Back to 1988 80

Chapter 80: Danger

After a few days of clear weather, Fu Qisheng’s former classmates finally confirmed the time for the weekend and were coming over to play.

However, Wang Bing and his group had been running around in the mountains a lot lately and had been playing for too long. Their families wouldn’t let them go out and had caught them to stay at home and do their homework. Wang Bing had wanted to secretly climb over the wall to go with them but was persuaded by Zhao Haisheng, “You, you shouldn’t come. Just stay at home. If Auntie Wang sees you, you’ll get a beating!”

Wang Bing said, “It’s not that serious! Just going out to play for a bit.”

Zhao Haisheng still wouldn’t let him and said with a chuckle, “I know the way. We’ve scouted it so many times! Don’t worry. You can just help me finish my math homework later.”

Wang Bing cursed at him, but the other had already thrown his half-finished math summer homework in and had run off with his cousin.

Wang Bing had no choice but to stay at home and do his homework.

Although Zhao Haisheng had a slight stutter, he was tall and sturdy. He was only in middle school, but he was already like an adult, almost 1.8 meters tall. From a distance, he looked like a small iron tower. Although Fu Qisheng’s former classmates could hear his stutter, not a single one dared to laugh at him. On the contrary, they were quite respectful of him.

Seven of Fu Qisheng’s classmates had come, four boys and three girls. Two of the girls were even carrying drawing boards, looking like they were here to sketch and paint. On the way, the drawing boards were snatched up by a few of the boys to carry. The girls’ bike baskets were only filled with small things like fishing nets. When the male classmate with the fish bait in his basket got close, the girls even screamed and laughed, quickly riding two steps away to dodge him, “Annoying, don’t come near us with those bugs!”

The male student had probably never been told that by a girl before, and his face flushed red. “No, it’s not all bugs in here. Hey Fu Qisheng, you… you prepared it. Why don’t you say something!” He was used to being well-off at home and would often suppress Fu Qisheng. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so willful as to insist on coming here and having Fu Qisheng accompany him. But he was not familiar with Shanhai Town and didn’t know that Fu Qisheng had such a tall and strong cousin. For a moment, he was a little embarrassed.

Fu Qisheng didn’t say anything. It was Zhao Haisheng, beside him, who spoke up, “It’s, it’s fish, cut into pieces. Don’t be afraid.”

Only then did the few girls relax a lot.

Zhao Haisheng led the way in front and called for his cousin to come over. When he got close, he whispered, “Qisheng, don’t be afraid. Brother, brother will protect you. Let them also see how capable you are. Straighten your back.”

Fu Qisheng listened to him, straightened his back, and pedaled his bicycle with all his might, which made Zhao Haisheng, on the side, laugh heartily.

This time, it was Zhao Haisheng who had agreed for his cousin. He knew a little about Fu Qisheng being bullied at school, but it hadn’t reached the point of fighting. At most, it was just looking down on him and making a few sarcastic remarks. Zhao Haisheng was afraid that his cousin would not be able to hold his head up in front of this group of people, so he had deliberately prepared for a few days in advance, taking them to the mountains for a trip to help his cousin regain some face.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, the road behind was not easy to walk. Zhao Haisheng told them to park their bicycles on the side and lean them against a tree, and then had everyone take their things and walk into the mountain.

The few students from the neighboring town were a little hesitant, especially the one with the fish bait. His bicycle was a newly bought variable-speed bike, worth over six hundred yuan! After thinking about it, he still used a chain lock to tie the wheel to a tree and said with a sheepish smile, “Well, just in case.”

Zhao Haisheng said, “We’ve never, never lost anything in Shanhai Town.”

The person touched the tip of his nose and smiled without replying.

A few of the others followed suit and locked their bikes, while some just left them and followed them into the mountain, chattering away very lively.

Zhao Haisheng walked in front, acting as their guide. They had been playing in this mountain since they were young and were very familiar with this area. But to find a more beautiful place for these few people, they went a little deeper. Sure enough, after a short while, he heard a “wow” from the people behind him, and someone said with regret, “I should have brought a camera!”

“It’s too late to go back now. Just look more with your eyes!”

“I also brought my drawing board. I’ll find a nice place to draw for a while later. This place is so beautiful. The stream must be even more beautiful!”

