Chapter 4, the road is long and winding

Wei Luo tightly clutched her chest; although she was extremely frightened, she still listened attentively.

Upon realizing that someone lived nearby, Wei Luo felt all her strength drain away. She collapsed softly onto the grass by the official road, listening to the distant barks of dogs, while reassuring herself: There are people living here, there is nothing to fear, there are people living here

At this time, every few minutes, one can clearly feel that the sky has darkened a little more. When she had walked less than a mile, night fell, and the sky was dotted with countless stars, too many to count. Unfortunately, there was no moon.

The road to the valley is very rugged, and Wei Luo took half an hour to find a small path that leads directly to the valley. She walked for a while and then stopped, taking a full hour to reach the foot of the valley.

Velo pressed against his chest and quickened his pace. After walking for another one or two miles, he finally emerged from the forest, and an endless expanse of hilly terrain appeared ahead.

With a sense of peace in her heart, she began to appreciate the night and the sky. The sky was particularly clear and untainted, a sight she had never witnessed even in her rural hometown before

The sun has mostly sunk below the horizon, leaving only the last trace of the setting sun. On the horizon, a dark line of clouds stretches across. In just a short while, a layer of night mist has risen between heaven and earth

It is estimated that there are still about ten miles to that mountain peak. Given Wei Luo's physical condition, it is likely that she will not reach it until late at night. She is currently suffering from extreme hunger, her legs feel weak, and her heart is pounding anxiously. She looked around; in this boundless expanse of hills, where could she possibly spend the night? Moreover, being close to the forest, there is a fear of numerous wild beasts. No, regardless of whether there are any inhabitants at the foot of the mountain ahead, she must at least give it a try.

She wonders if among these sounds, there might be one or two barks of a dog She wants to know if there are any farms or residences in the mountains ahead

With a heart full of anxiety, she walked intermittently. After three hours, around the middle of the night, Wei Luo arrived at the foot of the mountain, and at the same time, she heard the sound of barking dogs

The terrain ahead is undulating, and at the end of the line of sight stands a low mountain peak. The mountains are lush with trees, and from a distance, it is unclear whether there are any residences.

Whether it was half a year ago, helplessly listening to the news of her parents and younger brother dying in the earthquake in her hometown of Dujiangyan, or waking up to see so many people lying before her, Wei Luo's courage had grown significantly, and her heart had become much more indifferent. She always found herself saying to herself, what is there to be afraid of ghosts? Even if a ghost comes, it is just death after all

Rubbing his numb feet, Wei Luo slowly stood up

When she reached the setting sun, she had only walked about eight or nine miles. At this moment, the road ahead was still filled with yellow dust, and the trees on both sides were dense.

Two hundred meters ahead stands a thatched cottage, with a tree trunk driven into the ground every two meters like a stake. Between the unstripped tree trunks, several bamboo poles are erected, tightly packed with thatch in between. The thatch is coated with mud on the outside. The house is not large, resembling about three rooms, and is extremely low.

Out of caution, Wei Luo divided the remaining knife coins into five portions. In addition to the three knife coins she took out, she placed one portion in each of her left and right sleeve pockets. She then wrapped the remaining two portions in the blue cloth she had torn from her robe yesterday and tied them around her lower legs. Of course, the largest portion was securely stored in her bundle. She understood that, since ancient times, the common people have been the most simple and honest, and there should be no one who would wish her harm. However, she could not afford to take any chances at this moment and had to proceed with the utmost care. She understood that, since ancient times, the common people have been the most simple and honest, and there should be no one who would wish her harm. However, she could not afford to take any chances at this moment and had to proceed with the utmost care.

As he pondered, Wei Luo's courage grew bolder, and before he knew it, he had curled up with his knees hugged to his chest and drifted off to sleep

The sky grew increasingly bright as a brilliant red sun rose from the east. The sky was already bright and dazzling. Wei Luo turned her head to look towards the foot of the mountain, and in the light, she clearly saw that in the valley less than two miles ahead, there were seven or eight thatched cottages. Outside the cottages, she could also see the silhouettes of people at work.

Unfortunately, she did not have any tools to ignite a fire, nor did she have the strength to move a single finger. Therefore, that longing remained merely a longing

Wei Luo happily walked towards the valley. As she walked, she took out three knife coins from her bosom, unsure of their value, wondering if these three could be exchanged for a meal and a pair of straw sandals

Wei Luo's health is truly poor at the moment. If she walks a bit too quickly, even before her legs feel weak, she already starts to feel a tightness in her chest. Coupled with her lack of physical strength, she can only walk about a hundred steps before needing to rest for a while

Wei Luo had a healthy body in her previous life, having grown up in the countryside, and she was always swift on the mountain paths. She had never encountered a situation where she felt so weak and powerless, which was truly uncomfortable.

Thinking of this, Wei Luo quickened her pace slightly. Although she had increased her speed, given her current physical condition, it was only a tiny bit faster than before, and it was far from the speed she had when she first set out on her journey

At the side and rear of the thatched cottage, a man is bending down to work in the field. Wei Luo hesitated for a moment before stepping closer to the cottage.

As she walked to a distance of one hundred and fifty meters, the thatched cottage's gate creaked open. A woman dressed in linen clothes and straw sandals, with her hair styled in a bun, her skin dark and dull, and her face lined with sorrowful wrinkles, stepped out. She heard Wei Luo's footsteps and looked up at her.

She was awakened by the cold. Although it is only August or September now, the open official road is quite chilly. Wei Luo opened her eyes and saw a ray of dawn appearing in the eastern sky; the day has finally brightened!

Wei Luo looked up and saw several stars twinkling in the sky. It seemed that there would be no shortage of stars tonight. With this thought, Wei Luo felt a bit more at ease.

It is getting dark

This is truly wonderful

As night fell, the entire world became silent. Wei Luo glanced back at the woods behind her, always feeling that a terrifying behemoth would leap out from the thicket. After shivering slightly, she quickened her pace a few steps

At this moment, Wei Luo was hungry, cold, and afraid. She longed desperately for a flicker of fire to appear, as that would provide her with some warmth. As for food, that was something she didn't even dare to think about

In the night, all sounds seem so jarring. The chirping of insects, the croaking of frogs, and the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind continue incessantly, growing denser and denser.

Under the illumination of the stars, a faint glow envelops the world. In the direction of the barking dog, no lights can be seen. However, Wei Luo thought that if this were indeed the ancient era of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, then ordinary households might not be able to light a fire at night.

There are people living here

Although exhausted to the extreme, Wei Luo dared not close her eyes, nor did she know where would be a safe place to do so. Therefore, she could only tilt her head to gaze at the sky, counting the stars above, listening to the barking of dogs, and waiting for time to pass second by second