Chapter 78 She felt even more bitter than a half-ripe melon.
The man groaned as he was hit, but he didn't stop what he was doing, desperately paddling towards the bamboo raft.
Seeing that the two-legged creatures were so stubborn, the giant carp became ferocious, lost its passion, and disregarded its own life.
It plunged headfirst into the riverbed, then violently thrashed its tail as it rushed toward the surface.
With a "splash," the large carp leaped high out of the water and slammed hard onto the man's head with a thud.
Xie Mianmian, who was originally fleeing for her life, stopped rowing, staring in disbelief, and exclaimed sincerely, "The big carp is really amazing!"
The man was so disoriented from being hit that he could only lean back against the bamboo pole extended by his companion to keep his mouth and nose barely above the water.
The crisis was over, and the five small bamboo rafts, full of children, were safely brought to the shore.
The Seventh Prince pulled Xie Mianmian ashore, and then untied the ropes for the other children one by one, until everyone landed safely.
The riverbanks here are overgrown with weeds and bushes, deserted and quiet.
Suddenly, a burst of light and a cacophony of shouts came from not far away. Xie Mianmian listened carefully and realized that the person was calling her name.
Xie Mianmian looked at the Seventh Prince with surprise, "Someone has come looking for us."
Then he shouted in that direction, "Mianmian is here!"
The Seventh Prince put the butterfly hairpin from his sleeve back into Xie Mianmian's hair.
The pure white moonlight shone on the fluttering butterflies, making them appear like deities, and the children in the field gazed at them with fascination.
After that, the butterfly often appeared in their dreams, guiding them out of their predicament.
I also often recall that night of redemption, and the two legendary figures of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The flames drew closer, led by Xie's father. Upon seeing Xie Mianmian, he immediately rushed over and tightly embraced the unharmed child.
Before Xie Mianmian could speak, she was enveloped in a warm and comforting embrace. Her father held her so tightly that her chubby little face was squished together.
Hearing her father calling her name repeatedly in her ear, his voice hoarse, "Mianmian, Mianmian..."
Xie Mianmian hugged him tightly, "Father, I'm not dead."
Eunuch Li also rushed over, brushing the dust off the Seventh Prince's clothes with his whisk, and said anxiously, "Oh dear, this old servant is so worried! Is Your Highness alright?"
The seventh prince shook his head, then ordered his men to take good care of the children and send them back.
Xie Mianmian lifted her head from her father's arms and began to complain, telling him everything that had just happened.
"That place is just bad!" the child said angrily.
"Fine, I'll go settle accounts with them right now!" How dare they bully his daughter and harm innocent children! That village head's job is over.
Father Xie picked up the child, put her on his arm, and led the group hurriedly toward Xiahe Village.
Before long, a large crowd of people knelt on the riverbank where the sacrificial ceremony had just taken place.
Xie's father surveyed the villagers and asked sternly, "Where is the village head?"
The village head knelt down, trembling, and cried out, "My lord, spare our lives! It was that monk who said that Xiahe Village would be flooded, and if we didn't offer five pairs of young boys and girls as sacrifices to the River God, everyone in the village would die!"
The village head looked back and searched for a long time, only to find that the monk was gone!
He panicked. "I'm innocent, sir! It was all that monk's idea. I did it all for everyone's good, to save Xiahe Village!"
Enraged, Xie's father kicked him hard in the chest, not wanting to listen to his nonsense. "There are many ways to avoid disaster, but you chose the most cruel and foolish one. You are selfish and cowardly!"
The village head lay on the ground, as still as a chicken.
Father Xie took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He said to the villagers kneeling on the ground, "A dam and sluice gate will be built upstream of this river. Once they are built, the river water will be controlled, and there will never be any serious floods again. Please rest assured and don't do anything foolish again."
The villagers below looked at each other, but no one spoke. The parents, still holding their children who had been lost and found, said excitedly, "Thank you so much, sir!"
The villagers then understood and expressed their gratitude.
What needed to be said has already been said. The law does not punish the masses. Xie's father ordered his men to arrest the main culprits and send them to the Dali Temple, but the monk and his accomplices had disappeared without a trace.
Xie Mianmian obediently hugged her father's neck, not making a fuss. The child saw the old woman, whose arms were being held down by the guards, and she was kneeling on the ground.
Her eyes were lifeless, her face expressionless, neither happy nor sad, as if she had a sense of powerlessness as she watched the world collapse and was unable to stop it.
Xie Mianmian felt that she was very bitter, even more bitter than half-cooked melon, which children hate the most.
The child remembered the little girl whose face was so thin that only her eyes were visible. Xie Mianmian didn't understand why she would crave a bowl of beaten egg.
But generally speaking, the little girl also suffered greatly.
Xie Mianmian gently shook her arm, "Father, please let her go."
Looking into the child's innocent eyes, Xie's father remembered that the old woman had initially genuinely helped them. Even the most hateful person has a pitiable side. He sighed and waved his hand, signaling to release the child.
The old woman, who thought she wouldn't live any longer, heard the child's words, which were like heavenly music. She had been in despair, thinking that if she died, her daughter Sanya wouldn't be able to live either.
To everyone's surprise, this nobleman kindly let her go.
The old woman knelt upright with her hunched body, kowtowed deeply in Xie Mianmian's direction, and remained standing for a long time.
She thought that kind-hearted people deserve a happy and long life.
On the carriage back to the city, Xie's father watched as Xie Mianmian showed no signs of being traumatized by the kidnapping and sacrifice, chattering away the whole way.
"My child has such a big heart," Xie's father remarked.
Xie Mianmian took a bite of the pastry and said, "That's right, Father, the groundhog said that the Jingyun River is not just a flood, it's an earthquake!"
Upon hearing these startling words, Mr. Xie nearly spat out his tea.
"Is this true?" The last word, "true," trembled slightly.
"It's true. Mianmian will find out where that earth dragon is later, and then Mianmian will make it not to roll over, or roll over gently."
Xie Mianmian gave me a look that said, "Don't be afraid, I'll take care of everything."
Mr. Xie, both amused and exasperated, explained to the child what "earth dragon turning over" meant.
Xie's father firmly believed this.
Because of Xie Mianmian's words, Xie's father rushed back to his office that night, gathered his team, and discussed the matter all night.
He reported to the emperor in court, "According to my observations, there are unusual weather phenomena, and many sensitive animals are showing signs of fleeing. We must be wary of an earthquake."
The emperor stroked his beard and nodded, entrusting Xie's father with full authority over the matter.
He knew it was the child Mianmian who had predicted it. That little girl's future was immeasurable. The emperor waved his hand and bestowed many gifts upon the child, mainly some exquisite and delicious food, catering to her tastes.
Xie Mianmian, who was staying at home, suddenly felt incredibly lucky, as if a pie had fallen from the sky. She took a bite here and a bite there, and even shared it with her friends.
Xie Mianmian, holding a plate in her hand, called out to the three animals not far away, "Catch it!"
Then, she picked up a piece of cheese with her little hand and threw it forcefully into the air in front of her.
The black wolf stretched its shoulders back, stuck out its rear end, and launched itself forward, but its sharp teeth missed their mark. It bared its teeth and looked to the side.
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