to rise—like bamboo shoots stirring to life deep in the forest soil, pushing up through the earth, heralding the coming spring.

The sky was just starting to lighten, still gray and misty, when the clanging of metal echoed across the sea.

Ships bobbed with the waves, bustling with people wielding shovels and hammers, scraping off ice and clearing snow—busy preparing for the end of this long, brutal winter and the beginning of the next journey.

Big ships had their advantages, but small ships had theirs too. While the Giant and the Yongyue were still busy cleaning, the Windwing had already cleared its deck. With some free time on their hands, Liang Zhao and Xu Xinghe hoisted burlap sacks over their shoulders, while Gu Mengran and Zheng Yijie carried foam crates as they climbed aboard the Giant.

The gangway was slippery and hard to navigate, especially with heavy loads. It took the four of them more than ten minutes just to make it up a few short flights of stairs.

Zheng Yijie and Xu Xinghe had never been aboard the Giant before. As soon as they set foot on deck, they were struck speechless.

Standing atop the “shoulders of a giant,” they were greeted by an open-air deck that spanned several times the size of a football field. They froze in place, stunned, jaws practically hitting the floor.

They saw this massive beast every day, docked beside them, looming large the moment they opened their eyes each morning.

But seeing it from below was one thing—just an overwhelming sense of size. It wasn’t until they actually stepped onto the deck that they felt the full impact: the vast blue ocean was completely blocked from view by the massive hull, and the wide, flat deck stretched so far it seemed to have no end. For a moment, it felt like they were standing on land again—as if the apocalypse had never happened.

“Holy crap… this ship is huge.”

Zheng Yijie had all kinds of adjectives in his head, but somehow all he could manage was “huge.” He was about to try and salvage it when Xu Xinghe, voice trembling with excitement, blurted out, “This is really a ship? It feels like a moving fortress! So badass! So cool!”

“Badass” and “cool”—about the same level as “huge.” Neither one had managed to sound remotely eloquent.

At least Zheng Yijie wasn’t the only one struggling to find the right words. That made him feel better.

The sheer scale and majesty of the Giant had them completely enthralled. They stood frozen, unable to move forward.

Realizing two people were missing, Gu Mengran turned around to see Zheng Yijie and Xu Xinghe still standing at the gangway like a couple of wide-eyed kids in a big city for the first time, gawking in every direction.

The crate of soil in his arms was ridiculously heavy, his arms already aching. With a sigh, Gu Mengran called out, “What are you two doing? Are you coming or not?”

Snapped out of their trance, the two of them jogged over, lugging their cargo.

In their excitement, they’d completely forgotten why they were even here. As soon as he caught up, Zheng Yijie looked pleadingly at Gu Mengran, panting. “Can we please take a tour of the Giant first? I’ve never seen a ship this big. I swear, it’s driving me crazy!”

Like a kid seeing a real-life Transformer for the first time, Zheng Yijie was practically bouncing with excitement. But Gu Mengran wasn’t about to indulge him. He strode forward, not slowing down. “Work first. I’ll show you something even better afterward.”

Zheng Yijie hurried after him. “What kind of place—”

“Xiao Gu! Xiao Liang! What brings you here?”

As they neared the stern tower, more and more people bustled about. One of the familiar crew members spotted them and waved from afar.

After all, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao had lived aboard the Giant for a while—most of the residents recognized them. As soon as their names were called out, the workers on deck began pausing their tasks, craning their necks for a look.

“Xiao Liang, Xiao Gu, what have you two been up to lately? Haven’t seen you around!”

“Hey, good morning! What are you carrying there?”

“Well, look who’s here! Got time to visit the Giant now? You guys finished clearing the ice on your ship?”

……

With each ship busy doing its own thing, it had been a while since they’d last crossed paths.

Everyone greeted them with such enthusiasm that Gu Mengran had to slow his steps and respond one by one: “Morning! Same as you—fishing and crab-hunting. Us? The Windwing got everything cleaned up before sunrise. As for this stuff? That’s a secret for now. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Ooh, how mysterious!” a middle-aged man teased, grinning as he eyed the heavy sack slung over Liang Zhao’s shoulder. “Looks heavy. Want a hand?”

“I’ll help!” a young guy eagerly stepped forward.

Gu Mengran quickly waved them off. “No need, no need. You all carry on.”

“Well, alright then, Brother Gu. You’re here to see the captain, right? He’s up in the bridge. The elevator’s running today—you can take that up.”

“Perfect. Thanks.”

