The next day, sunlight, like a golden veil, filtered through the gaps in the shelter and gently fell on Lu Fan's face.
Lu Fan slowly woke up, but his head felt like it had been hit by a heavy hammer, and a dull pain struck him.
He rubbed his temples, vaguely recalling the embarrassing situation of getting drunk after just one cup of monkey wine last night. His face flushed red to his ears, as if it had been roasted by fire.
"Oh no, oh no, I've made a huge fool of myself in front of An Lan now."
Lu Fan muttered to himself, feeling utterly frustrated.
He glanced around furtively and, finding An Lan absent, breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Not long after, An Lan walked in carrying a steaming bowl of hangover soup, a faint smile on her face: "Oh, Hero Lu is awake? Here, drink this hangover soup, it'll make you feel better."
Lu Fan took the soup, lowered his head, and whispered, "Um... I'm really sorry about last night. I didn't expect my alcohol tolerance to become so low."
An Lan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You, yesterday you were so confident that monkey wine and pork offal soup were a perfect match, but you passed out after just one cup. I thought you were bewitched by the 'little monster' in the monkey wine!"
Lu Fan scratched his head awkwardly, downed the hangover soup in one gulp, and tried to change the subject: "This soup is really delicious. I feel much clearer-headed after drinking it. By the way, what are we doing today?"
An Lan laughed and said, "You forgot? Didn't we say yesterday that we were going to give the monkeys a gift? I've already prepared it!"
Lu Fan then remembered this and quickly got up to help.
They carefully roasted some wild boar meat, and the aroma of the roasted meat was so enticing that it made one's mouth water.
They also took out the salt they had stored up earlier, a precious resource in the wilderness, along with a jar of honey harvested from a beehive—it was all a token of their heartfelt appreciation.
With everything prepared, Lu Fan and An Lan, along with Da Hei, set off for the monkey troop's lair.
Along the way, the warm sunshine shone on us, and the wildflowers by the roadside bloomed freely, colorful and vibrant, like a floral carpet spread across the earth.
Big Black ran happily ahead, stopping every now and then to sniff the flowers, its tail wagging like a rattle.
Soon, they arrived at the monkeys' territory.
When the Monkey King saw them from afar, he squeaked excitedly and led a group of little monkeys to hop and skip as they came to greet them, like a group of enthusiastic little fans.
"Friend, we've come to see you! We've brought lots of delicious food." Lu Fan greeted the Monkey King with a smile, like an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.
The monkeys stared curiously at the gifts in their hands, their eyes wide and full of anticipation.
Lu Fan and An Lan laid out the roasted meat, salt, and honey, and the monkeys immediately surrounded them, chattering and making a great commotion.
A little monkey was the first to grab a piece of roasted meat and take a cautious bite.
Its eyes lit up instantly, it squeaked incessantly, and even excitedly did a somersault on the ground, as if to say, "This is so delicious!"
Seeing this, the other monkeys followed suit, and soon the only sound was the crunching of chewing meat, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
The Monkey King also picked up a piece of roasted meat and ate it with relish, occasionally dipping his paw in salt, looking as if he were savoring a top-grade delicacy.
After finishing its meal, it let out a satisfied burp and waved its arms and legs at Lu Fan and An Lan as if to express its gratitude.
"It seems they really enjoy grilled meat. This is their first time eating cooked food. They've really opened the door to a new world for them," An Lan said with a smile, her eyes full of laughter.
"Yes, look how excited they are, they seem even happier than if they've discovered a treasure." Lu Fan was also infected by the monkeys' enthusiasm and couldn't stop smiling.
Just then, a mischievous little monkey spotted the honey. Curious, it went over, dipped its paw in the honey, and put it in its mouth to taste it.
Instantly, a look of ecstasy appeared on its face, and it hugged the honey jar tightly, as if it were a rare treasure.
Seeing this, the other monkeys swarmed around and scrambled for it, creating chaos in the air.
"Haha, these little guys are almost fighting over the honey." Lu Fan laughed so hard he almost fell over, watching the comical scene.
Anlan quickly stepped forward, divided the honey into small portions, and distributed them to each monkey.
The monkeys then quieted down, each one eating with their mouths full of honey, looking quite adorable.
After eating and drinking their fill, the monkeys surrounded Lu Fan and An Lan, jumping around and occasionally massaging their shoulders and legs, making the two of them laugh heartily.
Then, they played games with the monkey troop.
Lu Fan and An Lan taught the monkeys to throw stones and play hide-and-seek. The monkeys learned very well and had a great time.
Big Black joined in, chasing and playing with the monkeys, creating a very joyful scene.
Before they knew it, the sun was high in the sky. Lu Fan and An Lan knew it was time to go back; they couldn't get too caught up in their fun.
"Friends, we're leaving now. We'll come back to see you again next time," Lu Fan said to the Monkey King with reluctance.
The monkeys gathered around, tugging at their clothes and squeaking as if trying to keep them there.
Lu Fan and An Lan waved goodbye, and the monkeys followed suit and waved back.
After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic monkey troop, Lu Fan and An Lan, along with Da Hei, embarked on their journey home.
The warm sunshine continued to shine on them all the way.
Lu Fan also took out an axe from his basket. He had another purpose for coming out this time: to chop firewood.
After all, firewood is used every day in the shelter, so the consumption of firewood is very high.
So the two found some dry branches by the roadside, and Lu Fan, holding a sharp axe, skillfully chopped the firewood.
Big Black ran around happily, occasionally coming up to Lu Fan, its tail wagging like a propeller, as if it wanted to help too.
As he was chopping, Lu Fan's gaze was drawn to an exceptionally thick, withered pine tree.
This pine tree stands out from the crowd, its branches twisted and gnarled, like a weathered old man.
"Anlan, look at that pine tree, it's so big, it'll be enough to burn for a long time if we cut it down!"
Lu Fan pointed excitedly at the tree, his eyes sparkling as if he could see a warm campfire in the near future.
An Lan looked in the direction he pointed and nodded slightly: "Indeed, but this tree looks quite old, maybe several hundred years old, it's a pity it's dead."
Lu Fan strode up to the pine tree, swung his axe, and confidently chopped down.
With a "bang," the axe struck the tree, but the sound was off; it was hollow and dull, like striking a broken drum.
"Strange, why does this sound so weird?" Lu Fan frowned and chopped a few more times.
As the bark peeled away, an astonishing discovery was made—the trunk was hollow inside.
[Squirrel burrow discovered]
"Anlan, come and see! A squirrel hole!" Lu Fan couldn't help but laugh.
An Lan curiously leaned closer, and the moment she saw the tree hole, her eyes widened: "My God, there's something in here!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com