Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 2
Willows are swaying and the mountains are full of flowers, the blue water is warm and butterflies are fluttering, it is a beautiful March day on earth.

A tattered boat was sailing on the Qingshui River, carrying a few travelers. The water was flowing gently under the boat, and the green mountains on both sides were not dangerous.

The old boatman rowed the boat with great effort, the water splashed lightly, and he hummed a ballad at the top of his voice.

"One shake, the waves are calm, don't hinder the boat's passage. Two shakes, the water is clear, fearing the waves are muddy. Three shakes, the sun is shining, fearing the rain will pour down on us. Four shakes, the willows on both sides are green, protecting the river bank and ensuring a good harvest. Five shakes, smoke rises from every household, thick in the morning and thick in the evening, and the stomach is full. Six shakes, my son will grow up quickly, my sister is waiting to get married. Seven shakes, the house is full of children and grandchildren, the broken house is supported by beams. Eight shakes, you will be healthy every year, no one will cry in sackcloth. Nine shakes, spring comes and goes, the world is peaceful year after year, no matter how rich or poor the family is, it will last from generation to generation... Hey~, one shake, the waves are calm..."

The singing was not melodious and lacked strength, but the passengers did not find it annoying. Instead, they all smiled, because this folk song that was like a catchy rhyme was the greatest wish of countless poor families in life.

How could the elegant sound of flowing water in the mountains fall into this mountain countryside?
The three hardest things in life are rowing a boat, forging iron, and making tofu.

The ferry ride was already strenuous, but the old boatman was still singing loudly. His wrinkles like ravines were soaked with sweat, and his tattered clothes were wet.

Even though he was wearing coarse clothes and straw sandals, he had a smile on his face. It didn't matter if he was suffering, as long as he could earn a few copper coins, there was always hope for the future.

Before we knew it, the boat had arrived at the ferry.

Who knows how many years this small pier has been around. The wood is covered with moss, and the planks creak when you step on them, as if they will collapse at any time.

There are sparse mixed woods around it, and a dirt road winds away into the distance. Usually, there are not many people waiting for the boat.

After going ashore and mooring the boat, the old boatman wiped the sweat off his face with a sweat towel of indistinguishable color around his neck, and there was a faint sour smell in the breeze.

He was hunched over, as if he couldn't straighten his back from years of rowing. He smiled familiarly at the passengers on the boat and said, "We've arrived at Yangliu Ferry. Be careful when you get off the boat. Don't fall into the water."

No one paid attention to the reminder, as it was obvious that the people on the boat were not from wealthy families.

An old woman opened her mouth and said, "Old Liu, I've been on your old boat more than once or twice. It creaks and is not very comfortable. I feel dizzy. Can you please give me a lower fare?"

"Oh, my dear sister-in-law, we have known each other for many years. Although my boat is broken, it can still carry you across the river safely. I have earned this with hard work and sweat. I cannot pay you even a penny less!" The old boatman almost turned hostile, as if to say, "If you dare to pay even a penny less, I will push you into the river." He acted as if he was going to kill him.

The old woman knew it was impossible, but she just wanted to give it a try. Seeing that there was no hope of making money, she could only take out five copper coins with a distressed look and handed them over, saying in a contemptuous tone, "I'll kill you with this. Use it to buy a coffin."

The boatman didn't care at all. He quickly collected the copper coins and helped her ashore with a smile. When he saw her leaving with the basket on her back, he reminded her to be careful on the road.

Several other passengers also paid five copper coins for the fare, and went ashore, either carrying loads or bamboo baskets.

If you save a penny, I earn one less. We are all poor. No one can get along with money, and there will never be a real quarrel. We are just forced to be frugal by life.

For poor people, unless it means wasting time, who would be willing to spend a few more copper coins to take a shortcut by boat? They would rather walk ten miles more and cross the bridge to go home.

As the passengers left, the boatman counted the coins one by one, fearing that one would be missing and wanted to put the money in his pocket.

The sun was setting, but he didn't plan to pack up and go home yet. He was ready to wait, hoping that he could get some passengers. It would be good to earn a few more copper coins.

The shabby sailboat was the old boatman's home. While waiting, he simply took out his fishing rod and went fishing. If he could catch one or two river fish, it would improve his food.

Although he had the advantage of a boat, he could not cast a net to catch fish. If he was discovered, he would be reprimanded and fined at the very least, or sued and beaten with a stick at the worst. Fishing was not within his jurisdiction.

These days, all industries are strictly regulated. Fishermen cannot carry passengers, and those who carry passengers cannot fish. The only thing they have in common is that they all have to pay taxes, and they are often exploited. If they encounter a strong man who demands money, they may suffer losses.

Life is like this, you get used to it as time goes by.

No customers came, so he fished for a while and saw the float sinking. The old boatman immediately pulled out the rod, and it was quite heavy. His old face lit up with joy, thinking that it must be quite large and could be sold for some money.

But the fishing rod was bent and couldn't be pulled, it was very heavy. The old boatman's smile disappeared and he cursed inwardly, thinking that the fish had stuck.

After all the trouble, he didn't catch the big fish he imagined, but ended up with a tangent, which was really a loss.

