Even in the most difficult times with frequent accidents, I felt like I was at home...
Wen Zichuan was speechless. Xiao Liang was just a wild man from the mountains. They had only met a few times. What was there to like or dislike about him?
He took advantage of the situation and lay in Cheng Sizhou's arms: "Then you have too many rivals in love."
It was clearly summer at this time. Cheng Sizhou hugged him, but he could smell the fragrance of winter plum blossoms covered with snow at the edge of his collar.
"No matter how many there are, please leave a place for me next to Teacher Wen, okay?" He closed his eyes, immersed in his breath and refused to come out.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Wen Zichuan finally fell asleep in the peaceful and comfortable embrace. He muttered with his eyes closed, "I only want you. Mom agreed. You and I will be together forever."
The next morning, a cluster of gray clouds hung in the sky, so heavy that it seemed impossible to dissolve.
When everyone came out of the tent, they found that there was a thick fog in the mountains and forests. The fog was so thick that it completely blocked their vision.
The road on the second day was already more difficult than the first, and this undoubtedly made it worse.
For safety reasons, Cheng Sizhou suggested waiting until the sun rises and the fog clears before setting off.
Zhou Han, Han Zhao and the Liu brothers all thought it was okay. They had enough supplies anyway and didn't mind waiting for two hours. However, Lin Hanzhen said that the time was up and they had to set off as soon as possible.
Wen Zichuan remembered his mother saying that they also encountered heavy fog after a mountain rain. Thanks to Wen Duo's persistence from beginning to end, they ventured through the fog and found the location of Beiling Village.
Lin Hanzhen regarded fog after rain as a necessary condition for entering the village because the season and weather were similar when she entered and left the village.
But no one can say for sure whether, after more than 20 years, this seemingly metaphysical method is still necessary to reach the destination.
However, in order to find the tomb keepers and witnesses, Cheng Sizhou and Wen Zichuan decided to set off immediately.
Han Zhao licked his teeth and felt that this private mission was too exciting. He glanced at Zhou Han, implying that the mission had to be held in a grand manner afterwards to justify his hard work along the way.
Liu Yufeng and Liu Yufu came over to distribute safety ropes, told everyone to wrap them around their waists, and patiently taught them how to use the safety buckles.
After everything was ready, the group continued to head deeper into Longji Mountain.
The road ahead is really difficult, or in other words, it can no longer be considered as "having a road".
They could only try to find a place to stay, and since the overall path was upward, they had to look for a gentle slope to climb.
Everyone's physical strength was consumed very quickly, and they had to stop and rest every forty minutes on average.
Han Zhao was in good physical condition. He barely took a breath yesterday, but today he was exhausted and dazed. While resting, he turned back to wait for the people behind him and casually asked Lin Hanzhen, "Did you also walk into the mountains like this when you were young?"
The conditions back then were only worse than they are now. They had insufficient supplies, no modern equipment, and even a teammate died on the road. But they were like newborn calves fearless of tigers, and were willing to risk their lives to fight no matter how dangerous it was.
Lin Hanzhen did not answer her. Her chest felt like it had been burned by a raging fire, and with every step she took, the hole was filled with the sound of whistling wind.
"Lin...? Lin——!" Before Han Zhao could figure out what to call her, he saw her grabbing the safety rope and falling straight down.
"Mom! Mom!" Wen Zichuan stepped forward to hold her, found the medicine from her backpack, unscrewed the water cup and fed it to her.
"Your mother is..." Han Zhao felt uneasy, but he didn't ask anything he shouldn't ask.
"She's not feeling well. Why don't we take a rest first?" Wen Zichuan was already extremely anxious.
"I'm fine." After taking the medicine, Lin Hanzhen gradually recovered. "You must hurry up. If you miss the opportunity, you won't be able to reach Beiling Village."
Liu Yufeng turned around, looked at Lin Hanzhen, and then at Wen Zichuan.
