Chapter 207 Meow
Jian Shiyilang had a very satisfying sleep.
When he woke up again, the whole world was shaking violently and heavy rain was pouring everywhere. The damp and cold feeling of weightlessness made him suddenly wake up and open his eyes.
At some point, the rain had already flooded into the cave. Half of the cave had been flooded, and the water level was still rising. His shoes, socks and trouser legs were all soaked by the rain.
Jian Shiyilang lowered his head and found that he was being held in the mouth of the Taotie, hanging in the air, with rain dripping down his whole body.
Jian Shiyilang: “?”
Taotie: “?”
Taotie's dark golden pupils blinked, revealing a hint of inexplicable anger and embarrassment.
Before Jian Shiyilang could figure out why, he felt Taotie's huge head shook gently, and it threw Jian Shiyilang onto its back with a little impatience.
——The back of Taotie is the only place in the entire cave that has not been flooded.
Lying on the broad back of Taotie, Jian Shiyilang touched the back of his head.
When he first discovered that Taotie had picked him up, Jian Shiyilang thought he was going to be eaten. After all, it was rumored that Taotie had a huge appetite and would eat everything, so it was normal for it to eat a human when it was hungry.
But Taotie... is saving him?
"Thank you." Jian Shiyilang slipped a little on Taotie's back. He finally managed to hold onto the scales with his hands and feet to prevent himself from falling. He then whispered, "Master Taotie, you are quite nice."
Taotie: “…”
Taotie snorted coldly and said nothing.
But after a long while, it silently lowered its head and flattened its back, allowing the human to lie more comfortably.
There was another long silence.
Jian Shiyilang is a cheerful and lively person. Due to his professional nature, he can chat with anyone. There were only him and Taotie in the cave, and since they had nothing to do, he simply started talking to Taotie:
"Master Taotie, when I went to Lihua Manor to purchase goods today, I really encountered such a strange thing. It is said that the new daughter-in-law of the Li family at the head of the village..."
"When I was a child, I lived in the south with my parents and brothers. We were fishermen. Lord Taotie, have you ever seen the sea?"
"Master Taotie... are you the vicious beast in the Classic of Mountains and Seas? But I think you have a kind nature, not at all like the people in the village say you are, a ruthless, murderous, and vicious person."
The heavy rain continued to fall. In the cave, one could not feel the rising and setting of the sun or the moon, and naturally one could not sense the passage of time. Jian Shiyilang listened to the continuous sound of rain, felt the body temperature of the Taotie through its scales, and muttered about what he had heard. Somehow, he felt sleepy again.
...Throughout the whole process, Taotie barely responded, as if he didn't care at all about what the human said, and ignored it all.
But when Jian Shiyilang's voice became smaller and smaller until it disappeared, Taotie suddenly opened his eyes wide, and looked upwards with his huge pupils, anxious to see what this human looked like.
——Humans are very fragile. Could this Jian Shiyilang be dead?
Soon, feeling Jian Shiyilang's even breathing, Taotie finally felt relieved.
Fortunately, I just fell asleep.
Taotie lowered his head, yawned, listened to the even breathing, and slowly fell asleep.
So, in the dim cave amidst the sound of heavy rain, the man and the ferocious beast slept and woke up, woke up and slept again and again. After several cycles, when Jian Shiyilang woke up again, the rain that almost filled the entire cave had receded at some point, revealing the original surface of the cave, and the sound of rain outside seemed to have stopped.
Instead, there was an earth-shattering rumble in my ears:
Gurgle——
Gurgle——
The sound was a bit like the sound his stomach made when he was hungry, but duller and louder, like a vibration deep in the earth.
Along with the gurgling sound, the scales under Jian Shiyilang's feet also began to vibrate.
Jian Shiyilang: "...Master Taotie, are you hungry?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire cave suddenly fell into deathly silence.
Taotie is silent.
The dark golden pupils contained the iron-clad expression 'What nonsense are you talking about? Don't even think about slandering me.'
But after a while, the gurgling sound sounded again:
Gurgle--gurgle! Gurgle! ! !
This time, the sound was even heart-wrenching, making those who heard it sad and cry.
