Chapter 0010: Moldy Rain

The long-haired one could only cover his nose and get up, glancing at the other three accomplices, and said fiercely, "This matter is not over between us"

During the plum rain season, a fine drizzle falls upon the river surface, and no one has the heart to appreciate the lingering beauty, as it has been raining continuously for several days and nights

Taking advantage of the current lull, Dazhuang and Lilong took a break and hid in the river, unwilling to come out. It was summer vacation, and there was a group of children playing in the river, all bare-bottomed, with their clothes laid out on the riverbank

Li glared at him but did not respond to him

A young boy who is in the hazy stage of infatuation usually appears quite strong-willed. However, once he falls into unrequited love, he unconsciously lowers his own position, desperately thinking of ways to change himself to align with the person he likes. He engages in many actions that would seem incomprehensible to an ordinary person, and those actions undoubtedly appear to others as self-degrading.

Upon hearing this, Li Long was about to rush forward, but was held back by Li and La.

Four people casually washed themselves in the river, put their clothes back on, and left as soon as they lifted their feet

Four young men emerged from the river wearing only shorts, ready to confront Li Long. Although they knew that the three brothers involved in catching eels were not to be trifled with, they were not afraid of trouble. Since the beginning of junior high school, they had been hanging around the town, frequently engaging in fights and brawls, often leaving others injured. They consumed commercial grain and felt superior, naturally unwilling to bow down to a country bumpkin.

As for the old gentleman and the two uncles, they occasionally help bring some food if they arrive early. The roads become even more difficult to navigate in the rain, and with no moonlight at night, we can only set off before it gets dark. Sometimes, if we arrive too early, there is no one at the seafood company, and we have to wait there until 2 AM. At times, the finance office staff arrive even later, requiring us to wait until 4 AM, which is truly unbearable

Li was too lazy to argue with this group of young children. They were merely a bit impetuous, not particularly bad. He offered them a way out, saying, "Look at my younger brother, this bruise on his neck, can it be taken lightly? We all know that friends are made through conflict. How about we become friends? In the future, we can catch eels together on this bridge, and since you often play around here, it would be awkward to avoid each other. It's pointless to get all worked up over this. Here, take this five yuan, and take this little brother to the infirmary to stop his nosebleed, alright? Let's just let this matter rest."

Later, with the development of the economy, the banks of the Huai River became filled with sand extraction sites, the river was covered with sand suction boats, and sand transport vehicles were everywhere. Dust and exhaust fumes were rampant, and even this bridge in front of us could not withstand the overload.

Standing nervously beside them, Duan Mei heard Li He say this. She was not a timid girl; on the contrary, she was someone with a sense of responsibility. She declared, "Yes, I will go to the police station to report you for being hooligans."

The unfortunate girls born in this era endure great hardships. During the day, they toil under the scorching sun to harvest grain, and at night, they gather seedlings under the stars in the fields, all while being bitten by mosquitoes and insects. In those times, there were no pesticides or chemical fertilizers to cause harm; not only were there many eels and loaches, but also leeches and snakes in the fields. The leeches, swollen and glistening on their legs, could be grasped by the handful, and those pulling seedlings often found themselves catching snakes in their hands. The suffering is truly indescribable, with no food, no clothing, and no firewood to burn. Many girls simply cannot bear this torment, leading to thoughts of a life worse than death. In those times, there were no pesticides or chemical fertilizers to cause harm; not only were there many eels and loaches, but also leeches and snakes in the fields. The leeches, swollen and glistening on their legs, could be grasped by the handful, and those pulling seedlings often found themselves catching snakes in their hands. The suffering is truly indescribable, with no food, no clothing, and no firewood to burn. Many girls simply cannot bear this torment, leading to thoughts of a life worse than death.

The Hongshui River is a tributary of the Huai River, a very clean stream. The nearby residents use the river water for washing vegetables and clothes. Li He remembers that in later years, people established pig farms here, discharging all the waste into this river. A few years later, this river will become a polluted one

Li Longke was unwilling to expose himself in front of the person he cared about

There is no girl like the lilac, holding an oiled paper umbrella, her graceful figure, stunningly beautiful, wandering in the long rain-drenched alley

Of course, if these few children are carelessly holding bricks, knives, or sticks, then Li He would have to beat them to death directly, because at the age of fifteen or sixteen, they are the least concerned about the consequences. As long as they are given the opportunity, they would really dare to stab someone in a moment of impulsiveness.

