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墨書 Inktalez
The thought was less about evil and more about boredom. I suggested that everyone count the fish scales, pulling them off one by one to see who could finish first. In the vast ocean, this was the only way to pass the time. Thus, we spent a long three or four hours. Xiao Xiao seemed to feel much better; suddenly, she stared intently at the sea, and her face broke into a smile. I was surprised—wasn't that a bit of an extreme contrast?
This seemingly boring activity actually made sense. For example, counting sheep before sleep utilizes the fatigue from repetitive events to create an illusion.
During the Qing Dynasty, there was a widow in Anhui Jixi who was famous far and wide. She was a paragon of virtue in her locality; after marrying, her husband passed away just a few years later without leaving any children. She remained in mourning for thirty years, ultimately becoming a local celebrity due to her fidelity and receiving a commendation from the court, which granted her a memorial archway.
Later, when the widow fell gravely ill, her sister visited her and asked by her sickbed, "It hasn't been easy for you to remain in mourning all these years; you've brought honor to our locality and will be remembered by future generations."
The widow smiled bitterly and pointed to a jar on her bedside table, signaling for her sister to bring it over. The sister picked it up; though small, it was quite heavy. When she opened it under the light, she saw it was filled with dark, shriveled beans that looked quite old.
"I survived all these years with this jar of beans," the widow said.
Seeing her sister's puzzled expression, she continued, "Many nights I almost couldn't make it through. During those times, I would open the jar, scatter the beans on the floor, and then pick them up one by one under the light. By the time I finished picking them all up, I would be exhausted and go to bed."
The sister realized that the widow had exchanged this jar of beans for the memorial archway granted by the court.
This story came to my mind as I planned to count fish scales during our boring time to help endure loneliness and solitude.
Thus, with this mundane action as our distraction, we drifted for another three hours...
"Ha! We've left the deep sea area! Look at how shallow and colorful the water is here; there are islands nearby!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed while pointing at the sea. Before she could finish speaking, I spotted numerous seabirds flying nearby in flocks, catching fish and shrimp from the water.
The presence of seabirds indicated that there were islands within a hundred miles—perhaps even inhabited ones. If that were true, we might be saved. This thought excited us greatly; our spirits lifted significantly.
At that moment, a bird flew over and landed on our vessel. With a swift motion, Xiao Xiao pounced on it and caught it. After playing with it for a while, she accidentally killed it. I suggested we eat the bird since we had grown tired of raw fish and could use some variety in our diet.
The bird was about the size of a chicken. I used my dagger to skin it and carefully cut up the meat before roasting it under the sun for quite some time. We each took a bite of the raw meat; although it wasn't cooked by a chef, its flavor was incredibly delicious. I feasted heartily—honestly, I had never tasted such exquisite bird meat before; it was infinitely more delicious than anything from Quanjude in Beijing.
As we savored our meal, dark clouds rolled in, blocking out the blazing sun. The wind picked up significantly, and waves began to rise; ominous clouds filled the sky with occasional flashes of lightning between them. It looked like a storm was imminent—a storm at sea is no trivial matter.
"Xia," Xiao Xiao said gravely as she looked at the distant dark clouds, "this is a sign that heavy rain is coming. Based on my experience, this is definitely headwind. You need to lower the sail quickly!"
As an experienced sailor, she knew well how to handle storms; although this area wasn't deep sea, even a slight breeze could create large waves. The greatest advantage of this lifeboat was its ability to withstand rough seas.
Following Xiao Xiao's instructions, I quickly lowered the sail and set up a makeshift shelter at the stern using oilcloth. The outside grew darker by the minute. I asked Xiao Xiao, "The storm is coming soon; how are you prepared? There shouldn't be any surprises?" She nodded affirmatively. "I can handle it! No matter what happens later, hold onto the ship's side tightly!" I nodded along with Wang as we braced ourselves for the approaching storm.
Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, growing closer and transforming from a dull roar into a sharp crack. The sky, once bright, darkened within mere minutes. Xiao Xiao's brow furrowed deeper; the impending storm stirred an inexplicable unease within her. I too felt a sense of foreboding.
