Chapter 178
Fang Zichen blinked, recalling the nervous and frail appearance of Xiao Feng from their previous meeting. Without hesitation, he went back to his room to fetch a stick, picked up Guaizai, and said, "Then let's hurry and go!"
The mountains were unsafe in winter. Zhao Ger said, "Let Guaizai wait at home!"
"Ah?" Fang Zichen asked Guaizai if he would be alright home alone.
Guaizai understood what was happening. He clenched his fist and said, "Guaizai is a man, Guaizai can. Guaizai not fear ghosts. Father and daddy go find Brother Xiao Feng. Guaizai be good at home."
Zhao Ger locked the courtyard gate, picked up the small lantern that Fang Zichen had previously bought for Guaizai to play with, and headed up the mountain with him.
In winter, darkness fell quickly and the nights were cold. After finishing their meals, the villagers basically went straight into their quilts. If it were summer, everyone would go out for a stroll to aid digestion and chat. Right now, there wasn't a soul outside, and the fog was thick. Fang Zichen took the lantern and told Zhao Ger to put his hands in his pockets.
The road was quiet, with no insect sounds either. The mountain ahead was pitch black. Fang Zichen lowered his voice, his expression serious and tense, saying, "Zhao Ger, stay close to me later."
Preoccupied with his thoughts, Zhao Ger let out an 'ah' and asked why.
Fang Zichen's expression turned grave: "I've heard people say this kind of weather is when you're most likely to run into ghosts. You— ah, stop pinching, stop pinching, I won't say it anymore."
Zhao Ger was exasperated with him. At a time like this, he was still talking about such supernatural nonsense.
The mountain path was slippery. Not long after they started walking, the bottoms of their pants were already soaked by the weeds along the path. Fang Zichen carried Zhao Ger on his back and, following his directions, arrived in front of a cave.
The cave entrance wasn't very large, just over a meter high. It was pitch black inside. Zhao Ger stooped and went in, discovering that Xiao Feng was not inside. The cave was empty. He had often stayed here before himself. There was some straw inside, already damp. On a stone slab sat a handful of wild vegetables, which looked fresh, likely picked within the last few days.
"No one inside." Zhao Ger came out and looked around. Seeing Fang Zichen hadn't responded and was staring at an old tree opposite the cave entrance.
This tree looked a bit peculiar. Its trunk had a hollowed-out hole in the middle, as if deliberately dug out, large and round, with lush branches and leaves. It was hard to tell what species it was.
"...What is it?" Zhao Ger's tone was hesitant, as if both anxious and harboring a kind of unspoken expectation.
His expression was off, somewhat pale, but Fang Zichen didn't see it clearly. "Nothing. Did you just say Xiao Feng wasn't inside?"
"Mm!" Zhao Ger's voice was somewhat low.
"Don't worry." Fang Zichen put an arm around his shoulder. "Think carefully. Where does he usually go when he comes to the mountains?"
There weren't many places to go or hide in the mountains. The only place Zhao Ger knew was this cave.
For some reason, he felt very uneasy.
"Husband, maybe we should search around here a bit more?"
"The mountains are so terrifying and dangerous at night, and he's not in the cave." Fang Zichen said, "Could it be that Liu Gouzi beat him, and he didn't dare go home, so he's hiding somewhere in the village?"
After all, at this hour, even a grown man wouldn't dare come into the mountains. Xiao Feng was only eight years old. Based on what Meng-shi said and his own understanding, Zhao Ger felt Xiao Feng absolutely could not be in the village right now. There were also no places to hide in the village. The only place he could be was in the mountains.
The lantern's light had a limited range. Zhao Ger also didn't dare stray too far from Fang Zichen. He didn't dare call out too loudly, afraid of attracting beasts from the deep mountains.
They searched for nearly a shichen (2 hours) but still saw no trace of Xiao Feng. The mountain air was heavy with cold. Fang Zichen hadn't fully recovered yet, so Zhao Ger thought about going back and searching again tomorrow. But then he saw Fang Zichen frowning, looking down the slope.
