"Boom!" After the first thunderous boom, several more thunderous booms rang out in Linhe Village of Sanshui County.
At this time, it was four o 'clock in the morning. The people in the village were awakened from their sleep, but they thought it was going to rain or thunder. They couldn't bear the sleepiness and went back to sleep. Only some old people who didn't sleep well wanted to see what the rain looked like. They put on their clothes, opened the door, and stood inside the door to look outside.
The sky was still dark, and the stars were still twinkling. Apart from the coolness of the night, there was no trace of moisture. Many dogs were barking, but nothing else had changed.
"Why is there thunder? Why is God striking down these thunderbolts? Sigh! " An old man who had already opened the door and was looking outside sighed, mumbled a few words, and turned to walk back into the house.
"Old man, is it raining outside? My ears are getting old, and I can't hear anything. "An old lady's voice came from the house.
"No, go to sleep. I wonder what evil thing that wastrel did. God is going to strike him with lightning." As the old man spoke, he moved back to the straw mattress and squatted down with difficulty. He took off the clothes draped over his body and casually rolled them up twice before placing them where the pillow should be. He then pulled over half of the blanket and fell asleep with his back facing the old lady.
In the darkness, the old lady blinked her eyes and helped the old man tuck in the blanket around his neck. She lay there with her head up and thought for a while. Then, she sighed and waited for the old man's snores to start. Then, she also fell asleep.
The next morning, the children in Linhe Village woke up first. They dragged their water barrels to the well to get water. Every day, the water in the wells would be the highest in the morning and the lowest in the evening.
It wasn't like this in the past. Usually, the water in the well would rise as they fetched water. If they really wanted to get the water to the bottom, they would need a few adults to take turns to carry the water with willow rollers. It would take more than two hours for the water to reach the bottom. After a while, it would slowly rise again.
They thought it was the same today. They dragged the heavy wooden buckets and rushed towards the well. Some families had two or three children. The older ones dragged the buckets, while the younger ones ran to stand at the mouth of the well. This was also considered a position for them.
It was no exception now. A group of children were practically running out of the house. The older children had to look after the younger ones and make sure that they did not fall into the well. This was not like a winch. There was always a bucket hanging at the mouth of the well to block it.
The well was an open well, so a rope had to be tied to it. There was a hole at the bottom, and there was a tarpaulin covering it. As long as the water fell into the well, the weight of the bucket would cause the water to wash away the tarpaulin. When the bucket was lifted up, the weight of the water would press the tarpaulin to the bottom of the bucket. Some water would leak out, but most of the water would be lifted up.
This kind of well usually did not have any safety measures. Some used a wooden board, and some just left the mouth open. If someone fell in, even an adult could not save them, let alone a child.
Once they were out of the house, the children would run towards whichever side of the well was closest to their house. When they were about the same distance, they would run towards whichever side had fewer children.
A family had three children. The two older ones were girls, and the younger one was a boy. One of the girls ran towards the well while the other girl had to look after her younger brother. When she and her younger brother reached the mouth of the well, they saw her younger sister standing there in a daze.
"Cao 'er, what are you doing? Be careful not to fall into the well." As the older sister, she had to take good care of her younger brother and sister. She looked at the straw curtain at the mouth of the well and worriedly asked her younger sister.
Cao 'er came first, and the others had not arrived yet. She first looked into the well and vaguely discovered that there was more water inside than a few days ago. It was much higher than a few days ago, and there was a white light in the darkness. She was very certain.
When she heard her older sister's question, she quickly said, "Older Sister, there's more water. Quickly bring some up to see."
As the older sister, she found that there was a different smell in the surroundings, and it was very unpleasant. Seeing that her younger sister was still standing there, she moved closer to look and felt that the water was indeed much higher.
"It's true. Help me pull the rope. I'll put the willow in to see." As she spoke, the older sister used all her strength to throw the wooden bucket next to the well down. When there was a sound, she immediately pulled it up. Otherwise, when the water was full, she wouldn't be able to pull it up.
When the small bucket of water was pulled up, the three siblings looked inside curiously.
"Oldest Sister, Second Sister, this water is too muddy." After the younger brother looked, he said to his two older sisters.
"Let's not worry about it for now. Let's occupy the place and wait for Father to come and fetch the water." The older sister had also seen the water. It was a bit muddy, but it was better than nothing.
At this time, the other children arrived one after another. There were two boys in the family who didn't need an adult to come and could directly go and fetch the water. They were bold. Even if they had to be spanked by their parents after getting the water, they were still willing to do more for the family.