And this time, Jian Shiyilang heard it clearly:
The gurgling sound clearly came from the ferocious beast lying on the ground below...
Jian Shiyilang: “…”
Jian Shiyilang fumbled in his arms for a while, and after that, he took out a pancake.
He baked this himself. At first, he just used it as his own food when he was selling goods from door to door. Later, at the request of his neighbors, he would occasionally make some extra to sell.
Jian Shiyilang is not a professional chef, so the pancake was not very delicious. Moreover, it was soaked in rain water, making it look even worse. But because it was kept in Jian Shiyilang's arms, it did not cool down due to his body temperature.
Jian Shiyilang carefully wiped the cake with his sleeve, tore it in half, and handed one half over:
"Master Taotie, if you are hungry, would you like to try something?"
The huge beast continued to remain silent.
After a long while, just when Jian Shiyilang thought that Master Taotie was unwilling to eat his half of the pancake and was about to withdraw his hand...
Suddenly, a white light flashed at the spot.
The huge ferocious beast disappeared, and standing in front of Jian Shiyilang was a scarred silver-haired man.
The man was tall and handsome, but he had a sullen face and seemed very unhappy.
He took the half pancake from Jian Shiyilang fiercely and said:
"Hmph, human, I will reluctantly accept your offering."
His voice was low, with a hint of arrogance in his bones, but the muffled ending made Jian Shiyilang immediately connect him with the huge ferocious beast.
——This was the first time he heard Taotie speak.
It turns out that he can really speak human language.
While munching on the pancake in his hand, Jian Shiyilang looked at the man beside him curiously, his eyes never moving.
Taotie's face turned red as he was stared at. His cheeks were stuffed with pancakes, and he was obviously very happy eating. However, the expression on his face became even more annoyed: "Human, what are you looking at? Chew chew chew, I was just trying to please you, but you are taking advantage of me... chew chew chew... chew chew chew..."
Jian Shiyilang: "You look good. Let me take a closer look."
Hearing this, Taotie's ears turned even redder.
——“You, you!”
"You are more or less a villager in our Taohuapo."
——"What is village grass? Chew, chew, chew. Also, where is Peach Blossom Hill?"
"Taohuapo is the village where I live. I used to be a village grass, but if Lord Taotie comes, I will have to admit defeat."
——"Human, what is your name?"
"My last name is Jian, and I am the eleventh child in my family. Everyone calls me Jian Shiyilang, but my name is Yunlan. Lord Taotie, what about you? Do you have a name?"
——"My name is Taotie. Hum, it's impressive, isn't it?"
“…”
It was still dark in the cave, and Taotie used his magic power to light a small bonfire. Then the two of them huddled in front of the bonfire, shoulder to shoulder, sharing the pancake together.
Jian Shiyilang was talkative, rambling on about everything under the sun. Taotie looked as if he didn't care and only said a few words from time to time, but he was actually listening very seriously.
The pancakes weren't really that tasty, but after being roasted in front of the campfire, they were still warm. Both of them ate them carefully, and the glutton even licked his fingers with great satisfaction. Being secretly laughed at by Jian Shiyilang, Taotie was annoyed and embarrassed and grabbed his collar. The two of them started playing and fighting together, getting so close that their breaths intertwined.
The wind mixed with moisture from the rain blew by, time passed very slowly, and the campfire stretched their shadows out on the ground.
For some reason, looking at the shadows of the two people on the ground, Jian Shiyilang...Jian Yunlan suddenly felt like crying.
It was as if the light and shadows of the old days long, long ago suddenly spread up like a rising tide and covered the top of the head. It was like finding some lost treasure. My whole heart was moistened and softened by the sea water, and it ached and swelled.
It was also at this time that Jian Yunlan and Taotie realized at the same time—
The heavy rain that had been going on for days stopped.
The bonfire went out, the rain faded, and the road to the outside world became unobstructed. The light and shadow from outside the cave shone dimly in, falling softly on the two of them like dust.
Taotie and Jian Yunlan both quieted down instantly.
After a while, Jian Yunlan stood up.
Taotie asked him, "Are you leaving?"
"Um."
Jian Yunlan nodded.
