Chapter 14: Ye Fan Jumps into a Well

The next day, Ye Fan woke up to bright daylight streaming in, and outside, she heard Dabao calling, “Little sister, come quick! Look, little sister!” Ye Fan rubbed the sleep from the corners of her eyes, got herself dressed, and stepped outside.

“Dabao, where’s your dad?” she asked.

“Dad went to buy groceries. Mom, the sun’s shining on your butt already!” Dabao pointed at his little face, practically saying, Aren’t you embarrassed?

Ye Fan raised her hand, and the two children giggled and ran outside.

They were less than a kilometer from the seashore, so Ye Fan quickly called them back, “You’re not allowed to go out.” Even though the fence wouldn’t completely stop them, at least she didn’t have to worry about them running into reckless kids or passing cars.

“We know!” they chorused.

Ye Fan asked, “Did you two wash your faces?”

Dabao pulled his sister back towards the yard. “Dad said to wait and wash with Mom.”

Ye Fan had no idea when Geng Zhiyé had left, nor when he would be back, but seeing a pack of calcium biscuits on the table, she decided to boil some water and make a little snack of biscuits for the kids to tide them over.

Ye Fan had never used a wood-burning stove in this life, though she had seen one before, back when she ate di guo ji (chicken cooked in a wood-fired pot) in her past life. Yesterday, she had watched Geng Zhiyé when he boiled water; he had started with some rice straw. Following his example, Ye Fan grabbed a handful, stuffed it in, struck a match, and watched the straw catch fire quickly. Satisfied, she thought, Using a wood stove isn’t so hard.

She tossed in a few pieces of wood, then went to wash her face and brush her teeth. However, when she returned, not even a flicker of flame remained under the pot. In disbelief, she threw in another handful of straw, but thick smoke poured out, stinging her eyes until they almost watered.

“Mom, there’s so much smoke!” Dabao, who had been playing tag with his little sister outside, rushed in and immediately covered his nose and eyes. “Mom, are you trying to light a fire? Dad said to wait for him to come back.”

“We’re missing a few things here—cough—” Ye Fan hurriedly opened a window. “I don’t know when your dad will be back. You go outside for now, Mom will handle this.”

Dabao, still covering his mouth and nose, shouted, “Dad said you don’t know how. Mom, what are you doing? Come outside!”

“Brother!” Erbao ran in as well, and seeing her little sister’s teary eyes, Dabao exclaimed, “Mom, I’m done with you!”

Seeing the smoke in the kitchen had subsided a bit, Ye Fan said, “Take your sister outside for now; Mom’s just boiling a little water.”

“You’re just being stubborn!” Dabao stomped his foot in frustration, grabbed his sister, and ran outside, but turned back to add a warning, “I’m going to tell Dad!”

Without looking up, Ye Fan replied, “Go ahead. I refuse to believe I can’t handle this!” She shoved another handful of straw under the pot and leaned down to blow on it, only to get a face full of ash. Covering her mouth and nose quickly, she muttered, “Is this stove out to get me?”

Outside, Dabao stood under the eaves with his little sister, watching the kitchen in silence for a moment. He sighed helplessly. How could a stove be against you?

“Erbao, don’t ever copy Mom,” he said.

Fan frowned. “Geng Dabao, what are you saying?”

“If you come out, I won’t say anything about it! Just come out already!”

Ye Fan put down the match, wanting to go outside, but then thought, Geng Zhiyé can’t come home every day just to start a fire. I have to learn eventually. “Mom’s just not used to it yet. Why are you in such a hurry?”

And you call Dad stubborn. You’re the real hard-headed one. Dabao didn’t waste any more words; he let go of his sister and ran outside. Erbao instinctively followed him. “Brother, wait for me!”

“I’m going to find Dad,” Dabao said, placing a steadying hand on his little sister’s shoulder. “I’ll be back soon. Mom isn’t dumb—if there’s a fire, she’ll run out. Don’t be scared.”

Still uneasy, Erbao glanced at the thick smoke pouring out. “I want to go with you.”

“I’ll run there,” Dabao said, then turned and sprinted off. Just as he reached the edge of the fenced yard, he nearly ran into someone. He stopped abruptly and looked up to see a young girl, about the same height as his cousin Geng Huihui.

“Big sister…”

“Where’s the market?”
“You’re going to the market?” the young girl asked curiously. “Are you one of Uncle Geng’s kids? Where’s Uncle Geng?”

Dabao replied, “My dad’s at the market. I’m looking for him. My mom’s about to set the house on fire.”

“Set the house on fire?” The girl didn’t quite understand and looked up instinctively to see thick smoke rising from the chimney. “Is there a fire?”

Dabao shook his head. “If Dad doesn’t come back, there will be.” He didn’t add his other thought: The fire’s not the real problem; Mom choking herself is.

The girl quickly responded, “I know where the market is, and I know Uncle Geng. I’ll go. You two—stay put, don’t go in or out. Wait here.” She ran off, turning back to remind them as she went.

Meanwhile, Geng Zhiyé was just about to buy rice and oil when he noticed his political commissar’s daughter sprinting towards him as if being chased. He caught her by the arm. “Watch where you’re going!”

“Uncle Geng? Hurry, hurry home! Your house is—”

“No rush, tell me slowly.”

“Your house is on fire.”

“On fire?”

The girl quickly clarified, “Well, not quite yet, but there’s a lot of smoke inside.”

Geng Zhiyé’s face darkened. “Ye Fan! I told her to wait for me! Why is she being so stubborn? Wasn’t she supposed to be sleeping? How did she wake up so fast?”

“Uncle Geng, please hurry home.”