Based on his many years of search and rescue experience, Lin Hanzhen's face was gray and lifeless. Not to mention hiking in the mountains, even if she was lying in bed, she had to be carefully cared for.
"Officer Han, she can't go on." Liu Yufeng said seriously, "Her health doesn't allow it."
Han Zhao was also helpless. He had not agreed to bring Lin Hanzhen along from the beginning. If something happened, no one could take the responsibility.
"Teacher Wen," Zhou Han pulled Wen Zichuan aside, "You know your mother's health best. She said she had reasons for going. We understand and don't want to stop her. However, she's in no condition to adapt to the upcoming intensity. I hope you can persuade her."
As a son, Wen Zichuan didn't want his mother to risk her life, but the reality was that if he didn't take her with him, would he leave her alone? Wouldn't that be even more dangerous?
Han Zhao smoked a cigarette sullenly: "Da Liu, think of a solution."
"We have now gone into a relatively deep place. If we return, we will need to replenish both supplies and physical strength, which is basically equivalent to starting all over again..." Liu Yufeng said honestly.
"What if we don't return? Is there any compromise?" Zhou Han frowned.
"There is a solution." Liu Yufeng unfolded the map. "Officer Han, do you remember Lao Mo?"
"Which old mole?" Han Zhao was furious. It was already this late and he was still playing dumb.
"There's a mole on your face, you're a forest ranger." Liu Yufeng was very calm.
Han Zhao was not as familiar with Longji Mountain as he was, but he also knew that they were going into the mountain to look for ancient tombs this time, and would return by another route after finding them. On the way back, they would happen to pass by the hut where the forest ranger lived.
"Can he help?" He looked at the relative position. "We are quite far away from him, right?"
Liu Yufeng handed over the map and pointed to two valleys quite far apart. "Here, there's a rope bridge. Let's adjust our route a little. First, send her here. After crossing the rope bridge, we'll walk for another half an hour to reach Lao Moe's place. When we get there, talk to Lao Moe and ask him to take her back to the first platform on his tricycle."
Wen Zichuan was a little confused: "Since the rope bridge is so convenient, why do we have to go around in a big circle?"
Liu Yufeng replied, "The rope bridge might have been left over from geological exploration in the early years. It hasn't been repaired since. I heard the load on the bridge can't exceed 100 kilograms. Who among us can bear less than 100 kilograms?"
This was a solution he came up with in a hurry. If Lin Hanzhen was not so thin, this trick would not work.
"The load cannot exceed 100 kilograms? Is it that precise? The rope bridge has been in disrepair for a long time. What if it becomes 90 or 80 kilograms?" Han Zhao raised a question.
"The last time I came back, I saw Lao Mo walking on the bridge. Although he is old and has a hunched back, he must weigh about 100 pounds, right?" said Liu Yufeng.
Han Zhao didn't come to the mountains often, so even if he had met him before, he couldn't remember what Lao Mo looked like.
But now that things have come to this, the method Liu Yufeng suggested is their best solution. Fortunately, Lin Hanzhen did not insist on doing so as when they set out. She did not want to let the large group miss the opportunity because of her stubbornness.
On the way to the rope bridge, Cheng Sizhou took the initiative to carry Lin Hanzhen on his back, and Wen Zichuan followed behind, lending a hand and borrowing strength when necessary.
In such a difficult situation, he unexpectedly felt a longing for "home".
In the past, he didn't like going home very much. Fengbo's home was always deserted and lonely. Although his mother loved him very much, his mother herself was like the tea made from the chrysanthemums she raised, cold and bitter.
They depend on each other as mother and son, but they are also restrained and distant from each other. They can empathize with each other materially, but cannot give each other enough support emotionally.
He even felt that his mother cared more about his father who was far away in a foreign country than him.
But today is different. Brother Zhou carries my mother on his back and holds my hand. Even if the road ahead is difficult, he is sure that they will support each other and go on together.
