The two walked together toward the van, with Chen Feng checking on Zheng Ping every now and then, worried that he might faint again.
However, Zheng Ping drank a lot of water and rested for a while, and his condition improved a lot. Although he was still listless, he would not faint easily.
After walking for about forty minutes, the two saw the van and quickened their pace to walk over.
Huang Fei was no longer in the car; it was completely empty. Zheng Ping returned to the car and sat down on the floor.
Although the van was made of metal, it would get a bit stuffy inside from being exposed to the sun all the time. But with the windows open, the floor inside remained cool, much better than outside.
With his bottom touching the cold ground, Zheng Ping felt much better. Chen Feng filled a large cup with water for him and told him to drink more. At the same time, he filled his own bottle with water and took a big gulp.
"Fengzi, how was your day?" Zheng Ping asked, turning to Chen Feng, who was also sitting on the ground, while holding a large cup.
"It's alright. The harvest here is indeed quite good, much better than the one back home," Chen Feng said with a smile.
Zheng Ping smiled, nodded, and then spoke.
"I'm much better, Fengzi. You don't need to stay here and watch over me. Go pan for gold. Everyone comes here to make some money. The travel expenses are quite high."
Chen Feng shook his head upon hearing this. He had already had a good haul today, so he wouldn't bother with the other stuff. Besides, Zheng Ping was feeling a bit better, so it was better to have someone by his side.
"No, since we're already back, let's call it a day."
Chen Feng also knew that if he continued to go out and pan for gold, making another thousand or eight hundred wouldn't be a problem.
However, he still chose to stay here with Zheng Ping.
It wasn't just because they were from the same hometown, but also because he knew that making friends required sincerity.
Zheng Ping wasn't the kind of heartless person. He believed that after what happened today, if he suddenly collapsed in the wilderness, he could carry him back, even if it meant just carrying him on his back.
Even machines can malfunction, let alone a living person. Who can guarantee that they will never encounter unexpected situations in their life and never need to ask for help?
Although Zheng Ping really wanted Chen Feng to continue working, he felt bad that Chen Feng was wasting his time because of him.
Seeing Chen Feng's insistence, he didn't say anything more, his heart filled with gratitude.
Chen Feng saved his life, and he will remember it forever.
The two chatted idly. Zheng Ping had earned over four hundred yuan that day, which was why he felt unwell and didn't want to rest.
When Chen Feng heard Zheng Ping say that he had actually had symptoms for a long time but had just been persisting, he couldn't help but shake his head with some helplessness.
"You're lucky you ran into me. What would you have done if you hadn't? You can't risk your life like this again," Chen Feng sighed.
"Yes, I had always heard that gold prospecting was very dangerous, but I never really felt it myself."
"After mining in the abandoned mines at home for so long, I've lost all respect for it and think it's nothing serious, not as serious as they say."
"But I only realized today when I actually encountered it. This line of work is no joke. Sometimes life and death are separated by a fine line." Zheng Ping took a sip of water and a deep breath.
Chen Feng sat on the ground, leaning against the car seat, filled with emotion.
This is what gold prospectors are like; they may be alive and well today, but tomorrow they could die far from home due to some unexpected event.
They might even die and have no one to claim their body.
Take Zheng Ping for example. If he really collapsed in the wild, how would we find him in this vast area?
Unlike in the village or the city, in the city, even if you have a heart attack on the street, nothing will happen because there are people everywhere. Even if you don't dare to help, someone will make a phone call.
As long as the ambulance arrives, I can't say for sure that everything will be alright, but at least they will receive treatment.
In this desolate place, even the slightest danger can be magnified infinitely and could take your life at any moment.
The reason why people take such great risks and are willing to come out to pan for gold is simply to make a living.
Unlike Chen Feng, who is still young and only has himself to worry about, Chen Feng is young and only has himself to worry about.
But Zheng Ping couldn't do that. He needed to support four elderly people and had a lot of debt. Although his wife could help out, the burden still fell on his shoulders.
For this reason, Zheng Pingcai didn't even dare to have children.
If there were another mouth to feed, he really didn't know if he could support the whole family even if he worked himself to the bone.
Whenever I talk to my wife about having children, the conversation always ends with the topic of various expenses.
When Chen Feng heard that Zheng Ping was actually in pain but was still persevering, he felt a little disappointed and angry.
You know you're in pain but you still keep going. Aren't you just playing with your life?
To put it bluntly, if you really die, wouldn't it be your own fault?
But then Chen Feng thought of the burden on Zheng Ping's shoulders and couldn't help but sigh.
Everyone knows it's comfortable to stay home with a fan blowing. Who wants to go to a deserted place under the scorching sun and suffer the hardship of panning for gold?
Ultimately, isn't it all about the pressures of life?
If Zheng Ping were in the same situation as the village chief, driving a car worth hundreds of thousands and living in a small two-story self-built house, he wouldn't even bother to pan for gold.
Who doesn't know how to enjoy life?
It's fortunate that they found this place; the income is quite substantial, and at least they have something to look forward to in life.
If you work for a few years, everything will be alright.
Unsurprisingly, Huang Fei was the first to return. It's safe to say that the fact that he spent so long today was beyond everyone's expectations; this is completely out of character for him.
If this kid came back at noon, he'd all say Huang Fei is quite something, let alone now that it's already afternoon.
As soon as Huang Fei returned, he saw two people sitting in the aisle of the van. Zheng Ping was drinking water from a cup, while Chen Feng was holding bread and sausages.
After the initial excitement wore off, Chen Feng was also hungry, so he ate something to tide him over.
When Huang Fei saw the two of them, he was stunned and paused for a moment.
To be honest, he wouldn't be surprised who was sitting in the car, but the fact that Chen Feng and Zheng Ping were sitting there made him feel like the sun had risen in the west.
Needless to say, Zheng Ping is known for his diligence and competence; few in the village can compare to him.
Although Chen Feng was unreliable before, he has changed for the better since joining the gold mining business. Although sometimes you can hear Chen Feng complaining, saying things like, "It's so hot today, maybe we shouldn't go out."
But when it came to the real test, he was almost always one of the last to return. He was very hardworking and never tried to cheat or shirk responsibility, just like me.
Huang Fei was genuinely surprised to see them in the van today.
"Hey, what's going on with you two? Did the sun rise in the west?"
"Didn't you two always stay until sunset? What's wrong with you today? Have you changed your ways?"
Huang Fei placed his hands on either side of the van seat, a mocking smile on his face, and said.
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