"What is it?"
"This grass looks like it's been crushed by something." Most wild grass withered in winter, but this patch grew thickly, with good vitality and fast recovery. The traces of being pressed down weren't very obvious now, but with a little attention, some clues could still be seen.
Fang Zichen said, "I want to go down and look. It's too steep here. Wait for me above."
Zhao Ger was uneasy. "I'll follow you. I'm used to walking these places. It's fine."
After they had gone down about fifty meters, Zhao Ger's gaze suddenly fixed dead on a certain spot. Then his whole body began to tremble.
"Husband," he pointed ahead, unconsciously gripping Fang Zichen's arm tightly. "What is that?"
It was quite far. The warm yellow light of the lantern didn't illuminate it clearly. Faintly, they could see a grayish-white mass. It looked like someone was sitting there with their back to them, motionless.
Cold night, deep mountains... Fang Zichen felt a chill run down his spine. But he had 'encountered ghosts' before and quickly calmed down. Besides, there were no such things as ghosts in this world. Even if there were, he wasn't afraid. He had learned a few moves from Lin Zhengying.
[Lin Zhengying: the late Hong Kong actor known for roles in supernatural/action films, often portraying a 'ghostbuster' Taoist priest.]
Zhao Ger's face was deathly pale. Cold sweat seeped from his bones to his skin.
Fang Zichen raised the lantern, tightened his grip on the stick, and mustered his courage to walk over. As they got closer, Zhao Ger's eyes widened, his lips slightly parted. His hands hanging at his sides began to tremble, his body swaying slightly. He covered his mouth, his eyes stinging. He just stood there, stunned.
"...Xiao Feng!"
Fang Zichen also broke out in a cold sweat.
Xiao Feng was 'sitting' there. In the harsh cold of the twelfth lunar month, he was wearing a single layer of thin clothing. In the tenth month he had dressed like this, and now in the twelfth, with the wind biting cold, he was still dressed the same. These clothes were old and worn, washed until pale. The collar was severely frayed, and the elbows were full of patches. Looking at the color and style, they were men's clothes—these were Liu Gouzi's old clothes. He found them too shabby and had given them to Xiao Feng.
Previously, when Xiao Feng wore them, they hung loose on him, like a child wearing an adult's clothes. Now the clothes were soaked, clinging tightly to his emaciated, frail frame.
He must have rolled down from the path, and then...
When villagers chopped firewood, they often left a long section of the trunk so it could sprout again. Also, when chopping, the axe blade was often angled, so the cut end was sharp. After Xiao Feng rolled down, he was impaled on a tree stump through his chest.
He probably couldn't move after that, maintaining that posture. Anyone looking would know what he had gone through.
The temperature had dropped sharply these past few days, and there had been intermittent rain several times. This spot was relatively far from the inner mountains, which actually allowed his body to remain intact.
Ants rarely came out to be active in winter, but right now, Fang Zichen saw several ants crawling on him.
He is only an eight-year-old child!
Fang Zichen clenched his hands tightly, letting his nails dig into his palms.
He distinctly remembered their first meeting: Xiao Feng was carrying a large bundle of firewood, his thin back bent almost to his knees. He had given Xiao Feng two eggs. Xiao Feng had stretched out both hands in trepidation, as if holding two precious, fragile pearls.
But those were just two ordinary, unremarkable eggs.
He had suffered so much, endured so many hardships, clinging to life until now, yet he hadn't had time to grow up. In this cold winter, in the cold, deserted mountains, alone, solitary and helpless, the winter rain and cold wind had stolen his body's warmth.
At the moment the tree stump pierced his chest, had he died instantly? Or... had he tried to drag himself, to crawl out, to call for help?
Or perhaps, after many failed attempts, knowing he couldn't move, he had hoped that someone, anyone, would come save him.
