Chapter 19: Squatting

Early in the morning, after two brief but heavy rain showers, the air was filled with an overwhelmingly fresh, earthy smell.

Nagu, just waking up, sat on the bed yawning, staring blankly at a fluffy, gray long-armed monkey clinging to the window. Meanwhile, Hamoyin was on the platform outside the treehouse, salvaging the roots and firewood he had forgotten to bring inside last night. He stepped on the wet wooden boards, tossing the soaked, unusable firewood down and bringing the usable ones inside. After a few trips, Hamoyin remembered the still-dazed Nagu sitting on the bed. “You’re awake.”

“Yes… By the way, what’s that thing clinging to the window? It’s been staring at me without moving.” Nagu pointed at the monkey outside. The monkey bared its teeth and made threatening noises when it saw her pointing.

Hamoyin casually picked up a wooden arrow hanging on the wall and threw it forcefully out the window.

Nagu watched in shock as the arrow pierced through the monkey’s waist, causing it to fall from the tree with a screech.

Nagu smacked her lips and looked away from the window. It seemed they had dinner sorted for tonight. “Are we going out now?”

“Yes, it won’t rain again for a while.” Hamoyin tossed some greenish-blue tree fruits onto Nagu’s lap. “Eat first. I’ll go deal with that monkey and then come back to get you.”

“Okay!” After Hamoyin left, Nagu grabbed the fruits and started munching. Three meals a day, never missing one. As she ate, Nagu thought Hamoyin was too kind. Maybe it was because he was always so quiet and never expressed his thoughts, making the people in the tribe think he was easy to bully.

But Nagu didn’t think it was because he couldn’t stand up to the people in the tribe. After all, he could crush a snake’s head with his bare hands and throw an arrow to pierce a monkey from such a distance. His skills were definitely at a level that should be revered. So why was Hamoyin so determined to stay here?

Was there a particular reason?

While Nagu was still puzzled about why Hamoyin refused to leave, he had already climbed back up the tree with a bunch of processed meat and skins. He wrapped them in leaves, tossed them to the side of the stone platform, and looked at Nagu. “Let’s go,” he said.

“Are you really sure? Are you really, really going to take me out?” Nagu was still a bit nervous, but Hamoyin had already walked over and squatted down with his back to her, looking like he was going to carry her.

“It’ll be dangerous if someone sees us.”

“Just nearby.” Hamoyin moved his hand, urging Nagu to climb onto his back. “And even if someone sees us, I can handle it.”

“How?”

“Just kill them.”

“…”

Nagu suddenly felt she shouldn’t have thought Hamoyin was ‘enduring silently,’ and why did he say such things so naturally.

“Killing people isn’t… good, right?” Nagu hesitated as she climbed onto Hamoyin’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck. “If they find out it was you, it’ll be a big problem.”

“You talk too much.” Once Nagu was settled on his back, Hamoyin stood up and walked out. “We won’t be out for long.”

“So, what are we going out to dig up? Those plant roots?” Nagu, full of innocence and a hint of excitement about going out, had no idea what she was about to face. “I can help you dig, right?”

“Yes.”

The feeling of stepping on moist soil… it’s been so long…!

Nagu slid off Hamoyin’s back, staggering a bit on the rain-soaked soft ground before steadying herself. After coming down from the tree, Hamoyin carried her about a few hundred meters to the right front of the treehouse before stopping. Here, low plants with broad leaves grew close to the ground, hiding many dark purple berries underneath.

Above was a lush green canopy, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, appearing much gentler than usual after the rain. The bright calls of birds echoed among the intertwined branches, and occasionally, raindrops still clinging to the canopy would fall to the ground, making a dull, prolonged sound.

Not far ahead, at the edge of the low plants, was a steep muddy slope, but many fruit trees grew on top of it, their branches heavy with fruit. On the side of the slope was a narrow, collapsed crack.

Hamoyin told her that one could see the underground water flow through the crack in the soil. Of course, the water flow didn’t interest Nagu at all; she was just attracted by the large patches of blue flowers blooming around it.

“You can’t go over there.” But Hamoyin stopped Nagu, who was trying to go see the flowers. “That area often collapses during the rainy season. Otherwise, the underground river wouldn’t be exposed.”

Nagu obediently gave up the idea. Just walking around here felt like a breath of fresh air.

Dragging her injured ankle, Nagu followed Hamoyin in small steps, holding a leather bag he had just given her. It was quite large, probably able to hold five or six apples.

“Here.” After walking about twenty steps forward, Hamoyin squatted down and motioned for Nagu to squat with him. “This darker spot.”

Nagu watched as Hamoyin pulled away the leaves of the low plants, revealing the soil underneath. This patch of soil was one or two shades darker than the surrounding area and slightly raised. “Dig here?”

Hamoyin nodded, then reached down and started digging into the dark soil until he uncovered a slightly trembling, shiny yellow object.

Seeing clearly what the yellow object was, Nagu felt she might faint. It was a… a giant meat worm, twice as wide and twice as long as a thumb!

“This is it.” Hamoyin pulled the worm out of the soil and put it into the leather bag in his hand. “Each mound has about ten of these. Just dig them out and pack them.”