On land or an island, one might face any tempest without panic. The solid ground beneath offers a sense of security; at worst, one might get drenched like a drowned rat. But those who have never spent time at sea could never understand this feeling. Surrounded by the vast ocean, even the slightest gust could capsize our vessel.
We had been adrift for about ten days, drifting from deep waters to shallower ones, and our vessel had sustained multiple damages. I worried that if this continued, it might be completely destroyed, leaving us to perish in the belly of the fish, erased from existence.
"Wan, what would you do if the ship capsized?" I asked. Wan was not mortal; the sea couldn't drown her. Yet at this moment, she was as vulnerable as any ordinary person. If she were eaten by fish, it would be a fate worse than ours—soul shattering—at least we could still reincarnate.
Wan smiled faintly but said nothing, staring blankly at me.
Suddenly!
The sound of heavy raindrops pounded against the oilcloth above us, mingling with the thunder. Large droplets fell from above, soaking the dry deck in an instant. A storm arrived with a vengeance. The vessel pitched violently as waves surged several meters high. The entire ship swayed up and down like a drunken person, making us feel nauseous.
Boom!
The dark sky outside lit up momentarily as lightning struck, followed by thunder that was gradually drowned out by the crashing waves. Water poured into the cabin and was quickly expelled by the surging tides. The ship rocked violently, tossing us around inside the cabin. Damn it! This was more terrifying than any roller coaster!
"Brother Xia, are we going to be okay?"
"It’s fine! Just a bit of rain!" I reassured her, though my heart was not so certain. Days of drifting had left us utterly exhausted; any trouble would be disastrous.
The storm intensified further. Wan and Xiao Xiao had no choice but to scoop water out of the cabin while I clung tightly to the oilcloth to prevent it from being blown away. With every wave that crashed over us, it became increasingly difficult to hold on.
The night was pitch black; the wind howled and rain lashed down as our small boat bobbed precariously on the vast sea surface.
I lost track of time as the storm showed no signs of relenting. We could still make out each other's faces and hear faint voices amidst the chaos. Yet now, even if Wan and Xiao Xiao shouted at the top of their lungs, I couldn’t decipher what they were saying.
The lifeboat struggled against the stormy winds and rain. Despite Wan and Xiao Xiao's relentless efforts to bail out water, it was futile; the rain fell harder and more water pooled inside the boat, causing it to sink little by little. With waves crashing against us and water flooding in from all sides, there was no way to keep up with it all.
In the vast depths of the ocean, the consequences of a sinking ship were unimaginable.
"Quick! Put on your life jackets!" Our life jackets had not been discarded; they provided warmth and could offer some support in emergencies. I gestured for them to stop bailing water.
They nodded, indicating that we had no choice. "This air will drift away in the sea, and we will definitely get separated. It's best to tie ourselves together with a rope and jump into the water together!" Xiao Xiao said. Indeed, drifting with the current could lead us to collide with rocks or worse, end up as fish food. Having more people would give us more strength.
I secured myself and tied a rope around each of their waists. Once Xiao Xiao saw we were ready, she shouted, "The ship is going down! If we don't jump in time, we'll be pulled into the whirlpool! On the count of three, we jump together!"
"One, two, three..."
On three, the three of us jumped into the sea. We hadn't swum far when there was a loud crack—the ship broke in two, its bow and stern rising up before being swallowed by the whirlpool, disappearing without a trace.
Not long after the ship sank, a massive wave surged over us. The remaining piece of tarpaulin and the sail finally sank to the bottom. We clung tightly together, filled with fear and dread.
However, things were far from over. A huge wave crashed down on us, pushing me and Xiao Xiao forward. In an instant, another wave rolled in, and they vanished without a trace.
I wanted to reach out and grab them both, but the wind and waves were too strong. Suddenly, a massive wave hit me; it carried a wooden plank that knocked me unconscious. Everything went dark, and I lost consciousness completely.
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