Sunday, clear skies with a light breeze. Perfect weather for swimming.
Zhou You had prepared his swim trunks, goggles, swim cap, safety buoy, and all the other gear early in the morning, then set off straight for the destination.
Following the navigation, he arrived at the shore of Chao Lake. Though the event was small, with just over a hundred participants, there were signs along the roadside to prevent anyone from getting lost—after all, the lakefront was vast.
Wang Ping had arrived early as well. As one of the event organizers, he needed to make preparations in advance.
Seeing Zhou You approach, he quickly walked over. "You're here early, You-ge. Have you had breakfast? You definitely need to eat something. If not, we’ve got some high-calorie snacks here. Swimming on an empty stomach in the morning can easily lead to low blood sugar."
"I’ve eaten, and I brought some chocolate and sports drinks—fully stocked," Zhou You said, opening the trunk and pulling out his food and gear.
"Alright, then take a look around and warm up. The event won’t start for a while yet; not everyone’s here."
Zhou You surveyed the surroundings. It was relatively remote, with convenient parking. A cordon had been set up along the lakeshore, marking the designated swimming area.
A small boat was moored in the lake, likely for emergency rescue and guidance.
After all, those who came for open-water swimming were mostly experienced swimmers. The event wasn’t open for public registration; only insiders in the circle knew about it. It was a niche hobby—nowadays, not many people had the money, leisure, time, and energy to dedicate to swimming.
Taking care of one’s health was something that had only gained traction as the economy gradually developed.
Thinking about this, Zhou You recalled a joke:
A young man was eating instant noodles. An expert nearby said, "Eating instant noodles is bad for your health; the nutrition is unbalanced." The young man cursed back, "I’ve fallen to eating instant noodles, and you’re telling me it’s unhealthy!"
Only when the granary is full do people learn etiquette; only when food and clothing are sufficient do they know honor and shame.
Only after basic material needs are met can one pursue higher spiritual aspirations.
Zhou You deeply agreed, taking himself as an example.
As more people arrived, Zhou You mingled and chatted with them.
Spotting a tall, slender woman with a ponytail standing next to Wang Ping, Zhou You walked over proactively. "Ping-ge, you’ve got a beauty here and didn’t introduce her?"
"You must be You-ge, no need for Wang Ping to introduce me. I’ve heard him mention you several times these past few days—young and promising. I’m his former teammate, Wang Fangfang. I’m also in the swimming circle now, occasionally moonlighting as a swim coach," Wang Fangfang said gracefully.
Up close, she was at least 1.65 meters tall, with a well-proportioned figure. Swimmers generally had decent builds, but not overly so—those with too much chest faced greater resistance and often switched sports early.
"Nice to meet you. Seeing you two swim coaches here puts me at ease. Later, when we swim, I’ll follow you two. Go slow, since I don’t know anyone else around—I’d feel unsafe otherwise," Zhou You said politely. After all, in the outdoors, it was wise to stick with the strong.
"Sure, no problem. This outdoor swim is small-scale, just under 1.5 kilometers round trip. Perfect for a casual outing. It’s not a competition, and there are no sponsors—we just pooled our money to have fun," Wang Fangfang said amiably.
Zhou You was surprised. "Wang Ping didn’t tell me there was a fee. So, where do I pay later?"
Wang Ping finally chimed in, glancing sideways at Zhou You. "You’re so fickle—once you saw Fangfang, you didn’t give me a second look. It’s not much, just a few hundred yuan. I already paid for you."
"Alright, I won’t stand on ceremony with you, given our relationship."
"Is this your first open-water swim, You-ge?" Wang Fangfang asked.
"Yeah, first time. I’ve thought about doing it alone before, but I just didn’t dare—I’m too timid. If it weren’t for Wang Ping joining, I wouldn’t have come," Zhou You admitted without pretense.
"Right, open-water swimming requires caution. The environment is too complex. If you happen to get a cramp, safety becomes a real issue."
The three chatted for a while until everyone had gathered and it was time to assemble.
Someone used a loudspeaker to announce:
"We’re all familiar faces here, but even though everyone knows the rules, I’ll reiterate them.
First, don’t swim outside the designated area. Second, make sure your safety buoy is securely fastened. Third, if you feel unwell, call for help immediately. We’ve rented a small boat nearby, on standby at all times. Fourth, we’re not splitting into groups. Stick with your friends and keep an eye on each other so no one falls behind.
Finally, have a great swim. Let’s begin!"
With the instructions done, Zhou You followed the crowd into the water.
*Hiss*—the water was still a bit chilly. As soon as he entered, Zhou You felt the difference from the indoor pool.
After a few steps forward, his feet could no longer touch the bottom. For safety, Zhou You started with breaststroke for a while, only switching to freestyle and swimming slowly once the crowd around him thinned out.
In a pool, lane lines kept you within bounds. But in open water, the first sensation was freedom—the sheer joy of being unrestrained.
In the shallows, Zhou You even dipped underwater briefly. With the safety buoy attached, he only submerged a little. The water surface looked clean, but unlike a pool’s crystal clarity, he couldn’t see the bottom of the lake, which made him a bit uneasy.
Wang Ping and Fangfang were already ahead, swimming. They glanced back and saw Zhou You lagging, so they paused briefly: "It’s fine, speed up a bit."
Seeing this, Zhou You felt embarrassed to keep them waiting. He decided to play around on the shore after the swim.
Though it was just the edge of Chao Lake, there were occasional waves. Swimming toward the shore felt easy on land, but in the water, the resistance was noticeable.
Looking around, the dense crowd of people gradually dispersed and thinned out.
A hundred people looked like a lot on the shore, but out on the vast water, they didn’t seem so numerous. Zhou You finally turned to look behind him and saw a few people still swimming leisurely.
It was exhilarating, but also exhausting. Zhou You followed the two of them to the marker line and then started swimming back.
Nearing the shore, he felt his strength waning. He rested on his safety buoy for a while.
Then his leg started to feel uncomfortable, so he called out to Wang Ping and Wang Fangfang.
Wang Ping took one look and said, "You-ge, you’re just tired. Your leg seems to be cramping a bit. Rest here for a while—we’re almost at the shore. Let Fangfang stay with you. I’ll head up and organize the event."
With that, Wang Ping swam off, leaving Fangfang to keep Zhou You company.
"Fangfang is way more reliable than Wang Ping. I’ll have to treat you to a meal to thank you for saving my life," Zhou You said glibly.
Wang Fangfang wore a one-piece triangle swimsuit that hugged her hips tightly, outlining a graceful curve. Her legs were firm and well-proportioned, full of strength, and her skin was very fair.
Spending a lot of time in the water, if you’re careful about sun protection outdoors, it’s hard for your skin to tan.
Wishing everyone a happy Dragon Boat Festival!