Chapter Thirteen: A Contest in the Water

  Every year, summer comes to Subei very quickly. In February and March, it's still chilly in the spring, warm at noon, and cold in the morning and evening, with a large temperature difference, making people feel uncomfortable. As soon as April and May arrive, the trees turn green, flowers bloom everywhere, girls' figures become slender and charming, and the Nanchao River behind the village becomes a paradise for naughty children to play.

  Yu Songyuan and his gang were skilled in martial arts, and their water skills were no exception. In the vast plains of northern Su, there were many rivers and streams, so everyone knew how to swim, not because they deliberately learned it, but because they were born and raised in the water.

  Every day after practicing, their greatest pleasure is to dive into the Nan Chao River, which flows continuously and has clear water like a mirror. Especially during summer vacation, they spend all day soaking in the water, never getting tired of it. Among Yu Song's close friends, his swimming skills are the best, his speed is the fastest, and he can hold his breath underwater for the longest distance. While technique can be practiced, the time one can hold their breath underwater isn't just a matter of practice, but also depends on lung capacity.

  Yu Songyuan was born with a loud voice and an astonishing lung capacity. He can hold his breath underwater for about ten minutes, and with one swift dive, he can swim two or three times farther than others, leaving people in awe.

  The militiamen in the village had been scolded by Zhou Kun several times since they were defeated, and they had been holding a grudge. In the past six months, knowing that they couldn't defeat the Yu brothers on land, they had been stifling their anger, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge. The arrival of summer gave them a chance, so they began to stir up trouble.

  Zhou Kun said, "I just want to make a request, find an opportunity to teach those ignorant kids a lesson, can't let them drown people. Whoever drowns someone will be the one who goes to jail!"

  That day, Yu Xinhe ordered Yu Songyuan and others to help Yu Yue and Teacher Chen's family harvest wheat from their private plots. The two families combined had only a little over two mu of land, and by dusk the grain was all harvested. Due to the good growth, more than one mu of wheat yielded nearly 600 jin after threshing. In those years, the average yield per mu of crops in the large fields was around 300 jin, while the village's large-field wheat had all "gone up to the standard", and both Professor Yu and Teacher Chen's families had "crossed the Yellow River".

  This is the power of science. Now, Professors Yu Yue and Wang Feng have become agricultural production consultants for Yu Xinhe and Yu Xinmin. They seem to understand everything, from melons, fruits and vegetables to wheat, corn and rice. When there are problems with large-scale crops, they come up with solutions that even the commune's technical personnel can't think of.

  Two downtrodden households who had been bullied by everyone else gradually earned people's respect in the village.

  For example, in breeding, wheat was previously directly sown into the soil. If the soil conditions were poor, some areas had a low emergence rate. The sixth small team followed Yu Yueyue and Wang Feng's suggestion to first scald the wheat seeds with hot water for half an hour, then soak them in clean water overnight, and sow them directly the next day. Following their method, the wheat had an unexpectedly high emergence rate.

  Rice seedlings, they are even more skilled. Later on, the two technical personnel from the commune's agricultural technical station who were university students by origin would often come to discuss with them and Professor San when encountering technical difficulties.

  The grain was spread out in the courtyard, the weather was fine, and tomorrow it would be dry enough to store after just one day of sun. Yu Yueyue and Wang Feng were both delighted, their faces blooming with joy. Wang Feng sliced open a big watermelon under the shade of the tree by the door, and Teacher Chen led his students in eating the melon. Chen Jing held a big slice of watermelon, like a big flower cat, getting juice all over her face.

  Wang Feng cut open another big watermelon and had Chen Lan send it to Yu Songyuan and Yu Songquan's homes. Mr. Chen's illness still recurred from time to time, although he no longer coughed up blood, but as soon as he spoke, he panted heavily and couldn't help but cough.

  " Selling... ice popsicles!" Just finished eating melon and was about to take a bath, the distant sound of peddling echoed again.

