Chapter 8: Encounter with a Beauty, Who Can It Be?

  Along the winding and almost invisible path, this half-cliff mountain faces the water on one side, but behind it is a gentle slope that can be reached from all directions. However, it has changed greatly compared to the image in my memory. The original fields have become a vast expanse of green water, and the wild pear and peach trees in the valley across the lake are nowhere to be seen, replaced by lush pine forests. When I lower my head, I can see busy ants scurrying about in the grass and stone crevices, and occasionally a green locust suddenly jumps away like a leaf. When I raise my head, the clear blue sky has white clouds floating across it, as if they are within reach on the mountain peak; when I look around, the colors of the water and mountains blend together, and the gentle breeze carries the scent of the lake, warmly refreshing me.

  Slowly, the sorrow in his heart subsided and turned into calmness. In this calmness, he seemed to have slowly stepped into another space-time.

  A space-time that exists in memory and has never been erased. Unconsciously, I arrived at the foot of the mountain before stopping my steps. Childhood memories seemed to be awakened by every detail I saw. When my childlike heart rose, I even twisted and pulled a thin branch from the midst of the willow trees, just like when I was young, and could peel off the bark with my fingernails. After blowing on it, it became a rustic tune without melody. After playing for a while, my childlike heart rose again, and I stretched out my hand to catch a small butterfly in the flower cluster.

  Zuo Xiying watched her father from afar, taking a few photos quietly without disturbing him. The nostalgia for his hometown was something she couldn't understand anymore, but it was clear that he missed it dearly and was deeply immersed in the fond memories of his hometown.

  Huh? Grass rope?

  Zuo Nan was carefree and inadvertently saw a hand-twisted grass rope, which seemed to have been twisted not long ago, still with mud marks. Pulling along the rope, there was actually a bucket tied to it. He leaned in to lift the lid and his eyes lit up, immediately overjoyed, and found that it was several turtles still stretching their feet and crawling back and forth.

  "Come quickly, Xiao Ying."

  Xiao Nan laughed and squatted down, beckoning with his hand. His daughter quickly walked up to him, let out a sound of surprise, looked at the more than half bucket of stupid-looking, crawling turtles and curiously asked: "Dad, are these tortoises?"

  "That's right, this is fun, wild ones. When my dad was young, he could catch several with just a handful of grass ropes." Zuo Nan said with excitement, but immediately became suspicious and looked around at the strange environment: "This must have been caught by someone, if someone caught it, where is the net? Is it in the water or on the shore?"

  "What's making a nest?" The daughter didn't understand.

  The old man was delighted, telling his daughter about the local methods. One way was to make a hole in the water with a large mouth and small net, put bait on it, wait for the turtle to drill in and eat, then catch it with one net. Another way is to make a fake nest on the shore, pull the bait from the water's edge straight to the fake nest on the shore, cheat the turtle out of the water surface into the nest to find food, and then encircle it with a net. He spoke with gestures, demonstrating, and mentioned that no matter what method is used, it must be used to lure food, which ordinary people can't make. As soon as he thought of luring food, he completely forgot what he came for, searched around, smelled a faint stench, followed the smell, arrived at the water's edge, and stared blankly at the deep green water surface.

  The daughter couldn't understand why this matter would arouse her father's great interest, thinking that he was getting senile and more like a mischievous child with age, following his temperament everywhere, but instead she squatted at the edge of the grass with great interest to watch those silly big and small turtles.

  By the water's edge, looking south but didn't see any food, yet saw a pile of clothes thrown on the shore, was stunned, unexpectedly heard voices coming from the clothes:

  "Potato, potato, I'm a sweet potato... Where did you die and go? Respond."

  The old man was stunned at first, then shocked, and repeated his voice twice before realizing that the walkie-talkie was under his clothes. When he picked it up, he looked around but didn't find the speaker. He took out his mobile phone and suddenly understood - the signal was intermittent, and this place could only use this kind of communication tool. At this time, he also understood that the turtle catcher had dived into the water, and the net must be underwater, hiding in the deep water area. This was a skill that only an expert could accomplish.

  He crouched down, looked around and confirmed his speculation. A thin plastic rope was hanging from the roots of the grass clump, stretching straight into the water surface, and the other end must be tied to a fishing net. Before he could think much, it was immediately confirmed. Suddenly, with a "splash" sound, a wet head emerged from the water surface, followed by someone walking in the shallow water, holding a net, wiping his face, and saw an old man squatting on the shore staring at him foolishly. The person was stunned, surprised, and sprayed: "Wow wow wow, how did this foolish old man pop up here? Don't steal my stuff!"

  He was suddenly splashed from the left, and a tall and handsome young man with a shiny body was pulling out the net, speaking with a straight face, as if he really thought of himself as a thief.

  "This isn't just anyone, the net is tangled in the water grass, can't help but dive down to remove it. Just as I see the old man clearly, I also see someone near my hiding spot, and immediately point and scold: 'Hey, don't steal my turtle.'"

