Chapter 43(1)
Seeing her sister was really sad, Xiaohua quickly comforted her: "It's okay, you can eat it when you come back for the New Year. It's not like you're going to the ends of the earth and never coming back, so it seems a bit hypocritical to say this."
"Of course you think it's hypocritical. It's not like you're going to be away from home for that long."
"Why don't you not go? We can go to the commune together to attend junior high school next year."
"No way." Dahua looked up with a face full of longing: "I want to practice gymnastics, I want to participate in competitions, I want to be a world champion."
"Okay, sister, you are so ambitious. When I get into college, I will go to watch your games."
"Well, let's meet in Beijing later. Mom said that if you join the national team, you will be in Beijing, and you can also apply to a university in Beijing. Then we can be together again."
"Okay, I'll try my best."
The two young ladies set their life goals here, and Gu Yan felt relieved listening to them. Where there is a will, there is a way. These two kids are very tenacious. Only with perseverance can you achieve your goal.
"Brother, big brother, Gu Yan..."
Hearing someone calling from behind, they turned around and saw Li Zhongxia's sister holding the youngest child behind them. This time the woman confirmed it and quickened her pace as she approached.
"Oh, it's really you!" The younger sister of the Li family has admired her older brother since she was a child, but he left home at a young age and they rarely met afterwards. I heard suddenly that my eldest brother had returned, so I took advantage of the market to ask my mother-in-law to go back to her house to visit him. Unexpectedly, I met him on the way.
"I just heard you got married yesterday. Mom must be so happy. When did you come back? Will you leave again?"
"I'm not leaving. I'll stay in the team from now on."
"Ah!" After being surprised, the woman immediately changed the subject. "Then mom will definitely be happy. She has been talking about you all these years. Now that you are by her side, the old lady must be very happy."
The sister-in-law looked at her brother with admiration on her face and just smiled without saying anything. He took out a piece of biscuit from his pocket and gave it to his sister-in-law's child, and they walked back together.
It's naturally lively when I get home. Li Bailu married far away, and in that era when there was no means of transportation, she had to take care of the household with her children and often could not come back for a month or two.
"Mom, I've got a piece of blue cloth for you to make a jacket."
Gu Yan handed Niu Niu over to Li Zhongxia and let the mother and daughter have a good chat. She went out to her private plot and picked some beans, eggplants and cucumbers to cook.
It's not easy for my sister-in-law to come over, so let's eat something delicious today. Add a little bean flour or corn flour to the white flour, add cold water and knead it into a smooth dough. Set aside to rise before rolling out the noodles.
Dice the eggplant, beans and tomatoes, add lard and stir-fry into sauce. Old farmers don’t have enough meat coupons for half a pound per person per year, and they have to be lucky to buy fatty meat. There is nothing to eat in the hot summer. She left this behind during the Chinese New Year. This time I took them all out and fried them.
"It smells so good, why does it smell like meat?" Li Zhongxia carried Niu Niu out and sniffed curiously.
"Lard left over from last year."
"Mom, hold me." Niu Niu was eager to go as soon as she saw her. Just now, Li Zhongxia brought her out because she couldn't coax her in the house anymore.
"Okay, wait for mom to wash her hands!"
"Want some noodles tonight?"
Gu Yan nodded, wiped his hands and brought his daughter over. Li Zhongxia took the apron and said, "I'll roll the noodles, you play with her for a while. Bailu said she has to go back today. Make it quickly and let her have a bowl. I'll go and see them off."
"Oh. Why don't you stay for a day? It's not easy to get here."
"She said she couldn't leave home, and she told her mother-in-law that she would go back today."
"Your sister is just too soft-hearted. She listens to her mother-in-law in everything. She never stays overnight every time she comes. She always rushes back home on the night walk. She only comes back once every few months. What's wrong with staying for a few days? Her mother-in-law is a tiger aunt. She's so afraid of her."
Li Zhongxia smiled and talked to her while kneading the dough. "Everyone has a different personality. Bailu has been soft-tempered since she was a child. My mother always taught her to follow her husband wherever he goes, to be filial to her parents-in-law, and to get along well with her sisters-in-law. Isn't this how she became?"
