My dears, I thought I'd have plenty of time this month, but who knew there would be an overwhelming number of training sessions and lectures. I had to rely on my wife to update things recently, so there might be areas needing revision. Please bear with it for now, and forgive this humble author's shortcomings—your strong support is still needed! Below, the main text begins:

Of course, I didn't appreciate the vividness of that metaphor at the time, as I was genuinely desperate for air underwater.

I quickly surfaced, gasped a few times, and recounted exactly what I had seen beneath the water to Tan Ping'er and Man Niao Niao.

Tan Ping'er was utterly mesmerized. She murmured, "No wonder that giant green turtle wouldn't leave. Perhaps they are a devoted couple; one is trapped, and the other stays by its side, devoted and inseparable. This kind of love…" As she spoke, Tan Ping'er’s voice began to catch with emotion.

I had to admire Tan Ping'er's imagination, yet I couldn't come up with a better explanation to refute her speculation.

Man Niao Niao roared toward the heavens, "Damn it all! Oxen have gallstones, and dogs have precious stones. These two giant turtles are so enormous; who knows how many years they’ve lived? They must have accumulated marvelous treasures inside their bellies! Ying Ying, you have the precious sword; why don't we try to haul some out?" I shot him a fierce glare, cursing the short-sighted fool for getting greedy and single-handedly shattering the atmosphere.

Predictably, Tan Ping'er was displeased. Pouting, she said resentfully, "Man Niao Niao, how can your heart be so hard? These two turtles are pathetic enough as it is; you want to kill them?"

Man Niao Niao waved it off nonchalantly. "Girls always have soft hearts. A thousand years for a tortoise, ten thousand for a turtle. Look how big they are; who knows how long they’ve existed? They must be nearing the end of their natural lives. Besides, haven't they suffered enough? Wouldn't it be better if we granted them an early transcendence?"

Noticing the unpleasant tone in Man Niao Niao's voice—he clearly wouldn't give up until he got his way—I glared at him in annoyance. "Aren't you afraid of retribution? They are so massive; they have probably achieved sentience long ago." Man Niao Niao fell silent. After a long pause, he sighed helplessly, "It's my bad luck to run into you two. I had a golden opportunity to get rich, and you two timid souls ruined it!" I secretly wondered. Man Niao Niao’s behavior was very strange. Although this fellow was avaricious, his attitude toward the two giant turtles didn't seem genuinely focused on extracting treasures from their guts; he appeared to have some other motive.

It was the first time I felt Man Niao Niao had become somewhat unfamiliar.

Man Niao Niao remained quiet for a spell, then quickly shifted the subject. "Ying Ying, tell me, who managed to flip this big turtle over, and then chained it down?"

"How would I know that!"

"Could it be…" Man Niao Niao leaned close to my ear and whispered conspiratorially, "that after the little couple finished their business, the one on top forgot to flip the one underneath?" I was left speechless, sighing internally at Man Niao Niao’s imagination, which was truly unparalleled. Even though I had no idea how turtles mate, I was certain these two giants were not in the situation Man Niao Niao conjectured.

"You… where are your thoughts going?" I gave him a kick.

"I once read a joke about two turtles finishing up on a beach and agreeing to meet the next year. When the male turtle arrived the following year, he found the female lying upside down on the sand. The male was shocked and asked, 'Hey, why are you here so early, and already in position?' The female replied, 'Damn it, you finished last year and forgot to flip me over, so I've been lying here for a whole year…' It was from that joke that I wondered if these two big turtles were in the same predicament!"

"Damn it all," I couldn't hold back any longer. Forgetting seniority, I fiercely kicked Man Niao Niao again, laughing as I cursed, "How did I never notice your talent for such rich associations before? Even if that were the case, how do you explain the sword and the iron chain?"

Man Niao Niao jumped back, chuckling slyly, and said no more.

However, Man Niao Niao's words served as a reminder: the overturned turtle must have been deliberately flipped, and a chain was placed around its neck to prevent escape. I didn't know when this turtle had ended up in this position, but judging by its massive size, it couldn't have been for a short time. Precisely because of its immense bulk, its movements must be sluggish, making it incredibly difficult to right itself once flipped—especially with a thick iron chain securely binding it!

