Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"It’s me," Fat Ma said as he turned around, revealing a young man who appeared to be in his twenties, slender and shorter in stature, wearing black-framed glasses that gave him a scholarly look.
Fat Ma retracted his fist that was about to strike and immediately put on a friendly face, smiling widely.
I turned to look at him, surprised, and asked, "Are you Mud Man?"
He nodded and replied, "It's been years; did you forget me?"
I shook my head and took the luggage from his hands.
Fat Ma said, "Stop staring at each other like that. Come on, I’ll treat you to a meal." With that, he strode ahead.
We followed Fat Ma's lead as we walked forward.
To be honest, after four years apart, there was a sense of awkwardness.
When we finally sat down at the table, Fat Ma joked, "The last time I saw you, you were all dirty and looked nothing like a person. Now you look quite dashing."
I laughed along with him, and Mud Man chuckled as well, saying, "In our line of work, we have to look presentable during the day!"
I agreed with Mud Man; after all, that's what we did this for—to live more splendidly during the daytime.
After the meal, that sense of awkwardness faded away. We drank a lot of alcohol and discussed our plans thoroughly.
Back at Fat Ma's shop, we spent three days waiting before receiving news.
We were told to gather in Sichuan, where someone would meet us when we got off the train.
Before heading out, we bought the necessary gear. This time going into the field was different from when we were sent down to the countryside in Northwest. We went shopping for equipment together, and many items were new to me.
For instance, there were gas masks and mechanized ropes among other things.
After buying the necessary equipment, the next day we three set off for the train station to purchase tickets heading towards the Sichuan region.
Upon disembarking from the train, we were led to a restaurant where we would be accommodated. Before this, we had only met one person, who asked us to call him Shovel. He was tall, resembling a Kanto Giant.
The following day, Shovel took us first by car, then switched to an ox cart, and finally traveled by water until we reached a place known as the Desolate Mountains and Wilderness. Walking along the forest path, we could hear the roar of the river.
This area was almost devoid of human presence, yet the surrounding mountains were lush and green. The air was fresh, thick with moisture.
We passed through the trees and arrived at a relatively flat area that had been cleared for tents. I counted roughly twenty tents.
I was somewhat surprised; with so many people, their influence must be considerable.
Fat Ma chatted with Shovel along the way. Shovel spoke little, responding only when Fat Ma asked him questions.
"We're here," Shovel said.
Our sudden appearance attracted the attention of those present. They glanced at us briefly before quickly returning to their tasks.
Shovel told us, "Wait here for a moment; I'll go fetch the gentleman."
I was taken aback; who still referred to someone as 'gentleman' in this day and age? Soon after, a middle-aged man in a long robe approached. He looked to be in his forties or fifties. As he came closer, his pupils constricted slightly, revealing a glimmer of sharpness in his eyes.
Following him was a girl who appeared to be in her early twenties, dressed in trendy denim overalls and wearing a baseball cap.
The middle-aged man spoke first: "Thank you for your efforts this time."
Fat Ma immediately replied with a smile, "Not at all; we're just helping each other out."
The middle-aged man continued, "You're too kind." Without waiting for Fat Ma's response, he instructed the girl behind him, "Xiao Hui, take these gentlemen to collect their equipment."
The young woman named Xiao Hui called out to us, signaling that we should follow her.
We arrived at a tent filled with various items, and what surprised us the most was the presence of firearms.
She handed each of us a Submachine Gun along with some ammunition.
As I took it, I felt the weight in my hands; it seemed we had boarded a pirate ship this time.
Fat Ma's expression changed slightly, but he quickly composed himself. The Mud Man pulled back the gun's bolt, and Xiao Hui swiftly took the weapon from him.
With a cold expression, she said, "Better safe than sorry."
I was somewhat taken aback; this girl seemed to have some skills, and we had seen the Mud Man's abilities before.
The Mud Man remarked, "I just meant to say that the gun is good; there's no need to be so tense."
Xiao Hui's expression momentarily froze, but she quickly reacted and returned the gun to the Mud Man.
Then she proceeded to distribute food, tents, and some other supplies to us.
After leaving the tent, Fat Ma said, "This girl looks quite fragile, but her skills are impressive."
The Mud Man nodded and warned us, "Her wrist strength is formidable; be careful."
I nodded in agreement and asked, "Fat Ma, do you know where this group comes from?"
Fat Ma shook his head, indicating that he had no idea.
I didn't blame Fat Ma; in situations like this, we could only take it one step at a time. Retreating now would surely lead to dire consequences.
At that moment, Shovel approached us and invited us over for food.
We had bumped along the way and were indeed feeling a bit tired.
The four of us, including Shovel, sat in front of a campfire, where Shovel was roasting a wild rabbit over the flames.
I glanced around at the others, and it was strange how unusually silent the entire group was; no one spoke, creating a heavy atmosphere.
