We walked inwards along the bluestone slabs. The stones, washed smooth by the flowing water, were covered in a layer of green moss, making them slippery underfoot. Fortunately, we had a stick to use as a prop, preventing us from slipping into the water. Further ahead, there was a very narrow crack in the rock from which the water flowed. The crack was small, about two meters high, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, with the widest part being over a foot across and the narrowest only a few inches.
I took a look. The mountain crack was probably several meters long. I could see lush green vegetation outside the crack, and my heart brightened. Was this the way out?
I stood up and tried to gauge the situation. Even turning sideways, it was impossible to get through.
Wen Siqiang came over. He was thinner and smaller than me. He saw my intention and said, "Let me try."
I handed him the rope in my hand. If he could get out, he could tie the two ropes together, making them long enough for me to climb up using the rope.
He took the rope, tied both ropes to his feet, then, mimicking my posture, turned sideways, sucked in his stomach, and squeezed in bit by bit.
The rock crevice was not very uniform, and he was severely pressed by the rocks, yet he remained silent, holding his breath as he moved inward.
It was as if he knew the art of bone shrinking, compressing himself into a flattened shape, and he truly managed to squeeze through.
I held my breath for him, afraid that sharp rocks might injure him or get him stuck, leaving him unable to go forward or backward.
His legs were somewhat contorted, and his face was flushed red, but he continued to struggle forward. It was evident he was moving bit by bit, his body completely wedged into the rock crevice.
I was anxious but helpless to assist him, only able to pray that he would make it through without any accidents.
I felt this was a passage for the leopards, like a specially designated door for them to enter and exit freely.
I said to Wen Siqiang, "It's wider below. You can slightly bend your knees to lower yourself. Will that help?"
He couldn't answer me, but he still obediently tried to squat lower. Indeed, he was not as uncomfortable, and I could feel him exhale a long breath. The earlier compression had even restricted his breathing.
I felt a chill of fear. If I hadn't reminded him, would he have suffocated later?
He took a moment to recover before continuing to move his body.
It was much easier now, not as constricting as before. He smoothly passed through the mountain crevice and reached the outside.
He bent over and called to me from the other side, "Boss, you go down into the cave. I'll see if I can go around."
He was right. If he couldn't find a suitable passage, he still wouldn't reach the top of the cave. Even if he got out, it would be useless; he would just be in a different location.
I left the stream and waited for him by the cave.
A long time passed without Wen Siqiang appearing above the cave. My heart began to pound again. It seemed finding this place wasn't easy for him. What if it was another new cliff face he couldn't navigate? Would he have to come back here?
I hoped our luck wouldn't be that bad. Yesterday, I gambled that Wu Guodong would reconsider and let us go, and I lost. Today, if Wen Siqiang's attempt to find a way out also failed, we would truly be at Wu Guodong's mercy, trapped here.
There were no edible fruits in these mountains. Fortunately, there was this stream. If there wasn't even water, we would probably die even faster.
I tilted my head back, looking upwards. Apart from the sound of the wind rustling the leaves, there was no other noise.
The fire in the cave was still burning. I added a few more pieces of firewood. I was preparing for the worst-case scenario: if we couldn't get out, the fire must not go out.
Fear washed over me again. I wasn't afraid of dying, but of dying painfully, not being able to disappear in an instant, or being entwined by venomous snakes or torn apart by tigers and leopards.
Both humans and animals have an innate fear of the unknown. As children, we feared the dark, ghosts, and everything we couldn't see, because we didn't know what lurked behind the darkness. As we grow older, we fear death, because we don't know where we will go after we die, whether to heaven or hell, or to wander as lonely spirits. Therefore, death, like the darkness of our childhood, casts a shadow over our hearts.
I replenished the firewood and came out, suddenly seeing a rope descending from above. I glanced at it and indeed, it was Wen Siqiang, lowering the rope.
He whispered, "Boss, tie the rope securely around yourself. I'll pull you up."
I said, "It won't be enough if you just pull by yourself. Tie the rope around that tree. Don't pull directly; use the friction from the tree to buffer the force. That way, it might be more manageable."
Wen Siqiang replied, "The rope will be a bit short that way. Try to get closer to me on your side, otherwise, the rope won't be long enough."
I said, "How about I don't tie it around my waist? I'll grip it with both hands. That way, your side will have a bit more length to apply force."
Wen Siqiang asked, "It's very tiring to hold with your hands without tying it around your waist. Can you manage?"
I said, "Yes, I can. Don't delay. Troubles come in the night. Let's hurry."
Since Wu Guodong had abandoned us, they could come to inspect the site at any time. We couldn't stay here any longer.
I wrapped the rope around my wrist and held on tightly, saying to Wen Siqiang, "Alright, come on!"
Seeing that I was ready, Wen Siqiang took the rope and ran to the large tree.
The rope quickly tightened. Wen Siqiang shouted from above, telling me to get ready, and he began.
The rope gradually tightened, and I was soon off the ground. This method was indeed effective. Although slow, it was very stable.
My hands were burning, feeling as if they were breaking, but I could still hold on. I tried my best to grip the rope with my other hand, sharing some of the burden with the hand that was bearing the brunt.
The rope moved bit by bit, and my body gradually lifted away from the bottom of the ravine. I knew in my heart that this was not just leaving the cave, but also escaping death.
Slowly, I could see the grass on the ground, and I saw Wen Siqiang, straining against the rope, pushing forward with his legs. I quickly called out to him, telling him to stop pulling, as my hands would soon hit the rock face. At this point, he should have secured the rope to the tree and come over to pull me up himself.
He said, "Boss, hold on. I'll secure it right away."
I replied, "I can manage. Just tie it securely."
I saw him fix the rope and run over to grab my hand and pull me up.
I said, "My hands have gone numb. Just grip them tightly."
He nodded, grabbed my hands, leaned back forcefully, and pulled me up.
We lay on the ground, one propped up, the other sprawled, for a long time before we both managed to get up. I flexed my wrists, and they were starting to regain some sensation. I said to Wen Siqiang, "We can't linger here. Let's leave quickly. Also, throw the rope down into the ravine so they don't know how we got out."
We untied the rope and threw it down, then quickly left the valley of death.
They hadn't blindfolded us when they brought us here, so it wasn't difficult to find our way back to the camp. Although we didn't want to be discovered, we had to find the camp. To escape, we first needed to find food, and then, ideally, obtain weapons. Of course, capturing a soldier to serve as a guide would be perfect.
When we came from the poppy field, we were blindfolded the entire way and had no sense of direction.