"Hey, you brats, behave yourselves and watch your language, or I won't hold back," Li Long scolded the group of young men. It turned out that the young men by the river were whistling at Duan Mei, who was pushing a small cart, which had angered Li Long.

At this time, the young people are much more innocent, at most having a few mischievous thoughts, not even qualifying as delinquents, let alone rogues. However, young people are particularly concerned about their reputation; being treated so harshly in public, who would be willing to step down gracefully

There was no other option but for him to collect the eels at the bridgehead of the Hongshui River in the town, by the riverside. He started collecting for two hours every day at 5 PM, and the nearby villages increasingly sent eels this way, making him just as busy every day.

Li Long's face instantly turned as red as a monkey's bottom, too young

Although these young individuals are not particularly young anymore, they have not experienced much of the world. A few words easily placated them, yet they felt increasingly uneasy. The tall one forced himself to say, "My buddy's nose has been bloodied by you all, hasn't it?"

Now, cash is settled daily. Li Long carries a small cowhide bag he specially bought in the provincial capital, bulging and ostentatious. During this phase of experience, his previous naivety has diminished significantly. However, Li Long has recently fallen into unrequited love, as a girl who brings him eels every day has left him distracted. This is an era where even talking to the opposite sex outside makes one blush.

"Your mother." A tall man, upon reaching the shore, took a few steps forward, clenching his fist as he was about to lunge towards Li Long.

Li, on the other hand, does not concern himself with these matters. As long as it is not that Zhang Ni from the previous life, he will only care that his brother's future wife has good character, and will not pay much attention to anything else.

Women hold up half the sky, but the true half of the sky is reflected in rural households where, when a couple argues, the woman often exclaims to the man, 'I have spent my whole life suffering behind you.' The man usually falls silent in response.

Li and his family are in a terrible situation. When it rains, Li cannot collect the eels, as they cannot be transported. Whether by cart or donkey cart, the roads are filled with muddy pits.

He turned around and kicked another young man in the waist. Taking advantage of the latter's stumble, he directly seized the young man's neck and slammed him to the ground. Li He still regarded this young man as a child, so he did not dare to strike hard at his head. After all, he had some training, and now he was a strong young man who was well-fed. He had both skill and strength in fighting, and if he were to use lethal force, it would reflect poorly on his understanding.

Once, Li specifically glanced at the young girl, who wore a pair of faded black cloth shoes that were as plain as could be, and a somewhat ill-fitting dark blue shirt. On her head, she had a black square scarf wrapped around it in a somewhat proper manner. Her appearance was quite striking, with a well-proportioned figure and a delicate, charming face

Li Long was lying in the water when he was suddenly pulled by Da Zhuang. He stood up and, following the direction pointed by Da Zhuang, hurriedly ran ashore to get dressed. Li Long's unrequited love, Duan Mei, was slowly pushing a cart towards him, and it was obvious from the bag on the cart that it contained yellow eels.

However, after a round, Dazhuang was somewhat measured in his approach, knocking the person down and giving a kick before refraining from further action. Li Long, on the other hand, was reckless, straddling a long-haired child and directly clenching his fist to strike the opponent's head.

Thus, it is often heard that several individuals have drowned in a certain bay, and rumors of young women from a certain brigade committing suicide by hanging

Li smiled amiably and said to the four people, "Why are you still at it? Is it really necessary to act like children and go home to tell your parents? Besides, you are teasing the young lady, and you were the ones who started it. If this goes to the police station, it could be considered a crime of hooliganism. Do you want to face the consequences? Or should I accompany you to the police station?"

A crowd had gathered nearby without anyone knowing when it happened, and Li let out a long sigh, truly a native of the nation

Li Fucheng later came over with his two sons, heard about the matter, and then said to Li Long, "Your brother is right in this matter; after all, you have taken advantage of the situation. This is similar to how Dazhuang's father drives the donkey, giving it a whip and then a carrot."

