Section 1

Fengjia is located in the ancient town of Muyun, which is a two-hour drive from the urban area of Liancheng. The transportation is not very convenient; after taking a long-distance bus, one must transfer to a minibus in the county town. Upon disembarking, it is necessary to go to the dock to take a ferry across the river to finally arrive. The ancient town is built along the river and has a history of several hundred years, with generations producing earthenware. The ferry is the only means of transportation to the outside world. Perhaps there is nothing particularly special here apart from the pottery kilns. In an era where tourism development is rampant in ancient towns, Muyun Town has managed to preserve the most original and simple local characteristics.

"Sister Ruan Ruan!" The wind on the stone steps shouted anxiously. He realized that Ruan Ruan was going to save someone! Her swimming skills are excellent, but if the car falls from the high bridge, it will surely sink slowly to the bottom of the river. Moreover, if there are several people in the car, how can she handle it alone? The wind hurriedly said to the still-dazed boy, "Liang Liang, you all hurry and help Sister Ruan Ruan!"

Suddenly, there was a loud "bang"

Feng Sheng stood on the stone steps, clapping happily and giving her a thumbs up

Meeting him was her summer at the age of eighteen

After swimming ashore, Ruan Ruan slumped down on the ground, only to realize that she was completely exhausted, her hands trembling slightly. She gasped for breath and reached out to touch the nose of the man who had fallen into a coma, then let out a gentle sigh.

Ruan Ruan watched with concern in her eyes. After a moment of thought, she said: "In a low voice, do you believe it? I swim faster than all of them!"

There was a moment of silence among the crowd, and the young men looked at each other.

What Ruan Ruan needs to do is not too difficult: prepare medicine for Feng Sheng, cook a Chinese meal, and stay by his side to prevent him from suddenly falling ill. Feng Sheng is very thin, not as tall as his peers, with a delicate face, speaks little, and is quiet and introverted. He is very considerate; every time Ruan Ruan brings him medicine, he always smiles and says to her, "Sister Ruan Ruan, thank you."

Although he was covered in blood and looked quite horrifying, thank God he is still alive

Before he finished speaking, Ruan Ruan had already leaped into the water, swimming towards the bridge pier at a speed faster than usual

Ruan Ruan nodded and smiled, saying: "I will go and compete with them, and bring you back a championship, how about that?"

Meeting Fu Xizhou was on an evening after a swimming session when I was planning to head home

Although Ruan Ruan had lived in the ancient town for more than half a month, she rarely went out, and the young people of the town did not know her. However, due to the rumors, they readily accepted her into their group

When Feng Ling first brought Ruan Ruan to her home, she fell in love with this ancient town at first sight and was extremely fond of the Feng family's courtyard. After staying for two days, she left reluctantly, promising to return for an extended stay after the college entrance examination. However, as soon as Feng Ling finished her exams, she found a summer job and became too busy to see anyone.

Fu Xizhou did not wake up until three days later

Ruan Ruan competed with him alone twice, and the result was still her victory. Only then did Liang Liang accept it wholeheartedly.

When I was in my teens, I met a person as refreshing as a gentle breeze and as bright as the moon; I thought of nothing else but to love him

That day, everyone was in high spirits, playing in the river until dark. Just as we were preparing to leave, a loud noise caused everyone to turn back. In the dim twilight, a violent splash erupted from beneath the distant stone bridge, creating ripples that could only be produced by a massive object falling into the water.

Ruan Ruan gently patted his head and handed him a dried tangerine peel candy. She truly liked him, treating him with the affection of an older sister towards her younger brother

Fu Xizhou also asked her a similar question, saying, "You say you love me, but do you really know me? Do you know what I like and what I dislike? Do you know what my favorite food is?"

Certainly, their encounter in such a situation could not possibly lead to love at first sight

She finally swam into the enormous rippling water circle, held her breath, and plunged into the water. In the murky river water, she opened her eyes wide and gradually began to see the car clearly. As Liangliang had said, it was a black small car, now overturned in the water. Fortunately, perhaps because the car had collided with some obstacle, it had not continued to sink.

After the college entrance examination, Ruan Ruan, at the request of her friend Feng Ling, went to her home to help take care of her sick younger brother, Feng Sheng

She was startled; the person inside was injured, and it was serious! The car was already submerged in river water, and the blood of the injured person spread through the water, a shocking sight.

Liangliang came to his senses, called to his companions, and hurriedly swam to the shore to pick up a large stone, then swiftly made his way towards the bridge pier

In the evening, as the sun gradually sets and the weather becomes cooler, Ruan Ruan will accompany the sound of the wind to take a walk along the cobblestone path, through the winding alleys, all the way to the riverbank. In the river under the setting sun, there is a group of boys swimming every day, appearing to be in their teens, energetically competing to see who can swim the fastest to the stone bridge ahead.

They do not know that swimming is the sport she excels at and the only one she enjoys. She has practiced it since childhood and has even participated in competitions, so winning is not surprising at all. She has no intention of dampening the spirits of the young men; she simply wants to bring a moment of joy to the wind.

