Chapter 3, South of the City (3)

With a crack, as if in response to his voice, a bolt of purple lightning struck down from the sky, creating a half-wall of water on the distant river surface. After the water wall fell, the first drop of rain finally landed on the boat. It jumped up brightly, bounced a few more times, and then plunged headfirst into the canal

The sudden downpour came to an abrupt halt, and the dark clouds retreated far into the distance. The brilliant sunlight suddenly illuminated the world, dazzling the eyes of those who beheld it.

Heaven, however, never aligns with human wishes. Before the crew on the few cargo ships could make further preparations, the dragon's head finally moved directly above the fleet. A visible golden waterfall cascaded down, reflecting the sunlight, resembling a breach in the heavenly river. Accompanied by strange flashes of lightning, schools of fish danced on the river's surface, leaping into the air, then twisting their bodies, one after another falling back into the river. There were crucian carp over three inches long, silly white catfish, ugly black catfish, and thick, plump carp, each responding to the thunder in the sky, eager to leap to the clouds, paying homage to the aquatic king from afar.

Cheng Xiaojiu still did not respond, staring blankly at the waterfall cascading from the sky, his body "as steady as a rock." If Cheng Bo were to run a few more steps forward and give him a push from behind, he would surely realize that this was a misunderstanding. Cheng Xiaojiu was not brave; he had long been stunned by the strange sight before him, completely unaware that at this moment, he was the only one in the entire fleet daring to face the wrath of the "Dragon King." Several hard objects fell from the sky, striking his back perfectly. The intense pain caused him to stagger, but then he stubbornly straightened his body, bracing himself with a broken wooden barrel, continuing to be dazed in the torrential rain and thunder. Cheng Xiaojiu was not brave; he had long been stunned by the strange sight before him, completely unaware that at this moment, he was the only one in the entire fleet daring to face the wrath of the "Dragon King." Several hard objects fell from the sky, striking his back perfectly. The intense pain caused him to stagger, but then he stubbornly straightened his body, bracing himself with a broken wooden barrel, continuing to be dazed in the torrential rain and thunder.

"Help me cover the grain, and afterwards each person will receive two dou of rice, no, three dou." A merchant, dressed as a trader, rushed out from the cabin of the first cargo ship, shouting loudly. He had a short and stout build, hardly resembling a person of strength. Yet, his voice drowned out the thunderous roar of the storm. A few brave souls hesitated and stopped in their tracks, but the majority continued to flee. In these chaotic times, three dou of rice was indeed not a small amount, but one must have a life to enjoy it, right? A few brave souls hesitated and stopped in their tracks, but the majority continued to flee. In these chaotic times, three dou of rice was indeed not a small amount, but one must have a life to enjoy it, right? The appearance of a dragon emerging from the water is a rare phenomenon that occurs once in a hundred years. According to the elders' tales, anyone who witnesses the true form of the Dragon King will be seized and thrown into the sky, only to be dropped thousands of miles away, crushed into a meat pie. Strong men are mere mortals and lack the courage to confront the Dragon King. Moreover, even if all the grain from the twenty or so ships were soaked and spoiled by the rain, the loss would only affect the Zhou family; what concern is it to the poor men who do not know where their dinner will come from tomorrow?

The clouds swiftly drifting across the sky indeed resemble a dragon. If you consider the few dark clouds in front as the dragon's head, then the vast expanse of clouds behind as its body. This dragon possesses horns and claws, and from its wide-open mouth, a golden curtain of water cascades down from the sky to the ground. As the dragon's body rolls, countless electric serpents of various sizes dance around, akin to tens of thousands of scales shimmering in the sunlight

O Dragon King! Those bearing wooden basins and earthenware pots all knelt down. The fish have soared into the sky; who else could be hiding in the clouds but the Dragon King? If mere mortals dare to lose their manners before the Dragon King, do they still wish to leave with their bodies intact?

