Chapter 131: “Tug-of-War”

Chapter 131: "Tug-of-War"

At dawn, the long-awaited sunlight spilled down, giving the earth a fresh, renewed look. The temperature was quite brisk following the autumn rain, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves on both sides of the street. It was mid-October, and the leaves were already beginning to shed; caught by the autumn wind, they drifted from the branches and settled onto the ground.

Song Nianqiang and Fatty, who had risen early, stood on the balcony of Bozi’s house, breathing in the fresh air. In the county town, such air was a rarity, especially on a day with such bright, clear sunshine.

Fatty looked utterly exhausted. He had been dragged out of bed by Song Nianqiang under the guise of "morning training." However, after dragging the big fellow out, Song Nianqiang had simply stood on the balcony, staring at the rising sun for half an hour.

"Qiangzi, my dear brother! It’s only six o'clock! You dragged me out just to look at that damn sun?" Fatty felt like rolling Song Nianqiang into a ball and tossing him into the trash can.

"Why aren't you happy about feeling the morning sun? You should know that morning air is fresh; it’s the best time of the day," Song Nianqiang said, eyes slightly closed, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on his body.

"That’s not right. I heard the morning air isn't that great. At night, plants respire, absorbing oxygen and exhaling large amounts of carbon dioxide, so logically, the air in the morning shouldn't be very good." Fatty’s eyes were still bleary with sleep; he hadn't fully woken up even after being up for over half an hour.

"Ugh! Where did you hear that? How come I didn't know?" Song Nianqiang was taken aback, finding it unbelievable that such scholarly knowledge could come from Fatty’s mouth.

"My junior high biology teacher said it in class. Unlike you, who never attended, I am a person who truly loves to learn," Fatty said with an arrogant air. Seeing him like this made Song Nianqiang want to kick him.

"Brother Qiang, come eat. I bought some fried dough sticks and soy milk," Bozi called out, carrying a large bag of food. It hadn't cost much.

"Coming!" Song Nianqiang shouted back to Bozi, then turned and gave Fatty a kick. "Let’s go, you fat pig. After we eat, we’ll go check out that grove of trees." With that, he headed toward the breakfast spot.

After the five of them finished eating, Song Nianqiang confirmed the location with Cui Xiaobo once more. Then, bidding farewell to Bozi’s family, they took a taxi to the woods.

After paying the driver fifteen yuan, the two stood at the edge of the grove. As soon as they arrived, Song Nianqiang felt there was something unusual about the place; just standing outside, he felt a chilling, eerie sensation.

"Fatty, what do you think?" Song Nianqiang asked, staring at the woods.

"If there's nothing wrong with these woods, then there’s something wrong with me," Fatty replied directly, but it wasn't the answer Song Nianqiang was looking for.

"I’m asking you what is wrong with the woods, I’m not blind!" Song Nianqiang rolled his eyes, his confidence in Fatty’s intelligence severely shaken.

"What a joke! If you don't know, how would I? Are you bored out of your mind again?" Fatty jumped to the side, deliberately widening his eyes in mock disbelief. Seeing Fatty’s expression, Song Nianqiang was thoroughly defeated. "Fine, I admit defeat," he said, clutching his forehead.

"Qiangzi, these woods really are quite sinister. Others might not notice, but it can't escape our eyes. This grove is quite extensive; there must be something interesting at the very center," Fatty said confidently. His answer was met with a flying kick from Song Nianqiang. "Say something useful!"

"What’s useful is that these woods are indeed strange, I really don't know anything else!" Fatty scrambled away, fearing another kick.

"Fine. But I did notice something odd." Song Nianqiang walked to a tree and pointed at the fallen leaves beneath it. "Most of these fallen leaves are pointing in the same direction. I think that’s where we need to go." As he spoke, a leaf drifted down from the canopy; just as he said, its stem pointed in the same direction as the others.

"You’re still the smart one. Since that’s the case, let’s go. I don't believe those ghosts would dare show themselves with such a bright sun overhead." Fatty stepped into the woods first. But the moment he entered, he felt a cold gust of wind and shivered involuntarily. Cursing under his breath, he continued forward.

The two chatted and joked, their feet crunching through the thick layer of leaves, a satisfying sensation. Song Nianqiang caught a leaf drifting down and held it up, asking, "Do you remember the tug-of-war we used to play as kids?"

"Haha, of course I do! How about it, want to have a go?" Fatty’s interest was piqued. He looked around on the ground, picked up a fallen leaf, rubbed its stem, and crossed it with the one in Song Nianqiang’s hand. They both pulled. *Snap!* The stem of Song Nianqiang's leaf broke instantly.

"Tug-of-war" was what they called it, though the game had many names elsewhere—"hooking stems," "drawing roots," and more. The game was simple: cross the stems of two leaves and pull until one snapped.

"Wait! Just you wait until I find a sturdy one!" Song Nianqiang began looking, but he wasn't satisfied with the leaves on the ground. He set his sights on the leaves still hanging on the branches, especially those at the very top, which were generally much thicker.

Having lost five times in a row, Song Nianqiang was frustrated. Fatty, who used to cry when he lost this game as a child, was now unleashing all his past grievances.

"Give me five minutes!" Song Nianqiang looked up at a tree, assessed its thickness, and quickly picked a target. He backed away, took a running start, and kicked the thin trunk.

His explosive power was impressive; although he didn't snap the tree, it shook violently, causing several leaves to rain down. Song Nianqiang grabbed one, grinning with satisfaction.

"Haha!" He rubbed the leaf, walked over to Fatty, and declared, "Come on! Let’s see how I crush you!"

"Careful, don't bite off more than you can chew!" Fatty extended his leaf, but it was clear—the leaf Song Nianqiang had retrieved from the canopy easily won.

"Damn it! You think you’re the only one who can get leaves from the trees? Watch me!" Fatty trotted to a small tree, backed up five or six paces, and mimicked Song Nianqiang’s move. But his luck was poor; as he prepared to kick, his foot caught on some weeds. He lost his balance and plowed headfirst into the small tree.

Poor little tree—with a crisp *crack*, the tree, even thinner than the one Song Nianqiang had chosen, snapped in half under Fatty’s impact.