Escape from the deep mountains
From then on, Xingxing's pants were often stained with red marks, and people continued to come and go in Yang Tieshuan's dilapidated courtyard. Xingxing was always locked in the inner room, while Yangyang was repeatedly kicked out of the house.
What Yangyang remembers most clearly is Yang Mazi, who won more than a dozen pigs from Yang Tieshuan.
Yang Mazi came again, this time bringing a black lump of iron into the house. Yangyang was once again herded into the yard and made to squat in front of a washbasin bigger than himself, washing clothes for Yang Tieshuan. He was almost completely submerged in the basin, his two little hands, covered in chilblains, were red and stiff in the icy water, and he couldn't muster any strength.
Winters in Y City are usually snowless, but last night an unexpected layer of frost fell. He hadn't visited Lu Yaqing in the back gully for a long time. Xingxing said it was too cold and the road too hard; he didn't have shoes, and walking too far would wear out his feet.
He listened to Xingxing and stayed at home. Every time those men left, he would quietly place a basin of water by Xingxing's bedside and then slip away without a sound.
At times like this, Xingxing would always turn her face to the wall, unwilling to look at him. She was wrapped tightly in a thin, dirty blanket, with only the back of her head showing.
But this time was different. Just as Yangyang put down the basin of water and was about to leave as usual, Xingxing called out to him.
"Yangyang." Xingxing's voice was terribly hoarse, completely unlike the clear and bright voice a twelve-year-old boy should have. "Let's go to the back mountain valley tonight and visit Aunt Lu."
"good."
Just as Xingxing had said, the path to the back gully was hard and cold, with clods of dirt and small stones hurting Yangyang's feet. He limped along very slowly, only able to move forward by pulling Xingxing along with him.
“Come on up.” Xingxing squatted down in front of him, her back to him.
“But…” Yangyang twisted her fingers, hesitating, “If Xingxing carries me, Xingxing’s feet will hurt too.”
Xingxing turned around, gave him a very gentle smile, and said, "It's okay."
There will always be someone who feels the pain, and soon, the pain will be over.
Xingxing was very thin. Yangyang lay on his not-so-broad back, her arms wrapped around his slender neck, her chest pressed against his back, yet she felt safe and warm.
The stars seem to be omnipotent; as long as the stars are there, even the night breeze in the mountain valley becomes warm.
However, when they reached Lu Yaqing's small mound, Xingxing said to him, "Yangyang, it's time for you to leave."
Yangyang didn't quite understand; he just felt that Xingxing didn't want him anymore. But he had always listened to Xingxing the most, and he couldn't bring himself to say "I don't want to." He just looked timidly at the person who was about to "abandon" him with his wet eyes, like a puppy, and whispered, "Where should I go?"
"I don't know, as long as we get out of this mountain, that's fine." Xingxing didn't look him in the eye, and crouched down, trying in vain to brush away the frost from the withered flower next to the small mound.
Actually, the flower had died long ago; it had no petals left, only a bare, withered stem.
Yangyang lowered his head, unconsciously grinding small clods of dirt on the ground with his frozen red toes, making a last-ditch effort, "But I don't have shoes, I can't go far... Come with me, and when my feet hurt, you can carry me on your back."
"Yangyang, you have to walk by yourself, walk out of here." Xingxing turned around, picked up one of his cold feet, placed it on her knee, and warmed it with her hands. "Then bring someone back to find me, and I'll wait for you here, okay?"
Yangyang shook his head, wanting to say "no," but then he saw Xingxing start taking off his coat.
Yangyang remembered that Xingxing said that this coat was made for him by Aunt Chen. It was his only thick coat, and Xingxing treasured it so much that he would never wear it normally.
Xingxing took off her coat, bit one side with her teeth, and tore it off forcefully.
With a "rip," the fabric was torn in two.
He warmed Yangyang's feet in his palms, then carefully placed them on the torn cloth and wrapped them up, layer by layer, until the entire ankle and calf were tightly bound.
After both feet were bandaged, Xingxing squatted down, looked up at him with a smile, and said, "Yangyang has shoes to wear now, he can walk a long way, and he will definitely be able to get out of the mountains."
