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墨書 Inktalez
Two men were dressed in clothing that clearly exhibited Hakka ethnic characteristics. Their garments were dark and loose-fitting, secured at the waist with wide black cloth belts for ease of movement. This resembled the belts worn by the Lao people, wrapped around the waist multiple times and useful as ropes in emergencies.
Both men wore boat-shaped hats, and surprisingly, what peeked out from beneath was not short hair but long hair styled upwards into the hats. They appeared to be quite young and had a rock-and-roll vibe. I imagined how they would look without their traditional attire; they somewhat resembled a band like Power Train.
However, the woman sitting with them was more enigmatic. Her clothing and pants were similar to those of the two men, and her wide cloth belt accentuated her figure, which was firm and shapely. Sitting with her knees propped up on a low wall, she revealed delicate ankles, while the baggy pant legs were disproportionate to her waist, almost like a skirt.
I had yet to see her face. From the first moment I spotted her on the boat until now, her face remained hidden beneath a blue-and-white floral headscarf. In my impression, only elderly Hakka women wore such half-concealing headgear; younger women typically adorned themselves with more decorative styles, often tying handkerchiefs in their hair to showcase their youthful faces.
Her head was slightly bowed, obscuring most of her face with the scarf. I could only see her delicate chin and rosy lower lip, allowing me to deduce that she was indeed a young girl.
In stark contrast to the two dark-skinned men, this girl had very fair skin. This was evident from her exposed hands and feet, which had a porcelain-like smoothness and translucence. This made her presence even more puzzling to me.
It was clear that she was a pampered girl who likely hadn’t spent more than half an hour under the sun. I could understand why Fatty had brought the two men as guides, but what purpose did it serve to bring this girl here? Was she seeking trouble in such a dangerous place? That didn’t seem like Fatty ’s style.
I sensed that the girl across from me was also observing me. Of course, I couldn’t be sure; I couldn’t see her eyes hidden beneath the scarf, but that feeling was unmistakable.
She sat alone while the two men sat together without exchanging words, remaining very still as if in deep meditation. Their faces were illuminated by the campfire light, and I could see that they were looking at me across the flames.
I could only self-deprecatingly think of myself as a protagonist in this scenario. These three seemed very interested in me, yet I couldn’t decipher their gazes. The men’s eyes were directed toward me but appeared vacant and expressionless, as if they were staring at a piece of wood.
I felt an oppressive weight in our shared gaze. Frankly speaking, I thought those two resembled wooden figures even more.
To escape this suffocating atmosphere, I turned to Xiao Ting and said, “Don’t worry; Jack is stronger than you think. His injury looks worse than it is; it’s not very deep. Once we remove the infected parts, he should be fine.”
“It’s my fault he got hurt. Am I being selfish? I never expected things would turn out this way. I would make any sacrifice to save my dad. But if it costs someone else their life because of me, I can’t bear it. My heart is so troubled, Brother Qiang. What should we do? I can’t not save my dad, but I also can’t keep dragging others down with me.”
Tears streamed down Xiao Ting's face like beads from a broken string, her shoulders trembling as she fought to suppress her sobs.
I gently patted her shoulder and said, "For some of us, this is fate."
I pointed at myself and then at her.
"For others, it is an unavoidable pain. They are entangled in this matter because of you or me. Given their personalities, they cannot simply withdraw halfway."
I gestured toward the campfire with my chin.
"Perhaps you are not mentally prepared for this, but the moment I nodded in agreement, I knew we would face significant difficulties and dangers. You can still consider stepping back; it’s not too late for you or for them."
I turned my gaze back to the fire.
"We will continue with this mission. Regardless of the outcome, I will ensure you receive an explanation. Frankly, the next steps are not suitable for you to participate in."
I had anticipated that Xiao Ting would struggle with certain things. So far, my assessment was correct; while Jack's injuries were terrifying, they paled in comparison to the horrors I had encountered before. Despite her experience in field archaeology and her determination to save Xiao Guolin, she was still too fragile.
Suddenly, Xiao Ting wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I can do this. Please believe me."
I shifted my gaze from the fire to Xiao Ting. The stubbornness I had first seen in her resurfaced on her face. I sighed inwardly; I knew it would be impossible to convince her otherwise, but I was determined not to let her participate in the most dangerous aspects of our mission.
"What about your situation? Where did you get this bag of weapons?" I asked, kicking the backpack on the ground.
Just as Xiao Ting was about to respond, she seemed to remember something and made a shushing gesture toward me. Then she pulled out a wooden clipboard from her backpack, which held a stack of white paper. Quickly, she scribbled a few words and handed it to me.
'Use written communication. Don't speak. Song Gang and his crew have sharp ears; we need to be cautious.'
After reading those lines, I looked incredulously at the three people across the fire. We were separated by at least twenty meters; I couldn't believe they could hear us from such a distance. Even if sound traveled over, it would be as faint as a mosquito's buzz, making it impossible to discern our conversation's content.
I glanced at Fatty by the campfire. He was intently crouched on Jack's back, and it seemed he had already begun the procedure. A San noticed my gaze and looked up at me with a flattering smile. I couldn't understand how Fatty could make such a judgment; he was a rough and careless person, yet he seemed to have sensed something. In that case, I needed to be more cautious.
"Alright, I understand. How do you communicate? Do you and Fatty communicate through writing as well? Wouldn't that be inconvenient?" I handed the line I had written to Xiao Ting.
"We mainly use lip movements and gestures to communicate. For simple matters, a glance is enough to understand. The weapons were confiscated from the Vietnamese by Song Gang. There were two of them outside the Valley waiting for support, but they were discovered by Song Gang, who took their weapons and drove them away."
Gangzi. I noticed a slight awkwardness on her face when she mentioned this term. Only someone familiar would call him that; they had only known each other for a short time, yet they were already close enough to reach that level? Moreover, Xiao Ting herself seemed unaware of this; she wrote the name Gangzi so naturally, indicating it was something she was used to.
I held the wooden clip, pretending to think about what to write next, my eyes casually scanning Xiao Ting's face. Her expression was calm and natural.
I silently cursed Fatty in my heart; it was unwise to let them act together. Wasn't that like sending sheep into a tiger's den?
"Gangzi." I let out a cold chuckle.
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