Chapter 2

The children from the mountains, from a young age, grew up rolling in the mud, climbing mountains, and crossing rivers. Although I was young back then, I was a top swimmer, able to hold my breath underwater for a long time without coming up for air. In the entire Longjialing, no one could match me.

It's funny to think about it now, but we stole Laodiao's father's hunting rifle and ran out, planning to go hunting. But as soon as we pulled the trigger, the three of us wet our pants. We had no choice but to run to a nearby stream, take off our clothes and pants, and throw them on the rocks before jumping into the water. It was a hot June day, and after spending half a day in the mountains, we were drenched in sweat. We didn't think much of it and plunged into the stream with a splash. The stream wasn't wide, so the water was a bit turbulent, but it wasn't deep, only about half a meter, which was no problem for us mountain kids who spent our days in the water.

Because of the accidental discharge of the gun, Laodiao and I got into a fight. We even had a water fight while in the water, but then we became as close as brothers. He put his arm around my shoulder and said, "Erdan, you damn brat, are you eyeing that little fox and want to take her home as a wife?"

The old folks in the mountains have a wealth of stories, including the legends of King Zhou and Lady Daji. Laodiao had also seen the little fox's face when he aimed and thought it looked human, like a little girl. Thinking back, he couldn't help but feel a chill. I ignored his teasing and said, "I'm doing this for your own good. If you hurt a young one, the older ones will come. Foxes are vengeful. If the old fox finds out you killed its cub, your family won't be able to keep chickens or have peace."

Longgenzi laughed on the side. He was quiet, honest, and a bit timid. After washing for a while, he got out of the water to wash his wet pants. I was lazy and playful, so I asked him to help me wash my clothes while I played in the water a bit more.

We wore homemade cloth pants, patched up in the crotch, and soaked with the hot urine I had just passed. Of course, Longgenzi refused. I counted my possessions and found nothing to trade, so I said, "Just leave them there. I'll go diving a couple of times and wash them later." Laodiao, who was also playful, said, "Okay, let's see who can hold their breath longer."

This "holding breath" game was simply about who could stay underwater the longest. I was always the diving champion in Longjialing, so I wasn't afraid of his challenge. I loudly said, "Sure, let's do it. Who's afraid of who?"

Laodiao asked Longgenzi to watch our clothes, belongings, and the hunting rifle. Then we counted down together, "Three, two, one," and submerged into the water.

We both went underwater, and I noticed he was a bit slower. I knew he was trying to be clever, but I wasn't worried. When I submerged, the water carried me downstream. There was a small pond below, and I feared Laodiao would cheat, so I crossed my legs like a Buddha statue and grabbed a large rock in the water to anchor myself.

Those who have held their breath underwater know it has three stages. The first is when you first go under; you have a breath in your chest that can last about ten seconds. Then, when the air runs out, you start to feel the discomfort, and you have to endure, endure, endure. Once you get past that, you can relax for a while.

I was always the best at holding my breath, so I was very confident. Even in the second stage, I was quite relaxed. Occasionally, I would open my eyes to check on Laodiao, seeing his face puffed up, looking very uncomfortable.

Seeing him suffer, I felt a bit relieved and kept encouraging myself to hold on, hold on, and once I got past that point, I would win.

I counted in my head, and by then, I could count from one to a hundred without much effort. I counted slowly, waiting to win. But then, disaster struck. The large rock I was holding onto couldn't bear my weight and started to slide down.

This sudden change made me panic. I reached down to grab something to anchor myself, but when the rock moved, something seemed to emerge from below. My hand touched a slippery, slimy object, like mud or a large fish. Before I could react, I felt it slide over my neck, and its tail slapped me, causing a sharp pain. My half-body felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave. I waved my hand, and the feeling disappeared. I relaxed a bit and thought about staying underwater, but then I saw Laodiao standing up.

When he stood up, it meant I had won. I, Chen Erdan, was still the diving champion of Longjialing. So I didn't persist and stood up from the water. But instead of cheers from my friends, I saw Laodiao frantically climbing out of the water. On the shore, I saw a few wild monkeys jumping and throwing stones at me, baring their teeth.

The Malishan area is close to the outside world, and while there are monkeys in the mountains, they are not common. Seeing the red-faced monkeys was a novelty, and I was momentarily stunned.

But when I saw Laodiao climbing out and shouting at me, I realized my ears were filled with water, and I couldn't hear clearly. I only saw him waving frantically, so I shook my head and finally heard the latter part of his words: "...get out, there's a ghost in the water!"

Laodiao's face was eerie, as if he had seen a ghost. I wanted to laugh, but then something yanked my feet, and I was pulled underwater with a splash.

I felt my ankles being tightly gripped by something like iron hooks, dragging me downstream. I fell into the water several times and struggled to get out, but each time, I lost more strength.

That memory is one I will never forget. The world was dark and filled with water, and my only goal was to get one more breath of air.

After an unknown amount of time, the iron hooks on my ankles suddenly released. I instinctively swam towards the shore and was pulled out by several warm hands.

I had swallowed a lot of water, and my memory was hazy. When I came to, I heard Longgenzi wailing like he was in mourning.

Back then, children didn't know about CPR. When I woke up, I felt nauseous and vomited twice, my stomach in knots. I later learned that Laodiao and Longgenzi had dragged me into the forest, and Laodiao had run back to the village to get help. I was saved because some wild monkeys in the forest had driven away the ghost in the water.

I asked what the ghost looked like. Longgenzi, scared, stammered, "It looked like an eel, with lots of fur, and then it looked like a little child..."

"What about the wild monkeys?" I asked. He said they had run into the forest after we got out.

Laodiao soon returned to the village with the adults, including his father, my father, and several other village elders and hunters. We had come out mainly because of my urging. My father, who had prepared a willow branch to punish me, saw my pale face and softened, only scolding me a bit. In contrast, Laodiao was hung from the rafters and beaten with a leather belt by his father for half the night.

In the mountains, children are not allowed to play with guns; it's a taboo.

This incident was my fault, so when Laodiao was locked in the woodshed and starved by his father, I went to our yard's chicken coop and brought him eggs several times.

I thought the matter was over, as it was just three kids, and no one could be sure if there was really a water ghost in the stream. But on the third day, my neck started to itch. At first, I thought it was a mosquito bite, but the more I scratched, the more it itched. I scratched all night, and on the fourth morning, I found half of my neck was bloody, and my hands were covered in fish scales.