“Star…” Yangyang stood there, his feet wrapped in Star’s clothes, which still retained Star’s body heat. It was incredibly warm, a warmth he had never experienced before. The warmth started from his toes, spread upwards, and flowed throughout his body, even making his eyes feel hot and sore.
He barely dared to move, for fear of damaging the "shoes" the stars had given him.
Yangyang's first pair of shoes were made from Xingxing's clothes.
"Good boy." Xingxing stood up and ruffled his hair.
Xingxing never called him that. Xingxing always said that in this mountain, in Qingdi Village, you can't be obedient; you have to be a wild child who can show his teeth so you won't be bullied.
“Good boy, you’ll be obedient, right?” Xingxing asked, looking at him.
"Mmm-hmm-hmm!" Yangyang nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice.
Xingxing pulled a small cloth bag from her bosom, no bigger than the palm of her hand. She gently squeezed it, and the sound of paper rustling inside could be heard.
“Yangyang, I’ll take you somewhere in a bit. There’s a car parked there. Hide inside. The car will drive to town before dawn. When you get to town, jump out when the driver isn’t looking. Then don’t take the main road. There’s a river in town; walk downstream. You’ll pass a village along the way, but don’t go in. Just keep walking along the river until you see a black, hard, wide road with white and yellow lines painted on it. Hide in the grass or grove of trees by the roadside. There will be many cars on that road, each with a long blue metal sign with numbers written in white on it. Yangyang, look carefully and find the cars whose signs are different from the ones you see in town. Stop them and ask them to call the police. When you see the police, give them this little bag. Got it?”
Yangyang remembered it, he remembered every single word. But he was unwilling to admit it, and just shook his head and said, "Let's go together with the stars."
Xingxing pressed his hands firmly against Yangyang's thin shoulders, his back teeth clenched tightly, his cheeks stiffening. He remained silent for a long time, finally lowering his head and taking a deep breath. "Yangyang, be good, you go first, then bring the police to me, okay?"
"Why can't we go together?" Yangyang's eyes welled up with tears; he didn't want to be separated from Xingxing.
Xingxing couldn't tell him the truth, so she could only hug the little boy tightly, stroking his hair repeatedly, and comforting him, "I'll stay here with Aunt Lu. I won't go anywhere. I'll just wait here for you to come back and find us. Yangyang, be a good boy, okay?"
Xingxing vaguely heard Yang Tieshuan and Yang Mazi whispering that they had to send a batch of pigs to the slaughterhouse in town before dawn. At that time, most of his body was hanging outside the broken bed, clinging to his last bit of consciousness, and he barely managed to grasp this crucial sentence.
This is an opportunity, a great opportunity to send Yangyang away; he has been waiting for this for a very long time.
But he couldn't leave. Yang Tieshuan had told him to stay home and wait that night, as other "guests" were coming. If he ran away, Yang Tieshuan would definitely lead a search party throughout the entire village. It didn't matter if they found him, but what if they found Yangyang hiding? Xingxing didn't care what would happen to her, as long as Yangyang could escape.
On the way down the mountain, Xingxing carried Yangyang barefoot on her back. Yangyang said he had "shoes" now and could walk by himself without his feet hurting. But Xingxing didn't let him get off, only saying, "Keep carrying me."
The older brother wanted to carry Yangyang on his back again.
Along the way, Yangyang lay quietly on Xingxing's back, the faint scent of soapberry lingering in Xingxing's hair—it smelled wonderful. Xingxing was always so clean and warm, as if she could always carry him steadily, allowing him to sleep soundly.
When he reached the old locust tree at the village entrance, Xingxing's breathing was already a little unsteady, but he still didn't put Yangyang down. He walked step by step toward the brick house behind the locust tree, where a dirty blue pickup truck was parked in front.
A strong stench hit me as several pigs grunted and rooted around in the truck bed, stirring up the straw underneath, their large ears flapping wildly.
"It smells awful." Yangyang wrinkled her nose and buried her face in Xingxing's neck, refusing to come closer.
