Rebirth in 1986: Unforgettable Regrets-Chapter 1125: Picked Up Another Big Sister

Si Yu struggled with all his might and finally climbed onto the rock at the cave’s entrance. It felt like a pile of random stones there; the spot where he sat was slightly more spacious than a bench, although his feet were still in the water.

He gasped for breath, indifferent to the cold seeping through him. As he surveyed his surroundings, he dreadfully realized that below lay a waterfall. Though not exceptionally tall, falling from it could be deadly; if he was lucky, he’d land in the water, but with bad luck, he’d hit a rock, and that could be the end.

From his backpack, Si Yu took out some bread. The waterproof backpack was damp but not entirely soaked. He opened it and started eating the bread to replenish his energy. He gazed at the cave opening, pondering whether Tang Jun had fallen from this very waterfall.

Looking out from this modest waterfall cave, the distant view was of lush forests, a sight that called to the longing within him.

His backpack now only held one piece of bread. He quietly put it away, drank some water, and finally quelled the emptiness in his stomach.

He reorganized the items in his backpack. There was nothing he could use, so he slung it back over his shoulders, silently calculating from where he could safely plunge down and maximize his chances of survival.

He had no idea how deep the pool below really was.

Si Yu estimated in his mind, then picked up a rock from beside him and tossed it outside the waterfall, testing. The water was loud, and even Si Yu couldn’t judge with certainty.

Despite barely hearing any sound, Si Yu continued to cautiously throw stones without pause.

He couldn’t recklessly play the hero; Zaozao and Chenchen were still waiting for him to return home, and Xiao Yue was waiting for him to bring Tang Jun back.

Besides, with such a beautiful wife, he couldn’t bear the thought of Xiao Yue becoming a widow. He still wanted to live happily with Xiao Yue, eventually hand over the company to Zaozao, and travel the world with Xiao Yue.

Ten minutes later, the stones where Si Yu sat had all been thrown. He clapped his hands, having decided from where to jump.

Nimbly, Si Yu leapt into the water at the point he had gauged, descending with the current.

In the instant of the height drop, Si Yu plunged steadily into the pool, discovering it to be deeper than he had imagined. The moment he hit the water, he swam through the pool and surfaced, breathing a sigh of relief once he reached the shore.

Finding no trace of Yuan Yu in the pool, Si Yu continued downstream, reasoning that where there was water, there were likely settlements. Perhaps Yuan Yu had also been swept here.

"Grandpa, I found another sister." The little girl exclaimed as she rushed home after spotting a woman lying not far from where she was doing laundry by the river. "Grandpa, come quickly, that sister is still alive."

"Another sister?"

The old man, seeing the little girl’s excitement, followed her. Indeed, there lay a woman in a doctor’s coat by the riverside.

"Girl, keep watch here. I’ll go fetch Fat Aunt and the others," the old man said before heading off to find help after glancing at the woman.

Being an elder, he could manage dragging Tang Jun home, but bringing back a woman was too inconvenient.

Soon, a plump aunt arrived. Upon seeing the woman by the river, she remarked, "Oh, what a pretty face this woman has. But is she a doctor?"

Fat Aunt wondered aloud, yet promptly picked up the woman, saying, "Mr. Miao, I’ll take her to my house, get her changed into some dry clothes, and later, have you take a look at her."

"Alright," Mr. Miao agreed and led the little girl back home.

Back at home, the first thing the little girl did was check on Tang Jun.

"You’re awake," the little girl exclaimed joyfully and dashed to the kitchen, returning with a bowl of porridge. "The porridge is still hot. Have some to fill your stomach."

"Thank you."

Tang Jun feebly sat up on the bed and, noticing the little girl intended to feed him, reached out, saying, "I can do it myself."

"But..." The little girl hesitated but then handed the bowl to Tang Jun.

Tang Jun held the bowl, and the warm porridge eased his discomfort. He said, "Thank you for saving me. My name is Tang Jun. What’s yours?"

"I’m called Little Girl," she replied happily, then cautiously asked, "I don’t have a brother. Can I call you Brother Tang?"

"Of course," Tang Jun could tell she was young and asked, "How old are you? Did you find me?"

"I’m ten years old."

The little girl answered each question in turn and even volunteered that she and her grandfather had brought him back.

With the porridge warming his belly, Tang Jun’s hunger was far from satisfied, and he said, "Little Girl, I..."

"There’s more porridge in the pot," she kindly offered, going to scoop another bowl for him, and placed it before Tang Jun.

Tang Jun drank three bowls in a row before feeling somewhat better.

The little girl’s small hand reached for Tang Jun’s forehead. "Brother Tang, your fever’s finally gone," she said with delight.

"That’s good," Tang Jun replied, feeling much improved aside from the lingering blindness and bearable bodily pain, then asked, "Little Girl, do you know where I can find a phone?"

"No."

The little girl shook her head, saying, "We don’t have phones in our village."

"Not even one phone in the whole village?" Tang Jun asked, surprised.

While he understood that mobile phones might be too expensive for the village, he found it hard to believe there were no landlines.

Surely there should be at least some fixed phones, he thought.

The little girl lowered her head, a bit embarrassed, "Grandpa said our village is poor and remote, tucked away in the mountains, and there’s no phone service."

The little girl had been out with Grandpa Miao before and seen a phone, finding it very novel, though she had never encountered one in her village.

"So, how do you usually communicate with the outside world? Don’t you need to purchase goods?" Tang Jun found it hard to believe.

In Qianjin Village, while not every household had a phone, at least five or six out of ten did.

How could it be that this village didn’t even have one phone?

"What kind of things?" The girl asked, puzzled. "Even if we need something, we can ask Uncle Village Chief."

"Have you never been outside?" Tang Jun asked further.

"I’ve been out once, but it was with Grandpa to visit patients," the girl chirped, her voice like a singing lark, chattering about her excitement from that trip.

Tang Jun lay back against the bed. Although he couldn’t see the girl, he could sense her exuberance and joy resonating in her clear voice.

What must it feel like to leave the village for the first time?

She must long to see the world beyond, he thought.

With this in mind, Tang Jun resolved that if an opportunity arose, he’d take the girl to see the wonders outside.