  Before long, Yu came with a lead basin, ice sticks two cents each, and bought a bunch. Several brothers ate one each and ran to jump into the South Tide River.

  There were already over a dozen adults bathing in the river, and summer vacation had begun. Yu Songyuan's second brother, Songlu, Yu Songquan's older brother, Songjiu, and his second brother, Songming, were all on the river surface, so they also let their guard down.

  This section of the river is relatively wide and under the wooden bridge, with no reeds on either bank. In the summer, after finishing their work, the men from the village gather here to bathe. The women from the village go far downstream, wearing clothes into the water, then take off their clothes in the water, wash them clean, and hang them on the reeds by the riverbank to dry. After they finish bathing, their clothes are also dry.

  Yu Yuemei and Wang Feng, although they loved cleanliness, would not bathe with the village women in the river no matter how hot it was during the day. Because they were city people, they didn't like bathing with their clothes on. They would always wait until a night with moonlight, have Xū Sōng Yuán brothers stand guard, two of them keeping watch and two accompanying them to swim, ensuring safety on the water's surface. Only then would they quietly undress and take a refreshing bath in the Nanchao River.

  After a day of hard work, Yu Songyuan and his friends lazily lay on the water's surface, feeling so comfortable that they almost fell asleep. Yu Songyuan suddenly felt an unusual current beneath him, thinking it was just his buddies playing a prank, didn't pay much attention to it. Suddenly someone grabbed his foot and pulled him underwater. Unprepared, Yu Songyuan took a big gulp of water, choking on several mouthfuls. He struggled free with all his might, quickly surfaced, and rapidly swam towards the shore.

  Climbed up the bank, turned back and looked, the one who had been submerged was already gone without a trace.

  Look at Chen Lan, "Pang Dun", and "Xi Shi" again, who are being pressed into the water and occasionally float up before being pressed down again. He understood that it was actually those people who had been beaten by them. Yu Songyuan made a big splash and dove back into the water, then quickly swam to the side of the struggling "Xi Shi", grabbed Yu San Kui's foot with force and twisted it hard, then dragged him underwater, hugging him tightly at the bottom of the water.

  San Kui's breath was short, and he was being held underwater by Yu Songyuan, who was holding him down with all his might. San Kui struggled desperately to break free, but Yu Songyuan held tight, not letting go. Suddenly, Yu Songyuan intentionally loosened his grip, allowing San Kui to swim up to the surface with all his might. Just as he took a big gulp of air, Yu Songyuan pressed down on his shoulders again, holding him underwater until he had swallowed several more mouthfuls of river water and his limbs went limp, before finally letting go.

  At this moment, Chen Lan had already managed to free herself and was lying on the shore with "Xi Shi", both of them coughing violently and spitting out the water that had entered their mouths. Zhou Xiaolou was still pushing "Pang Dun" into the water, who had lost all ability to resist and whose consciousness was becoming increasingly blurred.

  Yu Songyuan turned around and dove into the water, swimming to their feet, suddenly floating up, twisting Zhou Xiaolou's wrist with "Pang Duan", using force a 360-degree turn, Zhou Xiaolou let go, "Pang Duan" escaped desperately towards the shore.

  Yu Songyuan pressed down on Zhou Xiaolou's shoulder, using the same method as before, forcing him underwater. Zhou Xiaolou gurgled and swallowed water in big mouthfuls. When he was almost done, Yu let him float up, just long enough to catch a breath, then pressed him back down again, making him gulp down more water. This process was repeated multiple times until Zhou's limbs were as limp as cotton, drifting aimlessly with the waves, unable to struggle anymore. Only then did Yu drag him towards the shore and toss him onto the bank like a dead pig.

  Zhou Xiaolou was sprawled on the ground, coughing wildly and vomiting water in big mouthfuls. His belly was bulging like a dead dog that had been submerged in water for a long time, and he was gasping his last breath. "Pang Duan" was still sprawled on the ground, panting heavily, and hadn't caught his breath yet. Chen Lan walked over, flipped Zhou Xiaolou's round body over so that he was lying face up, and then pressed her foot against his belly. Water gushed out of his mouth like a fountain.

