"Uncle, what is that Water Maiden?"
In a moment of calm, this question broke the brief silence.
All eyes were on the boatman.
The boatman sighed deeply, his breath seemingly carrying the weight of years.
He slowly raised his head, gazing into the distance at the river, its surface shimmering as if concealing countless secrets.
"Water Maidens are those girls who were thrown into the water in pig cages."
The boatman spoke slowly, his voice somewhat hoarse.
“In the past, those girls had not done anything wrong, but those wealthy men bought them to be sacrificed alive in order to worship the river god. At that time, those men thought it was a good thing, that they were praying for the river god’s protection.”
At this point, a hint of reluctance flashed in the boatman's eyes.
"But after liberation, the vengeful spirits of those girls who were cruelly sacrificed lingered and transformed into water spirits that harm people. Whenever they wanted to harm someone, they would pretend to be drowning. They looked so pitiful, struggling helplessly in the water, bewitching kind-hearted people to save them. Once someone got close and was bewitched, they would follow that person onto the boat."
Everyone listened quietly, a solemn expression on their faces.
The boatman continued, "Once you board the boat, the water maiden will reveal her hideous face and start killing people. The scene is incredibly bloody. The people who make a living on this river are most afraid of encountering this water maiden. Sometimes when you're sailing at night, you can faintly hear mournful cries; that might be the water maiden looking for her next target."
The surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of the flowing river could be heard. Everyone was immersed in the boatman's terrifying yet heartbreaking story, and they felt a new sense of awe for the mysterious river, as well as pity for the water women.
The boat swayed and rocked on the river like a drifting leaf.
The old man stared blankly ahead, his eyes vacant, as if lost in contemplation of bygone days.
His wrinkled face showed no emotion, only the deep furrows that spoke of the vicissitudes of time.
Ma Linghua glanced sideways at the old man, her gaze falling on his feet adorned with embroidered shoes. A slight twitch appeared at the corner of her mouth, and a barely perceptible sneer crept into her eyes.
In her opinion, the old man's words were just like a fart, and should be ignored.
"Pear Blossom, are you cold?" Ma Linghua turned her head and asked Ma Lihua gently.
"Milk, I'm not cold, I'm just a little thirsty," Ma Lihua replied weakly.
Upon hearing this, Ma Linghua quickly rummaged through the bag and soon found the water bottle.
She carefully opened the lid of the kettle, as if guarding the most precious treasure, and then handed the kettle to Ma Lihua.
Ma Lihua took the ginseng water and sipped it slowly. The sweet taste flowed down her throat, and she immediately felt refreshed and warmed up.
"Grandma, she told such a wonderful story." Ma Lihua savored the old man's story of the Water Maiden, her face still full of enjoyment.
"Hey! What a load of nonsense. Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving. There are plenty of poor people in this world, a few more won't make a difference." Ma Linghua snorted disdainfully.
Upon hearing this, the old man, who had been silent all along, slowly turned his head and glanced at Ma Linghua.
His hands unconsciously gripped the oars tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Moreover, his face grew increasingly gloomy, like the sky before a storm, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
In those eyes, there was anger, helplessness, and a trace of indescribable sadness.
In his heart, the experiences of those girls who were sacrificed alive were so real and painful, yet Ma Linghua so easily denied them, which ignited a nameless fire within him.
"We're almost at the shore! Hurry, row over!" someone shouted from the crowd, and immediately, everyone on the boat became excited.
"I'll be going to work in the factory soon and start earning money." A young man's face was full of anticipation, and his eyes sparkled with eager expectations for the future.
"Once I make some money, I'll marry a woman and have her give me a big, healthy son." A burly man grinned and laughed heartily, and the people around him cheered, "Hahaha...that's ambition!"
The old boatman rowed with all his might, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat rolling down his cheeks.
However, strangely enough, the shore, which seemed so close, appeared to be blocked by a mysterious force.
Every time the boat seemed about to touch the muddy shore, it would inexplicably drift back into the river, as if an invisible hand was controlling everything.
The cheers gradually faded, replaced by doubt and unease.
"What's going on? Why can't we row to shore?" someone began to mutter quietly.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the shore, which was getting closer and closer but still out of reach, their heartbeats seemingly accelerating with each stroke of the oars.
The wind whistled in my ears, making me feel uneasy.
"Uncle, are you sure you can do this?" an impatient man couldn't help but shout at the old man.
The old man didn't reply, but gritted his teeth and rowed even harder.
But the ship continued to spin in place, as if trapped in a whirlpool from which it could not escape. The shore that was so close at hand now seemed unreachable, as illusory as a mirage.
"Damn it, stop scratching. Aren't you tired of pretending? I get tired just watching you do it."
Ma Hehua's voice suddenly emerged from the water, like a ghost.
The people on the ship were so frightened by the sudden sound that their hearts nearly jumped out of their throats, and they all looked in the direction from which the sound came in terror.
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