"My daughter must not do this." After saying that, he kissed the one in his arms. "Even if you become a naughty girl, you can't be a soft-hearted kid. Honey, you listen to your mother and do whatever you want. No one can control your will."
"Hehe..." Li Zhongxia laughed softly. It is said that a niece resembles her aunt, and his daughter's personality is really like his sister. However, Gu Yan's educational method is completely different from his mother's. He hopes that his daughter can be as independent-minded and have her own ideas as Dahua and Xiaohua in the future, and not be easily influenced by others.
After rolling the noodles, Gu Yan asked the two sisters to eat first. It was past five o'clock, so they should leave quickly after eating. Maybe they could reach her in-laws' house before dark.
At night, put the elderly and children to bed. Gu Yan glanced at Niu Niu beside him and looked at his watch again. It was almost ten o'clock. Li Zhongxia had been in the army for many years and his walking speed was very fast. Why hasn't this come back yet?
Just as I was worried, a man pushed the door open. Army green trousers and white short-sleeved shirt, he looks handsome and elegant with a hint of toughness. The contradictory temperaments blend together perfectly.
"Is there something wrong with Bailu? Why are you back so late?"
"No. I'll go..." The hands behind the back suddenly stretched to the chest, revealing the bright red color hidden inside. "There are no red roses, please don't despise me, Shandandan."
Gu Yan sat down on the edge of the kang and took the mountain flower. Her big eyes lit up like stars in the night sky, and her lips curved into a smile as bright as a flower.
"You're picking flowers so late at night?"
"You like it, don't you?"
"How do you know?"
"Roses, baby's breath, wild ginger... there are always flowers in the house. If I can't even tell this, then I'm stupid."
"Hehe..." The woman laughed happily, put her arms around her husband and kissed him with her red lips. I'm not stupid, it's just that most men don't have this kind of heart. You may take the trouble to create romance when you are in love, but once you are married, there is no need for that. As her bestie's husband said, who feeds the fish in the net?
The next day, Gu Yan took a leave to help his daughter pack her things. Single clothes, padded clothes, inner and outer clothes, all were taken out one by one.
Afraid that the clothes would be too small to wear, she took out the things she needed, took the clothes apart and prepared to join them together. This operation was a common practice among rural people during this period. After cutting it open subconsciously, she suddenly slapped herself.
"How silly! All these years have conditioned us. My daughter is going to go to the provincial sports school. If she meets someone from a wealthy family, she will be laughed at for wearing these two-piece clothes."
Throwing the old one into the space, she took out a piece of plaid cotton cloth, spread it neatly on the kang, and cut it an inch larger than the previous one with a chalk line.
"Xiaohua, Xiaohua, Gu Yantong, where are you?"
"I'm here. Mom, why are you looking for me?" Xiaohua came over from the main room holding Niuniu. As soon as she entered the room, she was attracted by the cotton cloth on the kang. "This floral fabric is elegant and beautiful. What are you going to do?"
"Make a cotton-padded jacket for your sister. You go outside and let me watch over you. I'll use the sewing machine. Otherwise, it's too slow to do it manually. If you like it, I'll make it for you too."
"I got it. You make it for your sister first and let her take it with her when she leaves. Just take a piece of mine." Xiaohua carried Niuniu out. The little one was a little reluctant to leave her mother. Gu Yan came over and gave her a kiss, "Go play with your sister, mom will accompany you after she's done."
"Good." The child has made a lot of progress these days. Probably because I communicate more, my pronunciation is clearer than before and my comprehension ability is much better.
When Li Zhongxia got off work at noon, Dahua's new cotton-padded jacket had been completed. For lunch, Xiaohua and her sister worked together to make rice grits, dip green onions and cucumbers in sauce, and eat them with pickles.
After dinner, Gu Yan sent the children to take a nap and went to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. There are many trees in and outside the yard, and the chirping of cicadas on the branches is disturbing. Some naughty boys used a long bamboo pole to tie a bag to make a net, and would specifically go there at noon to catch this thing. When I came back, I plucked the wings and roasted them over the fire. When they were cooked, I picked out the meat inside to eat.
