"Don't worry, there's no need to worry about people gossiping. Grandma won't tell anyone."

After Grandma finished speaking, she winked at the two girls and lowered her voice, "Grandma will hold the door for you!"

This top-notch listening and comprehension ability amused both Shen Li and Zhou Yang.

They naturally didn't take it seriously, and just thought the old man was funny and cute.

Chu Yang said, both amused and exasperated, "Grandma, you should rest first."

"Okay." Grandma picked up the palm-leaf fan and gently waved it.

At this moment, Lao Chu and Tony Fang were already preparing the offerings for the festival that night.

The local custom is to worship the moon. In addition to offerings of fruits, pastries, and mooncakes, chickens and geese are also killed and cooked whole in a broth.

Tony Fang was lighting a fire on the stove in the kitchen when Old Chu brought a large goose into the yard, swiftly slit its throat, and let it bleed.

Shen Li and Zhou Yang were terrified.

"You take them for a walk, we don't need your help here," Old Chu said.

Chu Yang nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go to my third uncle's house to borrow a boat first."

Then, carrying two gifts, he led Shen Li and Zhou Yang out the door, through an alley, and arrived at his third uncle's house.

My dad has two younger brothers. My second uncle's whole family lives in another city, while my third uncle's family lives in the village. They usually fish and farm, and they live a peaceful life.

After delivering the gifts and borrowing the boat, Chu Yang, carrying the engine crank, led Shen Li and Zhou Yang along the riverbank.

We arrived at a simple little dock where several small fishing boats were moored.

“This is the one.” Chu Yang jumped on and held out his hand: “Come on up.”

"Xiao Li, can you swim?" Zhou Yang was a little hesitant to go up.

"I can, Zhou Yang, don't you know how?" After saying that, Shen Li took Chu Yang's hand, jumped onto the boat, and called out, "Zhou Yang, come on up!"

Zhou Yang couldn't swim and was instinctively a little afraid of water. She said nervously, "Never mind, you guys go ahead, I'll wait for you here."

"It's alright, the boat is very safe. Unless it capsizes, you definitely won't fall into the water," Chu Yang said with a smile.

“…Okay, then you need to drive carefully.” Zhou Yang bit her lip, grabbed his hand, and bravely boarded the boat.

But as soon as you step on it, it shakes and you lose your balance and are about to fall.

In a moment of desperation, she grabbed Chu Yang and their chests pressed together.

As the warm fragrance enveloped him, Chu Yang inwardly exclaimed "Wow!" but maintained a serious expression as he helped her sit down.

Seeing this, Shen Li didn't think much of it, put her hand into the water, and exclaimed, "The water is so clear! I even saw fish!"

"Yes, I used to swim in the river a lot when I was a kid. It was so lively here in the summer." Chu Yang said with a look of reminiscence.

For him, those childhood scenes of play are now thirty years in the past.

Returning to my hometown now brings back childhood memories. Looking at the clear river, I can't help but want to dive in and swim around a few times.

However, it's no longer safe to swim in this season. Although the sky may appear to be around 30 degrees Celsius, the water is actually freezing cold. Swimming in recklessly could lead to illness or even cramps and death.

In the past, every year I would hear that someone had drowned in this river.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Chu Yang saw that Shen Li and Zhou Yang were already seated, so he untied the boat's mooring ropes, took the crank handle, went to the bow of the boat, and plugged it into the diesel engine.

Then he shouted and shook it vigorously.

The engine banged louder and louder, billowing black smoke, and soon it was fully running.

He put down the crank and slowly steered the boat away from the dock.

When I was a child, I often sneaked out to play on my third uncle's boat. I was lucky to survive, and because of that, I was often beaten by Old Chu.

However, he also developed excellent boat-driving skills.

Although many years have passed, after a little familiarization, one can quickly drive with ease and freely traverse the river.

"Chu Yang is so amazing!" Shen Li exclaimed with admiration, excited about her first boat ride. "Faster, faster!"

It was Zhou Yang's first time swimming, but she was very nervous because she couldn't swim, and she clung tightly to the edge of the boat.

"Chu Yang, slow down, slow down, you're going too fast, I can't take it!"

Chu Yang: ……(???)

That's fine, please keep calling like that and don't stop.

The sun shines brightly, the mountains are green and the water is clear, and a cool breeze caresses your face.

Such scenery is truly breathtaking.

Chu Yang knew that in a few years, this once clear river would gradually become polluted and murky.

After his grandmother passed away, he rarely returned to the countryside.

"Is it fun?" Chu Yang called out as he turned around.

"That was fun!" Shen Li raised her hand in response, her face beaming with smiles.

The feeling of speeding along the boat was much more exciting than riding a rocking horse; she loved it.

Zhou Yang gradually adapted to Chu Yang's rhythm and became more relaxed.

Looking at the beautiful scenery, she smiled contentedly.

After a while, Chu Yang reduced the boat's speed, picked up the fishing net on the boat, and was about to throw it down to see if he could catch a few fish to add to the dinner.

Just then, the sound of an engine came from not far away. Looking up, they saw another boat heading this way.

Two young men sat on the boat, each with a cigarette in their mouth, pointing and gesturing in this direction.

Chu Yang recognized them; they were the village's black chickens and salted ducks.

Black Chicken and Salted Duck are nicknames; he can't remember their original names.

These two are notorious troublemakers in the village; I've fought with them countless times when I was a kid.

I heard that they dropped out of school early and did nothing but steal and commit other petty crimes.

Chu Yang originally didn't want to pay attention to them, but then they brought their boat over.

Black Chicken chuckled and said, "Isn't this Chu Yang, the top scholar? You've become rich overnight, haven't you? What, don't you recognize us brothers?"

Chu Yang casually tossed the fishing net onto the water, saying, "Black Chicken, you're still as black as ever. And you, Duck, did you manage to marry the village beauty yet?"

The two of them burst into laughter.

"Want a good cigarette?" the Spanish man said, holding out his hand.

Chu Yang put away the fishing net, and lo and behold, he caught a small river shrimp.

He casually tossed the shrimp into the bucket, then took out two cigarettes from his pocket and tossed them over.

"This is indeed a good cigarette." Black Chicken put the cigarette in his mouth, lit it with the remaining cigarette butt, and took a satisfying puff.

"Your fishing skills are terrible," Spain mocked.

"Just playing around." Chu Yang smiled.

Then I wanted to sail away; I really didn't want to have any more interaction with those two.

Just as he placed his hand on the engine control lever, he saw them drive the boat over and block his way.

Chu Yang raised an eyebrow: "Is there anything else?"

Black Chicken chuckled and said, "Look at you! We've been childhood friends, and this is really unfair of you. You've brought two beauties on the boat, and you don't even share one with us brothers! You should have let us all enjoy them!"

Chu Yang said, "Oh, so that's what you're planning. What, you want to fight? Let's go ashore. One-on-one or all at once, I'm ready to fight to the end."