Yuan River

Unknowingly, the sky gradually turned from yellow to dark.The looming stars began to decorate the night, paving the Milky Way.On the clear and shallow Yuan River, it seems that the golden paint has been knocked over, the radiance is overflowing, and the flowing fire is shining gold.

A few chatting and laughing young women, carrying big baskets of mulberry leaves on their backs, walked briskly back from the other side of the Yuan River from far to near.Back in the tribe, they unanimously dumped the mulberry leaves in the baskets into the sieves stacked on top of each other.

"In ten or so days, this batch will be spinning."

"Yes, sister, the silkworm babies have grown up."

"At that time, I will make new clothes out of silk thread."

……

Ah Che's attention was immediately attracted.He was a little confused, but couldn't bear his curiosity, so he moved to the sieve in two steps in three steps.

The lush mulberry leaves are covered with small white bugs.They stretched and moved forward, feasting and enjoying themselves.

Silkworm baby?Can this worm spin silk?It was so much fun.Archer thought to himself.The big and small affairs of this tribe are all very novel to him.

His head was dizzy, maybe it was the sequelae of smoke poisoning, A Che decided not to look around for the time being.He walked straight to the unassuming gray priest's tent.

Entering the tent, the pure black spoon on the tray still aroused his interest.

Isn't this for eating?Why put it here?He flicked the handle of the spoon lightly, and the spoon began to spin, and then it gradually stopped, and then turned back to the original direction on its own.A Che was taken aback, and moved the spoon again and again, but the spoon kept pointing in the same direction.

"This is Sinan, it always points in the opposite direction to the Big Dipper, so it can be used to identify the direction." Someone said behind.

"Xiang Lin?" Ah Che hurriedly turned around, and as expected, he found Xiang Lin leaning on the tent with a sly face and folded arms.For some reason, Ah Che felt a little relieved when Xiang Lin was around.

"Well, I'm done with work, I'm coming back to sleep with you," Xiang Lin strode in while speaking, lay down with his clothes on his own, and pulled a silk quilt, "I'm sorry, there is only one quilt. If you share it, you will settle down."

"..."

Ah Che originally wanted to complain, but also thought of the principle that guests can do whatever they want, so it was not easy to get angry.Following Xiang Lin's example, he lay down with all his clothes on and pulled off the quilt.As soon as he closed his eyes, he fell into a deep sleep.

The dream is full of smoke and water vapor.There are shadowy and ethereal figures in front of you.

Li Xin.is it you?

You rise slowly from the water of the Yuan River, graceful in the wind.

Li Xin.

Come to me, will you?Free me from the prison, and show me the clarity of my source.

A burst of warmth burned from the lower body, and then climbed slowly, making the mouth dry and tongue dry.

Well……

Archie opened his eyes lightly.

"Brother." Xiang Lin's sweet voice sounded from before his eyes.He licked his tongue, as if tasting some delicious food.

"What are you doing!" Ah Che was startled and angry, pushing Xiang Lin who was on top of him at some point.Unexpectedly, Xiang Lin's hands felt weak, and Xiang Lin remained motionless.

"Brother, I like you."

"Do you have eyes and a brain? I'm a man!"

"I know." Xiang Lin blinked her big and docile eyes like a herbivore, and kissed her intently.

Ah Che obediently loosened his jaw, let Xiang Lin's tongue stick in, and then bit down hard.

"Ah!" Xiang Lin screamed in pain, "Are you really biting?"

"Listen up: first, I like women. Second, even if I like men, I don't like you."

"Brother, which man do you like?"

A strong and refined figure emerged from his mind out of time.Li Bin.

"What's none of your business? I'll sleep somewhere else." A Che got up angrily, and left the priest's tent without looking back.

The north wind roared outside, like thousands of troops marching in unison, like ten thousand horses galloping, it made Ah Che who had just come out shiver from the cold.He shrank his neck and looked around.

The tribe is quiet and peaceful.At the edge, there is a faint fire, releasing a faint red light.

Firelight?Maybe it was because of the severe cold, maybe it was because of the almost instinctive kindness to the flames, Ah Che unconsciously walked towards the fire.

A woman with slender arms was adding firewood to the fire, and the bright fire light made her cheeks as warm as jade.Her profile made Ah Che so familiar.

"Mother God? Are you stargazing?" Ache asked tentatively.

"Call me Xiang Shi." The woman turned her face and smiled softly, her delicate face was pale and haggard.

"Mother, what's going on here?" Ah Che was a little confused.

"Son, I know you're confused right now, but at this juncture, the Yuan River is about to flood."

"Ah? Isn't it the dry season?"

"Do you believe me?"

"I used to believe it. Now, I don't know."

"I planned to find you tomorrow morning, but it's okay to tell you now. Within three days, the Yuan River will inevitably flood. Go back and find Li Bin, let him organize and evacuate all the tents by the river."

"That's it, that's good," Ah Che frowned, "I'm going to say goodbye to Xiang Lin right now."

Xiang raised her eyes to look at Ah Che, hesitated to speak, stretched out her hand to Ah Che's head, and sighed: "Son, take care of yourself."

