Chapter Forty-Seven: Salty Soup

Recently, Zhou Nan had returned to her usual self. Zhang Can once again carried her on his back, heading into the mountain forest. This time, however, they could walk slowly, rest when tired, and there was no urgency, making their moods much more relaxed.

“Zhang Can, let me ask you,” Zhou Nan said, “just now, why didn’t you put me down? You could have escaped first and called the police. They would have rescued me.”

“You make it sound easy, as if the police were magicians!” Zhang Can replied, not in the best mood, but after thinking for a moment, he added, “You’re right. If it happens again, I’ll leave you behind and run off alone!”

Zhou Nan wasn’t offended. Smiling, she said, “Actually, you could leave me here right now. You’d definitely go faster alone. Why don’t you go ahead and bring back help?”

Zhang Can shook her on his back in annoyance. “Say one more word and I’ll really drop you!” After a moment, he grumbled, “Aren’t you always boasting about your looks? There are wolves on this mountain. If they bite your beautiful face and leave it pockmarked, would you be happy then?”

Zhou Nan giggled and whispered as she lay on his back, “So… you do admit I’m pretty, don’t you?”

Zhang Can decided not to answer. The words of Zhou Nan’s grandmother still echoed in his mind. He and Zhou Nan didn’t belong to the same world. Back at her grandmother’s house, he had thought Zhou Nan’s father might be some powerful official, perhaps a bureau chief, but he had never imagined he was the Party Secretary of Jin City—the top authority.

To say he didn’t like girls like Zhou Nan would be a lie, but Zhang Can was clear-headed: liking was not loving, and Zhou Nan was not someone he could love. It was best to restrain himself.

They trekked on for half a day. The sun was tilting westward, yet the woods stretched endlessly in all directions with no paths in sight. Zhang Can now simply looked for any gap ahead, places where the trees thinned, and squeezed through. But eventually, he found no way forward, and the sun had almost set. Darkness fell swiftly.

All around, insects chirped, and occasionally a crow let out a mournful cry, which sounded particularly frightening.

Zhang Can quickly set Zhou Nan down, gathered dry leaves, and laid them on the ground to make a bed. He then lifted Zhou Nan onto it.

Night had deepened. The canopy blocked the sky, hiding stars and moon. Zhang Can thought for a moment—it was the fourth day of the lunar month, so there was no moon anyway.

His stomach growled with hunger, but there was nothing to be done. He didn’t even have a lighter; he couldn’t start a fire. Zhang Can pulled up some grass roots, brushed the dirt off with his sleeve, and chewed one. It had a faint sweet flavor.

“Chew some grass roots. At least there’s a bit of sugary juice—better than nothing,” Zhang Can offered a handful of cleaned roots to Zhou Nan. In the darkness, she couldn’t see, but she fumbled and took them, chewing one. Maybe hunger made her find even that little bit of juice delicious, though it was hardly satisfying.

“Are grass roots really edible? I never knew,” she said.

Zhang Can smiled, “You’re a rich young lady, so of course you’ve never suffered like this. My family’s from the countryside. When I was little, I’d go to the fields with my parents. While they worked, my siblings and I would hunt for things to eat—tender shoots, thorn buds, ground loquats. Those taste better than grass roots.”

“Mmm, what are those—tender shoots, thorn buds, ground loquats? I’ve never heard of them!” Zhou Nan was intrigued, and while asking, she drew closer to Zhang Can. Night had brought a chill, and she felt cold.

Zhang Can propped his hands behind his head, gazed up at the unseen treetops, and sighed softly, “I really miss those days. Sometimes, I wish I never had to grow up. Growing up just brings more troubles…”

After a while, he continued, “Tender shoots are just grass. In spring, when grass first grows, the leaf wraps a fuzzy tip—that’s the tender shoot. If you peel it open, it’s sweet. Thorn buds are the tender sprouts that grow after thorn bushes bloom. Peel them and they’re sweet and juicy. Ground loquats are plants that grow flat to the ground, everywhere in the fields. Lift their leaves and you’ll find lots of finger-sized fruits along the vines. If they’re red, they’re ripe and sweet; white, they’re not ready yet and can’t be eaten. Those are the sweetest of all.”

Zhou Nan listened captivated, and after a while, murmured, “I truly envy you. If only I could go to such a place with you someday, eat tender shoots, thorn buds, ground loquats—that would be wonderful…”

Zhang Can chuckled, “That was in my childhood. Kids nowadays, even in rural areas, don’t go foraging like we did. Back then, we had no snacks or toys, but now even the countryside is different…”

Zhou Nan was exhausted, hungry, weary, and cold. Her eyelids drooped, and she mumbled, “I want to pick tender shoots, eat thorn buds, eat ground loquats… eat ground loquats…” As she muttered, she fell asleep, curling closer to Zhang Can.

Zhang Can gently called, “Zhou Nan, Zhou Nan…”

She was already asleep. Zhang Can sighed, took off his jacket, and draped it over Zhou Nan. His mind was crowded with thoughts; he never dreamed he’d encounter a kidnapping. Zhou Nan surely hadn’t expected it either. This girl had truly suffered. From yesterday to today, two days and one night, they’d had only a few sips of water and nothing to eat. How could they not be hungry?

