Chapter 76: Wen Nong Fell Into the Water
The shout was so loud it startled the entire Wen family.
Granny Luo’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
Wen Yao and her siblings rushed out of the house and grabbed the person who had shouted. “What did you say? What happened to Wen Nong?”
The person, panting heavily from running, pointed toward the riverbank. “Wen Nong… Wen Nong fell into the river.”
In the very next moment, Wen Yao took off running. Li and Cai helped Granny Luo up and, without sparing another word, chased after her.
As Wen Yao ran, cold sweat drenched her body. She was completely panicked, her mind repeating just one phrase—Wen Nong fell into the river. She didn’t even notice one of her shoes had flown off.
“Wen Nong! Wen Nong!” Wen Yao reached the riverbank, the pebbles beneath her feet stabbing into her soles with piercing pain.
By then, a crowd had already gathered by the river. Jin Xiuyi and Wen Ying were kneeling on the ground, clutching Wen Nong and crying so hard they were nearly gasping for air. Around them were several terrified children and their equally frightened parents.
Wen Yao’s face turned deathly pale. Seeing Wen Nong lying limp in Wen Ying’s arms, she hesitated, afraid to approach.
“Wen Nong,” Wen Yao called out, only to find her voice trembling.
Wen Ying and Jin Xiuyi looked up at her and broke into loud sobs. “Sister Yao Yao! / Second Sister!”
Wen Yao stood frozen in disbelief until Granny Luo tugged her back to her senses.
“Yao Yao,” Granny Luo called out in alarm, snapping her out of it. Ignoring the pain in her feet, Wen Yao rushed forward and knelt in front of Wen Nong, her hands shaking, afraid to touch him.
Then Wen Nong let out a soft groan and slowly opened his eyes to look at Wen Yao. She was stunned for a moment, then immediately wrapped him tightly in her arms.
“You scared me… you scared me to death…” Wen Yao broke down crying. Just moments ago, she had thought she was too late.
The rest of the Wen family had also arrived. Only then did the crowd start chattering about what had just happened.
Granny Luo looked around for Wen Fa.
“Where’s Wen Fa? Wen Fa!” Her voice was full of fury, and even the usually protective Li showed visible anger.
“Wen Fa’s over here, Aunt Wen! He’s over here!” someone shouted. Li and Granny Luo looked over and saw Wen Fa, covered in mud and soaking wet, pinning someone beneath him. If not for the others pulling him back, his fists would have kept landing again and again.
The man restraining him quickly said, “Aunt Wen, you’d better pull him off fast—Wen Fa’s going to beat Li Erhu to death!”
Erhu’s mother and Li San arrived with Li Dahu just in time to see their precious boy pinned on the riverbank, his face swollen with bruises and crying in pain.
Without a word, Erhu’s mother lunged forward. “Murder! The Wen family is committing murder!”
Wen Fa gripped Li Erhu’s hair tightly, holding him down on the riverbank so he couldn’t move. At her words, he raised his chin, eyes red with rage, and growled, “If anything happens to Wen Nong, I’ll drag Li Erhu down with him.”
At that moment, Wen Nong was soaked through from falling into the river, trembling in Wen Yao’s arms. Hearing Wen Fa’s words, Wen Yao turned with Wen Nong still in her arms, staring at the Li family like she was ready to kill someone.
Li San and Li Dahu tried to step in, unwilling to watch Li Erhu continue to be held down, but Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing weren’t about to let them get close.
The riverbank devolved into complete chaos.
Wen Nong’s lips were already turning purplish from the cold—Wen Yao had to get him back home, changed, and warmed up or he’d definitely get sick.
She immediately picked Wen Nong up and shot a cold glare at the Li family.
“Wen Fa, get up,” Wen Yao said icily.
Wen Fa looked at her, gritted his teeth, and stood up, finally releasing Li Erhu.
Erhu’s mother shrieked and scrambled over to cradle her precious son. Then came Wen Yao’s chilling voice again, “There’s no way your Li Erhu wasn’t involved in what happened today. I’ll say this here and now—if anything happens to Wen Nong, your whole Li family will pay for it.”
Then she turned to the rest of the Wen family. “Grandpa, Second Uncle, Third Uncle—stay here and get to the bottom of this. Don’t let them get away. Grandma, we need to get Wen Nong home to change and call the doctor. And Wen Fa too.”
Wen Fa’s clothes were soaked, and he no longer looked fierce—his eyes were red, and he stood beside Wen Yao like a child. “Yao Yao, I’m sorry. I didn’t take good care of Wen Nong.”
Wen Yao’s expression softened slightly. “Let’s go home first.”
With that, she carried Wen Nong and started walking. Granny Luo noticed something wrong with her gait and looked down, her face going white.
“Yao Yao, your foot!” Granny Luo cried, drawing everyone’s attention.
She stepped forward and took Wen Nong from Wen Yao’s arms. Then Li squatted in front of Wen Yao and called out, “Yao Yao, let Second Aunt carry you.”
Wen Yao’s eyes were misty with tears. Granny Luo had already walked ahead with Wen Nong. Wen Yao sniffled and climbed onto Li’s back.
Li, strong from years of farm work, carried her swiftly and steadily, catching up to Granny Luo in no time.
Jin Xiuyi, worried about Wen Nong, followed along too. But Wen Ying stayed behind. She wiped her tears and snot away, then grabbed Grandpa Wen’s hand and began explaining what had happened.
Back at home, Granny Luo took Wen Nong and stripped off his wet clothes. Cai was told to heat the brick bed thoroughly, and Wen Nong was wrapped up tightly in the bedding. Still, his face remained deathly pale.
Wen Yao sat beside the bed, watching Wen Nong anxiously. Jin Xiuyi sobbed nearby, guilt-ridden as he stammered, “Granny Wen… Sister Yao Yao… I’m sorry… it’s my fault… Wen Nong fell into the river to save me… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
Granny Luo’s heart ached for Wen Nong, but seeing Jin Xiuyi’s pale, tear-streaked face, she couldn’t bear to scold him. She pulled him close and gently asked what had happened.
Between Jin Xiuyi’s tearful explanation and Wen Fa’s added details, Wen Yao and Granny Luo finally understood what had taken place.
At first, they’d gone with the village kids to collect stones at the riverbank. Before leaving, Granny Luo had given each of the three children two eggs. The kids shared their eggs with the others.
Then, somehow, Li Erhu and his gang showed up. Seeing them eating eggs, they demanded the uneaten ones.
Though younger and smaller, the Wen children refused to hand them over, leading to a conflict. Li Erhu’s group, being older, tried to rob them by force.
Wen Fa couldn’t hold all of them off at once and was pinned down by the bigger boys Li Erhu brought. Li Erhu then chased after Jin Xiuyi and Wen Nong, who still had eggs.
They ended up near the riverbank. In a rush to snatch the egg, Li Erhu shoved Jin Xiuyi. Just as he was about to fall into the river, Wen Nong leapt in front of him and pushed him back to safety.
Jin Xiuyi didn’t fall in—but Wen Nong lost his footing and slipped into the river.
Though the current wasn’t strong, Wen Nong was just a little boy. As soon as he was swept away, everyone panicked. Wen Fa didn’t even hesitate—he rushed into the water to save his brother.
