In this star anise forest, my fellow villagers and I gritted our teeth and toiled for half a month. Every day, we went up the mountain before dawn and didn't come down until completely dark. Our hands were covered in red welts from the spiciness of the star anise leaves, and the skin had peeled off in several layers. But thinking of earning some money to send home, we endured it all.
That day, the snakehead, A-Wu, suddenly appeared, a malicious smile on his face. In his hoarse voice, he said, "Brothers, you've done a good job these past few days! I'm planning to take you to a big city; you can earn more money there, and the work is easier."
Everyone perked up at this. Someone asked, "Brother Wu, what big city is it? Is it really as good as you say?" A-Wu patted his chest and guaranteed, "Of course it is! When you get there, you'll know what a good life is like. But you'll need some travel expenses. Hand over your wages for the next two weeks as travel expenses. Once you get there, we'll immediately arrange work and you'll make big money!"
I hesitated a bit. Half a month's wages, just handing it over like that? What if it's a scam? But seeing everyone else readily handing over their money, and thinking that maybe there really was a good future, I gritted my teeth and handed over my wages too.
A-Wu, after collecting the money, smiled smugly and said, "Okay, we'll leave tonight." In the evening, a sputtering tricycle pulled up in front of the shed. A-Wu waved and said, "Get on, everyone, we're leaving now."
We all squeezed onto the tricycle, full of anticipation for the big city we were about to enter. The tricycle bumped and rattled along, making a screeching sound, swaying and staggering forward in the darkness. At first, everyone was excitedly discussing what the big city was like, but gradually, drowsiness crept in, and one by one, they all fell asleep.
I don't know how much time passed, but I was awakened by a gust of cold wind. Opening my eyes, I found myself surrounded by darkness. The tricycle was gone; we had been abandoned by the roadside. I quickly woke the others, but they all looked at each other blankly.
"What happened? Where's Brother Wu?" someone asked in a panic. But no one could answer him. It was quiet all around, except for the occasional chirping of insects. Some lights flickered in the distance, but we had no idea where we were.
I stood up and looked around, finding only half a crumpled pack of cigarettes in my pocket. I tried calling out a few times, but only empty echoes answered me. Just then, a few locals approached, speaking Chinese that I couldn't understand. My heart skipped a beat, and I gestured to ask them where we were, but they just shook their heads, seemingly not understanding what I was saying either.
Everyone panicked, not knowing what to do. We were penniless, in an unfamiliar place, and couldn't speak the language. The thought of being swindled out of our hard-earned wages from Ah Wu for half a month filled us with anger and resentment.
But what good was anger? Our immediate priority was survival. I looked at everyone and said, "Brothers, don't panic. Let's find somewhere to get some food first, then we'll figure out how to earn money." Everyone nodded, but their eyes still held confusion and helplessness.
We walked along the road for what seemed like forever until we saw a small restaurant. I mustered my courage and went inside, telling the owner in broken Chinese that we had no money, but we could work in exchange for food. The owner looked us over, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Alright, you guys clean this place first, then I'll get you something to eat."
We grabbed at this like a lifeline, quickly picking up brooms and mops and getting to work with all our might. After cleaning, the boss brought us several bowls of steaming noodles. Eating the noodles, I was filled with mixed emotions, thinking about everything that had happened along the way, and tears almost welled up in my eyes.
But I knew I couldn't let myself be defeated like this. Although Ah Wu had cheated me out of my wages, I still had my hands and my strength. I was determined to find a way to make a living in this unfamiliar place, and I was determined to give my family a better life. After finishing the noodles, I silently vowed that I would never trust others so easily again, and that I would rely on my own efforts to create a better future for myself.