"Heavens, the dragon has emerged from the water!" someone shouted loudly, dropping their work and standing there in a daze

A golden carp fell at his feet, splashing water everywhere. The fish was a full three feet long, its belly scales shimmering like the evening glow. This was the authentic Yellow River carp, which Cheng Xiaojiu recognized! He had not tasted this delicacy for many years. Before his father was sent to the frontier, every autumn, he would take him to a restaurant to enjoy it once. That warm memory remained unforgettable to him. Cheng Xiaojiu wiped away a tear and grasped the fish's tail. Someone attempted to snatch it from him, but he forcefully pushed them away. "You bastard Cheng Xiaojiu, don't you know who I am!" the other party shouted in exasperation. He ignored them, slowly crouching down by the side of the boat, and gently placed the golden carp back into the water

"Grandpa Xiao Jiu, what exactly do you want to do!" The butler ran a few more steps, slipped on the unmelted hail on the deck, and began to cry while slapping his thigh

Kneel down, all kneel down, worship the Dragon King, worship the Dragon King! The old steward Cheng Bo was frantically running around the ship, and upon seeing someone still standing, he immediately pulled them down. The strongmen and servants had long been terrified by the sudden outburst of divine power, and once he reminded them, they obediently lay flat on the deck, prostrating themselves. Suddenly, the steward noticed a young man still standing in the heavy rain, with a broken wooden basin on his head, remaining motionless. "Cheng Xiaojiu, Grandpa Xiaojiu, please don't cause trouble for everyone!" The steward Cheng Bo ran a few steps forward, crying out in plea. But all that answered him was the rumbling thunder, as Cheng Xiaojiu stood at the bow of the ship, facing the lightning flashing across the sky, seemingly without a trace of fear, his spine standing straight!

Cheng Xiaojiu and the others looked up in astonishment, gazing towards the source of the thunder. They saw a pitch-black cloud rushing from south to north, swiftly approaching Guantao City along the canal. Surrounding the dark cloud were flashes of red, purple, blue, and green lightning, as if countless demons and monsters were clawing and dancing behind the cloud. In the sky, apart from this dark cloud, everywhere else was astonishingly clear and blue, as clean as could be.

If there truly are deities in the unseen realm, they would never allow such events to occur. Fish should not fall from the sky, and thunder should not resonate in clear blue skies. Therefore, all of this is merely a dream. In this dream, Cheng Xiaojiu feels not a trace of sunlight or warmth; all he can sense is an endless solitude and coldness.

As the dark clouds loomed ever closer, the short-statured man grew increasingly anxious. He raised his voice, continuing to negotiate the price with the bookstore. "Anyone who helps will receive five dou of rice and one qian in cash, and I will not go back on my word!"

Cheng Xiaojiu, with a wooden basin atop his head, listened intently to the clamor of the world around him. Suddenly, he felt as if he were dreaming; the surroundings were clear, yet the dark sky in the center was not of this world. Not only was this bizarre sky a nightmare, but the lightning, the clouds, the river, the boat, and the trees were all dreams. Even the crowd that worshipped the celestial might without cease, and the companions who fought over fish to the point of injury, were all dreams! An unending nightmare! Long, long ago, he had fallen into this dream. That year, he was only six years old, riding his father's tall horse, and unknowingly fell asleep, never to awaken again

Strangely enough, just as his words fell, the breeze over the canal suddenly turned cool. "Boom!" A series of thunder indeed echoed across the vast clear sky. Following that, a damp mist swept directly across the river, washing away the foul sweat from everyone.

The deity in the clouds was evidently angered by the negligence of the schools of fish in the river, thundering as it cast the fish of all sizes back down. "No!" After being struck several times by the hard objects falling from the sky, Cheng Xiaojiu finally uncovered the truth. Those were not the fish in the river; it was fish falling from the sky! Indeed, fish were genuinely dropping down from behind the dark clouds, and at least three of the large fish that fell into the canal were varieties he had never seen before.

