Tang Jiao looked at Gu Yu and asked, “Gu Yu, isn’t it still before October? Why is it already so cold?”
Gu Yu, having calmed down a little, began to regain his rational mind and steady his body. That’s true, he thought. Their home in central China wasn’t even October yet. Days were still warm, and up in the mountains it was a little cooler, but even in the village, fans were still necessary. Even at night, with rain falling, it shouldn’t be this cold!
He wrapped his arms around Tang Jiao and said, “Honey, I can get you another layer of clothing. Don’t catch a chill.”
Tang Jiao shook her head. “No need, I’m wearing a coat, and the raincoat blocks the wind. Besides, we’re huddled together, so we’re warm enough. What about you? Are you cold?”
Gu Yu smiled faintly. “I’m fine. I can handle it. It’s almost five o’clock. Daylight should be coming soon—that’ll help. Are you sleepy? Rest your head on me a little longer if you want.”
Tang Jiao shook her head. “I’m too scared to sleep.”
Gu Yu felt a similar fear inside. Everything here was unknown, shrouded in darkness. All he could hear were the pattering of raindrops on the umbrella and the occasional rustle of grass in the wind.
Human beings fear two things above all: the unknown, and the dark. Both were here in spades.
Hearing Tang Jiao’s words, he held her tighter, focusing all his attention on keeping them safe.
Time dragged on, each second heavy and tense. Finally, the pattering of rain softened to a gentle rustle, and the mysterious, fearsome world that had kept them on edge began to reveal itself…
As the sky lightened to a pale blue, Gu Yu glanced at Tang Jiao, now sleeping peacefully against his shoulder. So much for being too scared to sleep, he thought wryly. But he didn’t wake her—he knew she had been frightened the night before.
Looking at her and their son, Gu Yu silently vowed: no matter what challenges lay ahead, he would protect them both and ensure they never suffered.
Turning his attention to their surroundings, he realized they were in a patch of tall grass, taller than a person. He didn’t recognize the plants—somewhat like thatch, yet not quite. Based on the temperature, it seemed to be late autumn, which explained the yellowing, dry grass.
Among the tall grass grew other wild plants, some familiar, some unknown, but most were still green. The rain had completely stopped, and there was no wind. Looking up through the grass, all he could see was a gray, misty sky. He couldn’t tell if it was overcast or if the sun hadn’t risen yet; either way, everything felt oppressive and heavy.
The area was silent except for occasional insect chirps or the flutter of bird wings. These small sounds slightly eased Gu Yu’s taut nerves.
The grass was so high he couldn’t see far, and he didn’t want to wake Tang Jiao. He closed his eyes, keeping just enough awareness to monitor their surroundings while resting, planning to wait until she woke and the daylight brightened before making any decisions.
Tang Jiao slept fitfully, haunted by a dark dream. She was being chased by beasts with glowing green eyes. She ran endlessly, telling herself, “It’s just a dream! Wake up! Wake up!”
And then… she did wake up.
This was a special skill Tang Jiao had developed from years of stressful exams: when panic rose in dreams, she could force herself awake.
Back in school, her grades had been average, and the pressure from her parents had made exams a constant source of terror.
Later, after graduating and starting work, she wasn’t sure whether it was a lingering aftereffect or something else, but she still often dreamed about taking exams.
In those dreams, the moment the exam began, her mind would go completely blank. She couldn’t answer a single question—worse than real life. Every time, she would panic to the point of wanting to cry, overwhelmed by fear and helplessness.
After it happened enough times, she learned to tell herself inside the dream: This is a dream. It’s not real. Wake up! Wake up!
And then… she really would wake up.
Eventually, this became her way of dealing with nightmares.
…
As soon as Tang Jiao woke up, Gu Yu opened his eyes as well.
“Awake? Are you cold?” he asked.
Tang Jiao straightened up, rubbing her neck with one hand while massaging Gu Yu’s stiff shoulder with the other. “A little. Your arm’s gone numb, hasn’t it?”
She stood up and took a look around.
The sky was already bright, though the sun still hadn’t come out. The gloom and mist from earlier were gone.
Looking around, Tang Jiao realized that most of the things from their bedroom were still there. She walked to where the cabinet had been, opened the metal locker, took off her raincoat, and put on a thick jacket. Then she found Gu Yu’s jacket, pants, and socks and handed them to him, signaling him to get dressed.
Next, she gathered their son’s warm clothes and placed them inside the blanket where the bed had been, letting them warm up so he wouldn’t feel cold when he woke.
Because the blanket had been covered with a large moisture-proof mat, only the edges had gotten wet. The rest was dry—truly a small blessing in misfortune.
Just as Tang Jiao finished bundling herself up, Gu Yu handed her a cup of hot water.
“Drink some to warm up,” he said. “Then eat something. After that, we’ll figure out how to get out of this grassland.”
The hot water came from the thermos they had filled the night before. It was an old-fashioned glass-lined thermos with a stainless-steel exterior—sturdy and excellent at retaining heat.
After eating and feeding the two little furballs, their child finally woke up.
Tang Jiao couldn’t help but marvel at her son’s amazing sleep quality. He had slept through half the night in the rain out in the wild—and still slept soundly until morning.
She quickly went to dress him. When he saw his surroundings, his eyes lit up with curiosity, and a barrage of questions followed:
“Mom, where are we? Did Dad bring us on a trip? Are we going on a jungle adventure? Why didn’t you wait for me to wake up before coming? How long can we play? I’m so happy!”
Tang Jiao: “…”
She efficiently finished dressing him, poured hot water from the thermos to wipe his hands and face, then mixed formula and gave him bread for breakfast. Meanwhile, she packed up the blankets, mats, and padding, sealing them tightly into a large plastic bag.
On the other side, Gu Yu climbed onto a large container to get a better view. Not far away, he spotted a hillside. Beyond it stretched a range of rolling mountains, while ahead lay a wide, flat expanse of grass with shallower growth. A plan began to form in his mind.
He came back, hugged his son, and asked gently, “An’an, are you cold? Are you full?”
An’an shook his head enthusiastically. “I’m not cold, and I’m full! Where are we going now? What are we going to play? Fishing? Climbing a mountain?”
Gu Yu smiled. “Be good and stay here with Mom for now. Once Dad finds a fun place, I’ll come get you.”
Then he turned to Tang Jiao. “There’s a big open area ahead, and the grass looks thinner. I’ll go scout it out and clear a path first. You two stay here and be careful.”
Tang Jiao nodded. “Okay. You be careful too—and don’t forget the entrenching shovel for protection.”
Gu Yu agreed and turned, wading into the tall grass as he disappeared from sight.