On our way out, we noticed many unusually large carp and goldfish in the river by the entrance, so we grabbed the net we used for catching crayfish and decided to try our luck at fishing. After having rice noodles with Fangfang, we returned to the river only to find the water had suddenly turned murky, and the fish seemed to have been washed away. We walked along the riverbank and, sure enough, spotted the fish being carried along by the current not too far away.

The fish struggled hard to swim upstream, resisting the force of the river. But the moment they stopped, the current would sweep them away again. In the end, no matter how hard they tried, none of them could escape the relentless flow.

Still, the fish were quite clever—despite our efforts, we didn’t manage to catch a single one. They darted away as soon as they saw us moving.

But the outing wasn’t a total loss. We ended up with a big turtle, a loach (which the turtle later ate at home), and a large snail.

In the afternoon, I went with Huanhuan to Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for her check-up. The doctor advised her to control her weight—haha! After the appointment, we really craved a drink from Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, so we got lemonade and jasmine milk green tea. Seeing how popular the “Green Grape Meat Delight” was, we ordered one too, and it was a unanimous hit!

Then we headed to Metro and bought some hairy crabs to cook at home. Turns out the crabs tasted bitter—another lesson learned. Luckily, the fried potatoes and the crayfish tails Fangfang stir-fried from the supermarket were both delicious.

After Huanhuan finished washing the dishes, we started playing a house-building game and kept at it until past 1 a.m.—way more fun than Monopoly!

We had a bowl of lamb rice noodles together, then headed to Caojiawan Agricultural and Sideline Products Wholesale Market. Since it was Sunday, the market was bustling with people.

We bought some incredibly delicious loquats and peaches, though the bayberries weren’t great. We also picked up some water spinach and free-range eggs.

In the afternoon, since we couldn’t think of anything else to do, Huanhuan and I took my mom to the zoo. Before setting off, I asked my mom if giraffes were as tall as a house, and she said definitely not. But when we actually saw the giraffe, it was enormous—so, so tall and big.

It was my first time seeing a giraffe too—so incredibly tall and huge. I even bought five yuan’s worth of carrots to feed it. Next time, I’ll bring my own carrots.

Oh, and fun fact—the giraffe’s nickname is also Huanhuan. Haha.

Happy the Giraffe

Happy is a gentle and curious giraffe who lives in the vast grasslands. With her long neck and graceful spots, she stands out among her peers. Every day, she roams the savanna, nibbling on tender leaves from tall trees and gazing at the distant horizon with her big, bright eyes.

Happy loves interacting with other animals, whether it’s playing hide-and-seek with the zebras or sharing stories with the wise old tortoise. Her kindness and cheerfulness make her a beloved friend to all.

One of her favorite pastimes is watching the sunset, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. As the cool evening breeze rustles through the grass, Happy feels at peace, grateful for another beautiful day in her wild home.

Join Happy on her adventures and discover the wonders of the African savanna through her eyes!

This morning, Da Huang Fangfang took us to a nearby place where we had some particularly delicious and affordable rice noodles and vermicelli. We ate until we were quite full.

We also visited the Luoyu River Wetland Park, where we bought two small nets to catch tiny fish and shrimp. Today was much better than yesterday, and we managed to catch quite a few small ones.

Time flew by quickly, and soon it was time to head back. I had also thought about visiting Fangfang’s home to see her younger sister, but we didn’t get the chance.

At 4:20 PM, I returned to Panzhou with Huanhuan. Huanhuan then accompanied me to the bus station in Panzhou, where I caught a bus to Shuicheng.

I stayed quite alert on the bus, feeling a bit tired but not inclined to sleep.

Came back and did some laundry.

Fangfang was on duty all day today and couldn’t join us. We managed to trick Lao Sao into coming over at noon, and he even brought his own potatoes. Then, Da Huang went to buy some oyster mushrooms to fry. The fried potatoes and fried oyster mushrooms were simply delicious.

We also visited the Expo Park today, but it wasn’t very exciting as there were charges everywhere. We strolled around casually, and at the end, we sang songs with a few outgoing and optimistic uncles and aunties outside the guard booth, which was quite a social experience.

We came back and Dahuang bought a net online, so we grabbed a small basin and went to catch crayfish. As expected, we came back empty-handed, and the feeling wasn’t great. In the evening, we went home and played Bomb Cat with Huanhuan for a while, which was quite fun.