The two children from the east room were looking for silkworm shells everywhere. They are medicinal herbs and can be sold for money. Or you can find the larvae that have just emerged from the ground at night, roast them and eat them with their skin and flesh.
"Gu Yanxi where are you going?"
Gu Yan turned around when she heard the voice, only to see her daughter bending over as if she was about to run away. When I heard my father calling, I turned around with a bitter face.
"Dad, you're so..." He didn't know what words to use halfway through his sentence. "Dad, what did you do before? Did my mom assign this job to you because she knew you could keep an eye on us?"
Li Zhongxia still had that calm and indifferent look on her face. He pointed at the door curtain and said, "Go back to your room and sleep. It's easy to get heatstroke if you go out to play in the middle of the day on a hot day. Your mother is worried about you."
"No, okay." Little Gu Yanxi looked around, his big eyes full of longing. Is that the net bag on the tree in the distance belonging to my friends? How many cicadas do they plan to catch today? The girl felt very anxious and stamped her feet while biting her lips.
"Dad, I want to be an athlete in the future. Do athletes have to avoid cold and hot weather when training and competing? My mom herself said that you should train in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer. This is just a little exercise, why don't you let me go? I didn't say anything when I sneaked out before."
Li Zhongxia thought for only a second and then pointed at the street door. The little girl was so happy that she wanted to cheer, but she quickly covered her mouth after a moment, giggled, and quickly disappeared into the yard on tiptoe.
The man smiled and shook his head, then turned and went to the kitchen: "Let the child play for a while, we will be leaving in two days."
"You little bastard, you've been acting crazy all day. You're leaving soon, but you don't even say you'll spend more time with your mom."
"She's still young. When she becomes a mother, she will understand how you feel right now. Then she will definitely hug you and say sorry."
"Ah! You little bastard."
I prepared luggage for my daughter and placed the money she brought in five or six places. Li Zhongxia sent her to the provincial capital. Before leaving, Gu Yan packed the dry food he had prepared for them.
"When you are away from home, be careful about everything. If you have any questions, write a letter or send a telegram home. Don't be impatient when encountering problems. Get along well with others. I won't offend others unless they offend me..."
"Oh, Mom, I remember it all. You're so long-winded. You've said it several times."
Gu Yan raised his hand and gave the little girl a slap: "How can you talk to your mother like that? Mom is worried about you. Let someone else come and see me say no to her."
Dahua reached out and hugged her mother's arm: "I know, mom is the best."
"Okay, let's go. The carriage is waiting outside." Gu Yan reached out and hugged his daughter, "Write to me if you miss me!"
Li Zhongxia carried the bag and looked at his wife with a doting yet helpless smile. This woman is completely different when she is with others and when she is with her own children. The combination of ice and fire, the fusion of cold and heat.
The sun is rising, and its red light illuminates the distant figure. Gu Yan stood there for a long time without moving.
Over the past five years, these children have long been connected to her by blood and integrated into her bones. Their joys and sorrows can easily touch her heart and stir her thoughts.
"Mom, let's go home." Xiaohua tugged at her clothes and smiled sweetly at her: "Mom, if you miss me, just look at me more. We look exactly the same."
"Haha...Okay, look at our little flower more."
"Mom, please don't call me by my nickname anymore, it's so ugly."
"Why is it unpleasant? A nickname represents a mother's original and most sincere love. If someone still calls you by your nickname after you are over fifty, that is the greatest blessing for a person."
The little girl tilted her head and thought about it, then nodded: "Okay. Then I won't mind it. Mom, you can call me as much as you want. Call me until your hair turns gray and your teeth fall out."
"And me, and me." The little girl also jumped aside: "Mom, just call me Xiaoya, I will always be your little girl."
"Mom... Niuniu."
Gu Yan squatted down and hugged the two little ones in his arms. Give both little ones a kiss on their tender cheeks. "Okay, you are all mommy's good children."
"Yeah, and there's Chou Leilei, he's a good baby too." No matter what the little girl does, she never forgets her little brother who has been accompanying her since she was in her belly. To express my love to my mom, I have to bring my naughty brother along too.
