Chapter 66 The Road of Two Exiles (8)

Shi Xianyu stepped out of the car under the blazing sun and walked around to the other side. The giant lizard seemed to know how to pick its spot, lounging in the shade cast by the RV to cool off. No matter how much she tried to shoo it away, she couldn’t beat it, and finally had no choice. She brought down the morning’s wash water, placed it next to the giant lizard, and tossed in a few cucumbers, hoping that with food and drink at hand, it would stay calm and not ram her vehicle again.

After tending to the lizard, Shi Xianyu went to the back of the RV to check the ladder’s horizontal bar. The metal bar, which should have been straight and sturdy, had been bent out of shape by the lizard’s bite the day before, but it could still be used, and should support her weight without issue.

She gripped the ladder and climbed to the roof, bending to unfold the solar charging panels one by one. Then she stood upright, surveying the vast surroundings from atop the vehicle—

The sky was high, the land wide, the scenery magnificent. Yet the sun was brutally strong; anyone lingering outside for too long would struggle to endure it. The benefit, however, was safety: most mutated beasts remained hidden in their nests, for venturing out meant risking being scorched dry.

Shi Xianyu glanced down at the giant lizard below, thinking it was no fool—it guarded the RV, enjoying food, drink, and shade. She sighed helplessly and climbed back down, heading inside to do laundry.

Lu Li had just finished a drawing and, seeing Shi Xianyu return, eagerly handed it to her. The sketchbook showed two figures, one big and one small, beside a wheeled rectangular frame—Shi Xianyu guessed it was her RV, and the two people by it were clearly herself and Lu Li.

With the answer in her mind, she noticed many details in the drawing: a window on the RV was broken, with triangular shards in the grid pattern representing shattered glass. The larger figure had an oval at her waist—her ever-present pepper spray bottle.

“Lu Li, you’re amazing! This is wonderful,” Shi Xianyu exclaimed, pointing to the abstract lines. “You drew you and me, our RV, and the windows—this one is broken, isn’t it? Different from the others… Ah, you even drew the curtains! You’ve observed everything so carefully.”

Lu Li beamed at the praise, lips pressed together in a shy smile.

Shi Xianyu was moved and couldn’t help but ask, “Lu Li, do you remember what your mother looked like when she left? What clothes was she wearing? Could you draw it for me?”

Lu Li thought for a moment, nodded, and returned to the table to draw.

Curious, Shi Xianyu leaned over to watch, only to see that Lu Li drew a figure with a beard. That couldn’t be right—Lu Li’s mother wouldn’t have a beard.

Then Lu Li drew another figure holding what looked like a cane.

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Shi Xianyu guessed that the cane-like line probably represented a firearm.

Lu Li drew three figures in succession, then a vehicle, and finally took a blue marker to draw a person in a blue dress, writing “Mom” beside it.

Shi Xianyu pointed to the other three figures and asked, “Who are these people?”

Lu Li shook her head, her expression vacant.

Shi Xianyu pressed, “Did these three take your mom away?”

Lu Li nodded.

A sense of unease settled over Shi Xianyu—the drawing too easily suggested something terrible. Was Lu Li’s mother kidnapped by traffickers?

Her understanding of this world was limited to magazines and notebooks, but she’d seen plenty of apocalypse-themed films and stories, and knew that in extreme conditions, women and children often faced danger. Lu Li’s mother wouldn’t have abandoned her child without reason; something must have happened.

Shi Xianyu asked for more details.

But Lu Li’s writing was limited, and the meaning in her drawings wasn’t always clear. The only certainty was that her mother had been taken by a trio, one of whom had a beard and a scar on his face.

The clues were still too few.

Fortunately, Shi Xianyu wasn’t discouraged. She thought, if she could find Lu Li’s mother, that would be wonderful; if not, as long as she could bring Lu Li to a safe base, her trip wouldn’t have been in vain.

…

The intense sunlight dried the laundry quickly, and the solar panels charged at a rapid pace.

Shi Xianyu opened two boxes of instant dry-mix noodles for lunch, then sliced up a watermelon, sharing half with Lu Li. They scooped the bright red flesh with spoons—the green rind and juicy pulp were perfect for the heat. The black seeds were washed clean and saved, so Lu Li could plant them later for fun.

What was left of the melon was tossed outside, where the giant lizard chewed it up, devouring even the rind.

Watching it eat so heartily, Shi Xianyu wondered: was it really a carnivore, or a herbivore?

After finishing the fruit, Shi Xianyu settled into the driver’s seat and set out once more. As soon as the RV moved, the giant lizard hurried after it, as persistent as ever.

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Watching it pant along the highway, Shi Xianyu silently eased off the gas, slowing the vehicle.

There was no urgency in the search for Lu Li’s mother—she could take her time…

A sharp, piercing sound echoed from afar, like a whistle.

Shi Xianyu looked toward the source, spotting a streak of red smoke rising in the sky ahead and to the right. The whistle grew shriller, the smoke climbed higher, and then, with a loud bang, it burst apart!

“Ah… I know what that is—it’s a signal flare.”

Shi Xianyu stared at the smoke dissipating in the sky, puzzled.

“Someone set off a signal flare up ahead… Why? Are they in danger, seeking help?”

Lu Li quickly scribbled a line in her sketchbook and held it up: Should we go and see?

“Maybe… we should take a look?” Shi Xianyu gripped the steering wheel, uncertain. “If we can help, we’ll help; if not, we’ll leave. What do you think, Lu Li?”

Lu Li wrote: I’ll follow your lead!

Shi Xianyu smiled, freeing a hand to gently pat her head. “It’s okay. If you don’t want to, just tell me. Right now I’m taking care of you instead of your mom, so I’ll do my best to consider your feelings and wishes.”

Lu Li tilted her head, seeming a little lost at Shi Xianyu’s words. After a while, she wrote: You take care of me—are you my mom?

“I could never be a mom,” Shi Xianyu laughed, turning the wheel toward the direction of the signal flare.

Lu Li continued writing: Why can’t you be a mom?

“Because being a mother is so hard…” Shi Xianyu spoke with a smile as she drove. “Mothers don’t just give birth—they raise their children, make sure they’re fed, clothed, educated. If the child is disobedient, they must correct them; if too obedient, they worry about a lack of individuality. If the child faces setbacks, mothers encourage them; if bullied, they comfort them. If their child goes astray, they try to guide them; if the child succeeds, they must remind them not to grow arrogant. Mothers give their money, time, energy, and even some of their own health, all for their child’s smooth growth. When the child finally grows up and seeks independence, mothers must learn to let go with grace. So, being a mother is an incredibly difficult thing—I’m not ready for that yet.”