In this nightmare, my father, in a state of confusion, became a villain and was exiled to the frontier, never to return. My mother and I were first driven out of the capital and then found ourselves in my father's hometown of Ping'en. We watched helplessly as our days gradually shifted from affluence to hardship, witnessing how former friends and relatives turned into strangers. Then, in this nightmare, the man who craved the hearts of the living, Zhang Jincheng, arrived at our doorstep. I carried my mother and our last bit of savings to escape the city, fleeing to Guantao to seek refuge with my mother's cousin, who was also my betrothed since childhood. Subsequently, we were treated like plague bearers and sent out the door by each other.

At that moment, a dozen strong men, with wooden spoons, ceramic basins, and earthen jars turned upside down on their heads, rushed out from the shanties near the dock. They jumped onto the cargo ship and, in a flurry of activity alongside the boatmen and servants, began to cover the grain with tarpaulin. Large, round hailstones fell from the sky, clattering against the wooden spoons, ceramic basins, and earthen jars. The men beneath the wooden spoons, ceramic basins, and earthen jars, however, seemed to hear celestial music, quickly wrapping hemp rope around the tarpaulin while emphasizing without looking back: "Five dou of rice, Cheng Bo, this is the price set by your people. No reneging later!" The men beneath the wooden spoons, ceramic basins, and earthen jars, however, seemed to hear celestial music, quickly wrapping hemp rope around the tarpaulin while emphasizing without looking back: "Five dou of rice, Cheng Bo, this is the price set by your people. No reneging later!"

The steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo, cried out for a while, but garnered not a shred of sympathy. He looked up at the swirling "black dragon" in the sky, muttered a few words, and trembled as he stood up, jogging towards the vicinity of the cargo ship

He has resigned himself to fate. If heaven, as per hetushu.com, wishes for his death, he would rather die on the grain ship. At least afterward, the head of the family, considering his loyalty, would not trouble his descendants. The hail fell thicker and thicker, more and more urgently, while the old steward did not dodge or evade, sitting dazedly beside the grain bags, waiting for the final strike of lightning

In this dream, however, there is a real laughter that comes through, as clear as the deafening thunder. It is the laughter of several young girls who have just reached the age of maturity, returning home from shopping, exuding innocence and a sense of lighthearted joy. The dockworkers, startled by this sudden laughter, are awakened from their shock, clutching their heads with their hands, and scatter in a rush.

Note 1: Dragon hanging, tornado. It frequently occurs over the sea and in deserts. Extremely rare instances of dragon hanging can result in fish falling; according to scientists, the fish are lifted into the air by the tornado and fall back down when the wind weakens

Not only were Cheng Bo and those on the fleet kneeling in worship, but more than half of those fortunate enough to witness this display of divine power near the dock also fell to their knees in the mud. Fish of all sizes fell around them, struggling and writhing. The people, who rarely had the chance to eat meat, turned a blind eye to this. They did not dare to touch these subjects of the Dragon King, even though they had already fallen from the sky to the mortal realm and would soon dry up and die. They feared provoking the Dragon King's wrath, even though they had never done anything to infringe upon his interests, yet they still went hungry and could not afford clothing. They did not dare to touch these subjects of the Dragon King, even though they had already fallen from the sky to the mortal realm and would soon dry up and die. They feared provoking the Dragon King's wrath, even though they had never done anything to infringe upon his interests, yet they still went hungry and could not afford clothing

The young lad would never resort to trickery. There is no deception towards the young or the old! The steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo, suddenly regained some spirit and broke into a smile. The "black dragon" in the sky appeared to be approaching rapidly, but in reality, it was still some distance away. The sporadic hail falling before us, though disorienting, poses far less threat to the crops than a torrential downpour.

Crack! Crack! Lightning flashed one after another, causing the earth to tremble slightly. The river instantly boiled over, and fish of all sizes leaped out of the water, twisting in strange postures amidst the electric light. Less than three miles from both sides of the river, it remained a bright and sunny day. The dazzling sunlight shone down from the sky, illuminating the distant houses, mountains, and trees, enveloped in a mist, resembling an illusory dream.