"Okay, and Chou Leilei, you are all good children of your mother."
The mother and daughter went home hand in hand. As soon as they entered the house, Lei Lei shouted, "Mom, look at my legs."
Gu Yan was frightened. He put Niuniu down and went to see his son quickly: "What's wrong with your leg? Does it hurt or something?"
"No, it's itchy!"
The heart that had risen to his throat fell back. Gu Yan took a flashlight and looked into the plaster. "It's summer, and it will itch if you don't wash it for a few days. You are so stuffy, are you getting lice?"
Upon hearing her say this, Gu Yanlei immediately burst into tears. "I don't want lice. I don't want lice."
"Okay, don't cry first. Mom will see what's going on." Why is this little brat crying more than the other girls? Gu Yan quickly comforted the child. Use a flashlight to look carefully inside the plaster.
"No, nothing." She put away the flashlight and handed a fan to her son: "If you feel itchy again, use this to fan yourself. Drying and ventilating the area may help."
"Oh! Mom, I want to eat egg custard."
"Okay, I'll steam one for each of you."
"Mom, just give it to my younger brother and sister. Don't steam the egg pancakes for breakfast for me." Xiaohua bent over, held her sister's armpits with both hands, and guided Niu Niu to walk back and forth on the ground to exercise the strength of her sister's leg bones.
"We don't need this one egg. Wait a minute, mom will steam it for you!"
Take out the large steamer and beat the eggs into small bowls. Although it is said to be one, there are actually two in each bowl. Add a small amount of water and salt and stir vigorously. Skim off the foam with a spoon and place in the steamer. Steam it for five minutes to get a smooth and delicate egg custard. After it’s cooked, add chopped green onions, sesame oil, and aged vinegar, and it’s the luxurious delicacy of this era.
I looked at my watch to calculate the time, then started to clean up the mess. Looking at the burning fire, Gu Yan suddenly thought of something. In the original book, Li Zhongxia died while putting out a fire after being demoted. She could save him if he was around, but he was away from home now...
"Xiaohua, Xiaohua, help mommy keep an eye on the time. Bring it down at 7:30 and you can eat. Mommy has something to do outside."
Xiaohua came out of the main room when she heard the sound, and she had already run to the street gate. "Mom, slow down. Be careful not to fall." She walked away without looking back. The little girl shook her head in confusion. "What's going on? You're in a hurry."
Gu Yan ran all the way, using her zombie-fighting weapon to chase the carriage. Finally we caught up with them on the way to the commune.
Li Zhongxia saw her from a distance, jumped out of the car and ran towards her. "What's wrong? Did you forget something?" He raised his hand to wipe the sweat off her face, and waited until she had caught her breath before handing her his water bottle.
Gu Yan gulped down two mouthfuls, took a deep breath and said, "Uncle Liu said that you are in conflict with the five elements this year, especially fire, which you must not get close to. If you encounter anything on your way back and forth, don't show off."
Li Zhongxia was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He is an atheist and does not believe in such illusory things as fortune-telling. He firmly believes that destiny is in his own hands. I didn't expect that his wife, who looked so heroic and carefree, would actually believe the words of the shaman.
"...I know." He sighed and wiped her sweat, "Is it worth it for you to run so far for such a small matter? I'm not a child. I know how to act in moderation."
What's the limit? In the original book, you died while putting out a fire. After so many years of military education, the sense of responsibility has been ingrained in my bones. Whether it is family responsibility or social responsibility. I just hope that after I say this, you can consider your family and me, your new wife, more when you meet someone like that.
"Anyway, remember to consider the consequences of your actions. Your wife and children are waiting for you at home. If anything happens to you, we won't be able to survive."
In the original book, he seemed to have died trying to save the brigade's warehouse from burning. In the cool autumn season, the vibrant life forever stays in the thirties. She came here specially because she was afraid that something might happen to her butterfly wings. If the time has not come, what will he do if he encounters such a thing outside? It can only increase his family's dependence on him. If you encounter such a situation, think more about them and don't work so hard.
