After realizing Xiao Feng and Sun Shijie weren't sent by the authorities, Old Donkey rearranged the cargo on the donkey cart, freeing up two spots to stretch out their legs, and gestured for them to sit.
"Crack!"
With a flick of the whip in the air, the donkey cart began to move, "clip-clop, clip-clop."
"Old Tie, how long does it take to get to the village by cart?" Sun Shijie asked.
From the front, Old Donkey replied, "Normally, it takes about two and a half hours, but it rained heavily yesterday, so the roads are slick. If we go slowly, it'll take at least three hours.
Oh, by the way, even though I call Tiebushan my cousin, my surna isn't Tie; it's Jin. My parents died early when I was a kid, and my family was poor, so I had to marry in and beca a live-in son-in-law.
I've been driving a donkey cart for half my life, so those who know gave the nickna Old Donkey."
"Surna Jin?" Xiao Feng suddenly asked, "Is your full na Jin Zhongzhao by any chance?"
What he didn't expect was Old Donkey's eyes widening in disbelief, "How did you know?
My full na is indeed Jin Zhongzhao—Jin as in 'gold,' Zhong as in 'middle,' and Zhao as in 'photo.'
"..." Xiao Feng.
"..." Sun Shijie.
A Jin Zhongzhao and a Tiebushan, what a perfect match!
After a speechless mont, Xiao Feng asked again, "Were your and your cousin's nas given by the sa person?"
"Damn!" Old Donkey couldn't help but curse, looking at Xiao Feng as if he had seen a ghost, shocked, "Are you a fortune teller?"
It's no wonder Old Donkey reacted this way. Even Sun Shijie couldn't help but be astonished by Xiao Feng's remarkable associative thinking!
Xiao Feng smiled but didn't answer directly.
Rural folks, especially the older ones, have a natural reverence for fortune tellers. Having this guise might offer so unexpected conveniences.
The donkey cart crossed the road, and Old Donkey tugged the reins, reminding, "Hold on tight, we're going downhill."
Once downhill, there was a tunnel bridge, with two railway tracks above. If a train passed overhead, you could clearly hear the rhythmic "rumble-rumble" sound below.
Due to the terrain, the tunnel bridge had accumulated rainwater knee-deep for adults. On the left, there was a slightly elevated path people could push carts on, but it was also covered by rainwater at the mont.
After crossing the waterlogged section, Old Donkey stopped the cart and said, "Ahead is a steep uphill; let's get down and walk a bit."
Xiao Feng and Sun Shijie had no objections, nodding as they got off and started climbing.
The slope was quite muddy, requiring extra caution with their footing, lest they slip or sink a foot into the mud.
Three minutes later, the three of them and the donkey were at the top of the slope.
A narrow path just wide enough for the donkey cart appeared. On the right was a mountain wall over ten ters high, and to the left was a one-ter-deep pit, reclaid as farmland.
Notably, the path was made of stones with five-centiter diaters. From the right angle, you could even see the stones reflecting light, clearly slick.
Moreover, there were large gaps between the stones.
If you rode a bike on this... you'd likely bounce around like crazy.
The donkey cart, though jostling as well, was certainly more comfortable than riding a bike.
"Old... Jin brother, is this road safe?" Sun Shijie asked, a little worried.
Old Donkey patted his chest confidently, "Don't worry; I've spent half my life doing this!
Other than , no one else in the village dares to drive a cart on rainy days when the roads haven't dried."
He then signaled Xiao Feng and Sun Shijie to get back on the cart.
Once on board, Xiao Feng glanced up at the mountaintop and then at the deep pit beside them, raising his guard secretly.
Honestly, even if the cart toppled, it wouldn't be too bad; it's only a one-ter drop, and below is farmland. You wouldn't die from a fall.
The real concern is the mountaintop—if a large stone were to fall, that wouldn't be fun at all.
At that mont, Sun Shijie noticed Old Donkey, who was driving the cart, kept glancing at his pocket.
He looked down to see a cigarette pack corner peeking out.
Sun Shijie imdiately understood, took out a cigarette, and handed it over.
Old Donkey sheepishly smiled, took it, and asked, "Old buddy, you don't smoke?"
Sun Shijie pulled a tobacco pipe from his sleeve, smiling, "I smoke this."
"You're a man of taste!" Old Donkey praised, giving a thumbs up.
The journey was still long; Xiao Feng enjoyed the rural scenery as he asked, "Why won't your village relocate?"
"Huh?" Old Donkey frowned slightly, seemingly sensitive about this matter.
Thinking back to how this young man directly nad him earlier, his suspicion deepened.
Sun Shijie sensed sothing off and quickly explained, "Just curious. We overheard this when we were at Fengyu Village's entrance asking about Iron Village."
"Well, since you're my cousin's friends, you'll know sooner or later when you et him." Old Donkey lit a cigarette and said, "The reason we won't move is because of a tree my cousin planted."
"A tree?"
"Yes, a tree!" Old Donkey described it simply: "It's as thin as a bamboo pole, doesn't branch or leaf, but you can see it growing taller every year. My cousin regards that tree as his lifeblood. Even though people assured him it wouldn't be damaged, he still wouldn't move and dragged us old folks to protect it with him."
Hearing this, Xiao Feng and Sun Shijie exchanged a glance, realizing the tree that doesn't branch or leaf is probably the last type of material Tiebushan needs.
Old Donkey stubbed out the half-finished cigarette, put it back in the pack, and continued, "But to be honest, my cousin is quite skillful. In the past, when we did farm work, other villages often had problems with their tools, but in our village, thanks to my cousin's top-notch hoes or shovels, we never faced such issues.
It's been over a decade, and they still don't rust or even need sharpening."
During the chatter, Xiao Feng noticed that every few hundred ters, a big cave would appear on the mountainside beside them.
Curious, he inquired, "What's with the caves beside us?"
Without even looking, Old Donkey replied, "In the busy sumr farming season, it was too hot, and we needed people watching the fields, so we chiseled those caves to cool off.
The ones you've seen earlier were dug by Fengyu Village; farther ahead, there are ones done by our village. They were collectively carved, so it's unclear who owns them; they're all shared."
Listening to this, Xiao Feng couldn't help expressing his amazent; these could be pri spots for an ambush with such narrow paths and an unexpected attack. However, now in peaceful tis, they're just for cooling off. In the future, they won't be needed. If a real fight broke out, the people ambushing inside would probably be blown up by a missile before they could even co out and sneak attack.
User Comments
0 comments from readers