PCJ – Chapter 117 Unstoppable Changes

By this time, night had fallen, and the moon had yet to rise. Darkness enveloped everything. Fortunately, the path looked like a white ribbon drifting into the distance. The weather had been clear, and the road was dry. If it had rained, the reflections from the stone slabs and the muddy ground would have been so similar that you might mistake a stone slab for a patch of mud until you stepped into it.

Zuan Shanbao could see the path clearly even in the dim light, so it led the way. The group didn’t dare make too much noise, fearing the water python might be lurking somewhere nearby.

After walking for two or three hours, they finally returned to the village. Along the way, Liu Guocai and the others brought Zhang Jiaohua back home.

Liu Zongtai apologized to Zhang Jiaohua, “Little Zhang, I’m sorry for today. I didn’t bring any gifts. I’ll bring something for you tomorrow.”

“Forget it. We didn’t achieve our goal,” Zhang Jiaohua shook his head, still looking pale. This ordeal had taken a heavy toll on his body. If Liu Zongtai failed to show his gratitude, Zhang Jiaohua would curse him until the new year.

Fortunately, Liu Zongtai wasn’t ungrateful. He quickly said, “That won’t do. We found the buffalo, and without you, we wouldn’t have made it back alive. I’ll come by tomorrow.”

Liu Qiaoye began to cry as soon as she saw her son’s condition. If there hadn’t been others around, she would have already hugged him tightly. She held his hand firmly, tears streaming down her face. Her son had left in good health but returned looking emaciated.

Zhang Youping realized something serious must have happened. He personally escorted Liu Zongtai and the others to the main road.

“Liu Zongtai, you took my son away, and now he’s like this. Aren’t you going to explain?” Zhang Youping’s voice was filled with anger.

“Youping, I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have asked your son to help find my water buffalo today. I need to explain what happened. It was incredibly dangerous. There was a giant python in the Falling Star Pond. Fortunately, your son used a lightning spell to subdue it. Otherwise, we might all have ended up as its meal. But your son might have overexerted himself. Don’t worry, Youping. I’m not ungrateful. I’ll go to town tomorrow and see if I can get some wild ginseng to help him recover,” Liu Zongtai explained.

This was indeed an unexpected incident. After hearing the explanation, Zhang Youping couldn’t blame them further. He just clenched his fists, punching a poplar tree by the road so hard that it shook and leaves fluttered down.

Liu Zongtai and the others were intimidated, thinking that punch could have easily broken their ribs.

“Son, what happened? How did you end up like this?” Liu Qiaoye hugged her son tightly, as if he might slip away from her grasp.

“Mom, don’t worry. I just overused my power today. I’ll go to the mountains tomorrow to get some meat to recover,” Zhang Jiaohua tried to smile, but his face was too thin, making his smile look more pitiful.

“You’re not going anywhere tomorrow! Stay at home and rest. Your father will get some pork from the commune to help you recover. I’ll catch a chicken and cook it for you tonight,” Liu Qiaoye insisted, not letting go of her son.

Zhang Jiaohua let his mother hold him, enjoying the feeling of being loved.

When Zhang Youping returned home, he didn’t say a word but looked grim. He walked into the kitchen, saw his wife holding their son, and remained silent.

Liu Qiaoye handed the boy to her husband and went to the chicken coop to catch a hen. She filled a clay bowl with half a bowl of water and added some salt.

Zhang Youping, holding his son with one hand, filled a pot with water from the water tank. He placed the pot on the stove, added some firewood, and lit it with a match.

The couple didn’t speak, but they worked together seamlessly.

“Son, don’t use your powers so carelessly in the future, okay?” Zhang Youping suddenly said.

“Okay,” Zhang Jiaohua nodded. Today’s experience had scared him more than escaping from the wild boar’s tusks. It was truly terrifying.

“Stay home from now on. Your father and I don’t need a child to earn money for us. When we go to work in Guangdong and make some money, we’ll buy you whatever you want,” Liu Qiaoye finally voiced her concerns. As a parent, sending her son to earn money was shameful, but she had no other way to buy him the things he liked. They couldn’t afford a TV or even sugar candies. Sometimes, even buying salt was a challenge.

The firewood crackled in the stove, illuminating Zhang Youping’s resolute face. His eyes seemed to sparkle with determination. Despite his strength, he couldn’t earn money in Meiziao. The family’s few acres of land, no matter how meticulously farmed, left them with little after taxes and fees. The grain they produced wasn’t enough to sell for much. Even selling a pig during the new year barely covered their expenses. There were hardly any ways to earn money. It wasn’t because he was lazy, but because there were no opportunities.

“We must go! After the new year, we have to go to Guangdong. Even if it costs me my life, I must give my son and this family a better future!” Zhang Youping resolved in his heart.

Liu Qiaoye also made up her mind. She knew they would regret it if they didn’t seize this chance.

Zhang Jiaohua seemed to sense what was coming. He was just a child, doing his best, but he couldn’t stop the tide of society.

Sparks flew from the stove, rising into the night sky and turning to ash.

Meiziao was quiet, but this night was anything but peaceful. The light in Zhang Jiaohua’s home was weak, like a firefly flickering in the night.