Chapter 2: That "Familiar" Earthquake

Fang Mingyuan's home was a row of bungalows in the factory residential area. The house was quite spacious, with two main rooms, one large and one small, a kitchen, and a toilet. Additionally, there was a courtyard of about ten square meters. Overall, it was quite a large space. His father, Fang Sheng, had planted loofah in the courtyard, and now the vines had already covered the entire courtyard, with green leaves and yellow flowers like tender buds, and small loofahs the size of fingers, attracting many butterflies and bees to the yard. In this row of bungalows, it was also a small scenic spot.

After dinner, Fang Sheng took out a chess manual and set up a difficult chess position, while Bai Ping finished the housework and went to a colleague's house. At that time, the mahjong craze was just beginning in Hai Zhuang, and people of all ages were deeply engrossed in this "Great Wall." If they didn't play for a night, their fingers would itch. So, every evening, the sound of mahjong tiles clashing could be heard from the windows of each household in the residential area. Bai Ping, of course, could not resist the trend. After finishing the housework, she couldn't help but go to a colleague's house to play a few rounds. Fortunately, they were all in the residential area, not far apart, and safety was not a concern.

Fang Mingyuan didn't take long to finish the homework left by the school. These simple tasks were nothing to him. If it weren't for Fang Sheng's belief that learning should start from a young age, Fang Mingyuan wouldn't even want to do the homework, as it was merely a simple repetitive task.

When the clock struck ten in the evening, Fang Mingyuan had already climbed into his small bed and fallen into a sweet dream. As for Fang Sheng, he was still immersed in the chess manual, and Bai Ping wouldn't return until midnight.

"Wake up! Xiao Yuan, wake up quickly!" In a daze, Fang Mingyuan suddenly felt someone pushing him, and then his body, which had been lying flat on the bed, was lifted up. His pants and coat were put on, and he was carried out of the house. Although the temperature was high during the early summer day, it was still quite cold at night. The cold wind woke Fang Mingyuan from his half-dazed state. He realized that he had been carried by his father to the entrance of the residential area.

Although he didn't know what time it was, Fang Mingyuan remembered that he had gone to bed at ten o'clock. However, the entrance of the residential area now looked like it was during the daily rush hour, with people everywhere. These people were all dressed in disarray, with sleepy eyes, and many were dragging their families along. Fang Mingyuan even saw several elderly people with gray hair, leaning on canes, being protected by their younger family members. Fang Mingyuan's mind was confused. Why were people not sleeping and running to the entrance of the residential area in the middle of the night? And why had they even brought the elderly? This was indeed very strange.

"Fang Sheng! Fang Sheng!" A familiar voice came from the crowd. Fang Mingyuan turned his head and saw his grandfather, Fang Lao Ye, accompanied by his uncle, Fang Bin, and his mother, Bai Ping, pushing through the crowd. As soon as he saw Fang Sheng and his son, Fang Bin rushed forward and carried Fang Mingyuan. Fang Bin was extremely fond of his nephew, always wanting to hold him whenever he saw him.

"Phew..." Seeing that Fang Sheng and his son were safe, Fang Lao Ye's tense face relaxed, and he let out a long breath, saying, "Good, good, good, as long as everyone is safe!" This only added to Fang Mingyuan's confusion, as he didn't understand what was happening. However, as Fang Lao Ye and Fang Sheng conversed, Fang Mingyuan finally understood the situation. It turned out that when Bai Ping and her friends were playing mahjong at 11:30 PM, the lights suddenly flickered, and the house began to shake slightly. They immediately realized that an earthquake might have occurred, so they quickly split up to go home and wake their families to seek shelter outside. After waking Fang Sheng and his son, Bai Ping hurriedly went to call her in-laws. It had been only a few years since the devastating earthquake in Qiaotou City, and the massive casualties had left a deep and lasting fear of earthquakes in the hearts of the people of Hai Zhuang. Therefore, when they learned of the signs of an earthquake, no one dared to stay in their homes. This resulted in the residential area's entrance looking like a bustling market in the middle of the night.

Fang Mingyuan, who had "escaped" from Fang Bin's arms, curiously looked around. Hai Zhuang was just a small town, and in 1983, nightlife was still a very unfamiliar concept for the people of China, and even more so for him. He had never experienced staying outside his home after 9 PM.

The people, who had been slightly shaken, had now gathered in small groups, whispering about what had just happened. Since they all worked at the same factory and saw each other every day, there were few strangers among them.

"Stay here, don't run around!" Bai Ping whispered to Fang Mingyuan. She knew that her son, who seemed rather honest and preferred reading to playing, could be quite mischievous when he wanted to. Moreover, with the grandfather and Fang Bin there, who treated him like a little prince, if they were around, not only would no one dare to hit Fang Mingyuan, but even speaking harshly to him might draw the grandfather's disapproval. Over the years, she had come to understand the importance of her eldest son and grandson in the grandfather's heart. Fang Lao Ye treated Fang Mingyuan with utmost care, afraid of dropping him if he held him and afraid of melting him if he put him in his mouth! However, Fang Mingyuan also made her proud. Despite his young age, he was diligent in his studies and behaved like a little adult, bringing honor to her in front of her family and colleagues. Therefore, Bai Ping always doted on Fang Mingyuan.

Fang Mingyuan nodded and curiously observed his surroundings. The scene before him was strangely familiar. He even knew what would happen next. The next moment, an old man would scold his son for making a fuss over a small matter, disturbing his sweet dreams. And the next moment, the second son of the Guo family, Guo Donglin, would climb a tree playfully, only to fall when his brother pulled him, landing on a brick and breaking his head, requiring three stitches at the hospital!

Moreover, he knew that this was indeed an earthquake, but it did not occur in Hai Zhuang or Pingchuan County. The epicenter was in Chongquan County, a neighboring county to Pingchuan, and the tremors here were just the result of the earthquake in Chongquan.

Thinking about this, Fang Mingyuan suddenly felt a jolt. Why did these thoughts suddenly appear in his mind? How did he know that the earthquake occurred in Chongquan County? How could he be so sure that Guo Donglin would fall and break his head while climbing the tree?

"Guo Donglin, no climbing trees, get down now!" He heard Guo's mother shouting angrily, "Dongsheng, don't you pull your brother down!"

"Uncle Guo, watch out for the brick!" Fang Mingyuan couldn't help but shout. Then his head spun, his eyes closed, and he fell backward...

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