Chapter 2

For several days, the hope that had been preserved deep in his heart was completely shattered, and he felt that life had no meaning whatsoever. A large cloud drifted by, darkening the sky. It turned out to be a rain cloud. Yun Ye chuckled a couple of times, thinking, "Does it matter whether I collect the clothes or not? Does it matter whether it rains or not?"

The rain finally started, not heavily. Yun Ye felt that even the heavens were mourning for him, making him feel incredibly pitiful. A warm breath came to his ear, filling his heart with emotion. Who was comforting him? He decided to say "thank you" in person, but when he turned his head, he saw a large mouth with sharp white teeth about to bite his throat. Yun Ye swiftly thrust the steel shovel in his hand into the mouth. There was a "crunch," and the sharp teeth clamped down on the shovel. Seizing the opportunity, Yun Ye rolled up, tightly gripped the shovel handle, and pushed it outward with all his might. There was a loud cry, and a large spray of blood shot out. Only then did Yun Ye realize that the creature in front of him was a green wolf. Its large mouth had been completely torn open by the saw teeth of the shovel, and its jaw hung limply. Yun Ye knew that not completely killing such a fierce beast would be inviting trouble, so he quickly swung the steel shovel and struck the green wolf's neck. The wolf's head was severed from its body, hanging by a thin layer of skin. The wolf's body convulsed and fell to the ground. The entire incident, from start to finish, took no more than twenty seconds, but to Yun Ye, it felt like an eternity. His heart was pounding, and his throat felt as if it were on fire, burning and painful.

This was clearly not a lone wolf. Its glossy fur indicated that it was well-nourished, which only a pack of wolves could provide. Yun Ye had experience with wolf packs and, without a word, turned and ran toward the direction of the horse herd. As he ran less than three hundred meters, he heard several凄厉的狼嚎 (shrill howls) from behind.

Yun Ye quickened his pace, completely forgetting his sorrow. Was the meaning of life to run?

The sky was vast and the wilderness boundless, the sky like a dome covering the land.

Alone, Yun Ye wandered with the horse herd on this grassland. Fortunately, the pasture was not large; otherwise, he would have run himself to death. The herd seemed to be reluctant to leave the lush, tender grass and showed no signs of moving on after five days. Yun Ye did not dare to leave the group, as the wolf pack was still lingering nearby. If it weren't for the magnificent stallion, the wolves would have already surrounded them and feasted.

Yun Ye had been trying to catch a wild horse to use as a means of transportation, but his efforts were in vain, leaving him only with a face full of disappointment. The lasso made from horsehair had broken into four or five pieces. The damn horse not only broke free but also chewed the rope as if it were fodder, clearly expressing its disdain for Yun Ye's overambitious idea. Unable to catch a horse, he could only rely on his own two legs to wander the wilderness.

His physical strength had severely declined, his legs weak. Yun Ye knew this was due to the lack of salt for three days. If he did not find salt soon, this wilderness would become his final resting place. The wolf pack had grown from a few to seven or eight, and the herd could no longer protect him. He was well aware that once the wolves attacked the herd, he would not be able to run as fast as the horses, and the wolves would not hesitate to swallow him as a tasty snack.

The herd began to panic when a foal was bitten on the hind leg, emitting a pitiful cry. All the horses started to move. Then, a high-pitched neigh calmed the herd. The chestnut stallion charged at the wolves, its large hooves trampling the attacker. The other stallions also attacked the wolf pack. The wolves, clearly underestimating their opponents, saw three of their members turned into meat paste under the iron hooves. Realizing the situation was dire, the wolves turned and fled into the depths of the wilderness, with the herd in hot pursuit. In a moment, the vast battlefield was left empty, with only Yun Ye standing in the middle, still hesitating whether to run.

The dead wolves looked pitiful, and Yun Ye managed to cut off two relatively intact wolf legs from three of them. Turning around, he saw no sign of the wolf pack or the horse herd. Yun Ye looked in the direction the herd had gone and said a silent farewell, then turned eastward, knowing that a great river awaited him there.