Li Zhongxia's heart was filled with emotions when he heard this. If there had not been someone behind him, he would have been so excited that he would have hugged his wife in his arms right then and there. Seeing that you are usually so independent and strong, it turns out that you are so dependent on me deep down in your heart.
"I understand. I have parents and children to take care of, and I have a wife to take care of. I will not do anything without considering the consequences."
Gu Yan let out a long sigh. Seeing that the coachman Zhao Suanwei was already laughing at their cornyness, he dropped the topic and let them go.
"Safety first, don't make me worry."
"As you command, stay away from fire. I am in danger of fire this year."
Dahua stood aside with a smile and helplessness on her face. Her mother was so bold that she dared to say anything. He dared to say such emotional words in front of outsiders. Dad seemed to enjoy it very much. His handsome features and eyes were curved, and anyone could see that he was in a good mood.
After putting his worries to rest, he sent them off again. When Gu Yan returned, he still took the small path and walked very slowly. The roadside is covered with green trees, the grass underfoot is like a carpet, the crops are growing in full swing, and the ears of grain are filling with grain and have begun to bend slightly. The corn is green with black, and each big ear is full and strong.
Everything was so full of life, and her tense heart finally calmed down. From the moment she came into this world, many trajectories have been changed. There is no reason why Li Zhongxia could repeat his original fate even if he ran a hundred miles away.
When we entered the village, it was quiet and deserted. Everyone must have gone to work. She picked some vegetables from her private plot and walked down the hill back home.
"Mom, where have you been? Is everything alright?"
Xiaohua was leading her two younger sisters to play with sandbags in the yard. When they saw her come in, they asked her with concern. Niu Niu came over and hugged her legs, tilting her little head up with a questioning look on her face.
"It's okay. I forgot to bring a piece of clothing to your sister, so I went to deliver it."
"Oh. Mom, you can be so careless sometimes. You've ordered it several times before, but you still forgot."
"I'm confused three times a day, my brain short-circuit and my thinking becomes slow." She put the dishes on the steps of the east room corridor and reached out to pick up Niu Niu who had been waiting for her mother to hold her. "I'll watch over Niuniu. If you two want to go out and play, go ahead. Just be careful and don't do anything high or low."
"No. Niuniu, take Xiaoya with you. I have to go do my homework."
"Daughter, summer vacation is two months away, why are you in such a hurry?"
"I've made an agreement with my dad that I'll finish the homework assigned by the teacher first and wait for him to come back and teach me new knowledge."
Gu Yan was speechless. I really want to tell my daughter that you don’t have to rush like this. You have to wait to take the college entrance exam anyway. No matter how much you learn, it will be useless before you are seven or seven years old. But looking at her daughter's ambitious and hardworking look, she pointed at the vegetables she had picked and motioned her to put them in the kitchen, then she carried them out of the yard one by one.
"Where do you want to go, little girl? What do you want to play, little girl?"
"Let's go to the river and catch tadpoles. Mom, mom, there are small fish in it." The little girl has a lively personality and is very excited when talking about this activity.
"Niuniu, do you want to go play in the water?"
The youngest one seemed to be thinking about it, but Xiaoya had already grabbed her sister and shook her: "Niuniu, hurry up and say you agree. Let mommy take us to play in the water. There are little fish in it."
The little fellow understood this time, nodded, and the little tuft of hair on top of his head shook. It looks just like the Teletubbies in the cartoon.
“Play in the water.”
Having reached a consensus, Gu Yan led the two of them down the hill towards the outside of the village. The small river beside the shack used to flow gently, and its deepest point was no deeper than an adult's knees. There were a lot of children playing here. As soon as the mother and her two children passed the attic, Xiao Ya heard the children's cheers and shook off Gu Yan's hand and ran forward quickly.
"Slow down, be careful not to fall."
By the creek, the older children were having fun with the younger ones. Some of them were holding enamel pots and standing in the water to catch tadpoles. The little girl ran over and imitated the older kids, bending down and rolling up her trouser legs, as if she was also going to jump into the water.