Compared to the others, Shovel was relatively friendly.
I asked Shovel about this phenomenon.
After a moment of silence, Shovel simply said, "The gentleman has just returned from the Korean Battlefield with the Volunteer Army."
Upon hearing this, I fell silent as well.
During the war on the Korean Peninsula years ago, it was these Volunteer Army soldiers who crossed the Yalu River to bring us the peace we have today. They are often referred to as the most lovable people.
Once the rabbit was cooked, Shovel used a knife to cut several pieces of meat and shared them with us.
We chatted for a while longer.
Mudman asked, "When do we move?"
Shovel replied, "The gentleman is still waiting for someone. Once that person arrives, we will act."
I was somewhat surprised. "Who could be so important to arrive this late?" I blurted out.
Shovel shook his head and said, "I don't know."
I didn't press further.
At that moment, nightfall was approaching, and all sounds around us began to quiet down.
I felt a bit tired, said goodbye to them, and went to sleep.
Lying in the tent, I couldn't fall asleep quickly because the light from the campfire was too bright. I tossed and turned several times, unable to drift off, so I decided to crawl out of the tent again.
Fat Ma and the Mud Man were sitting in front, chatting.
Just as I was about to approach them, I suddenly felt a shadow flash past me from behind and quickly disappear into the bushes.
I didn't have time to think too much and chased after it.
After running for about a hundred meters, she stopped. Without waiting for me to speak, she said, "You shouldn't be here!" It was a woman's voice.
Suppressing my curiosity, I calmly asked, "Who are you?"
She replied, "You don't need to know who I am." She pointed to a mountain path ahead and said, "You can go down this way; someone will meet you. Just pretend you never came."
"I won't leave," I said firmly.
She fell silent for a moment, as if sighing, then vanished in a few quick movements.
I wanted to chase after her, but she had already disappeared from sight.
I had no choice but to return the way I came, all the while wondering who she was.
But there was no one like that in my memory. Since I couldn't think of who she might be, I gave up on pondering it and didn't tell Fat Ma about her.
Since she knew about this matter, she would surely appear when the time came; everything would come to light eventually.
The moonlight in the sky appeared unusually enchanting tonight, and the river's water crashed against the shore, creating a loud sound that echoed through the space.
Suddenly, it felt as if my face had been struck by something; a chill washed over me—it was rain. I looked up at the sky, and raindrops fell like shooting stars.
I quickened my pace to return.
Everyone had already taken shelter in the tents, and the once roaring campfire was now dampened by the rain, sending up choking clouds of smoke.
I squeezed into the tent, where raindrops pattered softly on the fabric. After a night of heavy rain, I had barely slept.
When I woke up the next day, the rain still hadn't stopped.
The sound of rushing water from the river grew louder and more intense.
I lifted the tent flap and saw someone in a raincoat standing outside. From their build, I could tell it was Shovel, and in front of him was definitely the gentleman.
Through the haze, I could make out that they were discussing something about the river.
I glanced back into the tent, grabbed a raincoat, and stepped outside.
As I approached, I greeted, "Good morning, sir."
The middle-aged man with a ruggedly lean face smiled kindly at me and said, "You're up!"
I nodded in response.
After I arrived, Shovel seemed to hold back what he was about to say.
I asked, "With all this rain, the river must be overflowing by now?"
Shovel replied, "Yes, Sun Brother, the water has already spilled over the banks," his face showing concern.
At that moment, the middle-aged man said, "Don't worry; just wait a few more days," before turning to head back. This left me and Shovel standing there.
Suddenly, I remembered the woman from last night. Since there was only Xiao Hui here among us women, it made me suspicious. So I tentatively asked Shovel, "Who is that girl accompanying you?"
"That's an orphan that the Master has taken in since childhood. He treats her very well," Shovel said, casting a deep glance at me.
I chuckled lightly and replied, "It's nothing, just asking casually."
Shovel continued, "The Master dotes on her and has always treated her like his own daughter. I don't want anyone to harm her."
I realized he had misunderstood, so I reassured him, "Don't worry! That won't happen."
After a moment, Shovel asked, "Sun Brother, you haven't eaten yet, have you?" He then led me to a place for breakfast.
Fat Ma and the Mud Man were already inside the tent. This tent was quite spacious, able to accommodate more than ten people, and it was hastily built from wood and dry grass.
Upon seeing me, Fat Ma exclaimed, "Old Sun! We haven't seen you all morning. Where have you been?"
He looked around before leaning closer to whisper in my ear, "Nothing happened, right?"
I shook my head.
The rain continued to pour as the three of us stepped out of the tent. Fat Ma grumbled, "It looks like this rain isn't going to stop anytime soon."
The Mud Man added, "This job probably won't go smoothly."
Comment 0 Comment Count