The cargo was heavy, and Gu Mengran didn’t linger. After thanking them, he led the group toward the stern tower.

He’d already radioed Captain Ding in advance, and Ding Pengyi had arranged for a crew member to meet them on the first floor. Even though Gu Mengran knew the Giant inside and out, he didn’t turn down the offer—after all, it wasn’t polite to wander around someone else’s ship without a guide.

Just as they entered the stern tower, they ran into the assigned crew member—an old acquaintance, actually. He was the same young guy who had once piloted the lifeboat that brought them back.

After a few friendly greetings and some small talk, the crew member confidently led them through the corridor and over to the elevator.

They got lucky—it had just arrived on the first floor. Cradling the foam crate in his arms, Gu Mengran stepped into the elevator. For some reason, looking at this once-ordinary piece of pre-apocalypse technology stirred up a strange, nostalgic feeling.

City roads, towering skyscrapers, cars, planes…

All of it now felt like something from a past life.

Ding—

The elevator reached the top floor. Right next to it was the bridge, but Gu Mengran and the others didn’t go in right away. Instead, they set the burlap sacks and foam boxes down by the elevator doors and asked the crew member to fetch Captain Ding.

Ding Pengyi arrived quickly. He was still catching his breath when the door opened. With his signature cheerful smile, he strode over to them, full of energy.

“You’re here! Mengran, Liang Zhao—oh? And two more young lads… Xiao, Xiao…”

He’d only seen Zheng Yijie and Xu Xinghe a couple of times and couldn’t recall their names right away. Gu Mengran was just about to introduce them when Ding Pengyi waved his index finger confidently and declared, “Xiao Zheng, Xiao Xu!”

“Wow, Uncle Ding, what a memory! You actually remembered us,” Zheng Yijie said sweetly, calling him “Uncle” without hesitation.

Ding Pengyi ate that right up. He clapped Zheng Yijie on the shoulder with a grin. “How could I forget? You two are just like Mengran and Liang Zhao—solid young men!”

The small talk didn’t last long—Ding Pengyi had noticed the items stacked on the floor.

Two full burlap sacks and two foam boxes wrapped in black plastic. He glanced at them, then turned to Gu Mengran with a slight frown. His tone was a little disapproving.

“Didn’t I just say over the radio? You’re always welcome to come over and talk, but don’t bring anything with you.”

“You think your Uncle Ding lives off grass? You’ve seen what a single trawl haul gets us—tons of seafood. We don’t need your stuff. Take it back with you later; hauling it around is a waste of energy.”

He obviously thought they were bringing seafood as a gift. Gu Mengran chuckled and quickly explained, “Uncle Ding, it’s not—”

“No—I said don’t bring anything!”

Before he could finish, Gu Mengran shot a subtle glance to the side. Catching the signal, Liang Zhao immediately crouched down. With one hand, he swiftly untied the rope on the burlap sack; with the other, he peeled back the black plastic covering the foam box.

A splash of vivid green burst into view, stopping Ding Pengyi in his tracks. His pupils contracted sharply. Then, as the sack opened wider and a pile of round, ping-pong-ball-sized potatoes came tumbling out, he actually staggered back a step, so overwhelmed he nearly forgot to breathe.

There was a solid two-minute silence.

Finally, Ding Pengyi swallowed hard, raised a trembling finger at the sack, and stammered, “Th-These… where did you get these? Potatoes? These are potatoes?!”

It was clear—he hadn’t seen potatoes in a long time.

Gu Mengran bent down and picked out two small potatoes, smiling as he handed them over. “Yep, they’re potatoes. We grew them ourselves. Take a look, Uncle Ding.”

“You grew them yourselves?” Ding Pengyi took the tiny spuds and held them close to his face, examining them over and over. “They really are potatoes! When did you plant these? How did you do it? Where’d you get the seeds?”

The questions came fast. Gu Mengran wasn’t flustered in the least. Calmly, he replied, “Not gonna lie, Uncle Ding—before the apocalypse hit, I stocked up on supplies and bought some seeds while I was at it. Picked up a little of everything—fruits and veggies, all sorts.”

“One year ago, when we were still at Fengjin Lake and ran out of vegetables, we thought—why not try planting some?” Gu Mengran nudged the foam box with his foot. “We dug up some soil from a hillside nearby and planted directly into boxes like this.”

As he spoke, Gu Mengran reached over and dragged the idle Zheng Yijie forward, giving a grand introduction. “This is Xiao Zheng—Zheng Yijie. He graduated from an agricultural university and knows a lot about plants. You could call him our in-house expert. Even with all the rain after the heatwaves, we managed to grow vegetables under his guidance.”

