She went into the inner room, tidied herself up, and put on the strips of cloth she had made herself.
She felt something was wrong with her body when she fell in the rain. She didn't expect her period to start at this time. She had endured it until now before she remembered to take care of herself.
Jiang Xi forced herself to finish tidying up and added some more firewood to the crackling stove. There was enough dry firewood stored in the cave, and the firelight dispelled the chill in the air.
After all that commotion, Yan Zheng slept soundly, completely undisturbed by the thunder and rain outside.
Jiang Xi lay quietly on the leaf bed. Perhaps because she had been caught in the rain, this period was particularly torturous. Her stomach cramped in waves, and the pain made her face turn pale.
By the latter half of the night, Jiang Xi was completely numb. The coldness emanating from her bones was constantly engulfing her, forcing her to curl up and move closer to her side, trying to draw a bit of warmth.
warmth?
Jiang Xi's dazed mind cleared up briefly, and she groped her way to touch Yan Zheng's face; it was frighteningly hot.
This is a fever.
Ignoring her physical discomfort, she quickly got up and touched Yan Zheng's forehead and chest.
His face was burning red, and his head and face were covered in fine cold sweat. He opened his eyes in a daze, glanced at Jiang Xi, and then closed them again.
"You have a fever, are you feeling very unwell?" Jiang Xi asked worriedly.
He replied weakly, "It's okay, I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."
He looked fragile and haggard, his eyes half-closed and his brows slightly furrowed. He seemed devoid of any life or energy.
Jiang Xi forcefully shook him awake and fed him fever-reducing medicine.
I washed him with cool water, then went back to lie down next to him, pressing close to his strong body, using the coolness of my own body to help him cool down, feeling his body temperature, and gently placing one hand on his heart so I could feel his heartbeat.
He woke up again after a few minutes: "Jiang Xi, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
Jiang Xi had a premonition of what was going to happen, and a wave of desolation washed over her. She said fiercely, "I won't listen. Tell me when you're better."
Yan Zheng patted her hand that was resting on his chest: "If I don't make it through, two things might happen."
"The first option is for you to stay in the jungle alone. Remember to keep an eye on the woodpile on the mountaintop. If you see a helicopter, light it."
He took a breath: "Even if we miss it, it's okay. The presence of a helicopter means there are people patrolling the mountain or a rescue team. If they come once, they will come again. Don't give up easily."
These words were like invisible strings, tightening around her heart inch by inch, making it hard for Jiang Xi to breathe.
He paused for a long time before continuing, "The second possibility is that you might return after I die. Do you remember the opportunity I told you about?"
Jiang Xi recalled what he had said on the mountaintop.
“I am the source of all opportunities, so if I die, maybe you can go back.” After saying that, he said self-deprecatingly, “Of course, I may not be that useful.”
"Remember, once you get back and the snowstorm has passed, go directly to the resettlement center in X city. Your uncles and aunts are there."
Jiang Xi listened attentively, remaining silent, her eyes already red.
"Also, believe in yourself. If you ever meet someone exactly like me in the future, stay far away from them and always remember that I am dead."
Upon hearing "exactly the same person," Jiang Xi's hair stood on end. What did "exactly the same person" mean?
She recalled what Yan Zheng had said a few days earlier: parallel worlds, people who are exactly the same.
She spoke in a hoarse voice: "You mean, the you of this world will also go to another world?"
Yan Zheng corrected her: "That's not me. We're just in two different worlds, but we're both independent people."
He stroked her cool, delicate fingers and gave a bitter smile: "Jiang Xi, don't look back, keep moving forward."
"Don't be too sad, after all these years, I haven't..."
"Nothing?" Before he could finish speaking, he fell into a deep sleep again.
Jiang Xi remained in the same position as before, clinging tightly to him.
Her stomach was cramping with pain, and her previously icy hands and feet began to feel warm against his skin.
They were practically brothers in misfortune, she thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile.
They are not blood siblings, but the phrase "childhood sweethearts" seems to have been written into their lives long ago.
Yan Zheng has always been very introverted since childhood. He would just hang his head and read books every day, and he rarely communicated with his classmates. When he entered junior and senior high school, the only person who could make him hold back his words was Jiang Xi.
One year during a flu outbreak, Jiang Xi developed a high fever and was hospitalized for a week. During that time, Jiang's parents were also exhausted, their eyes bloodshot from staying up all day. Fortunately, Yan Zheng's mother would occasionally bring them food and necessities, which helped them get through the most difficult days.
