Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

On New Year's Eve, the Qin Yunhai and Qin Shuangling families had a reunion dinner together. Dumplings, hand-shredded rabbit, and mutton soup were all essential dishes on the table.

After the dinner party ended, everyone crowded into Qin Yunhai's living room, where the 14-inch black and white television became the main attraction. Everyone ate candy and melon seeds, watched the Spring Festival Gala, and chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.

"This road is so hard to repair, it's full of bumps and ditches. People come in cars to drink, and after they've had their drinks, they head back... This road is really special, no one has paved it for so many years! Fertilizer can't be transported in for spring planting, and persimmons from the mountains can't be transported out. The people are so anxious they're crying!"

On TV, Uncle Benshan sits on a wooden cart, cracking a whip and reciting a little tune. This humorous way of portraying profound real-world issues naturally resonates with all viewers.

Everyone in the room burst into laughter, and the adorable Yue Shan even imitated those classic lines, making everyone's smiles even brighter.

As the New Year's bell rang, the people of Qinjiazhuang, who were watching TV, all came to their front doors. Aimin and Yuechuan lit firecrackers, while Qin Yunhai and Qin Shuangling lit the cypress branches they had prepared.

Suddenly, firecrackers exploded, and cypress branches crackled and popped as they burned. People prayed for the new year and the warding off of misfortune; this was the first step towards the new year…

The second day of the Lunar New Year is a day for visiting relatives and friends.

Aimin and Yuechuan both chose Laojiapo as their first stop. Besides paying New Year's respects to Chengdong's mother, they also wanted to find Chengdong, as they hadn't heard from him for a long time and were sure they wanted to get together during the New Year.

Before they knew it, the two were standing in front of a large, antique-style iron gate, its vermilion exterior studded with large copper nails. Aimin knocked on the bronze animal head ring on the door and called out, but no one responded.

Pushing open the side door and walking inside, you are greeted by a retro screen made of green bricks and tiles, with openwork carved floral and bird patterns flowing through it, creating an elegant and unique atmosphere.

As the two hesitated about whether to continue inside, a commotion suddenly erupted from the main room behind them.

"Don't try to fool me! I'm asking you now, where did Er Dong go?" the old woman shouted, banging her dragon-headed cane on the ground.

The old woman was naturally Cheng Dong's mother, and the man standing silently in front of her was Cheng Dong's eldest brother, Lao Chengxi. Perhaps because of the exertion just now, the old lady suddenly began to cough violently. Upon seeing this, Lao Chengxi quickly bowed forward, gently patted his mother's back, and explained, "Mother, don't worry, the second son has gone to another place to do business. He will be back in a couple of days."

"You've been such a good older brother! You enjoy yourself in the city while your brother goes out to do business. If your father were still alive, would you dare to do this?" The old lady became more and more agitated as she spoke, and her eyes began to redden.

"Mom, why are you bringing up Dad again? Besides, it wasn't me who sent the second son to that other place. His sister-in-law and I have tried to persuade him so many times, but he just won't go back to the farmers' market. What can I do?"

In front of his mother, Lao Chengxi lost all his boss-like airs. His face turned pale and then red, and he had to carefully consider what he was saying.

"Do you think I don't know what kind of person the second son is? If you sincerely persuade him, wouldn't he go back? Don't try to act all high and mighty with me. If I don't see the second son, don't come back into this house!" After saying this, the old lady actually picked up her cane and was about to hit him. As for Lao Chengxi, he was hit several times on the chest and legs, but he didn't dare to move an inch.

"Oh...oh...you old man, what have you done in your life! You froze to death in the snow holding a wine bottle, leaving behind these two wretched children. How am I supposed to live? How am I supposed to live?" The old woman wailed, muttering about her dead husband and berating her two unfilial sons.

Lao Chengxi had heard these words since he was a child, but at this moment, he still felt a pang of pain. In this world, there are no words more devastating than these.

Seeing that his mother was truly angry, Lao Chengxi said with a bitter face, "Mother, don't be angry. I'll send someone out to look for her right away, okay?"

"Then what are you still standing here for! Do you want to take two more blows from me?" The old lady wiped away her tears and started cursing again.

Lao Chengxi dared not disobey his mother. He glanced at his father's portrait on the back wall, turned around, and left the main room without looking back.

Hearing their conversation, Aimin and Yuechuan were momentarily speechless, unsure of what to do, when they saw Lao Chengxi walking over with a livid face.

"Are you two here to see Er Dong too?" Lao Chengxi asked. Seeing that the two shook their heads, they didn't exchange any pleasantries and walked straight out the door.

The crying in the main room grew louder and louder, and Aimin and Yuechuan had to go and comfort him. At this moment, everyone probably had the same question in their minds—where did Chengdong go?

On a snowy afternoon in Sichuan, a red van was struggling to drive along a winding mountain road. In the driver's seat was a man in a black leather jacket. His brows were furrowed and his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. Driving on the icy road, he could not afford to be distracted for even a moment!

Just then, a boulder rolled down the hillside, bounced, slid, and finally broke apart, sending countless small pebbles raining down from the sky. By sheer coincidence, one of the small pieces landed right on the man's windshield.

With a muffled "bang," a corner of the glass shattered, and a gust of cold wind rushed into the car. The man's face was cut by the glass shards. Fortunately, he had a strong mentality and managed to keep his grip on the steering wheel and brake in time; otherwise, he would most likely have been killed in the crash.

"Achoo... Ouch!"

As soon as he got out of the car, the man sneezed loudly. Looking at his unshaven, blood-stained face, probably no one would believe that this man was actually Lao Chengdong, who had been missing for many days!

Cheng Dong timidly repaired the windshield, and judging from his disheveled appearance, it was clear that his tobacco resale business had not gone smoothly.

According to the original plan, Cheng Dong was supposed to complete the tobacco purchase in a neighboring province, but after arriving in northern Shaanxi, he learned that those familiar "underground tobacco trading centers" had been shut down by the authorities several weeks earlier.

Cheng Dong was eager to earn money to go home for the Chinese New Year, and naturally did not want to return empty-handed. So he mustered up his courage and drove several hundred kilometers southwest, and only then did he manage to get half a truckload of cheap cigarettes.

If Cheng Dong had made a good return trip, he probably would have made a small profit. However, his car, like his body, started having problems. It wouldn't start and kept breaking down on the road. After several such incidents, all of Cheng Dong's plans were disrupted, and going home for the Lunar New Year became a distant dream.

As dusk fell, Cheng Dong still hadn't found a place to stay. He held a map in his left hand and a flashlight in his right, anxiously searching for driving routes.

"This map is fucking rip-off! It clearly marks towns, but there's absolutely nothing there!"

Cheng Dong greeted the fellow villager selling fake maps with "friendly greetings," then angrily crumpled the map into a ball and threw it on the carriage floor.

It was freezing cold, and the north wind was howling outside the window. Cheng Dong was exhausted and hungry. No matter how good his driving skills were, he would never dare to seek thrills on the frost-covered road. So, he decisively found a sheltered place and turned off the engine.

The car seat was already reclined, and the dark cotton quilt was wrapped around him once again. Apart from the several large boxes of cigarettes at the back of the carriage, he was currently completely out of money.

In this environment, how could Cheng Dong possibly sleep soundly? His mind was filled with the delicious flavors of his hometown: his mother's dumplings, Uncle Shuangling's savory mutton soup, and all sorts of wild game from the mountains...