Suddenly alert, Geng Zhiyé said, “Yes, home!” Without another word to the commissar’s daughter, he raced back as if he were pursuing an enemy. When he reached his yard, he found several neighbors gathered at the gate, all talking over each other: “Captain Geng, were you not home? Why is there so much smoke? It’s better now, but it looked like a real fire just a moment ago.”

“Dad!” Dabao ran over and grabbed him. “Dad, hurry! Mom’s inside.”

Erbao followed close behind. “Mom didn’t listen! Give her a spanking!”

“What time is it, and you’re still finding a chance to add fuel to the fire?” Geng Zhiyé, seeing that the house wasn’t burned down and the kids were fine, finally relaxed. “Wait here for Dad.”

Dabao tugged at his dad. Geng Zhiyé looked down and asked, “What is it?”

“The stuff.” Dabao pointed to the basket in his hand.

Geng Zhiyé looked down, then set the basket down. “I actually didn’t forget. Watch closely now. Your mom is definitely too embarrassed to come out.”

Ye Fan, overwhelmed by the smoke in the kitchen, decided to go to the yard to wait with the kids for Geng Zhiyé. But when she reached the living room, she saw several women and children gathered outside through the window. She hesitated—neighbors from all around had gathered.

Hearing Geng Zhiyé’s comment, she waited for him to come in, then kicked at him. He instinctively blocked her and grabbed hold of her slender leg, realizing what was happening. “Hiding inside comfortably, huh? Too proud to ask for help!”

Ye Fan raised her hand to punch him, but Geng Zhiyé let go of her leg and grabbed her hand. “Quit it. What happened here?”

“I must’ve run into a ghost.”

Geng Zhiyé choked a little. “Nonsense! With the whole kitchen crew, support staff, and island fishermen—”

“With thousands of men around here full of yang energy, no ghost would dare cause trouble on this island.” Talking as he went to the kitchen, he squinted instinctively. “Didn’t you think to open a window?”

“I did open it!”

Still squinting, Geng Zhiyé walked over. “Then why’s there still smoke?” He crouched down by the stove, feeling dizzy. “How much did you stuff in here?” He quickly pulled some of the sticks out.

With air reaching the bottom, the straw finally caught fire properly. Geng Zhiyé blew a steady breath into it, and the straw ignited. He added a stick, followed by two more handfuls of straw, and then another stick. “There, all set.”

Ye Fan was incredulous. “That fast?”

Geng Zhiyé sighed. “See for yourself.”

She peered over and saw the wood indeed burning. “This stove must be incompatible with me!”

“…Or is it possible that you just don’t know how to use it?”

“I also lit the straw first and then added the wood! If you don’t believe me, ask Dabao.”

Geng Zhiyé opened his mouth. “Dabao is only four! And didn’t Dabao tell you to wait for me to come back?”

“Lighting a fire isn’t a big deal. It doesn’t need a hands-on lesson from you,” Ye Fan shot him a glare.

Geng Zhiyé held back the urge to say, Then why did you make it look like the whole place was on fire? “So, did you figure it out now?”

“You didn’t even teach me!” Ye Fan blurted out.

Geng Zhiyé sighed. “Be reasonable, will you? Dabao and Erbao are still waiting outside, and I’m not arguing with you.”

Ye Fan, feeling a bit embarrassed by her own words, quickly regained her composure and said confidently, “Lighting the stove was no big deal. What’s there to fuss about?”

“Everything’s ready.”

Geng Zhiyé stopped, turned around, and stood with his hands on his hips, looking at her with both irritation and amusement. Ye Fan felt uneasy under his gaze and quietly said, “Tell me again.”

“Don’t put so much straw in at once. And don’t use so many wood pieces. The wood is too damp, and the stove is packed too full at the bottom. It’s no wonder smoke isn’t pouring out.”

Ye Fan couldn’t help but raise her voice in frustration. “Then why didn’t you tell me? Geng Zhiyé, was this on purpose?”

“Don’t be unreasonable. What were you doing when I was lighting the fire yesterday? Sitting there with a cold face, how could I say anything?” Geng Zhiyé looked at her helplessly.

Ye Fan pretended to be impatient. “Quick, call Dabao and Erbao inside.”

With no thick smoke in the house, Geng Zhiyé was still worried that the wood would fall halfway through. The stove was almost ruined by Ye Fan’s messing with it, so he didn’t dare add any more wood. “Watch the fire.”

“It’s ruined!” Ye Fan quickly ran to the kitchen.

Geng Zhiyé’s heart leapt into his throat. “What now?”

“I think I picked up the water dipper and then put it down, forgetting to scoop the water.”

Geng Zhiyé hurriedly passed by her, lifted the pot lid, and sighed in relief.

“There is some,” Ye Fan shook her head. “I was half asleep. You should have woken me up earlier.”

Geng Zhiyé was speechless.

“Set a good example for Dabao and Erbao,” he said, reaching out to wipe the dust off her nose. Ye Fan pulled back, and Geng Zhiyé laughed in frustration. “Can I even hit you?” He pressed her head down with one hand. “Lighting a fire and getting soot all over your face, you’re something!”

“Dad, is it done?”

Dabao’s voice came in, and Geng Zhiyé took a few steps out. “It’s fine, you can go in.” He went to the gate to explain to the neighbors, “The straw and wood were too damp. Ye Fan wanted to dry the wood, but she was worried about it being out there where Dabao and Erbao might get to it, so she decided to dry it inside.”

The little girl who went to call Geng Zhiyé couldn’t help but ask, “Aunt Ye has never lit a fire before?”

“In the city, there’s no firewood, only coal.” Geng Zhiyé thanked the little girl and added, “It’s fine now, you can all go home.”

The commissar’s wife asked, “Did you forget to pump the bellows?”

