The path through the forest was not easy to traverse; stumbling and bumping into things was par for the course. Sometimes, beneath the leaves, you never knew what might be lurking.
Even drinking water required utmost caution; they could only glance at the mountain springs.
This place was indeed very primitive.
While it wasn't to the extent that they couldn't survive, their pride, at the very least, had been thoroughly crushed.
All those moments when they felt satisfied with themselves turned out to be illusions; they were just nobodies, assessment complete.
"Alright, I'll go see if there's any spring water, you start the fire," Bai Dan said, exhausted in both body and spirit.
Many years later, when they had become the exemplary children in other people's eyes, hearing praises would only make them say, "No, no, no, I'm not good enough."
And it was true; they weren't good enough. Just stepping into the forest had them thoroughly outmatched.
