Daechir lay back down and said no more. Shalu, having learned six months prior that the woman he loved had been captured, had tried every possible means to get transferred to the headquarters. As he was already a technician for the Illuminati, his application was quickly approved. His room was only about three hundred meters in a straight line from Daechir's stone cell. After observing the site today, he decided he could rescue her by digging a tunnel.
As soon as he returned to his apartment, he began his preparations. The biggest challenge was figuring out what to do with the excavated dirt. He was currently living in an apartment in the third building in the northwest corner. If only he could be seven buildings further down; the houses there had small gardens in their backyards where he could dispose of the dirt unnoticed. The downside was that it was farther from the stone cell, but he had no other choice.
The first step was to find someone willing to swap houses with him. Carrying a few gifts, he went to knock on the door of number ninety-three.
Knock, knock, knock. After a moment, the door opened, and a head peeked out. It was a middle-aged man. "Who are you looking for?" the man asked.
"Hello, my name is Shalu. I just moved here. I was wondering if I could discuss something with you?"
"What is it?"
"I've always loved houses with gardens. If you..." Before he could finish, the door slammed shut with a "bang."
He had no choice but to try the next house, with the same result. He continued until the fifth house. This time, an old woman opened the door. She looked Shalu up and down, a faint smile on her face. Before he could speak, she said, "Please, come in and we'll talk!"
This was the first time anyone had invited him in. Shalu was a bit surprised. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped inside. The old woman warmly invited him to sit and even brought him a cup of coffee. Shalu glanced around. The place was quite tastefully furnished. The floor was covered with a richly colored and patterned carpet, and there was a fireplace against the left white wall—a rare sight in hot Thailand, serving more as a decorative piece.
"Sir, what can I do for you?" the old woman asked.
Shalu, trying to figure out the best way to phrase his request, didn't respond immediately.
"Is something wrong?" she asked again.
"Ma'am, my request might be a bit much. I've already been turned down by several people. I hope you can give me..."
"What is it?" The old woman was slightly annoyed; she disliked this kind of beating around the bush.
Shalu explained his purpose. The old woman nodded slightly. "That is a bit much to ask." She paused for a moment, then added, "I live alone now. If you don't mind, you could move in with me."
Shalu needed to dig a tunnel to rescue someone. How could he possibly do that with another person in the house? "Ma'am, if you're willing to move out, I'm prepared to pay you three gold coins a month." He reasoned that it would only take two or three months to dig the tunnel; he had to invest some capital to save Daechir. Three gold coins were equivalent to four months of his salary.
Hearing this, the old woman grew suspicious. "What is your real motive? Can you just be honest with me?"
Shalu fell silent for a moment before telling her the truth.
"That woman is your wife?" the old woman asked.
"Yes!"
After a long pause, she said, "Alright! I will help you, but on one condition."
"Name it," Shalu said, thinking she was about to demand a fortune.
"I don't want your gold coins. I want you to keep me company every day!"
Shalu was stunned. This was usually a condition a man would propose. He understood the meaning behind the word "company." He quickly glanced at her. He hadn't taken a good look at her since he entered the house, only registering that she was older than him. The old woman was in her sixties, with a bloated figure and sallow skin. She was wearing a white sweatshirt paired with smoky-gray denim shorts, a style that completely exposed her figure's flaws. The white sweatshirt made her upper body look bulky and her limbs thick. He couldn't help but think, "So ugly!"
"Well?" the old woman pressed. "I know your secret now. Your only choice is to cooperate with me. Otherwise, you'll have to kill me to keep it."
"Fine, I agree," Shalu said, gritting his teeth.
For the next two months, Shalu worked during the day, dug the tunnel at night, and also had to serve the old woman. He lost a lot of weight and had dark circles under his eyes, yet the tunnel was only half-finished.
"Darling, don't rush. You can take your time digging," the old woman would say. Every time Shalu heard this, he wanted to die, but he could only endure it.
"I'm so tired. Can I take a break tonight?"
"You mean not dig the tunnel and just keep me company?" the old woman asked happily.
"No, I mean... our business. Can you let me rest for just one night?" Shalu's request was not granted; the old woman pulled him into bed anyway.
"How will I ever finish digging at this rate?" he couldn't help but cry out.
The old woman cooed, "Darling, are you trying to leave me sooner?"
Seeing the wrinkled face next to him on the pillow trying to act innocent, Shalu couldn't take it anymore. With a "Blargh!" he threw up his entire dinner.
"Did you eat something bad?" the old woman asked with concern, patting his back.
"I'm sick. Let me rest for two days!" Shalu seized the opportunity.
"Alright," the old woman said, hugging him tightly as if in sympathy. Shalu felt the urge to vomit again.
Later that night, while the old woman was asleep, he quietly got up and went back into the tunnel to dig. After more than half an hour, he stopped. He couldn't advance an inch further. Blocking his way were carefully laid stones.
"What in the world is this?" Shalu muttered to himself. An uneasy feeling crept into his heart. He examined the stones closely; they were clearly man-made. "Damn it!" he roared, throwing the shovel in his hand. Months of effort had been for nothing.
He returned to the bedroom. The old woman was awakened by the noise. She sat up and asked, "Darling, what's wrong?"
"Don't call me darling, you disgusting woman!"
The old woman stared at the man before her, disbelieving what she had heard. "What did you just say?" she asked again.
"I said you are a disgusting woman!" With no hope left, Shalu vented all his anger on this poor woman.
This time, she heard him clearly. The old woman covered her face and wept. "You've gone too far!"
Hearing her sobs, Shalu came to his senses. She might be old and ugly, but she still had a woman's fragile heart; she had feelings and could be hurt. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that to you."
The woman stopped crying, wiped her tears, and looked up. "What happened?"
"I'm leaving tomorrow," Shalu said, not wanting to explain further.
"Why? You don't want to dig the tunnel anymore?"
"No. Maybe I should never have started."
The old woman asked in a low voice, "Can I come with you?"
Shalu gave a bitter smile. "Did you really think I had fallen in love with you?"
"Yes," the old woman sighed. "I suppose it's time for my dream to end, too."