When they saw that there were already people standing in front of them, they urged them. If they wanted to get the water first, they would usually have to quarrel. Today, the three siblings in front of them were very easy to talk to and gave up their position.
These two boys were a pair of twins. They were both ten years old this year. Since others had stepped aside, they naturally wouldn't be polite. They carried the buckets to the mouth of the well. After estimating the distance, they placed the buckets to the side and threw the still wet willow into the well. They cocked their ears to listen to the movements inside.
When they felt that it was about time and should be half filled with willow water, they pulled the rope together. When they reached the well, they directly put the back of the willow down on the edge of the well. The front of the well was facing their own bucket. When they tilted, the water inside flowed into the wooden bucket.
The boys' thoughts were worse than the girls'. They didn't even consider whether the water was muddy or not. After pouring the willow water in, they continued to fetch water. After a few rounds, they finally filled up the wooden bucket they brought with them and dragged it back home.
As they dragged on, their parents arrived. They happened to see their two children walking back after fetching water. They approached them in two steps. Without saying anything, they directly lifted one of them in front of them. They squatted down, straightened their knees, and pressed the child on top of them. They opened their palms and began to smack the child's buttocks.
"What did I tell you? I asked you to occupy a spot, but you took your brother to fetch water. If you fell, how would your mother and I live? I'll beat you to death, you disobedient child. "
"Dad, I'm the younger brother. Today's water is higher than usual. I fetched more water first. Why are you hitting me?" The child who was hit wailed. It wasn't that he was in pain. Usually, when he fought with the other children in the village, it was more painful than this. The main reason was that he was afraid of being hit by his parents since he was young.
The father raised his hand and took it back. He looked at the other son. He had no choice. After so many years, as long as the two children stood together and couldn't see the birthmark on their bodies, he couldn't tell who was the elder and who was the younger one. Especially when the two children usually played together, they were the same and always wore different clothes.
The other child saw his father's gaze and took two steps back. "Dad, I'm the younger brother. Elder brother, don't hurt me."
"Elder brother, how can you lie through your teeth? Well, anyway, I've suffered a lot for you. I'll be the elder brother this time. "The other child quickly said.
The father patted his head with his hand. "Stop talking. You're the elder brother, and I'm the younger brother. Later, you're not allowed to change clothes. Go home and let your mother recognize which one is the elder brother. Prepare yourself."
The father really had no choice. He often hit the wrong child, and when he went home, his wife would complain. The child who did something wrong would secretly laugh at the side, and the child who didn't do anything wrong could only cry and feel wronged. He was not as good as his wife. Whether it was listening to the voice or just a casual glance, no matter how the two children changed clothes, even if their faces were smeared with mud, he could still recognize them immediately. He had never missed.
"Dad, don't worry. Elder brother and I will never change clothes. Elder brother, this is all your fault." The two children said to their father at the same time. It was not the first time they said this. It was instinctive.
The father didn't really want to hit his two sons. He was just worried that the two boys would always go out to do things by themselves. If they were really in danger, he would never forget if one of them was missing. At the same time, he felt that his two sons were sensible and knew how to help the adults draw water.
Looking down at the water in the bucket, he found that it was much more turbid than usual. Only then did he remember what his son said just now. The water in the well was higher than usual. Looking at the water again, his eyes suddenly widened.
Of course, he knew when such a thing would happen. It was when the well had just been dug, and the water inside would gush out with mud. The water would rise, and it would be equally turbid. A few adults would take turns to draw water out until the bottom was seen and all the mud and mud that could enter the water was removed. Only then would clear water come out.
Of course, other than this, when the earth moved, the water in the well would be very turbid. However, the chickens in the village wouldn't jump and the dogs wouldn't bark. It was impossible for the earth to move. Could it be that someone had dug another well?
At this time, some adults from other families came over and also discovered this situation. Some of them were quick-witted and thought of the thunder they heard in the morning. They excitedly said, "Auspicious sign, this is auspicious sign. I heard that water came out of a well that had been dry for many years in the county town after a few thunderclaps. Our well also had thunder first, right?"
After hearing what he said, the others also thought of it. All of them stopped fetching water and prepared to head to the county city to report it. Before they could leave the village, there were people saying the same thing in other places with wells.
"Then even a village has auspicious signs." Most of the water in the well had risen, and there were so many thunder sounds. Some smart people directly said that this was a miracle for the village.
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