Zheng Yijie turned red instantly and waved his hands in embarrassment. “No, no, no, I just know a little. I’m no expert.”

Gu Mengran ignored the modesty. “Anyway, ever since then, we haven’t lacked vegetables. These potatoes were planted about four months ago, along with other crops. When it got cold, the Windwing lost power after running out of fuel, and most of the plants died—except for these potatoes. They were lucky enough to survive.”

Captain Ding slowly came back to his senses, stroking his chin as he muttered thoughtfully, “You mean you grew these… without sunlight? These potatoes aren’t big, but that yield is crazy! Two full sacks from just these little foam boxes?”

“That’s only half the harvest,” Gu Mengran said calmly, rubbing his nose. “We kept the other half for ourselves.”

Captain Ding’s head shot up. He grabbed Gu Mengran’s hand, almost desperate. “Mengran, do you still have seeds? Can you—would you be willing to share some with us? We can trade fuel, seafood—whatever you need!”

“Uncle Ding, what are you saying?” Gu Mengran clasped his hand back, frowning a little. “If it weren’t for the fuel you gave us, we might’ve frozen to death. There wouldn’t have been a chance to grow anything. Don’t say stuff like that—it’s too formal.”

Before Captain Ding could argue, Gu Mengran continued, “My grandpa always meant to tell you, but I thought it wasn’t the right time. Good soil is hard to come by these days, and during the cold snap, most of our plants froze to death. Only the potatoes survived. We didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

“But now the weather’s warming up again, and after letting them sit for a while, the potatoes started sprouting. They’re growing really well, and the yield’s been great. We didn’t just come today to give you some potatoes to eat—we wanted to show you that growing food on a ship is possible.”

Captain Ding’s eyes lit up. “That’s fantastic! Truly amazing news!”

“We’re setting sail today. If we find land in the Pacific, great—we’ll fish and farm and live self-sufficiently. But even if we don’t, it’s fine. The Giant is big. We’ll just bring back more soil and grow even more vegetables. And don’t worry about running out of seeds—most vegetables can be propagated after they mature. We’ll be fine in the future.”

The more he spoke, the more excited Captain Ding became. His face flushed red as he gripped Gu Mengran’s hand tightly, his body slightly trembling from sheer joy.

Thinking of the future, a quiet smile touched Gu Mengran’s lips. “That’s right, Uncle Ding. No more worrying. And since we have a wide variety of seeds, we won’t get bored of eating the same things either.”

“You clever kid, buying seeds before the disaster!” Ding Pengyi couldn’t stop grinning. He clapped Gu Mengran on the shoulder. “You’re right—no matter how much food you stockpile, it’ll run out eventually. You need to replenish. I should’ve thought of this sooner!”

Gu Mengran chuckled. “You did think of it—didn’t you teach us how to fish?”

Ding Pengyi let out a hearty laugh. His eyes swept over the green potato leaves on the ground, and he tilted his head in confusion.

“Wait, why’d you haul these two boxes of potatoes all the way over here? Afraid I wouldn’t believe they’re real unless I saw how they were grown?”

“Not exactly.” Gu Mengran shook his head. “These two boxes are for you. With the plants still in the soil, it’s easier for you to explain things.”

“Explain to who?”

“To the crew and residents on the Giant.”

“Oh—right!” Ding Pengyi nodded in sudden realization, then frowned slightly. “But why’d you wrap the boxes in black plastic bags? Isn’t this great news? What’s there to hide?”

Gu Mengran smiled and locked eyes with him. They held the gaze for a good thirty seconds before Gu Mengran finally said, “There’s still a shortage of soil. So, growing vegetables on board isn’t something we can roll out just yet. As for whether to tell the others, or when to tell them—Uncle Ding, you’re the highest authority on the Giant. It’s not our place to decide.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Ding Pengyi’s expression turned serious. He stared at Gu Mengran for a long moment, eyes filled with complex emotions, before letting out a heartfelt sigh.

“Impressive, Gu Mengran. You’ve got the same spirit your grandfather had back in the day. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you, kid.”

……

The Giant was massive, and the main engine needed time to warm up before departure, so Gu Mengran and his group didn’t rush back right away after finishing their business.

With Captain Ding’s approval, Gu Mengran made good on his earlier promise and took the excited “first-timers” up to the best viewing spot on the entire ship—the bridge. They marveled at the scale of the vessel and got a real feel for what “grand and majestic” meant. They also discovered that, yes, it is colder the higher you go.

