Chapter 112 The Way Home
Thinking of the scene described in Fubao's dream, Chen Cuier now felt that she had to fly back home even if she had to.
Her parents, grandparents, brother and sister-in-law all live at the entrance of the village. If something really happens, her family will be the first to suffer!
Fubao thought about the current atmosphere in the county town and what Li Jianbai had said before, and nodded: "Okay, staying here might not be a big deal. Let's go back together. No matter what happens at home, at least we're at home."
Whether it will rain or whether their mother will get married is not something they can decide, but life in the county town is not easy either, so it is better to go home. Even if something happens, they can be with their family.
The way home is not easy and full of dangers. If one person goes back, if something happens, it will be the end of him. If three people go back, they can take care of each other.
Having made up his mind, Fubao called Gu Shengtian over again. Gu Shengtian's face darkened as he heard this. He had grown up with Fubao and naturally knew what he was capable of. Since Fubao had dreamed this, it was certain things wouldn't go smoothly. He had to go back immediately and inform his family so they could prepare.
Gu Shengtian thought for a moment and said, "I remember the last time I went to my classmate's house, there was a small path behind his house. I heard that it could lead out of the county town, but most people don't know about that path, and few people use it."
It's a small path that few people walk on, and it's snowing, so it's of course quite dangerous.
The three of them looked at each other and understood what the other meant. They definitely couldn't care less at this time.
If you believe in Fubao's dream, you must risk everything to go back and report it.
Having made up their minds, the three of them quickly made a plan. They each put on thick clothes, took money, food coupons and food, and prepared to set off.
Fu Bao and his friends were walking on a small path that ordinary people didn't know about. This kind of path was naturally more dangerous than the main path. Moreover, it had been snowing for several days in a row, and the path would be slippery and muddy after the snow melted. If they were not careful, they might fall into the ravine.
The three men carefully avoided the police guarding outside the city gate and walked out along the small path. They fell and slipped along the way. Before long, the three of them were almost turned into mud men, and their buttocks were bruised.
Of course, the worst part wasn't this. The worst part was the freezing cold. As the saying goes, it's not cold when it snows, but when it melts. Now, right around the time of the melting snow, the howling north wind pierced their faces like a knife, leaving them practically breathless. Even though they were wearing their thickest clothes, it wasn't enough. In the face of such a ferocious wind, all their clothing seemed to be gone. They couldn't resist the howling wind at all. Their hands and feet were so cold they were practically numb.
By the end of the walk, they felt like their feet were no longer their own.
But at this moment, it began to snow again. The howling north wind carried a mixture of ice and snow, whipping people's faces, hands, and bodies. The sky also darkened, and they could hardly see the road ahead.
The darkness, coldness, and hunger that descended were enough to break the willpower of several teenagers.
Chen Cui'er looked up and saw the front. It was all gray and she couldn't see the road clearly. She could only see snowflakes wrapped in the strong wind, occasionally reflecting tiny lights, cold and cruel.
She suddenly burst into tears: "Will we die here? Why do I feel like this road will never end and I will never be able to return home... I miss my father, my mother, and my grandmother. I want to stay at home on the warm kang and drink porridge..."
After she cried, her face became even colder. When she wiped her tears with her hands, she found that they had already frozen into ice. She was so scared that she wiped them away desperately. Now she didn't even dare to cry.
Gu Shengtian and Fubao also felt heavy-hearted.
They were walking on a path rarely used, covered in snow, mud, and hay. It was slippery and difficult to walk on, and the slightest misstep would have meant a slip. Unfortunately, they couldn't see the road ahead at all. They had no idea where they were, how far they were from the village, or if they could make it back.
Everything is hopeless and bleak.
But Fubao still held Chen Cuier's hand.
Both of their hands were frozen. When Fubao held Chen Cuier's hand, although their hands were touching, she felt as if there was a thick layer between their hands and she could not feel any warmth at all.
She placed Chen Cui'er's hand in her palm and rubbed it hard. Finally, she felt something, at least she could feel that it was a hand.
"Cui'er, we have to persevere, otherwise we won't be able to save the villagers, and we ourselves will die here."
In this kind of weather, in this time when everything seems dangerous, if they really fell here, their bodies would be buried very quickly, and even their complete corpses wouldn't be found after they die!
Chen Cui'er hugged Fubao, gritted her teeth tightly, but did not dare to let tears fall.
She was afraid, afraid of the feeling of tears freezing on her face, which made her feel like she had turned into an ice man.
Gu Shengtian struggled to get his water and food from his backpack, but the water had already frozen, and the food was as hard as stone. He struggled to break the food into pieces, finally managing to break it into several pieces. He stuffed a mouthful into his mouth and bit down hard.
After chewing slowly, he gave the remaining small pieces of dry food to Fubao and Chen Cuier: "You can still chew it, so you should eat some too, otherwise we won't have the strength to leave."