…

Zhao Haisheng looked at his cousin walking silently beside him and asked in a low voice, “Why, why are you not happy?”

Fu Qisheng hesitated. “Brother, I actually didn’t want to come.”

Zhao Haisheng’s large, fan-like hand patted his shoulder, almost knocking his cousin’s thin body off balance. He said nonchalantly, “Come, why not come? This will be your home in the future. As the host, you have to, have to entertain!”

Fu Qisheng pursed his lips. “Mm.”

Their group arrived at the small stream. After a few days of rain, the water here was a little higher than before, but it was still crystal clear. You could even see the few small silver fish swimming inside. The few who had followed them cheered again. Some had already sat down, taken out their snacks, and were calling for everyone to eat. Two of the girls had set up their drawing boards and were choosing a spot to sketch.

Zhao Haisheng taught them how to cast a hook to fish, but he only taught one. When the other one wanted to ask, he pointed at his cousin. “Qisheng knows. You can ask him.”

The person actually went over with his fishing rod. Fu Qisheng was taken aback at first, then he started to talk to him in a low voice. Zhao Haisheng, watching from the side, smiled with satisfaction.

This group of people were fishing in the mountains and didn’t feel how fast time was passing.

Mi Yang was at home in Shanhai Town, listening to the old Mrs. Cheng and a few other elders chatting. They were talking about all sorts of things, and he also heard a little about a house.

The elder said, “Hey, my son got into a university in Beijing and doesn’t seem to be planning to come back. He said he was looking at houses a while ago. Even in a remote place, it’s over three thousand yuan per square meter. That’s really, ten square meters is almost forty thousand. That’s enough to buy a house here!”

The old Mrs. Cheng said, “Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. You’re retired now, so you should also take care of yourself. It’s good to live our own lives lively. The children are grown up. Let them go and work hard.”

The other person also sighed with emotion. “You say it so easily. Your four daughters are all more outstanding than the other. I heard that your second daughter is getting a house allocated again?”

The old Mrs. Cheng smiled. “Yes, she said a while ago that her work unit was allocating housing.”

The two old people were talking. Mi Yang felt that the light had dimmed a little and looked up at the window.

It was starting to get cloudy again, looking like it was going to rain.

Mi Yang felt a little uneasy in his heart, always feeling that something was about to happen.

His memories of the past were already very hazy, more of a vague bad feeling. He stood up and looked out the window. The sky outside was bright, but the sound of the wind was gradually getting louder, making the leaves outside rustle.

The old Mrs. Cheng and her old friend were still talking. The two of them had chatted from Beijing back to Shanhai Town, and bits and pieces of their conversation came over.

“The city’s approval is coming down soon. I heard they’re going to build a tourist attraction here!”

“That’s great. When more people come in the future, we can also open a farmhouse or something, for some extra income, and it’ll be lively.”

…

Mi Yang stood there, his whole body cold. In his previous life, Shanhai Town had never been built into a tourist attraction at all.

Because an accident had happened.

He remembered. It was also a summer vacation like this, with a rain that seemed like it would never end, intermittent and nonstop. On a rare sunny weekend, he had gotten sick from being caught in the rain and had been sent to the hospital by the old Mrs. Cheng for an IV drip.

He had stayed in the hospital for half a month. It was only after he came back that he found out that a major incident had occurred in the town.

On that sunny day, a group of students had gone to the mountains to play. The weather had suddenly changed, and it started to rain heavily. The stream had swelled, and a torrent of mud, rocks, and branches had rushed down. A few half-grown children were swept away in the water, and their figures disappeared in a few moments. The search and rescue team had searched for a whole night, and it was only the next day that they had found the students who had already stopped breathing, one after another.

That year, seven or eight children had drowned. Only one had escaped.

The ones who were washed away were from out of town. The only one who had survived was Zhao Haisheng.

For some reason, the children of Shanhai Town had all been persuaded by their families to stay at home that day. Only Zhao Haisheng had taken them to the mountains. He had escaped by the skin of his teeth, but he had still transferred to another school afterward, and the entire Zhao family had not stayed here.

Mi Yang’s face was pale.

No wonder, no wonder he was so unfamiliar with this person and didn’t remember having any interaction with him…

Because Fu Qisheng was a dead man.

