In fact, Canglu Valley is more like a butterfly fluttering northward. On this dry and mountainous land of Weishan, the crystal-clear lake of Canglu Valley appears exceptionally precious. Although it is 30 kilometers away from Weishan county town, whenever large events such as the Torch Festival or Snack Festival are held, Canglu Valley, due to its unique geographical environment, always plays an important role as a sub-venue, attracting many tourists. Even when passing by quickly in a car, just glancing at a narrow corner of Canglu Valley, I was deeply fascinated by this body of water surrounded by low hills.
The raised mountain on the west side of Canglu Valley looks like a naughty child rushing downhill who suddenly stops, standing still by the water. The low pine forests clustered on the hillside also seem attracted by the unfathomable lake, wanting to rush down and fall into the gentle embrace of the lake water, but they are firmly held back by a mysterious force from higher up, always keeping a small insurmountable distance from the water surface. The entire lake becomes a paradise for plankton, each occupying a small patch of water, freely playing in their own territory, stirring up circles of varying sizes. A gentle breeze blows, and the lake surface sparkles with fine ripples. The clouds are too thick; even the blue sky cannot find a small gap to cast its reflection, leaving the lake surface murky.
At the northernmost corner of Canglu Valley, there is a ranch, which is also the only place in Canglu Valley where humans live. The pristine grassland in the ranch is full of endless fun. Look through the knee-deep wild grass and see how many surprises you can find. Amidst the blooming white clover, you will discover a unique purple flower, Scutellaria barbata, also known as Han Xin grass. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that these small flowers grow along the vertical stem from top to bottom, each flower neatly arranged on the same side of the stem, like a toothbrush, hence also called toothbrush grass. There is a wild grass called ryegrass. This season, the ryegrass has sprouted spikes, and from each small spike, even smaller and weaker pale yellow flowers emerge. The extremely thin stems connect the flowers to the spikes. Even without wind, the ryegrass flowers dance and jump on the spikes, like optimistic little children giggling nonstop, making it hard to see their delicate forms. In a patch of reeds as tall as a person, you can find the hidden long-spike pearl grass. This wildflower, which blooms from bottom to top like a wheat spike, is not particularly outstanding, but the leaves at the base of the stem are very special. Unlike other plants, the leaves of long-spike pearl grass resemble a closed palm, with the outer edges slightly converging towards the central vein, forming a groove. I wonder if picking a leaf and placing it on water would make it float away like a little boat.
Besides these peculiar plants, the ranch in Canglu Valley also hides many insects that children love: bees and butterflies seeking fragrance and nectar among the flowers, mantises camouflaging themselves under grass roots patiently waiting for prey, dragonflies freely switching territories between the lake surface and the land, and water striders on the mudflats trying to hide their tracks but often being obvious... If children could see a group of glowing fireflies at night, how lucky they would be. But where have the fireflies gone? the child asks.
