Chapter 10

"A head emerged from the well, backlit by the light, with only the whites of the eyes shining brightly, and it fixed its gaze on Wang Quan's face.

-----Main Text-----

"What are you doing?!" Wang Quan's whole body tensed up, and his voice trembled.

"Your mother has been infected by you. You should temporarily stay elsewhere until you... recover from the illness, and then we will bring you back," said Feng Bao Nan, reaching out to grab his arm.

"I... I won't go!" Wang Quan tried to escape, but suddenly, his shoulder felt heavy. Feng Bao Nan clamped his neck and stuffed a damp cloth into his mouth. Wang Quan's heart skipped a beat, struggling to break free. However, he had been lying down for half a month, and he had no strength left. After a few futile struggles, his vision suddenly darkened. A piece of black cloth covered his head, and he couldn't see anything. He only felt hands on his back, shoving and pushing him. He took a few steps and stumbled as if hitting a doorstep. The cold night air enveloped his body, causing him to shiver.

His feet trod on grass stems, making his ankles itch, but with his hands tied behind his back, he couldn't scratch the itch. Even the night insects seemed to sense danger and fell silent. A chill ran down his spine, his stomach churned, and he almost vomited. He stumbled over something underfoot, and his whole body lurched forward. Someone grabbed his arm, and he was dragged along like a lifeless dog, his legs scraping against sharp stones, causing him intense pain and even shedding tears.

After what felt like an eternity, he suddenly smelled a burnt odor. Through the black cloth, he vaguely saw a reddish glow. Something seemed to be burning. The grip on him loosened, and the black cloth was pulled away. He blinked instinctively, and when he focused, he was stunned.

A garbage incineration site.

He stared at the flickering red light on the mountainside. It was as if something was burning. As he was released, the black cloth covering his eyes was removed, and he blinked. There, he saw someone unexpected.

It was Dr. Fang.

He stared at the dancing flames on the mountain wall, and his eyes widened. Dr. Fang stood in front of him, biting his lower lip, with a somewhat sorrowful expression.

Wang Quan's heart sank. He attempted to flee, but as he took a step, the ground suddenly disappeared beneath him, and he began to fall.

He screamed in panic, trying to grab onto something, but the space was narrow, and everything around him was smooth, curving walls. He couldn't find anything to hold onto. He quickly descended to the bottom, his limbs curled together. It was only then that he realized he had fallen into a dry well.

He fell hard, and every part of his body ached. He clenched his teeth, ignoring the pain, and looked up. The blood-red sky hung above him, reduced to a tiny circle like the moon.

His heart raced, and he couldn't feel the pain. He tried to climb the well's wall, using his bare hands to grip the wall and ascend. However, the well's surface was covered in moss and green mold, too slippery to find any grip. He slipped and fell once more.

He gritted his teeth, rising again, fingers clutching the well's wall as he climbed. His nails broke, blood seeping from the cracks. He managed to secure his feet on the opposite side of the well, stabilizing himself. His upper body hung over the well's edge, the cold surface pressing against his swollen belly, causing him to retch. Distracted, he slipped again, crashing down, and his tailbone took the brunt of the impact. It hurt so much that half of his body went numb for a moment. It took him a while to catch his breath. He looked up at the sky, now reduced to a circle, tears streaming down his face.

"Help... Help!" His lips moved as he uttered faint, almost inaudible pleas for help.

The sound of footsteps on grass reached the top of the well, echoing within its emptiness, growing louder and clearer. In the next moment, Fang Ji appeared at the well's edge, gazing down at Wang Quan's face. Tears on his face sparkled in the dim firelight, shimmering with a glint of reluctance.

Wang Quan's eyes widened, and he quickly clung to the well's wall, his voice hoarse, "Doctor Fang! Save me! Please, save me!"

Fang Ji's cheek twitched, seeming to hesitate, "I..."

Before he could finish, the light around Fang Ji dimmed as Feng Bao Nan approached, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

Wang Quan watched Fang Ji's figure disappear from the well's edge. His pupils suddenly dilated, and after a moment of contemplation, he saw through everything. He shouted hoarsely, "Feng Bao Nan! You beast! Your own son ran away, and you can't stand it when someone else has a son, can you?!"

Feng Bao Nan's face darkened, and he turned to the well's edge, looking down at Wang Quan. His voice was cold, "Have you finished howling, you son of a bitch?"

Wang Quan's eyes were bloodshot, and he continued to scream, "No wonder neither of your two sons acknowledges you as their father! You want to starve me to death and burn me to ashes? This is murder! Murder!"

"Shut up!" Feng Bao Nan cut him off sharply. "Your illness is incurable, and your mother has been infected by you!"

"Bullshit! Even if it can't be cured, can't I leave? Your son has run away, and you want to trap us all in this godforsaken place. Feng Bao Nan, you stupid son of a bitch! I curse your mother!"