“…Okay.” Nagu tried hard not to scream. “So, I just… keep digging here?”

“Yes.” This task was simple and not dangerous. The main reason for bringing Nagu out was to let her breathe some fresh air outside the treehouse. Hamoyin thought he had arranged it well and stood up, satisfied. “I’ll be a bit further ahead. Call me if you need anything.”

Nagu stiffly nodded and watched as Hamoyin walked to a spot about ten steps ahead and squatted down.

What should she do? She breathed heavily, staring down at the small dirt pit in front of her. Beneath the loose soil, she could faintly see the pale yellow skin of the worm.

This was the entrance to hell. Nagu’s hand trembled as it hovered above the pit. After hesitating for a minute, she finally reached into the soil and stirred it. The soft, slimy texture made her feel like she was about to scream, and the worm kept wriggling in her hand.

A big, fat worm… She was holding a big, fat worm… It was soft, and its skin started to ooze a clear, slippery liquid…

“…”

Meanwhile, after digging up more than twenty worms, Hamoyin remembered to check on Nagu. He tied the opening of his leather bag, shook off the dirt and the protective liquid from the worms, and stood up to walk back.

Nagu was not far behind him, still squatting in the same spot, rustling the soil. When she noticed him walking back, she hurriedly wiped her face with her hand. Hamoyin thought the worm’s protective liquid had splashed on her face. “That slime isn’t harmful.”

“Mm-hmm…” Nagu replied absentmindedly, keeping her head down, and continued to reach for the worms in the soil.

Hamoyin suddenly felt something was off. He squatted down and tilted his head to look at Nagu’s face, which she was trying to hide. He then saw her face covered in tear stains, with her eyes still brimming with tears.

“Why are you crying?” Hamoyin was taken aback and asked Nagu, “Is your leg hurting?”

“No, it’s not that…” She couldn’t possibly say that the worms were too disgusting and made her cry. Embarrassed, Nagu turned her head to the side, still holding a freshly dug-up worm in her hand. “I was just so moved by seeing the worms.”

What does that mean? Hamoyin looked at Nagu in confusion. “What’s wrong with you? Where do you feel uncomfortable?”

If she said her leg hurt, she’d be shocked. If she said the worms were disgusting, she’d look pathetic and useless. Stuck in this dilemma, Nagu sniffled and handed the worm to Hamoyin, trying to change the subject.

“I… caught thirteen. It seems there are no more in this pit. Where should I dig next?”

“No need to dig anymore.” He had over twenty worms, and with Nagu’s, it was enough. “Let’s go pick some food and then head back.”

“No need to dig anymore?” Nagu’s eyes lit up, relieved to be freed from this hell so soon. “By the way, what are these worms for?”

“Bait. When crushed, they have a strong smell that some wild animals like.” Hamoyin tied the two bags to his waist, took Nagu’s hand, and led her up the fern-covered slope beside the soil crack.

But just as they reached the top of the slope and had picked only three fruits, Hamoyin noticed the forest’s humidity increasing, indicating it might rain soon.

Seeing Hamoyin suddenly stop picking fruits, Nagu asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

“We should head back.” Hamoyin dropped the fruit in his hand, picked up Nagu, and started sliding down the slope. Even if they didn’t return, they needed to find shelter from the rain.

“Huh? We’re not picking fruits anymore?”

“It’s going to rain.”

Hamoyin’s words seemed like a signal. Just seconds after he spoke, Nagu heard a few drops hitting the canopy above, followed by more drops around them. There was no gradual transition from light rain to heavy rain to downpour. In the rainforest’s rainy season, after a few seconds of ‘drip-drop’ warning, a torrent of rain began to pour from the sky, the drops hitting their heads with force.

Nagu kept spitting out the rainwater that kept slipping into her mouth. Hamoyin, still carrying her, trudged down the slope, one step deep, one step shallow. The rainwater on the slope began to gather into streams, making the muddy slope extremely slippery and difficult to navigate.

Maybe he shouldn’t have brought her out. Hamoyin felt a bit regretful. The rain severely obstructed his vision, and his feet occasionally slipped. Just as he lifted his foot to step over a protruding tree root, the soil around them, unable to withstand the water flow, began to slide downwards.

Hamoyin lost his balance and fell.

Nagu, held in his arms, let out a short scream as she tumbled away. She got a mouthful of mud! Wait, my nose… Nagu rolled down the slope, trying to grab onto something to stop herself, but the surrounding mud was too slippery to get a grip. She could only wait until she rolled to a flat area to stop. Nagu pinched her nose to prevent mud from getting in. After rolling about ten more times, she felt the ground leveling out. She coughed a few times, wiped the mud from her face, and tried to get up. “Hamoyin…”

“Don’t move!”

What?

Nagu heard Hamoyin’s voice from ahead. Through the curtain of rain, she vaguely saw many blue flowers near her hand.

Wait, wait, wait, could she be unlucky enough to have rolled right into that area?

Before she could lament her bad luck, Nagu heard a rumbling sound from beneath her, followed by the sensation of falling.