But the joy was quickly suppressed by practical considerations.
By now, the surroundings had fallen completely dark. If they were to build a fire, the white smoke rising into the night sky would be no different from announcing to the world that someone was here.
So Lin Wu did not roast the wild yams right away. Instead, in a sheltered corner near the mouth of the cave, she used a stone flake and a wooden stick to dig a shallow pit, and inside it she started a small fire. But she soon scooped dry earth and cold ash over the burning flames to smother them, leaving only a faint red glow flickering beneath the ash, dimly visible.
This would allow the fire to smolder in a low-oxygen state for several hours. When needed, all one had to do was brush aside the ash and dirt, add dry grass, and blow it back to life.
Despite the gnawing hunger in their stomachs, safety came first at that moment, so the two could only make do with a few wild fruits to stave off the pangs.
Back inside the cave, Lin Wu used the large boulder to block the entrance from within, leaving only a narrow gap at the top for air to pass through.
The two leaned against each other in a corner padded with dried leaves. The thin padded short jacket draped over them provided only the faintest warmth, while beneath them lay the withered leaves gathered during the day—crinkling at the slightest movement. The ground was hard, cold, and uneven.
From the Eastern Palace to this wilderness cave—the gulf between the two was more than just earth and clouds.
The hunger also made their stomachs ache, and neither of them could sleep at all.
When one grows quiet, especially at night, one becomes especially attuned to the sounds around.
For a moment, Lin Wu thought she heard the faint, intermittent sound of flowing water—very soft, very distant, but continuous.
Could there be a stream nearby? If they could find it, they would not only solve the problem of a water source, but might even manage to catch some fish or shrimp.
With a plan for the next day in mind, Lin Wu felt somewhat steadier. She couldn’t help but console herself: although her belly was empty and the cave was damp and cold, they now had a place of shelter, found wild yams, and started a fire—all in all, quite a harvest.
These thoughts carried her into a restless, hungry slumber.
The next morning, the moment the first light slipped through the cracks in the rocks, Lin Wu jolted awake. Almost as she sat up, Lin Jing beside her opened his eyes immediately, alert rather than relaxed from a deep sleep.
“Did you sleep last night?” Her voice was hoarse from thirst.
Lin Jing nodded, his small hand rubbing his tired eyes.
“I think I heard the sound of water last night,” Lin Wu said, pressing her ear cautiously against the boulder to listen for a moment, then peering through the gap to make sure nothing was amiss outside before laboriously moving the stone aside.
“Our most important task today is to find a water source.”
She first went over to the ash pile at the mouth of the cave. Carefully brushing away the top layer of ash, she found that the embers beneath were still glowing a dull red.
She let out a sigh of relief, immediately added the fine dry tinder and grass she had prepared, bent down, and gently blew. The flame leapt up again, dispelling the chill of the morning.
She then took out the wild yams she had dug up the day before, wiped off the larger clumps of dirt with some dry leaves, and buried them in the embers.
The waiting felt endless; the twigs in the fire occasionally let out small crackles.
Gradually, a fragrance began to spread through the air. Lin Jing squatted obediently nearby, staring at the fire with wide, eager eyes.
Using a stick, Lin Wu nudged aside some of the charcoal and saw that the skins of the yams had already begun to crack. One by one, she poked them out, and immediately the hot steam rose, carrying an even richer, more enticing aroma.
She wrapped one yam in a large, tender green leaf, braving the heat to tear open the charred skin to reveal the soft, powdery white flesh within. She blew on it repeatedly to cool it, then broke off a piece and set it on the leaf that Lin Jing held up with both hands: “Careful, it’s hot. Eat it slowly.”
“Hot, hot…” He took a tiny bite, mumbling around the food, but his eyes curved into a happy crescent.
Lin Wu took a bite herself. The soft, sweet, starchy flavor dissolved instantly in her mouth. Her hollow stomach finally received some carbohydrates, bringing a long-missed sense of satisfaction.
This was the first real meal that had filled their bellies since they had fled.
The two of them ate a little messily, choking on the dry, starchy yams and hurrying to wash them down with juicy wild berries. The sweet-and-sour juice barely served as a substitute for water.
After they had eaten their fill, Lin Wu looked at the scattered bits of charred yam skin. She used a stick to dig a small pit nearby, swept all the peels and scraps into it, then covered it tightly with dirt and patted it flat until there was no trace left.
Next, she smothered the fire with ash and earth, leaving only the carefully preserved fire source.
“Let’s make some preparations and then set out,” Lin Wu said, standing up and dusting the dirt off her hands. Both of them had but a single set of clothes and a single pair of shoes—not much to withstand wear and tear.
Lin Wu went to gather some vines. First, she reinforced the back basket. Then, using the dry vines, she began weaving around the edges of their shoe soles, winding upward in circles until each entire shoe was wrapped, finally tying a tight knot at the ankle.
She didn’t know the craft of making straw sandals—she only needed them to cover her feet and hold together well.
She then did the same with more vines, wrapping both of them tightly from ankle to calf and from wrist to forearm.
The wide sleeves and trouser legs were all bound tightly beneath the vines. It wasn’t comfortable, but it would keep brambles from cutting them and insects and snakes from biting.
She also rolled up the long skirt of her robe, tying it with vine strips until only half its length hung down, looking like a short skirt with her trousers plainly visible beneath.
After handling all of this, the two shouldered their back baskets and began to explore outward from the cave.
Lin Wu observed her surroundings carefully.
Usually, following a valley or lower-lying areas with dense vegetation offered the greatest chance of finding water. But such places were often also the watering paths of wild beasts, and there might even be villagers nearby, so extra caution was necessary.
As they walked, they casually picked whatever wild fruits they could eat, and also picked up any conveniently shaped, sturdy sticks they encountered along the way and tucked them into the basket.
When they came to a damp slope, a crisp, familiar fragrance suddenly wafted into their noses.
Lin Wu crouched down and examined the overlapping green leaves—it was a patch of wild mint, with bright emerald leaves growing vigorously.
She plucked a leaf, gently rubbed it between her fingers, and the cool, refreshing scent grew even stronger. She handed it to Lin Jing.
“It’s cool and tingly!” He mimicked her motions, bringing it to his nose to sniff, and was instantly hit by the intense coolness—he flinched, his little nose scrunching up, but he still grinned, finding it novel and amusing.
Lin Wu couldn’t help but smile at his cute expression.
“Let’s pick more of these,” she said as she plucked a few sprigs of mint, explaining, “Once we find water, we can use it to steep a drink, or for rinsing our mouths and teeth. It’s very refreshing.”
They stored away the mint and continued trudging deeper into the woods, stepping unsteadily along the uneven ground.
But after an unknown amount of time, they still hadn’t found water, when they suddenly emerged into a relatively open clearing in the forest.
Ahead of them stood a nearly collapsed thatched hut.
Alarm shot through Lin Wu’s heart. She immediately grabbed Lin Jing and pulled him behind a nearby bush to hide.
The thatched cottage had long fallen into utter ruin, its roof completely caved in and its walls mostly collapsed, leaving only a dilapidated frame buried amid waist-high weeds.
