The setting sun shone through the endless drizzle at dusk. The rare sunshower did little to excite Cheng Yu and Niu Ba, since persistent drizzle was the most irritating kind of rain, especially for travelers like them.
Every step Niu Ba took splashed up a little mud.
"Ugh!! This feels awful! How much longer until we reach the Skywalk?"
Niu Ba's young voice rang out.
Cheng Yu stroked Niu Ba's head and said helplessly,
"If you ran at full speed, Niu Niu, another day and a half. But with our usual schedule and the roads in this condition, I'm afraid it'll take two more days."
Two streams of white vapor puffed from Niu Ba's nostrils. It was hard to tell whether he was trying to rally himself or was simply furious with the weather.
Cheng Yu soothed Niu Ba and continued,
"I know you're uncomfortable, Niu Niu. How about this? I'll leave the choice to you. If you want to keep going all the way, we will. If you want to stop and rest, we'll find somewhere to pitch a tent and light a campfire to dry ourselves off."
As he walked, Niu Ba seemed to ponder Cheng Yu's suggestion.
After a while, Niu Ba shook his head and said,
"Then I'll keep going. I'm afraid that if I stop to rest, I won't want to move again."
Cheng Yu stroked Niu Ba's head and said,
"All right, then. But tell me whenever you're tired. Whoever else suffers, it shouldn't be you, right?"
Niu Ba turned his head aside.
"What kind of talk is that? The Old Ancestor said we must uphold our clan's spirit of hard work and fearlessness in the face of hardship. How can we settle for comfort over a little difficulty? You need to change that