Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

Late at night, in the hidden grass beside the mountain path, a pill bug crawled to a soft, warm spot. It didn't intend to linger, but changed its mind when it discovered two mysterious holes slightly larger than itself.

The continuous flow of warm air from the hole caused the pill bug's antennae to vibrate rapidly. This unprecedented experience stimulated its sensory organs, and a certain exploratory instinct overcame its survival caution—it used all seven pairs of abdominal limbs to push forward towards the hole on the left, where the airflow was slightly weaker.

It was cautious and prudent throughout its life, and probably only made this one rash mistake. However, that one mistake cost it dearly.

The moment the pill bug's antennae pierced the hole, the ground shook violently. Before it could even curl into a protective ball, it was thrown to the ground by the tremors. Immediately afterward, a deafening roar erupted from the depths of the hole.

"Achoo!"

From the pill bug's perspective, the colossal giant, which blotted out the sky, suddenly sat up. The enormous creature rubbed its reddened nose and slowly stood up after a long while.

The pill bug sensed danger and instinctively fled into the depths of the grass. Unexpectedly, a giant's foot fell straight down from the sky. Before it could even curl up, it died bitterly in the mud and withered grass.

Such a precise strike is hard to believe was an accident. Indeed, this was a "murder" used to vent anger, a cruel judgment of the weak by a higher-dimensional civilization.

The boy who caused the "accident" was now wandering the mountain path like a walking corpse. His face was pale, his eyes were empty, and he looked like dry tinder pulled from a raging fire. If it weren't for muscle memory, he probably wouldn't even remember the way home.

After an unknown amount of time, the boy finally appeared in front of the dilapidated wooden door.

The anxious mother rushed forward, cupping her son's face in her hands and asking urgently, "Xiao Chuan'er, where have you been? Why are you only coming back now? What... what happened to you? Don't scare your mother..."

Since learning of Aimin's accident, Ding Lingfang has been searching for her son everywhere, but no one in the neighborhood knows where Yuechuan is. The mother is extremely anxious and has no time to set up a mourning hall, spending the whole night waiting at the door for her son to come home.

Seeing her son return unharmed, she still couldn't shake off her anxiety—the boy's pale face and empty eyes clearly conveyed an indescribable eeriness.

Yue Chuan ignored his mother's concern and asked after a long while before mechanically speaking:

"Mom, I love Uncle Min!"

Ding Lingfang was visibly taken aback, seemingly struggling with whether or not to tell Yue Chuan about Ai Min's death. Her son was too emotional; he could cry his heart out over a dog. Now that his beloved uncle was gone, could he accept it?

Thinking of this, Ding Lingfang hugged her son tightly, gently combing his messy hair with her fingers: "Come home with Mom first, change your clothes and wash your face before you go find your uncle, okay?"

"I'm not going home!" Yue Chuan suddenly shouted hysterically. "I'm going to find Uncle Aimin right now! Where have you hidden him?"

Yue Chuan struggled in his mother's arms. He was a grown man, how could a frail woman possibly resist him?

Ding Lingfang was pushed and staggered backward, almost falling to the ground.

Seeing her son's agitated state and incoherent speech, Ding Lingfang became increasingly panicked. "Mom knows you're upset. Even though your uncle is gone, your mom and dad are still here! Be good, come home with Mom..."

"My uncle isn't dead! I just saw him rescuing people on the mountain! How can you say he's dead?" Yue Chuan became even more "crazy," whether it was due to a confused memory or an unwillingness to accept the fact that Ai Min was dead.

Seeing that Ding Lingfang couldn't handle her son, Qin Shuangling stormed out of Qin Yunhai's house next door and unleashed a torrent of abuse on Yue Chuan:

"How dare you talk to your mother like that? You've gone too far! Get your ass home right now! Isn't there enough chaos already?"

Qin Shuangling was in a terrible mood. His cousin had just sacrificed his life, and his second uncle had suffered another epileptic seizure after the death of his only son. He was already overwhelmed with taking care of his second uncle and dealing with the funeral arrangements, and had nowhere to vent his frustrations. To make matters worse, his son came to cause trouble, which was like walking right into his trap!

Yue Chuan glared at his father, his face full of resentment. Qin Shuangling, furious, jumped up and stormed over to his son, yelling, "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me say I should come home?"

"I just want to see my uncle, what right do you have to stop me!"

The father and son were locked in a fierce battle, neither willing to back down. Normally, Ding Lingfang would have asked Aimin to mediate, but with him gone, how could she not be anxious and frustrated?

"Honey, just shut up! Aimin's gone, and our son is already heartbroken. Why are you arguing with the child now?"

Qin Shuangling was a chauvinist to begin with, and seeing his wife and son on the same side only made him more irritable. Unable to vent his anger on his wife because of her poor health, he could only take it out on his son.

"Look at you, you coward, like you've lost your soul. Can't even handle something this small?!"

After saying that, Qin Shuangling raised his hand to slap Yue Chuan's face. Unexpectedly, his frail wife suddenly protected her son, and the slap landed solidly on the woman's back.

Seeing his mother coughing repeatedly after being beaten, Yue Chuan instantly flew into a rage. He channeled his sorrow and frustration into his fists and feet, aiming straight for his father's chest.

The father and son had argued countless times, but this was the first time they had actually fought.

Yue Chuan was still recovering from a serious illness and had spent most of the day running around in the mountains. In his weakened state, his punch not only failed to injure his opponent but also made his own hand ache.

That's my father's body, it's as hard as an iron plate.

Yue Chuan, unable to contain his anger, retorted, "All you've ever done since you were a kid is beat and scold you! What else can you do? Why weren't you there when my uncle was saving people? All you do is show off in front of us, what kind of man are you!"

Yue Chuan's words were hurtful, leaving Qin Shuangling speechless. At this moment, the man gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, about to teach his unfilial son a lesson, when he saw Qin Laishun, with his potbelly protruding, slowly walking over.

"Shuangling, I'm not trying to be mean, but what kind of time is this to be waving swords around in front of Xiaochuan! With that energy, you should be tidying up the funeral hall!"

As they spoke, Qin Laishun had already positioned himself between the father and son, preventing a fight from taking place. This wasn't because he was good at mediating, but rather because the conflict had shifted to him and Qin Shuangling.