Chen Cui'er bit her lip and nodded slightly. She took the dry food and she and Fubao each took a piece and bit it with difficulty.
Chen Cui'er felt that this was the most unpalatable dry food she had ever eaten in her life. She had never imagined that one day she, who was so greedy and loved to eat, would find it so difficult and uncomfortable to eat a piece of dry food, just like chewing a cold stone.
But no matter how bad the food tastes, she has to keep eating it, otherwise she will really run out of energy and won't be able to walk.
She couldn't move and would only be a burden to her two companions.
Fubao chewed the dry food in small bites, allowing it to fully moisten and warm in his mouth before swallowing it slowly.
She looked at the road ahead, staring at the front where there was no light at all, and said, "Let's keep going. Maybe this place is not far from our village. As long as we persevere, we will definitely get there."
Chen Cui'er was not confident and murmured, "Really..."
Fubao held Chen Cuier's hand and said, "Let me tell you the story of the heroic sisters on the grassland."
Chen Cui'er had never heard of this story: "Heroic Sisters of the Prairie?"
Fubao nodded.
She held Chen Cui'er with one hand and Gu Shengtian with the other, and the three of them walked forward hand in hand.
As they walked, Fubao told the story of the heroic sisters on the grassland.
Chen Cui'er and Gu Shengtian had never heard of this story. When they heard that the two little sisters' feet turned into lumps of ice, they couldn't help but look down at their own feet. Their feet were covered with mud and ice and snow and they had no feeling. They suddenly worried that their feet would also turn into lumps of ice.
It's horrible and hopeless.
When Fubao saw this, he quickly encouraged them and told them the follow-up of the rescue of the heroic sisters from the grassland.
Chen Cui'er sighed: "Will we be saved too?"
Gu Shengtian was very unconfident: "I think so..."
Fu Bao: "Persist, persist. There has never been any savior, nor any immortal emperor. We can only rely on ourselves——"
As she spoke, she simply started singing.
Her voice was originally soft and delicate, and now as she sang in this freezing cold wind, her voice was caught in strands of sound in the gust of wind, becoming delicate and ethereal.
Gu Shengtian listened and started singing along with her.
With the addition of Gu Shengtian's voice, the song became more powerful.
Chen Cui'er was inspired by the song and felt energized, so she started singing along.
"Rise up, you starving and cold slaves! Rise up, you suffering people of the world! Your blood is boiling with passion, let us fight for the truth... There has never been a savior, and we don't rely on gods or emperors! To create human happiness, we must rely on ourselves!"
The three people's voices became more powerful, and they could be heard from far away through the wind and snow.
Although their hands and feet were stiff and cold and their stomachs were hungry, when they sang this song, the three of them perked up and walked forward with big strides.
As I was walking, I heard a voice shouting, "Who? Who?"
The sound obviously came from quite far away, but it was extremely penetrating, powerful and resonant.
Chen Cui'er and Gu Shengtian looked at each other, their eyes gleaming with surprise, and shouted together, "It's us, it's us!"
Fubao listened carefully and suddenly shouted, "It's Brother Dashan, it's Brother Dashan's voice!"
——
The person who came was indeed Nie Dashan.
Nie Dashan, wearing a heavy cotton coat and carrying a bamboo basket on his back, looked at them in surprise. "Isn't the road in your county closed? Why are you here?"
As he spoke, he saw Fubao's lips, which had turned purple from the cold, and his heart ached immediately: "Why is it so cold?"
He put down the bamboo basket and was about to take off his cotton jacket.
Fubao quickly stopped him: "No, Brother Dashan, no need! We just got lost. We walked all the way back from the county town and don't know how to get there."
Nie Dashan heard this and said, "You've taken the wrong path. The county town is to our east, and you've come to the southwest of our village. Look, this road leads to the Wanggangzi Production Brigade next door."
The clouds are so deep that no one knows where we are, because we are already in this mountain. Fu Bao and the others immediately understood what Nie Dashan meant when he pointed at them.
Seeing how cold and tired these people looked, Nie Dashan immediately took the backpacks and schoolbags from them without saying anything: "Come on, hurry up, I'll take you back."
Fubao and the others nodded vigorously.
Chen Cui'er was so excited that she almost cried: "The lyrics say that there is no savior in this world, nor is there a god or emperor. I think Brother Dashan is my savior!"
Nie Dashan said, "It was because you were singing that I heard you. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have seen you. I'm almost done with my work here and I'm about to go back."
Chen Cui'er was terrified when she heard this: "If we don't sing, we will definitely keep moving forward. If we keep moving forward, we will only get further and further away from the village."
Just thinking about it gives me chills down my spine!
Gu Shengtian suddenly said, "It was Fubao who saved us again this time."
Nie Dashan looked at Fubao and said, "Why did you come back at this time? What's going on in the county? I heard your parents were stopped outside several times when they tried to bring you food. They were so worried."