Ye Fan didn’t even know what a bellows was. Besides, boiling a couple of ladles of water didn’t need one. Geng Zhiyé nodded. “I was so flustered I didn’t think of it.” He grabbed the basket of vegetables and prepared to head back inside. Seeing this, everyone began to excuse themselves, but none of them moved.

Geng Zhiyé pretended not to notice and went inside with the basket. When the neighbors saw that nothing more was happening, they lost interest and began to disperse, three or four at a time.

Ye Fan came out of the kitchen and looked out through the window. “Are they all gone? Am I famous now?”

“What do you think?” Geng Zhiyé took out the things from the basket. “Go wash their faces, brush their teeth, and give them some biscuits. I’m going to buy rice and oil.”

Ye Fan awkwardly said, “I just wanted to make hot water to soak some biscuits for them.”

“Mom—”

Ye Fan cut him off. “Geng Dabao, you’re scolding me, and I haven’t even dealt with you yet. What do you want to say now?”

“Little sister, let’s go outside and throw beanbags.” Dabao picked up the beanbag from the ground and pulled his little sister out, huffing and puffing.

Geng Zhiyé couldn’t help but laugh.

“Go buy the rice!”

Suppressing his laughter, Geng Zhiyé said, “You haven’t used the thermos, just pour some hot water in it first to warm it up before filling it.”

“Am I stupid?”

Geng Zhiyé thought to himself, sometimes she really is. Without waiting for Ye Fan to figure it out, he grabbed the basket and went out again.

Several of the commissar’s children were playing by the door. The little girl who had gone to find Geng Zhiyé, Liao Miaomiao, asked in disbelief, “Geng Uncle, are you still going to the market?”

It seemed Ye Fan was really becoming famous. Geng Zhiyé couldn’t help but smile. “I have to go, I still haven’t bought rice and oil. Dabao and Erbao are too young, so please keep an eye on them and don’t let them go near the beach.”

Liao Miaomiao said seriously, “Don’t worry, Geng Uncle. I’ll take good care of the two little brothers.”

“Dabao is the brother, and Erbao is the sister.”

Liao Miaomiao gasped and peered through the fence into the yard. “But they look so alike.”

“You and your brother look alike too,” Geng Zhiyé helplessly reminded her.

Liao Miaomiao couldn’t help but say, “I must be silly.” She shouted inside.

“Dabao, little brother, Erbao, little sister, come out and play!”

Earlier, Liao Miaomiao helped call Geng Zhiyé, and now Geng Zhiyé was asking Liao Miaomiao to keep an eye on Dabao and Erbao. Dabao, with his small head, analyzed the situation and decided that the older sister seemed like a good person, so it was okay to play with her. Dabao pulled Erbao out: “What are we going to play?”

Liao Miaomiao was caught off guard by the question. In her impression, children this young were usually happy as long as they weren’t causing trouble. Though she said “play,” she was more prepared to just watch them while they entertained themselves.

“Do you know how to toss beanbags?” Dabao asked, looking up.

Liao Miaomiao looked at Dabao’s tiny figure, almost speechless. “Will a beanbag really knock you over?” She paused, then said, “Yes. Do you want me to throw it, or will you?”

Dabao: “Erbao and I will be on one side, who will you be with?”

Twelve-year-old Liao Miaomiao let her eight-year-old brother go and stayed with her six-year-old sister. “Erbao, you’re too small to throw far. How about you two throw it?”

Erbao wasn’t happy: “I can throw!”

Dabao gave his silly sister a glare. Isn’t it better with more people?

“I didn’t say you couldn’t,” Dabao said, pulling his sister along. “Where are we going?”

Miaomiao drew a line with a stone. “Right here.” After drawing it, she asked, “Who goes first, me or you?”

Dabao extended his hand: “Rock, paper, scissors.”

Cloth.”

Liao Miaomiao’s younger brother and sister didn’t want to play with the little ones. Hearing this, they looked at each other, thinking, the little one can really throw the sandbag.

Not only can the little one throw, but he can also feint. Although he lost the game of rock-paper-scissors, he quickly knocked out the Liao sisters in just two moves. It was the first time Miaomiao’s younger brother won so easily while playing with the sandbag.

Liao Miaomiao picked up the sandbag and stood outside the line, completely stunned. She wanted to say, “Dabao, you’re cheating,” but Dabao was only four, two years younger than her youngest sister, and still too young for preschool, only able to attend a small daycare.

Miaomiao didn’t want to admit it, but couldn’t help saying, “Dabao, you’re as smart as Uncle Geng.”

“I’m as smart as Ye Fan, my grandma says so.”

It was at that moment! Liao Miaomiao threw the sandbag at Dabao. The clever little boy quickly ducked behind his sister, and the sandbag fell to the ground with a thud. Her sister picked it up and complained, “Don’t talk while throwing the sandbag.”

Miaomiao wanted to say she did it on purpose, but who would have guessed the little rascal wouldn’t be tricked: “Who’s Ye Fan?”

“My mom,” Dabao said without looking back.

Liao Miaomiao guessed it, but still asked on purpose, “Who are you talking about?”

“My mom!” Dabao dodged the sandbag, ran to his little sister, then turned around and said, “My mom’s name is Ye Fan.”

Erbao loudly added, “She’s also called Fanfan.”

Ye Fan filled the thermos with hot water, preparing to call the two kids in to wash their faces, brush their teeth, and have biscuits. When she reached the door, she overheard this and moved to the window, seeing the two kids busy throwing sandbags. She decided to wash her face and brush her teeth first.

Geng Zhiyé, worried that Ye Fan would act tough again, rushed back home after buying rice, salt, and a bottle of vegetable oil. When he reached the door and saw Dabao and Erbao, he told them to continue playing and that they would be called when the food was ready.