After the incident, the young girl Duan Mei insisted on bearing half the loss of 5 yuan, even though it was her own fault. Li Long could not allow his beloved to lose money. The weight of the eel was calculated, and he paid exactly that amount. Duan Mei was sincere, even if it meant she would have a hard time explaining to her parents when she got home

Li hurriedly pulled Li Long up and scolded, "What is it? Do you still want to kill someone?"

Li He had just arrived at the riverbank when he took a running start and, without hesitation, kicked the tall individual in the back, causing him to fall flat on the ground

Li Long was asked to pay 5 yuan, but he was unwilling and shouted, "Brother."

The scene immediately became chaotic, and the children by the river started to cheer. Dazhuang and Lilong had always been skilled fighters; in the countryside, it is quite common to resort to fighting when disagreements arise.

Li and Ben originally held back the big man who was about to go up and hit someone, giving the younger brother a chance to rescue the beauty. However, seeing the situation, they knew it couldn't end well. Fearing that the younger brother would suffer, both Li and the big man quickly went ashore

After much difficulty, once the rain stopped, the scorching heat of summer set in. Li He no longer dared to squat at the bridgehead and could only set up his stall under the shade of the trees at the bridgehead. Even though it was already past 6 o'clock, the sweltering heat was still penetrating to the bone.

Standing beside them, Duan Mei was at a loss, anxiously grabbing Li Long, "Please don't scold anymore, I'm fine."

The ancestors of eight generations have been greeted several times, and they have exchanged a few insults. A few young people were provoked by Li Long's remark, "If you have the guts, come up here."

Li Long has indeed reached the age of budding romance. When the seed inadvertently takes root in his heart, he begins to pay attention to every move of a certain person every day, of course pretending to be casual, worried that being too deliberate might reveal his true feelings. In reality, he cares deeply as this daily routine continues, this sweet burden. Occasionally exchanging a few words brings him joy for half a day, and his mind is filled with thoughts of that person

Every day, he squats at the bridgehead with Dazhuang and Lilong to collect yellow eels. After finishing, he does not return home but directly looks for a roadside stall to eat some scallion pancakes or cold noodles. As for restaurants, do you have food coupons? No? Then he can only make do with this.

As soon as the little girl left, Li He said, "If you truly care, our family's situation is not bad now. Later, let Grandma inquire and see which families are available, and find someone to come and take a look."

Every day, facing the incessant patter of rain, it seems to never stop. Each day carries a hint of mildew. The air is humid and oppressive, making it easy for clothes to become moldy, and the locals refer to it as "moldy rain"

Before I could dive a few times, I heard Li Long arguing with a group of people.

Reality is a dirt road, muddy and difficult to traverse, leaving one covered in mud upon stepping outside

Although these young people are from the town, they do not have proper jobs. Usually, they engage in petty activities, fighting at the South Mountain Nursing Home and stepping on the North Sea Kindergarten, merely earning a few cents to buy cigarettes. They have never encountered such a large sum of money. The group exchanged glances, remaining silent, feeling that giving money was a sign of submission. The one with long hair took the money and said, "Alright, I suppose you are sensible."

Li smiled slightly and gave up his position to Li Long. He also took off his clothes and dove directly into the water wearing only his shorts, swimming for over ten meters before surfacing.

This feeling always arises without reason, as if it suddenly sprouts and then grows densely, like garlic sprouts in the field. Just a few days ago, there was nothing but bare soil, and then one day, small shoots appeared. If you don't pay attention to it, after a few days, it will grow rapidly, and it is such a joy to behold.

Seeing that Li Long's neck was scratched and bleeding by the opponent's nails, Li felt a bit of pity instead. He kicked the leg of the long-haired person lying on the ground and said, "Don't lie on the ground pretending to be dead, you just have a nosebleed, get up"

Thus, Li has lived two lifetimes, witnessing the hardships endured by Wang Yulan and Li Mei, and feels genuine respect and sorrow for them

Li looked at the clothes on his body, a pair of liberation shoes caked in mud. He then glanced at the khaki shirt, which was stained and dirty, resembling a tattered burlap sack draped over him, with creases that could not be smoothed out.

The skin is not particularly fair, but the key point is that in this day and age, whether it is women or young girls in the countryside, none of them are fair-skinned. When the busy farming season arrives, the militia squad leader organizes the youth for training, while the youth league branch secretary convenes meetings for the league members to study. As a result, women have become the main force in farming.