Chapter 70 - Communication

Night had fallen upon the land once bathed in sunlight. At the edge of the mountain, scattered village houses dotted the foothills, and outside them lay a path of yellow sand—the only road leading out to the main highway, the sole link between the villagers and the world beyond.

It had taken less than an hour for me and my companion to walk out of the mountains. Only then did I realize just how endless the hills were; if I had come alone, I would have undoubtedly lost my way a dozen times. My gratitude toward the old hunter grew deeper.

Once we left the mountains, we arrived at a village near the foot called Weiping Village. Old Wu borrowed a set of military fatigues from a friend for me to wear, and then we headed to the village’s only convenience store, which housed the only phone around.

I called home first, only to find my parents had no idea I’d fallen from a cliff. Relief washed over me. It seemed Chu Qitong really had gone to look for me at the cliff, but hadn’t informed my parents before losing hope. That was good news for me—I wouldn’t have to worry about how to explain myself or make them anxious.

After a brief exchange, I hung up and called Zhang Jing. I told her the bare essentials: I had fallen off a cliff, escaped, and been helped by an old hunter. I asked her to bring more money and to contact several officials who had good relations with the Sunshine Group, just in case. Zhang Jing, on hearing my harrowing tale, burst into tears on the phone. Somehow, listening to her sobs, a strange warmth welled up in my heart.

The third call I made was to Su Xin, but she didn’t answer. I was mainly worried that Chu Qitong, while not daring to call my parents, might have told Su Xin and made her anxious. She should have been traveling in Hong Kong with her family, and her not picking up only made me more uneasy. In the end, I picked up the phone and dialed Chu Qitong’s number.

I remembered her number only because, that day at my house, she had insisted I save it. Sometimes, I have to admire my own photographic memory.

The call went through quickly, but instead of her voice, the first thing I heard was a noisy clamor in the background. Then came a weary, exhausted female voice.

“Hello, who are you looking for?” Her voice was hoarse and weak, clearly the sound of someone utterly spent. My heart twinged in pain—she must have been blaming herself terribly.

“Guess who I am?” I deliberately lowered my voice, wanting to tease her.

“Don’t bother me, I’m hanging up,” she snapped, thinking it was some prank, her words full of annoyance and impatience.

“Wait, don’t! Chu Qitong, are you really going to hang up on your savior?” I sensed the moment wasn’t right for jokes, so I raised my voice in earnest. “Your savior survived a disaster; shouldn’t you thank the heavens?”

After I said this, there was a long silence on the other end. I could tell she was shocked. I laughed and continued, “Come on, where’s your sense of humor? It’s me, Xiao Qiang! I’m alive. Where are you? Why is it so noisy?”

Still, she didn’t answer.

“Hey! It’s me, Xiao Qiang—the one who fell off the cliff. Don’t tell me you can’t even recognize my voice. Say someth—”

Before I could finish, Chu Qitong finally spoke, though instead of words, I heard the sound of her weeping, nearly heart-wrenching in its intensity.

“Xiao Qiang… it’s really you… you’re really alive… Thank goodness! You… where are you? I’m coming right away…”

Her voice was choked with sobs and trembling, but she managed to force out her words.

“I’m in a village at the foot of the mountain. You wouldn’t believe it—I fell into a hot spring after the cliff, and after a long struggle, ended up in Lishang Town. Anyway, I’m fine now. Hey, stop crying and calm down. Where are you now?”

It took her a long while to stifle her sobs. Her voice was heavy with sorrow and joy. “Xiao Qiang, I really thought you were gone. This day has been so painful, so painful… You’re alive, that’s all that matters. I feel like I’ve gone from hell to heaven… Are you in Lishang Town? Wait for me there, I’ll come at once!”

“Wait, don’t rush. Let me finish,” I said quickly, stopping her from hanging up. “Did you tell Su Xin about this?”

“No… I didn’t tell your mom either. I was afraid that if I did, you’d never come back…” She broke down in tears again.

“Good, as long as you didn’t.” I was relieved. “You don’t need to come to Lishang. I’ll stay the night in Songjia Village nearby and return to C City tomorrow. You must be tired too—get some rest.”

“No! I have to come. I won’t be at ease until I see you. Xiao Qiang, thank goodness you called. I’m at the police station right now; I nearly had my father report you missing and ask the police to search for you…” Her words filled me with a warmth I couldn’t describe. Just for this, I knew I’d made the right decision. In truth, I hadn’t realized it until now, but the image of this little devil in my heart was already beginning to change.

Finally, after I refused her coming to Lishang again, I hung up. Looking at Old Wu, who sat nearby smoking his pipe, I chuckled, “Old Wu, I’m done with my calls. Let’s settle up.”

He immediately stubbed out his pipe, pulled a few bills from his pocket, and handed them to the store owner, asking nervously, “Kid, what did your parents say? Will they pay up?”

“Don’t worry. I, Xiao Qiang, keep my word. It’s just five thousand yuan.” I smiled to myself. Mountain folk really do have it hard; to them, five thousand yuan is an unimaginable sum, but to me, it’s hardly anything. Suddenly, I felt that if, in the future, I could use the technology and business empire I hoped to build to genuinely improve the lives of the poor in this country, that would be a kind of merit in itself. I’d never cared for lofty talk of serving the nation or loving the people, but this time, I’d truly felt the warmth and poverty of those in the mountains. Perhaps this strange adventure hadn’t only given me the secret manual of the Ziyang Divine Skill, but taught me the true meaning of life. Whether it was the musk deer or these impoverished villagers, I had come to understand that all life is equal.

Old Wu’s face finally relaxed when he heard my promise. A rare smile broke across his face. “Good, good. Let’s get back to Songjia Village, then. Kid, today I’ll show you some real mountain fare.”

“Great! I’m starving. Let’s go. The money will be here soon.” At the mention of food, my belly growled—I hadn’t eaten in a day. If it weren’t for the nourishing hot spring water, I’d probably have collapsed from hunger by now.

“Good, let’s hurry. It’s less than ten minutes from Weiping to Songjia Village. We’ll get home, and I’ll cook you a proper mountain meal!” Old Wu clapped me on the shoulder, grinning, and led me toward the village entrance. I couldn’t help but smile wryly—just moments ago, Old Wu had been so stern, but now he was all smiles. Truly, the heart of a parent is the same everywhere…