অধ্যায় একশো ছেচল্লিশ: শহরের বাইরের স্বদেশী ভাইয়েরা
“ছোট বোন, খাও; ক্ষুধার্ত থেকো না, তোমার ছোট বোনের জন্যও তো বেঁচে থাকতে হবে……”
পর It's morning, ten field army soldiers in disguise followed Iron Nose's instructions, scattering across various cities of the Water River Kingdom to visit the local residents in order to gather more detailed information about the kingdom.
Iron Nose left the city under the pretext of “appreciating the magnificent mountains and rivers of the Water River Kingdom” and came to the “Mud Matchbox Slum” he had reached yesterday morning, attempting to obtain information inside the city that could not be detected otherwise.
“You are? My benefactor?”
The little girl’s face was pale, but she looked somewhat better than she did yesterday.
Seeing this, Iron Nose took out some food and milk from his inventory, and gently said to the little girl:
“How was your day yesterday?”
Watching the little girl feed her sister milk, along with the scene from yesterday where she wept bitterly over her mother’s corpse, involuntarily reminded Iron Nose of himself before he arrived in the Cube Kingdom. Back then, he was just like this little girl—his father was gone, his village was destroyed, leaving only despair, pain, and helplessness……
He couldn't help but develop a complex emotion toward this little girl whom he had only met once, feeling as though, “She is just like my former self.”
“Little girl, would you be interested in living in the Cube Kingdom?”
Walking up to the little girl and gently touching her head, which was covered in short blue hair, Iron Nose spoke thus.
Back then, he had been brought into the Cube Kingdom by His Majesty and Sister Linye before gaining a new lease on life. Now, seeing this little girl whose misfortune mirrored his own, Iron Nose wanted to extend the kindness and profound opportunity bestowed upon him by His Majesty onto her.
To bring her into the Cube Kingdom, allowing her to receive an education and experience happiness.
Just as Sister Linye had treated him back then……
“Cube…… Kingdom?”
The young girl, who had been nibbling in small bites, paused for a moment and asked in a soft, bewildered voice.
“Mhm, the Cube Kingdom. It is a wonderful society unlike any place here.”
Iron Nose patted his head; he had forgotten that the people here had no idea what the Cube Kingdom was.
“Brother…… what kind of place is that?”
The little girl’s personality matched her voice, gentle and frail.
“It is a wondrous and beautiful fairyland where no one suffers from hunger or cold, and everyone is equal. People can create the value of their lives through their own labor. There are loving and united compatriots who help one another, and there is His Majesty, in whom I believe…… That is my motherland, and there are people I love there……”
What was the Cube Kingdom? Iron Nose unconsciously began to voice the Cube Kingdom that existed within his own heart.
“That sounds truly beautiful……”
Having experienced how cruel survival could be, the little girl’s eyes shone with a yearning look upon hearing Iron Nose’s description of the Cube Kingdom, yet she did not answer him directly.
“What about my little sister? Can the uncles and aunts here come along too……”
“Your sister can come with you, but there is nothing I can do for the others.”
Iron Nose also wished he could take these tragic compatriots away from this kingdom he detested, allowing them to be bathed in the warm light of the Cube Kingdom.
However, he had not yet figured out why the Water River Kingdom restricted its compatriots outside the city walls, and taking too many people at once could easily lead to trouble. Moreover, the journey to the Cube Kingdom was long, and the team's material supplies had their limits; he simply lacked the capacity to carry too many people.
“So that’s how it is……”
Upon receiving Iron Nose’s definitive reply, the little girl fell silent.
“Don’t rush…… Think about it carefully first. I will come back tonight, and you can give me your answer then.”
Making such a choice for a young girl was indeed painful, but it was something everyone had to face in life.
Seeing the little girl hesitating, Iron Nose did not pressure her. He decided to go gather information first and return to find her in the afternoon.
“Excuse me, sir, how are you doing here?”
Disguised in blue cloth garments, the field army soldier Xiao Li approached a person by the roadside to inquire about the situation.
“Quite good, actually? May I help you with something?”
The intercepted gentleman wore a puzzled expression, his words tinged with a sense of bafflement.
“Oh, sir, nothing major. I was just asking out of curiosity. You may be on your way……”
Watching yet another citizen of the Water River Kingdom depart, Xiao Li felt a mild headache coming on.
Department Head Iron Nose had said that under such tyrannical rule, the citizens living here certainly could not be happy.
Yet, after questioning several people in succession, the replies were uniformly positive—“pretty good,” “great,” “wonderful”—completely contrary to Iron Nose’s deductions.
“Excuse me, sir, could I take a moment of your time? How do you feel about living here……”
Xiao Li began to question the next passerby.
Similar scenes were playing out in other corners of the city, where the remaining nine field army soldiers were carrying out the same mission.
“Elderly one, why do you live here?”
Handing a baked potato to the old man sitting blankly on a wooden half-slab, Iron Nose expressed his confusion in a friendly manner.
“Life…… what life is there to speak of……”
The old man did not answer Iron Nose’s question, nor did he accept the food offered to him, simply repeating his previous words in a daze.
Clearly, he had been deeply provoked by Iron Nose’s question.
“Alas!”
Seeing this, Iron Nose could only sigh at the coldness of the world; the old man’s mental state had most likely been driven to this point by the Water River Kingdom.
He could only comfort the traumatized old man, leave the food behind, and turn to find someone else to question.
“My friend, why don’t you leave this place?”
“The Water River Kingdom does not permit it……”
Not permitted? Could it be that just because it wasn't permitted, they would simply stay here and wait for death? Could they not escape?
After asking several people and receiving the same reply, Iron Nose found it hard to believe. They were human beings with intelligence; all they needed to do was run outward into the vast, boundless land where no bird could be caught, and the Water River Kingdom would never be able to find them.
“My friend, why care about what the Water River Kingdom says? Does whatever they utter make it absolute law? If they tell you to die, do you simply go and die?”
Seeing that the young man before him appeared mentally sound and unlikely to be easily provoked, Iron Nose felt it necessary to teach him about freedom and equality.
“The great king and prophet—Mo Fangyuan, once said: Walk your own path, and let others talk!”
“We came here voluntarily……”
The young man, who was tightly clutching his robe, merely uttered those words softly.
“……What? Voluntarily?!”
Now it was Iron Nose’s turn to be shocked. With this ghostly existence where one could freeze to death or go hungry, were there actually people who came voluntarily?
“The village has to choose a few people to live here every year. I was drawn, so I came here……”
Under Iron Nose’s repeated persuasion, the young man began to reveal his experiences.