Fubao asked Nie Dashan, "Brother Dashan, what's going on in the village these days?"
The wind was too strong and Nie Dashan couldn't hear her voice clearly, so he took a few quick steps closer to Fubao.
Nie Dashan: "Nothing's happening. Everyone's staying at home and not daring to go out."
Nie Dashan is in good health, so he dares to come out and do some work. Most people would not dare to come out.
Fubao: "What about Big Roller Mountain?"
Nie Dashan was a little confused: "Big Roller Mountain is covered with snow."
Fu Bao frowned: "Brother Dashan, the reason we came back is because we heard a piece of news."
She didn't want to say that she had dreamed it, that would be too eye-catching.
Nie Dashan: "What news?"
At this moment, he happened to see ice formed on Fubao's scarf, which was pressing against her chin.
Fubao: "I heard there's going to be an avalanche here. After the avalanche, the snow will pour down on our production team. We'd better hide out for the next few days to avoid getting buried."
Nie Dashan frowned upon hearing this: "Avalanche? Where did you hear that?"
Fubao was stunned and wondered where he heard that from.
She quickly thought of it and said to Nie Dashan in a serious tone, "My brother Shengtian has a deskmate, and his deskmate has a friend of my uncle who works at the Meteorological Bureau. I heard him say that, isn't that right, Brother Shengtian?"
Poor brother Shengtian was completely bewildered: "I have an uncle's friend who works at the Meteorological Bureau and is my deskmate?"
Fu Bao nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, your deskmate!"
Chen Cui'er also understood and pointed at Gu Shengtian: "You, are you confused by the cold? You even forgot about your deskmate?"
Gu Shengtian suddenly realized: "Oh, yes, I have a classmate whose uncle's friend works at the Meteorological Bureau. He told me..."
Gu Shengtian instantly made up a story with names and surnames, even mentioning that when the other party quietly revealed the news, they had agreed not to spread it outside. Finally, he said solemnly: "This matter cannot be spread outside, but the people in our village must hide first, otherwise if something happens, it will cost lives!"
Generally speaking, the common people have a characteristic: the more mysterious something is, the more likely they are to believe it, and the more you tell them about it, the less likely they are to take it seriously. Besides, as for my uncle's friends, what friends are they? If there's nothing to verify, the villagers won't go back to investigate.
Nie Dashan obviously also has this characteristic.
Thaksin.
Besides, it was Fubao who said this, so he believed Fubao.
He frowned, his face heavy: "Let's go back and persuade everyone, we have to hide!"
Fubao and the others breathed a sigh of relief seeing that this matter had gotten off to a good start.
They had already discussed it on the way. They wanted Chen Cui'er to go talk to her father Chen Youfu first, and Chen Youfu would mobilize everyone to hide. But now they could conquer Nie Dashan first, which was also a good thing. They could start ideological work among the people.
Everyone nodded vigorously: "Yes, let's go back quickly."
After all, it concerns their relatives, and everyone is anxious.
With Nie Dashan leading the way, they quickly reached the village entrance. Now they knew the road and felt relieved.
Chen Cui'er saw her home, said goodbye to Fubao and the others, and then ran towards her home.
For so many days, hunger, cold, fear, darkness, and fatigue almost broke Chen Cui'er.
At this moment, nothing attracted her more than the soft and warm kang at home.
Of course, there is also the millet porridge cooked by her mother.
After Chen Cui'er left, Nie Dashan walked Fubao and Gu Shengtian to the door of their home. Fubao and Gu Shengtian were so excited that they wanted to cry, but they still said goodbye to Nie Dashan first: "Brother Dashan, you should go back quickly and talk to your family. We may not need to go tonight, but tomorrow, even if it hails, we have to hide."
Nie Dashan nodded: "I understand."
As he spoke, his eyes fell on Fubao's scarf again.
He looked at it several times along the way.
This time he finally said, "Fubao, you're frozen here."
As he said this, he took off the ice.
The ice was stuck to Fubao's scarf. When it was gently pulled down, some wool strands stuck to the ice were pulled off.
Looking at this piece of ice, Nie Dashan felt that he had done something wrong...
Fubao smiled and said, "I didn't even notice that. Thank you, Brother Dashan!"
In the dark night, the biting cold wind was blowing. Nie Dashan saw Fubao smiling peacefully and gently, like a warm and comfortable breeze in spring.
A moist and sour taste rushed to his nose, and Nie Dashan almost wanted to cry.
But he endured it, his Adam's apple rolling, and he swallowed down the emotion.
"Nothing, nothing, Fubao, you and Shengtian should go back quickly, it's too cold."
After saying that, he turned around, and his tall figure disappeared into the darkness.
From some point on, from the time when Fubao and Gu Shengtian sat under the shade of a tree and read aloud with textbooks in their hands, he knew that the distance between him and Fubao was the distance between heaven and earth, the distance between clouds and mud.
Now I know it even more clearly.
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