Chapter 1: A Family by the Spring, Chapter 1: Saving Someone

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

Summer, 1993.

Jinan's summer was dry and scorching, with heat waves assaulting people.

Vendors selling pot stickers rode bicycles through the lanes early in the cool of the morning, and the early market by the moat was full of stalls; the rising and falling cries of hawkers brought a touch of human warmth to this ancient northern city.

Lin Xiyu rode her bicycle past the early market with her schoolbag on her back, bought a fried dough stick to hold in her mouth as breakfast, and chewed it with relish.

"Someone has fallen into the water......."

"Someone come, save someone......."

Not far ahead, a sharp screech of brakes suddenly rang out; a mother and son riding bicycles were knocked flying by a sedan and fell into the river.

Lin Xiyu hesitated not at all, rushed over in one breath, tossed aside her schoolbag, climbed over the railing, and leaped into the water.

The moat in summer had a gentle current and clear water through which the bottom could be seen; objects underwater were also clearly visible.

She first swam toward the child who had fallen in, grabbed the clothes, and dragged them back to the riverside.

By this time many people had gathered on the riverbank; an enthusiastic bystander climbed over the railing, stretched out his arms, and helped her pull the child up.

Seeing the child was safe, she breathed a sigh of relief, kicked hard against the stone wall with both feet, plunged into the water again, and swam toward the woman who had fallen in.

The woman could not swim, choked on several mouthfuls of water while struggling, and sank to the bottom.

She exerted considerable effort before managing to lift the person out of the water.

The girl's skin was jade-white, her delicate small face wet with water; in the morning light, she resembled a lotus rising from water, radiating a captivating glow.

The crowd waiting eagerly on the shore burst into fervent cheers.

Amid the cheers and encouragement of the enthusiastic bystanders, Lin Xiyu held her breath and dragged the woman back to the shore.

The woman had been drowning for some time; after coming ashore, she had already fallen into a coma.

The riverside was in chaos; someone ran to a nearby telephone booth to call an ambulance.

Someone pressed on the woman's breasts, administering first aid on the spot.

Many others were berating the driver, cursing him roundly from all sides.

Lin Xiyu was anxious to get to school for her exam; paying no heed to the commotion at the scene, she climbed out of the shore dripping wet, picked up her schoolbag, mounted her bicycle, as if stepping on a wind and fire wheel, and rode away like a gust of wind.

She did not yet know that a reporter from the local television station happened to be nearby and had recorded the entire rescue scene.

—

Jinan No. 7 Middle School.

On the last day of the college entrance exam, candidates carrying beautiful hopes for the future refreshed their spirits and entered the examination rooms in order.

The invigilating teacher on duty at the school gate occasionally raised his wrist to glance at his watch, waiting only for eight o'clock to arrive before closing the school gate.

Time inched toward eight, minute by minute and second by second; the teacher's gaze fell on his watch, and his expression grew increasingly solemn and dignified.

At exactly eight o'clock, a sharp bell rang across the campus; at the invigilating teacher's command, the school gate slowly closed from both sides toward the middle.

"Wait, let me in!"

Lin Xiyu rode her bicycle over in a great hurry; at the moment the school gate was about to close, her front wheel just got stuck in the door crack.

The heavy iron gate boomed as it struck, shaking violently several times.

Lin Xiyu was also jolted until her wrists ached and went numb, and her mind felt dizzy for a moment.

Behind the invigilating teacher's thick lenses shot a cold, piercing gleam; he glared discontentedly at the girl before him who dared to challenge his authority and had rashly rushed in.

At this moment, Lin Xiyu was wet all over except for her schoolbag, with water seeping out from her hair strands.

Her blue-and-white summer school uniform had scraped up quite a bit of moss on the stone wall by the riverside; where the half-dried parts blew in the wind, patches of black-green mud spots were especially conspicuous.