Alaska Gold Rush Diary

"Stop hitting him, let him go. I'll pay for what he stole."

Edward walked up to the three men who were still brutally attacking him.

Upon hearing his words, the three men stopped what they were doing.

"Do you know this thief?" a man asked, looking puzzled.

"I don't know him, but I think he only stole a few things, he shouldn't have been beaten so badly."

The man snorted and said, "Stole something? This is the fourth time he's stolen. This time I have to teach him a lesson!"

Seeing that the man was still pressing the issue, Edward added, "What did he steal from you? How much did it cost? I'll pay for it, but you can't hit him anymore."

Just as the man was about to answer, the boy on the ground, taking advantage of the distraction, suddenly scrambled to his feet and ran outside as fast as he could.

"Ugh, that damn brat, let's go after him!"

Just as the man was about to give chase with his companion, Edward grabbed him.

"Forget it, I've said it so many times, I'll give you the money back, then don't chase after me anymore!"

Although the man was a little annoyed, getting his losses back was clearly a better option than beating up the thief to vent his anger.

But when he said the amount, Edward and Zhou Xin behind him were both stunned.

Because the amount he mentioned was 40 Guilder, which is about 2000 US dollars.

"What exactly did he steal from you?" Edward asked curiously.

Upon hearing his question, the man's face immediately turned fierce: "Why are you asking so many questions? Since you said you'd pay for him, just hurry up and hand over the money!"

Edward was about to argue with them when Zhou Xin stopped him and gestured for him to give them the money.

Now that the two of them have just arrived here and are unfamiliar with the place, it's best to avoid causing trouble if the problem can be solved with money.

Although it seems the two of them were killed, they were, after all, the ones who meddled in this mess.

Upon hearing Zhou Xin's offer, Edward reluctantly handed over the money, and the three of them left after receiving it.

Zhou Xin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that things hadn't escalated.

After this incident, the two continued strolling around the indigenous market.

They met a farmer selling mules and asked about the price. They learned that an adult mule cost 360000 Guilder Dollars, which is about 1700 US dollars.

"That money was enough to buy a mule. They're practically robbing us," Edward said, feeling resentful.

"Forget it, in our Chinese way of saying it, just consider it money spent to avert future disasters."

The two did not buy the mules immediately. They planned to go back and sort through all the goods before deciding how many mules to buy based on their weight.

The two then continued their search for treasures in the market, but to Zhou Xin's disappointment, there seemed to be nothing worth buying except for mules.

Although there were indeed a few stalls selling some medicinal herbs, they were all common herbs and there were no medicines specifically for bites from poisonous insects and snakes.

It seems we'll still have to rely on disinfectant and anti-inflammatory drugs.

However, the two didn't leave empty-handed; they casually bought some food from a local stall.

I used this opportunity to chat with the indigenous vendors, asking them about rainforest survival, and I learned quite a bit.

For example, a stall owner taught them a method for treating bee stings: apply the white sap that flows from the cut surface of a certain plant to the sting, and it will heal in a few hours.

Another stall owner introduced them to some local spices that can be found in the jungle, which can greatly enhance the flavor of food.

I wandered around the indigenous market for a long time, but I didn't buy anything useful. However, I bought a lot of food and other miscellaneous things.

The two carried their bags and packages back to the hotel.

As Zhou Xin walked along a secluded street by the river, his brow suddenly furrowed, and his eyes caught sight of a somewhat familiar figure.

This is a very small bridge spanning the river; the lower half of the bridge arch is submerged in the water.

A simple platform was built out of wood in the space above the water, with rags hanging at both ends, forming a habitable space inside.

A thin figure waded through the river to the bridge arch and then climbed up a rope hanging from above.

That figure belonged to the boy who had been beaten up for stealing things at the indigenous market earlier.

Edward followed his gaze and saw this scene. Both of them were very curious, so they walked onto the bridge.

Leaning out of the bridge, one could barely make out what was inside the archway.

It was a place that probably shouldn't be called a dwelling; a few planks of wood were propped up on the water, damp and slippery.

On the wooden board was a bed pieced together from cardboard boxes and foam. The bed was barely dry, and on it lay a shivering, emaciated woman.

Besides that, there was nothing else inside.

The boy walked to the bedside and took out the stolen item from his pocket.

"Mom, look, I brought you your medicine!"

The woman he called "Mom" jolted, suddenly sitting up in bed, her face full of excitement and longing.

"Quick, give me the medicine!" She practically snatched the medicine from the boy's hand.

When she opened the package, diluted the contents with trembling hands, injected it into her body, and then collapsed onto the bed with an expression of extreme satisfaction and pleasure on her face, Zhou Xin and Edward were stunned.

No wonder those people asked for $2000; it turns out the boy risked his life to steal drugs.

After the injection, the woman's eyes became incredibly vacant, and she lay motionless on the bed as if her soul had left her body.

The boy's face showed an expression of extreme pain, and tears kept rolling down his cheeks.

Zhou Xin and Edward had a pretty good idea of ​​what had happened.

The boy and his drug-addicted mother depend on each other for survival. To alleviate his mother's suffering, he risks stealing drugs from drug dealers for her to use.

Judging from his mother's appearance, she was practically halfway into her coffin.

The boy wiped away his tears, carefully covered his stunned mother with the blanket, and then put away the remaining drugs.

"You're not helping your mother, you're hurting her."

Upon hearing the voice from above, the boy shuddered and looked up alertly.

Only when he realized that the speaker was the man who had just stopped the drug dealer from beating him did the wariness on his face disappear.

"But I can't help it, I can't bear to see her in so much pain!" The boy's face showed a weariness that was beyond his years.

"She's satisfied now, but her life will quickly dissipate with each injection. Look at her now, can she even be considered alive?" Zhou Xin said, pointing to the woman on the bed.

The boy looked at his mother, then clutched his head in anguish.

"I know, I know this is hurting her, but she's suffering so much, and I don't have the money to send her to rehab!"

Just then, the woman who had been satisfied on the bed slowly regained her senses, and she finally saw the marks on her son's face and arms.

"Alo, were you hit? I'm sorry, it's all my fault, I'm so sorry!"

As the woman spoke, she lifted the boy's clothes again, and sure enough, she saw more scars.

The woman was in tears, her heart gradually breaking down.