"Come on, come on, little girl, let's go to that shallower place. You're small, and your pants will get wet if you go down here."
"It's okay, Aunt Gu. If it's wet, it will dry in the sun."
Gu Yan turned his head and saw that it was Wang Xiaomai's son from the east room. The brat is eight years old this year, which is the age when boys are active and are disliked by people and dogs. His mother tells him every day not to play in the water by himself, but only to come with adults. But he still ran here secretly.
"Well, you should be careful too and pay attention to safety." There was a small cliff ahead, and the waterfall formed by the water flow washed into a large pool there, which was probably more than one meter deep. It’s okay for adults to go in, they can just climb up by grabbing the water plants nearby. But it would not be fun if the child accidentally fell.
"Children, please go upstream and be careful not to fall into the puddle."
There's no point in stopping people from playing in the river because it's too close to the village. Even if you chase them away, they will sneak back to play. This is the summer resort of the Kono Brigade. It is very attractive for people who suffer from the hot summer. And I have never heard of anyone dying in this river, so the safety factor is quite high. The accident happened when her brother-in-law went to the reservoir to play.
The little girl was standing in the water holding a stick and trying to catch fish. There was also a little girl of about four or five years old next to them, and the two of them were playing together.
Gu Yan held Niu Niu's arm, rolled up the little girl's pants, and let her step into the water. After a day's work, adults often come here to take a bath. The river water is warm under the sun and it feels very comfortable to soak on the skin.
"Giggle..." The little girl stepped on the water and the splashing water made her excited. The two little feet were playing in the water back and forth, and the pants got wet in no time. The child timidly looked up at Gu Yan, and seeing his mother's indulgent expression, he continued to play with his head down.
This girl loves playing in the water, and now that she’s in such a large venue, she quickly goes crazy. He sat down while Gu Yan wasn't paying attention. The soft sand on the riverbed plus the buoyancy of the river water give children a floating feeling like a cloud.
"Mom, ok..."
Gu Yan looked at his shirt that was already splashed with water, smiled at the child, and splashed water on her arms. "Is it fun?"
"Fun, water..."
"You like water so much!" He kissed the child's red apple-like face, "Okay, let's play with it for a while longer today so you can have enough fun."
The river is not big, and even a small fish that occasionally appears is so slippery that you can't catch it at all. The children were just catching some tadpoles to play with in the stagnant water bay nearby. One little boy had already filled half of the enamel bowl. He said he would take it home and raise it. After a few days, when it starts to metamorphose into a frog and grows legs, it will be so crowded that I wonder if his mother will have trypophobia? The brat will get beaten, right?
Gu Yan kept his eyes on his two daughters, and glanced at the other children playing in the water. It would be fine if she couldn't see or do anything about it, but since she was there, she took the responsibility of the children's safety.
Suddenly, the sound of water rushing in the distance came closer and closer. The noise was much louder than the sound of the flowing river, and it was obvious that a flood had suddenly arrived upstream.
She hurriedly fished out her two daughters, and at the same time shouted, "Hurry up and get ashore. The reservoir upstream has released floodwaters. Hurry up, hurry up..."
Hearing her shouting, the little ones also heard the roaring sound of water and ran as fast as little rabbits. The flood arrived in an instant. The water level, which was previously not even at the children's knees, suddenly rose rapidly, with great speed and force. A wicker basket that a child did not have time to take away was washed away in an instant. It appears and disappears in the rising and falling waves.
"Ah... Help." A child of six or seven years old ran a little slower and was swept down by the flood.
Gu Yan settled the two children to a high place on the shore and said to the older child beside him: "Look after my sister. I'll go save people."
The frightened child nodded and subconsciously reached out to grab Xiaoya and Niuniu. They are all people who are used to taking care of younger siblings, so they naturally know what to pay attention to when told by adults.
Gu Yan waded in quickly. Seeing that the child was about to be washed down the waterfall, she slid hard with her limbs and finally grabbed the child's arm at the last moment. He grabbed the branch on the shore with one hand and pulled the child up with the other hand.
Thanks to her strong arms and the small size of her child, she was able to hold on to the water plants on the shore and slow down her sliding. Otherwise, she would have to go to a flat area with slow water a few hundred meters ahead to save him.
