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墨書 Inktalez
"Why?" Lucia asked, confused. They were clearly about to leave, but now their focus had shifted.
Zhang Qiu pointed to the animal pelts hanging outside the cabin and explained, "Lucia, look, these pelts belong to some kind of large predator. This one must be from a tiger. I suspect the owner of this cabin is likely a hunter. But that's not the main point; the main point is that there are ferocious beasts living in the jungle. It's already dark, and if we recklessly head back, encountering a fierce wild animal could be dangerous..."
"Then let's wait here for a while. I don't want to become a beast's meal," Lucia said, changing her mind after hearing Zhang Qiu's explanation.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia sat down by a large tree outside the cabin. With the faint glow of the fire, Zhang Qiu surveyed the surroundings of the cabin. After an unknown amount of time had passed, he heard Lucia whispering in his ear, "Zhang Qiu, have they finished?"
Zhang Qiu looked at Lucia and then turned to glance at the cabin. "You stay here and wait for me. I'll go take a look."
"Let's go together," Lucia insisted as she got up to follow Zhang Qiu.
The two of them tiptoed to the side of the cabin, pressing their ears against the wooden wall. They could no longer hear the earlier sounds of gasping. Zhang Qiu exchanged glances with Lucia and said, "Let's go knock on the door."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Lucia worried.
Zhang Qiu shared her concern but felt somewhat braver with his gun in hand. They arrived at the cabin door, and Zhang Qiu tucked his handgun into his waistband and covered it with his clothing. He paused for a moment before knocking on the door.
"Who is it?"
A rough voice came from inside the cabin. Zhang Qiu's heart raced as he felt sweat forming in Lucia's palm.
The door opened to reveal a burly man with a scruffy beard staring at Zhang Qiu and Lucia with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He rubbed his eyes hard before asking, "Who are you?"
"Hello, sir. We're travelers who got lost in the jungle and ended up here without realizing it. We were wondering if we could spend the night with you; we'll leave at dawn," Zhang Qiu said, looking at the man and hoping for a positive response.
The man blinked and stepped aside, saying, "Come in quickly! It's dangerous to stay in the jungle at night."
Zhang Qiu and Lucia were surprised by how easily he agreed to their request and quickly thanked him. The man chuckled and said, "God cares for everyone. It's rare to meet strangers here; your arrival is also fate."
“Yazasi, Yazasi!”
The man shouted a name inside the wooden cabin, and Zhang Qiu guessed it was the name of the lady of the house.
“What’s wrong, Nanka?” A woman walked out from another room.
The woman was dressed in clothing made of animal hides, and a feather was stuck in her tied-up hair. Zhang Qiu assumed this was the lady of the house. She held a narrow, cylindrical transparent bag that was dripping water and casually hung it on a rope from the ceiling. Several similar items were hanging from the rope, and Zhang Qiu and Lucia exchanged awkward glances.
“This couple is traveling here and got lost in the jungle. They hope to spend the night here,” Uncle Nanka introduced Zhang Qiu and Lucia to his wife.
“Oh, my.” Yazasi looked surprised. “It’s good you found this place; I can’t imagine how you would spend a night in the jungle.”
“Sorry for interrupting,” Zhang Qiu thanked the lady of the cabin.
“Come sit down, friends,” Uncle Nanka invited Zhang Qiu and Lucia to sit on handmade chairs covered with animal hides. He brought out half a bottle of wine from another room and said with a smile, “Have a drink to warm yourselves; I traded some of my game pelts for this.”
“Thank you, but we still have to travel tomorrow, so we won’t drink,” Zhang Qiu declined Uncle Nanka’s kind offer.
“Oh, alright.” Uncle Nanka shrugged and poured himself a glass of wine, drinking it down. “I think you shouldn’t choose to leave tomorrow.”
“Why?” Zhang Qiu asked.
“It’s going to rain soon. Are you planning to leave in the rain?”
“Rain?” Zhang Qiu and Lucia looked at Uncle Nanka simultaneously.
“That’s right.” Uncle Nanka nodded. “I’ve lived here for decades and know a lot about weather changes. I think there will be a heavy rain around three to four o’clock tonight.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiu immediately said, “Uncle, could you do me a favor?”
"What's wrong, my friend?"
"We're not just two people; we're an entire team. In the jungle, we got separated from the team, and they're still out there. If it rains tonight, their situation will be very difficult."
"Oh no!" Uncle Nanka seemed to hear some terrible news. "Do you know where they are now?"
"We set up a camp; it should be nearby."
"But we can't find our way back," Lucia added.
"That's a problem," Uncle Nanka shook his head.
"Wait!" Zhang Qiu suddenly thought of something. "The camp is at the bottom of a gentle slope. Uncle, do you know if there's a gentle slope nearby?"