Analyzing this, I secretly felt these two giant turtles were extraordinary. Recalling the old lore about "fish and turtles," a huge question mark formed in my mind: Could there be some old grudge or entanglement between these giant turtles and some person? Who exactly was this "person"?

Unfortunately, before I could puzzle this out—and naturally, I couldn't have figured it out then—Tan Ping'er grabbed my arm, pleading, "Ying Ying, please think of a way to save them, let them live freely, and not be confined to this narrow place anymore… They are so pitiful… Truly a pair of devoted, mutually supportive spouses…" Tan Ping'er’s thoughts jumped wildly, but I understood her heart completely.

I already felt deep sympathy and admiration for these presumed mates. With Tan Ping'er’s heart-wrenching pleas beside me, my resolve had long melted away. Without hesitation, I put my mind to work, deciding to free these two giant turtles so they could live as freely as Tan Ping'er wished.

But the reality of the situation presented another difficulty. This turtle was huge, easily weighing a thousand or two thousand pounds. To free it from its predicament, the first step was to turn it over. For the three of us, with our meager strength, accomplishing this arduous task felt nearly impossible. The only viable solution was to utilize the chain fastened around its neck.

With this in mind, I took a deep breath, gripped the sharp sword, and plunged back into the water. Using the white light emitted by the sword, I carefully examined the situation around the giant turtle’s neck. I discovered the chain was locked incredibly tight; untying it by hand seemed an endeavor harder than ascending to heaven. I initially planned to swing the sword to cut the chain, but then I paused: if I truly severed the chain, the turtle’s hemispherical body would have nothing to leverage against, making it even harder to flip over, right?

I considered another plan. Since I couldn't cut the chain, what if I pulled one end up to the surface, and the three of us tried to turn it over together? However, the chain was both thick and long, making it exceptionally heavy. Furthermore, since I was submerged, I couldn't exert my maximum strength. I managed to pull one end of the chain about two feet high before my arm ached excruciatingly, and I couldn't budge the chain an inch further. My body swelled from holding my breath, and I reluctantly gave up, kicking off the bottom and floating to the surface, ready to ask Man Niao Niao to come into the water and lend a hand.

As soon as I relayed this idea to Man Niao Niao, he scoffed, "Damn it, has your brain turned mush from the water? Think about it, isn't this giant turtle's neck much smaller compared to its body? Even if you and I managed to pull the chain up, can you guarantee we won't snap its neck? Don't try to do good only to cause harm. If you insist on this plan, let's run an experiment first…"

I froze. Man Niao Niao's point was valid; this was merely a convenient notion that fell apart under practical scrutiny.

"What experiment?" Tan Ping'er, sensing a sliver of hope in Man Niao Niao's words, quickly asked.

Man Niao Niao glanced at Tan Ping'er and said sardonically, "We’ll use these vines to loop around Ying Ying’s little brother. If we can lift him up, then Ying Ying’s method is viable." Even the naive Tan Ping'er understood what Man Niao Niao meant by "little brother" at that moment. She spat lightly, saying with intense resentment and anger, "Ying Ying was right; Man Niao Niao, your brain is full of filth! These two turtles are so pitiful, and you still have the mood for jokes!"

Man Niao Niao’s face hardened, and he spoke with stern righteousness. "Ping'er, you’re a university student, don't you understand natural law? Since these two giant turtles have survived here for such a long time, perhaps they have fully adapted to this environment and their current state of existence. In a sense, this is an ecological balance. If you rush to flip it over, won't it feel uncomfortable and lead to other dangers? Perhaps even death, huh?"

To my knowledge, this was the first time Man Niao Niao had so mercilessly 'destroyed' Tan Ping'er, leaving me speechless. Tan Ping'er burst into tears and said, wiping them away, "If you won't help, then don't! Why all the nagging?"

PS: A friendly recommendation for a good book.