Of Mountains and Rivers Chapter 10
Chu Huan Himself Couldn’t Understand Why He Made Such A Stroke-Inducing Decision
The county seat was a very unfavourable destination. It was so small that one could see the end from the beginning with a single glance.
Since they came out from ‘Ken Dang Ji’, they inevitably passed the bus stop Chu Huan came from. It was currently noon, so the local passenger flow had reached the peak; several tour guides wore red hoods, holding large megaphones and calling for their respective tourists to keep up.
The tourists were like a flock of sheep that, no matter what, couldn’t keep together. The moment they stepped off the vehicle they’d disperse freely; some would follow each other wearily, some would walk around the surrounding trying to find toilets, and then there were some who would face the county seat’s rugged roads and take photos.
Chu Huan couldn’t understand what was so picturesque about this remote and desolate place; taking photographs might’ve been a rite unique to tourists.
Nanshan and Xiao Fang were stunned by the large number of people and avoided the path.
What is ‘vast in territory, large in population’? Letting these two children from the great mountains catch a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg was probably enough for them to gain an entire year’s worth of experience.
Nanshan was afraid the people would bump into Chu Huan so he stood in front of him to block them; at the same time, he curiously pointed at the tourists and asked, “Doing what?”
Seeing so many people, Chu Huan felt annoyed, but facing Nanshan he didn’t reveal the irritation in his heart. He just lazily responded, “Tourists.”
Nanshan and Xiao Fang looked at him together, two pairs of eyes holding the exact same curiosity and confusion.
Chu Huan: “…People who come from very far away to come here and have fun and climb mountains – like that mountain over there, they’d climb for fun.”
They still couldn’t understand. People from the great mountains probably couldn’t imagine why – they were just mountain climbing, so did they really need such a big spectacle?
Chu Huan paused and chose the most easily-understandable method to explain. He slowly raised a hand and made a light-pushing gesture towards his mouth. “Eat…”
Then he retracted his hand and patted Xiao Fang’s belly. “Full…”
Finally, Chu Huan drew his palms closely together and made an ‘a lot’ gesture. “Too full…”
Nanshan and Xiao Fang suddenly understood. They looked at the passing crowd with expressions of envy and disbelief.
At this moment, a lady holding a ‘Polaroid’ walked close to them and took a photo of a watchdog squatting by the road basking in the sun.
The ‘ka-cha’ attracted the attention of the two beside Chu Huan. Within a short moment, a paper photo was spat out. The lady pinched it between her fingers and shook it back and forth for a bit. When the photo of the dog became clear, she ran back to show her companions, Nanshan and Xiao Fang always watching her from behind.
This was followed by Xiao Fang stepping forward in shock and bending over to observe the dog. The dog raised his head to glance at the shirtless man, his tail wagging calmly, showing he was still alive and wasn’t stuck on a piece of paper to be taken away. These bumpkins needn't worry.
Xiao Fang immediately ran back eagerly, reporting back to Nanshan his new discovery with amazement. He was cheerful and optimistic, his hands and feet dancing.
Chu Huan’s gaze fell on Nanshan’s totem and saw it was a fierce beast. He wasn’t a folklore expert, so he wasn’t sure from which ethnicity this worship material originated – he’d never seen such a pattern before.
Judging from Xiao Fang’s attitude towards Nanshan, this long-haired handsome guy seemed to have a high status in their local area; there was a high possibility he was the patriarch or was related to the patriarch.
Chu Huan knew that in addition to the known fifty-six ethnic clans, within the country there were several ethnic clans that, for various reasons, were statistically unidentifiable; Nanshan and his people might be one of them.
He’d asked Nanshan which ethnic clan they were from and received an answer that couldn’t correspond with Chinese characters. The pronunciation was similar to ‘Liyi’ in Chinese but slightly more complicated.
What the name ‘Liyi Clan’ meant, Nanshan himself was either not sure or found it simple to explain; he only gave him a specious clarification that had something to do with ‘mountain guards’.
Nanshan understood some Chinese – he understood more characters than spoken words. He had money, knew how to buy things, and understood the nominal value of the currency – this meant he had communications without the outside world; however, it wasn't deep or universal. Either way, in such a small frontier county seat, everything he saw was fresh; as if to maintain a certain image, he couldn’t jump up and down looking at everything around him like Xiao Fang, but his eyes always held an eager curiosity.
Was it because of inconveniences that he didn’t come out often?
And the strange medicinal herbs they brought with them – especially that white powder – if it could truly stimulate cell activity, then if news about it spread how many people would go crazy for it?
