Which way to go is the road?

Many places in North China were once flood-prone areas of the Yellow River. The ancestors who suffered greatly from floods came up with a way to protect their homes: they dug pits in front of and behind the villages, used the excavated soil to fill the foundations of their houses, and then built houses, alleys, and streets on top of them. As a result, the entire village was much higher than the ground level.

The large pit was used for drainage and flood control, and raising the village level helped prevent flooding and protect homes.

There hasn't been a major flood for decades, but the traditional genes passed down from our ancestors still play a role. Whenever a new house is built, the first thing to do is to bring soil to fill the land.

Xiang Fei's family didn't have the money to build a house yet, but they could do the work of laying the foundation as soon as possible. The afternoon after the land was watered, Xiang Yusheng, who couldn't stay idle, started to fuss again!

"Let's go, let's go mortgage the house! It's only a matter of time, let's mortgage it a little while you're at home!" Xiang Yusheng pushed open the door to the west room where his son was, and glanced at Xiang Fei, who was half-lying on the bed reading a book!

Xiang Fei reluctantly sat up: "No rush! Let's wait until we have the money to build the house!"

"You're just idling around anyway, and you'll be leaving in a couple of days, so you'll have time to read! Since you're at home, do some chores. It's not for anyone else; you'll be the one using it in the end! Harvest two more crops after the New Year, sell them, and the house can be built!"

After his father said that, Xiang Fei felt that he was in the wrong. No matter how unwilling he was, he couldn't justify it. He got up, put on his shoes, and went to the yard.

Because there had been no flooding for many years, people had overlooked the large pits in front of and behind the village, and gradually filled them in to make house sites. It was no longer possible to extract soil from them. Year after year, the land was reclaimed and cultivated, and there was not a single patch of wasteland left in the fields. Not only did birds and wild animals have nowhere to go, but even getting some loess to fill houses became a pipe dream.

After thinking it over, the only thing I could do was to take soil from my own field, dig up a few cubic meters of soil from the higher parts to make it level with the low-lying areas, and then I would have enough soil and the land would be level, making it easier to irrigate and plant!

Xiang Fei and his father drove a tractor back and forth between the fields and their homestead, doing this simple and primitive work.

As we were unloading the soil, two swallows flew by, chirping merrily, busily moving back and forth.

Xiang Fei leaned on his iron shovel, looking at the two swallows, and said, "I know you're building your nests, constructing your new homes. And what about me? No matter how advanced humans are, how developed our brains are, or how much technology advances, all our busy work is ultimately about satisfying some animal instincts, only with more diverse methods and more elaborate methods! That's all."

After working hard all afternoon, Xiang Fei, who hadn't done farm work for half a year, had become a bit delicate, with several blisters on his hands. When he got back, his mother popped them one by one and then disinfected them all with mercurochrome.

The process wasn't very painful, but it was quite a visual spectacle for onlookers. Xiang Mei sat to the side, her hands forming a flower shape to support her chin. As the blisters were popped one by one, her eyes opened and closed intermittently, and she made hissing and laughing sounds. It was quite amusing.

"If you can't stand it, then stop watching and go do your homework in your room!" Zhang Xiu'e couldn't help but say, her daughter's exaggerated frowning and over-the-top expression was really affecting her mood.

"I won't make a sound, okay? Let me watch for a bit!" Xiang Mei covered her mouth with one hand and her face with the other, spreading her fingers and peeking through the gap!

Suddenly, the phone rang. Xiang Fei couldn't answer it, so he asked Xiang Mei to get it. Unexpectedly, she answered it right away.

"Hello! This is Xiang Mei. Who is this?" Xiang Mei said, winking at Xiang Fei.

"Xiang Mei? Oh, you're Xiang Fei's sister, right? Your brother often mentions you, saying you're smart, cute, and generous!"

"I don't believe my brother would say so many nice things about me. He always bullies me and lectures me when we're together, calling me a little brat!" Xiang Mei stuck her tongue out at her brother, ignoring his eager gestures and expression as he asked for her phone, and continued making the call as if nothing had happened.

"Hehe, how old are you?"

"I'm 17, I'll be an adult next year!"

"Then come to Yandu sometime! I'll treat you to delicious food, fun activities, and nice clothes! It'll all be on me!"

Xiang Mei jumped up excitedly upon hearing this: "Really? You have to keep your word! I will definitely go to Kyoto!"

"I keep my word. I'll fulfill my promise whenever you come. I will never go back on my word!"

"Okay, it's settled then. By the way, you're looking for my brother, right? I'll give him the phone. Judging from his expression, if I didn't give it to him, he'd kill me! Bye-bye, Sister Luomei!"

A cheerful laugh came from the other end of the phone: "He wouldn't dare! Don't be afraid of him, Sister Luo Mei has your back! But I do need to talk to your brother about something, so you should give him the phone! We'll talk more later!"

The phone was finally handed to Xiang Fei, and Xiang Mei wisely ran away!

"Hey, Sister Luomei, Xiang Mei was just joking with you! Don't take it seriously, just pretend she didn't say anything!" Xiang Fei apologized on behalf of his sister, misunderstanding her own feelings.

"Why didn't you say anything? I really like your sister; she must be a very well-behaved and adorable girl! Whenever he has time, bring her over to play, no problem! I'll cover all her food and lodging!"

"Okay, thanks, Sister Luomei!" After getting home, they usually kept in touch via text message unless there was something important. This phone call must have been for something important: "By the way, Sister Luomei, what's up?"

Qian Luomei went straight to the point: "The internet cafe across the street opens on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, and the owner is our old rival!"

A face that seemed to be smiling while harboring a knife flashed through Xiang Fei's mind, with a scar on its head: "Isn't that the scarred man?"

"How did you know?" Qian Luomei asked in surprise!

"I don't know many people in Beijing, and even fewer with whom I have a grudge. Besides him, I really can't think of anyone else who is our old enemy!" Xiang Fei's face was unusually stern, which startled Zhang Xiu'e, who was in the group!

Perhaps sensing his mother's expression, Xiang Fei's face gradually calmed down, and the topic shifted away from the internet cafe: "Sister Luo Mei, have Lao You and the others returned?"

"Back to school tomorrow, time to come back!"

"Okay, there are still three days until the sixteenth. I'll go back tomorrow! It's alright, we can talk in detail when we get back!"

"Okay, no need to rush, just be careful on the road!"

"Okay, sure!"

Xiang Fei hung up the phone and went to his mother's side again: "Mom, there's still one punctured blister that hasn't been treated with antiseptic!"

Zhang Xiue held cotton swabs and medicine, placed Xiang Fei's hand on her leg, and carefully applied the red medicine, as if she were repairing a priceless cultural relic!

"Who else in Beijing have you had a grudge against? How come you have enemies?" Zhang Xiu'e carefully applied the medicine without looking up.

"No, it's just a minor conflict between colleagues. Someone borrowed money from me and hasn't paid it back. I've called them several times, but it's no use!" Xiang Fei didn't dare to tell the truth.

"How much?"

"200 yuan!"

"Feifei, don't be stingy when you're out in the world. People treat each other with kindness. You don't need 200 yuan. It's always good to have more friends and fewer enemies! Even if they're your adversaries, try to turn them into friends if you have the chance. Peace is a blessing, and harmony is the most precious thing!"

"Yes, Mother!"