She turned around and found Liangliang holding a stone, shattering the car window. Ruanruan let out a sigh of relief, swam to the window, and cast him an appreciative glance

The courtyard of the Feng family is of the common earthen brick structure found in ancient towns. The house is quite old, consisting of only one floor, yet the courtyard is spacious. Feng's mother is a capable person who has cultivated a small vegetable garden in the courtyard, ensuring self-sufficiency in vegetables. Next to the vegetable garden is a small flower garden, filled with flowers and plants that are easy to maintain and commonly found in southern cities. Along the courtyard wall, loquat trees, jujube trees, osmanthus trees, and peach trees are planted in succession, and there is even a small blueberry tree that flourishes in the summer. In the corner of the courtyard, beneath a dense grape trellis, there is a small stone well, from which cool well water can be drawn and consumed directly.

This process appears to be quite lengthy, yet in reality, it only took about 5 minutes

Feng Sheng watched them, listening to the laughter and cheers, with a face full of envy and longing. At the same age, he might never be able to swim freely in the water like they do.

The boys who grew up in the ancient town played by the banks of the Twilight River since childhood, each possessing excellent swimming skills. They did not regard Ruan Ruan with any seriousness, especially since she was a girl. However, when she surged ahead of everyone and was the first to reach under the stone bridge, standing on the pier and waving at them, the children who followed were taken aback. A boy named Liang Liang, who always took first place in swimming competitions, was somewhat unconvinced and claimed that it was merely her good luck, insisting on a rematch.

The young men worked together to completely open the car window, and then carefully dragged the person who was slumped over the steering wheel out.

Wow, someone threw a big stone! A boy shouted.

The days in the ancient town are quiet, leisurely, and free-spirited, yet they also feel quite long. Aside from cooking and preparing medicine, large stretches of time need to be filled. There is no internet here, and Ruan Ruan does not enjoy watching television. When the wind falls asleep, she tends to the vegetable patch and small garden in the courtyard, or lies on a bamboo chair under the grape trellis to read a book or take a nap

But fortunately, there was only one person in the car

At the age of thirteen, Feng Sheng suffers from congenital heart disease, is physically weak, and requires medication throughout the year. Sometimes, he is unable to attend school and spends most of his time recuperating at home. Ruan Ruan is somewhat aware of the situation of the Feng family. Both of Feng's parents work at the local brick factory, earning meager wages. With a sick family member and Feng Ling still in school, their lives are extremely difficult. Even more unfortunately, Feng's father died that summer when Feng Ling was entering high school while trying to save a child from drowning in the river. This made the Feng family's situation even more challenging.

"It is not a stone, it is a car..." Liangliang, who was walking at the back, suddenly said in a daze. When that car fell off the bridge, he was just picking up his flip-flops from the water. At the moment he looked up, he was stunned by the scene, which was simply like a thrilling scene from a movie.

On the surface, the river appears very calm, but in reality, the water is quite deep, and there are hidden sands at the bottom. Ruan Ruan swam across at the fastest speed of her life, yet she still felt that she was very slow. She told herself not to rush, not to be anxious, and to stay calm in order to save someone

The sound of the wind made his eyes light up: "Really?"

She was extremely anxious; just now, she had focused solely on rushing to save the person, but she overlooked the fact that she could not open the car window with her bare hands at all

Ruan Ruan and Liang Liang, together, pulled the injured person and slowly surfaced from the water

It was Ruan Ruan who reacted first, running down the stone steps to grab Liang Liang's hand and asking, "Is it really a car? You didn't see it wrong, did you?"

Ruan Ruan swam over and discovered that the car windows were tightly closed, making it impossible to see inside. She circled to the front of the car and, through the windshield, the first thing that caught her eye was a pool of blinding blood.

Due to this competition, Liangliang and his companions would run to the Feng family's yard every evening to invite them to go swimming together. Ruan Ruan was initially not very interested, but seeing that Feng Sheng seemed eager to play with them, she agreed. The group of children were all in junior high school, a few years younger than Ruan Ruan, and once they became familiar, they affectionately called her "Sister Ruan Ruan".

Feng Ling once asked her, "Ruan Ruan, do you truly love Fu Xizhou as a person, or is it merely an illusion of love because he is the first male you have been close to?" In Feng Ling's mind, love is tangible; it is a process where one person gradually becomes attracted to another after getting to know them. However, Ruan Ruan's love seemed too much like an illusion. The first time Feng Ling heard her mention this relationship, she said, "I have fallen for someone. Our time together was very short, and I know nothing about him, not even his name." In Feng Ling's view, love is a reality, a gradual process of attraction that develops through understanding. Yet, Ruan Ruan's love appeared to be an illusion. The first time Feng Ling heard her speak of this relationship, she said, "I have fallen for someone. Our time together was very short, and I know nothing about him, not even his name. One day, he suddenly disappeared. However, over the years, I have found that I still like him and miss him very, very much.

Liangliang nodded: "I definitely did not see it wrong, it is a black small car..."

Grandfather Zhu, why hasn't he woken up yet

Ruan Ruan's first reaction was that someone had thrown a huge stone off the bridge. She patted her chest and thought, how lacking in public morality this is, and was relieved that no one was under the bridge pier.

He felt weak all over, with a splitting headache. In the dim light, someone was speaking with their back to him; it was a girl's voice, soft and sweet.

The water was instantly stained a deep crimson.