In the distance, the shouts and flashlights of the pursuers approached again. Feng Yulan gritted her teeth, ripped off her scarf, tied it around Shumin's wound, and half-carried her, half-supporting her, dragging her deeper into the forest.
The rain grew heavier, washing away the blood they had left behind. Feng Yulan's arms began to ache, and Zhang Shumin's steps grew heavier. Every time lightning flashed, she could see her mother-in-law biting her lower lip and beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.
"Let me go..." Zhang Shumin gasped, "You can go alone..."
"Shut up!" Feng Yulan practically yelled, her voice particularly harsh in the rainy night. She was startled herself; this was the first time she had spoken loudly to her mother-in-law.
Strangely, Zhang Shumin actually smiled: "I've made progress..."
A flash of lightning split the night sky, and Feng Yulan saw a dark cave entrance on the mountain wall ahead. Using her last bit of strength, she dragged Zhang Shumin into the cave, and they both collapsed on the wet rocks.
The hole wasn't deep, but it was enough to keep out the rain. Feng Yulan trembled as she untied her scarf and used the occasional flash of lightning to check the wound—the bullet had grazed her left shoulder, leaving a deep groove where the bone was visible, but fortunately it hadn't remained inside her body.
"It needs to be disinfected..." she muttered to herself, remembering the dandelions she had seen on the road.
"Matches in the bag..." Zhang Shumin instructed weakly, "First...make a fire..."
Feng Yulan dug out the black handbag Zhang Shumin had always carried with her and found a box of matches and a small bottle of white wine in the innermost layer. She built a small fire with the dead branches in the cave, and in the flames, Zhang Shumin's face turned as white as paper.
"Bear with it." Feng Yulan poured some white wine on the wound.
Zhang Shumin's body suddenly straightened, a muffled groan escaped her throat, and her nails dug deep into Feng Yulan's arm. But she didn't cry out in pain the whole time, just biting tightly on a piece of wood she had found from nowhere.
Feng Yulan tore open the hem of her shirt and used the clean part to bandage the wound. By the time she was done, she was sweating profusely, and her fingers were shaking from nervousness and cold.
"You...know this?" Zhang Shumin opened her eyes slightly, her voice weak but clear.
"My grandmother taught me." Feng Yulan added a few branches to the fire. "I got hurt a lot when I was little..."
She didn't finish. Most of those injuries came from her alcoholic father, and her grandmother always used mountain herbs to heal her wounds, just as she was doing for Zhang Shumin now.
The fire crackled, and the sound of rain outside the cave gradually faded. Zhang Shumin began to develop a low-grade fever, slipping in and out of consciousness. During a lucid interval, she suddenly grabbed Feng Yulan's hand and said, "Bag... at the very bottom..."
Feng Yulan rummaged through her handbag and felt a hard object in the compartment - it was the fruit knife, the blade flashing coldly in the firelight.
"Self-defense..." Zhang Shumin closed her eyes, "Take turns sleeping..."
Feng Yulan nodded, placing the knife within easy reach. She stared at her mother-in-law's sleeping face, realizing for the first time that this always-strong woman was so thin. Her collarbone was clearly visible beneath her thin clothing, and a few strands of black hair, still not completely gray, were mixed in with her white hair.
At dawn, the rain stopped. Feng Yulan tiptoed to the cave entrance. The forest, shrouded in the morning mist, was a picturesque tranquility, completely belying the life-or-death chase of the previous night. She picked a few leaves of plantain and dandelion, preparing to change Zhang Shumin's medicine once more.
When they returned to the cave, Zhang Shumin had already woken up and was trying to sit up. Feng Yulan quickly supported her and said, "Don't move, the wound will split open."
"I won't die." Zhang Shumin's tone was still firm, but she was obviously not confident enough. "Is there anything to eat?"
Feng Yulan shook her head: "I'll go look for it."
"It's too dangerous." Zhang Shumin grabbed her wrist. "Wait a little longer...Jianhua will come find us."
Feng Yulan thought of the man whose eyes sparkled when he looked at Zhang Shumin: "He was... your... "
"Comrade," Zhang Shumin interrupted quickly, her ears reddening slightly. "That's all."
Feng Yulan didn't ask any further questions. She crushed the herbs and gently peeled back the cloth from yesterday—the wound was slightly red, but showed no signs of suppuration.
Zhang Shumin clenched her teeth throughout the whole process and did not say a word, but Feng Yulan could feel her body trembling.
"Alright." After bandaging the wound, Feng Yulan wiped the sweat from her forehead. "You can sleep a little longer."
Zhang Shumin suddenly said, "I was 21 that year and was assigned to Jianhua's village to work in the production team." Her gaze shifted toward the distant mountains outside the cave. "He was the production team leader. He taught me farm work and helped me with a lot of problems..."
Feng Yulan listened quietly, not daring to interrupt this rare conversation.
"Later... the quota for returning to the city came." Zhang Shumin's voice trailed off. "I got it. He gave it to me."
"You haven't been in touch again?"
Zhang Shumin shook her head. "After I returned to the city, my family arranged a blind date for me. It was Zhang Shuo's dad." She paused. "Old Jin was still an errand boy at the time, and because the spoils weren't divided evenly..."
Suddenly, there was the sound of a branch snapping outside the cave. Feng Yulan immediately grabbed her fruit knife and motioned Zhang Shumin to be quiet. Footsteps were getting closer, accompanied by heavy breathing.
"Sister Shumin? Sister Yulan?" It was Jianhua's voice!
Feng Yulan was about to respond when Zhang Shumin covered her mouth and shook her head gently. She didn't let go until she was sure that there was no one else behind Jianhua.
Jianhua went into the cave carrying a bamboo basket. When he saw Zhang Shumin's injuries, his eyes immediately turned red: "Those beasts!"
He took out a few steamed buns, a pot of water, and a bag of herbs from the basket. "The whole village is looking for you. That bastard Wang Ergou took the money. I caught him this morning, beat him up, and tied him up at home."
"Have they left?" Feng Yulan asked anxiously.
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