Seeing that she had grabbed someone, several older children came over hand in hand to help. Gu Yan quickly shouted, "Don't come over here. Take off your clothes, tie them into a rope and throw it over here. Tie the other end to the tree."
The children agreed and began to take off their clothes one by one. The little boys were not shy and took off their pants for fear that they were not long enough.
Grabbing the rope made of clothes in the water, Gu Yan clamped the child under his armpits with one hand, pulled the rope with the other hand for leverage, and waded towards the shore. Seeing this, several children stood by the tree and stretched out their hands to pull. By exerting force from both ends, they finally carried the child back to the shore.
That was a close call. Gu Yan put the little boy down and pointed at the two children on the other side of the river: "Hold on tight to the brambles on the slope. Don't be afraid and don't move. The flood upstream will soon pass. You two can come over when the water is shallow."
The two frightened children were calmed down by her. They nodded obediently and held on to the brambles and weeds on the slope with their little hands.
Gu Yan’s way is back to the village, so it won’t delay his return home. But she was worried about the two children on the other side of the river. She was afraid that if she, the adult who had reassured them, left, they would panic and fall into the river in danger. I waited here until the flood stopped and the two children waded through the water, then I led them back.
"Children, do you know who is watching the reservoir now?" When an upstream reservoir releases floodwater, advance notice will be given. Most of them are done in the middle of the night when no one is around. Who is this idiot who actually released the water in the middle of the morning? If she hadn't been so alert, who knows how many children would have been rushed away today.
The little ones shook their heads when they heard this. How could they care about such things? Gu Yan sighed and told the children not to go out to play again. She took her two daughters to the brigade’s party branch.
"Remember, don't go there again. It'll be too dangerous if there's another flood, okay?"
“I know.” Experiencing danger firsthand is more effective than anything adults say. The little ones nodded obediently and led their younger brothers and sisters home.
Gu Yan walked up the hill and stopped the branch secretary at the brigade gate. "Hey, Secretary, who is in charge of the reservoir now?"
"Xu Dapao, what's wrong? Why are you... soaked all over?"
"Just now, he released the flood without any warning..."
"What? Nothing happened, right?" The branch secretary asked anxiously before she finished speaking. He also knew that the river was a summer resort for adults and children. The reservoir will always give advance notice of flood discharges, and it will always be in the middle of the night when no one is around. Did Xu Dapao have a brain cramp? It's waterproof in broad daylight. Even if the water storage capacity of the brigade's small reservoir is not large, it is still not something a child can bear.
"Luckily I was there and discovered it in time. Otherwise, you should know what the consequences would be if there was such a sudden flood."
"Thank God, thank God. I'm glad nothing happened. Gu Yan, you've done a great job today. I'll investigate it thoroughly. If it's really Xu Dapao's fault, I'll give you the money I deducted from him."
"It doesn't matter whether it's a success or not. You have to find someone who is responsible and reliable to do this. This concerns the safety of our villagers. If there is no warning of flood discharge, even adults may be washed away if they are not careful."
"Yes, yes, I'll go investigate right away."
After reporting the situation to the branch secretary, Gu Yan took the child home to cook. On the way, I happened to meet people going home from work. Some of them were angry and wanted to find the branch secretary.
"What kind of people did this brigade find? They actually released water in broad daylight. I was just washing my hands and was almost washed away. Damn it, if I were drowned, I would have no place to complain."
"Yes, we need to find the secretary and have a good talk. I am soaked to the skin. If I hadn't dodged quickly, I would have been washed away." The woman slapped her thigh and said, "Oh no, the little brat plays in the river every day. The water is so strong today. Will he be washed away?"
In a blink of an eye, the woman ran up the path to her home, and a group of children who loved playing in the water also hurried back. I didn’t see anyone playing by the river, could they have really been washed away?
Gu Yan said nothing and hurried home with the child. It's already noon and lunch hasn't been prepared yet.
As soon as she turned the corner downhill, Xiaohua ran towards her in a panic. "Mom, are you okay? The waiter in the east room said you were almost washed away. Why did you do such a dangerous thing? I was so worried."
