The unexpected encounter with a snake discouraged Chen Zhou from continuing to explore the grassland.
Holding the oil lamp, he saw half of the snake's body still writhing on the ground. He turned around the hand axe and smashed it a few more times with the hammer side.
After crushing the snake's head and neck completely, he left the grapevines with Lai Fu.
That night, while setting up a place to rest and preparing to camp, he carefully checked the surrounding environment, cutting the grass flat and chopping down low shrubs, fearing that snakes might be hiding in dark, concealed corners, sneaking in to attack while he was asleep.
...
In the early hours of August 3rd, Chen Zhou was awakened by the sound of the river flowing.
At that time, it was still dark, and the campsite near the river was extremely damp, with the outer layer of the sleeping bag feeling wet as if it had just been wrung out.
