Immortal Takeout - Chapter 10

In the morning, Ta Nuo was awakened by the sound of rain. He had fallen asleep the previous night holding a small green ball, and had dreamed all night long. In his dream, he was surrounded by countless unknown cats, busily frying small fish in a frying pan and eating them nonstop.

Ta Nuo opened his eyes, twitched his nostrils, and caught the scent of river water and earth. Ah, it was raining.

“Brother…” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he greeted him.

His second older brother, the otter Ta Xing, had just returned from his winter training. Compared to last autumn, the otter had grown significantly larger, with visible muscles, tall and powerful, and a flat, narrow tail that was strong and vigorous. The white fur on his chest formed a peanut shape, which was the second brother’s most distinctive feature.

“A Nuo, you’re sleeping in again. Get up quickly. Today is the Rain Water Festival, and we can go fishing. I’ll take you fishing.” Ta Xing tapped the ground rhythmically with his tail, producing a dull thudding sound, urging A Nuo to get up.

He slowly rolled over, got up, rubbed his face, and whispered, “But I don’t know how to catch fish.”

That’s right, sea otters don’t catch fish. Their front paws are short, with thick pads on their claws, and slippery fish aren’t at the top of their diet list. Compared to the cunning, swift fish, Ta Nuo preferred the equally lazy, slow-moving shells or large shrimp. With a single claw swipe, he could pry them open, place the entire shell on his belly, and use a stone to crack it open, easily extracting the tender, juicy meat inside.

River otters are different. They have claws with distinct joints, as flexible as human hands. They are also excellent swimmers, able to easily chase prey underwater. Ta Nuo had heard from his otter mother that humans had given otters many strange names, such as river wolves, water dogs, and fish cats. Ta Nuo liked the last one best; it was interesting, sounding like a cat that catches fish in the water.

“It’s okay, follow me, I’ll catch some for you.” Ta Xing pushed Ta Nuo gently and let out a sharp cry, “How can we not catch fish in the rain? A year’s plan begins in spring.”

Ta Nuo reluctantly followed his second otter brother, his steps heavy, letting out a deep sigh. His second brother always forgot. He couldn’t catch fish, nor did he like eating fish. Fish had bones and scales, making them difficult to swallow.

Fine rain fell from the sky, soaking the entire forest. Ta Xing’s fur was shiny and healthy, making his muscles look even more toned and powerful. Ta Nuo, on the other hand, kept rubbing his face in frustration. His fur was thicker, and he didn’t like the feeling of being wet.

Like most male otters, Ta Xing had a hot temper and was brave in battle. He and Ta Nuo were roughly the same age and had become spirits at the same time, but Ta Xing was far more capable. After leaving the otter family, he fought alone and quickly established his own territory, owning the largest lake in the Hongjiu River basin: Dayue Lake.

The waters of Dayue are calm, teeming with fish, and lush with vegetation, making it an ideal living environment. Ta Nuo resides at the tail end of Dayue Lake, living under the protection of the second otter brother, safe from other otters and large predators.

Ta Nuo looked forward to finding another female otter in Dayue Lake this spring, and thus harbored great hopes for this season.

With the sound of raindrops, spring truly arrived.

The lake surface was shrouded in a misty haze, rising and falling like clouds, resembling a fairyland. Raindrops dance on the water’s surface, creating a steady patter that seems to fill the entire world. The lake water is still cold in early spring. Ta Nuo dips his paw in and shivers. He begins to miss his warm bed. The wound from climbing a tree yesterday hasn’t healed yet, and he doesn’t want to go into the water.

Ta Xing,however, is more agile, sliding on his belly toward the lake shore before suddenly diving beneath the surface. His hind legs paddled vigorously back and forth through the water, moving with agility. His tail was as nimble as a paddle, propelling him forward and turning him swiftly until he vanished from sight. When they met again, Ta Xing had a black fish in his mouth, which looked to weigh at least three or four pounds. He awkwardly dragged the fish onto the shore, stood up on his hind legs, grabbed the fish’s tail with his front paws, and with a loud crunch, bit off the fish’s head, beginning to enjoy his breakfast.

By the time Ta Xing had swallowed the entire fish, Ta Nuo was still paddling with his paws. Ta Xing couldn’t stand it anymore, dived underwater, sneaked up behind Ta Nuo, and swept him away with a flick of his tail.

Ta Nuo let out a startled cry, and all he could hear was Ta Xing’s loud laughter. Ta Nuo swam around in frustration, splashed into the lake bottom, and began to search for fish.

The rain blocked the light completely, and the underwater visibility was poor, making it almost impossible to see the passing schools of fish. Ta Nuo splashed around aimlessly a few times but caught nothing. He twisted his waist and surfaced, taking a breath. Raindrops pelted his head, messing up his fur. Ta Nuo shook his head and suddenly remembered something.

He had promised to bring some shrimp to the young shopkeeper at the general store, but he hadn’t been able to go yet. The young shopkeeper might think he was a liar. Today, his mother was certainly busy fishing and wouldn’t have time to roast the shrimp for him. What should he do?

He rubbed his face nervously and made up his mind: today he would catch two fish himself, take them to Liujia Village in the afternoon, and visit the shop owner while he was there.

Thinking this, he suddenly felt an endless surge of motivation, and catching fish didn’t seem so unbearable anymore. He took a deep breath, twisted his body, and dived into the water, sinking into the dark lake bottom.

Ta Xing caught two more fish but didn’t rush to eat them. Instead, he neatly arranged them on the lakeshore with his claws, as if showing off his spoils. After finishing all this, he felt a great sense of accomplishment. He lifted his round little head and looked around. A huge log lay across the lake, forming a natural resting spot. He climbed onto the trunk, lay down, and rested for a moment. He wrapped his short, thick front paws around the trunk and used the rough bark to rub the fur on his belly, cleaning his body methodically.

After resting, he suddenly realized that Ta Nuo was no longer where he had been swimming earlier. The calm lake surface showed no ripples. He emitted a muffled cry, an urgent and strange sound echoing across the open lake, but received no response.

He was startled. Could my brother have been taken by a fish?

Without hesitation, he plunged into the water.