At this moment, the sky was just brightening, and the golden, brilliant sunlight squeezed through the gaps between the layers of leaves, forming a sacred beam of light. It seemed to be precisely calculated, shining directly on Shen Jianqing, gilding him with a golden edge.
I hesitated, then said, “If you have any troubles, you can tell me. We’re friends, and don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
Shen Jianqing walked closer to me, his clean white teeth biting his lower lip. He looked like a homeless, bullied stray dog.
If he was a stray dog, he would also be a beautiful one.
He let out a low sigh, and after a long silence, he finally said, “Her name is Wan Ying. She’s the chief’s granddaughter.”
Sure enough, the elder from that day was the chief here.
“Here, no one can defy the chief’s will. The chief is the ruler and god of this small world.”
This was simply ridiculous!
It’s a free society now; how can they still operate like feudal local tyrants!
“Did they bully you?” I gripped Shen Jianqing’s shoulders, asking with concern.
He was much taller than me. Although slender, this protective stance was still a bit strenuous for me.
If only Shen Jianqing were a little shorter, this thought suddenly popped into my head.
Shen Jianqing hung his head, slowly shaking it, and then after a moment, nodded.
Didn’t he look exactly like a child who’d been bullied, felt aggrieved, but dared not speak up?
I firmed up my suspicion and said, “Don’t be afraid. Outside, it’s a society governed by law now; no one can arbitrarily control your will. If they dare to bully you again, we definitely won’t stand by and do nothing!”
Upon hearing my words, Shen Jianqing looked at me with innocent, clear eyes, full of hope, and asked, “Really? Is it really like that outside?”
I nodded firmly.
“Li Yuze, you won’t abandon me, you’ll always help me?”
“Of course!”
With my assurance, Shen Jianqing finally opened up.
“Wan Ying and I… we’re childhood sweethearts, in a way. She’s been pestering me since I was sixteen. She’s the chief’s granddaughter, and I… I’m just someone who lost both parents. To avoid them, I had to move and live alone in the woods. But recently, her persistence has grown, and the chief is also putting pressure on me. I really can’t breathe.”
So that’s how it was.
Truly, losing parents meant losing support. How was this any different from forced marriage or abduction? At the end of the day, Shen Jianqing was still just a young man, someone who had spent the first half of his life within a narrow, sheltered world, and was pure and simple-minded. How could he ever hope to match them?
The more I thought about it, the more I sympathized with him, and my mood grew heavy. Their atmosphere had always felt strange before. Shen Jianqing was such a kind-hearted person, yet he treated that girl with such disdain. I guessed there was something hidden beneath the surface.
“Don’t worry.” I awkwardly comforted him. I had only seen this kind of thing in TV dramas; I’d never encountered it in real life.
“I’m really scared. No one has ever offered to help me…”
Shen Jianqing’s voice broke into a sob by the end. Perhaps the long-accumulated grievances in his heart finally burst forth, or perhaps he didn’t want me to see his distressed state. He suddenly raised his hand and embraced me, burying his face in my shoulder so I couldn’t see.
He held me with great force, as if clutching a final lifeline. I didn’t realize such a slender body could hold so much strength. His arms were like two pliers, clamping my arms painfully, making it impossible to break free.
But I didn’t struggle. To reject his desperate embrace at that moment would make me less than human.
I wasn’t very good at comforting people. I could only gently raise my elbow, my upper arm completely immobilized by his grip, and pat his back, offering the simplest solace. We stood there in silence for a while, neither of us speaking again.
The forest was quiet and serene, not even a bird’s chirp. Shen Jianqing’s head rested on my shoulder, and I felt a gradual warmth spreading across it; it must have been his tears. His breathing was heavy and low beside my ear, as if he were suppressing something. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he definitely didn’t want me to see him with tears streaming down his face.
Ai, such a young man, he couldn’t even cry out loud.
So pitiful.
I felt even more sympathy for him.
“Do you want to come with us and leave this place?”
Shen Jianqing shook his head, his cheek skin brushing my neck, it was warm and tingly.
My heart tingled along with it, as if something was quietly trying to grow, hard to ignore yet impossible to name.
“I can’t leave here. Shidi Mountain is a place I can never leave in my life.”
I sighed and didn’t try to persuade him further. Actually, as soon as the words left my mouth, I realized the suggestion was very inappropriate. A living person like him appearing in society with no ID, no information, no exposure to the outside world… he wouldn’t be able to survive, couldn’t even find a job. I could help him for a while, but I couldn’t possibly be responsible for his entire life.
A moment later, I looked up and suddenly saw that crimson insect from before had crawled onto the tree in front of me again, stopping near our faces, motionless.
This insect was entirely crimson, with four slender legs and natural patterns on its back, looking alluringly beautiful yet extremely dangerous.
