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墨書 Inktalez
The next day was Saturday. I woke the kids up early and told them we were going to the railway station to find their mother. It was from there that she had taken the train all those years ago, and she would be waiting for us today.
The summer morning was still quite cool. I packed a few clothes for the kids, along with a plastic bag filled with bread and drinks, and set off early. This was our first time heading into the woods, and the kids were laughing and bouncing around, while I felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety. So, I quickened my pace to catch up with them.
We first passed through a patch of low trees, where many golden phoenix flowers bloomed in red, adorned with small yellow fruits that looked beautiful. Monkeys were jumping around in the trees; some were fighting, while others were scratching each other. A little monkey baby clung tightly to its mother’s belly as they walked together. I was busy looking around at all the interesting sights when suddenly, a monkey dashed over and snatched the plastic bag from my hand. It seemed these monkeys already knew there would be tasty treats inside because they had observed that people who walked or rode bikes here always carried food in plastic bags. Clearly, saying monkeys are smart is no exaggeration. I wanted to chase after it, but by then, a whole group of monkeys had gathered around, already tearing open the plastic bag and grabbing pieces of bread to jump up into the trees and skillfully unwrap them. How professional!
As I scratched my head in frustration, I turned around and saw an astonishing sight: Ya Ya was walking over, followed by a group of monkeys tugging at the plastic bag behind her, with a bunch of squirrels circling around them, darting up and down. Ya Ya was mumbling something in a language I couldn't understand at all. What was going on? “Daddy, food,” Ya Ya said as she handed me the plastic bag. “Is this it?” I asked in confusion. Before I could ask more questions, Ya Ya had already taken off with her monkey soldiers and squirrels to catch up with Dou Dou, continuing to bounce along.
I quickly tightened the plastic bag again and picked up a long stick before hastily following them. This was quite a spectacle—what a strange combination we had! What did it all mean? I couldn't figure it out at all, but there was no way to ask since both Ya Ya and Dou Dou were usually tight-lipped; asking would probably yield no answers. Passersby on bikes or foot whistled at us as we went by, and even the birds in the trees chirped more than usual. Honestly, I was just as confused as anyone else.
Once we exited the low forest, we came upon a small hill that stood about 150 meters high at its peak. Beyond it lay dense woods and the railway tracks. If we took the winding mountain path, it would take us twice as long or more; I certainly didn’t want to waste time. I was eager to find out what Hua Yiduo intended to do—so the faster we went, the better!
I told the kids about my plan, and they agreed eagerly. We began our ascent while those monkeys and squirrels had long since disappeared into who knows where. Sighing, I shook my head; leading this group was no easy task.
The path up the hill consisted mostly of stone steps and dirt trails that had been repaired by the government two years ago—it wasn’t difficult to walk on. There were also several mountain biking trails made of dirt and gravel winding through the woods toward the summit. Thinking it might be quicker to take one of those smoother paths, I suggested we try it out. The kids agreed enthusiastically—off we went!
As soon as we entered the biking trail, I realized how naive my assumption had been; although it was somewhat smoother, it twisted and turned with many forks along the way. After walking for a while, I started feeling lost; after all, I had never exercised much—I always believed in lying down whenever possible! Hiking? Running? Off-roading? None of that concerned me! Meanwhile, Dou Dou and Ya Ya seemed quite comfortable as they called out “Mommy! Mommy!” My heart sank; even if I hadn’t exerted myself much leading them here, surely I should be better than Hua Yiduo?
After walking for some time longer, I was completely disoriented—unable to tell east from west—and pulled out my phone only to see that pitiful signal flickering between bars; it was 2G! Trying to open GPS for help was utterly hopeless now. Why did I think this would be clever? Didn’t I know my own limits?
Just then, I felt someone tugging at my shirt—it was Dou Dou. “What’s wrong?” I asked irritably. “Daddy, this way,” he said while pointing toward a fork in the path ahead. “Really?” I asked skeptically. But what choice did I have? Clearly, my sense of direction wasn’t working.
Dou Dou led Ya Ya ahead; he occasionally glanced around while drawing something in the dirt with a stick—what could he possibly be drawing? “Do you really know where you’re going?” I asked him. He nodded confidently and continued onward.
I lost track of how long we wandered until suddenly we found ourselves back at the entrance of the biking trail! Wow! This kid’s sense of direction was far better than mine! It seemed like he really knew what he was doing—how could that be? Was it because he spent all his time drawing? These two kids seemed to have some hidden talents that I'd never noticed before! What exactly is autism? I'd never really thought about it deeply before—could it be treated? But wouldn’t that cost a lot of money? Where would I get that kind of money? Ugh… everything felt like a tangled mess now.
As these thoughts swirled in my mind, I found a rock to sit on so that the kids could rest too—drinking some water and eating something would do us good.
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