When they arrived at the village, Zheng Tan had to lead the way, otherwise Ermao wouldn't know where to go to find anyone.
They were repairing roads around here again, planning to build a flat passage in front of each house. The timing of their visit was not great; they had just started working, and some of the surface stones had been dug up, resulting in more mud. In some waterlogged places, they could only step on stones that had been deliberately placed there.
"Hey, Black Coal, when we get there, give me a shout, so I don't walk past it," Ermao said.
After they passed through that muddy stretch, the road improved slightly—there was at least a small path paved with stones and bricks. This time, Zheng Tan really had to come out of the backpack to lead the way.
A few steps later, his paws were all coated with mud. There was nothing he could do about it. Without shoes, this was how it was. Zheng Tan couldn't wear rain boots like Ermao did.
