Cultivation by Trial and Error

Following the mountain path of Chenjiaping and venturing two or three more miles into the mountains lay a pond that spanned about a hundred yards.

Usually, the pond's water was so clear that you could see right to the bottom, but at this time every year, it was precisely when flood season began to peak.

Owing to several days of pouring rain earlier, the water level of the pond had risen significantly.

The pond that had been crystal clear was starting to become murky and filthy.

It was not just this year; in fact, every year around this time, the pond would end up looking like this.

Although the weather had not been good over the past few days, today was quite sunny and pleasant, even to the point that just wearing a vest, you wouldn't feel the slightest chill under the sun.

Near this pond, a few children were playing and frolicking by its edge.

Even though their parents frequently warned them not to play in the water, especially not to go near this pond to play.

But children will be children; they tend to let their parents' words go in one ear and out the other.

These kids, all barefoot, were having a grand time in the shallow waters of the pond.

"Ah!" Suddenly, a scream rang out.

Of the four or five children originally playing by the pond, one of them, for some unknown reason.

Suddenly lost his footing and fell into the pond.

The water at the edge of the pond was not so deep, but for some reason, perhaps because the child was flailing about recklessly or perhaps for some other reason, he just slowly sunk down and disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.

This all happened very abruptly.

The other children, although they saw what happened, were so panicked that apart from screaming loudly, they were at a complete loss, not knowing what to do.

"It's terrible! Xiaozhi has fallen into the water!"

After being stunned for a moment, the remaining children quickly snapped out of it, scrambled up the bank, shouting for help as they scattered in every direction.

Near this pond, there were also a dozen or more households.

As the children raised the alarm, soon about a dozen adults came running.

Even though they were not relatives of the child who had fallen into the water, the mountain people are simple and kind-hearted.

Besides, they were all neighbors, and when a child from their community was in trouble, they couldn't just stand by idly.

Upon reaching the edge of the pond, several men didn't waste a word, stripped off their outer garments, and dove into the waters.

Even though the children accurately pointed out where Xiaozhi had gone under, the men searched the area for a long time but found no trace at all.

"Xiaozhi! Xiaozhi..."

More and more people gathered by the pond, and at that moment, a woman looking frantic, with her hair disheveled, rushed over.

She pushed through the crowd, knelt by the pond, and tears gushed from her eyes relentlessly.

This woman was the mother of the child who had drowned.

"Please, everyone, help! Save my son! Save my son!"

She knelt on the ground, begging everyone present non-stop, her mind seemingly a little unclear from the severe shock.

If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't swim, she would have certainly been the first to jump into the pond.

"Splash! Splash!" A series of splashes were heard again.

Dozens of men had already stripped off their outer clothes, started to go into the water, and began searching for any sign of the child.

"Alas! Every year around this time, this pond claims the lives of several children."

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"It's been so long, and there's still no trace of Xiaozhi. I'm afraid the chances of misfortune outweigh those of fortune!"

"These kids, they just don't listen, no matter how many times we've warned them. They always like to run off to this place!"

......

Listening to the discussions around her.

The woman's face was ashen as she rolled up her pant legs, ready to enter the water herself despite not knowing how to swim.

"Child's mother! Don't do this, you don't know how to swim. Let me go instead!" Just then, a large hand reached out, grabbing the woman's hand.

The owner of the large hand was a middle-aged man, breathless, apparently having just arrived.

"Jianguo, if something has happened to Xiaozhi, I don't want to live either!"

Looking at the middle-aged man in front of her, the woman immediately burst into tears.

This middle-aged man was indeed Xiaozhi's father. He had been busy with farm work in the field when he heard the news of his child's accident and rushed over, but it was still a bit too late.

"Jianguo, you better take care of your wife. If it's a blessing, it's not a disaster; if it's a disaster, it can't be avoided."

"With so many villagers already in the water looking for your Xiaozhi, they don't need you too!"

At that moment, an elder leaning on a cane also walked over, gently patting the shoulders of the middle-aged man as he comforted him.

"Yes! Uncle Kan!" Biting his lip, the middle-aged man known as Jianguo nodded and responded.

The pond wasn't large; logically, ten or twenty men searching constantly, inside and out, should have already scoured the entire pond.

Weirdly, several hours had passed, yet the child who had fallen into the water, Xiaozhi, was still without a trace.

Even so, that group of men searching for Xiaozhi in the water were still far from giving up.

Of course, coming up to the shore to rest occasionally during the search was undeniably essential.

By midday, the crowd of onlookers by the pond had grown larger and larger.

Even people several miles away had made the trip to join in the commotion.

"How tragic for the child to have fallen into this pond for no reason."

"Yeah! The pond is only so big; we've been searching for so long and still can't find any sign of him. If he's alive, we should see him; if dead, there should at least be a body, right?"

"You just don't understand. Isn't it the same every year with the children who drown in this pond?"

"Every time, right after they fall in and when you try to find them, it's impossible. But give it a few hours, and the bodies would surface on their own."

"If you ask me, there's something sinister about this pond. Maybe, it's 'something' in the pond that's pulling people in!"

....…

As more and more people gathered, the chatter among them also increased.

The whole incident became more and more mysterious in the mouths of the crowd.

"Do ghosts really pull people in? Are there even ghosts in this world? If there really are ghosts, then maybe I could be considered one too!"

Wearing a tank top and shuffling around in a pair of shabby slippers, Chen Hai blended into the crowd.

Having been scolded by his parents the night before,

and with the breakthrough to the Day Tour Realm always seeming just out of reach, he was feeling frustrated and decided to wander around aimlessly to clear his mind.

Seeing so many people rushing over to watch the excitement, Chen Hai naturally followed along.

Although the onlookers talked as if it was something supernatural, he was somewhat skeptical.

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