“…”
Taotie lowered his eyelids, hiding the loneliness in his eyes.
——He is trapped here and can't get out, but this human is different.
The only thing that trapped Jian Yunlan was the heavy rain. When the rain stopped, he should naturally leave.
Jian Yunlan belongs to the outside world, to the mountains, rivers and lakes, to the myriad sounds, the various lights and colors, to the bustling market, and to the center surrounded by people's smiles and gazes.
But it doesn't belong to him.
Taotie felt an inexplicable anger and bitterness in his heart.
All those emotions came up and got stuck in his throat. The last thing he said was:
"Human, the pancakes you make are terrible!"
Jian Yunlan: "..."
Jian Yunlan touched his nose in distress. He knew that his cooking skills were very average. Neighbors bought his pancakes not because they were delicious but just to fill their stomachs. But in this world, most people think it’s good enough to have something to eat, so why would they care whether it tastes good or not?
But Lord Taotie is Lord Taotie after all, a dignified ancient ferocious beast, so it is normal for him to be a little picky.
After thinking it over, Jian Yunlan made up his mind and said:
"Well, Master Taotie... I will study hard and try to make something more delicious, and bring it to you tomorrow, how about that?" Jian Yunlan smiled happily and dreamed, "Maybe I really have this talent, and one day I can study hard and become the best chef in the world."
Taotie: “…”
Taotie did not discourage his slightly unrealistic fantasy, but found the key words in his words -
"'Tomorrow'?" Taotie asked anxiously, "Can I see you tomorrow?"
Jian Yunlan nodded: "Yes."
"What about the day after tomorrow?"
"I will meet you there too."
"What about the day after tomorrow?"
"certainly."
"Big big big... what about the day after tomorrow?"
"good."
“…”
——"How long will we meet?" Taotie couldn't help but ask.
"Ten million years... forever," Jian Yunlan said with a smile, "How about it?"
Taotie opened his mouth.
The heart was gently kneaded by a pair of warm hands, and the slight pain made people involuntarily have some unrealistic expectations.
It seems that if you wish loud enough, it will come true.
'Forever'?
"Okay." Taotie paused, stretched out his hand, and said:
"Let's make a pinky promise."
Jian Yunlan nodded and was about to reach out his hand when he suddenly remembered something.
He asked Taotie:
"What if I die? ... Or what if I reincarnate into a different form and can't find the way here?"
"Then I'll go find you."
Taotie said with certainty.
"It's been so long. When you find me, you won't forget me, right?"
Jian Yunlan was a little worried.
Taotie's memory is indeed not that good.
"So what if I forgot?" Taotie showed a nonchalant expression and said, "Whether you forget or not, I will find you for thousands or tens of thousands of years, or across countless time and space. When I find you, I will naturally remember it. What's the big deal?"
During such a long period of time, Taotie searched in endless time and space. Even if he had forgotten who he was looking for and what the meaning of the search was, so what?
As long as I can see him again, the ten thousand years of fruitless searching and waiting will not be so unbearable.
Millions of years, just for this moment of meeting.
“…”
For some reason, after listening to Taotie's words, the burden on Jian Yunlan's heart was suddenly lifted.
The long time, the pain of separation, the oblivion... there is nothing to be afraid of. When they meet again, he will still reach out his hand to Taotie and share half of the hot meal with him.
The only difference is that next time, he will try to make the food taste better.
Then, Jian Yunlan curled her eyes, smiled happily, and stretched out her hand:
"Okay, let's make a pinky promise."
Jian Yunlan and Taotie put their little fingers together and their foreheads touched.
A ball of hot light floated up from the heart area of Taotie's chest. The light split into two, one half remained in the heart of Taotie, and the other half floated into Jian Yunlan's chest.
——"Pin it down, for ten million years, no change!"
The two said in unison.
Then, they all laughed. Two dimples appeared on Jian Yunlan's cheeks. Taotie showed his sharp fangs. They were as childish as two children who had not grown up, but they solemnly promised eternity.
From then on, their fates were linked.
Never separate.
.
The rainstorm stopped completely, the dark clouds dissipated, and was replaced by bright sky.
Various noises were heard outside the cave.
