After drinking some rainwater, Sister Chunyan dozed off again. However, her high fever persisted, and her coughing worsened, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. We were extremely worried, hoping the rain would stop soon so we could leave.
"Kid, you sleep for a while; I'll keep watch," Scarface said, seeing how exhausted I was. He sat by the cave entrance, letting me rest.
"Alright, wake me up in the second half of the night," I replied. I was so tired that I fell asleep within minutes of lying on the rocks.
In my dream, we were back in China, at home, eating mom's homemade food...
"Ping'an, wake up! Run! It's not safe here!" I was jolted awake by a sudden shout as I was dreaming of eating stir-fried beef.
"Uncle, what's happening..." I rubbed my stinging eyes, peering into the blurry forest. The rain and wind had stopped, but the eerie cries of crows echoed in the dark woods. Scarface was nowhere to be seen, and even my AK was gone.
"I dreamt someone was searching the mountain, then saw a light nearby. We need to run before they get too close," Sister Chunyan said, drenched in cold sweat. Being caught would be disastrous.
Had the pursuers caught up already? Or had we been wandering in circles in the mountains?
"Uncle, Uncle..." I called out softly in the dark, hoping he was still keeping watch. But the only response was the calls of birds outside. He had left, taking my AK and abandoning us!
"Uncle..." I sat down in despair, tears welling up but refusing to fall. First, Heizi stole our food and medicine, and now Scarface took the AK. Would I lose my life next?
I hated their selfishness but also despised my own helplessness. If only I were smarter, maybe none of this would have happened. It was ironic—I thought Chen Weiqiang was the worst person, but in the end, he was the one I could trust the most. And I was the one he trusted most too!
"Ping'an, did Scarface leave alone?" Chunyan asked, sensing something was wrong.
"Yes. I hate them, but I can't blame them. Anyone would do the same in their position. Let's keep moving," I said, wiping my tears and preparing to leave.
"Go, don't worry about me. I'll only slow you down..." Chunyan clung to my hand, begging through tears. She had said this 239 times. I believed she meant it sincerely.
"Sis, I'm taking you home. Stop saying such things. If you do, I won't take you to eat authentic stinky tofu or let you come to my house for meals in Changsha," I said, trying to comfort her despite my panic.
"Yes, stinky tofu, delicious stinky tofu. I want to eat at your house," she said, crying silently.
I helped her down the slippery grass slope, stumbling through the fallen grass. The pitch-black night made it impossible to distinguish directions; we could only move based on my memory of the daytime path.
Along the way, I tripped over rats, rocks, and vines countless times but never thought of abandoning Sister Chunyan. I was determined to bring her back to China, dead or alive. She had suffered enough; I couldn't leave her to become a wandering ghost.
"Ping'an, the happiest thing in my life was meeting you," she mumbled incoherently, repeating herself.
"Sis, we'll reach the border by daylight. Hang on. I still have money; I'll get you to a hospital for an IV," I said, not knowing where we were but trying to reassure her.
"Ping'an, I know I'm not going to make it. I'm grateful you didn't give up on me. Otherwise, I'd have been beaten to death or died in a dog cage. You're kind and good. I wish I could see you return home... Ping'an, please, when I die, cremate me and take my ashes back to China. I don't want my body to be eaten by eagles or wild animals. I want to go home, see my mom, even if there's no love there. It's still my home!" she sobbed, her voice weakening.
I was terrified she wouldn't last much longer. I set down the stretcher, holding back my tears, and said, "Sis, you'll get better. Tell me stories about the factory or your pretty friends."
"There are no fun stories. The pretty friend was made up. Pretty girls wouldn't hang out with me," she said, smiling weakly.
"Pretty friends are trouble anyway. Don't worry; I'll find the man who tricked you and make him pay. I can fight ten people at once!" I said, feeling helpless but trying to keep her spirits up.
"Ping'an, can I touch your face? I want to remember you, so I won't be scared when I go," she asked.
"My face is dirty, but sure," I said, bringing her cold hand to my face. Her fever alternated with chills, making my heart ache.
"Why are you crying? Don't cry. If I die, I'll no longer be a burden. If it's too hard to cremate me, just bury me so I can be whole. When you get home, tell my family I'm dead and ask them to burn offerings for me. I don't want to be hungry crossing the Naihe Bridge... Cough, cough!"
Chunyan's coughing worsened, and as dawn broke, I saw blood on her chest. She had been vomiting blood.
"Sis, please stop talking. I'm taking you home now!" I cried, retying her to the stretcher and dragging it forward with all my might. Each step was heavy and painful, but I couldn't stop. If I did, we'd never move again.
"Ping'an, Ping'an..." Her voice grew weaker, almost mosquito-like. I stopped, holding her hand tightly and said, "Sis, I'm here. Don't be afraid."
"Ping'an, I'm leaving. Live well... Meeting you was the happiest moment of my life. Without you, I'd have died as a ghost in the camp. I don't want to die here. I want to go home, eat my mom's braised pork, see my siblings, and go to Changsha with you. But I know I won't see that. You're a good boy, kind and brave. If there's an afterlife, I want to be your sister..."