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墨書 Inktalez
In a whirlpool-ridden estuary, I struggled alongside Da Zhang to reach the shore. According to him, there was a waterfall ahead with a drop of several meters; if we couldn't make it to the bank here, we would have to wait for our bodies to be recovered.
Having made it this far, I was completely exhausted. If it weren't for the fact that he and Fatty had agreed to meet here first, I would have already landed at a calmer spot upstream. Lying on the stones at the water's edge, I tried my best to relax my drained body; the stones by the river were warmer than my own skin. Before I could fully recover, darkness began to fall, and the temperature dropped quickly.
Da Zhang, balancing on a piece of wood with one hand while paddling with the other, was expending much more energy than I was. He stood up with great effort, his body worn out: "If Song Gang doesn't come before dark, he won't be able to make it. Let's not wait by the river; we need to find a dry place to start a fire and dry our clothes. We should prepare to head to the next meeting point."
We found a sheltered spot and built a fire. Da Zhang went out for a bit and returned with some root vegetables, tossing them into the flames to roast. After a while, he dug out a charred piece from the fire and handed it to me: "Just eat this. It will fill your stomach."
I took a bite; it wasn't too bad, just tasteless and slightly astringent. My stomach had been empty for too long after expending so much energy. I devoured the food hungrily until I felt somewhat better. At that moment, I suddenly realized that my headache had subsided. I wasn't sure if it was due to the cold water or the shock from being submerged for that brief moment. With my stomach full and warmth from the fire, sleepiness washed over me, and I decided to put off pondering this issue for now. I would just sleep for a bit.
In the middle of the night, I woke up shivering from the cold. Opening my eyes, I saw that the fire was nearly out. Quickly, I added some logs to rekindle the flames. The sound of wood crackling woke Da Zhang as well; he had curled up like a shrimp from the cold. He got up and added some logs to the fire, making it blaze brighter.
Seeing that I wouldn't be able to sleep again anytime soon, I asked him, "How did you discuss things with Fatty? We've drifted too far downriver from the border; isn't it going to be hard to get back?"
Da Zhang adjusted his clothes around him: "We can't go back the way we came. With Nine-Headed Bird dead, that area is going to be chaotic. Guai Zi Liu wants to swallow Nine-Headed Bird's territory; other forces will also get involved. Guai Zi Liu is too greedy; he won't be able to take that land all by himself. Just watch; it's bound to turn into a free-for-all that won't settle down anytime soon. We'll have to find another route back home."
"I didn't see Guai Zi Liu; did he drift down?" I asked Da Zhang.
"He already crossed over to the other side," Da Zhang replied with a scoff. "The Pickup Truck got stuck in a tree and didn't fall down; that machine gun seems broken too. Otherwise, Guai Zi Liu wouldn't dare cross over; drifting downstream is safer."
"Why change meeting points? Can't we just wait here?" I asked in confusion.
"If fighting breaks out over there, this entire area will be affected," Da Zhang explained casually while poking at the fire with a stick. "If we don't leave quickly, we might not be able to get away at all. They won't care what country you're from; if you're a stranger they run into, they'll shoot first without any reason."
In this unfamiliar place, I could only listen to the two of them. I was worried about Fatty and couldn't help but ask Da Zhang nervously, "What will happen to Fatty if we leave? If he doesn't make it in time, won't he be stuck here?"
"Don't worry about him," Da Zhang said, still poking at the fire. "He's familiar with this area. If he didn't come ashore here, he either got off earlier or went downstream. Going downstream means he's out of this dangerous zone. He could have reached the shore upstream before us, so he won't be in danger. Actually, we're the ones in more danger right now. We need to leave quickly; if we get blocked here, we won't be able to move."
Hearing this eased my worries. Given his close relationship with Fatty, if Da Zhang was so calm, then Fatty should be fine. "Where's our next meeting point? Is it far?" I naturally wanted to know about the road ahead.
"The road is a bit long," Da Zhang frowned. "We need to follow the river for a while, then head east, and finally cross into Daluo."
Before we set off, I knew we were entering Myanmar, so I had done some homework and had a general understanding of the China-Myanmar border. I thought for a moment and almost jumped up; we were getting close to Laos, which was quite far. We would have to cross at least five or six rivers along the way. This area is part of the tropical rainforest climate; with high mountains and dense forests, how would we get through? I estimated it would take at least half a year to return home; I'd end up living like a wild person.
I immediately voiced my doubts. Da Zhang looked at me strangely. "We can take a vehicle. Why do we have to walk through the jungle?"
"We crossed the border; what if they catch us?" I asked wide-eyed.
Da Zhang widened his eyes too. "Who knows you crossed over? This place is mostly controlled by local forces; no one cares where you're from. As long as you have money, everything can be arranged." He looked a bit awkward. "The problem is, do you have money? I really don't have any here."
I checked my pockets and was relieved to find my wallet and phone still there. Then I thought again, "All I have is Renminbi; will that work here?"
Da Zhang sighed in relief. "It works; it's very useful here. Besides USD, it's the strongest currency around."
My wallet felt damp in my pants pocket when I pulled it out. Opening it revealed over two thousand yuan inside. Da Zhang relaxed when he saw it. "Renminbi is hard currency; this amount is enough for us to reach Daluo."
After chatting for a while longer, sleepiness overcame me, and I dozed off. When I woke up, the fire had gone out, and Da Zhang handed me a few clean fruits. "Eat something before we go."
The standard tropical fruit was naturally ripe, fragrant, and sweet, far more delicious than the root vegetables we had last night. After finishing the fruit, Da Zhang and I encountered a bus on the riverside road. The Burmese driver didn't seem to understand much; after a few exchanges, he directly asked us in Chinese, "Where are you going?"
Da Zhang's face turned red, and once we got on the bus, he explained to me, "My Vietnamese is better than my Burmese."
The bus was crowded, and Da Zhang and I clearly stood out in terms of height and appearance, yet no one seemed surprised or reacted unusually; it was as if they were used to it. However, many people appeared to speak Chinese, as I noticed some expressing disdain at Da Zhang's explanation.
Surprisingly, the journey went smoothly. We even took a break in Jingdong, and at that moment, I truly relaxed. The place where I had arranged to meet Fatty was a village called Old Nest Pit. There were no hotels, so Da Zhang and I borrowed a room from a Dai ethnic family. We waited for Fatty, who arrived late.
Of course, I didn't give Fatty a good look. Da Zhang and I had walked for two hours and rested in Jingdong before waiting here for another three. Since yesterday, not only had I been restless, but Da Zhang was also starting to lose his patience, constantly mumbling that we should have arrived by now. Yet when he finally saw Fatty, he just laughed heartily as if nothing had happened.
It has been tough hanging at the bottom of the rankings; it’s truly distressing to see it drop occasionally. It’s really cold today; everyone should dress warmly when going out.
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