Chapter Five: The Trap in the Mountain Ravine

The long-distance bus halted before two small thatched huts.

The passengers disembarked one after another to stretch their legs. Both Chen Tianyu and Liu Zichen struggled to withstand the constant jostling; Liu Zichen, in particular, showed clear signs of motion sickness. After getting off, she retched several times at the roadside, finally feeling better. The mountain road from Dali to Lijiang was truly treacherous.

At last, they experienced what it meant to be surrounded by towering mountains and winding roads—eighteen bends along the way. Though they’d been to rural areas before, nothing compared to the steep, twisting mountain road they had just endured.

Liu Zichen squatted by the roadside, chest heaving, her eyes brimming with tears as she caught her breath. Chen Tianyu stood by, holding a thermos, ready to help. Even someone as resilient as Liu Zichen was undone by the physical ordeal. She retched several more times, bringing up nothing, and Chen Tianyu hurried to hand her water to rinse her mouth. At last, she settled down a bit.

“Feeling any better?” Chen Tianyu asked softly, a gentle tease in his voice. “Regretting it now?”

Liu Zichen shook her head with conviction. “No regrets. Just a bit embarrassed, letting others see me like this.”

Chen Tianyu glanced around and chuckled, “They’re not much better off... No one’s in the mood to laugh at you. I heard that people prone to carsickness should eat something sweet for energy. Want some?”

Liu Zichen nodded obediently. Chen Tianyu dashed back to the bus for snacks, nearly overcome by the stench inside. Someone, unable to hold it in, had vomited by the bus steps, the smell permeating the entire cabin. The driver noticed, cursing loudly as he tried to clean up.

Pinching his nose, Chen Tianyu finally unearthed a small packet of cake from his backpack and hurried off the bus, exhaling in relief. Just then, the irate driver sloshed a bucket of water at the bus steps. With a splash, the filth wasn’t entirely washed away, but the dirty water splattered all over Chen Tianyu’s pants. The driver, seemingly oblivious, fetched another bucket and repeated the process. Despite his attempts to dodge, Chen Tianyu couldn’t escape misfortune.

He frowned, on the verge of losing his temper, but held back, reminding himself the driver was only doing his job, albeit roughly.

“Sir, could you be a bit more careful? There are people here,” Chen Tianyu called out as the driver reached for a third bucket. A woman holding a child waited nearby, likely in a hurry to board.

“Out of the way!” the driver barked. “Can’t you see I’m working? If you can’t stand the mess, don’t take this bus!” With another angry splash, the water hit the steps.

This time, Chen Tianyu didn’t even try to dodge. His pant leg was thoroughly soaked. The driver, startled by Chen Tianyu’s suddenly sharp gaze, became less brazen, muttering complaints as he went into the hut, probably to return the bucket.

The woman with the child, evidently from the northeast, offered, “Brother, let it go. When you’re traveling, it’s best not to get upset.” Chen Tianyu managed a wry smile, nodding to her kindly, “It’s nothing. I’m used to it. Please, go ahead and board.”

The plump middle-aged woman got on, and Chen Tianyu returned to Liu Zichen, wiping condensation from the cake’s plastic wrap before handing it to her.

Liu Zichen took it, eyeing his bedraggled appearance with concern. “What happened to you? How did you end up like this?”

“Don’t ask. An unlucky start—I got a lesson,” Chen Tianyu said nonchalantly.

Liu Zichen couldn’t help but laugh. “Who’s brave enough to ‘teach a lesson’ to someone as prickly as you?”

Chen Tianyu gave a rueful grin. “Well, even a tough guy has to bow under someone else’s roof.”

Peeling open the package, Liu Zichen ate as she spoke, “How rare. What a peculiar day.” With something in her stomach, she felt much better; her eyes regained their usual luster.

—

They ambled along the roadside for a while and discovered a small reservoir nearby, the water a deep green. Wildflowers of unknown name bloomed along both sides of the road, and several sparrows hopped about on the ground. With mountains, water, flowers, and birds, it was a delightful spot, and they lingered a little longer.

Most of their fellow passengers were middle-aged, obviously hailing from all corners of the country. They quietly stood or sat, eating snacks from home. Besides two lively schoolgirls and a few children, Chen Tianyu and Liu Zichen were the youngest among them.