"Good boy." Xingxing put him down, took his hand and led him to the side of the truck bed, ruffling his hair. "Yangyang, be good, hide inside in a little while, don't make a sound, and don't let anyone find you. Promise me, okay?"
Just before lifting him up and putting him in the truck bed, Xingxing lowered her head and gently kissed Yangyang's forehead.
The moonlight was very bright that night. Yangyang opened his clear and bright eyes and looked at the stars. In the eyes of the stars, he saw little stars that reflected the moonlight and were also filled with watery light.
Yangyang wanted to say, "Let's go together. I can give you one of my 'shoes,' or I can give you both of them."
However, several blurry beams of light suddenly flashed in the distance, like flashlights, accompanied by a man's rough shouts and curses.
It's Yang Tieshuan!
Xingxing was the first to react. He suddenly picked up Yangyang and forcefully shoved him into the high truck bed. His rapid breathing betrayed his tension and panic. His lips trembled, and his palms repeatedly stroked Yangyang's cheeks, as if trying to etch the tender features into the lines of his palms.
"Yangyang, remember! Don't let anyone find you! Escape! Don't come back! You're not allowed to come back! Do you hear me!" His voice was extremely low, but every word struck Yangyang's heart.
Yangyang panicked completely, not understanding why she had said she would wait for him before, but now she wouldn't let him come back. His slow-developing little brain couldn't comprehend this complicated change at all, and he could only stare blankly at the stars, hoping that the all-powerful stars could give him a clear answer.
However, Xingxing simply shoved him hard into the back of the truck bed, then turned and ran in the opposite direction from the truck.
The starlight was swallowed by the darkness, and the slender figure quickly disappeared into the thick night.
Yangyang was pushed and stumbled, rolling twice in the truck bed before accidentally hitting the back of his head on a pig. Startled, he quickly covered his mouth, remembering Xingxing's words: "Don't make a sound, don't let anyone see you."
He scrambled to avoid the grunting, rooting pigs, and crawled to the innermost corner of the truck bed, curling himself up tightly.
He stretched out his hands to protect the "shoes" on his feet, afraid that they would be soiled by the filthy pig manure around him.
Several restless pigs nudged around him, their rough fur brushing against his face, their wet, cool snouts occasionally touching him, making grunting noises. Each touch made him stiffen, biting his lower lip tightly, afraid to make a sound.
The surroundings were pitch black, with only a few slivers of moonlight filtering through the gaps in the truck bed. He instinctively clutched the five-pointed star pendant around his neck, as if it were his only salvation.
Stars... Stars... He called out to Stars in his heart over and over again. Stars' hands were so warm, Stars' backs were so reliable, Stars would never have let him stay in a place like this before.
Overwhelmed by resentment and fear, he felt an urge to jump out of the car right now, run back to that dilapidated courtyard, and return to Xingxing's side! Even if they were beaten together, it would be better than being alone in this place. Xingxing wasn't here; it was terrifying.
But... the stars said to be obedient.
The star told him to hide well, to keep quiet, and not to let anyone find out.
The stars said they wanted to escape.
This thought was like a thin thread, barely pulling him along; he wanted to obey, to listen to the stars.
After an unknown amount of time, a loud "bang" came from the front of the car, followed by a jolt throughout the entire vehicle. A man muttered something under his breath, and with a deep roar from the engine, the car lurched and jolted forward.
He's really leaving, leaving the stars.
The road was rough and uneven, and the vehicle shook and jolted violently. Yangyang was tossed around like a bean among the pigs and the sheet metal. Several times, the heavy pigs pressed down on his legs and body, almost suffocating him. He could only desperately try to find a gap to breathe by bracing himself with his little hands.
But the worst thing happened.
Perhaps it was hungry, or perhaps it mistook the curled-up Yangyang for something to chew on, for a restless pig suddenly lowered its head and bit down on his ankle!
A sharp, excruciating pain suddenly shot through me!
Yangyang curled up in pain, tears streaming down his face, but he remembered Xingxing's words and dared not make a sound. He could only raise his fist with all his might and desperately smash it against the pig's eyes and nose to make it let go.