The sounds that came one after another gradually grew louder from faint, each carrying with it hope and expectation. As the light shining in from outside the cave grew stronger, they seemed to be urging something.
Jian Yunlan heard many familiar voices in it.
——There is a young girl’s voice, it’s Hu Danggui; there is a clear and cold voice, it’s Ning Sheng; there is a simple and honest voice, it’s Niu Tou; there is a gentle young man’s voice mixed with a little boy’s laughter, it’s Ye Qingquan and Lele…
And there's more.
Countless familiar names, carrying memories from so long, suddenly lit up like lights, and the tiny dots of light gathered into an ocean, shining in from the exit of the cave not far away.
Those voices urged him gently, eagerly, and anxiously to stand up quickly, take a step forward, and go out.
Walk out of this cave and into that light.
Jian Yunlan was attracted by the light and couldn't help but observe it carefully:
In that beam of light, there are the lights of ordinary cities, the bustling streets and alleys, the tricycles with crisp bells, the diners queuing up to chat and laugh, the little girls soliciting business, the cow heads busy serving tea and water, and...
Himself.
Wearing a floral apron and holding a spatula, he was busy at the snack stall.
"Jian Yunlan, it's time for you to go."
Beside him, Taotie whispered, letting go of the hand that was clasped with his fingers.
Taotie took a half step back and gently pushed Jian Yunlan from behind, pushing him into the half-inch of light that was flowing in.
"..." Jian Yunlan was pushed and staggered forward, staring blankly outside the cave.
Wanting to see more clearly, Jian Yunlan could not help but move closer to the exit of the cave. The warm light gradually spread over him, dispelling the cold and damp air of the rainstorm, and his whole body became warm from head to toe.
Just one more step, one more step forward, and he would step into the light.
My heart started beating violently, the whole world was silent, and the only sound I could hear was my own deafening heartbeat.
At this second, Jian Yunlan could almost imagine himself standing there. He was born to belong there, to the city streets, to be in the center of the bustling crowd. His heart ached slightly because of the strong desire, and he couldn't wait any longer.
but……
Jian Yunlan stopped and turned around.
He can't leave yet. He forgot someone very important.
He couldn't abandon that person and return to the light alone.
He has to go back.
Jian Yunlan's pace gradually became faster, and finally he was almost running wildly. It felt like there was a ball of fire in his chest, burning him so hard that he couldn't breathe. Even so, he urged himself to speed up.
Hurry up, faster.
“…”
Deep in the cave.
Taotie stood alone, looking at his empty palm.
He couldn't help but pull the corners of his lips in self-mockery, turned around, and walked deeper into the darkness of the cave.
...Suddenly, Taotie heard hurried footsteps coming from behind.
The footsteps came closer and closer, chaotic and hurried, as if they were afraid of losing him, shouting as they ran:
"Master Taotie!"
Taotie's heartbeat suddenly missed a beat.
He turned around and saw Jian Yunlan panting behind him.
Jian Yunlan propped himself up on his knees and gasped for breath. His eyes were surprisingly bright. He looked at Taotie very seriously and laughed:
"Lord Taotie, you said before that you are willing to die with me."
"But I'm greedy. Not only do I want to die with you, I also want to do many more things with you, live together, sleep together, be in a daze together, play games together, watch TV together, and sell snacks together..."
"So, I want to ask--"
"Will you live with me?"
Jian Yunlan said this and stretched out his hand towards Taotie.
Boom, boom, boom.
...For a moment, the world fell into a soft silence.
Taotie heard his heart trembling uncontrollably, and in an instant it was as if a mountain torrent and tsunami pierced through his body, as if he heard the lightning and thunder that created the world, and as if he caught a glimpse of a ray of light in the rainstorm at the end of the century.
He looked into Jian Yunlan's eyes, and time suddenly became very slow, as if tens of millions of years had passed, but in fact, only a few short seconds had passed.
Taotie heard his own voice, dry and trembling, and whispered:
"willing."
Then, Taotie reached out and held Jian Yunlan's hand.
They walked along the cave and out.
Along the way, from pitch darkness to the breaking of daylight, from silence to the bustling crowds -
They held hands and walked back to the hustle and bustle of the world side by side.
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