"Yeah." Ah Che nodded obediently, expressing that he remembered it.Then.He returned to the priest's tent.

"Xiang Lin."

"Huh? Brother, are you back? Other tents are not as comfortable as mine, right? Brother, do you miss me? Haha." Xiang Lin greeted him with a playful smile.

"Xiang Lin, the Yuan River is about to flood."

"I knew it earlier."

"What? Then you won't tell me?" Ah Che was shocked and angry.

"Be safe and don't be impatient. You only know that the Yuan River is about to flood, but do you know why the flood happens during the dry season?"

Ache was taken aback when he heard this.

"Because of this." Xiang Lin turned and walked to the pottery jar placed in a corner, unscrewed the lid forcefully, took out a handful of plain white rice grains from it, and showed it to Ah Che, "Let's go, let's go see the rice fields."

The two came out of the priest's tent one after the other.The night is thick, and the morning star hangs alone.On the eastern horizon, there seems to be a mass of dim yellow, declaring that this is the darkest period before dawn.

At this moment, there is no wind or rain, and the silent Yuan River flows safely.

Xiang Lin walked ahead without looking back, walking back along the Yuan River.A Che had no choice but to follow closely, taking a look at the tall and straight trees by the river.

After walking for a long time, Xiang Lin suddenly stopped, turned around and smiled wickedly at Ah Che, "Haha, there is no one else here, we can do something that will make both of us happy and shocked."

"You!" Ah Che couldn't help taking a step back, the stone slipped under his feet, causing Ah Che to stagger and almost fall into the water.

"Look, I scared you, I'm kidding," Xiang Lin hurried to support Ah Che, "The water here is very shallow, but it's too cold. If you fall into it this season, you'll catch a cold and get sick."

……

"Brother, there is a rice field ahead."

Ah Che still wanted to retort, but the scene in front of him made him speechless.

The sun is rising and the golden light is shining.The cool wind blows, and the heavy rice fields roll with golden waves, one after another, as if celebrating the joy of harvest with dance.

A Che stopped and stared at it for a long time, and admired sincerely: "It's so beautiful! It's like a scroll."

"See you for the first time, and appreciate it." Xiang Lin put on a magnanimous appearance of landlord friendship, "What I want to tell you is that this beautiful red-gold rice field is the culprit of the drought and flood disaster."

"Huh? Why?"

"The water storage capacity of the reclaimed rice fields is much lower than that of the original forest, so the hydrological regulation capacity of the Yuan River has plummeted in recent years."

"This... Mrs. Xiang never said that..."

"And only I will tell you."

"why?"

"Because I like you brother."

"..."

"Brother, go back and report the news, the flood is no joke."

"Well, Xiang Lin, thank you."

"Brother, you are so cute and silly."

"..."

Back in time.The night when Ah Che escaped.

Li Bin opened his eyes, rubbed his aching head, and struggled to sit up.When he saw Li Xin sitting cross-legged in front of him, he became more and more confused: "Li Xin? Why are you here? Where's Ah Che?"

"He escaped." Li Xin replied succinctly with a cold face.

"Escaped? Why?"

"If you don't run away, is it possible that you are still waiting to be killed?"

"Li Xin, what are you talking about?"

"I know all the dirty things you agreed with the patriarch. Don't deny it."

"It's... a misunderstanding. I was going to catch a big basket of fish and tell the patriarch: 'I wanted to murder Archer, but he had witchcraft and I couldn't hurt him. He expressed his willingness to support me , and got so many fish in full swing. In my opinion, it would be better to murder him.'”

"Why should I trust you?"

"I'm your big brother!"

"..."

"Tell me quickly, where did Ah Che go?"

"It's useless for you to ask me, because I don't know either."

"You didn't lie to me?"

"I'm your sister!"

"..."

The autumn wind is bitter and the trees are rustling.The two brothers and sisters headed back home, walking with their heads buried in their heads, not talking all the way, quite embarrassed.

At the end of the road, an old and vigorous figure stopped and watched.His stern gaze pierced through the dense forest and the dawn, as if he wanted to see the two of them to the bone.

"Father." Li Bin came to the old man unhurriedly and cupped his fists respectfully.

"Father." Li Xin blinked cleverly, and clasped his fists in the same gesture.

"Well, you're back. Li Bin, where's Ah Che?" The patriarch's words carried an irresistible majesty.

"He's dead." Li Xin answered first, her eyes suddenly turned red as she spoke, and she tried her best not to let the tears fall down.

"I didn't ask you, I asked Li Bin. Where did Ah Che go?" The patriarch was quite dissatisfied.

"He has returned to the source, which means he is dead." Li Bin said firmly.

Hearing this, Li Xin couldn't restrain herself anymore.Her tears fell in big drops, like scattered strings of pearls.She couldn't help sobbing.

"Hey, Xin'er, birth, old age, sickness and death are human nature," the patriarch's tone softened obviously, as if he believed it was true, "Bin'er, help your sister to rest."

"Okay, father." Like a caring elder brother, Li Bin carefully supported Li Xin, and sat down on the fan-shaped river beach.