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墨書 Inktalez
Sun Meng's phone suddenly vibrated, indicating a new message. She quickly exited the video call to check it, discovering it was a multimedia message. Upon opening it, she saw a droplet of what appeared to be blood, followed by a large image that was somewhat unclear due to the phone's screen.
As the taxi glided to a smooth stop, Sun Meng was startled and raised her eyes from her phone to look out the window. A massive billboard advertising milk caught her attention.
"Uh... we're here," Sun Meng muttered to herself as she hurriedly pulled out money to pay the driver.
Stepping out of the taxi, a cool breeze swept over her, causing her to shiver unexpectedly. Her mind suddenly cleared, and she felt a pang of regret. How could she have not thought about the time? Now that she was here, how would she find that can? Moreover, it was hidden in the grass, making the search even more difficult.
She brushed aside her bangs and wondered why she felt cold. As she pondered this, she looked up at the enormous advertisement and gradually shifted her gaze toward the desolate area enveloped in night. A few makeshift shanties along the roadside emitted soft beams of light. Occasionally, snippets of conversation and laughter seeped through the gaps in the shanties.
About a hundred meters away from these temporary structures lay a narrow horse ditch. At its edge stood an old-fashioned bungalow, solitary like a stumbling elder, casting a dark silhouette against the night sky as if no one cared for it. Retracting her gaze, she observed the wide eight-lane road nearby where cars moved orderly in various directions.
Following the sounds, Sun Meng approached the first shanty. With the help of streetlights, she could clearly see the ground beneath her feet. She remembered that during her daytime visit, the surface had been paved with charcoal ash. It seemed that the newcomers in the shanties were currently using ancient stoves for cooking—charcoal stoves.
“Woof woof…” A medium-sized spotted dog heard Sun Meng stepping on the charcoal ash and immediately dashed out from one of the shanties.
“Xiao Hua, go away!” shouted a half-grown child who emerged to shoo away the dog while peering at Sun Meng approaching. “Who are you?”
“Uh… I’m just passing through and got lost here. I wanted to ask you something.”
“Alright! Come inside.”
The half-grown child let Sun Meng into the shanty. Once inside, she could see that it was quite chaotic; the floor was covered with dried sedge, and atop it lay a layer of matted straw. The bedding and clothing were strewn about haphazardly across the makeshift mats.
The furnishings in the shanty were even more rudimentary, with a wooden cabinet filled with teacups, rinsing cups, and toothbrushes. To the right was a charcoal stove, and to the left was a long row of wooden boxes, topped with straw. Sun Meng knew what these wooden boxes contained; they housed bees. These were all boxes for bees, and during the summer, many bee vendors would bring their bee boxes to areas with canola flowers to raise the bees and collect honey for sale.
"I recognize you," a half-grown kid suddenly said, staring at Sun Meng.
Sun Meng pointed to herself, "You recognize me?"
"Yeah! You're the woman who asked us about our phones during the day!"
"That's right! Where are your parents?" Sun Meng asked, noticing only one child in the shanty. It struck her as odd that there were no adults around.
"What do you want? We don't have any money. My parents are working and will be back soon," the child said, their dirty face illuminated by a pair of sharp eyes that watched Sun Meng warily.
Sun Meng understood; the child thought she was a bad person. This thought made her chuckle inwardly—she certainly didn't look like a villain. Seeing the child's defensive posture only made her find it more amusing.
"Haha, you don't think I'm a bad person, do you?"
"Hehe, you don't seem like one, but why did you come to our house asking about adults?" The child casually ruffled their messy hair and smiled innocently.
"Well, I was curious about why you were home alone. By the way, can you tell me how you got your phone?"
"Uh... if I told you I found it, would you believe me?"
"Really?" Sun Meng exclaimed in surprise. If this phone truly belonged to the child, then it undoubtedly belonged to Ziya.
"Just picked it up, found it over at Horse Ditch. There are a lot of people dumping trash there, so I grabbed one, and Erwa got another."
"Is that phone still around? Can you show it to me, please?" Sun Meng swallowed nervously. What if it really belonged to Ziya? She never went anywhere without her phone; if the phone was here, what did that imply?
"No way! Why should I show it to you? Besides, I don't even know you." The child wiped his nose and blinked his bright, clear eyes, a mischievous glint in his gaze as he looked at Sun Meng.
Sun Meng felt a rush of anxiety. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out how to deal with this cunning child. These kids, following their parents around, had seen a lot of the world and were quite sharp. But often, due to their circumstances, many of these children couldn't go to school and complete the twelve years of compulsory education.
"I'll give you ten yuan if you show me the phone, okay?" With no other options left, Sun Meng pulled out a ten-yuan note and waved it in front of the child.
The child greedily stared at the ten yuan, pausing for a moment as if contemplating whether to accept it. Then he grinned and said, "You have to promise! We need to make a pinky swear; otherwise, what if you back out?"
"Come on! I'm an adult; how could I back out? Just take it." Sun Meng confidently handed over the ten yuan with a flourish.
The child took the money with ease and dashed over to the pile of scattered items, rummaging through them for a while before returning to Sun Meng with the phone held out in both hands.
Sun Meng eagerly took the phone and examined it closely. At first glance, it looked identical to Ziya's, but it felt surprisingly light. Her heart sank; this was clearly just a phone model. She turned around only to find that the child had vanished without a trace. What on earth? Did this kid really abandon home?
Sun Meng groaned in frustration as she stepped outside. It was pitch black now; this wild child was incredibly bold to deceive her like that. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Stepping out of the Shanty and into the darkness, she walked for a bit until she reached the road. Standing on Charcoal Ash Road, she faced the gentle breeze blowing through the wild grass swaying in the open fields. Just then, she noticed a flicker of light from a tall building in the dark distance. That glimmer brought her hope; perhaps there were adults inside who could lend her a flashlight.
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