Volume 5: Qingming Chapter 56: Going Down the Mountain
The earth is shaking.
Rocks rolled down and big trees fell.
Jiang You held Jiang Mo in one hand and Jin Cheng in the other; Lin Yu held Shao Lang in one hand and carried Chang Lizhang on his shoulder with the other; Zheng Yuantai carried Tang Butian on his back...
After running and crawling for a long time, the shaking of the mountain finally slowed down. Jiang You threw Jin Cheng to the ground and put the minced ginger on the ground. Then he held his waist and gasped, "I, I can't take it anymore. My waist is hurt. It's really killing me..."
Chang Lizhang and Shao Lang woke up while running. It was very cold on the mountain at night, and they lay on the wet mud for a long time. Shao Lang also lost a lot of blood. After the bumpy road, they felt a little dizzy and nauseous.
After Lin Yu put them down, they supported each other to stand up and staggered towards Zheng Yuantai.
Lin Yu walked over to Jin Cheng and untied the rope for him.
Jin Cheng was a little embarrassed, "Um, I..."
Lin Yu comforted him in return: "The situation before was special, don't take it to heart."
"I misunderstood you. I'm sorry."
"It's all right."
"I'll go see Uncle Zheng." Jin Cheng said as he walked over.
Lin Yu looked around and walked to Jiang You.
"I don't have to run recently," Jiang You turned around, "I don't think I want to climb mountains in my life."
"If you lose weight, you won't be so tired."
"Yeah, I'm running with weights," Jiang You patted his belly.
Lin Yu took out the black bead from his pocket. "The one who claimed to be a mountain spirit was sucked in. She said the bead recognized me as its master."
"Then play with it," Jiang You glanced at Jiang Mo, "I'll make you another marble later. This color isn't pretty, let's make one that glows in all colors."
Jiang Mo turned around silently.
"I met Duan Rui." Lin Yu said.
"Did they fight?"
"After a fight, I..." Lin Yu glanced at Jiang You and said, "I feel like there's something extra in my body."
"Just get used to it."
The sky became lighter, with a hint of blue, and the green of the mountains and rivers gradually emerged. Chang Lizhang, Shao Lang, and Jin Cheng gathered around Zheng Yuantai and talked. Some light moved from the horizon, passing through the leaves and falling on their heads and clothes.
Jin Cheng took two steps outside, and Zheng Yuantai walked out holding Tang Butian in his arms.
Zheng Yuantai walked to one meter in front of Jiang You and stopped. He said, "Thank you for your help, young friend."
"Of course, it's work."
"I have told Brother Chang what happened here, and he will handle it properly." Zheng Yuantai looked into the distance, where mist was lingering between the mountain peaks. "It's dawn, and I should leave."
"Have breakfast before you go?"
"No," Zheng Yuantai looked at Jiang You and said, "I'll ask you to take care of my niece."
Jiang You stretched out his hands and took Tang Butian, "Don't worry."
"Goodbye then."
Zheng Yuantai turned around and waved in the direction where Chang Lizhang and the other two were standing.
The spider silk broke.
A ray of light broke through the clouds and passed through his body.
"Brother Zheng!"
"Brother Zheng!"
"Uncle Zheng!"
They watched him floating upwards along the light, drifting farther and farther away until he finally disappeared.
…
Tang Butian sat up suddenly. She looked at the white quilt covering her body, the white walls, and the white ceiling...
She saw her wooden sword, lying across the bedside table.
"You're awake."
Tang Butian looked in the direction where the sound came from. Jiang You was sitting on a lounge chair by the window, holding a half-eaten egg-filled pancake in his hand.
"I bought you breakfast, including cakes and soy milk, both are still hot." Jiang You picked up the plastic bag on the small round table and walked to Tang Butian. "You are in the hospital. The ward was arranged by Lao Chang. You did some tests and found that you were exhausted. The nurse helped you change your clothes."
Tang Butian saw the hospital gown and the bag Jiang You handed over. She asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"
Her voice is a little hoarse.
"It's just one day, drink some water first." Jiang You said as he walked to the tea room in the ward, took out a disposable cup, and filled it with water from the water dispenser.
His voice continued to reach Tang Butian's ears.
"Sun Yu has already held the meeting for you. His manuscript is very well written. Jin Cheng insisted on building a cemetery and a cenotaph for Zheng Yuantai, so I followed them to see the cemetery yesterday afternoon. Lao Chang treated me to three meals: lunch, dinner, and supper..."
Jiang You came out with a cup of warm water. He put the cup into Tang Butian's hand, then he sat by the window, picked up his egg-filled pancake, and continued to eat it. "The mutton soup we had for supper is different from the one we had in Tangjiang. It's cooked in a big pot and doesn't have any mutton smell. I'll take you to have a bowl tonight. You need some nourishment."
Tang Butian drank some water, and the warm water gently caressed her throat and stomach, "Zheng Yuantai, he's gone?"
"I'm leaving."
"Are all the monsters over there like this?"
"How?"
"Cunning and cruel, full of lies, disguising himself in various ways to lure people into making mistakes."
Jiang You took the water cup from Tang Butian's hand and placed it on the bedside table, then stuffed the bag of egg-filled pancakes into her hand. "During droughts, the Dragon King Temple has the least incense, so if the Dragon King wants to have enough food and drink every year, it's best to forget about the rain."
"What's the meaning?"
"Well, in the Book of Exodus, God hardened Pharaoh's heart and he wouldn't allow the Israelites to leave. Then he punished Pharaoh by sending the Ten Plagues."
Tang Butian took a bite of the egg-filled pancake, which had shredded potatoes, bean curd, and pickled mustard tuber...
The taste buds seem to be awakened.
She ate it in small bites.
"Without rules, there will be no order. The most effective way to make people abide by the rules is to let them know the consequences of not abiding by the rules. For example, if dry garbage is thrown into the wet garbage bin, a fine of 200 yuan will be imposed. Then, for someone like me who is struggling to make ends meet, I would rather not separate the garbage next time than throw it in the wrong place," Jiang You ate the last bite of the biscuit. He took out two tissues to wipe his hands. "God wants believers to maintain their faith. Giving benefits is not very useful. They have to punish them, such as going to hell after death or a flood at the end of the world, so that believers remain in fear. This is more effective."
Jiang You swallowed a bite of the biscuit, "Over there, there are no rules. Karma and reincarnation are all within the rules."
"so what?"
"As long as they can survive, they can do anything. They are a group of wild dogs that have not been domesticated. They only want to destroy and solve all problems by becoming stronger. They lack reverence. However, God hardened Pharaoh's heart." Jiang You picked up the soy milk cup and took a sip. "It's quite interesting, isn't it?"
"What about you?"
"I plan to buy a big rubbish dictionary and start memorizing it from the beginning."
