Vietnam, that godforsaken place, was sweltering like a giant steamer, making it hard to breathe. My family was dirt poor; my father was drowning in gambling debts, and my mother was bedridden with a serious illness. I felt like I'd fallen into an abyss, with no hope in sight.
That day, I was sighing and lamenting at the village entrance when Ah Wu suddenly strolled over. A cigarette dangling from his lips, he squinted at me and said, "Ah Qiang, want to go to China? Once you get to Guangxi, I'll definitely get you some food."
My heart skipped a beat, but I still hesitated: "Brother Ah Wu, is this reliable?"
Ah Wu spat and said dismissively, "Look at you! When have I, Ah Wu, ever been unreliable? But the travel expenses are considerable, equivalent to half a year's harvest for your family."
I gasped. Half a year's harvest was no small sum, but thinking of my family's situation, I gritted my teeth and decided to ignore it all.
Back home, seeing my mother, skin and bones, and my sister, her face filled with sorrow, a pang of pain shot through my heart. That night, after everyone was asleep, I quietly got up and went to the cowshed. That water buffalo was the only valuable thing we owned. I stroked its head, tears streaming down my face: "Old friend, I'm sorry, for Mother's sake, I have to sell you." My hands trembled as I received the money after selling the buffalo. This was the family's hope! Back home, I tiptoed into my mother's room. In the dim moonlight, I saw that the wrinkles on her face had deepened, and my heart ached. I carefully tucked a few crumpled Vietnamese dong bills under her pillow and whispered, "Mother, when I get to China and earn money, I'll send it back. You must take good care of yourself." The night I set off, it was dark and windy. Carrying a tattered bundle, I arrived at the agreed-upon place at the village entrance. A-Wu was already there, with a dozen or so dark figures standing beside him. I couldn't see their faces, only their heavy breathing. A-Wu glanced at me and whispered, "Everyone's here. Let's go."
Like a group of ghosts, we silently slipped into the reeds. The reed leaves stung my face, but I didn't care. I was tense and afraid, wondering what awaited me.
As we walked, the people in front suddenly stopped. A-Wu cursed under his breath, "Be damn careful, don't make a sound!" My heart tightened, and I didn't dare breathe. I vaguely heard movement in the distance, like someone patrolling. After a while, A-Wu waved and said, "Keep going."
Finally, we reached the border river. The water shimmered eerily in the moonlight, like a giant black serpent. A-Wu pointed to several broken bamboo rafts on the riverbank and said, "Take these to the other side. Don't move, follow my instructions." Once on the raft, it swayed precariously, and my heart pounded. A-Wu rowed, muttering, "Behave yourselves. If we're discovered, nobody's going to escape!" The raft moved slowly across the river, eerily quiet except for the sound of the flowing water. Suddenly, the raft lurched violently, and someone nearly fell in, letting out a cry. A-Wu growled in a low voice, "Shut up! Don't you want to live?" Finally, after a long and difficult crossing, I breathed a sigh of relief, but A-Wu said again, "Don't be too happy yet, there's still a long way to go. Stay close!" We walked for a long time in the dark through the mountains, and my legs felt like they weren't even mine anymore. Finally, I saw lights flickering in the distance. A-Wu said, "We're here. Find a place to hide first, we'll assign you tasks tomorrow." This journey had been incredibly dangerous. I don't know what the future holds, but I know that for my family's sake, there's no turning back. The cost of smuggling is too high, but I have no choice but to grit my teeth and keep going, hoping to find a way to survive in China.