Before the thatched huts stood a long wooden plank, casually propped across two benches. On it lay a dozen small cloth bags containing various medicinal herbs: wild gastrodia, wild maca, wild notoginseng, wild coptis...

Liu Zichen picked up a piece of maca, sniffing it curiously. “I’ve heard maca is a local specialty. Is this really wild? Smells pretty good.”

She examined the label: 3 yuan per gram—a fair price if genuine.

“What’s maca?” Chen Tianyu asked, puzzled. He’d never heard of it.

Liu Zichen shot him a sidelong glance. “Never heard of maca? You’re out of touch.”

He had no inkling it was famed as a “miracle tonic.” About to ask more, he noticed the two schoolgirls nearby giggling behind their hands, stopping him mid-sentence.

“Just looking. Don’t actually buy any,” Chen Tianyu cautioned. “I’ve heard there’s a lot of fake stuff near tourist spots—a lot of scams.”

Liu Zichen carefully sniffed each herb. “They seem genuine, but do I look that foolish? I’m just curious, not buying.”

They wandered away from the stall. Only a woman in her forties and the two schoolgirls remained, the latter clearly tempted to buy. Nearby tourists cast occasional glances, feigning indifference.

About fifteen minutes later, the driver’s booming voice called everyone back. The rest stop had done wonders for everyone’s spirits; the chatter in the bus increased, but Chen Tianyu and Liu Zichen sat quietly, eyes closed.

As the driver did a headcount, he realized two were missing and started over. The sharp voice of the middle-aged woman announced, “Stop counting! Two girls are still buying things—they’re not back yet!”

Expressionless, the driver returned to his seat and started the engine, finally bringing some cool air into the bus. Inside, the hum of conversation resumed, this time with many asking the woman what she’d bought, their words tinged with schadenfreude.

She responded unbothered, “What are you laughing at? The herbs are pretty good. Look at the notoginseng I bought—good quality, and only a little over a hundred yuan...”

This set off more whispers, some faces even showing regret.

At that moment, the two schoolgirls came running from the huts, faces pale. They’d barely set foot on the bus when it pulled away, almost sending them sprawling. They didn’t blame the driver, just clutched their chests, catching their breath, grateful for his haste.

They returned to their seats at the back, gradually calming down.

—

The bus rolled on smoothly.

Suddenly, a girl in the last row began to sob—at first quietly, then louder as the cabin fell silent. Liu Zichen opened her eyes first; their seats were in the second-to-last row, which explained her earlier carsickness.

“What’s going on?” Liu Zichen, by the window, nudged Chen Tianyu.

Without opening his eyes, he muttered irritably, “Probably got scammed.”

Liu Zichen shot him a glare but said nothing. Such things happened often—she felt helpless too.

At the back, one of the schoolgirls—chubby and tearful—cried while her friend handed her tissues. “Momo, don’t cry. Every setback’s a lesson...”

“But all our money’s gone, and I dragged you into it... How could I be so careless?” Momo sobbed. Her slender companion said nothing, just looking uneasy.

An elderly woman nearby asked, “Dear, what happened? Why are you so upset? Tell Auntie.” Her husband tried to shush her, but she glared him down.

The kindness broke Momo’s reserve. She clutched the woman’s hand, crying, “Those damned scammers! I’m just a poor student, saved up for ages to see the world, scrimping all the way. My mother’s unwell and can’t sleep. I saw their wild gastrodia looked good and reasonably priced, so I bought four or five. Who knew...?” She burst into tears again.

The woman consoled her, “You just lack experience. We old hands never buy things on the roadside. Especially when the tour bus stops—it’s almost always a trap. You must be more careful.”

“I just thought the price was low—three yuan a gram. If it was real wild gastrodia, it’s much cheaper than pharmacies. So I picked out four or five, and the boss offered to grind them. I thought he was being nice. But when he finished, it weighed over a kilo—over three thousand yuan! I was stunned. I only had a little over a thousand on me, said I didn’t want it, but he refused, said once ground, it had to be bought, or we couldn’t leave. We were terrified! Luckily, my friend had some cash, or we wouldn’t have gotten out... We didn’t even get the gastrodia powder—we ran away scared!”

Her slender companion added, trembling, “It was terrifying. They even took Momo’s necklace, saying it was worth a thousand yuan... That’s how we finally escaped.”