  In the distance, Li Xueying was enthusiastically pulling a small turtle with her left hand. She suddenly turned around and let out a sharp cry, "Ah!" The sound was particularly ear-piercing.

  Shan Yong instantly saw that absolutely beautiful and terrifying face, Zuo Xiying also saw Shan Yong walking into the water less than waist-deep, completely naked. Suddenly seeing such a shiny big man, she was shocked and shouted, but didn't know what to do next, standing there with her mouth agape, like a fool.

  The beauty, shock frozen on her face, had another kind of charm. Her clothes were red like fire, her skin was white as snow, and her hair was black as ink. Those shocked big eyes suddenly sparkled, as if they had seen something terrifying... San Yong looked at it for several glances, and suddenly realized that something was wrong, the terrifying thing was on his own body! Subconsciously, he quickly covered up the exposed spring light, but unexpectedly, when he covered his hands, the net broke. He hurriedly bent down to pick up the net with his hands, and as soon as he picked it up, it came out again. The terrible thing between his legs was not honest, and it was stimulated, wanting to raise its head.

  Zuo Xiying's face turned red and her ears were burning, it took her a while to come back to herself, she spat, turned around, and ran far away to hide. She hid behind a tree trunk, not daring to take another glance.

  Shan Yong was a bit furious, and he threw the big turtle onto the shore, wrapping it around the net mouth. He didn't even bother to wipe off the water on his body, hastily putting on his clothes in a mess. Zuo Nan, who was watching from the side, hadn't expected this situation either, and he was at a loss for words, shocked for a moment before bursting into laughter. This country boy is really reckless.

  He was supposed to leave, but for some reason he felt curious about this young man with a wild air about him, as if there was some connection or commonality between them and his own life experiences. Looking at his physique, it was well-proportioned and robust, with muscles bulging here and there as he moved in his clothes, radiating an enviable vitality. And looking at his face, he had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a prominent nose and a wide mouth, a dignified appearance, although a bit rough around the edges, but his eyes were very bright, not like those of a bad person.

  He inadvertently saw the young man pulling up the net, and couldn't help but whistle. This net was really full, with two big and five small seven octopuses struggling inside. Lao Zhang's eyes widened in surprise. The bigger ones weighed at least 7 or 8 catties, and the smaller ones were also a few catties. Even when he was young, he had never caught such big ones, let alone with an underwater net.

  "Grandpa." Danyong put on his clothes and suddenly became polite, earlier he was still calling him a foolish old man, this polite title made Zuonan look at Danyong with interest, not saying a word. Danyong carried the net and gestured to the red-clothed girl who had run far away, asking in a low voice: "Who is that girl?"

  A glimpse of a swan, but that beautiful shadow and face left a deep impression on Shan Yong's eyes. Old Zuo understood the reason for this young man's sudden politeness in an instant, chuckled and said with a sly tone: "Guess."

  You guessed it, not without a few proud and arrogant words. Having spent his whole life studying and being a professor, the work he was most satisfied with was what Shanyong pointed out. He said this with a smile at Shanyong, who also smiled as he held up the net. The two of them seemed to be smiling in mutual understanding.

  But unexpectedly, Dan Yong's eyes lit up and he suddenly turned the conversation around, guessing: "Your wife!?"

  Plop... He turned his head to the left and spat, his air was crooked. Shan Yong immediately changed his words: "Oh, not a wife, a second wife?"

  The old man didn't expect to guess the result, and he was so surprised that the words stuck in his throat couldn't come out. Shuang Yu smiled while pulling up his pants and said: "You guessed it, right? In our tourist area, there are often people who secretly bring their mistresses here... You guys really know how to enjoy yourselves! If I were you, I'd be proud to have such a young and beautiful girl by my side."

  "Go, go, it's not that... she's my daughter." Zuo Nanxia emphasized, fearing that Shan Yong would make another embarrassing guess. But unexpectedly, Shan Yong waved his hand and walked away, saying indifferently: "Adopted daughter, that's what I meant, everyone understands... what's there to be ashamed of?"

  "You, you... how old are you, and yet your mind is full of filthy thoughts." Zuo Nan was really angry this time, pointing at Shan Yong with a furious expression, just about to go forward and reason with the little yellow-haired kid for a few sentences. But unexpectedly, the doorbell rang again, and inside was still that broken bell voice: "Potato, potato, I'm sweet potato, come back."

  "Received, I'm Sweet Potato, what's up?" Dan Yong replied, without bothering to care about the old man.

  "My god, you're still alive! Hurry up and get out of here, the warehouse manager has gone to the mountain, don't let him catch you." Lei Dapeng passed on the message.

  "Alright, pack up and get ready to leave, I'll go down from the back mountain," said Shan Yong.

