Chapter 62

This year, the rain has been particularly heavy, starting from late June, it has rained every day. Most of the time, it's been showers, coming and going quickly, but sometimes it drizzles for half a day.

Despite the rain, the heat remains as usual. The river has risen, making it unsuitable for swimming. The ground is filled with puddles, and the roads are terribly muddy.

The classrooms and dormitories are tiled houses. The classrooms are fine, as they are inspected frequently each year. The dormitories are more problematic; every room leaks, and the neatly arranged beds are now scattered. However, it's likely that everyone has experienced a leaky roof at home, and the young children, with their carefree hearts, don't take these matters seriously. Instead, they find it somewhat novel to have their beds in different spots.

Noticing the unusual weather, the school didn't take it lightly. A few leaders held a meeting and hired some people from the nearby area. They took advantage of the students' daytime classes to thoroughly inspect the dormitories and clear the ditches around the buildings.

This decision proved timely. As soon as the hired workers left, the heavy rain started and continued for several days around the Dragon Boat Festival.

With such heavy rain, Feng Yiping was worried about his house and decided to go back and check. So, on Saturday afternoon, he made his first trip home this semester.

This trip home was not easy.

The river in front of the school had risen significantly, with the river surface now nearly 200 meters wide. The simple wooden bridge and the riverbed that was exposed during the dry season were completely submerged.

Fortunately, the villagers from Linjiawan crossed the river daily. Feng Yiping and his six classmates from the village waited by the river and eventually met a villager from Linjiawan who was also crossing.

Seeing him take off his long pants, they followed suit. Fortunately, all seven of them were boys, so there was no inconvenience. They wore only their underwear, holding their schoolbags and pants in one hand, and followed him into the water. Feng Hongbing led the way, Feng Haitao brought up the rear, and Feng Yiping was in the middle.

The villager from Linjiawan didn't walk fast, but he didn't stop to wait for them either. In the rural areas at that time, it was nothing unusual for a few children to cross the river this way. As a popular saying later put it, "It's no big deal."

Although this section of the river was relatively shallow, the average water depth was still above the knees, and the deepest parts reached the thighs. The river current made them stagger, and they had to hold hands to cross.

Everyone was quite excited. After crossing the river, they dried off on the bank, chatting and laughing. Once they were somewhat dry, they put on their long pants and continued on their way home.

After climbing over another mountain, they reached the second river, where the real challenge began.

This river was not wide, only about 20 meters, and the section they usually crossed was divided into two parts, with a drop of about one meter between them.

The upper part of the riverbed was a single large stone slab, smooth from years of being washed by the river, with not a grain of sand left on it. In the summer and spring, moss would grow on these slabs, and a single misstep could easily cause a slip.

At the end of the upper part, there was a natural stone embankment, about one meter higher than the lower part. Below the embankment, in the middle, there was a circular pool about three meters in diameter. It was unknown how it formed, but the one-meter drop didn't seem sufficient to create such a deep pool.

The pool was so deep that its bottom was invisible, and the water always appeared blue-green, regardless of the time. No one had ever measured its depth, as no one had the leisure to do so.

The lower part of the riverbed was chaotic, with large rocks and muddy areas. Normally, people crossed the river by walking on the upper part, stepping on the exposed stone slabs when the water was low. Even when the water was a bit deeper, they could throw a few stones in the middle and step on them. Most of the time, they didn't need to take off their shoes to cross this river.

The water in the upper part was usually cool and clear, barely reaching the ankles. Many children, like them, enjoyed running around on the smooth stone slabs when it wasn't cold.

Now, things were different. Even from a distance, the roar of the river and the mist hit them in the face. The familiar drop between the two sections had disappeared, and the river had merged into one. The familiar embankment was no longer visible, and the river had flooded the fields on the side.

The water surface was not calm, and the narrow riverbed made it seem quite turbulent. Especially at the bend, the water from upstream rushed down and crashed against the stone walls, sending water splashing high.

Seeing this, Feng Yiping hesitated. The river was so deep and swift that he, a non-swimmer, would be like food for the river god if he went in.

His companions didn't share his concerns. A few of them even waved their schoolbags and ran toward the river, shouting excitedly, like young calves unafraid of tigers.

It was normal. At that age, these children, apart from some respect for their parents and teachers, had no concept of fear. If a tiger were to appear in front of them, many would probably grab its head and rub it fiercely, not just touch its tail.

So, facing this situation, Feng Yiping, who was mentally in his thirties, felt uncertain and afraid. The others were different; such events didn't happen every year, and they were excited to experience it. Thoughts of being swept away by the river never crossed their minds.

Boys, especially during their teenage years, are the most daring, the most genuine, the most eager to challenge, and the most willing to face difficulties head-on. They never think about the consequences of their challenges and instinctively charge forward without hesitation.

As they grow older, they become more knowledgeable and more cautious, and the spirit of charging forward without hesitation is lost. Sometimes, it's hard to say whether this is a sign of maturity, progress, or regression.

Although everyone was excited, they weren't reckless. In the current situation, it was impossible to cross the upper part of the river. One misstep or a strong current could send them into the pool, from which even the best swimmers couldn't escape.

Among the seven, only Feng Yiping and one other couldn't swim. The others could, and the best swimmer was Feng Haitao.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he quickly stripped down to his underwear. It must be said, he was quite thin, with his ribs clearly visible.

Relying on memory, they chose a relatively flat spot downstream, and Feng Haitao was ready to enter the water with a smile.

Feng Yiping immediately called out to stop him, and everyone was taken aback, looking at him in confusion.

Feng Wen, who was also undressing, asked, "What's wrong, Yiping? Do you want to go first?"

Feng Hongbing said, "That's a bad idea. His density is too high; he'll sink as soon as he enters the water." Everyone laughed.

Feng Haitao patted his chest with his hands wet from the river. "No need to rush. I'll test the water first and then bring you over."

Feng Yiping went over and held him back. "Wait, let's take some safety measures!"

Everyone was undressing, and Feng Hongbing and Feng Wen, wearing only their underwear, came to the riverbank with their clothes and schoolbags. Feng Hongbing said, "What safety measures? We've crossed this river many times before."

Feng Wen added, "What safety measures can we take now?"

Although the other six were older, Feng Yiping considered himself the only adult here and felt responsible for everyone's safety. He earnestly advised them, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Let's cut some kudzu vines and hold onto them when we cross. That way, if a big wave comes, we won't be swept away."

Feng Wen mocked him, "Yiping, have you been watching too much TV or reading too many novels?"

The older Feng Hongbing and Feng Haitao also thought it unnecessary, but Feng Yiping insisted. Due to his various actions, his opinion still carried some weight. Finally, Feng Haitao mediated, "Yiping has a point; it can't hurt to be cautious."

After the incident at the barbershop, Feng Hongbing's view of Feng Yiping had changed. So, in the end, Feng Hongbing and Feng Haitao put on their clothes and went with Feng Yiping to cut the kudzu vines.

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