The Drowning Man

"Wait, turn this way."

Not long after the Passat entered the village road, Da Zhe had Da Tou turn in another direction—not toward the road leading to his ex-wife's village.

Da Tou was stunned. "Brother Zhe, why are you going there at a time like this? Weren't you worried about Sister-in-law... your ex-wife?"

Da Zhe shook his head and said calmly, "Do you really think Xiao Yucheng is heaven itself, and that he'd dare act recklessly in broad daylight? Don't worry. Tingting's elderly relative is on the verge of death, and all her relatives have gathered there. Nothing will happen during the day."

"All right, then."

It did not take long before Da Tou's Passat pulled up and stopped beside a reservoir surrounded by mountains. Da Tou did not get out of the car, and Da Zhe told him to wait there.

Da Zhe carried the things he had bought from a small shop in the village they had passed through, taking a shortcut down a narrow path to the reservoir's edge. It was a reservoir built a long time ago.

How deep was the water? Probably no one was willing to find out. Yet every year, people from nearby villages came here to swim in secret, only to drown.

The government had placed warning lines around the reservoir... but they still could not stop the bold ones.

Da Zhe finally stepped over the wire marking the restricted area and came to a concave patch of silt beside the reservoir. He squatted down at the water's edge and silently took out the things he had bought in the plastic bag.

Several small buns.

Da Zhe stacked them up, then took a bundle of incense from the bag. He pulled out several sticks, lit them, closed his eyes, bowed a few