Encountering a Wildman in the Primeval Forest - The Young King of Adventure

Author: Peng Xueluo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: April 28th. This day was called "the darkness before dawn" by the students. The air at Starlight Middle School was filled with laughter and joy, as everyone looked forward to the upcoming "May Day" holiday. Every student's face was beaming with happiness. Near the basketball court, four students were gathered in a group, each with a stack of papers in front of them, all excitedly chattering about something. What were they talking about? Let's get closer and take a look.
A chubby boy took out the paper in front of him and said loudly, "Look, this is the Shaolin Temple—it's so magnificent! Let's go to Songshan instead. There's also the Pagoda Forest there, where you can visit the tranquil and mysterious Buddhist sacred sites, feel their serenity and purity, and even learn a few moves from the monks. Hey, Smarty, you won't have to worry about anyone bullying you anymore! If you can receive the true transmission from the Shaolin masters, then, hehe."
"Banana Bear, you!" Smarty's face flushed slightly as he took out a poster of a landscape painting and retorted defiantly, "What's so great about Songshan? 'May Day' should be spent in a place with clear waters and lush mountains, where you can really breathe fresh air and make the trip worthwhile. I suggest going to Yunnan. There, you'll find vast, verdant primeval forests, majestic and peaks and gorges, rapids and gushing waterfalls, and the world's most extraordinary terraced rice fields."
"Okay, stop right there!" Another girl, who looked a bit like a water barrel, made a hand gesture to pause. "Smarty, why do you sound like you're advertising? What's so interesting about mountains and rivers? It's more fun if it's thrilling! I suggest going to a museum to see the mummy exhibition. Look at this poster—it's so thrilling! These mummies are replicas made from real bog mummies. See? They have so much texture, so thrilling!"
As she said this, the water barrel girl pushed the poster closer to Smarty's face.
"Ugh, get that thing away from me!" Smarty was about to get angry.
The water barrel girl laughed mischievously.
"I have an idea." The boy who had been silent all this time spoke up. He wore black-rimmed glasses and looked scholarly.
"Smart Wu, what's your idea? Spit it out!" The three of them said in unison.
Smart Wu had a wealth of clever ideas and could quickly come up with solutions to his companions' "disputes." He pushed his glasses up and said calmly, "It seems some of you like thrills, while others prefer a good environment to relax. So why don't we go somewhere that's both scenic and thrilling?"
"Is there such a place?" The water barrel girl eyed Smart Wu suspiciously. "Are you just teasing us?"
"I would never dare to tease you!" Smart Wu smiled. "My skin doesn't itch."
Shennongjia! Do you know where that is? There's a national forest park there that has preserved the unique features of the primeval forest to this day. It's also a natural reserve for wildlife, home to many magical albino animals—white eagles, white roe deer, white monkeys, white deer, white squirrels, white snakes, and white bears."
"Albino animals?" The water barrel girl said disappointedly. "What's thrilling about that?"
"Hehe!" Smart Wu smiled with hidden depths. "Only albino animals..."