My biology isn’t great; I hadn’t seen this type of insect before. I was afraid it might jump onto us, and even if it wasn’t poisonous, getting bitten and covered in welts wouldn’t be good.
I didn’t dare touch it with my hand, I just said, “Shen Jianqing, there’s an insect here… let’s go over there.”
Shen Jianqing finally lifted his face from my shoulder. The tear stains on his face must have dried, but his eyes were crimson, looking incredibly pathetic.
It was strange, but Shen Jianqing only took one glance, and the insect suddenly and reluctantly moved its four legs, jumped off the tree trunk, and disappeared into the thick fallen leaves.
“It’s okay, insects are very common here.”
I said, “Should we go down the mountain now? Qiu Lu and Xiao Wen will definitely be worried if they can’t find us.”
With Shen Jianqing in this state, I no longer had the desire to continue climbing.
Shen Jianqing adjusted his robes and headpiece, and, his gaze timid like a rabbit’s, he spoke with unease: “I’ve made a fool of myself. You, you won’t think I’m rambling or get disgusted and avoid me, right?”
“How could I? Everyone faces difficulties sometimes. Why would I ever be disgusted and avoid you?”
Shen Jianqing then gave a contented smile, though his voice was low: “Thank you. Even if you can’t help me, I still thank you very much.”
I couldn’t take him away and be responsible for his entire life, nor could I stop the oppression he faced here. Shen Jianqing was right; I truly couldn’t do much, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“What do you need? If I can do it, I’ll definitely help you!” I could only offer verbal promises.
Shen Jianqing said, “I don’t know right now. But when I think of something, you must not forget what you said today.”
I took that as him having a lack of security. He had helped us so much; I naturally wouldn’t refuse anything.
The path down the mountain was far more arduous and dangerous than the climb up. The steps were steep, and some of the stone slabs were unstable, embedded in the mud but constantly swaying. There wasn’t even a handrail on the mountain path. I descended hesitantly, my calf muscles quickly aching terribly.
Shen Jianqing looked completely at ease, clearly accustomed to such paths.
That made sense; if he dared to climb such a perilous cliffside iron chain, this mountain path was nothing to him.
Thinking of that cliffside iron chain, I suddenly realized it was the only way we knew of to leave this Miao village. But if the people here never left, then that iron chain wasn’t really needed. Yet, we had met Shen Jianqing in Dongjiang Miao Village.
I couldn’t help but ask, “Shen Jianqing, I just recalled, our first meeting was in Dongjiang Miao Village. Don’t you all usually stay down here and never leave? Then why was that iron chain built?”
Shen Jianqing softly replied, “That wasn’t built by the villagers. My father built it.”
I froze. “Your father? Your father wasn’t… wasn’t from Shidi Miao Village?”
I then remembered the red silk ribbon fluttering at the stone arch bridge, with a neatly embroidered “Shen” on it.
Shen Jianqing was silent for a long time before he said, “My father was an outsider, he just stumbled into Shidi Miao Village by chance, just like you. He fell in love with my mother in the village, so he stayed for a long time. But later he got sick, a very serious illness, and he died after being bedridden for a few years. I was always curious, so I would climb the iron chain at night to go outside and return before dawn. The villagers never knew.”
“Was your Han Chinese also taught by your father?”
“Yes, he taught me a little, but then he got sick, and I didn’t see him much after that. I learned more by listening to outsiders when I went out.”
Strange, if his father was just bedridden with an illness, why wouldn’t he see him often? Ah, perhaps it was an illness where he couldn’t be exposed to the elements. I should change the subject; no need to bring up his sad memories.
“Then you’re very smart; learning Han Chinese is difficult.”
Shen Jianqing let out a soft chuckle, saying, “I’m actually very grateful to my father.”
“He gave you life, of course you should be grateful to him.”
“No.” Shen Jianqing denied it without hesitation, definitively. “I’m just grateful he left that iron chain.”
“So you could explore the outside world?”
He said in a deep voice, “So I could meet you.”
My heart pounded uncontrollably twice, the suddenly erratic rhythm tightening my breath and making my chest feel constricted.
If he were a girl, that sentence would be close to a confession.
I’ve heard many confessions and seen many attractive people. But none had made me as flustered as I was at this moment.
I didn’t have time to ponder why I was so nervous; I just said awkwardly, “You can’t just say things like that casually. Out there, a girl would think you’re hinting at a confession.”
Shen Jianqing chuckled deeply, a laugh that seemed to emanate from his chest, carrying an ambiguous implication. He didn’t explain, of course. We were both boys, so he didn’t need to offer any explanation.
I didn’t dare look at him again, focusing solely on the mountain path beneath my feet. Fortunately, the journey was surprisingly safe, and we reached the base of the mountain without incident.
