Wei Tu's expression changed, and he immediately followed the sound with Biaozi in search of it.
I saw two young men squatting together with anxious faces. Lying on the ground beside them was a strong young man. He fell on his back, and his right calf was severely congested and bulged.
"No! His calf is broken! Don't touch him. Let's go find some thin wooden sticks and canes. I'll help him fix the injured leg first." Wei Tu ordered everyone in an orderly manner.
After a while, everyone worked together to carry the injured boy to the village committee.
The villagers who came after hearing the news all looked downcast, and the room was silent and the atmosphere was quite solemn.
Biaozi came close to Xiaojiao and asked in a low voice: "Who is this guy? He feels like a movie star. He was injured a little, and the whole village followed suit."
Little Pepper whispered back: "In our Dashi Village, Fuzi is much more important than a movie star..."
There are two villages in this mountain, one is Dashi Village and the other is the neighboring Muzhi Village.
A prayer meeting is held locally every year, and young men who are strong and best at swimming are selected from the two villages.
Ask him to put a bronze plaque with blessing words written on it into a cave in the pool on the top of the mountain to pray for good weather in the coming year.
Every year, the young men from the two villages secretly compete with each other. Everyone wants to bring glory to their village.
The popular candidate in Dashi Village this year is Fuzi!
Biaozi understood: "So that's it, it's just swimming! What's so great about it!"
"What do you know? The terrain in the pool is complicated, there are undercurrents, and the caves under the water extend in all directions. If you don't have any real skills, it will be fatal!"
Little Pepper glanced at him angrily.
Biaozi raised the corners of his lips and chuckled proudly: "Tsk~ My nickname is Langli Baitiao, and I didn't call him this name for nothing!"
Little Pepper narrowed her eyes and looked him up and down. This man was white and fat. When he got into the water, he looked like a white-striped pig. He was indeed worthy of the title of Langli Baitiao.
She covered her mouth and snickered: "As expected, he lives up to his name."
There was something in this man's words, and it looked like he was scolding him. Biaozi was just about to laugh when he heard the village chief suddenly speak.
"Fuzi, it's not the right time to break your leg..."
He frowned and looked downcast. He picked up the cigarette in his right hand and smoked it.
Fuzi was lying on the camp bed, his fractured calf has been temporarily fixed. He choked with guilt: "Village chief, it's all my fault! I'm useless! Our village next year..."
Hearing this, most of the other people in the room shook their heads and sighed, their eyes full of regret.
"Okay, it's over now, don't feel guilty, kid!" The village chief waved to the villagers nearby: "You two, quickly carry the person to the health center in the neighboring village."
"Eh!"
When they saw people walking away, the villagers spoke one after another.
"Village Chief, what should we do now? The prayer meeting is coming soon!"
"Last year, Muzhi Village won. I thought it would be our turn no matter what this year, but now..."
"Without Fuzi, it would be too much to just rely on the remaining few to compete!"
The village chief frowned and smoked cigarettes one after another without saying a word for a long time.
The villagers couldn't sit still.
"Village Chief! You should be more precise!"
"Yes, this is not a trivial matter related to the fortune of our village next year!"
At this moment, someone said: "This rain is so strange. It's not the rainy season, so why did it suddenly rain heavily?!"
Someone soon answered: "If it hadn't been for this strange rain, Fuzi wouldn't have broken his leg."
These two sentences aroused the alarm of many villagers!
As expected, bad things happen in clusters, and all are caused by this sudden rainstorm, so why does it rain?!
Many ulterior glances were cast at Wei Tu and Jiang Yun.
Before the three people entered the village, everything was fine, but after they arrived, it rained heavily that night.
Could it be that……
The urging sounds one after another brought people's thoughts back to reality. The village chief was so annoyed by the villagers.
He frowned, picked up the cigarette and banged it on the table several times, making a "bang, bang" sound.
"Why are you so anxious? There are still a few days left! Let me think about it first. You all should go back!"
The village chief put down his words, put his hands behind his back and strode out.
Without the person in charge, the villagers dispersed one after another. Suddenly, there were only a few young men left in the village committee.
One of the young men was the first to speak: "Still waiting, the prayer meeting is coming soon, I don't know why I'm waiting!"
Others nodded in agreement.
Another tall young man said: "How about we go into the water and have a competition? Let's rank ourselves? We can go talk to the village with our results?"
When these words came out, everyone's eyes lit up and they said in unison: "Okay!"
Soon enough, before the water in the pool on the top of the mountain receded completely, five or six young men had already entered the water with their shirts off.
*
At the same time, the three people who returned to Xiaojiao's home were discussing how to persuade Lao Hetou to come out.
Wei Tu frowned: "Have you ever thought about it? They have been here for more than ten years, why should they leave with us?"
Biaozi: "If you offer a high salary and see the money, will you still disagree?"
Wei Tu smiled and shook his head: "I think the He family has no shortage of food and clothing here. They are living a good life. But for our small salary, the whole family has to move?"
Biaozi choked: "What should we do? Is this the end of it?"
Jiang Yun thought for a moment: "How about we directly identify ourselves and talk to Lao Hetou openly?"
If it works, then you can do it; if it doesn’t, you can just give up.
The three of them were so worried that they went all out and went downstairs to discuss the matter with Lao Hetou.
I saw a skinny little old man sitting on a pony, whittling thin bamboo strips with a sickle.
Little Pepper was hanging around him, and the father and daughter were talking and laughing.
"Old man He, what are you doing?" Jiang Yun stepped forward with a smile.
The three of them sat on the small stools nearby.
Little Pepper replied: "Dad is making bamboo baskets."
Lao Hetou smiled: "The bamboo basket at home was crushed by me, and I plan to make another one. What, you have trouble with me?"
Wei Tu cleared his throat and clarified his intention and purpose loudly: "...So, we would like to invite you to work in Muyunju."
Lao He looked at the three of them with half-squinted eyes, lowered his head silently, and looked at his big rough and cracked hands.
After a long time, he said: "The climate in the mountains is humid and cold, and my hands have long since become useless. I can make do with carving large pieces, but not fine jade."
Jiang Yun and others' expressions froze, thinking that he was going to refuse. Unexpectedly, Lao He changed the subject.
He gently stroked the top of Little Pepper's hair, his eyes full of reluctance: "But this girl has my true heritage, and she has crafted it with exquisite craftsmanship. She is as good as me."
This was the best way to leave the mountains. He didn't want his daughter to spend all her beautiful years in the mountains and forests, wasting away doing nothing.
After walking out of the mountains, she can spread her wings and fly high, soar in a wider world and create her own achievements.
"I won't go! If you don't leave, I won't go!" Little Pepper frowned and glared at her father angrily.
Just as Old He was about to open his mouth to persuade, many villagers came outside. They came in menacingly, holding farm tools and looking fierce, and they barged in with a fierce look.