The statue of the mountain god has disappeared, leaving only the dusty shrine, which exudes an indescribable loneliness and desolation.
Fortunately, the space inside the temple was quite spacious, and everyone was able to find a place to stay.
Everyone dispersed one after another, each choosing a corner, sitting on the ground or leaning against the wall, and began to pack up their luggage that was soaked by the rain.
A few nimble young men, with bright and determined eyes, walked towards the back of the temple without saying a word.
Soon, they hurried back carrying a few broken wooden boards.
In a relatively open area in the center of the temple, they hurriedly cleared out a relatively flat ground and prepared to make a fire for warmth.
One of them skillfully took out a flint and tinder from the cloth bag on his waist, half-crouched, squinted his eyes slightly, and looked focused.
As he struck the flint in his hand rhythmically, a few sparks flew down. He quickly leaned over and blew gently. The sparks seemed to come alive, slowly spreading out, gradually licking the edge of the dry wooden board, and soon a small cluster of warm flames ignited.
The flames danced happily, illuminating the faces of the people around them, revealing a sense of relief amidst their fatigue.
Everyone gathered around the fire, carefully approaching it to dry their wet clothes.
Water vapor rose up and filled the air, intertwining with the dust in the house.
While clothes were being roasted here, a few careful people had taken out simple pots and pans from their bags and placed them on the increasingly bright fire.
They added some water to the pot, then stared at the water quietly, looking forward to the hot water boiling, as if the rising hot steam was the light of hope that would dispel the cold and fatigue.
Inside the mountain temple, the village chief had a solemn expression on his face as he slowly walked to the door. He looked at the continuous drizzle, his brows furrowed, his heart full of worry about the rest of the journey.
After searching the crowd for a moment, he walked straight towards Lu Youan.
At this time, Lu Youan was sitting in the corner, reading quietly.
The village chief patted Lu Youan's shoulder gently, and the latter raised his head with a questioning look in his eyes.
The village chief said in a low, expectant voice, "You'an, you've seen a lot. Look at all the twists and turns along the way. I'm a little lost too. I really don't know where we are now, and how long it will take to reach Jeju. The rain keeps falling, and the roads are difficult to travel. It's really unpredictable."
Upon hearing this, Lawrence Lu slowly straightened up his body, his posture upright, like a pine tree, unafraid of wind and rain.
He gently brushed off the dust on the corner of his clothes, his movements graceful and calm. Then he raised his head, his deep eyes revealing calmness and confidence. He said slowly, "Village Chief, don't worry. I have carefully studied the map before."
At this point, he narrowed his eyes slightly, as if unfolding the map in his mind. "According to my judgment, this should be Luoshui County in Luozhou. You see, if we continue to go forward, we will enter Yazhou. After crossing Yazhou, we will reach Ningzhou. And after Ningzhou, we will reach our destination, Jeju."
He paused briefly, his gaze deep and determined, as if he had seen the outline of Jeju through the mountains and rivers. "If everything goes smoothly on the rest of the journey and the weather is normal, and at our usual speed, we should be able to reach Jeju in about a month."
The village chief listened to Lu Youan's words and nodded thoughtfully. Although the worries in his heart had not completely disappeared, he at least had some direction and hope.
The anxious look that had been shrouding his eyes seemed to be quietly blown away by a breeze, and was gradually replaced by a touch of relief and peace.
It was like finally seeing the guidance of a lighthouse after being lost in the vast ocean for a long time. His heart, which had been hanging in the air, fell back to reality with a plop.
With a clear deadline, he had a powerful weapon to calm the villagers' anxiety, and he also knew how to explain to them.
The village chief turned around and walked steadily back to the crowd. He cleared his throat and raised his voice, saying, "Everyone, please be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I have just discussed our current itinerary in detail with Youan."
Everyone's eyes were focused on the village chief, their eyes full of expectation and anxiety.
The village chief paused, then continued, "You'an, based on his research on the map, told me that we're currently in Luoshui County, Luozhou. Next, we just need to pass through Yazhou and Ningzhou to reach Jezhou. At our normal travel speed, if everything goes smoothly, we'll reach our destination in about a month."
When everyone heard this, they were stunned at first, as if they were digesting the news. Then, hope appeared on their tired and anxious faces.
The heart that was originally as erratic as a rootless duckweed seemed to be pulled by a warm and firm force, and found a safe home, no longer beating up and down in the chest.
The children's eyes sparkled with excitement as they chattered about the appearance of Jeju; the women exchanged gratified glances with each other and whispered about their aspirations for the future; the men straightened their backs, as if they had accumulated strength for the next journey and were ready to face this final journey.
The rain finally stopped and a faint rainbow appeared in the sky, as if God gave a little comfort to these tired travelers.
The people of Sujia Village cheered themselves up, packed their bags, and embarked on another long journey.
When everyone thought about arriving at the long-awaited Jeju in a month, a blazing flame seemed to be ignited in their hearts, and they were filled with high energy.
Although the road under our feet is still muddy, everyone's steps are extremely firm and powerful.
The children had long forgotten the fatigue and boredom of trekking in the rain, and were jumping in front and behind the team like a group of happy deer.
The adults looked at the lively children and a long-lost smile appeared on their faces, which was full of longing and hope for the future.
In the next few days, God was very kind and it didn't rain anymore. Instead, the sun came out.
On the way, a sharp-eyed child pointed excitedly at the mountainside, as if he had discovered some rare treasure, and shouted at the top of his voice: "Wow, what is that? It looks so beautiful!"
The clear and tender voice echoed in the valley, attracting everyone's attention.
Everyone looked in the direction the child pointed, and saw a dazzling golden color on the mountainside, sparkling with charming luster under the sunlight, like a golden ocean gently rippling in the breeze, or like a beautiful painting carefully painted with golden pigments, spreading freely among the green mountains and green waters, exuding an alluring charm, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
They were full of curiosity and couldn't help but stop and observe carefully.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
