Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

Before he knew it, Yue Chuan had been setting up his stall for many days. With the help of Cheng Dong and Zhao Sumei, he finally sold all the walnuts. This not only helped him raise enough tuition fees, but also saved up a lot of pocket money.

Before the start of the school year, Yue Chuan bought himself a brand new set of school supplies, and the remaining money was just enough to buy two pairs of "Feiyue" canvas shoes.

Both pairs of shoes were extra-large sizes. They were originally Yue Chuan's special gift to thank Geda. He watched as Geda put on the new shoes and then threw the old, worn-out rubber shoes with exposed heels into the trash.

"Are the new shoes comfortable?" Yue Chuan asked, but Geda didn't answer, only grinning at him.

Since his parents passed away, Geda has been wearing hand-me-downs from others. It's probably the first time in years that "Iron-Hearted" Geda has worn shoes that fit him so well.

At that moment, Yue Chuan could clearly see the blush spreading across that dark face. In an instant, a sense of accomplishment rose in the boy's heart. He felt that this summer vacation had been very meaningful, even though the process was tough, the result was good...

On the day of school registration, Yuechuan and his father squeezed onto a minibus bound for the county town. Normally, the minibus would stop at Yanghe No. 1 High School, but today this particular bus stopped on the outer ring road.

At that moment, the ticket seller shouted at the top of her lungs, "The road ahead is blocked! The bus can't get to the station! Hurry! Everyone get off!"

Upon hearing this, the passengers became unhappy. The place was at least two or three kilometers from the city center, and they began to complain: "We're rushing to catch a train! What are we supposed to do if the train breaks down halfway?"

"Yeah, we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, you're just ripping us off!"... Seeing the situation getting out of control, the driver slammed his fist on the steering wheel and shouted, "The county is holding an event, no cars are allowed in! If you're so capable, don't get out! Let's see who can outlast whom today!"

A few troublemakers got off the train cursing, while Qin Shuangling and Yue Chuan were in a rather disheveled state! The father and son were carrying their bedding rolls and large and small bags, and were practically kicked out of the carriage by the ticket seller.

Seeing that his father was about to be unable to walk, Yue Chuan reached out to take the bundle, but was unexpectedly pushed away by the stubborn Qin Shuangling.

Like father, like son. Yue Chuan was also stubborn. He insisted on helping his father with his luggage, and the two of them argued and became deadlocked.

There's nothing we can do; that's just how the Qin family is—they don't communicate, and they simply don't know how to communicate.

Just then, a three-wheeled vehicle with a canopy came chugging along.

"Where are you going? Can I give you a ride?" the round-faced, big-mouthed driver called out loudly.

"How much does it cost to go to Yanghe No.1 High School?" Yue Chuan asked, peeking out of his mouth.

"One yuan per person, delivered directly to the school gate," the driver replied with a wide grin.

"What? Two yuan? Why don't you just rob someone!" Qin Shuangling grabbed his son and tried to leave, clearly trying to avoid a robber.

Seeing that the other party wasn't taking the bait, the loud-mouthed driver clicked his tongue: "Seeing you're carrying so much luggage, it's not easy for you, I'll only charge you one dollar and fifty cents! Hurry up, or it'll be dark soon!"

Upon hearing this, Yue Chuan snatched the bedding roll from his father and threw it directly into the truck bed.

Qin Shuangling wanted to say something more, but seeing that his son had already gotten into the car, he straightened his face and then followed him in.

This "three-wheeled vehicle" has been modified to be powerful and fast. The only downside is the back seat. No, calling it a "back seat" is a bit of an exaggeration. It's actually just two big iron plates welded into the truck bed. Sitting on it hurts your butt. When the vehicle bumps, the father and son feel like they have springs in their bodies, shaking their heads and nearly colliding several times.

Riding in this rickety car is truly a torment!

"Driver, slow down! My butt is going numb from all the shaking!" Yue Chuan shouted to the driver in front.

The driver snorted and yelled, "Don't slow down! The roads will be completely blocked as soon as the event starts!"

"What kind of activities is the county organizing?" Yue Chuan asked curiously.

"Oh my! You didn't know such big news?" The driver's tone was tinged with disdain. "Starting today, our county has been upgraded to a city! The leadership team has been promoted, and they're all gathered on Central Avenue right now for a celebration!"

As soon as they finished speaking, the clamor of gongs, drums, and cymbals filled their ears on the wind. When the car slowed down, the father and son quickly clung to the car roof and looked out—wow! The main road ahead was already packed with people, and the sight alone left the two of them dumbfounded.

Seeing the two country bumpkins' unsophisticated appearance, the driver suddenly perked up and began boasting with spittle flying: "Do you know Central Street? Do you know the new train station? Do you know the power plant? Don't even mention those, the buildings in the county are taller than the mountains in your countryside! Ha, if it weren't for Secretary Zhen, let alone upgrading the county to a city, we wouldn't even be able to shake off the label of being a poor county!"

From industrial output to county GDP, from non-agricultural population to industrial layout, the big-mouthed driver spoke fluently and knew all the information about various factors like the back of his hand. If you didn't know him, you would think he was Secretary Zhen's secretary!

Perhaps it was the driver's words that were too inflammatory, or perhaps it was the tremendous changes in the city that were truly shocking; in any case, the father and son had the utmost admiration for Secretary Zhen, whom they had never met before.

Yanghe County has been poor for far too long; they desperately need a capable and pragmatic official like him. What makes a good official? Someone who can develop the economy and lead everyone out of poverty and into prosperity—that's a good official in the eyes of the people.

The three-wheeled vehicle had just turned onto Central Street when it was completely jammed. People were waving flags and shouting at the celebratory procession in the middle of the street, their noise completely drowning out the horns of the parade floats. Yue Chuan squinted and made out the large characters on the banner: "Warmly celebrate Yanghe's transformation from a county to a city."

Just as Yue Chuan was reeling from the chaos, a stern-faced traffic policeman squeezed next to the three-wheeled vehicle. He slammed his hand on the canopy and yelled at the driver with the big mouth, "Reverse! Reverse right now!"

The loud-mouthed driver immediately wilted and stammered, "Brother, I'm giving a ride to a student from No. 1 High School..."

"Didn't you see how bad the traffic jam is up ahead? If you keep arguing, I'll give you a ticket!" The traffic policeman ignored the driver's explanation and glared at him, yelling loudly.

Upon hearing the word "fine," the boastful driver lost all his bragging from the father and son. He shifted into reverse and shouted at them, "Did you hear that?! The traffic cop told you to get out of the car right now, I'm leaving immediately!"

The father and son were seething with anger, but dared not lash out. They immediately crawled out of the truck bed, but before they could even touch the ground, the crowd swept them up.

People around them stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to follow the float as it moved, while the father and son, one protecting a rolled-up quilt and the other carrying a blue work bag, looked as disheveled as could be.

The father and son endured the crowd for what seemed like an eternity before finally joining the throng and entering the central square. Taking advantage of a lull in the crowd, they quickly crouched down and squeezed into a corner, finally finding a place to catch their breath!

The father and son, covered in sweat, had just slumped down on the edge of the flowerbed when suddenly a deafening bang erupted. Yue Chuan looked up into the distance—good heavens! There was a two-story-high open-air stage in the very center of the square, and the two speakers on either side were terrifyingly large.

Yue Chuan stood there dumbfounded, his expression exactly like that of Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time.