Dabao dropped the sandbag. “I’m hungry.”

“Didn’t you have biscuits?”

Dabao nodded. “Mom didn’t call us. Dad, Ye Fan must be angry.”

“Ye Fan wasn’t angry at first, but now she is because you called her Ye Fan. Since you haven’t eaten yet, wait a bit. I bought tofu fish and clams earlier. The clams will be ready for lunch, and I’ll make the tofu fish now.” Geng Zhiyé finished speaking and went into the house.

Liao Miaomiao couldn’t help but ask, “Dabao, does Uncle Geng know how to cook?”

“Probably.” During their time in the capital, Dabao often saw his dad in the kitchen. “Let’s continue.”

Liao Miaomiao asked, “Aren’t you hungry anymore?”

“Dad didn’t call us for biscuits, and Mom won’t give us any when we get home.” Dabao picked up the sandbag. “My mom is the most heartless. Grandma and Grandpa love me and Erbao the most.” After a pause and taking a breath, he added, “Aunt and Uncle also love us.”

Geng Zhiyé handed the basket to Ye Fan and rolled up his sleeves to handle the fish. “Did you hear that?”

“That little brat, it’s not the first time he’s said that, I’m used to it,” Ye Fan replied.

Geng Zhiyé noticed that the two boxes of calcium biscuits hadn’t been opened, just like before they left. “You haven’t eaten either? Have some, it’ll help. It’s not that quick. We still need to buy a stove to dry clothes for Dabao and Erbao. They’re too playful, and their clothes get dirty easily. They don’t have many changes of clothes.”

“We’ll wash them at night,” Ye Fan said.

Geng Zhiyé tore the fish head off the tofu fish. “The rainy season is coming. When it rains, it doesn’t stop.”

“Is it like that on the island too?”

Geng Zhiyé replied, “It’s not far from the shore, and the rain there can reach here.”

Ye Fan poured two ladles of water into the washing basin. “You actually didn’t forget to buy a basin.”

“The tables, chairs, and stools can’t be transported from the shore. It’ll be a hassle with the furniture factory and the fishermen. I had the fishermen on the island make them. They should be ready soon. We have firewood, and I’ve bought rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. I even brought laundry detergent and beauty soap from home. Is there anything else we need?”

Ye Fan glanced at the living room, then at the empty kitchen. “There’s no trace of warmth or life.” Seeing that one of the two buckets of water Geng Zhiyé had fetched in the morning was still half full, she asked, “Why didn’t you pour it into the barrel?”

“The kids are too young,” Geng Zhiyé explained. “He hasn’t slept much day or night. Even though people don’t care much about kids these days, we can’t guarantee that families who can’t have children won’t take desperate measures.” Geng Zhiyé was tired; after cleaning the barrel yesterday, he didn’t want to move. “I didn’t clean it.”

Ye Fan, holding the pot scrubber, teased, “Don’t people in the Northeast use this to sweep the kang?”

“The Northeast uses sorghum,” Geng Zhiyé replied. “They don’t grow sorghum here, so it’s different. I’ll do it.”

Ye Fan ignored him, making him feel as though he had three heads and six arms. “I know how to clean this big barrel, too.”

Soon, he had cleaned the barrel inside and out, but the problem was how to pour the water out. Geng Zhiyé wiped his hands and gave her an exasperated glance before tipping the barrel over. Ye Fan was shocked. “So rough?”

“How else are you going to get the water out from the bottom and wash it again?” Geng Zhiyé poured the water into a bucket. “Next time, I’ll buy another bucket to store the cleaning water.”

Ye Fan poured the remaining half-bucket of water into the barrel, leaving both buckets empty.

In her past life, Ye Fan’s hometown was a small town not near mountains or the sea. After growing up, she went to the capital for study and work. In this life, she woke up to find herself in the capital. Neither of her lives had seen live tofu fish, let alone how to handle them. “I don’t know how to cook this fish. You can make porridge and cook the fish. I’ll fetch the water.”

But you’ve never fetched water before. Geng Zhiyé couldn’t help but say, “Wait for me—”

Ye Fan interrupted, “I can do it! Even if I don’t use a shoulder pole, I can carry it by hand. If I can’t carry two buckets, I can still manage one!”

“Not able to carry two half-buckets?”

As long as you don’t push yourself too hard.

Mr. Geng Zhiyé was busy with the fire, as the wooden blocks burned. He washed the rice and prepared the porridge, then took apart the soy sauce bottle, cleaning the scallions, ginger, and garlic. He planned to use the small pot to braise the tofu fish once the porridge started boiling— the Geng family’s stove had both a large and small pot: the big one for porridge and the small one for stir-frying.

Little did he know, Ye Fan stepped outside and immediately regretted— she had never used a well in her two lifetimes and had forgotten to ask Geng Zhiyé where the well was.

Thinking back to where she had seen the woman carrying water yesterday, Ye Fan took the shoulder pole and the water buckets, heading in that direction.

Heaven rewards the diligent; after wandering around for a few minutes, Ye Fan finally found the well.

The ground near the well, trampled by people fetching water, was so muddy that chunks of dirt could fall in at any moment. Ye Fan was deeply skeptical, wondering if the water was even safe to drink. Would it cause stomach issues if she boiled it? She carefully placed the pole and buckets down, then moved closer to the well, peering inside. The water was clear enough to see reflections, so it seemed safe.

“Who’s there? What are you doing?”

“Who’s that? Yelling so early in the morning.” Ye Fan looked up and saw a young woman approaching from afar, pointing at her, “I’m talking about you! Who are you? Why are you staring into the well if you’re not getting water?”

