Chapter 109: Boating in the Park

Arriving at the lakeside in the park, they saw several small boats drifting in the middle of the water, mostly occupied by textile factory workers, some still wearing their uniforms.

Xiao Weiguo went to the rental stand and rented a small, two-person rowboat that required manual paddling. He helped Liu Yanran aboard, and they sat facing each other at opposite ends of the boat. As they settled in, they looked at one another and couldn't help but feel a bit shy. Liu Yanran, in particular, acted like a timid quail, keeping her head lowered. Xiao Weiguo took up the oars, growing accustomed to the rhythm, and the boat slowly drifted toward the center of the lake.

Suddenly, they noticed a boat to their right carrying three people—none other than Liu Yicheng and his companions. Cui Juan and Hou Xiaoshuang were sitting on one side, while Liu Yicheng sat alone on the other. The three of them were chatting animatedly, their laughter ringing out continuously. Xiao Weiguo steered his boat closer and called out, "Yicheng, how long have you been here?"

"Weiguo, you're here! We've been playing for about half an hour," Liu Yicheng replied.

Hou Xiaoshuang and Cui Juan looked at Liu Yanran with encouraging eyes, as if to say, "Well done, Yanran, keep it up!" Seeing that Liu Yanran wouldn't speak to them, Cui Juan scooped up some water and splashed it toward her.

"How annoying!" Liu Yanran exclaimed, scooping up water of her own to retaliate. The group played happily in the center of the lake, their joyous laughter drawing the attention of people in other boats.

After they had finished their playful splashing, Xiao Weiguo steered his boat away from the others and found a spot beneath some willow trees. Letting the boat drift, he chatted with Liu Yanran. During their conversation, he learned that she was also from a rural village in Changping County, though hers was nestled in the mountains. Her family was much like any other in the countryside—poor and struggling in the same familiar ways. Because she had a natural talent for needlework, she had managed to seize the opportunity to leave the village when the textile factory recruited temporary workers, becoming a proud, albeit temporary, laborer.

Xiao Weiguo continued, "What are your plans for the future?"

Liu Yanran’s beautiful eyes blinked at him before she lowered her head again. "I don't have any specific plans. Just work hard, and everything will be fine once I become a permanent employee."

Xiao Weiguo knew how history tended to unfold; most of these temporary workers would eventually be sent back to where they came from. He reflected on his feelings for Liu Yanran. While his initial interest had been sparked by her beauty, deeper interaction had revealed her to be a girl of genuine character. She would make a fine wife, he thought. Still, there was no need to rush. He was only a boy of sixteen or seventeen; thinking about marriage now was premature. He would wait and see.

At some point, a silent understanding passed between them. They both stopped talking, letting the boat drift with the breeze while they gazed at the setting sun and the evening clouds.

"How beautiful," Xiao Weiguo murmured, looking at the sunset. Then, he looked at Liu Yanran across from him and thought to himself, *So beautiful.* The person was as lovely as the view.

Liu Yicheng rowed over, slapping the water with his oar and shouting, "Are you two playing mute? Let's have some fun!" As he spoke, he stood up in his boat, waving his oars and laughing heartily. Suddenly, he lost his footing, stumbled, and tumbled straight into the lake. He thrashed about wildly, clearly unable to swim, and cried out, "Help! Help me!"

The people on the boats were startled and stood up in alarm. Because Cui Juan and Hou Xiaoshuang’s boat was now unbalanced with one side empty, the bow tilted sharply upward, causing both of them to fall into the water as well.

Seeing this, Liu Yanran was frantic, tears welling in her eyes. She prepared to jump in to save them herself, but Xiao Weiguo quickly stopped her. "Do you even know how to swim? Stay here, I've got this. Don't be afraid!"

Seeing Xiao Weiguo by her side calmed her panicked heart instantly. Xiao Weiguo dove into the water with a splash. He swam toward Hou Xiaoshuang and Cui Juan first, grabbing them by their clothes and towing them to Liu Yanran’s boat, where they scrambled aboard.

He then swam toward Liu Yicheng, but found him no longer struggling; he had swallowed too much water and was sinking. Xiao Weiguo took a breath and dove, locating Liu Yicheng and grabbing him by the collar. He tried to pull him up, but found him stuck. Realizing he was tangled in water weeds, Xiao Weiguo used his willpower to snap the weeds, freeing Liu Yicheng, who floated upward.

Xiao Weiguo hauled him toward the boat. Since there were already three people on the other one, he moved toward the boat Liu Yicheng had been using, which was fortunately still upright. Thanks to his improved physical condition, Xiao Weiguo had the strength to rescue all three without faltering. He hauled Liu Yicheng onto the boat and rowed for the shore, signaling for Liu Yanran to bring the other boat in as well.

Once they reached the bank, Xiao Weiguo looked at Liu Yicheng’s distended stomach with concern. He quickly laid him down with his head lower than his feet and pressed firmly on his abdomen to expel the water. Hou Xiaoshuang and Cui Juan, having been rescued quickly, were fine aside from being soaked. They watched Liu Yicheng with worry, as did Liu Yanran, whose hands were clenched into nervous fists.

Xiao Weiguo checked Liu Yicheng’s pulse and found it steady. *That’s not right,* he thought. *He should have woken up by now.* He peeled back an eyelid and saw Liu Yicheng’s eye moving. *He’s faking it,* he realized. *Probably too embarrassed.*

*In that case, he deserves a little gift,* Xiao Weiguo thought. He turned to the girls and said, "Which of you knows how to perform CPR? Yicheng still hasn't woken up; someone needs to do it."

When they heard "CPR," the girls hesitated. This involved a young woman’s reputation, after all. Xiao Weiguo stared at Liu Yicheng’s face, noticing the corner of his mouth twitch when he mentioned CPR.

Cui Juan, after a moment of inner struggle, stepped forward and said, "I'll do it!" She prepared to lean down for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Xiao Weiguo quickly stopped her. "Wait, I just remembered, I can do it. It’s fine, I don't mind."

As he leaned down, he thought to himself, *Let's see how long you can keep up this act.*

Hearing that it would be Xiao Weiguo giving him mouth-to-mouth, Liu Yicheng—who certainly didn't want a grown man’s lips on his—immediately opened his eyes.

Seeing him awake, the three girls were overjoyed, and Hou Xiaoshuang and Cui Juan were left laughing through their tears.