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墨書 Inktalez
"Ah? Ah? I don’t know where Heilongjiang is. I only know this place is Jinshan Jiao, and it should be far from Heilongjiang."
The girl seemed startled by my words, and I frowned, wondering just how far "far" really was. No, I needed to find a way to get back.
I immediately got out of bed, but as soon as I moved, a wave of pain shot through my body! Especially in my thigh, where it felt like there was a deep wound.
"Hey, don’t move! You’re still injured," the girl said, gently helping me back onto the bed. I realized that in my current condition, I wouldn’t be able to walk. I asked her, "What happened to me? Why am I here?"
"You were picked up from the river. I don’t know where you fell in; maybe you fell from upstream," she replied slowly after helping me settle back down, her face beaming with a cheerful smile.
"Thank you," I said as I sat on the bed. Was this girl my savior? I felt grateful but even more curious about who I was and what had happened in Huaxia that made me so eager to return.
"No need to mention it; we’re fellow villagers," she said with a sweet smile. Looking at her friendly demeanor, I nodded and thought that since this girl was from Huaxia, perhaps she could help me find out how to get back.
However, she told me she didn’t know how to return to Huaxia either. She lived in Jinshan Jiao, and everyone in her village had been Huaxia people for generations.
"What do you all do for a living?" I asked her, noticing the shabby state of the house and her worn-out clothes—a grayish-white short-sleeve shirt and tattered shorts.
"We used to grow tea, but those bad guys won’t let us anymore. They make us plant poppy instead."
"Poppy?" I was taken aback; I knew what that was—it was something harmful! It was a source of drugs!
"Yes. If we don’t plant it, they’ll cut off our hands and feet," she said with a helpless expression, clearly not wanting this life.
Just then, footsteps echoed outside. The girl’s face lit up with joy.
"Grandpa! My grandpa is back! He’ll be so happy to know you’re awake!" She exclaimed before running out of the small wooden house. A moment later, she returned with an elderly man who had only one arm. His skin was dark and weathered, his frame thin but his eyes sparkled with life.
"Ah, young man, you're awake! It's been a long time since we've seen someone from Huaxia. I'm so happy!" The old man laughed heartily, his warmth evident. At that moment, a little girl beside him chimed in, "It sounds like you've actually met someone from Huaxia, Grandpa! But you haven't met anyone at all!"
The girl appeared quite mischievous, and I couldn't help but smile. For some reason, I found her playful demeanor endearing; it was hard to explain, but I just liked it.
"That girl!"
The old man shot her a glance before turning to me with a grin. "Xiang Dong, right? I've seen your ID. You're from Huaxia? How's everything over there?"
His concern caught me off guard.
How would I know?
I couldn't recall anything!
The old man seemed confused; he had just asked me how to return to Huaxia moments ago. The girl playfully spoke up again, and rather than finding her annoying, I found her charming.
"How can you say that? What do you mean he’s confused?"
The old man glared at her, and she stuck out her tongue in response, falling silent. He then turned back to me.
"Child, do you really not remember anything at all?"
I truly had forgotten. "Old man, can you tell me how to get back to Huaxia? I feel like there's something important I need to do there."
Upon hearing this, the old man sighed and said helplessly, "Ah, young man, it's not that easy to return to Huaxia from here. I thought you might have come here for some business or had some sort of identity that would allow you to leave our village. But now that you remember nothing at all and only have an ID, you won't be able to leave this village."
"Why not?"
I frowned and asked the old man.
I felt a strong urge to leave; I needed to go back!
"Because our village is controlled by a Drug Lord," he explained. "We can only work for them and cannot leave. If you remember anything at all, I advise you not to reveal that you're one of us. If you had any past conflicts with those Drug Lords before your memory loss, you'd be in serious trouble. Even if you don't know them, it won't end well for you."
The old man's words made sense to me. Right now, I couldn't remember anything at all. I had no idea why I had come to Jinshan Jiao or what had happened before I fell into the water.
Could it be that I had a conflict with those Drug Lords that led to my fall?
Once that happens, I would be like a sheep entering a tiger's den! I knew the old man was right; I couldn't stay here any longer.
I said this, and the old man chuckled before slowly replying, "I know you can't remain here. Your current situation is such that you can't go anywhere. The Drug Lord may control us, but he doesn't really know how many people belong to each family. For now, just pretend to be my grandson and rest here for a while. Think about your past; once you recall your history, you'll be able to make better decisions, won't you? Don't worry, the entire village is made up of Huaxia people. They definitely won't tell the Drug Lord about your situation."
After hearing this, I nodded. It seemed that this was the only option for now.
So, I rested at the old man's home for several days. I learned that the old man's name was Wang En and the girl's name was Wang Qing. Wang En's ancestors were all soldiers from Huaxia who had come here on a mission many years ago but had encountered an accident, resulting in their entire unit not returning to Huaxia. They ended up settling down here and starting families.
The village wasn't large, only a few dozen households. According to Wang En, this village used to be quite substantial, but after being bullied by the local Drug Lord, the population gradually dwindled. Many villagers were missing limbs due to their refusal to cooperate with the Drug Lord; they had their hands and feet cut off as punishment.
At first, I hoped that my relationship with the Drug Lord wasn't hostile and that they hadn't caused my current predicament. If I had no past grievances with them—perhaps even some connection—they might not kill me and could even send me back to Huaxia.
However, after staying at Wang En's home for a few days, my perspective began to change. The family struggled daily to find enough food; life was incredibly hard for them. They had to rely on rations from the Drug Lord, and sometimes he wouldn't even come to distribute food for an entire day. During those times, we had to survive on whatever little food we had stored up.
One day, when the old man returned home covered in bruises, I asked him how he got hurt so badly. He smiled and said it was nothing. However, Wang Qing secretly confided in me that the rations were already scarce, and my arrival had divided what little they had between three people instead of two. She and her grandfather worked hard every day just to make ends meet; after a week of this, they were struggling.
They could barely hold on; Wang En was already quite old and only had one arm left. Wang Qing feared her grandfather would starve or fall ill since there were no medical supplies available here—only herbal remedies that weren't very effective. If one could endure through it, they were lucky; if not, it would just mean a handful of dirt.
"Old man," I said, "I'll work with you tomorrow. Isn't food allocated based on work done? I'll do it!"
Although my injuries weren't fully healed yet, I could manage some movement. The deep gash on my leg hadn't gotten infected thanks to the herbal treatment and had mostly healed.
As a man, how could I rely on an elderly man with one arm and a young girl to support us all? Even if I couldn't remember anything about myself, I knew that wasn't my style.
"This won't do! Your injuries aren't healed yet—especially that gash on your leg; it's too severe and has nearly reached the tendon! You should rest for a few more days; my old bones can still manage," he insisted with a hearty laugh.
The old man was always so cheerful, as was his granddaughter. Today was the first time I saw Wang Qing cry because she feared for her grandfather's life. Under the threat of the Drug Lord, death loomed so close for these two optimistic souls that they could only find joy amidst their suffering.
"It's alright; it's just a little injury," I reassured him. "The work isn't too strenuous."
I smiled as he continued to refuse my offer. He treated me like a guest; despite his own hardships, he wanted to take care of me well.
How could I shamelessly continue to add burdens onto him?
After much insistence from me, the old man finally agreed to take me out to work tomorrow.
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