CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 67: SOMETHING MAJOR HAPPENED

"True or false, you have to try it to know." Old Luo said, "Come on, old brother, let me help you rub it."

"How can I let you help me? I’ll have my wife do it."

"No worries, no worries, between us brothers, you’ve always treated me like an elder brother. I still remember when I first hit the docks pulling ropes, not knowing the rules and suffering a lot of hidden losses, it was you who gave me many pointers and taught me techniques. You never minded my lack of strength, sharing a rope with me. Old brother, I’ve remembered all the good you’ve done for me. Come, let’s rub the medicine."

"It hurts a lot, doesn’t it? I’ll rub it gently."

"I’m not afraid of pain, even if it kills me, it doesn’t matter." Old Chen said, "What I’m most afraid of is lying here half-dead on this bed."

"No rush, take it slow, it’ll get better."

Uncle Luo remembered Chun Nuan’s instructions, using his hand to probe which places hurt.

"Yes, yes, right there, it hurts when you press it."

"Old sister-in-law, help me get a hot towel for a warm compress first." Old Luo said, "After the warm compress, then we’ll rub the medicinal wine."

"Old Luo, brother, you’re making me feel embarrassed."

Seeing Old Luo seriously apply the compress and then rub the medicinal wine, he felt very awkward.

"What are you saying? I’ve already told you, I see you as my blood brother." Old Luo said, "Old sister-in-law, you should also watch me rub it, I’ll teach you. Later on, you rub it for our big brother three times a day, make sure to keep at it for a few days to see the effect."

"Alright, alright, I’ll learn." Eldest Sister-in-law Chen was quite pleased hearing that it worked: "Uncle Luo, where did you get this medicinal wine from, how much is it per bottle, I’ll pay you."

"Old sister-in-law, what money? It’s not worth much, we’ll see how effective it is first. If it works, I’ll beg that expert for two more prescriptions to regulate our elder brother."

"That would be great."

Eldest Sister-in-law Chen was even more grateful.

"Little brother, why does it feel a bit burning?"

After rubbing for a while, Old Chen started to feel something.

"The burning feeling is right, let me tell you, old brother, later it will itch too, it will itch so much that it feels like all your pores are opening up, which is very soothing. These are normal reactions showing it’s working, you must bear with it."

"Alright, I’ll bear with it."

The brothers were discussing the pain and the effects of the medicine when suddenly lightning illuminated the whole room.

"Another thunderstorm is coming."

"Yeah, this weather is like a baby’s face, changes just like that." Old Luo said, "The weather’s changing, I should be heading back, if it gets later I might not be able to leave."

"Stay for lunch here." Eldest Sister-in-law Chen quickly said, "You were so thoughtful bringing medicinal wine to Brother Chen, you must stay for a meal, thunderstorms come and go, after a couple of downpours the sky will clear up, it won’t delay your return."

"Yes, stay for lunch." Old Chen quickly added, "These days you’re not working at the docks pulling ropes, you have nothing else to do, just keep me company, I haven’t been out in days, almost don’t know what it looks like outside now..."

"Well..."

Before he could finish, there was another thunder, followed by rain pouring down like beans.

"This rain came down fiercely." Eldest Sister-in-law Chen ran outside to collect the drying clothes, but ended up getting soaking wet and ran back: "The river will probably swell again."

"It’s coming down hard and fast, the brothers pulling ropes by the river will suffer."

"Indeed." Old Luo also sighed, "People in our line of work depend on the heavens to make a living."

"See, even the sky wants you to stay." Old Chen looked at the water pouring from the eaves like a waterfall, "Let’s have a good chat, brother."

"Then I’ll shamelessly stay for a meal."

"What are you saying about shameless? We’ve been brothers for years, you haven’t left a meal at my house yet." Old Chen said, "You’re so thoughtful bringing me medicinal wine... and to be honest, it’s really starting to itch now, itching so much that it feels like all my pores are open."

"Then it’s showing effects. Old brother, listen to me, you must remember to rub the medicinal wine, do it three times a day for a few days and it will surely improve."

"May your words be prophetic. I even don’t say pulling ropes by the river again, just being able to walk on the ground would be good."

"It will, it certainly will."

The brothers talked about some things at the dock again.

Old Luo stayed for a meal at Old Chen’s home; it was all homemade dishes, everyone was poor and didn’t care for niceties.

After the meal, the rain was still coming down.

"I wonder if there are boats on the river now?"

"Probably can’t avoid it."

"If they’re pulling a boat by the whirlpool, that’d be really unfortunate."

"..."

Old Chen was speechless for a long time.

The brothers never expected that what they said would manifest in reality.

Around the hour of the Monkey, the rain subsided quite a bit, and Old Luo prepared to bid farewell and go home.

"Uncle, it’s still raining, rest a bit more, leave after dinner, as long as you go back before dark it’s fine."

"Haha, thank you old sister-in-law, I really can’t eat any more, while the rain has let up a bit..."

Suddenly someone ran inside the house.

"Sister-in-law, is my eldest brother pulling ropes at the docks?"

"It’s you, Third Uncle. Your eldest brother’s leg hurt for a few days, he hasn’t been able to get out of bed, so he can’t go to the docks to pull ropes."

"Didn’t go, really didn’t go?"

"Didn’t go, he’s in the back room, chatting with Brother Luo. What’s wrong?"

"It’s great he didn’t go, really great." Chen Laosan was so emotional he shed tears: "Sister-in-law, you don’t know, something happened at the docks, something big."

"What happened?"

Old Luo helped Old Chen out from the back room, and they both asked in unison.

"When the heavy rain hit, there was a big boat at the edge of the whirlpool, suddenly the rain and wind became intense, it was pitch dark, they couldn’t see the way, and over a dozen rope-pullers fell into the whirlpool."

"What?"

"Pulling a big boat requires over a hundred people, and over a dozen fell into the whirlpool. Where are the people?"

"They were swept away, nowhere to be seen." Chen Laosan said, "As soon as I heard about this, I ran over, my heart was in my throat the whole way, elder brother, luckily you’re okay!"

"I’m fine, but those brothers..."

"Let’s go to the docks and take a look."

"Alright, let’s go to the docks."

Regardless of the light rain still falling, Old Chen went to the dock supported by Old Luo and his own brothers.

At the dock, there was wailing and a sea of people.

"Don’t cry, don’t make a fuss, all of you be quiet!"

Sixth Master Xiao shouted with a booming voice: "Crying won’t bring people back! You all listen to me now, send someone who knows the situation to tell me, how many rope-pullers were on this boat? Who went on?"

No idea how many people went? How many are missing?

Old Chen and Old Luo saw a few familiar faces and quickly went over to ask.

"Old Ma, who didn’t make it up?"

"Brother Chen, my mind’s a blank right now, I can’t remember, I can’t remember." Old Ma held his head and suddenly burst into tears, "The water was too strong to land, the boat went sideways, and then..."

Watching helplessly as brothers were taken one after another, he tried to grab the brother ahead, but failed, as another wave hit, a few more brothers vanished without a trace.

Now when asked who didn’t make it to shore, he really couldn’t remember!