Chapter 44: The Snake Swarm in the Bamboo Forest

Su Rou and I walked toward the bamboo forest with practiced ease. Since it was daytime, I actually felt somewhat relaxed.

Before we even got close, we heard a loud uproar of voices. Su Rou and I exchanged a happy glance, knowing we had come to the right place. Kids naturally love excitement, and the two of us almost ran all the way there.

So many people. That was my first reaction. The originally dense bamboo forest had completely disappeared from sight, replaced by layers upon layers of people surrounding it. It looked like everyone from the market town had shown up.

No, not just that. It was probably people from nearby villages too.

The bamboo forest was gone, and in an open area beside it, there were piles of freshly dug bamboo stalks.

Afraid of losing Su Rou in the crowd, I grabbed his clothes and squeezed my way forward desperately. Some adults were unhappy and said, “Kids, stop pushing. It is dangerous inside. Why are you joining the excitement?”

I was determined to get in because I felt my master was inside, so I completely ignored them. But Su Rou stopped and looked at someone pleadingly, asking, “Uncle, tell me, what is dangerous? Is there a big snake?”

“I do not know about a big snake or not. I just heard people mention it this morning. It seems like they dug up an ancient tomb here. Also, the army here does not allow killing snakes. They are asking people who understand snakes to drive them away. If you push in there, you might get bitten,” the uncle said enthusiastically, explaining everything in one breath.

“Then why are you all gathered here?” Su Rou really was a chatterbox, asking everything in detail.

“Why? Watching the snakes leave, of course. I have seen plenty of snakes in my life, but I have never seen a whole group of snakes crawling around like this. Today I finally get to see it. Besides, once the snakes are gone, we still have to dig bamboo and earn work points,” the uncle replied just as talkative.

“Uncle, what is going on with this ancient tomb?” I had originally planned to squeeze in, but since Su Rou was already talking, I decided to ask as well.

“I do not really know. This time they required digging up the bamboo roots completely and turning the soil over. They absolutely did not want bamboo growing again. Some of these roots go really deep, so they kept digging. In the end, they dug out a big stone. The higher-ups ordered them to keep digging, and they uncovered a stone gate. It looked strange, and people are saying different things. I think it is an ancient tomb, but since when does an ancient tomb have a gate?” The uncle took out a homemade yellow cigarette and lit it, clearly needing to calm down.

After hearing this, I immediately pulled Su Rou and squeezed further in. While pushing forward, I still heard the uncle muttering, “The higher-ups really do not know what they are thinking. One moment it is steel production, next it is catching rats, now bamboo digging. In a few years, they will probably be cutting trees.”

The two of us were small, so we quickly made it to the front row. What we saw made us gasp.

Many soldiers were guarding the outer edge of the bamboo forest. The entire area had already been dug into a mess of pits. In the middle, a long stretch of black cloth had been set up, and we could not see what was inside.

I became anxious and pulled Su Rou toward it. After only a few steps, a young soldier walked over and shouted in a standard northeastern accent, “You two kids, where are you from? You cannot go in there.”

“I am looking for my master,” I blurted out in a hurry, using awkward, mixed-up Mandarin. Su Rou looked at me strangely, as if wondering what master I even had. I had no time to explain.

The soldier laughed. “Kid, do not lie. Master? Go play somewhere else. We are on duty. Disobedient kids can even get shot.”

He was clearly joking, smiling as he spoke, even revealing deep dimples.

Su Rou, despite his chubby and honest appearance, was actually very quick-witted. He immediately saw through the soldier’s bluff and walked forward with a silly grin. “Brother, I will tell you the truth. I am here to find my dad. My dad is inside.”

I nearly spat blood. This guy and my master really were a perfect match. Both of them could lie without blinking. My master was the sly type, while Su Rou was the “fool pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger” type. His silly smile made people instinctively trust him.

The soldier actually believed him and asked, “Are you sure? Your dad is here?”

While Su Rou kept talking with him, I became anxious and looked around, trying to find a way in. Then I spotted someone familiar, a person from the small courtyard where my master often went.

I remembered clearly. The last time my master took me to town, we went to that courtyard. This was the man who opened the door. I was certain it was him because he had once tried to help me sweep peanut shells, and my master had scolded him so badly that he ended up putting the broom in my hands instead.

“Uncle! Uncle!” I jumped up and shouted.

The man looked around in confusion. I got anxious and shouted again, “Stop looking. I am calling you.”

He saw me, froze for a moment, then smiled and walked over. He even flicked my forehead. “Little kid, you are quite bold for your size. What do you mean calling me?”

“I had no choice. I am here to find my master,” I said quickly, clinging to him like a lifeline.

“Looking for your master?” He frowned slightly, then said, “Alright, I know. But I cannot take you in casually. Wait here. I will go inform him.”

He turned and left. I rubbed my sore forehead, waiting anxiously, my curiosity burning like a cat scratching at my heart.

After a while, he came back. This time he did not flick me. Instead, he smiled and said, “Come on, kid. Your master said you can go in.”

I immediately grabbed Su Rou and ran forward. The man called out behind me, “Hey, kid, you are bringing someone else in?”

“He is my brother. It is fine,” I shouted back, sprinting toward the black curtain.

The man did not try to stop us, only smiling helplessly.

The black curtain had only one entrance. I ran in without paying attention and suddenly crashed into someone.

I looked up.

It was my master.

“San Wa Er, your information network is quite impressive,” my master said with a smile, his usual teasing tone.

I was too eager to see what was going on and did not argue. I patted my chest proudly. “You do not even know who I am? My brother delivers intelligence in seconds. A revolutionary soldier always knows where the enemy is.”

Smack.

My master gave me a slap on the back without hesitation.

Then he ignored me and looked Su Rou up and down for a long time before saying, “This chubby kid has good fortune. And he is truly your friend. Come in.”

He let both of us in.

Su Rou and I cheered and followed behind my master.

The moment we stepped through the curtain, we both froze.

Snakes. Dense, countless snakes. One pressed against another, crawling over each other, filling the entire narrow passage.

At one end of the curtain was a platform with several people standing on it. At the other end, I could see it led directly toward a small cliff near the graveyard.

Below that cliff was a small pond, and beyond it lay wasteland stretching into mountains where almost no one lived.

At that moment, I even thought that driving the snakes toward that direction might actually be a good idea.

“Follow me, or you will fall into the snake pit. No one will save you,” my master said calmly, walking ahead with his hands behind his back.

I was not too worried. I knew he would definitely protect me. Still, seeing so many snakes made my scalp tighten. I followed closely without daring to slow down at all. As for Su Rou, he was already gripping my sleeve tightly, probably regretting coming here.

What was strange was that although the entire passage was flat except for the raised platform, we were essentially walking through a sea of snakes. Yet wherever my master stepped, the snakes would automatically part, not attacking at all.