Then, in repeated bouts of hope, he fell again and again into disappointment, fear, terror, despair.
If he and Zhao Ger hadn't come, would he have just stayed like this, until he decomposed, attracted beasts from the mountains, letting his remains be devoured completely, leaving no skull behind?
And then, no one would know what he had experienced, where he had gone, whether he was alive or dead.
He would have vanished from this world, and no one would ever have known.
The more he thought about it, the more agonizing it became.
This damned imagination. Thinking too much just causes me needless distress.
What a pitiful child. When we get back, we should burn some paper money for him.
Down there, he shouldn't have to miss out on eating eggs anymore.
Fang Zichen sniffled and patted Zhao Ger's lightly trembling shoulder. "Let's take him back."
Zhao Ger couldn't speak, only managing to emit a broken sound from his throat.
Fang Zichen closed his eyes for a moment, handed the lantern to Zhao Ger, and went over to bring Xiao Feng back.
Even though he was gone, they couldn't just leave him here, exposed to wind and rain. He still needed to be laid to rest.
Fang Zichen put one arm around Xiao Feng's shoulder blade and the other under his knees, intending to pick him up. But the moment he touched him, he paused.
Something is wrong.
Xiao Feng's body... it's still soft.
Thinking of something, he reached out and checked Xiao Feng's breath.
Zhao Ger wiped his tears. "Husband?"
Fang Zichen's heart pounded, almost deafeningly loud.
Zhao Ger called him again. "Husband, what's wrong?"
The breath was very faint, the rise and fall of his chest barely perceptible, but...
"Xiao Feng is still alive."
This was simply a miracle.
With a tree stump impaled in his chest, the wounded person shouldn't be moved without knowing the depth or exact location of the injury. But at this moment, Fang Zichen couldn't consider anything else. Xiao Feng's breathing was far too weak. He was afraid that by the time he went to town to fetch a physician, the person would already be gone.
Carefully pulling out the tree stump, Fang Zichen tore a piece of his own clothing to plug the wound on Xiao Feng's chest. Holding Xiao Feng horizontally, he and Zhao Ger rushed down the mountain.
Xiao Feng's condition was critical. Finding the old village physician wouldn't help. At the foot of the mountain, Zhao Ger wanted to go to town with Fang Zichen, but Fang Zichen refused.
Fang Zichen refused. Not only was Zhao Ger soaked through, but he also could not possibly leave Guaizai home alone.
Zhao Ger said, "Then I'll go to the village head's house to borrow an ox cart."
"No need. The road is muddy, an ox cart wouldn't be much faster." Last market day, He Xi had given Fang Zichen a ride to deliver firewood to Zuixiao Restaurant. The road had been too muddy, the old ox crawling along like a snail. Later, they were even overtaken by an old man with a walking stick. Near the town gate, the cart wheel got stuck in the mud, and Fang Zichen had to get down and help push.
___
Late at night, the cold was heavy. Just standing still made one thoroughly chilled. The old soldier on guard duty shivered, wanting to find a place to drink a few mouthfuls of warmed wine to heat himself up. Under the city gate, someone called out to him urgently.
"Uncle, open the gate quickly!"
The old soldier stuck his head out. "Father? Why is it you again!"
He told the two new soldiers to keep guarding and ran down himself. Xiao Feng was wrapped in Fang Zichen's clothes, his appearance unclear, but judging by his size and length, he seemed to be a child. Seeing Fang Zichen holding a child in the middle of the night, the old soldier was startled.
"What's going on? Father, you can't do wicked things like kidnapping children! If you're having difficulties at home, tell me. Even though I..."
Fang Zichen impatiently cut him off. "This child is injured. I need to find a physician."
"Ah?" The old soldier reacted quickly. He had experience with this. "I'm familiar with this. Follow me."
The door was knocked on again with a bang bang. The medicine boy opened it and saw it was him again. "Is your father not doing well again?"
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