Heaven's wrath! Someone cried out loudly

As if possessing a spirit, the golden carp nodded at him and then swiftly dove to the riverbed. "Crack!" Another bolt of lightning struck from the sky, hitting the top of Guantao City directly. The enemy tower and city wall on the southern side of the century-old city shook and collapsed with a thunderous roar.

Seeing that the first person to catch fish was not struck by lightning, more and more impoverished individuals joined the ranks of fish catchers. Since those who led the disrespect towards the Dragon King were not punished by divine retribution, the "just and fair" Dragon King would certainly not hold other followers accountable. Given that the Dragon King had already thrown these fish onto the ground, it is possible that he intended to use the hands of the world to punish them. The best punishment would be to ensure that this group of foolish fish, who offended the Dragon King, would have no place to be buried. Everyone was willing to use their own teeth and tongues to carry out the Dragon King's will. Since the Dragon King had already thrown these fish onto the ground, it is possible that he intended to use the hands of the world to punish them. The best punishment would be to ensure that this group of foolish fish, who offended the Dragon King, would have no place to be buried. Everyone was willing to use their own teeth and tongues to carry out the Dragon King's will

Seeing that some daring individuals rushed forward to help without hesitation, those who were hiding in nearby shelters began to entertain thoughts of profit. A few, a dozen, twenty or so, moments later, nearly fifty men returned to the ship to assist, risking being struck by lightning for the promised high rewards due to their short stature. After all, many hands make light work; although a few fell into the river in the chaos and were thoroughly soaked. The golden waterfall at the dragon's mouth cascaded down to the dock, and several cargo ships that had already opened their holds were covered with tarpaulins. After all, many hands make light work; although a few fell into the river in the chaos and were thoroughly soaked. The golden waterfall at the dragon's mouth cascaded down to the dock, and several cargo ships that had already opened their holds were covered with tarpaulins. The subsequent dozen or so cargo ships, although they did not have time to be covered with any rain protection, still had a thick layer of straw mats over their cargo since they had not yet opened their holds. If the current state of loud thunder and light rain in the sky persists, it might barely suffice to cope with the situation.

I will pay the wages, I will pay the wages! You heartless lot! Cheng Bo was knocked over and sat on the ground, wailing loudly. The grain stored in the warehouse is most afraid of moisture; if it gets wet from the rain, these over a hundred thousand stones of fine Jiangnan white rice will surely mold and breed insects. At that time, not only will the owner of the grain not spare him, but the entire Guantao Zhou family will likely not be able to withstand the other's furious wrath.

There are also those who fear not the wrath of heaven; the thugs who sought trouble with Cheng Xiaojiu in the morning are such individuals. Rather than starve to death, they would prefer to be punished by the Dragon King or struck by lightning. Adhering to the principle of risking their worthless lives, they charged onto the streets with wooden boards and basins, picking up the fish still struggling in the mud, stringing them together one by one with bamboo strips. The bright red fish blood dripped down these bamboo strips, falling drop by drop into the puddles on the ground, turning the puddles a vivid red.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, fish splashed all over the deck, most of them still alive, with blood oozing from the corners of their mouths. "The Dragon King is angry, the Dragon King is angry!" Cheng Bo, drenched and resembling a drowned rat, prostrated himself on the deck, no longer daring to raise his head. The sudden cloud and the fish falling from the sky had far exceeded his understanding. Therefore, he preferred to believe that there were indeed deities in the sky, and he hoped that by bowing his head a few times, he could spare everyone on the ship from disaster. The sudden cloud and the fish falling from the sky had far exceeded his understanding. Therefore, he preferred to believe that there were indeed deities in the sky, and he hoped that by bowing his head a few times, he could spare everyone on the ship from disaster

"Do not leave, none of you leave, cover the boat with tarpaulin, cover the food!" The steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo, opened his arms, attempting to intercept the fleeing laborers to assist him. The laborers brushed past his arms, leaving without looking back.