He dared not kick it, nor even flinch at the foot that was being bitten. Those were shoes the stars had given him, made from the stars' clothes; he couldn't get them dirty, much less damage them!
The pig, with its thick, rough skin, seemed enraged by his resistance and bit even harder. Despair and pain intertwined, and Yangyang was on the verge of fainting. He longed for Xingxing; if only Xingxing were here.
After being pounded countless times, the pig finally felt the pain and grunted as it released its mouth.
Yangyang immediately pulled his injured foot back into his arms. In the darkness, he could feel the warm liquid soaking the fabric, sticking stickily to his skin. It hurt a lot, but he didn't dare to look at it. He just covered the wound tightly with his dirty hands, his body trembling uncontrollably from the pain and fear.
Star...it hurts so much... He cried inwardly, burying his face in his knees, inhaling the almost fading scent of soapberry that belonged to Star on the fabric, but always remembering that Star told him to be quiet and not let anyone find out.
The car bumped along for an unknown amount of time. The sky outside seemed to be turning slightly blue, and the roar of the engine sounded different, as if we had entered a slightly flatter area. The bumps lessened, and some faint, indistinct sounds, different from the silence of the countryside, began to drift in.
We've arrived in town.
The car slowed down. Yangyang's heart leaped into her throat. Xingxing's words echoed in her ears: "Jump out when the driver isn't looking."
The opportunity may only last a moment!
He gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain in his ankle, and crawled to the edge of the truck bed. Through the gap, he saw that the road under the wheels was no longer a patch of dirt, but a gray, hard surface, and the outlines of some low houses could be seen on both sides of the road.
Now!
He seized the opportunity, mustered all his strength, flipped over the not-so-high truck bed panel, and leaped towards the rear of the truck!
"Bang!"
His body slammed heavily onto the hard ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop. Every bone in his body ached as if it had been broken, especially his injured ankle, which made his vision blur and he almost fainted.
But he dared not linger for even a second! His survival instinct and the star's urging sustained him. Yangyang scrambled to the roadside as fast as he could, plunged into a clump of waist-high withered grass, lay on the ground, held his breath, and dared not even breathe loudly in pain.
The blue van, carrying his fear and fleeting hope, continued on its way, oblivious to his surroundings, the engine noise fading into the distance until it disappeared into the dawn's light.
Only when the sound of the car could no longer be heard did Yangyang dare to slowly raise her head. All around was quiet and deserted, save for the rustling of the cool morning breeze through the withered grass.
He struggled to his feet, each movement sending shivers down his spine. He looked down and saw that the "shoes" Xingxing had wrapped for him were filthy with blood and dust, thoroughly soiled after all.
Star……
He looked at the "shoes," and tears finally streamed down his face. But he still remembered Xingxing's last words.
"There's a river in the town, you walk downstream along the river..."
He limped along, each step a drop of cold sweat, and he wiped away his tears with his sleeve. The stars were gone; no one would care about his tears.
He wandered aimlessly through the unfamiliar town. He dared not ask for directions, dared not approach anyone, and simply strained his ears to catch the sound of flowing water.
Daylight broke.
Finally, behind a row of houses, he heard the sound of flowing water!
His eyes lit up, as if he had found the only guiding light, and he immediately moved as fast as he could towards the sound of water. A river, not very wide, appeared before him, its waters flowing slowly in the morning light.
Yangyang rushed to the riverbank, first splashing his face with ice water to clear his head, then turning around without hesitation and walking down the riverbank, step by step, with difficulty and unwavering determination, towards the downstream current.
With every step he took, his ankle hurt so much he wanted to cry.
But he didn't cry, nor did he turn back.
He wants to listen to the stars.
Go out.
That was the last time he saw the stars, the stars that lived in the mountain valley. His stars should have been hanging in the sky, shining brightly.
The evening stars faded, and the morning sun rose.
Lu Chenyang swept the stray hairs from his forehead behind his head, revealing his most star-like eyebrows and eyes. Facing the camera, he calmly said his first words before the broadcast: "Yang Tieshuan is my biological father, but I hate this genetic bloodline. If I could, I would want him dead more than anyone else."
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