Sister Dragon refused to eat the snake gallbladder, urging Scarface and me to leave the area. After much persuasion, she reluctantly swallowed it.
After taking the gallbladder, she seemed slightly better but soon fell asleep again. While she rested, Scarface and I shared the fresh snake meat.
When you're extremely hungry, you'll eat anything without worrying if it's cooked or clean. The priority is to replenish energy to stay alive.
After eating the snake meat, we gathered some branches and vines to make a makeshift stretcher. With the sun blazing, I found some large leaves to shade her, and Scarface and I carried her towards home.
"Mom, Mom... I'm back," Sister Dragon murmured in her sleep on the stretcher.
She had lost over ten pounds from fever and not eating, making it hard for the two of us to carry her despite her light weight. The mountain path was treacherous, and we were starving and parched.
"Little Bottle, Little Bottle... where are we?" she asked weakly, turning to look at me.
"Sis, we're almost home. Hang in there," I replied, hating Heizi for not leaving any medicine.
"Dragon, save your strength for crossing the border," Scarface croaked from the front, his voice choked with emotion.
We had no idea where we were—no time, no place names, no signs. Only the hope of returning home kept us going.
"Uncle, I feel a bit better. Let me walk..." she said, trying to sit up on the stretcher, but she fell back down before she could.
"Sis, don't push yourself. Your body needs time to recover. We're men; we can carry you, and you're not heavy at all," I said, forcing a smile to comfort her.
Though the situation was dire, I hoped she would pull through.
"Cough... cough... Little Bottle, thank you. You're very kind, unlike other boys," she said with a bitter smile, tears streaming down her face.
"Call me Ping'an. We're out now. By the way, what's your name? I'd like to call you by it," I said.
"My name is Chunyan... I have two siblings, and because I'm unattractive, relatives and friends didn't like me. No matter how hard I studied or how many awards I won, no one cared about my feelings. I dropped out of high school and went to Shenzhen to work. There, a good-looking boy started courting me, and I thought my luck had turned, but it was a nightmare...
He tricked me into coming to northern Myanmar, took my virginity, and forced me to scam people. If I refused, he'd shock me, beat me, and make me eat excrement.
Little Bottle, I had no choice. To survive, I had to scam people. Fortunately, I made enough sales to live decently. To soothe my self-esteem and twisted mind, I targeted new young men, offering them a chance to earn sales in exchange for sex.
I didn't want to be this way, but I'm a woman too. I long for love and care. What did I do wrong? Why is my life like this?" Chunyan sobbed uncontrollably, shaking the stretcher.
Scarface and I quickly set the stretcher down, fearing she might harm herself in her distress.
"Sister Yan, don't cry. If you don't want to go back, come stay with me for a while. My family doesn't have much, but we have relatives who will make sure you're not sleeping on the streets. My sister-in-law cooks great food, and my mom makes amazing cured meat, sausages, and fermented tofu. They're better than anything from the store," I said, trying to cheer her up while fanning her with leaves to cool her down.
We even ate some of the edible leaves. Due to her high fever, Sister Yan's lips were cracked and peeling.
"Really? I love cured meat and fermented tofu. I also want some sugar oil cakes and stinky tofu... Ping'an, will your family dislike me?" she asked, her eyes lighting up at the mention of food.
"No, they'll be grateful to you. You'll be well-fed and taken care of," I said, forcing a smile.
"No way, I need to lose weight. If I get any fatter, I'll look like a village pig. But those foods sound so good!" she said.
Scarface chimed in, "How will you have the energy to lose weight if you don't eat? Besides, a chubby girl brings fortune to the house! My wife is chubby, and she gave me two beautiful kids..." His voice trailed off as he turned away, tears streaming down his face.
"Sister Yan, you're lucky to have a loving husband. I'm destined to be alone. If we return to China, I'll just follow Ping'an to Changsha," she said, not noticing Scarface's expression, staring at me instead.
"Sure, I've got plenty of friends in Changsha. You'll never be lonely there. You can help out at my martial arts school and guard the entrance," I joked.
"Ping'an, you're treating me like a bouncer," she laughed weakly.
"Hahaha!" The tense atmosphere lightened a bit.
Taking advantage of the improved mood, Scarface and I continued carrying her. She insisted on walking herself, but we didn't let her.
We kept moving until dusk when the sun set. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and a storm rolled in, with strong winds, lightning, and thunder. The wind flattened the grass, and the trees rustled ominously.
Luckily, we found a rock cave to take shelter. We hurriedly carried her up the slope to the cave just as the downpour began.
Inside the cave, about five or six square meters, we weren't cramped, and the surrounding branches shielded us from the storm.
"Thirsty… so thirsty..." Sister Yan croaked, waking up.
With no containers, we took off our clothes, stood at the cave entrance, and used them to catch rainwater, then let it drip into her mouth.