By midnight, dew and fog thickened. Sleeping outdoors on the mountain, the cold was unbearable. Zhou Nan, though covered with Zhang Can’s jacket, still shivered, and Zhang Can himself trembled with cold. In her sleep, Zhou Nan began to whimper, “Mama, I’m scared… Mama, I’m so scared…”

Zhang Can held her tightly, whispering, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid…”

Zhou Nan pressed even closer, and Zhang Can wrapped her fully in his arms. The cold lessened for her, and she slowly drifted deeper into sleep.

At some unknown hour, birds began calling overhead. Slanted sunlight filtered through the leaves. Dawn had come.

Zhou Nan opened her eyes and found herself facing Zhang Can, his arm cradling her head.

She blushed deeply, cried out, pushed him aside, and scrambled up. Zhang Can rolled away, unmoving. Zhou Nan noticed she was still wrapped in his jacket, felt a warmth in her heart, glanced at Zhang Can, and scolded, “What are you doing, pretending to be dead?”

Zhang Can remained motionless.

Zhou Nan grew annoyed, gave him another push, and said, “Get up! I’m starving. We’d better hurry and find a way down the mountain. The first thing I want is a huge meal…”

Suddenly, her hand felt hot. Zhou Nan jumped in alarm, leaned over for a closer look. Zhang Can’s eyes were shut tight, his face flushed. She reached to his nose—the breath was burning hot. She touched his forehead—it was scalding. He had a high fever!

Zhou Nan was terrified. She cradled Zhang Can’s face, calling desperately, “Zhang Can, Zhang Can, wake up! Please wake up…” Her voice began to crack with tears.

Zhang Can’s whole body was feverish. The cold of the night had done it. Zhou Nan had been protected by his warmth, so she was spared; Zhang Can had succumbed to a high fever.

Zhou Nan didn’t know what to do. Normally, she was strong and independent, but she had always had a solid foundation and plenty of ability. In the city or abroad, she’d rarely suffered hardship. Now, though, she was in a deep, deserted mountain, exhausted, hungry, and helpless. What could she do?

“Zhang Can, Zhang Can… please wake up, don’t scare me… please don’t scare me…”

Despite her calls, Zhang Can wouldn’t wake. Zhou Nan’s tears streamed down, though she didn’t sob aloud. The environment was truly despairing.

Her tears fell onto Zhang Can’s face, blurring her vision.

“Zhou Nan… what’s this soup? So salty…” Zhang Can’s weak voice suddenly sounded.

Zhou Nan was stunned, quickly wiped her tears, and stared at Zhang Can. He was indeed opening his eyes, weak but awake.

Overjoyed, Zhou Nan grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard, crying and laughing, “You… you bad man, you scared me to death!”

Zhang Can weakly said, “That soup, the salty soup… I want a bit more…”

“What soup? There’s no soup!” Zhou Nan replied, bewildered. In this wild place, where could soup come from? But after a moment, she realized what he meant—the “soup” was her tears, which had flowed like a river. She looked at Zhang Can’s dazed face; he wasn’t joking.

Zhou Nan breathed a sigh of relief. It was much better for him to wake, even if still feverish, and she was grateful her tears had roused him. Who knows, maybe there was something healing in them.

She felt his forehead again. The fever hadn’t broken at all. Zhou Nan grew anxious; she would rather be the one lying sick, if only Zhang Can were well, so she wouldn’t have to worry so much.

“Water… water… I need water…” Zhang Can murmured.

Zhou Nan, desperate, pulled up some grass roots, cleaned off the dirt, and stuffed them in his mouth, but Zhang Can couldn’t chew them. Besides, that little juice was useless for someone delirious with fever.

Daylight had fully arrived, and the surroundings were clear. Zhou Nan surveyed the area; on the right side of the woods, there was a gap, like a path animals had used. It looked like a trail.

She quickly followed the opening, pushing through for ten meters, but it was still the same. Fearful of leaving Zhang Can too far behind, she hesitated, unsure whether to go further. Suddenly, she heard the sound of running water!

Zhou Nan stopped, listened carefully, and confirmed the sound was coming from ahead, through the grass gap. Excited, she no longer hesitated, bent over, and dashed forward. After about twenty meters, the forest opened up, sunlight dazzling her eyes, and a small stream flowed down, dividing the woods like a ribbon.

Zhou Nan was ecstatic. She hurried to the stream. The water was clear, the bed full of sand and stones, not a trace of mud.

She bent down, saw her reflection in the water—wan but still beautiful. She sighed, washed her face, the cool water refreshing her. Then she drank deeply, her hunger so great that even water felt like a feast.

Thinking of Zhang Can, Zhou Nan didn’t delay. She cupped some water and carefully headed back, but after only ten steps, the water had leaked away.

Biting her lip, she ran back, repeating the trip three or four times, still unable to carry water. Frustrated, she clenched her teeth.

Suddenly, Zhou Nan slapped her forehead and muttered, “How stupid!” She bent over, drank a mouthful of water, and, holding it in her mouth, hurried back.