The lake water is steamed into a grayish white by the scorching sun, with wilted algae floating on the surface, and the heat waves causing the shadow of the mountains on the opposite shore to sway slightly.
Li Younan stands on the exposed shallow shore, with a few clumps of reeds drooping their withered yellow leaves. He holds a camera, occasionally a white egret skims over the water, its wings stirring the stagnant air.
Regrettably, he didn't buy a lens capable of shooting birds.
On the lake, fishermen huddle under their bamboo hats, the wooden boats gleaming hot with sweat droplets evaporating instantly on the boat's edge, and the cicadas' droning dense like a net enveloping the entire solidified noon.
Li Younan squints with some helplessness; the clock-in task has already started. Today's task, which cannot be completed immediately, requires capturing pictures of the starry sky here, meaning he has to endure until nightfall to finish it. But the good news is, the current weather at Tongji Lake is still relatively clear, and if there are no significant changes, the stars should be visible at night.
Li Younan parks the car right by the lake. This is a free camping spot, and nearby there are several other cars, better equipped for camping, with tents and canopies, and children running around excitedly.
The hot weather makes Li Younan feel a bit regretful. Despite all his planning, he unexpectedly forgot to buy a canopy or sunshade of some kind.
In this kind of weather, staying in the car is clearly unwise; being outside under the blazing sun is just as silly.
Fortunately, Li Younan brought a baseball cap, which he puts on his head and leisurely walks over to the lakeside.
Because this is a national first-grade water source protection area, there are no people fishing nearby. Li Younan casually picks up a stone and tosses it across the lake. The stone spins, creating several skips on the water.
He starts pondering how to spend the time waiting for nightfall.
The nearby scenery is nice, there's a village not far away and probably guesthouses too, with places to sit. Maybe he can walk through the village and come back out when the sun has set.
As he's thinking this, someone next to him asks, "Hey, young man, are you here alone?"
Li Younan looks over; it's a chubby, bearded man. The man is wearing a fishing vest typically worn by anglers, with baggy cargo shorts below. His stout legs and arms are covered with a dense layer of body hair.
A mosquito lands on the man's arm, getting caught in the hair, unable to reach his skin with its long proboscis. Li Younan is a bit shocked as the man casually swats the mosquito dead against his body hair.
Li Younan comes back to his senses and smiles, "Yes, I'm alone. I plan to shoot the stars here tonight."
The man nods, still smiling broadly, "Oh, so you're a photographer, huh?" He points to a couple of canopies not too far away, under which many people are gathered, looking quite lively, and continues, "We're just getting lunch ready. Come join us, young man."
Li Younan is a bit surprised. In places close to nature like this, the distance between people seems to shrink considerably.
The man seems extremely cheerful, and seeing Li Younan hesitating, he probably thinks he's shy and chuckles, "You young folks, with all your sense of distance and boundaries. When you're outdoor, it's more fun with more people; don't be shy."
Li Younan smiles silently, "Alright then."
As they walk toward the campsite, the man briefly shares about his family.
They are on a trip with another family, camping, not like Li Younan who aims to travel across the country. They're merely citizens from Lin'an City taking a break for relaxation.
A bit further, two vehicles are parked by the lake. Under the canopy on the mountain top, several folding tables are set up, with the two families seated beneath.
The bearded man says, "This young man here I just picked up at the lake; he's planning to shoot the stars by himself tonight, so I invited him over for lunch."
Everyone is much more hospitable than Li Younan imagined. At this moment, one of the women is slicing a watermelon. She cuts a piece that's easy to eat and has the little rosy-faced girl next to her hand it to Li Younan, saying, "I put the watermelon in ice-cold water for a while, young man, you should try it."
The little girl is about five or six years old, with two cute little pigtail braids. Holding the watermelon cautiously with both hands, trying not to touch the red flesh with her fingers, she walks over slowly to Li Younan and proudly raises her hands.
The bearded man smiles warmly, "This is my wife, my daughter."
Li Younan is slightly taken aback, thinking such a friendly, warm couple deserves to have such an adorable daughter.
Li Younan isn't pretentious; he takes the watermelon and takes a bite. The Sweetness of the juice instantly makes the sweltering weather feel more pleasant.
The man pulls out another folding chair from the trunk and sets it under the canopy, saying, "Young man, come over and sit."
Li Younan sits down, with the harsh sun blocked by the silver-coated canopy, and a gentle breeze blowing over from the lake.
Now, this is life.
At this time, the women of the two families are busy cooking around a small folding table.
The two men chat with Li Younan. At a certain age, one naturally develops some insights into life and occasionally shares some views.
The bearded man says, "There's a saying I don't agree with, which advises waiting until retirement to travel and enjoy life. I think you should do it while you're young because once you're older, you can't eat well or walk much, what's the point of playing then?"
The other man has the opposite opinion and says grumpily, "Don't go misleading the younger folks." The man seriously tells Li Younan, "When you're young, you still need to work hard. To put it bluntly, without money at home, what do you have to spend on having fun, right?"
Li Younan nods, "Both of you are right."
The bearded man asks, "So what do you do for work now?"
Li Younan leans comfortably against his chair, thinks for a moment, and says, "I've just resigned."
The bearded man is somewhat surprised; he was merely suggesting playing while young, but doesn't truly believe in it. Then he asks Li Younan a few questions, and after understanding Li Younan's current plans, the two men exchange glances and are momentarily at a loss for words.
Observing their expressions, Li Younan finds it amusing. He is also aware that his actions—traveling the country with no material safeguards—seem somewhat foolish. To avoid them from making unfavorable assumptions, Li Younan says, "My plan is to travel while becoming a social media influencer."
Upon hearing Li Younan's words, the bearded man immediately bursts into laughter, and the man next to him also shows a playful smile.
Li Younan finds it strange, wondering what the two men are laughing about.
The bearded man's expression becomes serious, and he asks Li Younan, "Do you know who I am?"
Li Younan honestly shakes his head, "Just now I thought perhaps you were Li Kui, but turns out you're not."
The bearded man is momentarily startled, then laughs in mock annoyance. Then he takes out his phone, points it at himself, and starts speaking into the camera, "Hey folks, you'd never guess what kind of young lad I ran into today... 25 years old, quit his job, determined to travel across China..."
The other man explains, "He's a video blogger, with hundreds of thousands of followers."