At this moment, Nanshan turned around and reached his hand out to Chu Huan, motioning for him to support himself, and used Chinese words unfamiliar to him to stiffly say, “River here good.”
Chu Huan couldn’t help but tilt his head and glance at him. What does ‘river here’ mean?
Then, Nanshan remembered something and suddenly lowered his head with a smile. “If our children… Primary school students could come here, then it’ll be good.”
Chu Huan once told him ‘primary school students’ were ‘children’, so he immediately remembered those terms, though his understanding slightly deviated. Nanshan didn’t speak with blame; instead, he spoke as if he held some kind of unattainable longing. Because it was unreachable, he also seemed a little envious.
If he was blameful, Chu Huan would’ve probably understood, but this was, after all, someone else’s business; even if he understood, it wasn’t good to stir up any trouble.
But inexplicably, Nanshan’s slight envy was like a blunt carving knife that sliced into Chu Huan’s heart. For the second time, he thought, he just wants to find someone who can teach Chinese, why is it so hard? What if I go?
The thought flashed past. Chu Huan’s gaze swept past the bustling crowds and filled bus stops, and he once again secretly shook his head. What are you thinking?
He still had a lot of things to do. Small Ghost was arrested; no matter what, he had to follow through with his trial, right?
To listen to his full confession, to see their end?
He wanted to find a reliable doctor to check up on him when he got back, adjust his condition and, if possible, go back to work…
He also wanted to see whether Xiao Lu gave birth to a boy or a girl.
Thinking of these things, the thoughts that’d drifted to the horizons were heavily pushed back in place. He glanced at Nanshan and patted his shoulder. “Wait here for me.”
After he finished speaking, he leaned on his simple crutches and walked towards the tourists.
Nanshan was taken aback. Worried, he immediately followed, but he understood Chu Huan’s ‘wait here’ and didn’t follow very closely, thinking he had something to do. He watched Chu Huan walk up to the lady who’d just taken a photo and lower his head to say something to her.
To see them conserving, Nanshan felt he shouldn’t walk too close, so he waited by the side of the road; suddenly, he saw a man kneeling with his head down at the intersection, a large sheet of paper spread before him written full of words.
What was he doing?
He couldn’t understand. In fact, people like this were anywhere with crowds; usually, they were able-bodied youths or students wearing school uniforms with a large sheet of paper spread before them explaining how they were travelling far from home and encountered a thief or they didn’t have enough money to pay for education. They’d sit on the floor and ask for money.
So Nanshan walked over and squatted down in a studious manner; word by word, he carefully and silently read the story made up by the scammer. After reading their reason – in addition to seeing the last line ‘pleading for twenty yuan as travel expenses’ – he fished out several notes and change. After meticulously verifying their nominal values, he drew out a twenty dollar note and, instead of throwing it in the other’s bowl, stretched out his arm to hand it to them.
The scammer was a young man. Staring blankly at the man who, from the way he dressed to his behaviour, was without exception a freak, he hesitated. For a moment, he almost discovered his conscience.
However, as a scammer with a work ethic, his conscience had always been limited. This man was just another meal, so he frankly thanked him and accepted it.
Chu Huan bought the polaroid from the lady. He had great communication skills and he wasn’t stingy with money so, in the end, the lady even gave him the remaining half a box of photo papers too.
After he bought it and turned around, he saw the scene of Nanshan handing over money and suddenly felt a bit anxious.
This friend’s character seemed to radiate with the brilliance of the Virgin Mary, his intentions illuminated with Buddha’s halo, and his appearance overflowing with spiritual influence, so why did it seem like he was short of cleverness?
Chu Huan was a little worried that, in a moment of carelessness, he’d be abducted and sold.
He waved at Nanshan. When Nanshan turned his head, Chu Huan used the bustling small county seat’s azure-blue sky as the backdrop and photographed the other’s momentarily surprised expression.
Chu Huan gave Nanshan the photograph and the camera he bought.
Nanshan was almost frightened – to him, this thing was obviously rarer than the 1971 edition Xinhua Dictionary. Suddenly, a thin layer of red leapt to his face; after bewilderedly accepting it, he'd secretly glance at Chu Huan throughout their journey.
Chu Huan pretended to not notice; he walked ahead dragging an injured leg, leaning on crutches. Perhaps it was because of the pain and itchiness coming from his wound, but Chu Huan felt his steps were light as if he was floating.
•·················•·················•
The trio lived in the guest house for more than a week.