Mi Yang suddenly stood up, his legs as if they were not his own. He stumbled and fumbled to find the phone, his hands trembling as he dialed the number. After he got through to Wang Bing’s house, his teeth were chattering so much they were hitting each other, and he said in a hoarse voice, “Wang Bing, where’s Zhao Haisheng? Where’s his cousin, where’s Fu Qisheng?”

Wang Bing said, “They’re in the mountains. It’s rare for the weather to be good today. Haisheng is acting as their guide and took them to the stream to fish. It’s probably because of the heavy rain recently, but the stream has risen quite a bit, and there are also more fish. It’s just that there are a few more rocks that have been washed down, which is a little annoying…”

Mi Yang closed his eyes and said, word by word, with force, “You wait for me at home. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be there soon.”

He hung up the phone, got up to get his backpack, then found a coil of sturdy rope in the courtyard and put it in, along with a flashlight, a lighter, some food, and a plastic whistle that Mi Xue used as a toy on the table. As he was putting the things in his backpack, Mi Yang slowly calmed down. His hands were not slow, and he quickly packed everything.

The old Mrs. Cheng was startled by his sudden movements. “Yangyang, what’s wrong? Where are you going?”

Mi Yang glanced at the sky. The dark clouds had not yet completely dispersed, but the sun was hanging in the sky, which did not attract people’s attention or speculation. No one would have thought that a heavy downpour would fall in such weather. He also couldn’t remember what was specifically written on the small section of the newspaper at that time. He only remembered that a river channel and a flood control map had been drawn, analyzing the possible escape routes at that time. It was just that the regret of that time had now become a glimmer of hope.

Mi Yang didn’t know the exact time, but he understood the crisis of the situation. He couldn’t predict when the stream would swell, so he could only do his best to make up a reason and make the situation sound more serious. “Grandma, Wang Bing just called. He said the stream in the mountains has risen a lot, and there are also rocks being washed down. Zhao Haisheng took some children to play there today, and they can’t be contacted. It’s too dangerous. Please tell the adults in the town and have them go to the mountains to look for them!”

The old Mrs. Cheng was startled and agreed, going to make a call. Just as she picked up the receiver, she saw Mi Yang turn and walk out with his bag on his back. The old Mrs. Cheng put down the receiver and quickly chased after him. “Yangyang! Yangyang, where are you going?”

Mi Yang got on his bicycle. “I’m going to find Wang Bing!”

The old Mrs. Cheng could only do her best to call for help, but she wasn’t sure if she could get anyone. After all, Shanhai Town had never encountered such a thing in decades, and now, with the sun hanging high in the sky, no adult was willing to believe it.

Mi Yang had already prepared himself mentally, but when he arrived at Wang Bing’s house and gave this reason, the adults’ playful attitude still made his heart turn cold.

One of Wang Bing’s uncles was drinking. Hearing him, he pointed at the sun outside and laughed. “I think you’ve been studying too much and have gone silly. With such a big sun, what could happen?”

Wang Bing hesitated. “But the stream has indeed risen a little.”

The uncle said, “It’s fine. It’ll be fine after a few days of sun. I’ve never encountered anything in my life. This little bit of rain is nothing.” He looked at his nephew and deliberately teased him, “Oh, I know. You’re trying to find an excuse to go out and play! Don’t even think about it. Your parents said you can only go out after you’ve finished your homework.”

Mi Yang didn’t waste any more words with him and said to Wang Bing, “You know the way, right? Take me there!”

Wang Bing hesitated for a moment, then immediately said, “Okay!”

They got on their bikes and left. When they reached the edge of the forest and saw the few bicycles tied there, Wang Bing also began to hesitate. “Mi Yang, I see their bikes are still here, and the weather is not that exaggerated. Are you overthinking it?”

Mi Yang said in a deep voice, “Then what if there’s a heavy downpour? After several days of heavy rain, the soil on the mountain has loosened. When it washes down again, it won’t just be small rocks. Even people will be washed away.”

The signal in the forest was not good. After Mi Yang went in, he took out his phone and called Bai Luochuan, trying his best to tell him in a calm tone that he was in the mountains. There was the crisp sound of horse hooves on Bai Luochuan’s end. He asked him, “You’re in the mountains? Who’s with you? The weather has been unstable lately. It’s too dangerous in the mountains.”

