Tang Tang was already startled by that semi - mechanical and hoarse voice. Then this thing told her they were playing hide - and - seek?
Tang Tang looked around. The woods were extremely dense. Even though it was already autumn, there was still no sign of falling leaves. It was definitely big enough to hide a person.
The loudspeaker stopped working just a short while after it started.
Tang Tang wanted to ask what kind of hide - and - seek it was. There should at least be some rules! Where were the other kids? She frowned, bent down, and picked up a relatively thick branch from the ground as a weapon for practice.
She didn't know the rules of this stupid game. What did hide - and - seek really mean? Was she the "ghost" or something else? She didn't dare to make too obvious marks. She could only use the hairpin she carried with her to scratch two lines on the tree.
There was a crackling sound of electricity. Tang Tang looked up sensitively, squinted slightly, and thought it should be from above.
The mountain was difficult to traverse. It should have rained two days ago, and the ground was still wet. All she had left on her was a watch. She tried to call Zuo Mu with it, but the call couldn't get through.
At noon, she felt the only chocolate bar left in her pocket and missed her Brother Zuo Mu.
Just as she was about to continue walking, she heard a rustling sound. Tang Tang turned her head and saw a snake!
Looking at the gaudy snake, Tang Tang felt her scalp tingle.
She carefully recalled what to do if she encountered a snake during class. When she was a kid, Tang Gu had taken her into the mountains and taught her how to give first - aid in such situations and where to hit a snake.
Just as Tang Tang was about to take action, she heard a loud "waa" cry in front.
The crying was heart - wrenching.
Tang Tang was shocked and stared at the snake for a long time.
The snake hissed and stared at Tang Tang. A cold sweat broke out on her back.
Just as Tang Tang was about to do something, the snake wriggled away.
Tang Tang suddenly relaxed her grip on the stick and let out a long sigh of relief, but she didn't dare to breathe too fast. She quickly walked towards the direction where the sound came from.
The higher they went up the mountain, the more difficult the path became. Tang Tang was afraid that something might happen. She pushed aside the branches and shouted, "Is anyone there?"
As soon as she pushed aside the branches, she saw a little boy standing there, staring silently at a puppy.
It should be a wolf - dog puppy.
It was baring its teeth at the little boy. The little boy had been so frightened that his nerves were on edge. When he heard someone's voice, he was first overjoyed, and then his tears fell.
"Yes, um... Sister,"
Tang Tang looked at the little boy. She didn't recognize him. He wasn't from the orphanage.
Tang Tang picked up a stone from the ground and threw it hard at the puppy. "Get out of here!"
The little wolf - dog immediately tucked its tail between its legs. It looked at Tang Tang, then at the little boy, barked a couple of times, and ran away with its tail between its legs.
The little boy sniffled a couple of times and couldn't help but move closer to Tang Tang. But he was afraid that Tang Tang might not like it, so he carefully watched her expression.
Tang Tang didn't think as much as the little boy. She glanced at him and slowly squatted down. "What's your name? Why are you here?"
"Um... My name is Sun Xu. I got separated from my brother."
When the little boy mentioned his brother, his eyes started to well up with tears again.
"What's your brother's name?"
The little boy wiped his face. "My brother's name is Sun Chao."
Sun Chao...
The child of the head nurse's family.
She had just been wondering if it was just a kid getting separated from their parents. Now it seemed that wasn't the case.
"If you want, you can follow me."
Tang Tang looked around. There were only trees. In such a large forest, there should be a stream or something.
Sun Xu nodded without hesitation. "I want to go with Sister."
Tang Tang picked up a small branch from the ground, stepped on it with her foot, broke it to a size suitable for Sun Xu to hold, and handed it to him. "Use this for self - defense for now."
Sun Xu nodded and held it in his hand very carefully.
Tang Tang took another look at Sun Xu. There weren't many kids as sensible as him.
Tang Tang sighed, looked up, and then started walking down.
Although Sun Xu was still young, he knew how not to be a burden. He followed Tang Tang all the way.
After they walked for a while, Tang Tang heard a gurgling sound and was immediately overjoyed. It was a stream.
Once they found the water source, things would be much easier.
They didn't know where they were yet, and the water probably couldn't be drunk directly. But luckily, Tang Tang found a pot that some tourists might have left behind. Sun Xu helped out on the side. The two of them managed to drink some water and then hurried on their way.
"Where are we going to sleep tonight?"
Sun Xu looked like he was only seven or eight years old. It was his first time leaving home under such circumstances. How could he not be scared?
Sun Xu looked around. His eyes welled up with tears again, but he was afraid of being disliked if he cried, so he wiped his eyes and swallowed his tears.
"At night, we'll look for a place. If we can't find one, we'll just make a circle. There are wild animals here, but don't be afraid," Tang Tang reached out and stroked Sun Xu's head. "We can get out of here."
Sun Xu nodded. The two of them were going to look for a place to sleep at night. Maybe their strong will worked. Just as Sun Xu was about to cry again, they faintly saw a cave in front.
"Sister! There's a cave in front!"
"Really?" Tang Tang was overjoyed. She went over to take a look. Sure enough, there was a cave. She pulled Sun Xu towards it.
But although the cave looked close, the actual distance was quite far. It took them more than an hour to reach the entrance.
The cave could only be seen from their direction. It was just a small, faint opening, surrounded by vines. It was very hard to find.
Tang Tang used the stick to push the vines aside. After the vines were pushed away, the general shape of the cave was revealed.
The cave was very large, and it was pitch - black inside.
Tang Tang picked up a stone from the ground and threw it in. The stone rolled around and then stopped.
"It's a cave. Let's go in and take a look."
Tang Tang pressed the watch twice. The watch immediately shot out a beam of light, showing the situation inside.
It was a long cave that extended downward.
There were oil lamps hanging around, but judging from their appearance, no one had been here for several days.
Tang Tang casually picked up an oil lamp and lit it, then turned off the light on her watch.
She didn't know how long she would have to stay in this damned place, so she wanted to save the watch's battery as much as possible.
She held the lamp in one hand and the stick in the other. She turned to look at Sun Xu. "Stay close to me. Don't fall behind."
Sun Xu tightened his grip on the small stick. Hearing Tang Tang's instructions, he nodded seriously.
This cave wasn't very long. After walking down for a while, it started to slope upwards. Further ahead, there was a black baffle.
Tang Tang didn't think twice and pushed the baffle away. When she saw the scenery on the other side, she couldn't help but be shocked. There was a very ordinary - looking house.