“I—” Ye Fan instinctively lowered her head, losing her balance. Reacting reflexively, she pushed with her feet, but suddenly slipped, and with a splash, she disappeared into the well.

The woman rushing over was startled, but upon seeing the two water buckets, she realized what had happened: “Quick, quick, someone fell into the well, hurry—”

“Who jumped into the well?” A middle-aged woman carrying water buckets ran from a distance, shouting, “Who jumped into the well?”

The young woman instinctively wanted to explain, thinking she had encountered one of those troublesome female troublemakers, and had planned to yell at her, but instead, the woman accidentally fell in. It was only after the fall that she noticed the two water buckets behind her—she was indeed there to fetch water.

“Yes, yes, I saw someone jump into the well too, but I don’t know her.”

The middle-aged woman craned her neck and looked down: “Oh my god—Isn’t this Captain Geng’s wife? Quick, quick, quick, find something! Captain Geng’s wife, don’t panic, don’t panic, just float up like you’re swimming, I’ll find something to pull you up.” As she spoke, she started looking around, but the only things nearby were two shoulder poles. “You, quickly go find a rope.”

“It wasn’t me who pushed her in. When you got here, I hadn’t even reached the well’s edge yet, you have to speak up for me!” The young woman grabbed the middle-aged woman’s arm.

The middle-aged woman forcefully pulled her hand away: “What’s the time for talking about that? I—I can’t pull her up on my own. Quick, get help, find a rope!”

“Oh, okay, I’ll get help! Come quickly, Captain Geng’s wife fell into the well, hurry, help her!”

Liao Miaomiao was preparing to fake a move before throwing the sandbag again, but she vaguely heard “Captain Geng,” “Big Brother, Dabao, I…”

“How many Captain Gengs are there here?”

Captain Geng shoved some firewood inside, then stepped out to see where Ye Fan had gone to fetch water: “There’s only one team on the island.”

“Then how come someone is shouting that Captain Geng jumped into the well? Uncle Geng, are you Sun Wukong?” Liao Miaomiao teased.

Geng Zhiyé smiled: “Say—” but his smile quickly froze, and his expression changed drastically. “Dabao, has your mom not come over yet?”

Liao Miaomiao replied, “Aunt Ye went to fetch water—water? Oh no! Uncle Geng—”

“Don’t follow me! Watch Dabao and Erbao.” Geng Zhiyé shouted and ran towards the well. He saw many women, but Ye Fan was nowhere to be seen. His knees buckled; it couldn’t be her! Stumbling, he pushed his way through: “Who’s in the well?”

The middle-aged woman who had been comforting Ye Fan by the well grabbed his shirt: “Captain Geng? You— you can’t jump in! You’re too heavy, what if you land on her? Rope! I’ll give you the rope, you lower it down and tell her to grab it to come up.”

“Does she still have the strength?” Geng Zhiyé regained his composure, quickly tying the rope around his waist. “You hold onto me and let me down. I’ll pull her up.”

The middle-aged woman seemed to snap out of a daze: “Yes, yes, everyone pull together! Step back, step back! The edge of the well is too slippery. Which fool spilled half the water bucket?!”

“Sister-in-law, hurry up!” Geng Zhiyé couldn’t wait any longer. He supported himself on the well and began to slide down. “Fanfan, don’t worry. I’ll come down, just hang on for a bit. Just a bit longer.”

A moment later, he reached her side and quickly pulled her into his arms.

Fanfan, her cold body pressed against his warmth, suddenly couldn’t hold back her tears: “I don’t want to die. I haven’t lived enough…”

“Don’t worry. It’s not deep. You won’t die. Don’t scare yourself. I’m here,” Geng Zhiyé said, his heart aching. He had heard from his stepmother and mother-in-law that Fanfan was very strong, that she hadn’t shed a tear when giving birth to Dabao and Erbao. While comforting her, he subtly tied the section of rope he had left behind to Fanfan’s body. “I told you, the Yang energy here is strong. You’ll be fine. No ghost will dare to take your soul.” He tugged on the rope, and the middle-aged woman at the edge of the well received the signal: “Okay, pull! Let’s pull her up together!”

In just a few seconds, ten or so women managed to pull her up. For Fanfan, it felt like a rebirth as she saw the vast sky, and her whole body was in a daze. Geng Zhiyé quickly thanked everyone and carried Fanfan back home.

“Geng Captain, wait! What about the well water? How will we use it?”

One of the women who helped with the rope shouted loudly.

Geng Zhiyé was furious. He suppressed his urge to curse and turned around to say, “Bring the buckets from home. With one bucket per person, the well will run dry soon.”

The woman who had been calling for help earlier…

The middle-aged woman tried to smooth things over: “Yes, all the water from the well has been brought up. The water from the spring at the bottom will come out even cleaner than before. Everyone, go home and get your buckets first.”

The other woman couldn’t help but speak again: “I just fetched water this morning. Where should I put it?”

Geng Zhiyé, annoyed, replied, “Use it for watering plants or washing clothes. What’s wrong with that?”

“Hey, Geng Captain, what kind of attitude is that? Don’t think—”

Geng Zhiyé impatiently cut her off: “This is my attitude! If you don’t like it, tell your husband to request a transfer!” He then turned and carried Fanfan away.

The woman seemed to want to say something else.

The middle-aged woman grabbed her: “What’s wrong with you today? Haven’t you seen Geng Captain’s wife is drenched through? If you keep this up, I’ll suspect you did it on purpose.”

“I did it on purpose!” Geng Zhiyé snapped. The woman was scared and didn’t dare to speak loudly, but her voice wasn’t small, and everyone around her could hear. “Really think you’re some big shot, coming here and jumping into a well.”

