Chapter 17: To Survive

At this moment, I felt no fatigue. Even though I hadn't eaten and dared not drink the river water, one thought burned in my mind: no matter what I encountered, I had to survive!

I dared not waste too much energy. I knew I was relying entirely on willpower, so as I panted and dragged the phoenix-tail bamboo back, I didn't even have the strength to strip away the branches and leaves.

Perhaps luck was on my side; on the way back, I spotted a cluster of wild banana trees by the roadside. Though they bore no fruit, I was in no position to be picky. Using the short blade from my trekking pole, I quickly chopped down two trees, aiming to get at the soft heart inside the trunks.

I remembered back in Yunnan, when I went into the mountains with the Jingpo people, I often saw them eating the hearts of banana trees for convenience. It not only provided plenty of hydration but also staved off hunger.

I practically ignored the taste, but the subtle sweetness and the sheer juiciness of it filled me with a sense of relief. I wouldn't say I didn't crave meat or mouth-watering dishes, but I understood clearly that having something to keep me alive was what mattered most.

I had never imagined that one day I would be like a pig, gnawing away at whatever was edible without a second thought. When I let out a burp, I even felt a strange sense of indulgence.

Although the time I had been stranded here was not long, it felt as if three days ago were a distant memory. Perhaps in my subconscious, the time I had spent experiencing this was truly being tallied minute by minute; it was sheer torment. For the first time, I felt a sense of fullness from a mere plant. I leaned against a tree trunk and took a few deep breaths to steady myself.

My body felt a bit stronger now. Thinking of Qu Xiang and Lan Fang, I chopped a few more banana trunks, though I didn't strip the outer bark. I thought this might be a luxury for them, too. Even if I didn't expect them to be grateful, to survive, one sometimes has to learn to accept reality.

As I prepared to leave, I spotted some vines. I recognized them immediately as the type commonly used for making rattan chairs in subtropical and tropical regions. Without hesitation, I confirmed what they were, and a glimmer of anticipation stirred in me.

To survive, I had to prepare early. I held no high hopes for Lan Fang and Qu Xiang—Brother Wen was right; dragging them along was essentially courting death. But seeing these vines gave me new possibilities. I quickly sawed through a few and dragged them back along with the phoenix-tail bamboo.

I didn't choose the thick vines; I picked those about the thickness of a small finger. The large ones were for furniture, but the thinner ones were ideal for bending, weaving, and serving as rope or auxiliary materials. These slender vines were much easier to braid and manipulate.

Whether for my own sake or because I had chosen not to abandon Lan Fang, I had to do whatever I could to prepare. I didn't know what might happen next.

When I appeared dragging these materials, Qu Xiang was clearly stunned. Even the listless Lan Fang looked at me with a mix of curiosity and confusion.

I offered no explanation; this was no time for sentimentality. Whether they understood or grasped my intent didn't matter to me. For my own part, being prepared was always better than being caught off guard.

When I offered the banana hearts to the two women, I don't know what was going through Lan Fang's mind, but she shook her head and refused. I had little patience left, but Qu Xiang showed her trust in me and took it.

Watching Qu Xiang eat heartily provided me with some small comfort. I sat down, unwilling to waste energy, and unscrewed the short blade from the tip of my trekking pole to hand to her. Seeing the hidden mechanism, she looked genuinely excited.

In this rainforest, having a blade meant infinite possibilities. Qu Xiang knew this well.

There was no food to waste. Seeing her finish a foot-long segment of the banana heart didn't trouble me; instead, I felt relieved, knowing she was the only one who could help me for now.

After a short rest, I explained my plan: to split the phoenix-tail bamboo into strips, then braid them with the thin vines to create a rope. Whether for climbing the rocky platform by the waterfall or for other survival needs, I had to make this.

To someone inexperienced, splitting bamboo into strips seems difficult. But after I used a rock to smash open the end of a stalk, the clever Qu Xiang understood exactly what to do.

I handed her the short blade and told her that width and thickness didn't matter as long as they were strips. We didn't have the luxury of time. Qu Xiang quickly learned to use the blade to peel thin, flexible strips from the bamboo.

Lan Fang, leaning against the rocks, remained the only one not working.

It took Qu Xiang and me about an hour to shave off a good amount of bamboo strips. I then used the blade to further split them into thin, noodle-like strands. Having grown up in the countryside, both Qu Xiang and I found our survival instincts kicking in, allowing us to perform the task effectively despite our lack of experience.

Much like weaving jewelry string, I began to braid the four-to-five-meter-long vines with the bamboo strips. Qu Xiang caught on quickly, refining the technique as she worked.

In the end, we produced a rope about two fingers thick and nearly twenty meters long. I hung it over a tree branch to test its strength; it could easily bear two or three hundred pounds. We were thrilled, and I saw a rare spark of joy in Qu Xiang's eyes.

I didn't want to dampen her spirits, and I knew that, at this moment, unity was our strength. I coiled the rope and tied it so it could be worn over the shoulder.

It hadn't been back-breaking labor, but after several days without real sustenance, we were both nearly paralyzed with exhaustion. Yet, looking at that coil of rope, a smile finally touched my face. To survive, the more tools we had at our disposal, the better off we would be.

Though the future remained uncertain, I would fight for our lives with everything I had.