When they had nothing to do, Nanshan would point to the dictionary and listen to Chu Huan correct him. He’d read it during the day, then when night came he’d silently memorise it again. Nanshan probably had a pair of fiery eyes with golden pupils; he’d never turn on the lights at midnight when reading as if the darkness didn’t affect his vision at all. Chu Huan once asked why he didn’t turn on the lights and received an answer that would’ve split one’s side with laughter – this pure Virgin Mary friend of his was afraid of wasting the guest hotel’s electricity.
After a week passed, the gunshot wound on Chu Huan’s body miraculously healed.
Nanshan and Xiao Fang were finally going to leave. Xiao Fang was still that head-shaking tail-wagging big bear who couldn’t communicate whilst Nanshan, with his already-meagre foundations and continuous strenuous effort and hard work, could now stumble through some daily exchanges.
“I need to go back, cannot leave for too long,” Nanshan said. From the beginning right up until the end, he never asked where Chu Huan’s injury came from. He just earnestly asked, “If you come across danger, will you be okay?”
Chu Huan vaguely remembered when Nanshan first spoke to him using the dictionary – he'd mentioned the term ‘long-distance dangerous’. He didn’t know what kind of extreme danger this minority brother, who’d never travelled far from home, thought of the outside world; he couldn’t help but laugh.
Nanshan thought for a while before bending down and fishing out a dagger-like knife from his ankle; he solemnly handed it to Chu Huan. “I didn’t bring much, just this. It can split open the wind and resist all enemies.”
It can resist all enemies… But it probably couldn’t pass a security check.
Chu Huan took the dagger and weighed it in his hands. This little iron was unsurprisingly heavy but, with closer inspection, it seemed to emanate a bloody scent and contained a heavy killing intent; nothing an expert couldn’t tell.
Nanshan leaned over and plastered his forehead over Chu Huan’s before straightening up. He used his newly-learned Chinese to say, “Take care, friend.”
After he finished, he gestured to Xiao Fang; the two picked up their simple suitcases and prepared to leave.
Many days passed, so Xiao Fang already regarded Chu Huan as a good friend. With every step, he’d turn to look back repeatedly, reluctant to leave.
Chu Huan sent them off with a few steps. His expression was blank; however, just as he sent Nanshan off by the door he suddenly spoke without warning, “You want to hire a teacher just for learning how to speak Chinese?”
Nanshan’s footsteps suddenly paused and he turned around in disbelief.
“I can also teach that. Let’s go,” Chu Huan said, playing down his words. “I might need to buy some things from the county seat. Wait a bit for me.”
Chu Huan himself couldn’t understand why he made such a stroke-inducing decision.
It was as if just by looking at Nanshan’s back, he no longer wanted to know whether his childhood sweetheart gave birth to a boy or a girl.
From the very beginning, that had nothing to do with me. Until they walked to the main street, Chu Huan was still thinking about it. It’s not like she gave birth for me.
Suddenly, Nanshan held onto Chu Huan and asked, “I gave him money, he’s still there. Did he lose it again?”
Chu Huan turned around. Indeed, it was the scammer they encountered that day.
Chu Huan was well aware of the situation, but he still patiently and silently listened to Nanshan struggle as he described the nonsense the scammer wrote on the paper. Then, he calmly answered, “He doesn’t leave because he relies on that to live.”
Nanshan was dazed. “Why?”
Chu Huan: “Scammer, understand?”
He spread out Nanshan’s hand and, on his palm, wrote the character ‘lie’1 stroke by stroke. “This is ‘lie’, meaning lying to others for money.”
“For money, a fake?” Nanshan’s brows furrowed as if he couldn’t accept there was such an ugly and evil thing in this world.
Chu Huan secretly sighed, suspecting he was soon to enter a real Shangri-la.
After Chu Huan finished buying his daily necessities and came out from the supermarket, he saw Nanshan standing by the side of the road, staring at the scammer on the other side of the road. He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but for a moment he felt a killing intent emanating from Nanshan.
Then, Chu Huan thought he saw something exit Nanshan’s fingertips. From at least seven or eight metres, it accurately hit the scammer’s forehead. With his bare hands, he made a ‘grabbing’ gesture.
Chu Huan felt a weird flow of air pass him before all the banknotes in the begging basin were caught in an unexplainable gust of wind, making them fly everywhere.
The scammer hurriedly reached out to catch them. He’d just crawled halfway up before he fell down clutching his chest, his eyes wide open like a goldfish’s and his entire body convulsing in a bizarre manner.
The twenty-dollar note that floated furthest away from him flew straight into Nanshan’s hand.
Chu Huan’s pupils shrank – how did this happen?
It made absolutely no sense!
As if he noticed Chu Huan’s gaze, Nanshan turned his head and gently explained in a low voice, “Won’t die. He shouldn’t lie… En, lie for money.”
