"My summer homework isn’t finished yet..."
"Your Grandmaster is going to draw up a will for you, so it’s a must that you go today."
"...haven’t bought an eraser yet, I don’t know where the last one went."
"Come on, auntie will buy you one."
"No need, I have money."
It’s just on the way from here to Big Beard’s house, passing by Aunt Zhang’s store as we go. As we get close, Secretary Jin stops walking.
Li Zhiyuan approaches the counter, about to ask for an eraser to get it over with, when a figure jumps out from behind the small store’s shed—it’s Tan Wenbin.
This guy took a shortcut, not following the village path, but cutting through from the field ridges.
"Hey, Brother Xiao Yuan, what are you buying? Come on, I’ll pay for you too."
"Auntie, get an eraser, and a bottle of medicated oil too."
Aunt Zhang passes over the items; Tan Wenbin pays, hands the eraser to Li Zhiyuan, then hurriedly unscrews the cap of the medicated oil and starts applying it to his neck and arms.
"Last night I saw you all itching terribly, made me start feeling itchy too today, I suspect it’s something Run Sheng caught."
"Brother Binbin, you should go back and tell Brother Runsheng and Grandma Liu that Grandmaster and I are off to Grandpa Ding’s place for a meal."
"What, you’re going to the water... Oh oh oh!"
Li Zhiyuan grabs Tan Wenbin’s hand, pinching the flesh in his palm and gives a twist.
At that moment, Secretary Jin, who was standing in the distance, also walks over.
Tan Wenbin had come out from behind the store and hadn’t noticed her nearby; frightened, he continues to shout:
Secretary Jin keeps moving closer.
"...You want a drink, right? I’ll buy it for you, brother will buy it for you. Auntie, two bottles of Jianlibao." While saying this, Tan Wenbin purposely looks back at Secretary Jin approaching, "Sister, do you want a bottle too?"
Secretary Jin shakes her head.
"Heh heh." Tan Wenbin pays again and then hands a bottle of Jianlibao to Li Zhiyuan.
"Thanks, Brother Binbin. You can go back now and remember to tell the family that Grandmaster and I won’t be back for lunch, they don’t need to cook for us."
Suddenly, Secretary Jin speaks up: "Let’s all go eat together."
Tan Wenbin is taken aback.
Secretary Jin says, "You looked like you enjoyed the food at yesterday’s banquet. There’s still some for lunch, come and join us."
"I don’t think that’s good..."
"Come on, let’s go. They’re leaving."
Secretary Jin extends her hand, resting it on the shoulders of the two boys, one older than the other, urging them forward.
It’s an attitude that doesn’t allow for refusal.
Li Zhiyuan didn’t expect that Tan Wenbin’s manner of eating at yesterday’s banquet had made such an impression.
If only he had been a bit more refined yesterday, this might not be happening now.
However, as it stands, Tan Wenbin probably only knows the initial rumors about the water monkey.
That’s what Li Zhiyuan told him last night before he and Run Sheng left for Big Beard’s house.
When he returned last night, Tan Wenbin wanted to know exactly what had happened, but Li Zhiyuan didn’t want to recall and retell the events at the time, so he told him to ask Run Sheng.
Run Sheng probably felt the same as he did, temporarily unwilling to bring up that horrific scene, and hadn’t had the chance to tell him.
Otherwise, if he knew, Tan Wenbin would have been as startled as if there were firecrackers in his pants upon seeing Secretary Jin, and he might have jumped with fear.
As they walk, Secretary Jin speaks up: "Is there still someone at home? Let them come over for lunch too, they won’t need to cook."
Li Zhiyuan quickly declines: "No need, there’s only the workers who help Grandmaster left at home, they’re not relatives."
During the rest of the journey, Tan Wenbin gradually loosens up and even takes the initiative to start conversations.
Li Zhiyuan feels that Brother Bin must be quite proud inside.
He probably thinks of himself as the son of a policeman, inheriting an instinct for counter-surveillance, able to talk and laugh in the face of a water monkey.
Actually, this is also good; it means not only can he act, but he doesn’t show panic.
They reach the gates of Big Beard’s house, and just as they step onto the dam, Li Zhiyuan’s gaze stutters.
Directly in front of the dam is the fish pond, brimming with water, identical to its state yesterday afternoon.
The pond that was supposed to have been drained and excavated is restored;
The group of people who were supposed to have died a gruesome death were all alive again.
The scene in his memory is increasingly aligning with illusions and nightmares.
When the world presents its anomalies before you, people usually start doubting themselves first.
However, Li Zhiyuan is certain that it wasn’t a dream; last night’s events definitely occurred.
The fish pond seems to have been refilled with water last night, those who died stayed dead, but as for the living ones that are here now... he doesn’t understand.
The village head and several elders have arrived, sitting on benches on the dam, forming a circle, chatting away.
Secretary Jin brings over a small tea table, with sunflower seeds, peanuts, and candy on it.
Li Sanjiang casually grabs two handfuls, passing one to Li Zhiyuan, and the other to Tan Wenbin.
Ding Dalin tells them, "Go upstairs to watch TV, there’s one in the room, we’ll call you down when it’s time to eat."
Li Zhiyuan shakes his head: "We have a TV at home, Grandmaster bought one."
Puffing out his chest proudly, Li Sanjiang announces:
"That’s right, I bought a TV for my kid to watch. But this kid loves to study and doesn’t watch it much, so the donkeys at home are the ones cheaply glued to it all day."
In truth, Li Zhiyuan didn’t want to leave the crowd.
Even though entering here means danger, and those old men on the dam couldn’t do much tying together, at least they provided some psychological comfort.
His emotions had plunged him into fear from the moment he saw them, but his reason tells him that the situation can still be saved.