On the afternoon of the day she was discharged from the hospital, Jiang's mother went out to buy groceries, and Yan Zheng ran up to the third floor and knocked on the door.
He opened the door but didn't say anything, only asking her in a stiff tone if she was feeling better. He then handed her a tin box. Jiang Xi took it back to her bedroom and opened it to find a box of chocolates and pine nut candies, along with a note that clearly read, "Persistence is victory."
It had a strong sense of camaraderie, which made Jiang Xi both laugh and cry.
She still felt a little sad when she thought about it. When Yan Zheng came to deliver the candy, there was still a red mark on the back of his hand that hadn't faded. Although he tried his best to cover it up, the red mark was too long, and she could still see it at a glance.
She couldn't remember if it was the twelfth or the thirteenth, but the red mark remained vivid in her memory. Even though she was already covered in wounds, she still advised others that perseverance was the key to victory.
"Yan Zheng, you must live well," she murmured, leaning on his shoulder.
She thought to herself, "Live well. Even though your first half of life was shrouded in darkness, and I don't know if your second half will be filled with sunshine, I still selfishly want you to live."
When Jiang Xi was still half asleep, the rain had stopped, but the lingering chill in the air reminded her of the storm that had struck the night before.
She quickly touched Yan Zheng's forehead; thankfully, his high fever had subsided.
Jiang Xi sat up. The pain in her stomach had subsided. Although she still felt weak, she was in much better condition than she had been the night before.
After a night of suffering from illness, Yan Zheng slept soundly in the early morning, his pale lips tightly pressed together, which made his eyebrows appear even thicker.
Jiang Xi touched his face again to check and confirmed that he no longer had a fever. Then she put on a cardigan, pushed open the wooden door, and went outside the cave.
After the rain, the air smelled of earth, and the valley was shrouded in mist.
The river in front of the cave has returned to its former level, but their 'home' has been ravaged beyond recognition by the storm.
The lotus roots in the lotus pond had long been washed away by the flood, the firewood stacks were broken and scattered all over the hillside, and the soapberries she had specially dried were all scattered in the mud pits. The entire area where they had been was a mess because of the storm.
The ground was muddy after the rain, and Jiang Xi wasn't feeling well, so she didn't clean up immediately. She just fetched some clean river water and brought it into the cave.
Breakfast was leftover rabbit soup from last night, with some wild vegetables added.
She picked up a mulberry and chewed it slowly, twisting the fiber rope in her hands. She was thinking about what to do next. The only food in the cave was wild duck eggs and wild vegetables and fruits. She could manage on her own, but Yan Zheng could not.
Yesterday, his injury suddenly worsened, and Jiang Xi knew that this would not do. The patient needed nutrition, so she still had to find a way to ensure the amount of protein in his diet.
Fish was ruled out first because it was considered a "heating" food, and besides, she didn't know how to fish. If she could catch some two-legged rabbits, that would be great. Thinking this, she added some more firewood to the stove.
"What are you thinking about, so engrossed?"
Jiang Xi's thoughts were interrupted, and she happily moved closer to him: "You're awake. Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt," Yan Zheng said, starting to sit up.
But Jiang Xi grabbed him and pressed him down, her face tense: "Don't move!"
"I just bandaged your wound, and it's going to reopen if you sit or lie down." Her tone was both reproachful and worried.
Yan Zheng didn't refute her words; instead, he obediently lay down.
Yan Zheng smiled and comforted her, "It's much better than last night." But he was too weak, and even his smile was forced.
Jiang Xi scolded, "You still bring up last night? The way you were giving your last words really scared me to death."
That's absolutely true; she even felt scared in her dreams last night.
Yan Zheng replied, "I didn't expect you to be so skilled, almost like a surgeon. You can even save a wound from infection in the jungle."
Even at this point, he was still teasing her. Jiang Xi knew that his health was improving, and although she was happy inside, she didn't show it on her face. She snorted coldly, "It's not that I'm amazing, it's that you're lucky."
Yan Zheng asked, "What were you thinking about just now?"
"Thinking about... how to catch rabbits."
Have you thought it through?
Jiang Xi thought for a moment: "To be honest, not yet, but what you said makes sense. I want to go and stake out the place first."
"Staking out?"
"Hmm, go see what they eat, then set a trap."
She had thought about Yan Zheng's words repeatedly. Generally speaking, where animals frequently roam, there must be food for them. There are so many two-legged rabbits in the back mountain. If she carefully observes and waits, she should be able to find some.
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