The two-kilometer journey wasn’t particularly long, and it didn’t take Su Lin and the giant panda long to reach the bamboo forest.
Su Lin deliberately kept his pace slow.
After all, he had two sleeping panda cubs in the basket on his back, and he didn’t want to jostle them too much or make unnecessary noise.
Through the drone, the viewers were also getting a chance to experience the beauty of a real wild forest.
Many people lived in large cities year-round and rarely had the opportunity to see such untouched greenery.
The lush forest, accompanied by the gentle mountain breeze and the occasional rustling of leaves, created a peaceful and refreshing atmosphere.
As soon as Su Lin entered the bamboo forest, the giant panda became visibly excited.
The familiar surroundings seemed to awaken something in her.
She occasionally let out soft cries as she waddled ahead.
The mother panda was clearly familiar with this area.
She quickly found several bamboo shoots emerging from the ground and immediately began chewing on the tender bamboo leaves nearby.
“Family, we’ve arrived at the bamboo forest.”
Su Lin held the selfie stick in one hand and used the other to push aside a curtain of bamboo leaves.
“There should be plenty of bamboo shoots growing here at this time of year.
Tender bamboo shoots are one of a panda’s favorite foods.”
He looked around carefully.
“Bamboo shoots usually sprout beneath fallen leaves and loose soil.”
Then his eyes lit up.
“Oh, I found one.”
Sure enough, after gently pushing aside the dead branches and fallen leaves, a tender yellow bamboo shoot was revealed beneath them.
Su Lin carefully loosened the damp soil around it and quickly dug it out.
He moved the spare clothes that had been cushioning the two sleeping cubs and placed the freshly dug bamboo shoot inside the basket.
Giant pandas were essentially bears, so there was no need for Su Lin to peel the outer layer of the bamboo shoots himself.
Leaving the outer layer intact would also help keep the bamboo shoots fresh.
He could simply dig them up, carry them back, and let the mother panda peel them herself whenever she wanted to eat.
Su Lin turned his head.
Not far away, the giant panda was squatting beneath a bamboo stalk.
Her back was facing Su Lin and the camera.
Her front paws were busy digging through the soil.
She was searching for bamboo shoots.
Once she found one, she used her sharp teeth and strong front claws to strip away the outer layers before happily chewing on the tender inside.
Su Lin couldn’t help smiling.
He decided to tease her.
“Mommy Bear.”
The panda immediately stopped eating.
She turned her head and blinked at Su Lin.
“Ying?”
[What?]
A few seconds later, seeing that Su Lin wasn’t saying anything else, she turned around and continued eating.
The livestream chat burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!
She looks like a panda stealing food!”
“That fluffy black-and-white back must feel so soft!”
“Mommy Bear: Don’t bother me.
I’m busy eating!”
Su Lin ignored the comments and continued searching for bamboo shoots.
There were bamboo shoots sprouting all around the base of the bamboo grove.
However, he didn’t dig them all up.
Taking too many would interfere with the natural growth of the bamboo forest.
He only collected a reasonable number and left the rest untouched.
On the livestream, a human and a giant panda were both busy digging for bamboo shoots.
The peaceful scene made countless viewers envious.
“I want to live in the mountains too!”
“This kind of life looks so peaceful.”
“Su Su’s first day as a forest ranger is already better than my entire year!”
While everyone was enjoying the scenery, someone suddenly noticed something unusual.
The giant panda seemed to have discovered something.
She was sitting on a pile of dead leaves, repeatedly pawing at something on the ground.
Su Lin had just finished digging up another bamboo shoot when he noticed her strange behavior.
Curious, he walked over.
“Mommy Bear, what are you doing?”
The next moment, his eyes widened.
“Holy crap!
Mommy Bear, don’t eat that!”
His sudden, regretful shout immediately caught the viewers’ attention.
“What did she eat?”
“Wait, what happened?”
“Did the panda find something dangerous?”
Su Lin hurried closer.
Several oddly shaped fungi were growing in the damp soil beneath the bamboo leaves.
Most of them were still intact, although a few had already been crushed by the giant panda’s paws.
Su Lin’s expression immediately changed to one of excitement.
He quickly adjusted the drone’s camera so that the livestream viewers could clearly see the mushrooms.
The caps were brownish, while the stems were slender and white.
Beneath the caps was a delicate, snow-white net-like structure that resembled a woman’s flowing skirt.
The strange yet elegant mushrooms stood among the fallen bamboo leaves like tiny fairies hidden in the forest.
The livestream chat immediately exploded.
“What beautiful mushrooms!”
“Wait!
