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墨書 Inktalez
The hissing sound was drowned out by the noisy chatter of several children.
A few kids looked at Liu Qingyan with eager anticipation, waiting for him to nod. They thought about learning to read with Liu Qingyan and imagined the envious looks from others, feeling incredibly happy!
"Alright, alright, if I can read, I will definitely teach you!" one of the kids promised, patting his chest.
Their excitement finally found an outlet. These children loved the envious glances from others, and Liu Qingyan felt like the one with candy among a group of friends, constantly showing off.
At that moment, they had no idea that danger was creeping closer!
The grass was yellowish-green, with red eyes and a pointed tail. A slender greenish-blue snake with a flat triangular head approached, its body marked by a red and white stripe running down its length.
Suddenly, Er Zhuzi, who was next to Liu Qingyan, let out a scream!
"Ah!" Liu Qingyan exclaimed. "What happened?"
In a swift motion, a green object slithered past their feet!
"Ah! It's a snake!" Dog Boy shouted.
The children huddled together in shock, while some braver ones leaned forward to take a closer look.
In the blink of an eye, the green snake darted into the grass and disappeared. Er Zhuzi suddenly collapsed!
"What? Er Zhuzi, what's wrong?" Liu Qingyan asked as he rushed over to him.
He quickly rolled up Er Zhuzi's pant leg and saw two bite marks on his leg. The area around it began to darken, and the children who had never seen such a scene panicked.
They shouted and ran out: "Help! Er Zhuzi has been bitten by a poisonous snake! Someone come quickly!"
Around noon, during the time when people were resting at home in the afternoon, those who heard the cries rushed over in response.
At the Broken Courtyard, a sturdy man in his thirties was the first to arrive near the village entrance. "What happened? What's going on?"
With a dark face and a thick beard, he appeared towering in front of several frightened children.
"Uncle, what should we do? Will Er Zhuzi..." Liu Qingyan cried, tears streaming down her face as she looked at the growing darkness around Er Zhuzi's wound, his consciousness fading.
The strong man swiftly tore off the hem of his shirt and pulled out a curved knife from his waist. He made two cuts around Er Zhuzi's injury and then pressed down hard on the wound.
Black blood oozed from the injury, releasing a nauseating smell that caused the children to step back in fear.
The man was clearly not fond of talking; he remained silent throughout, only responding to Liu Qingyan's inquiry with a reassuring, "It's fine!"
At that moment, his thoughts were solely on the children before him—such vibrant and lovely lives. Although he had no children of his own, he felt an inexplicable affection for them.
A few seven or eight-year-olds looked at him with terrified eyes, which made him feel somewhat awkward. He managed to say a comforting word: "Don't worry, once the pus and blood are out, everything will be fine!"
The man was none other than Zhang the Widower, who lived at the village entrance and rarely interacted with the villagers.
In truth, he adored children, but the villagers regarded him as an ill omen who brought misfortune to parents and spouses, avoiding him as a result.
Over time, he stopped visiting the village often, spending his days alone in the mountains, farming by himself, and going to town alone to trade for rice and grain.
"Wait here!" He quickly walked a few meters away, dug up some unknown herbs from the roadside, chewed them up, and applied them to Er Zhuzi's leg before wrapping the wound with cloth strips.
In just a short while, more people began to arrive. Liu Qingyan, as Er Zhuzi's mother, was immediately overwhelmed with fear and felt her legs go weak.
It was Zhang Wuliang who had broader knowledge; as he ran, he comforted her: "Don't cry! The child will be fine!"
Yet no matter how calm he tried to appear, his heart raced faster with each step he took.
It only took a short while, but Zhang the Widower was remarkably quick in treating the wound. By the time they arrived, Er Zhuzi's injury had already been taken care of.
Liu collapsed to the ground, seeing his son lying there limp, and cried out in despair, "My son, what happened to you!"
With tears and snot flowing, anyone who heard couldn't help but feel moved.
Zhang Wuliang was at a loss when faced with Liu's reaction. Could it be that his son... he didn't dare to think further. Over the years, he had dealt with trivial matters in Village, but lying on the ground was his precious son!
Zhang the Widower cleared his throat lightly and said, "Village Chief, the child is fine. Just avoid touching the wound and let him rest for a few days!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Wuliang finally noticed the person beside him and recognized him as the rarely seen widower.
"Thank you, brother! Thank you!" The village chief was overwhelmed with gratitude, his sincerity evident.
It is known that when bitten by a snake, immediate treatment is crucial; it's best not to move the victim, as it would accelerate blood circulation and hasten the spread of toxins, leading to dire consequences.
Living near the mountains, everyone had such life experiences, but they feared that children might not understand. Thankfully, he was there to provide first aid.
Suddenly, Zhang the Widower's dark face flushed red up to his neck, though his bushy beard concealed this slight change.
"It's nothing; as long as the child is fine, I’ll take my leave!" He then hurriedly fled under everyone's gaze.
After all these years, it was the first time Village people looked at him without disdain; he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.
"Village Chief, I'm sorry!" Liu Qingyan apologized with his head hung low.
The redness around Zhang Wuliang's eyes made it impossible for him to scold; they were just children who didn’t understand. What could he do? This kind of situation wasn't anyone's fault.
Zhang Wuliang must have a high level of awareness to be able to become the village chief. Most people would have complained about the others, but Zhang Wuliang said nothing.
"Let's go back first!" Carefully picking up his son, Liu stayed close by, knowing that his son was safe. The doting gaze could drown someone.
On the way, Liu Qingyan felt listless, constantly feeling that she had made a terrible mistake that almost cost Er Zhuzi his life.
Halfway home, they ran into Liu Qingxi, who had just rushed out from their house.
"Yan, what's wrong? Are you okay?" She had heard the commotion outside earlier; it was about Er Zhuzi being bitten by a poisonous snake!
Her heart raced in fear; Liu Qingyan had been with those kids!
Nearby, Auntie smiled and reassured her, "Qingxi, don't worry. The kids are all fine; it's just Er Zhuzi who got bitten. Zhang the Widower has already taken care of it. It's nothing serious; he took him back to the village chief!"
Only then did Liu Qingxi let out a sigh of relief, checking Liu Qingyan from head to toe before feeling at ease.
"Next time you go out, be more careful, okay?"
"I will, sister!" The attitude of admitting her mistake was good, but the guilt inside her couldn't be dispelled.
"But sister, about Er Zhuzi..." The kid lowered his head, fiddling with his fingers. "Can I go see him?"
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