Mi Yang said, “Wang Bing and I. Zhao Haisheng and his group, there are probably…”

The sky suddenly darkened. It was noon, but dark clouds had started to gather, layer upon layer, covering the sky and the sun.

Wang Bing felt a drop of rain on his face and said with a trembling voice, “Nine. There are nine of them.”

Mi Yang held the phone. “There are nine of them, Zhao Haisheng and his group. They went to the stream, and Wang Bing said it’s near the southeast, where there’s a small cliff. The downstream of the stream is a river channel, and it’s very dangerous if they’re washed down. You tell Grandpa Bai. Call the police first, and then do your best to notify the people in the town to pay attention to the stream and the downstream…”

Wang Bing didn’t hear what Bai Luochuan said on the other end, only hearing Mi Yang say “okay.” He was a little flustered now. It was only when Mi Yang hung up the phone and took a rope from his backpack to tie it around his waist that he came to his senses.

Mi Yang tied a knot for him and tied himself together. “Don’t be afraid. I’ve seen the direction of the water flow and the location of the river channel on the map. It won’t wash over here. If we encounter water, I’ll stand in front, and you can bend down and hold onto my waist from behind. We won’t fall. And then, we’ll try our best to find a thick tree to climb. Do you hear me?”

Wang Bing had recovered a little and nodded. “I know.”

Mi Yang looked up at him. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I can get you out.”

Wang Bing looked at him and felt that the person in front of him was as steady as an adult, trustworthy. His Adam’s apple rolled, and he nodded vigorously.

By the stream.

Zhao Haisheng sat to the side and touched his face. A drop of rain had fallen. He looked up at the sky, which had also darkened a lot, but he didn’t feel much of a wind in the forest. He frowned slightly, a little alert. When a few more drops of rain fell on his face, he immediately stood up and shouted to the other side, “Let’s go, let’s go! It’s raining. We have to go home.”

The few people over there had already dug a pit as a makeshift stove and were lighting a fire to roast the few fish they had just caught. The male student with the variable-speed bike was particularly enthusiastic. Because he had the fish bait, he had caught more after using more of it. He had just won everyone’s admiration and was bragging about letting everyone taste the roasted fish. Now, he was naturally not willing to leave and continued to make the fire without getting up. “Why are we leaving? We’ve only been playing for a little while. I don’t see any rain. Let’s go after we’ve roasted the fish!”

Zhao Haisheng said, “It’s already, already raining!”

Fu Qisheng, on the other hand, listened to him and immediately packed his things. But the other few did not listen and were still gathered around the fire, laughing in a group, it was unclear what they were laughing at.

Zhao Haisheng took two steps forward, angry. “I told you to go… go!”

The male student who was roasting the fish was not convinced and deliberately imitated his stutter, “I, I know!”

The group of people burst out laughing again.

Fu Qisheng’s face changed. He went forward and gave the person a shove, then kicked some dirt to bury their fire and the roasted fish on the branches. “My brother said to let you go!”

The others were also not happy and started to push and shove them. The few girls were timid and moved away a little. Someone also tried to persuade them, with a hint of dissatisfaction, “Alright, alright, don’t fight. Let’s just go. What a buzzkill! I thought I could finish my drawing here!”

“That’s right. It’s just rain. It’s so beautiful to listen to the rain in the forest. I see there are rocks over there that can shelter us from the rain. I don’t know what the hurry is. If we go out now, we’ll definitely be soaked!”

Another quieter girl had not spoken, but her gaze was frequently on the stream, her face tense. “Hey, look, is the water a little higher… and, and it’s turned yellow?”

Fu Qisheng was pushed to the ground. He was close to the stream. He turned his head to look, and his face changed slightly. Not far away, a muddy and rapid current was rushing over. The sky was dark, and he couldn’t see clearly what was in it, but a piece of wood floating in it was clearly visible. It was completely different from the clear stream beside him. Just by looking with the naked eye, you could see that the water level was obviously higher!

Zhao Haisheng glanced at it, his voice hoarse as he screamed, “The water… the flood is coming, run!!”

The male student who was roasting the fish was no longer squatting there. He stood up and looked around, at a loss. He subconsciously went to the river to get his things. “My fishing rod…” Before he could go over, he was slapped by Zhao Haisheng and almost fell to the ground, holding his face!

Zhao Haisheng’s eyes were red, and he cursed, “F… F… your grandpa! Do you want to live or not!”