What a sin! A few elderly individuals shouted at the ruffian beggars, condemning them for committing violence in front of the Dragon King, which brought countless disasters to Guantao City. However, the ruffians paid them no heed; whenever they spotted fish falling, they would rush towards it. Each person was carrying several bamboo strips, each heavy and dripping with the blood of live fish.

The heavens have sent fish for everyone to eat, the heavens have sent fish for everyone to eat. A rascal with a scarred head was holding two large strings of fish, with four or five more strings hanging around his neck. He ran back and forth in the puddle, his gaze vacant, with snot dripping down from the corner of his mouth.

Are there really dragons in this world? Cheng Xiaojiu did not know the answer. Her gaze pierced through the bright and strange curtain of rain, witnessing bolts of lightning dancing around her, dispersing, as dazzling as the fireworks she had watched with her father in the capital during her childhood

Several small fish fell at his feet, struggling for life. Cheng Xiaojiu crouched down, scooping them up from the deck and gently tossing them into the river. This act was futile, as more fish fell onto the boat; some were directly killed upon impact, while others, still alive, lightly tapped the deck with their backs, as if pleading for mercy from the divine. It was not the gods who would save them, but Cheng Xiaojiu, who was crouching down! Like a man possessed, he tossed one dead fish after another, along with those still alive, into the river. This act was futile, as more fish fell onto the boat; some were directly killed upon impact, while others, still alive, lightly tapped the deck with their backs, as if pleading for mercy from the divine. It was not the gods who would save them, but Cheng Xiaojiu, who was crouching down! Like a man possessed, he tossed one dead fish after another, along with those still alive, into the river, regardless of the strange looks directed at him from those around.

Oh heavens, if only the heavens had eyes. The rich would not be so fat and prosperous, leaving the poor unable to survive! Someone laughed mockingly in response, reaching out to grab the largest fish closest to them, inadvertently knocking a companion who attempted to compete with them off balance.

He rescued a palm-sized crucian carp, and then saved a long catfish. There was also a creature with white scales and long whiskers, which, when held in hand, resembled a venomous snake. Cheng Xiaojiu also brought it to the edge of the boat and released it into the water. He did not know whether what he was doing held any significance; compared to the fish dying on the shore and in people's hands, the ones he saved seemed insignificant. Yet, he did not want to witness these fish dying before his eyes, not out of compassion, but because they were all forsaken children of heaven, objects of divine disdain. He did not know whether what he was doing held any significance; compared to the fish dying on the shore and in people's hands, the ones he saved seemed insignificant. Yet, he did not want to witness these fish dying before his eyes, not out of compassion, but because they were all forsaken children of heaven, objects of divine disdain

The scarred man hung a heavy string of fish around his neck, excitedly dancing with joy. He quickly began another round of collection, his body drenched in fish blood, a happy smile on his face. "Thank the heavens for the food!" shouted another shirtless beggar following behind the scarred man, his words slurred, with a half-eaten raw fish clamped between his teeth, the fish's tail swaying up and down at the edge of his lips

"Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?" The elders were unable to stop the people from seizing the fish, tears streaming down their faces as they knelt in the mud, repeatedly bowing their heads to the sky

It is strange that although there is much lightning in the sky, not a single tree has been struck down. The entire mass of dark clouds gradually forms a large lid, ominously inverted over the city of Guantao. Except for the patch of sky directly above Guantao, the surroundings remain clear and sunny. Brilliant sunlight shines in from all directions, illuminating the rain in the sky with a dazzling brilliance.

It is hail! The strongmen screamed in shock, increasingly afraid to turn back and help. They quickened their pace to escape as much as possible, diving into the thatched houses on either side of the riverbank to take cover. The owners of the thatched houses dared not refuse; after letting the people in, they immediately shut all the windows tightly. Thunder on a clear day, striking whoever it may. Unrelated individuals, do not meddle in the affairs of heaven!