Uncle Nanka suddenly raised his head and burst into laughter. Zhang Qiu and Lucia were puzzled, and Uncle Nanka said, "I know where it is; it's indeed not far from here. It's definitely going to rain tonight, and your friends can't spend the night outside. I'll go get them."
"Uncle, I'll go with you," Zhang Qiu said.
"You’re not used to traveling at night or on mountain paths; just stay here by the fire."
Uncle Nanka said as he took down his hunting rifle from the wall. Yazasi placed a greasy cotton hat on Uncle Nanka's head and reminded him, "Be careful."
"Don't worry," Uncle Nanka kissed Yazasi goodbye and then said to Zhang Qiu, "I'll bring your friends back."
"Wait, Uncle!" Zhang Qiu called out to Uncle Nanka. "My friends don't know each other, and I'm worried there might be a misunderstanding, so it would be better if I went with you."
Uncle Nanka replied, "Alright then, we'll go together to find your friends."
"Lucia, wait for me here," Zhang Qiu said.
Lucia nodded and reminded, "Make sure to pay attention to safety."
Uncle Nanka opened the door, and the firelight cast a golden path. Zhang Qiu followed Uncle Nanka onto the path and entered the jungle.
The jungle was pitch black, with the wind rustling through the leaves, and various animals whimpering in the darkness, creating an eerie atmosphere. Zhang Qiu held a gun in his hand, fully alert and observing his surroundings. Uncle Nanka walked in front, holding an oil lamp that flickered with dim light. When Uncle Nanka turned around, he noticed the gun in Zhang Qiu's hand and asked, "Is that yours?"
"Yes!" Zhang Qiu nodded. He thought that since the gun was in his hand, it was his, after all; what else could it be?
"If I'm not mistaken, that handgun is from the military, right?"
Uncle Nanka suddenly said this, and Zhang Qiu immediately became alert. Could it be that Uncle Nanka had noticed something?
"Eh?" Uncle Nanka asked again.
"Yes, but I'm not very familiar with it."
Zhang Qiu told a lie, hoping Uncle Nanka wouldn't focus on the gun anymore. However, Uncle Nanka showed great interest in it and said, "Can you let me take a look?"
Zhang Qiu hesitated but eventually handed over the handgun. Uncle Nanka examined it for a moment before returning it to Zhang Qiu, enviously saying, "I wish I had a gun like this. Where did you buy it?"
"You might not believe it, but I found this gun." This statement was actually true, but it sounded like a lie. Zhang Qiu wasn't sure if Uncle Nanka would believe him.
"I believe you," Uncle Nanka replied. "Recently, there has been fighting between both parties in the north and south; it's quite normal to find a gun."
"Uncle, you also care about the situation outside?" Zhang Qiu was surprised to learn that Uncle Nanka, living in the jungle, was well-informed about events happening outside.
"Do you think that because I live in the jungle, what happens outside should have nothing to do with me?"
Zhang Qiu nodded. Uncle Nanka smiled and said, "I didn't always live here. I moved into the forest when I could no longer find enough food. In summer, we plant some crops and gather fruits from the mountains. In winter, I go hunting and store meat to survive the cold months. Life in the jungle may seem worse than outside, but in such a country, living in the jungle is actually much better than living outside. The most important thing is that we don't have to go hungry."
Uncle Nanka's words lingered in Zhang Qiu's mind for a long time. Indeed, the people of Tanzania had endured too much suffering that they should not have faced. Zhang Qiu said, "Fortunately, the war is about to end. After Prince Banan unifies the north and south, things will surely change."
"Yes," Uncle Nanka nodded with a smile. "I also heard Your Highness will implement reforms. I hope everything will get better."
Zhang Qiu followed Uncle Nanka through the winding paths of the jungle, unsure of how long they had been walking. Suddenly, Uncle Nanka stopped and extinguished the oil lamp. Zhang Qiu held his gun close to his chest and whispered, "Uncle Nanka, what’s wrong?"
"We're not far from your location now. However," Uncle Nanka said, holding his hunting rifle and scanning the surroundings, "I sense a hint of danger."
"Is there a beast?" Zhang Qiu gasped, realizing he had no experience in confronting wild animals.
"I'm not sure; it just feels strange."
Uncle Nanka focused intently on the area around them when suddenly a gunshot rang out, and a bullet landed at Uncle Nanka's feet. The sound echoed through the quiet forest for a long time. In that instant, Uncle Nanka darted behind a tree, the thick trunk shielding his robust body.
"Stay hidden and don’t come out!" Uncle Nanka whispered urgently.
Birds startled from the trees as darkness enveloped them. At the sound of the gunshot, Zhang Qiu chose the nearest tree trunk as cover, gripping his handgun tightly against his chest.
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