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墨書 Inktalez
Third Granduncle Master also noticed it and instructed everyone to slow down the boat, turning on their flashlights to examine the wall.
At first, it was difficult to see clearly due to some lingering ashes, but it appeared that many figures were depicted, all kneeling on the ground, facing one direction as if in worship. However, what they were worshiping was completely obscured by the ashes, making it impossible to discern.
Further along, there was a figure who appeared in a room resembling a study (as indicated by the bookshelves painted on the wall), seemingly reviewing some materials. Then another figure appeared; they were still in this study, sitting at either end of a table, heads bowed as they looked at a map or a book, pointing and discussing.
Next, the same figure traversed a great mountain, where water flowed. Somehow, he had acquired a boat and crossed over. When he emerged, there was a large square box at the bow of the boat.
At this point, I suddenly froze. Wasn’t this exactly the story from Spider Cave, composed of hundreds of Meteor Monsters and Electric Nets? I had felt at that time that the story was incomplete; it could not be the beginning or the end. Now, the carvings on the stone wall perfectly confirmed my suspicions.
Third Granduncle Master was right beside me, and I dared not show too much excitement. I could only contain my curiosity and continued to look further.
The next depiction illustrated a marketplace filled with large iron cages stacked upon one another in great numbers. The artist of the stone carvings used an infinite extension technique; as the drawing progressed, the cages became increasingly dense, suggesting that many more lay beyond—endless.
I leaned closer to the stone wall with the boat's side and observed carefully. Inside the cages were what appeared to be monkeys, but they were larger than typical monkeys, with longer limbs—especially their legs—likely some rare breed.
These monkeys were depicted with remarkable realism and varied postures. Some hugged their heads with both hands, curled up between their knees; others reached out to grasp the bars of their cages, either gazing longingly or anxiously towards the outside world; still others arched their backs and lay within their cages, leaving only a thin silhouette... In short, they looked incredibly pitiful. If the artist intended to convey a sense of helpless sorrow, he succeeded brilliantly.
It seemed this was a market for selling monkeys, and just moments ago, that figure stood before one of the iron cages while a bowing merchant stood nearby—clearly engaged in a transaction.
As I prepared to look at the next painting, A Li on the boat suddenly gasped. My heart sank as I hurriedly shone my light over, fearing that Liuzi had bullied her again.
At that moment, A Li stared at the painting, covering her mouth as she said, "Look, these are children... they are selling child labor!"
I exchanged a glance with Third Granduncle Master, and from his expression, I could tell he hadn’t noticed this detail either. We both turned our attention to A Li. Just then, A Chen on the front boat called for Dali to stop the vessel. The two boats behind us followed suit, halting right in front of the stone wall adorned with the large iron cages.
"Child labor? How can you tell they are child laborers? They look more like little monkeys to me!" Liuzi's chin was freshly bandaged, but his voice sounded strange; he could barely open his mouth and was still a bit winded.
A Li shot him a glare and tilted her head toward the stone wall. "Did you not see that the child is wearing a Mid-Autumn Festival Aroma Pouch?"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately followed A Li's gaze. Sure enough, in the second cage from the bottom of the first row, we spotted a small child with an inconspicuous Aroma Pouch hanging from their chest.
It was inconspicuous because one of the child's hands was covering their face as if they were crying and wiping away tears. The painting was drawn from a side angle, so their arm conveniently blocked most of the Aroma Pouch, revealing only a corner. If it weren't for A Li's keen observation, who would have noticed?
Liuzi was not convinced and deliberately picked a fight. "Damn it, an Aroma Pouch is just an Aroma Pouch! How do you know it's for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
A Li rolled her eyes at him again, as if this question were hardly worth addressing. In truth, I didn’t understand it either, nor did anyone else present; we were all waiting for someone foolish enough to take the bait. To our surprise, there indeed was such a fool.
Just as A Li was about to explain further, Yellow Witch on the front boat couldn't sit still any longer. Perhaps feeling overshadowed by A Li’s spotlight as a fellow woman, she felt her pride was at stake. After all, these details were often overlooked by men; it took a woman's meticulous thought and keen observation to notice them. Moreover, as a professional Tu Fuzi, this was her territory—exploring ancient sites and tombs was her specialty and determined whether she would feast or starve this month. How could she let A Li steal her thunder? What would that mean for her standing with Third Granduncle Master?
Thus, she interrupted Liuzi's words. "It's not hard to see at all. Look at the moon above the iron cage; it's round like a pot lid. If it weren't for the Mid-Autumn Festival, how could there be such a full moon? Of course, it's not just based on that; everyone look at what the merchant is wearing. Although it's a long robe and hard to discern its thickness, when he stuffed money into his sleeve, he only lifted one layer of fabric to reveal his bare arm underneath—indicating he’s only wearing a single layer of clothing, which means it's summer or autumn. Therefore, it’s easy to deduce that this is around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival."
As everyone listened to Yellow Witch's explanation and carefully examined the mural in comparison, they couldn't help but exclaim in realization while she secretly reveled in her triumph.
At that moment, A Li added, "And one more thing: these children being sold into labor are from poor families. On ordinary days, they wouldn’t wear such Aroma Pouches; it’s only during festivals like Mid-Autumn or New Year that they might indulge in such 'extravagance.' This rules out the possibility that they carry ordinary Aroma Pouches out of habit."
With this additional information, everyone nodded in agreement, and Liu Zi had nothing more to say. Only the Yellow Witch's expression appeared somewhat displeased, though it was to be expected.
As the boats set sail, the paintings shifted with them.
The next painting depicted a construction site, but strangely, the people were not building houses; instead, they were… planting trees and cultivating land?!
"Wow, what a talent!" exclaimed the person behind me, named Wang Meng. As he spoke, I realized he was my fellow townsman from Henan, his accent unmistakably authentic. "This is the first time I've seen someone spend money on child labor to support the Great Motherland's greening efforts. I just wonder which will come after him first, the Environmental Protection Bureau or the police?"
Dali immediately chimed in, speaking in a thick Changsha dialect: "Are you crazy? Who cared back in those days! These kids obviously have no one wanting them; they're just poor little things. Even in a fight, they’d be considered too short! They can only be sold on the black market as laborers. Look at their arms and legs—what strength do they have? At most, they can work in the countryside planting trees or moving bricks—they can't even handle that… Wow!"
Dali was right; his eyes fixed on the mural ahead suddenly widened as if he had seen something unbelievable.
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