It was getting late, so he gave up fishing and waited no longer. Cursing, he was about to set off for home. As he was untying the ropes of the boat, he saw a white shadow floating on the river surface. He was frightened and took two steps back. It was clearly a drowning child!

An old boatman was all alone in the desolate mountains and wilderness. He was quite horrified to suddenly see a dead child floating on the river.

Although he secretly felt that it was bad luck, the old boatman was, after all, old, and had made a living on the water all year round. He had also helped people salvage corpses, so he was not that scared.

He immediately began to look at the drowned child who had floated to the surface. He was about five or six years old, naked, fair and clean, with no signs of injury, very short hair, and no swelling on his body. It seemed that he had drowned not long ago. Because he was lying down, his appearance could not be seen clearly.

Looking away, the old boatman guessed that he might have caught it while fishing before. It seemed that he had to light a charcoal fire when he got back to get rid of the bad luck.

He looked up and down the river again, and suddenly had an idea in his mind.

"It looks like the child drowned not long ago. His family will surely come looking for him. He doesn't look like a poor kid. If I rescue him, I might even get some reward."

Thinking of this, the old boatman suddenly became motivated. He was old and might be buried in the ground at any time, so there was nothing to be afraid of. So he used the fishing rod with the line cut to pull the fish to the shore, and dragged it ashore by the back of its neck.

The child was not heavy and it was not very strenuous, but soon the old boatman let out a soft exclamation. The hand on the drowning child's neck actually felt a pulse, which clearly showed that the child was not dead yet.

Although he didn't know any medical skills, he knew the common sense that if there was a pulse, the person was not dead, but that was all. He didn't know how to perform first aid.

"Whether you can survive depends on your luck. I hope it's not too late. I am poor and have no money. Even if it's still possible, I can't do anything about whether others can save you. But if your family comes to find you and you don't thank them, I will curse your whole family to death behind your back."

It took an unknown amount of time for the child to be searched for. After all, it was a life, the old boatman thought. He immediately picked up the drowning child and wanted to take him to the clinic in the town downstream for treatment. Only then did he see the child's appearance clearly. Although he was young, he had a good appearance. He thought to himself that he must be the son of a wealthy family. How could he end up like this? The adults were too careless.

They immediately put the child on the boat and hurriedly headed downstream. Perhaps in their haste, the boat was rocking. Soon, the drowning child subconsciously spit out a few mouthfuls of water and actually slowly opened his eyes...

"Where is this? A hospital?" Chen Xuan muttered as he woke up in a daze. He felt a little dizzy and his vision was still a little blurry.

He had an accident while returning to his hometown during the holidays. It could be said that he was greedy, or perhaps he still had a childlike innocence. He climbed up a century-old peach tree on the rock face by the river in his hometown to pick peaches. He picked the best peach, rubbed it casually while it was still on the tree, and couldn't wait to eat it. It was very sweet and crisp. But after he finished eating the peach, there was a sound of "crack". The branch broke and he fell directly to the river below. It was 34 meters above the river, no different from the concrete ground. He fainted and lost consciousness...

The old boatman who was rowing was stunned when he heard his weak voice. He didn't hear clearly, but he didn't care about that. He let go of the oar and came forward and said in surprise: "Huh? Little... little sir, you are awake? God bless you, you are really blessed with a long life!"

He originally wanted to call him "little kid", but when he thought about how fair and tender Chen Xuan was, unlike an ordinary kid, he changed his name to "little young master".

As soon as his vision cleared up, Chen Xuan saw an old face with wrinkles and wrinkles approaching. Although he was not frightened, he was dizzy and could not hear what the other person said. So he said to himself: "Old man, did you save me? Thank you, I am not the kind of person who is ungrateful. I will definitely repay you for saving my life."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan turned his head and looked around, and found that he was on a small boat, which was consistent with his situation. He fell into the water and was rescued by the boatman. It was just a little strange that there were such old and dilapidated black-sailed boats in this day and age?
Although he felt something was wrong, Chen Xuan didn't react for a while after waking up.

The old boatman seemed to ponder his words carefully. After a moment's thought, he slowly said, "Young Master, judging from your accent, you're not from here, are you?"

The old boatman really didn't hear clearly the words "thank you for saving my life". It's not because he is hard of hearing, but because the accent is different. Besides, it's normal for children to have difficulty communicating.

Chen Xuan did hear this sentence, but the old man's words were a little difficult for him to understand, and sounded like a minor southern dialect.

I fell into the water in my hometown, and if I needed to be rescued, it should be someone from my hometown. Why did it have to be an elderly person from the south with this accent? Were we on the way to the hospital?
Don’t worry too much about it for now. It’s good to meet a kind person and be saved. It’s better than losing your life.

While Chen Xuan was secretly wondering, the old boatman thought that he had lost his mind due to some great disaster, that is, he was scared and stupid, so he stretched out his hand and waved it in front of his eyes and asked, "Young Master, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

"It's okay, I..."

At this moment, Chen Xuan was completely awake. He didn't feel any discomfort. He subconsciously shook his head and stood up. Then he was dumbfounded. This is not right. These little arms and legs, are you sure it's me?

He finally realized what was wrong. Besides his small arms and legs, his voice also became extremely childish...

(End of this chapter)