Colorful years

This rugged mountain path is nothing to the mountain people who don't carry any weight. But if they are carrying a heavy load, it is indeed very dangerous.

Zhang Zhongxian carefully stretched out one hand and firmly held onto the carrying pole and the rope connecting the water bucket, as if it were the last straw in his life.

At the same time, with the other hand, like a rock climber, one quickly grabs the seemingly unstable branches or oddly shaped rocks by the roadside to barely steady one's swaying body.

Only then did he dare to move forward slowly and cautiously, each small step feeling as if he were crossing an insurmountable chasm.

Standing not far away, Zhang Cong stared intently at his father's receding figure, a pang of sorrow gripping his heart, and tears welled up in his eyes.

However, this filial and sensible child did not choose to stay obediently in place and wait for his father to successfully cross this dangerous road before coming to his aid.

Instead, he did not hesitate to imitate his father's actions and followed closely behind him.

Because of gripping the branches and stones for a long time, Zhang Cong's tender little hands had become red and swollen, and some places even had blisters.

Large beads of sweat kept sliding down his forehead, soaking his already tattered clothes.

However, even so, he dared not relax his strength in the slightest, nor did he dare to slack off in the slightest.

He knew very well that if he were to be careless at this moment and his limbs were to weaken and he were unable to support his body, the consequences would be unimaginable—the wooden barrel full of pine resin would very likely tip over instantly, and the precious pine resin inside would spill all over the ground; and all the hard work he and his father had put in would be in vain.

Therefore, no matter how tired or painful he was, Zhang Cong gritted his teeth and persevered. His only belief was to finish the long and rugged mountain road as soon as possible and deliver the hard-won pine resin oil safely to its destination.

And so, the father and son walked and stopped, stopped and walked, for an unknown amount of time, until they finally arrived at an extremely treacherous mountain path.

This mountain road is situated between two peaks, forming a narrow canyon. Thick fog blankets the canyon, making it almost impossible to see the road ahead.

Moreover, because no one walks there for many years, the ground in the canyon is covered with rocks and thorns, and you can easily trip over them.

Zhang Zhong and Zhang Cong walked cautiously, each step filled with hardship. Their shoulders ached from the weight of the load, but they gritted their teeth and persevered.

Faced with such a treacherous mountain path, the father and son couldn't help but feel a chill. However, they showed no sign of backing down, because they knew that only by traversing this mountain path could they reach their destination.

Zhang Zhong took a deep breath to calm himself down. Then, he turned to his son and said, "Congcong, this mountain path is extremely dangerous. You must be careful. Stay behind me, and I will scout the way for you."

Zhang Cong nodded and followed closely behind his father.

Zhang Zhong took careful steps, each one firm and steady. He used his carrying pole to push aside the fog ahead, trying to see the road conditions clearly.

However, due to the thick fog, he could only see a few meters ahead.

And so, the father and son groped their way forward in the fog. Suddenly, Zhang Zhong felt the stone beneath his feet slip, and he immediately lost his balance.

Startled, he quickly reached for a nearby tree branch to steady himself. However, in his panic, he lost his grip. His body arced through the air, plummeting down into the valley below.

"Father!" Zhang Cong was shocked to see this and quickly reached out to grab his father's hand. However, his hand slipped through his father's fingers and he failed to grasp it.

At this critical moment, Zhang Zhong, relying on his years of work experience, performed an extremely dangerous maneuver in mid-air. He quickly flipped his body over so that his back was facing down.

Then, he swung the carrying pole forcefully, plunging it into the soil below. Using the pole's support, his body paused briefly in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards, he pushed off with both legs and used the force to stand up again.

"Phew..." Zhang Zhong let out a long breath, a wave of fear washing over him. He turned to look at his son, Zhang Cong, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Congcong, are you alright?" Zhang Zhong asked with concern.

"I...I'm fine," Zhang Cong replied quickly, regaining his composure.

"It's good that you're alright, let's keep going." Zhang Zhong patted the mud off his clothes and picked up his load again.

Finally, after a difficult trek, the father and son successfully completed the long downhill journey.

Standing at the end of the mountain road, looking at the familiar village ahead, they couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"Father, we're finally back!" Zhang Cong shouted excitedly.

"Yes, we're finally back." Zhang Zhong also showed a long-lost smile.