The bus was filled with sighs and murmurs about the wickedness of people. Momo resumed sobbing, inconsolable. Though many offered comfort, no one dared get involved—everyone was a traveler far from home.

—

Suddenly—

“Driver, stop the bus!” A cold, commanding female voice rang out.

The driver ignored her; the road was fine—he couldn’t just stop because a passenger demanded it.

Liu Zichen was fed up. She stood, face pale, catching everyone’s attention. The beautiful woman who’d been so carsick—what was she up to?

“Miss, if you need the restroom, you can’t just stop here,” an elderly lady cautioned, thinking it was a matter of urgency.

Liu Zichen said nothing, striding to the driver’s seat. She spoke icily, “Stop the bus. I have something to do.”

The driver didn’t look at her, unmoved. He’d seen his share of difficult tourists, especially women.

Chen Tianyu smiled wryly at Momo. “Excuse me, could you watch my bag?” he asked. Momo nodded, puzzled, as Chen Tianyu picked up Liu Zichen’s handbag and joined her at the front.

“Don’t rush, Zichen,” he said gently.

Then, casually, he pulled out a document from the bag and flashed it at the driver—sunlight glinting off the word “Prosecutor” in large, shining letters.

“Turn the bus around,” Chen Tianyu ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. He tucked the document away.

The driver froze, stunned, then reluctantly slowed down, turned the bus, and within ten minutes, they were back at the thatched huts—this time stopping on the opposite side of the road.

When the bus stopped and the doors opened, Liu Zichen and Chen Tianyu exchanged a knowing smile.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Liu Zichen said. “Be careful.”

Chen Tianyu nodded silently, strode off the bus, and walked straight into the hut.

The two men in front of the hut stared in confusion as the bus returned, unsure what was happening.

About twenty minutes later, a commotion erupted from the hut, then quickly died down. Soon, Chen Tianyu emerged, casually holding a bag of brown powder, looking as relaxed as if nothing had happened.

Back on the bus, he said quietly, “Let’s go.” He and Liu Zichen returned to their seats.

The bus was silent; no one could fathom what had just transpired. The driver hesitated, then started the engine, and the bus slowly pulled away.

Before long, two burly men, faces bruised and dejected, staggered out of the hut, watching the bus disappear. One spat blood onto the ground with a curse, “Damn, today’s our unlucky day.”

The other muttered, “Maybe we went too far this time. Got what we deserved?”

—

The bus rolled on smoothly, the atmosphere calm. Liu Zichen smiled at Chen Tianyu, gently wiping the sweat and dust from his forehead.

“So, not going to tell me I meddle too much this time?” Chen Tianyu teased.

Liu Zichen scoffed, “Some things are worth meddling in.”

Chen Tianyu laughed. “Whatever you say, you women! You’re always right.”

“And what’s wrong with women?” Liu Zichen retorted, pouting. “We’re no less capable than you men.”

“Absolutely, heroine!” Chen Tianyu gave her a playful thumbs-up, and they both laughed.

Then, Chen Tianyu grew serious. He turned to Momo behind them, pressed a finger to his lips for silence, and handed her the bag of gastrodia powder.

“This is yours,” he said softly, signaling her not to make a fuss.

“Mine?...” she asked, bewildered.

“Yes, the owner is a distant relative of mine,” Chen Tianyu said lightly. “He thought you two students had it pretty tough, so he asked me to return your things. Here’s your necklace, too.” He produced a gleaming platinum chain, “And two thousand yuan.” Like a magician, he dazzled the two girls.

“Altogether, the gastrodia powder is just over 370 grams, costing about 700 yuan at cost price. They’re local herbalists—life’s hard, making a living. I got back the extra money. They wanted to compensate you, but I declined on your behalf. Hope you understand...”

Momo was still dazed, but her slender friend caught on quickly. “No, no... no need for compensation, this is more than enough.” She quickly accepted the items.

“Keep them safe, and be more careful next time,” Chen Tianyu said quietly.

With that, he reclined and closed his eyes. After a while, a soft thank you came from behind: “Thank you, big brother!” It was Momo at last.

Chen Tianyu pretended not to hear, and all was quiet.

Liu Zichen whispered with a laugh, “What a smooth talker.”

Chen Tianyu glanced at her, “Accomplice!” He made a silly face.

Liu Zichen tossed her hair, feeling serene and deeply content.