The middle-aged woman couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t it true? I heard that Geng Captain’s father-in-law is quite—”

“He was, but not anymore. You can tell you don’t know. Geng Captain’s wife isn’t the biological daughter of the Ye family. A few days ago, my husband went ashore to pick up the grain. He said that over twenty years ago, Geng Captain’s father-in-law and mother-in-law were on official duty in Shencheng… The Chen family even said they were busy and accidentally swapped the children. How can someone mix up their own child? They were fooling around with a three-year-old. And this Geng Captain’s wife still has the surname Ye. Her real parents did such a despicable thing, and they made the real Ye family’s eldest daughter stay in the countryside for seven years. She still has the nerve to stay with the Ye family. I spit!” The woman spat in the direction Geng Zhiyé and Ye Fan had disappeared.

The crowd was stunned.

The middle-aged woman was the first to snap out of it: “This kind of thing shouldn’t be said casually.”

“Everyone in the capital knows. My sister-in-law’s husband’s family, her brother-in-law, is in the military in the capital. The Ye family never thought of hiding it. Otherwise, would she be willing to come from the capital to our remote island where even birds don’t poop, dogs don’t give birth, and turtles don’t dock?”

That makes sense!

The crowd nodded in agreement.

The young woman who had watched Ye Fan fall into the well let out a sigh of relief, as if she had survived a disaster, and patted her chest: “No wonder she jumped into the well. If I went from being a young lady to the daughter of an ordinary worker, I wouldn’t be able to take it either.”

But the Geng family has two young children, one is four years old, and the other is two. What will happen to the children if she dies? The middle-aged woman felt uneasy and thought to herself: “Let’s fetch the water first.”

“Fetch water again?”

Someone screamed out.

The middle-aged woman jumped in shock: “The water in the tub is used up, don’t you still have to fetch more?”

“I—The well water was dirtied by her. If someone has to fetch it, let that fake young lady fetch it.”

The middle-aged woman wanted to say that it was Ye Fan’s parents who had “switched the child” and had nothing to do with Geng Tuan’s wife: “You go tell Geng Tuan. If you’re too afraid, then go home and get a bucket.” Seeing the young woman who had seen Ye Fan jump into the well heading home, she asked, “Aren’t you going to take your water bucket?”

“I’m going home to get the bucket,” the young woman turned around and saw the water bucket by the well, her expression slightly changing. “That—”

The middle-aged woman suddenly remembered: “This isn’t yours. The carrying pole is clearly just used. I recognize your family’s carrying pole. Whose bucket is this?”

No one answered.

Someone thought back carefully: “Wasn’t the water bucket already here when we arrived?”

The middle-aged woman thought deeply: “This—Is this Ye Fan’s?” She turned to the woman who had said that Ye Fan wasn’t from the Ye family. “If she wanted to jump into the well, why would she bring a water bucket and carrying pole?”

The woman was caught off guard and didn’t know how to answer: “How would I know? You said she jumped into the well, so I came to help pull her out. I didn’t even get a good look at the fake young lady, whether she was black or white.”

The middle-aged woman turned to the young woman, who hurriedly walked away. In a swift move, the middle-aged woman stepped forward and grabbed her: “Did you push her into the well? You were the one who said someone fell into the well, not that they jumped. Don’t think you can run. Come with me to the Geng family.”

The crowd exclaimed in surprise, “Impossible? No way?”

“Then how do you explain the water bucket and carrying pole being here? I never expected you to be this kind of person,” the middle-aged woman said angrily. “You’re just a young girl, yet you have such a cold heart. Come with me!” Using her strength from doing farm work, she grabbed both of the young woman’s arms and pulled her toward the Geng family’s house.

At the Geng family’s house, Geng Zhiyé wrapped Ye Fan’s long hair in a dry towel and tucked her under a blanket before changing his clothes.

Ye Fan instinctively tried to sit up. Seeing this, Geng Zhiyé quickly put on his clothes and sat back down. “Ye Fan, where’s your usual courage?”

“Stop talking. I thought I was going to die…”

At the moment she fell, Ye Fan really thought she was going to die. Her limbs went weak, but hearing the same words—that she had jumped into the well instead of falling—helped her regain her composure. If she had died just like that, people would misunderstand her, maybe even think she was cowardly, unable to face the fact that she wasn’t really from the Ye family.

Geng Zhiyé hugged her and patted her back. “You’re so cold. You need something warm to drink.”

“If you don’t drink something hot, you’ll catch a cold by afternoon.”

Big Bao and Second Bao came in. “Dad, what’s wrong with Mom?”

“Mom’s fine,” Geng Zhiyé said, not wanting to scare the kids. “The porridge is ready, I’ll serve it for you.”

Liao Miaomiao, unsure of what had happened, didn’t dare to approach the bedroom. Hearing this, she hurried to the door. “Uncle Geng, let me serve the porridge for the little ones.”

“No need, the pot lid is hot,” Geng Zhiyé whispered in Ye Fan’s ear.

She angrily asked, “If Dabao and Erbao find out you were carrying water to the well like that, they’ll laugh at you every day.”

Ye Fan pushed him away. “I didn’t want to jump into the well.”

“I know. You couldn’t bear to leave me.”

Ye Fan glared at him, annoyed. What a time to be joking: “The edge of the well was too slippery, and there was a woman who didn’t know what she was thinking. She probably thought I was spitting into the well or something, and started yelling at me. I lost my balance and fell in. There should still be marks from my shoes slipping around the edge.”

“I just remembered. I was wondering who’s kid made that slippery mark by the well.”

Geng Zhiyé, hearing a familiar voice, instinctively turned around. When he saw who it was, he immediately stood up. “Sister-in-law, thank you so much for earlier.”