"Okay, okay, mom, it's okay. Xu Dapao suddenly released the water, which was something no one expected. Several people were almost washed away today, and many of them were soaked on the road."
"Then we have to sue him. He is taking human life lightly."
"Yes, I have already reported it. The branch secretary will handle it."
Xiaohua had already prepared the meal and asked Gu Yan to change his clothes. She led her two younger sisters to the main room.
"Xiaoya, do you want to go play in the water?"
The little girl was also very scared today. If it weren’t for her mother, her little body would have been washed away. Moreover, her mother risked her life to jump into the water to save people. If she had been washed away, she would have been left without a mother.
The child was no longer afraid after being comforted by Gu Yan. I think my mom is so great. Everything will be fine and safe as long as I follow her. When my sister questioned me like this, the fear that had been suppressed in my heart came to the surface again.
"Wow...I almost got washed away."
I was a little angry at my younger sister's playful nature. She never listened to my advice and often followed my older sister to play in the water. This time her mother almost got into trouble. She just unconsciously wanted to scare her so that she would be obedient and not go to dangerous places in the future. This... is this frightening?
"Okay, okay, don't cry." She put her arm around her sister and patted her on the back: "Don't cry, don't cry, it's all my fault, I won't scold you anymore."
"Burp... Woo woo..." Even after being comforted by her sister, the child cried even louder, and even Niuniu beside him started crying. The youngest one couldn’t say anything, just kept calling for mom.
"Don't cry, it's okay, kids, stop crying." The old lady hugged her granddaughter in her arms and wiped the child's tears with a handkerchief.
"This is all an accident. There are so many people playing in the river. Aren't they playing in the water and bathing in the summer? This person is not in charge of the reservoir. We need to ask the secretary to replace him. He needs to be severely punished. Don't cry. No one has ever drowned in this river in all my years. Don't scare yourselves. Even if you are washed away, you can still paddle out on the wide river beach downstream. Nothing will happen."
"What's going on?"
Gu Yan changed his clothes and came over, and was shocked by the mess. Haven’t we already calmed down the two children? What’s going on now?
"I'm sorry, Mom. It's all my fault. I scared my sister."
Xiaohua took the initiative to admit her mistake, and Xiaoya threw herself into her mother's arms. Niu Niu also came out of her grandmother's arms and walked a few steps to her mother.
"Alright. Alright, don't cry. Don't cry."
"Mom, I will never play in the water again."
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. This is an accident, something no one could have predicted. Man-made disasters are the hardest to avoid, because you never know what stupid thing someone might do. It's not your fault, don't cry! Mommy will teach you how to swim, and you won't be afraid once you can swim. Next time if you encounter it again, you'll be able to stay calm."
The little girl nodded and stopped crying. When Niu Niu saw that her sister had stopped crying, she also sobbed a few times and fell into her mother's arms. Just yawn and keep silent.
"Mom, it's so dangerous, shouldn't you teach them not to play in the water anymore?"
"Life is long, and we have to face many unknowns. We cannot retreat when we encounter difficulties. Avoidance is always the worst option. The right way is to learn how to deal with various unknowns. Mom can't be with you forever, so the only thing she can do is to let you learn many skills so that you can calmly deal with things you encounter in life in the future.
The most basic thing is to judge the danger. This incident happened suddenly today, and it is normal that the children are still young and cannot discover it in time. They are already frightened, and if adults do not comfort them but instead scare them, such young children will suffer psychological trauma. ”
Xiaohua nodded in agreement. She is a cautious person with a weak character, and she is always hesitant about everything she does. There's nothing wrong with this actually. Girls are more timid and won't get into trouble. But Gu Yan is a naturally brave person and actually appreciates adventurous behavior.
As the saying goes, a skilled person is a bold one. As long as your ideas have enough ability to match, there is no need to stick to the rules.
After comforting the two children, the family had their meal. Gu Yan was about to wash the dishes but was stopped by his daughter, who told him to take a nap. "You still have to work in the afternoon, take a rest now.
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