Old Zhao woke up, looking around at the people surrounding him, and asked in confusion.
"Old Zhao, did you forget? You fell into the water and almost drowned. We rescued you!"
"Yes, we heard your cries. When we got there, you were nearly submerged!"
"If it weren't for the old doctor's excellent medical skills, you would be seeing your father in the afterlife by now!"
"How did you fall into the water? Were you pulled in by a fish?"
As the villagers chattered around him, Old Zhao finally recalled some of what had happened earlier.
He jolted upright: "That's right, the fish! Where's my fishing rod?"
"You still remember your fishing rod? When we pulled you out, you were clutching it so tightly that we tossed it aside by the river," a villager replied.
The villager was displeased, "What are you saying, Old Zhao? We saved your life, and you didn't even thank us. Now you're blaming us?"
"That's right. If we'd known, we wouldn't have saved you and let you drown!"
"Ungrateful! We went through so much trouble to drag you to the old doctor!"
Other villagers echoed their dissatisfaction.
"This, this... I was just worried about my rod. I put a lot of effort into making it. Don't take it the wrong way, and thank you for saving me."
Realizing his fault, Old Zhao quickly expressed his gratitude.
The villagers, though gruff, were soft-hearted. Seeing Old Zhao's thanks, their expressions softened.
"Alright, forget about that rod. Just tell us, how did you end up in the water? I remember you never went near the river before."
"I, I jumped in myself." Old Zhao's mouth twitched a few times before he confessed.
"You jumped in yourself?!" a villager exclaimed in disbelief, "Don't you know you can't swim? How did you dare jump into the river?"
"How was I supposed to know the water was that deep? I thought it would only reach my thighs," Old Zhao defended.
"Then why did you jump in?"
"Well, I... accidentally let the fish pull the rod, and in a rush, I jumped in to retrieve it."
Not far away, Lu Qing: "..."
When Wang Da'an had recounted the story earlier, he guessed that Old Zhao had jumped in to save his fishing rod.
He had seen such things happen many times in his previous life.
He himself had done similar things.
He just didn't expect Old Zhao to be so reckless, not even knowing how to swim.
The other villagers were stunned to learn the reason Old Zhao nearly drowned.
"That old rod of yours isn't worth much. You could just cut a new one from the mountain. You almost lost your life over it. Are you out of your mind?"
A villager who was close to Old Zhao scolded him.
Old Zhao didn't dare speak.
He didn't dare admit that it wasn't just about the rod. It was also because a rare big fish had bitten the hook, one that could easily drag his rod away. He couldn't bear to let it go.
Yesterday, Lu Qing had caught two big fish, making him incredibly envious.
Such large fish could feed many meals. He finally had a chance to catch a big one himself and couldn't let it slip away.
But this incident confirmed to him that there were indeed big fish in that spot.
Next time, if he was more careful, he would definitely catch one!
The villagers were unaware of Old Zhao's thoughts, or else he would get another round of scolding.
Old Zhao tried to get up but found himself weak and unable to muster any strength. His head was also dizzy, and he couldn't move his body.
He was startled: "Old doctor, what's wrong with me? Why can't I move?"
Doctor Chen sighed, "You were soaked in the water for too long, the cold invaded your body, and you drank a lot of dirty river water, damaging your spleen and stomach. You even held your breath for a long time. Although I expelled the dirty water and woke you up, your body has suffered damage."
"What should I do, doctor? Please save me!"
Old Zhao, terrified, quickly begged.
The thought of catching a big fish had long vanished from his mind.
"Calm down, I am a doctor, and I will treat you," Doctor Chen reassured him. "But you are old, and your recovery will not be easy. You need to rest and recuperate for a while."
"Will I be able to walk again?" Old Zhao asked hopefully.
"Walking won't be a problem. How well you recover depends on how well you rest," the doctor replied.
"As long as I can walk," Old Zhao relaxed a bit.
He was truly afraid he would be paralyzed.
"Where is my father?"
As Old Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, there was a commotion outside the courtyard, and a group of people rushed in.
Leading them were two young men, a woman, and an elderly lady.
Following them were other villagers who had heard the news and come over.
The older young man hurried over when he saw Old Zhao lying down.
"I heard from Dashan that you fell into the water and were brought to the old doctor. What happened?"
Wang Da'an and his group had informed Old Zhao's family while bringing him over.
"I'm alright now," Old Zhao said, feeling guilty as he looked at his son.
"Alright? A villager immediately exposed him, "Amin, your father went fishing alone, jumped into the river himself, and almost died..."
Then he recounted the entire story.
As soon as he finished, the elderly lady, Old Zhao's wife, started crying and cursing.
"You wretched man! I told you not to go fishing, but you insisted. You can't swim, so why go near the river and jump in? Do you want to die and take me with you?!"
Old Zhao's son, Zhao Ming, also looked displeased.
But as a son, he couldn't scold his father.
He could only persuade, "Father, maybe we should stop fishing. We don't lack fish to eat at home, so why insist on it?"
The second son added, "Yes, father, if you want anything, just tell us. No matter how hard it is, we'll get it for you. Don't do such dangerous things again."
"I won't go anymore, never again."
Old Zhao, embarrassed by his wife and sons' words, agreed.
"Don't worry, Amin. Even if your father wants to fish again, he can't," a villager said. "The old doctor said your father was severely affected by the water and needs to rest properly, or he'll have trouble walking in the future."
Old Zhao's family was shocked.