  After vomiting several times, he finally had the energy to gasp and cough weakly. Yu Songyuan said: "Speak up, besides you and San Kui, who are the other two?"

  Zhou Xiaolou just coughed and didn't say anything.

  Yu Songyuan said: "Don't say it's okay, then let's do it again." As he spoke, he grabbed Zhou Xiaolou's arm and dragged him to the water's edge.

  "I'm telling you, it's Yu Long Gao and Ka Shuo Tian."

  Yu Songyuan walked towards the crowd taking a bath to look for them, in the dim evening, where their figures could still be found. Yu Song knew what he was looking for, "No need to look, they left early, you guys hurry back to eat dinner too."

  Yu Songyuan responded with a grunt and walked back to Zhou Xiaolou's side, kicking him hard and saying: "Tell those two bastards that I've got this account recorded for them. They'd better come and confess their crimes themselves."

  Back at the "Xi Shi" house, Yu Yu and Professor Grandma had already wrapped up the leek and egg dumplings, and also stewed a small rooster. The aroma could be smelled from far away, teasing several little boys who were hungry and making their stomachs growl loudly.

  After dinner, the four of them lay down on the cool mat in front of the gate, and "Pang Dun" vented his dissatisfaction to Yu Songyuan, saying, "Brother, you were really biased today."

  Yu Songyuan retorted, "If I save you first, do you think 'Xi Shi' can hold on till the end?"

  After all, he's still a big kid. "Fatty" said with a sob: "They're too cruel, my stomach is still hurting now?"

  Chen Lan suddenly burst out laughing and slapped "Pang Dun" on the buttocks. Chen Lan jumped up in pain and asked in surprise, "Why did you hit me? What did I do?"

  "Chubby" said: "You're so heartless, I'm dying from embarrassment, and you're still smiling."

  Chen Lan chuckled and said, "You're wrong, I'm laughing at that damn Kaso Tian. The big fat egg under him is really damn fat. This battle, I reckon it's going to be a waste of me."

  The three men hastily asked what was going on.

  Chen Lan said: "At first, I was so scared when I drank water that I choked several big mouthfuls and suffered a great loss. Later, after reacting, I stretched out my hand and grabbed his big testicle with one hand, squeezed it hard, and he let go of his hand in pain."

  "Xi Shi" said with a scowl: "Damn it, I'm so stupid, why didn't I think of that at all, just thinking about how to escape."

  Chen Lan said: "He relaxed his hand, and he was anxious to escape. I used my hand to squeeze hard again, and this kid struggled desperately to break free and escaped. I reckon that bastard might be in pain for at least half a year, let alone think about sleeping with his woman."

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Laughing happily, Yu Songyuan said to the three of them, "Second Brother's thinking is correct, you all need to learn from him. When beating a snake, hit it seven inches below its head; this place on a man is most afraid of pain."

  The professor and Yu Yueyue put away the table, cut open a big watermelon, and the four of them immediately got up to eat it under the moonlight. "Xi Shi" moved out grandma's and mom's small cool beds and placed them under the awning. The professor affectionately patted each of their heads before sitting down on the cool bed to enjoy the watermelon.

  Yu Songyuan asked: "Auntie, how many melons have you harvested this year?"

  Yu Yuexin said with a smile: "This year, we have harvested eleven, and Wang's family has also harvested ten, but they are not as good as ours. Don't worry, every time we open the melon, Auntie will never fall behind you."

  Yu Songyuan pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Strange, such a big watermelon is just placed on the side of the road, it's ripe but nobody dares to steal it, isn't that boring?"

  Yu Yu raised her hand and gave him a loud slap on the back, saying: "If you want me to praise you, just say so. With several powerful martial arts masters, who are known for their hatred of evil and their great reputation, protecting us, who would dare to bully us?" After finishing speaking, she deliberately smiled with an air of happiness.

  Yu Songyuan felt sweet like honey in his heart, feeling very pleased and satisfied.