Zhang Ling looked at Li Xiaobao lying motionless at the bottom of the river and immediately reached out for him.
Just as Zhang Ling reached out for Li Xiaobao, his hands also wrapped around Zhang Ling, pulling her in tight embrace, unwilling to let go, as if worried she would disappear the moment he released her.
Li Xiaobao felt that even if he died right then and there, he would have died content.
Eventually, Li Xiaobao and Zhang Ling struggled to the shore, both of them drenched through and through.
"Li Xiaobao, you jerk!"
Remembering how Li Xiaobao had clung to her tightly under the water, her face instantly flushed with embarrassment.
Li Xiaobao, hearing Zhang Ling's angry voice, knew this wasn't going to be easy to get out of and immediately spat out a mouthful of water, rolling his eyes back and feigning death.
"Ah! Li Xiaobao, what's wrong? What's wrong with you?"
Seeing the recently rescued Li Xiaobao fainting again, Zhang Ling panicked, immediately kneeling in front of him and starting first aid.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
Zhang Ling pressed on Li Xiaobao's chest, continuously performing first aid, but aside from spewing a few more mouthfuls of river water, Li Xiaobao showed no other sign of life.
As Li Xiaobao remained unresponsive, Zhang Ling grew even more anxious. Eventually, with no other option, she remembered the first aid knowledge her teacher had once shared—mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
"You idiot, this is my first kiss, you better wake up!"
Zhang Ling, looking at Li Xiaobao lying on the ground, bit her red lip, faced the sky, and took a deep breath with a resigned expression, then pressed her lips to Li Xiaobao's.
"Mm...!"
Li Xiaobao was just pretending to be dead, and upon feeling Zhang Ling's soft lips, he was immediately carried away in his feelings.
With Zhang Ling's care, Li Xiaobao had long forgotten about Little Erhei. As for the wound on his face, it had healed unknowingly under the water, something that even Zhang Ling hadn't noticed.
"Huh?"
Zhang Ling, in the midst of performing mouth-to-mouth, felt Li Xiaobao's reaction and was so startled she jumped to her feet.
"Li Xiaobao, you scoundrel, may you never rest in peace!" By now, Zhang Ling had clearly realized Li Xiaobao was faking his death.
"What are you two doing here?"
Just as Zhang Ling was about to kick Li Xiaobao, the voice of Zhou Cuihua, Li Xiaobao's sister-in-law, reached them.
"Ah? Sister-in-law!"
Seeing Zhou Cuihua standing in front of them with a hoe, Zhang Ling felt an urge to kick Li Xiaobao into the river.
"It's nothing, sister-in-law, I'll be leaving now."
With Zhou Cuihua looking on, Zhang Ling's face turned so red it could drip blood, and she immediately ran towards the Zhang family home.
"Sister-in-law!"
Li Xiaobao opened his eyes slightly, saw Zhang Ling running away, and with a sly smile to Zhou Cuihua, slowly got to his feet.
"Sigh, sister-in-law, you mustn't tell dad and mom about this, or they'd kill me."
Li Xiaobao watched Zhou Cuihua walk away and leisurely followed.
.........
"Dad, Mom, I'm back."
Li Xiaobao casually strolled into his home, and upon entering, he saw Zhou Cuihua, who had just arrived not long ago, bringing food out from the kitchen.
"Xiaobao, you're back, hurry up and eat!"
Zhou Cuihua, as if nothing had happened, called out to him.
"Xiaobao, where have you been to get your clothes so wet?"
Li Xiaobao's mother, seeing him all soaked, was distressed and said, "Hurry up and go change your clothes."
"Alright, Mom!"
Li Xiaobao, grinning at his mother, skirted past his dad and headed straight into the house. By the time he came out with a change of clothes, Zhou Cuihua had already set the food on the table.
Li Detian took a deep drag of his cigarette and shook his head in resignation. The household consisted of just five members: Li Xiaobao's parents, his elder brother Li Dabao—who often worked away from home—the sickly old couple, and Zhou Cuihua managing everything by herself.
"Dad, the drought has been terrible recently, we need to water the crops in the fields,"
Zhou Cuihua said at the dinner table to Li Detian, who used to handle all the farmwork before his leg injury, with Li Xiaobao's mother taking care of the household chores.
Ever since Li Detian had hurt his leg, he could only stay at home, and the farmwork fell on Zhou Cuihua and Li Xiaobao.
"Did you hear what your sister-in-law said? The crops need watering, so tomorrow you should help her with it."
Li Detian sighed with resignation at Zhou Cuihua's words, knowing too well that despite saying this, Li Xiaobao would still end up sleeping till the Sun was high up in the sky the next day.
Being the caring elder sister-in-law that she was, Zhou Cuihua would feel for Li Xiaobao, not minding his late rise, and would be likely to head to the fields to water the crops in the dim predawn light by herself.
"You ungrateful child, did you hear that?"
Li Detian, seeing Li Xiaobao only caring about eating without responding, slammed the table and bellowed furiously.
"Oh, Dad, it's fine, Xiaobao will go tomorrow. If he doesn't wake up, I can do it myself. I was just letting you know."
Zhou Cuihua, not expecting Li Detian to lose his temper that much, hastily interjected.
"Understood!"
Upon seeing his father's anger, Li Xiaobao muttered a reply head down—he was still lost in thoughts about that kiss with Zhang Ling.
Watching Li Xiaobao's enraptured expression, Li Detian grew so frustrated he stood up abruptly, intending to slap Li Xiaobao.
However, he was too far from Li Xiaobao to reach him and ended up falling over himself.