Yezi glared at the complainer. Seeing Yezi’s tall and sturdy figure draped in Miao attire, the passenger was intimidated and dared not ramble further.
Pressed against the car window, following a red shadow, "Little Pig" was already capable of flying. Feeling stifled in Yezi’s embrace, it flew alongside the car. Sitting in the car, Yezi envied "Little Pig" freely flying outside; wishing he too could fly, sparing him the bumpy ride on a train to Beijing for days.
Midway through the journey, as they reached the Chishui River segment, the road suddenly became difficult to navigate. The driver slowed down initially and eventually stopped the vehicle, causing dissatisfaction among the passengers, "Why aren’t we moving? I need to catch a train."
"The bridge ahead has collapsed; we can’t get across," both the driver and the conductor got off the bus, realizing that under normal circumstances, they would’ve reached Bai Family Ancient Town in an hour.
Yezi and the other passengers got off and saw that they had reached the Chishui River basin, a tributary of the Yangtze River, which usually doesn’t freeze in winter. However, a cold wave had recently swept through the Yun Gui area, unexpectedly forming a layer of ice on the normally rapid river.
A few days later, when the weather slightly warmed, the melting ice chunks carried a lot of rocks and driftwood downstream. In the morning, the road was clear, but by evening when it was time to pass, the bridge had been significantly damaged by the debris, leaving only half of it intact.
There were about twenty passengers on the bus, all of whom were heading to Ge Village for various matters. As most people didn’t have mobile phones back then and with it being a remote area especially during the New Year, not many vehicles were passing by, leaving both the driver and the conductor worried.
"What should we do? It’s getting dark. If we don’t leave now, let’s just head back," the driver suggested, thinking at least they could have a hot meal in the village and call the town’s road administration department for repairs.
Upon hearing the bus might turn back, Yezi sprung into action, "It’s just a bridge that’s partially broken. See, there are still some rocks by the side of the bridge. If a few of us strong folks move them next to the uncollapsed part of the bridge, the bus can get across."
Some passengers, having urgent business, followed Yezi to the collapsed bridge and indeed, the situation was as Yezi described. Some parts of the bridge foundation were intact; it was just the huge rocks that had shifted positions in the water. The rocks seemed to weigh around a hundred pounds and moving them was debatable.
Seeing the hesitation among the passengers as the sky grew darker and the visibility decreased, Yezi decided to take off his clothes regardless of the bitter north wind and waded into the river with his bare upper body.
The water near the riverbank was shallower. Withered aquatic plants stretched into the water. Yezi trudged forward, bearing the needle-like cold, and reached a stone slab close to the bridge platform.
Summoning all his strength, he grabbed the seventy to eighty-pound slab, his arms straining with bulging veins, his temples throbbing. He shouted "Lift," and as he heaved, the slab, stuck deep in the river mud like one end of a seesaw, suddenly came loose, bringing up plants with it and landed steadily on the intact part of the bridge. The bridge started to look whole again as they continued to add more similar stones to form a passable path for vehicles.
The older male passengers, inspired by Yezi’s display of strength in traditional Miao clothes, eagerly prepared to assist in organizing the remaining part of the bridge to quickly reach the town.
Yezi, seeing everyone motivated, brightened up. Noticing a suitable bridge stone about a meter away in the water, he gauged its depth—it was barely waist-deep. Men from Dongnan Miao Village, situated near White Dragon Pond, were all skilled swimmers. Without giving it much thought, Yezi stepped forward.
But after a few steps, his left calf muscle cramped fiercely from being soaked in cold water too long. Bearing the pain, he tried to stabilize his slipping right foot in the water, and aimed to return to the shore.
"Quick, get that kid out," yelled the driver. Suddenly, the Chishui River surged violently, filled with countless foam and ice chunks. The passengers still by the bridge hurriedly dropped the stones.
The water, previously only waist-deep, suddenly rose above Yezi’s head. He struggled, his arms flailing in the water, which was filled with rocks and ice knocking against his body. His hands soon got tangled in aquatic plants.
From above, "Little Pig" dived down, its claws trying to pull Yezi out. But soon, Yezi was swept away by the river. "Little Pig" followed the river’s current, plummeting downward.
When the river finally calmed, it was already moonlit. The driver and the passengers stood by, shocked, "It’s over; that kid might be gone. Quick, turn back to Ge Village; his clothes suggest he’s from Dongnan Miao Village."
The bus turned and headed along the mountainous road back. The bridge, now completely destroyed by the Chishui River, exposed its concrete foundation. (To be continued... If you work, please vote with your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket at Qidian [qidian.com], your support is my greatest motivation.)