483 A Thrilling Night Deep in the Mountains (1/2)
Chapter 483: A Thrilling Night Deep in the Mountains
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
”Mom! Mom!”
A piercing cry broke the evening silence of the mountains.
A guy in his thirties, who seemed like a farmer based on his clothes, was holding a boy under the age of ten in his arms. He was running among the thorns and vines, followed by a peasant woman, who looked to be about the same age as the farmer.
As they ran away, they looked back in horror, as if something terrible was chasing them. Not far behind them, bushes were swinging violently and a pair of green eyes were vaguely visible.
”I can't run anymore…Just leave with Hu Wa.”
The woman was so tired that she was out of breath, clinging to a tree and no longer able to take another step. In a blink of an eye, she was more than ten meters behind her husband.
”Keep up!”
Her husband did farm work everyday, and even though he was holding their child, his physical strength was much better than hers. He stomped anxiously, ”The wolves are catching up!”
Their hometown suffered from famine and floods. As a result, the family of three fled with their fellow countrymen to this region. They heard that under Britain's rule, Hong Kong was not affected by the war, so they had been seeking opportunities to sneak into Hong Kong. They just wanted to arrive in Hong Kong as soon as possible, so they ran day and night, but ended up running into these remote mountains and getting attacked by a pack of wolves. Panic-stricken, they were separated from their fellow countrymen, who suffered the fate of the wolves.
It was a bad harvest year. The bloodthirsty wolves probably came from the Western regions, attacking people when they were close to starving.
”Leave with our child! I'll catch up after some rest.”
The face of the peasant woman was smeared with tears. She knew her husband's temper all too well. If she stopped running, then her husband would definitely stop running, and the three of them were bound to die here. That's why she said she would catch up later, it was an excuse to make her husband keep running.
”What are you talking about? You silly woman, keep up with me!” Her husband was not that gullible. He knew his wife was only able to run this far because they didn't stop to take breaks. If she stopped, he was afraid that she wouldn't be able to run any longer.
”Mom! I want my mom!”
Less than ten years old, Hu Wa was crying and reaching for his mother. Due to malnutrition, Hu Wa appeared to be thinner than most children of the same age. His arms as thin as twigs were stressful to look at. Luckily, that meant he was lighter, otherwise his father would not be able to run so far carrying him.
What the mother hated most was the thought of being separated from her child.
Instead of running to her husband and her child, she gritted her teeth and pushed herself away from the tree and into the path beside her. She exhausted her last effort to run and shouted, ”Chen Tiedan! You must take Hu Wa to Hong Kong. If something bad happens to him, I will come back and haunt you.”
Chen Tiedan froze for a second before he realized what was going on. She was bringing the wolves her way, in hopes that he would survive with their child.
Silly woman! You have been stupid your whole life, why are you being smart today?
Chen Tiedan thumped his chest and stomped. He grit his teeth to hold back his tears.
Seeing his mother disappear in the woods, Hu Wa wanted to call her, but his father covered his mouth.
With tears in his eyes, Chen Tiedan couldn't see anything clearly. He turned around, pushed branches aside, and ran ahead staggeringly.
”Ah!”
He hadn't run very far when he heard his wife's cry.
Chen Tiedan closed his eyes tightly, thinking that he was about to hear his wife's wailing before she was torn apart by the wolves.
”Meow!”
”Bark!”
He froze for a moment. Whose cat and dog were those? The cat may be a wildcat, what about the dog? Was it a wild dog?
”Ow-woo!”
He heard a whining, as if someone was injured. A similar sound was often heard when his neighbor's German Shepherd was kicked in the stomach.
He looked back terrifyingly, staring in the direction his wife ran. The branches of that area were rustling violently, as if there were beasts fighting there.
Chen Tiedan knew the odds were against his wife, but he hadn't completely lost hope because the commotion was quite unusual. Before his fellow countrymen died, they all let out a harsh wail. Why was his wife so quiet?
When he was lost in thought, Hu Wa broke free from his arms and ran back. He wiped his tears and shouted, ”Mom! Mom! Where are you?”
”You bastard! Stop! I will beat you when I catch you!”
Chen Tiedan was so furious, he began to chase his son right away. Hu Wa was an only child, and he remembered his wife's words, that he must take Hu Wa to Hong Kong and settle down there. He would return to this place to collect his wife's remains, if any.
He strode fast to chase his son. When he was about to catch Hu Wa, a bush in front of them suddenly split down the middle and a fierce-looking wolf jumped out.