Yun Ye heard the sigh of the great river, its waters rolling eastward without cease.

The Yellow River! Seeing it, a sense of familiarity welled up in him, like an old friend. In this place without family or friends, its presence gave him some comfort. He drank some water, which was sweet and refreshing. The entire river was turbulent and clear, like flowing jade.

He saw the horse herd again, the stallion drinking water as if he were alone. In its eyes, humans were as harmless as wild sheep. Indeed, Yun Ye's performance over the past few days was worse than that of a wild sheep, providing only some amusement to the herd without any real threat. The stallion, after drinking its fill, walked to a rock wall and began to lick it with its tongue. This was a strange behavior! Was it practicing its tongue? No, Yun Ye suddenly realized that, like all living beings, horses needed minerals, especially salt. He quickly ran over and lightly licked the rock wall. It was bitter, astringent, and salty. "Phew, phew, phew," he spat it out. The stallion gave him a disapproving look and continued to lick the wall. This was rock salt, too impure to eat directly. Using the steel shovel, he chipped off a few pieces of black-brown crystals and carefully ground them into powder on a large rock by the river. He placed the powder in a stainless steel pot, mixed it with water, and poured the cloudy liquid into a frying pan, covering the pan with a dust mask. After washing the mask in the river and folding it in two, he added some charcoal powder and filtered the liquid again. The liquid in the pot became clear and transparent. Yun Ye then poured the liquid onto a large, smooth rock by the river. As soon as the water hit the hot rock, it evaporated, leaving a thin layer of white powder. He tasted it lightly, and it was pure salt. From noon until sunset, Yun Ye collected about three pounds of salt, enough to last him several months.

As the sun set, Yun Ye started a campfire and placed the wolf leg he had smoked a few days ago over the fire. Soon, the aroma of roasted meat filled the sandy beach by the river. Sprinkling some salt on it, it was a supreme delicacy for Yun Ye. He dared not use the chili peppers, reserving them for moments when he needed to stay alert. After hesitating for a while, he buried a potato in the ashes. Eating meat all day was a great challenge for his body. Seeing the dandelions growing by the river, he was overjoyed. These plants were excellent for clearing heat and detoxifying. He pulled a few, washed them by the river, and planned to fry them in sheep fat. The strong aroma of the fried wild vegetables attracted the attention of the horses, who looked at Yun Ye with large, longing eyes, but were afraid to come closer because of the fire. The stallion, however, was fearless and walked over. Yun Ye knew immediately that the stallion was there to collect "protection money." After all, he had been relying on the herd for protection. As a subordinate, he knew his place. Once the vegetables cooled, he placed them on a large leaf and offered them to the stallion. The stallion sniffed them, seemingly satisfied with the taste of the salt, and ate them in two bites. Yun Ye suspected he was mistaken, as the stallion's eyes showed a look of enjoyment. After two more bites, the stallion seemed to lose interest, snorted, and returned to the herd. Yun Ye carefully dug out the potato from the ashes. It was fragrant and soft, and he took a big bite, the hot and sweet taste bringing tears to his eyes.

Lying in his sleeping bag, the soft river sand beneath him, the gentle flow of the great river to his right, and a group of horses to his left, farting intermittently, their faces innocent. Looking up at the starry sky, the Milky Way stretched across like a black curtain studded with brilliant diamonds, twinkling at him. His wife had always dreamed of having a diamond, and he had promised to give her one when he became successful. Now, that dream was impossible. Yun Ye took out a water diamond hair clip from his pocket. In the glow of the fire, it emitted a warm, orange light. This was a special design by a jewelry-making friend for his wife, with a silver base and a yellow jade setting, and a water diamond shaped like a lotus flower. Though not valuable, it was unique. It was meant to be a birthday gift for his wife, but he could no longer give it to her because of the rescue mission for the two missing foreigners. Yun Ye tightly clutched the hair clip, his heart aching. "You have finally taken everything from me," he murmured to himself.

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{Piaotian Literature}