Ning Xia's birthday banquet was very lively.
Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi both drank a few more glasses of wine.
After the meal, the adults sat together talking and admiring the moon, while the children discussed going out to play.
This year, everyone had been living with their nerves on edge. For just one day of relaxation, the adults didn't restrict the children, only instructing them, "Just play in the village, don't run too far, understand?"
The children responded in unison, laughing and running into the village. Gu Chenzhou was the oldest among this group of children, and he considered himself a big kid, so he was unwilling to join them.
Jiang Wan pulled him up with a tug, "Brother Chenzhou, don't be bored, come on, let's play together."
Gu Chenzhou wanted to break free from her, but the little girl's hands were like iron clamps, and he couldn't break free at all.
Helpless, he had no choice but to follow.
The other children in the village also came out to play, a large group of children who were about to turn the village upside down with their noise.
Jiang Wan suggested, "Let's play hide-and-seek. Little brother, you find first. Whoever is found first will be the seeker in the next round."
"Okay, okay!"
A group of little brats happily agreed.
San Lang had to cover his eyes and said, "Hurry up and hide, I'll start looking when I count to fifty. One, two..."
A large group of children quickly scattered, looking for places to hide.
Jiang Wan also pulled Gu Chenzhou to find a hiding spot. Gu Chenzhou let her pull him along. As they walked, they reached the entrance of the village.
Gu Chenzhou said, "Alright, let's find a place to hide around here."
Jiang Wan shook her head, "No, there's no place to hide here at all. Little brother will definitely find us quickly. Brother Chenzhou, let's go to the Yao River. Little brother definitely won't guess we went there."
Gu Chenzhou disagreed, "Wan Wan, it's already dark, going to the river is not appropriate."
Jiang Wan said, "What's inappropriate about it? The moon is so big, and besides, you and I are both so skilled, are we afraid of encountering bad people? Let's go, Brother Chenzhou, I want to go to the river to look at the moon. If you don't go, I'll go by myself."
Gu Chenzhou couldn't refuse her, so he accompanied her towards the river.
The Mid-Autumn Festival moon was exceptionally round and bright, making everything under the moonlight appear very clear.
The two walked along the moonlit path, reaching the riverbank in silence.
The river flowed, and the moonlight shone on the water, filling the river with starlight.
This was Jiang Wan's first time seeing such a moonlit night scene, and she was momentarily captivated.
Thinking of her plan, Jiang Wan deliberately walked towards the riverbank. However, after just two steps, Gu Chenzhou grabbed her, "It's late at night, the water's edge is dangerous, don't go that way."
Jiang Wan smiled and said, "It's okay, I know what I'm doing."
Gu Chenzhou still held her, insisting she not go over.
Jiang Wan was a little anxious. She had to accomplish her plan tonight!
So she channeled some of her special ability into Gu Chenzhou, causing him to fall into a brief daze. Seizing this opportunity, Jiang Wan turned and jumped into the river.
The Jiangnan region was still very hot in August, and the river water was a bit cool, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
As soon as Jiang Wan jumped into the river, she started shouting for help, "Help! Brother Chenzhou, save me..."
Gu Chenzhou was jolted back to his senses by Jiang Wan's cries. Before he could figure out why he had zoned out, he saw Jiang Wan bobbing in the river, her body being carried downstream by the current.
"Wan Wan!"
Gu Chenzhou was so scared he almost lost his soul. He quickly ran along the riverbank, "Wan Wan, don't be afraid, I'm coming to save you!"
After speaking, Gu Chenzhou roared towards the village, "Quick, someone, someone fell into the water!"
The small mountain village was not far from the Yao River, only a few hundred meters away. Many people were enjoying the moon in the village tonight, so some people faintly heard Gu Chenzhou's voice.
Gu Chenzhou used his lightness skill, ran ahead of Jiang Wan, then plunged into the water and swam towards the center of the river.
Seeing Gu Chenzhou approaching her, Jiang Wan deliberately swallowed a few mouthfuls of river water and let herself sink.
Soon, she felt Gu Chenzhou grab her waist and forcefully drag her towards the shore.
Jiang Wan curled her lips in the water, pretending to have fainted.
Gu Chenzhou exerted some effort to drag Jiang Wan ashore. Seeing that Jiang Wan was unconscious, he quickly picked her up and laid her on his bent legs, then patted her back vigorously, trying to expel the water from her stomach.
Jiang Wan was in pain from the patting but still gritted her teeth and endured it.
Seeing that Jiang Wan showed no reaction, Gu Chenzhou flipped her over and patted her face, "Wan Wan, Wan Wan, wake up, Wan Wan!"
Jiang Wan still showed no reaction.
At this moment, someone had already run to the riverbank to check, "Who fell into the river? Have they been rescued?"
"It's Wan Wan! Wan Wan fell into the water, and she's been rescued, but she won't wake up. Please hurry and call Uncle Jiang and Aunt Jiang over."
The person said, "This might be too late. I heard that people who fall into the water need to be rescued quickly. Delaying for a moment might make it impossible to save them."
"Right, artificial respiration! Jiang Wan's mother used this method to save Old Madam Han before!"
"Yes, yes, that's the method! Sister-in-law Jiang even made this method public, and many people know about it."
Gu Chenzhou, eager to save her, quickly laid Jiang Wan flat on the ground and began to give her artificial respiration mouth-to-mouth.
After a few breaths, someone on the bank directed, "And press her chest."
Everyone quickly directed Gu Chenzhou, and Gu Chenzhou was ready to press Jiang Wan's chest. Jiang Wan didn't want to experience that stimulation, so she coughed a couple of times at the opportune moment.
"Oh, she's awake! She's awake!"
Gu Chenzhou let out a sigh of relief and quickly helped Jiang Wan up, "Wan Wan, how are you feeling? Is anything uncomfortable?"
Jiang Wan said pitifully, "I want to go home, I'm scared."
This girl had always been fearless, and now that she said she was scared, she must have been terrified.
So Gu Chenzhou quickly crouched down with his back to her, "Come on, I'll carry you back."
Jiang Wan climbed onto Gu Chenzhou's back and let him carry her back into the village.
Before they had walked far, Gu Chenzhou suddenly stopped, "Wan Wan, I remember when we were fishing before the New Year, you told me you knew how to swim."
Jiang Wan's heart tightened. She didn't expect him to remember that!
"Yes, I can swim, but I feel like tonight is very strange. We were clearly standing on the shore, but I don't know how I fell into the center of the river. I also felt something in the water pulling my feet, trying to drag me into the river."
As she spoke, she shivered fiercely, "Brother Chenzhou, could there be a water ghost in the river? I heard that when water ghosts look for someone to replace them, they harm people like this."
Gu Chenzhou, a pure ancient person, deeply believed in ghosts and spirits. Especially when Jiang Wan fell into the water, he also felt as if he suddenly couldn't move or think.
Could it really be a water ghost harming people?
Thinking of this, Gu Chenzhou's heart also felt a little uneasy, so his steps involuntarily quickened.
By the time they reached the village entrance, they saw the Jiang family rushing towards them with anxious expressions.
Just as Gu Chenzhou was about to speak, he heard Jiang Wan speak before him, "Dad, Mom, I almost drowned just now, and it was Brother Chenzhou who saved me. He kissed me!"