Ich verkaufe meine Kleidung und kaufe etwas Wein, den ich mit dir trinken kann

Kapitel 4

To be honest, if this place weren't so isolated from the world, I would really like to stay here forever.

Look, the sun is already setting, the distant mountains are layered upon each other, the peaks are verdant, and the trees are evergreen. The clouds that rise from the mountains and cliffs are tinged with a myriad of colors. Some resemble jade rabbits, others greyhounds... their shapes are ever-changing and unpredictable. It makes one marvel at the wonders of nature's creation.

I don't know when, but Taishan had finished his work for the day and came out of the house, quietly sitting down beside me. I smiled and took his hand, putting my arm around his shoulder—me, Taishan, and Xiaobai. The three of us quietly shared this peaceful moment... This book was first published on Xiaoxiang Novel Original Network. Please retain this information when reprinting!

[Volume 1: Encounter Chapter 4 - Reaching the End of the Watercourse]

Taishan didn't come back? This is something that has never happened in the past 20 days.

Although he would take Xiaobai out before dawn every day, he never told me where he was going. But he always made sure to come back before dark.

However, now that the moon is high in the sky, there is still no trace of him.

I was extremely anxious, yet helpless—there was a precipice in front and a dense forest behind. I had never ventured more than 50 meters from this little cabin—because, shamefully, I have absolutely no sense of direction! I can never tell which way is east, west, south, or north.

Even amidst the towering skyscrapers of the city, I was already disoriented. How could I possibly find my way out of this remote, deep forest? I knew that if I ventured out, there could only be one outcome—death!

I could only pace anxiously in the room like a trapped beast. The wind rustled the leaves, and the silvery moonlight cast dappled shadows of the trees into the house, making it seem as if countless ghosts were baring their fangs and claws, adding to the eerie and terrifying atmosphere. I hugged my arms, burying myself tightly under the covers, and listened intently.

Time ticked by, but there was no sign of Taishan returning. I kept praying to God to bring him back—although he had Xiaobai with him, he was still just a child, and I was terrified that something might have happened.

I didn't realize that in those 20-odd days, Taishan had unknowingly opened the door to my tightly closed heart and become a part of my life. All I know is that during one sleepless night, I was simply worried about whether he was alright, but I never thought about what I would face if he didn't come back.

Perhaps because I don't usually believe in God or any deities, they completely ignored my prayers—neither Xiaobai nor Taishan were to be seen. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.

As the first rays of dawn appeared in the sky, the long night was finally over. I eagerly went outside to look around—hoping for a miracle. There was nothing around except the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. Everything was eerily quiet—it felt as if I were the only person left in the world.

I was plunged into unprecedented despair.

I went back into the house and started rummaging through his things—I would never have touched his things if I hadn't been at my wit's end: although he was young, I decided to respect his privacy—hoping to find some clues.

He usually keeps all his things piled up in a corner of the room, never near me—this kid is precocious for his age, and he doesn't tell me many things. In his corner, there was nothing but some old-looking, worn-out bottles and jars. Those little jars were toys he used when he was bored, playing with his plants; there probably wouldn't be any clues in them. I decided to ignore them.

I searched under the bed, finding only the tiger skin he slept on that night. I was utterly dejected, my body went limp, and I slid down the wall. Suddenly, my left hand touched something soft. I peered down and saw a small hole in the wall, with a glimpse of white peeking out. My heart leaped with joy, and I quickly pulled it out—it was a small cloth bag. So well hidden? I opened the bag, only to be greatly disappointed—inside was a small knife. I couldn't tell what it was made of. It was a dark green, neither like iron, nor copper, nor plastic, nor stone, and certainly not jade. The knife was only the size of my palm. I tried to lightly cut it on my hand; it wasn't very sharp.

Seeing all this, my pity for him deepened—the poor little brat, with just this broken knife, he'd even carefully wrapped it up two or three times. When I get back, I'll buy him a whole cartload of toys! Really! You're just kidding!

However, I thought dejectedly—can I still go back?

It was already noon, and I finally accepted the truth—Taishan wasn't coming back. Something must have happened to him. No, I had to go find him. Maybe he got lost—of course, that was unlikely; maybe he was injured and was lying somewhere alone waiting for me to rescue him! Just thinking about that scene made my whole body tremble.

Mount Tai, wait for me, I will definitely come and bring you back. I will never abandon you. You believe me!!

I hastily ate a few pieces of fruit and packed some more to carry with me—I had no idea how long it would take to find him. I had no idea what awaited me. But I had no choice but to keep going; I had no other option.

After thinking for a moment, I went back and took out his small knife again—it wasn't very useful, but it was still a weapon. Surely it could be used to bolster my courage?

Stepping outside, I glanced one last time at the house where I'd lived for over 20 days, gritted my teeth, and turned to walk into that mysterious and unpredictable forest...

Thick fog blanketed the mountains, the cliffs sheer and precipitous. Strange rocks stood tall, and on one side, the valley seemed unfathomably deep, its rocks covered in lush, verdant moss. Ancient trees of all kinds reached for the sky, interspersed with slender bamboos, and countless unnamed wildflowers bloomed unrestrainedly. In the distance, monkeys could be seen climbing, and birds sang merrily… All of this, shrouded in mist, seemed so unreal in its beauty. If I were to see it under normal circumstances, I don't know how overjoyed I would be. But now, I had no heart to appreciate it.