Feng Bao Nan's lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something. But when the words reached his lips, they turned into a long sigh. He felt exhausted to the extreme and had no more desire to argue. He simply turned and walked away.

Wang Quan clung to the well's wall, continuing to curse.

Just then, there was a rumbling thud from above, followed by sudden darkness. The blood-red sky, like a lunar eclipse, swallowed him whole.

He looked up, mouth half-open in disbelief, and it took him several seconds to realize that Feng Bao Nan had used stones to block the well's opening.

The curses from the well bottom, although still audible, became muffled. Feng Bao Nan's forehead was covered in sweat as he slowly exhaled. He patted the dirt in his hands and turned to see Fang Ji staring blankly at the stones covering the well, his eyes filled with confusion.

Feng Bao Nan sighed and walked up to Fang Ji, patting his slightly stiff back. "At this point, Fang Ji, you..."

"I know, Village head Feng . If we don't do this, more than just him will die. It's just..." He paused, then suddenly covered his face with his hands, his voice trembling. "It's just that I'm reminded of all those I couldn't save. Suddenly, I feel so useless."

Feng Bao Nan's expression changed slightly, and he let out a slow breath. "You're a good person, Fang Ji. This isn't your fault. Our village... I won't hide it from you. Not only are there few women left, even some young people refuse to stay here."

His tone turned melancholic, and Fang Ji looked at Feng Bao Nan's face, asking softly, "Your... son too?"

Feng Bao Nan forced a smile and sighed, "It's been so many years, not even a phone call. They're not good people, and it's better not to bring it up. Over these years, I've watched people in the village leave, watched it disintegrate. I really don't know what it will look like in another ten years. For the sake of the village's bloodline, for the honor of our ancestors, I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Fang Ji, can you understand me?"

Fang Ji nodded, and the two of them left the garbage disposal site behind in the moonlight.

The fires at the garbage disposal site had already gone out, and the sky returned to its dark hue.

A gray rat emerged from the damp grass, stopping abruptly as its whiskers quivered, detecting a faint trace of a blood-like scent in the night air. Along with it came distant cries that reached its ears. The rat tilted its head, about to listen more attentively when suddenly its back felt heavy, causing blood to burst from its mouth. It let out a sharp cry, wriggling in agony, and the force on its back seemed to withdraw.

"Sorry about that, little one."

In the dim moonlight, someone bent down and pushed aside the grass. They found the nearly lifeless gray rat lying near a large, flat boulder, seemingly motionless.

The person crouched down, wearing gloves, and turned the rat over. With their fingers, they gently pressed on its chest. After a short while, the rat twitched, its chest rising and falling as if it had caught its breath.

Seeing the rat come back to life, the person's expression softened. They stroked the rat's body and then raised their head, their gaze falling on the large stone in front of it.

The sound of something heavy and blunt suddenly echoed, shaking the entire ground with a rumble.

"Who's there?!" came the hoarse voice of Wang Quan from the well wall. "Help... help me!"

The person above did not reveal themselves or make any sound.

Suddenly, a dark shadow passed in front of him, and something fell from above, hitting him squarely in the face. The damp fur grazed his face and landed in the well. A foul stench assaulted his nose, making him gag immediately.

The thing at the bottom of the well twitched a few times. Its mouth twisted, and it spat out a thin, red tongue. Its chest was still rising and falling, as if it had one last breath left.

Wang Quan held his breath, looking down carefully. He realized that it was a dying old rat.

There was still no movement from above. He pressed his back against the well wall, staring blankly at the dying rat. His gaze fixated on its crimson tongue, and suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and his head began to spin.

He was so hungry that he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten anything. He had reached a point where he felt an appetite even for the rat.

Crouched in the well, one hand pressed against his stomach, he couldn't help but salivate at the thought.

He looked up, and the sky above was still round and moonlit. He suspected that a passing wild animal had accidentally knocked over the stones, and the trapped rat had fallen into the well. Thinking about this, his eyes brightened. As long as he could endure until morning, maybe someone would pass by!

As long as he could survive!

With this thought in mind, he found a bit of strength within himself. He grabbed the rat, tore open its belly, revealing the dark red flesh inside. He closed his eyes, held his breath, and took a bite.

Just at that moment, he heard a rustling sound from above. His chewing stopped abruptly, and he looked up. He saw a human head emerging from the well's opening, bathed in moonlight, with only the whites of the eyes glinting. Those eyes were fixed on Wang Quan's face.

Wang Quan was caught off guard when he met the stranger's eyes. He screamed in shock, and in his panic, he flung the rat's lifeless body into the air. It landed with a sticky thud against the well's wall, leaving a trail of crimson bloodstains.

In the darkness, the corner of the stranger's mouth twitched slightly, as if he were smiling. Wang Quan felt a wetness in his pants, and the foul smell pervaded the bottom of the well.