  He put on his clothes, quickly gathered his things, and was about to leave when he suddenly turned around to see the old man still staring at him blankly. At this moment, the old man was wearing an old-fashioned formal attire, like a Zhongshan suit, with silver hair that shone brighter than fish scales. His subconscious movements were all with his hands behind his back and leaning forward to look at people. The posture was somewhat superior. Looking at the old man again, then looking at the red-clothed woman who didn't dare to come near, Dan Yong thought for a moment about Lei Dapeng's report, and suspiciously asked: "Sir, are you... what level of official?"

  "What do you think?" The old man was a bit pleased, with an expression of teasing a child. And such a dignified manner, it's as if he gave Danyong an answer that was on the tip of his tongue. But unexpectedly, he teased the wrong person, and Danyong rolled his eyes and scolded: "What are you being arrogant about? You're just a high-ranking official who has fallen from power, otherwise you'd still be on stage acting tyrannically, how would you have the leisure to come here and take a stroll. Tsk, bringing a girl along is nothing to brag about!"

  It's estimated that he didn't hear about the girl's background, so Single Courage was a bit angry and deliberately teased the old man. This sentence made Zuo Nan laugh to tears, and Single Courage pointed at the old man's silly appearance and laughed heartlessly, teasing him for a few sentences. When he turned around to leave, he was startled, not far away, the red-clothed girl had appeared at some point, her eyes coldly staring at him as if she wanted to strip him bare again. Facing such a beauty who was as cold as ice and as beautiful as a peach blossom, Single Courage immediately shut up and didn't dare to speak nonsense anymore.

  But upon closer inspection, she was different. Her nose was delicate and her eyes were like a phoenix's, her skin as white as snow, and her eyes shone brightly like stars or the moon. She was a beauty so pure that it inspired reverence, making one dare not harbor any impure thoughts. Even the normally bold Dan Yong felt an inexplicable sense of trepidation, a feeling he had never experienced before. Fortunately, there was no awkwardness. The girl took a few steps forward, supporting the foolish old man in Dan Yong's eyes, and said softly, "Let's go, Dad."

  Supporting the old man to walk, that expression can be seen as absolutely not a second wife. Just looking at Shan Yong for an eye, Shan Yong who was a bit guilty was stabbed by the beautiful eyes that came out of anger, very disdainful, very sarcastic, and very dismissive. Then, supporting the old man, he slowly walked towards the abandoned village on the short mountain, suddenly making Shan Yong feel lost, and even felt that it would be better to be scolded loudly. Dazed for a long time, until Lei Dapeng urged in the conversation, he picked up the harvest and went up the mountain in another direction.

  After a while, on the way back, Zuo Nanxia turned his head again to look at the young man who was going in the opposite direction. His daughter was unhappy and said softly: "Dad, you're also a professor, how can you talk to anyone, who knows what kind of wild kid that is?"

  To the left, in the south, out of sight, Yun's figure had disappeared. Turning back to smile at his daughter, he said: "Hehe, you've been in Luzhou for a few days now, what do you think?"

  "Uh, it's fine." Zuo Xiying gave a vague answer. Her father shook his head and said as he walked: "Is it really good? I don't think so. We're surrounded by flattery, courtesy, hypocrisy, and lies. What's good about that? We're only getting this treatment because of your sister... I think that young man is living a very real and authentic life. His emotions are written all over his face. When he's happy, he chats with you; when he's not happy, he scolds you. Haha, it reminds me of my carefree childhood here."

  Still living in memories, Zuo Xiying was helpless and had to follow her father's temperament. The two of them walked and chatted along the way when they were suddenly caught off guard by a sharp whistle. Turning back, they saw from afar that on the mountain top opposite them stood a figure - it goes without saying that it was Shan Yong who was already making his way up the mountain. The whistle was long and sharp, with one note lasting over ten seconds. Zuo Xiying was speechless. They had walked so far, yet this guy still didn't forget to tease her. When she wanted to pull her father away, unexpectedly, a smile floated on her father's face as he said inexplicably: "He is showing off for you."

  "Ah? Dad, what's wrong with you today?" Zuo Xiying was both laughing and crying at the same time. Her usually serious father was acting out of character today, as if he felt a special connection to this young man who had been whistling. But then, Zuo Nanxia started humming along with the prolonged whistling sound, walking away with an air of pride and a stylish gait, saying: "Listen carefully, this is from the opera 'Cheng Yaojin's Marriage' in the Shangdang Bangzi repertoire. It's about Cheng Yaojin leading Pei Cuicui's horse, listen to how well I'm whistling... it's got a lot of depth. Just like back when I was selling hoes and was the boss, leading a donkey to the mountain fair, eating bitterness and suffering hardship, until now as a coachman, my strength hasn't diminished..."

  As the faint whistling faded away, Zuo Nan hummed a tune from his hometown opera, and his daughter Zuo Xiying also picked it up. Because of her father, she was somewhat familiar with the local clapper opera. She listened carefully to the melody in the whistling, and indeed, it had a pleasant ring to it. The tune almost perfectly matched her father's carefree humming of the opera lyrics and accompaniment. He sang with such joy that even she forgot her earlier annoyance, and watching her father's childlike excitement, she couldn't help but smile...