The middle-aged woman, Liu Guihua, the vice-captain’s wife, grabbed the young woman and dragged her into the bedroom. “It’s her! Always avoiding her responsibilities, thinking about catching spies all day long. How many spies are there to catch?”

Geng Zhiyé turned to look at Ye Fan. “Is it really her?”

Ye Fan sighed in disbelief and nodded. “She actually thought I was a spy.”

“Ye Fan was speechless and nodded. They actually mistook her for an enemy spy.

Geng Zhiyé: “You’re from the market, so don’t come around here unless necessary. Although this is a family area, sometimes cars carrying documents pass through. It’s not good for anyone if something happens.”

“But—”

Geng Zhiyé interrupted: “Sister-in-law, please let her parents know.”

“Okay!” Liu Guihua immediately pulled the young woman out without letting her speak, “I was standing too far away and misunderstood, but you actually went along with it! Fortunately, Captain Geng was at home. If it had been all women here today, who would have gone down to pull his wife up?”

Geng Zhiyé discussed with Ye Fan: “Sister-in-law has taught her a lesson. Let’s leave it at that for now?”

Ye Fan nodded.

Geng Zhiyé helped her lie down: “Miao Miao, is your dad home? Bring him here, I need to discuss something with him.”

Liao Miaomiao took her younger siblings next door, while Dabao and Erbao went to the kitchen with Geng Zhiyé. The room suddenly became quiet. Ye Fan felt scared again, the same unease she had felt seven years ago when she first came to life in the body of young Ye Fan.”

“Liao Miaomiao’s mother was cooking inside the house and didn’t hear the commotion outside. When Liao Miaomiao got home, she immediately said that the saleswoman at the agricultural products market was a troublemaker—she wasn’t doing her job properly, wandering around here, and even scared Aunt Ye into falling into the well.

Her mother was so shocked that she almost used a bowl as a spoon and asked her what exactly happened.

Although Liao Miaomiao hadn’t seen it firsthand, she had seen Ye Fan carrying a water bucket to fetch water, so she could guess what happened pretty accurately. Seeing that her father was also curious, she told the whole story from the beginning, all the way to Aunt Guihua dragging that woman to Geng’s house. Captain Geng didn’t make a fuss and asked her to come find her father.

The political commissar had a bad feeling and hurriedly went to Geng’s house. When he entered the living room…”

“There were only two children: ‘Where are your mom and dad?’

Dabao: ‘In the bedroom. Dad is feeding Mom some porridge. Uncle, please sit down.’

The political commissar didn’t know whether to tease Geng Zhiyé, mock his wife, or praise the child for being well-behaved. ‘Is your mom okay?’

‘She’s fine.’ Dabao shook his head.

The commissar furrowed his brows, thinking the child’s expression seemed too indifferent.

‘Do you know that your mom fell into the well?’

Geng Dabao, while washing his face, couldn’t help but ask his dad what was going on with his mom. Geng Zhiyé told him that Ye Fan accidentally fell into the water. He also took the opportunity to warn Dabao to stay away from the well and the beach when neither he nor his mother were around.

Hearing the question, Dabao sighed first, stopped eating the porridge, put down his spoon, and looked at his mom helplessly: ‘My mom likes to be stubborn. Dad didn’t tell me, but I know. Dad probably said he was fetching water.'”

“Geng Dabao—”

“Drink your porridge!”

The sounds of the woman and the man came one after another from the bedroom. The political commissar couldn’t help but want to laugh. “Your mom fell into the well, but you don’t seem surprised?”

“This morning, she almost set the house on fire. When I called her out, she still acted tough. She’s even more stubborn than a dead duck.” Dabao grew more and more frustrated, pushing himself up from the table, and yelled toward his parents’ bedroom: “Ye Fan, I’m talking about you! If you don’t listen, I’ll write a letter to Grandma, and have her deal with you!”

Geng Zhiyé came out holding a bowl and spoon: “You can write letters? Such a big attitude.”

“I— I’ll have someone write it for me! Sister Miaomiao is as tall as Sister Huihui, she’ll definitely know how to write.” Dabao glared at his dad, “Can’t you stop listening to everything Ye Fan says?”

Geng Zhiyé flicked his forehead: “You’re struggling to speak and still trying to lecture me?”

“I’m going to tell Grandpa!” Dabao shouted angrily.

Geng Zhiyé immediately lost his composure: “Son, let’s make a deal. You don’t know this, but I bought you a pound—no, two boxes of milk candy. You can eat as much as you want.”

Dabao’s eyes rolled around as he thought for a moment: “High-five!” He put down his little hand and slapped his younger sister on the shoulder: “Erbao, you tell them, Dad didn’t say he’d buy it for you.”

Erbao, her cheeks puffed full of porridge, nodded vigorously.

Geng Zhiyé immediately felt a wave of dizziness.

The political commissar almost laughed: “You’ve got your day now, huh? But what did you call me here for?”

“That well is too dangerous. You should ask logistics to get some stones to line the area around it, and raise the well opening at least forty centimeters, then add a cover. It’s too unsanitary the way it is now.”

The political commissar thought he was going to fill in the well: “This place is full of stones and trees, so no problem with the well cover or stones. But how do you want to build it?”

“?”

“Use the bricks from my yard. Forget about the accounting, just consider it mine. I’ll have the fishing boat help me take it back later.”

Political Commissar: “Alright! But can’t you just use some wooden boards for the toilet?”

“What if a typhoon comes?”

The Political Commissar instinctively asked: “Is there a typhoon?”

“What’s so new about that?”

The Political Commissar ignored his sarcasm: “How big is the typhoon? When is it coming?”

“In about a month. July or August.”