But curious kittens Zheng Yijie and Xu Xinghe weren’t satisfied yet. Afterward, they insisted on exploring the deck. Figuring there was still time, Gu Mengran humored them.

And the result?

“GU MENGRAN! What the hell took you so long to drop something off?! What’re you guys doing? Planning to just move in and never come back?!”

The walkie-talkie crackled to life with Old Man Meng’s thunderous voice, shaking the sky with his fury.

Gu Mengran exchanged a glance with the others. No words were needed. As one, the trio spun around and bolted for the gangway.

Water tanks full. Fuel tanks topped up. The Windwing was fully warmed and ready to sail. As far as Gu Mengran was concerned, there was no more work to be done—but that didn’t stop him from racing ahead of the others, leading the charge back to the ship.

Only to burst into the bridge and freeze in place.

“Three of a kind.”

“Pass. Can’t beat that.”

“I’ll play! Triple queens!”

A small folding table was set up beside the helm. The very same old man who’d been yelling a minute ago now sat at the table with the two sisters, smiling and calmly holding a full hand of playing cards.

That’s right.

They were playing cards—chatting, laughing, totally relaxed. The mood was surprisingly harmonious.

When they walked in, Grandpa Meng even grinned and jerked his chin in greeting. “Back already? Go grab your own chair from the storeroom.”

Gu Mengran: …Was that yelling earlier just a hallucination?

“Grandpa?” Gu Mengran walked over slowly, standing beside him, cautiously asking, “You called us back in such a hurry… was there something urgent?”

“Oh, right!”

The old man suddenly remembered. He slapped his thigh, shoved his cards into Gu Mengran’s hands, then pushed him down into the chair.

“I need to hit the restroom. You take my spot. Don’t you dare lose, Gu Mengran—I’ve got a great hand here!”

Before he even finished talking, he was already bolting out of the bridge.

Sitting at the table with the cards in hand, Gu Mengran was still stunned. It took him a few seconds to process.

Seriously? That yelling earlier was just about… this?

He looked down at the cards—and nearly blacked out.

So this was the “great hand”? He couldn’t even beat a triple! What was he supposed to do with this garbage?

Clearly dodging a hopeless round, Grandpa Meng returned just as Gu Mengran lost the game. Without asking who won or lost, he plucked Gu Mengran out of the seat like a rag doll, sat down, and happily resumed playing.

With little to do for fun after the disaster, poker had become one of the rare entertainments. Zheng Yijie and Xu Xinghe got excited too—they quickly grabbed a couple chairs and joined in enthusiastically.

Gu Mengran wasn’t in the mood. He strolled to the window alone, gazing through the windshield at the fog-shrouded sea ahead.

But less than two minutes later, warmth enveloped his hand. His lips curved slightly, and from the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of eyes full of concern watching him.

“What are you thinking about?”

The others were still engrossed in poker, too distracted to notice. Liang Zhao took his hand without hesitation, fingers sliding confidently between Gu Mengran’s, lacing them tightly together.

A warm feeling rose in Gu Mengran’s chest. He didn’t care if anyone saw. He gently squeezed Liang Zhao’s hand in return, the smile in his eyes deepening.

“I was thinking… about our future.”

“Oh? And? What does our future look like?” Liang Zhao asked, eyes soft with amusement.

Instead of answering, Gu Mengran asked, “What do you think?”

“Our future is bright,” Liang Zhao said firmly, hand still clasped around his.

Gu Mengran let out a quiet chuckle, eyes fixed on the sea. “It’s all unknown ahead—uncharted waters. How can you be so sure it’s bright?”

“Because you’re with me.”

Gu Mengran looked out to sea. Liang Zhao looked at him.

Slowly, something invisible seemed to draw their gazes together, meeting in the space between them. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Everything around them faded until they could only see each other.

Woooo… Woooooo—

A deep, resonant horn cut through the stillness like a beast’s roar echoing across the sea.

Thick clouds rolled overhead, like dark ink spilling across the sky. The long-awaited storm was finally approaching.

Across the endless ocean, the sound of engines rumbled like thunder. Propellers whirled at full speed, churning the sea into white spray. Three ships moved forward in perfect formation—like arrows released from the bow, riding the waves into the unknown.

Ahead was uncertainty.

Ahead was also the future.

Go see it for yourself.

The Windwing. The Yongyue. The Giant.

Set sail.

—The End—

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