Is that bamboo fungus?”
“Holy crap!
That’s bamboo fungus—the Fairy of the Bamboo Forest!”
“Thank goodness it isn’t some poisonous mushroom!”
Some viewers were still confused by the strange-looking fungi.
“What kind of mushroom is that?”
“Why does it look like it’s wearing a skirt?”
“I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
Then an informed viewer explained:
“That’s bamboo fungus, also known as the ‘Fairy of the Bamboo Forest’ and sometimes called the ‘Queen of Mushrooms.’ It commonly grows in bamboo forests and is considered a valuable edible fungus.”
“It’s quite expensive too.
Depending on quality and market conditions, dried bamboo fungus can sell for a high price.
It’s also rich in various nutrients and is commonly used in soups and other dishes.”
Su Lin nodded.
“I’ve read about it before while researching wild plants and animals.”
He carefully examined the mushrooms.
“This is a good find.”
He then carefully dug them out one by one and placed them into the basket on his back.
The giant panda sat nearby and watched him intently.
Her beady black eyes followed every movement.
After a while, she suddenly reached out with her paw, scooped up one of the mushrooms, and put it into her mouth.
Crunch.
She immediately made a disgusted face.
“Pfft!”
The livestream chat erupted in laughter.
“Hahaha!
As expected of a foodie panda!”
“She finally realizes that nothing beats bamboo!”
“No, no, don’t forget those apples Su Su gave her.
The look in her eyes when she saw them was priceless!”
“Foodie confirmed!”
Seeing the mother panda’s innocent expression, Su Lin was both amused and speechless.
He reached out and gently patted her round head.
“This is raw.
You can’t eat it like that.”
“Go eat your bamboo shoots instead.”
The panda seemed to understand him.
She glanced at the bamboo fungus with obvious dislike, turned away, and went back to searching for tender bamboo shoots.
Su Lin shook his head with a smile.
After collecting several bamboo fungus specimens, he was already looking forward to dinner.
They would make an excellent soup.
A short while later, the mother panda suddenly stood upright.
She waddled toward Su Lin with something held carefully between her front paws.
Su Lin turned around.
The next moment, he was stunned.
The giant panda was holding a bamboo fungus in her paw.
She extended it toward him.
“Huh?”
Su Lin looked at the fungus, then at the panda.
“Where did you find this?”
The panda blinked at him.
Then she pushed the bamboo fungus closer.
[Eat.
You eat.]
Su Lin finally understood.
She had seen him collecting bamboo fungus and apparently wanted to give one to him.
Su Lin couldn’t help laughing.
“You’re giving this to me?”
The panda nodded—or at least, that’s what it looked like.
Su Lin pointed toward the basket.
“It needs to be cooked before we can eat it.”
“Put it in the basket.”
The giant panda looked at the basket.
Then she looked at the bamboo fungus.
After a moment of hesitation, she waddled over and carefully placed it inside.
To Su Lin’s surprise, she even arranged it beside the other pieces.
It looked almost as if she were helping him organize his collection.
Su Lin was delighted.
He reached out and patted her head.
The panda immediately let out a soft, satisfied whimper.
The livestream chat went wild.
“Holy crap!
She’s actually that intelligent?”
“Are you sure that’s a wild giant panda?
You could tell me she’s a human in disguise and I’d believe you!”
“She actually found the same mushroom Su Su was collecting and brought one to him!”
“Su Su is definitely a master animal trainer!”
“Su Su, you’ve trained her so well!
Can you train me too?
(shy face)”
“Hey, upstairs, have some self-control!
Hahaha!”
The new viewers were amazed by the panda’s docile and almost human-like behavior.
The longtime fans, meanwhile, continued filling the chat with jokes.
Perhaps encouraged by the praise, the mother panda wiggled her round bottom and continued searching for more bamboo fungus.
Su Lin smiled and continued collecting the mushrooms she found.
After a while, he had gathered quite a few.
Then—
Rustle!
A sudden commotion came from deeper inside the bamboo forest.
The mother panda immediately stopped.
She turned her head toward the sound and let out a low growl.
Then she rushed toward a nearby bush and began scratching at the vegetation with her front paws.
Chirp!
Chirp!
A series of sharp, unfamiliar bird calls suddenly rang out.
Su Lin’s expression changed.
Those were the cries of frightened birds.
“Did Mommy Bear disturb a bird’s nest?”
He quickly walked over.
The giant panda continued pawing at the bushes.
Su Lin reached out and carefully pushed the branches apart.
His eyes gradually widened.
There, hidden among the dense foliage, was something completely unexpected.
…
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