At first, there was a barely discernible path—perhaps traces left by Mount Tai's daily comings and goings? I carefully used my knife to make a mark on a tree every so often—that way, if Mount Tai returned, he could follow it to find me. And I could also use these marks to find my way back. I understood the principle that haste makes waste, so despite my anxiety, I dared not rush. I could only walk step by step, and every so often I would retrace my steps along the marks. Only when I was certain I could get back would I feel comfortable continuing forward.

I walked and stopped, stopping and starting, not knowing how far I had gone. The sky gradually darkened. The shadows of the trees loomed all around, and all was silent. Occasionally, a small bird returning to the forest was startled by my footsteps, fluttering its wings and skimming over my head. I kept feeling someone was following me, but when I turned around several times, there was nothing there. I started running, but the footsteps behind me quickened. I stopped and listened carefully, but there was nothing there either. My hair stood on end—could it be a ghost? I patted my chest and started singing loudly…

Just a moment ago the sun was shining brightly, but suddenly dark clouds gathered, and then a heavy rain began to fall. In just a short while, I was soaked to the bone. At first, I hoped to be lucky enough to run into someone, but the further I walked, the colder my heart grew. There were trees all around me, and every single one of them looked exactly the same to me.

I was getting colder and colder, and I had run out of food. Then, I realized with dismay that I had made a fatal mistake—I hadn't brought water. I also hadn't brought anything to start a fire. For the past 20 days, I had only eaten wild fruits and hadn't eaten anything else. So I hadn't even considered this. In fact, even if I had, I wouldn't have been able to bring any, because I had never seen Taishan use fire.

There was no path on the mountain, and with the rain making the ground even more slippery with moss and thick fallen leaves, I climbed a steep slope, panting heavily, but had no strength or courage to go any further.

I sat down, closed my eyes, and rested against a tree for a while, intending to return the way I came. But something felt off. I opened my eyes and, oh my god, less than 20 meters away, a huge snake was "swimming" towards me. I was so startled that I tumbled down the slope.

I fell into a valley. Luckily, it wasn't very deep. I struggled to my feet and checked myself—thankfully, I hadn't broken any bones, just a few scrapes. But climbing back up would be difficult. It was completely dark now, but thankfully the rain had stopped. Soon, the moon came out. I didn't dare stay there, afraid of wild animals, and also afraid of snakes.

At the bottom of the valley, I wandered around several times, only to end up back where I started. Finally, I gave up—yes, I was lost. I couldn't find my way out.

I began to carefully observe my surroundings—the pale moonlight filtering through the leaves illuminated the thin mountain mist, draping everything in a hazy veil. Unknown wildflowers bloomed on both sides of the mountain stream, like countless tiny sprites dancing in the moonlight. The babbling brook seemed to be playing an unknown melody—wait, there's the sound of water!

So, if I find a stream and follow it, won't I be able to get out? Thinking this, I immediately became excited, bent down, widened my eyes, and began to search carefully.

Oh! There really is a lovely little stream! I jumped for joy. What a stroke of luck! Thank God! Amen!

The path through the mountain stream was quite rugged. I stumbled along, my clothes were covered in mud, and my face was scraped in several places, but I don't know where I got the strength.

A dark shadow lay indistinctly on the ground ahead. My heart skipped a beat—could it be Mount Tai?! "Mount Tai! Mount Tai! Is that you?" I shouted and rushed over—it was just a large rock. Sigh! I felt disappointed, relieved, then worried, and heartbroken... my emotions were a whirlwind of conflicting feelings.

After a short rest, disregarding my exhaustion, hunger, cold, and fear, I could only grit my teeth and keep going—I had to buy time. Before I lost my courage and my strength, I couldn't stop. If I stopped, I would lose my courage and my hope.

The current grew swifter and the sound louder, finally becoming a deafening roar—perhaps I'd reached the exit? I walked faster and faster, until finally I was jogging. But when I reached the end, I was filled with despair—the stream had flowed to a precipice and plunged straight down, becoming a waterfall! The waterfall created a thousand waves at the foot of the cliff, converging into a pool. Then, it arrogantly meandered away, disappearing from my sight...

My strength vanished in an instant. I collapsed to my knees, crawling on the ground, tears streaming down my face like a fountain. Then, everything went black, and I knew nothing more... This book was first published on Xiaoxiang Novel Original Website. Please retain this information when reprinting!

[Volume 1: Encounter Chapter 5: Watching the Flowers Bloom]

Something touched my face, and I slowly opened my eyes—it was Little White?! I sat up abruptly, looked around, and realized it was already broad daylight. At that moment, I was lying on a large blue stone. And Mount Tai? He stood beside me, thoughtfully observing me.

"I'm still alive? Taishan? Xiaobai? It really is you guys? That's great!"

"Who exactly are you?" That was the first question he asked me.

"Me?! I'm Ye Qing, Sister Qing! Don't you recognize me?" I pointed at my own nose, bewildered, and asked him, "Are you serious? You're not pretending to have amnesia like other people, are you? Stop kidding me, I'm already scared enough!"

"You got the stuff, why aren't you leaving?" He ignored me and went straight to my second question, his expression complex—a mixture of heartache, hatred, disappointment, confusion, and perhaps even a little bit of pity? His expression changed so quickly that I couldn't catch it before it vanished.

"Things? What did I take from you?" I was still completely bewildered.