390 The Rugged Mountain Path
“I’m alright,” Chu Zhang said with a smile.
“It’s getting late, let’s hurry up and go back today.” Chu Ning could barely hold on.
“Huh! Don’t, Second Brother. Can’t you respect my opinion?” Chu Huan wailed.
“You’ve already vomited everything out, so you should be fine now,” Chu Jing said with a smile.
“Or you can spend the night here and go alone tomorrow,” Chu Jing continued.
“I don’t want to.” Chu Huan immediately shook his head.
“Then let’s go.” Chu Jing then went to the station and communicated with the van driver about their destination. Then, he boarded the van with the three of them.
The landscape and scenery there also piqued Chu Ning’s interest.
She understood why Mr. And Mrs. Chu wanted to leave this place and settle down in M City, which was thousands of kilometers away.
It was no exaggeration to say that the living conditions of any ordinary family in M City would be better than that of 90% of the people here…
The difference between regions was massive.
Province A had more plains and was closer to the coast. Whether it was economy or population, it was far from being comparable to Province S, which was deep in the mainland.
The per capita income of M City was almost several times that of the city here.
M City was nothing compared to S City, which was a dominant financial city…
Although the area of M City was only one-tenth of the area of Province S, the total economic volume was much higher than that of Province S!
“From your clothes, I can tell that you’re from a big city. To be able to come to such a remote place like ours, are you going back to your hometown to settle some matters?” The driver acted as if he was familiar with them. After Chu Ning and the others got onboard, he spoke in Mandarin with a slight accent.
The talkative Chu Huan was also speechless.
He bent his body, clutched at his stomach, and lowered his head in silence. This could reduce the dizziness caused by the car ride.
“Going home, attending a funeral.” To Chu Ning’s surprise, Chu Jing replied in the local dialect.
“Wow! You really are a local!” When the driver heard Chu Jing’s words, he immediately looked a little excited.
“Sigh, which family doesn’t have elderly these days? Rest in peace. My condolences!” the driver immediately calmed down and said softly.
“Thank you. This place hasn’t changed much from my childhood memories of the place.” Chu Jing nodded. He was very open-minded about matters of life and death.
“There’s no other way. Who would want to come to our village? There’s no potential for development. Besides, look at this broken road. The government doesn’t have the money to repair it. We’re facing financial difficulties, so who would want to come? A while ago, I heard that some teachers in a certain school collectively resigned. Teachers, too, have to make a living. Their salary is so low that they indeed can’t carry on. They can’t possibly sacrifice themselves for their ideals, can they? Sigh, those poor children in the depths of the mountains. Once these teachers leave, there would be no one to teach them. Without the help of knowledge, they will be stuck in the mountains for the rest of their lives. In today’s society, knowledge is key.” The driver sighed and told them the truth of the situation.
On the way, Chu Ning listened quietly to the driver and Chu Jing’s conversation. She did not say a word.
More than an hour later, a majestic mountain appeared before Chu Ning’s eyes. They were one step closer to their final destination, but had yet to reach it.
After Chu Jing paid the fare, he smiled and said, “Chu Huan, you don’t have to be afraid of motion sickness anymore. We have to depend on our legs for the next part of our journey.”
“What? We haven’t arrived?” The moment Chu Huan alighted, he squatted on the ground. At this moment, he was raising his head and looking at Chu Jing in anguish.
“Soon. It’ll take about an hour’s walk to get there.” Chu Jing looked into the distance and said softly.
“Second Brother, you already said that when we’d just gotten off the train.” If it wasn’t for the strange and remote environment, he really wanted to remain there.
“Fourth Brother, let’s go quickly. It’ll be dark soon. This mountain is not like the city. There’s no place to stay. Be careful of wild beasts accompanying you at night,” Chu Zhang said.
“Let’s go, Second Brother. I’ll just take it as training.” Chu Huan stood up instantly, no longer feeling dizzy.
Chu Ning finally understood why the van did not continue driving.
The mountain road before them was rugged. Some of the roads had a slope of more than 60 degrees, and the width was too narrow for the van to pass.