The Political Commissar’s house has a shed for the spittoon made of wooden planks. Upon hearing this, he immediately couldn’t sit still and rushed to find idle logistics personnel in the unit.

Two drivers and half of the kitchen staff were called by the Political Commissar to move bricks and cement. He himself drove a three-wheeled vehicle to buy boards and haul stones. When he brought the first load, both the drivers and the kitchen staff stood idly by.

Political Commissar: “Do I need to teach you how to do this? Haven’t you ever practiced building roads or bridges? Do you need engineers for this?”

The squad leader glanced back and whispered: “Those older sisters and sisters-in-law won’t let us touch it.”

Political Commissar loudly asked: “Who won’t let you?”

From the crowd not far away, a woman walked over. Liu Guihua blurted out, “It’s you again.” The woman was no stranger—she was the wife of the experienced driver, Tian Xiaofeng.

“Commissar, it’s not me causing trouble.”

The Commissar thought to himself, “The fact that you say that proves you’re causing trouble.” He replied, “You say.”

“No one has repaired it for so long. Ye Fan slipped and fell in on her own, and now you and Captain Geng are making a big deal out of repairing the well. It seems the young lady’s life is precious, huh. Too bad it’s a fake.” Tian Xiaofeng pouted. “Cement and bricks don’t fall from the sky. Using national funds to fix the well for her—doesn’t seem right, does it?”

The Commissar smiled.

Tian Xiaofeng, puzzled, asked: “What are you laughing at?”

The two drivers, who regarded Tian Xiaofeng’s husband as a mentor, saw the situation and immediately told her in unison to go home and stop making a scene.

“Where am I making a scene?” Tian Xiaofeng waved at the other military wives. “Everyone, hasn’t no one repaired it for a long time?”

The cook squad leader had to go back and supervise the lunch: “These cement and bricks were all hauled from Captain Geng’s house. Captain Geng is keeping them for building a toilet. We’re just lending a hand during our break. Is that a problem?”

“How… how could it be this coincidental?” Tian Xiaofeng shook her head in disbelief. “Can Captain Geng predict the future?”

The old squad leader shook his head: “Who knows? Maybe Captain Geng told his wife to jump into the well, then took the opportunity to repair it and win people’s hearts. Sister-in-law, is that what you were thinking?”

“When did I think that?” Tian Xiaofeng’s face turned red with anger.

The old class leader said, “Are you sure the bricks and cement belong to Captain Geng? If you still think this way, it’s not too late to reconsider. According to your logic, could there be another possibility?”

Tian Xiaofeng’s face turned red: “What are you so proud of? In this miserable place, even if you spend your whole life here, no one will remember you.”

The old class leader, enraged, pointed at her: “Say that again!”

“Good words don’t need to be repeated.” Tian Xiaofeng twisted her waist, snorted, and walked away with an air of arrogance.

The old class leader was so angry he chased after her, but the political commissar shouted, “Stop! Hold her in place.” Tian Xiaofeng turned back for a quick glance, and with a smug look, went home. Seeing this, the old class leader was so furious he said, “Fine, I’ll transfer out!” But then he hesitated, not wanting to leave, and asked the two drivers, “What’s her background?”

One of the drivers replied, “Her sister-in-law’s family is connected to a high-ranking officer’s bodyguard in the capital!”

“But, Captain Geng is the son-in-law of a high-ranking officer in the Air Force! The one who fell into the well is his own daughter!” The old class leader shouted loudly.

The political commissar said, “Get back to work!”

“It’s not like that!”

Just as the political commissar finished speaking, they heard those words. Looking in the direction of the voice, a woman around thirty years old appeared, a stranger to him. He had only arrived half a month before Captain Geng, and he had been working with the army logistics, so everyone looked unfamiliar to him: “Do you have nothing better to do?”

“Don’t have a job? Commissar, can you arrange one for me?”

The political commissar paused for a moment: “Tian Xiaofeng is so capable, why don’t you ask her to arrange something for you?”

“She doesn’t have anything to do herself.”

The political commissar said, “Go home and do the dishes and laundry then.”

“Don’t you want to know why I said it’s not true? That high-ranking officer’s real daughter isn’t named Ye Fan; her name is Chen Xiaohui. Do you know why Ye Fan came to the island? Her job was arranged by the Ye family. When the Ye family’s real daughter showed up, of course, she had to give up her position.” Seeing the group of men looking confused, she started talking about how, twenty-five years ago, a baby was mistakenly switched.

After hearing this, the political commissar just wanted to laugh: “I said, with a relative of a bodyguard who’s taken eight detours, Tian Xiaofeng doesn’t have the guts to do that.”

The old class leader added, “These women are always looking for trouble when they have nothing better to do. Commissar—”

“The truth is one thing, and whether I believe it is another,” the political commissar said. “The only possibility that could scare Captain Geng into promising to buy two pounds of candy for his son is that both Ye family daughters want it. Just ignore them.”

The woman, seeing she hadn’t achieved the desired effect, was disappointed: “The person involved is confused, but the bystander sees clearly.”

Everyone pretended they hadn’t heard her.

The stones were laid, but the political commissar noticed a problem: if they started fetching water right after the cement was laid, it would dry out. He gathered a few people and went door to door, reminding everyone who didn’t have water to fetch it quickly.

Someone had left the Geng family’s water bucket in the yard, and when Captain Geng heard the reminder, he filled the barrel and told the two children to take off their shoes and stand by Ye Fan’s sides, one on the left and one on the right.

Dabao, seeing that she seemed weak, touched her head: “You’re not sick. Mom, still pretending to be tough?”

Erbao climbed onto her lap: “Mom, still stubborn?”

Ye Fan felt like throwing the two kids away: “Does your dad have a grudge against me?”