The occasional glances from his mother might be filled with regret or reluctance, but every inch of her expression expressed her love for him.
Half an hour later, it was almost noon and the fog in the mountains had dissipated a little. They crossed the valley and came to the rope bridge shown on the map.
Although it is called a valley, the terrain is not particularly low. After all, the rope bridge has an arc, and under the rope bridge is a rushing river. There is a height difference of more than ten meters from the river surface to the bottom of the bridge.
The bridgehead is close to the water source, and the river brings the wind, which makes it much cooler than in the valley.
Looking closely at the rope bridge, you can see that it is indeed made of thick ropes. Although the wooden boards on the bridge deck have been treated with grease, you can still see a lot of corrosion or damage due to the wind and sun.
The load was no more than 100 pounds, which meant that Lin Hanzhen had to walk across the rope bridge, which was about 100 meters long, alone.
How could Wen Zichuan be at ease and let his mother go alone? But he, or anyone else, couldn't accompany her. Even a little more weight would violate the taboo.
Han Zhao asked Liu Yufeng, "Do you have Lao Mo's contact information? Ask him to pick up the phone."
Liu Yufeng took out his cell phone and dialed a number, but the number kept ringing until he hung up and couldn't get through.
Everyone took out their cell phones, but without exception, there was no signal.
"How can I be so delicate?" Lin Hanzhen smiled. "I used to participate in field archaeology. It's just crossing a bridge. It's not a problem for me."
She left the heavier items in her backpack and kept some simple daily necessities, intending to travel light.
Unexpectedly, just as she was about to go up the bridge, she was interrupted by a voice: "Teacher Wen, I'll go over with Auntie!"
Wen Zichuan looked at Xu Jiaxuan in disbelief: "You...are not going to join us anymore?"
Xu Jiaxuan's expression was unusually serious. "I've thought about it. Although I really want to help you solve the case, everything I know is in the environment I'm familiar with. Dragon Ridge Mountain is too big, I'm unfamiliar with it, and I'm not as experienced as the two officers... Besides, you wouldn't be able to rest assured if Aunt went there alone. I'm willing to help take care of her."
Han Zhao was rude and even said at this time: "Are you scared?"
Xu Jiaxuan puffed out his cheeks and said, "What do I have to be afraid of? You guys should work hard to find the truth, and then come back and tell me whether my father's death was worth it."
This touched Wen Zichuan's heart, but he was still worried and asked again: "The rope bridge can only bear a hundred pounds. Do you really not have a hundred pounds?"
"I really don't have any," Xu Jiaxuan was one of those kids with slightly delayed development. He was eighteen years old when he graduated from high school, and he was still less than 1.7 meters tall. "When we get home, treat me to a hamburger. Maybe I'll get pregnant after I catch up."
"Thank you," Wen Zichuan solemnly supported his shoulders, "You can eat as much as you want then."
Xu Jiaxuan and his father Xu Zhiqin have never met each other, but they have similar action-oriented personalities.
While speaking, he quickly cleaned his backpack, took a few quick steps, and prepared to go up the bridge first.
The moment he took a step forward, a mountain breeze suddenly blew, causing the rope bridge to sway slowly. He was so scared that he immediately retracted his foot.
Wen Zichuan wanted to step forward, but was stopped by Zhou Han.
For men, the necessary process of growing from a boy to a man is to overcome psychological weakness.
Sure enough, Xu Jiaxuan rubbed the sweat off his palms, climbed up the rope on one side, and took another step.
He walked on the wooden plank step by step, neither fast nor slow. Although his heartbeat was counting the seconds for him, he soon let it be drowned out by the rumbling sound of the flowing water.
As soon as Xu Jiaxuan crossed the bridge, someone came to pick him up.
Before Lin Hanzhen went up the bridge, Wen Zichuan asked her what she would say to the leader of the Wuheng tribe if she met her.
"Say...we're sorry to her, and thank her."
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