Carrying a Jurassic on me
Chapter 98 - 39: Back to the River_1

Chapter 98: Chapter 39: Back to the River_1

"One day I’ll blow up this paper factory!" Yan Fei returned, indignantly muttering to himself as he threw the carp back into the river. It wasn’t just about the fish, it was mainly due to the polluted river, which had already cost Yan Fei an unjust fee once before!

That was when they were digging a well for the cattle farm. The area was known for its abundant water resources and most wells hit water after only twenty or thirty meters, but at the cattle farm’s location, they had to dig several tens of meters deeper, nearly doubling the cost, to ensure the water they extracted wouldn’t be contaminated.

"You’d like to ascend to heaven, wouldn’t you? Too bad you don’t have a ladder that high, right?" Lin Baoguo sneered, disliking his behavior.

"Who can control this? I say we should invite the military to blow it up. This factory only benefits the owners at others’ expense. Those people at the county liquor factory are rich from advertising on the Central Station every day, yet they still commit such injustices! If you really did blow it up, you’d be doing everyone a favor," Old Cheng said chuckling.

The harm of pollution was not as serious as it is nowadays, as only a few places were polluted, everyone was eager to advance economically, and the subject of environmental protection wasn’t being voiced. Moreover, due to being economically backwards and a lack of information, no one really knew how harmful this river was.

Only those living near the river knew how terrible the pollution was. Who would want to breathe air and drink water that always smelled off? Even without thinking hard, everyone knew that constant consumption of such water and air wouldn’t lead to good health, right?

"Your idea that the military should handle everything is outdated! I’ve heard that our county can’t even win lawsuits against them, so who can do anything about it?" Lin Yumei refuted Old Cheng’s remark.

The county upstream from us is doing much better than Tanghe County. After the Central Station’s main news broadcast, there was an advertisement for their county’s liquor factory. Apparently, they’ve been splashing out tens of millions on advertising annually, they really are on top of the world!

"By the way, where is Ma Chao? How come he hasn’t shown up yet?" Yan Fei, frustrated yet helpless about the paper factory, suddenly realized Ma Chao was still missing and asked about his whereabouts.

"I don’t know, maybe he’s busy at home. He didn’t say anything about not coming today, did he?" Lin Yumei replied, making Yan Fei uneasy.

But no one came to tell them anything, so Yan Fei decided to put it aside: "I’ll go get another fish from the river, I’ll feed the cows when I get back."

Before he could leave, he heard dogs barking by the front gate, followed by a voice: "Brother Xiao Fei, Brother Xiao Fei, are you home?"

Yan Fei walked over to shoo away the dogs, opened the door, and saw a child from Ma Chao’s neighbor was there with an old bicycle. The child cautiously watched the dogs in the distance, but seeing Yan Fei open the door, he said, "Brother Xiao Fei, my brother Ma Chao asked me to tell you that he can’t come these days because his dad is old now."

"Ok, I got it. Have you eaten breakfast yet? We’re making food right now, come in and eat before you go! We just caught a fish, you’re right on time," Yan Fei didn’t find the message surprising in the least.

In fact, everyone knew that Ma Chao’s father was on his last legs. The old man was in high spirits. In his last days, he didn’t allow anyone to stay by his side, insisting that they carry on with their lives.

Ma Chao should be staying at home with his father, but instead, he was driven out of the house to the cattle farm.

I heard that the old man was still drinking alcohol alone in his room even though he was dying. He vomited as much as he drank, yet still insisted on drinking. He wreaked havoc in his room, clamoring for his son to marry soon and for his wife, Ma Chao’s mother, to remarry soon after his death, and make sure to take Ma Chao’s grandmother with her.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death, no one can escape them. It’s just a matter of time. It’s pitiful for Ma Chao’s wife-to-be, who knows till the cows come home before they can get married.

"I should go, my dad even refused to let me go to school today. I still have to give others the news." The child clearly was tempted by the mention of fish, but it seemed like the ’task’ matters. Therefore, he regretfully had to bid farewell to the savory fish.

"Ok then, go ahead and do your thing. When you’re free, come over and play with your brother Ma Chao, there’s always meat to eat here!" Yan Fei perfectly understood.

A distant relative isn’t as helpful as a close neighbor. When a big issue arises in the household, the first to know are definitely the neighbors who will help in any way they can. There’s no question about that.

Watching the child mount his bicycle and pedal away, Yan Fei finally closed the door.

When he returned and relayed the news to others, there was nothing much to be said. Old Cheng muttered, "He’s better off gone, that disease is a damn thing."

Of birth, aging, sickness, and death, Yan Fei asked Lin Baoguo: "I should show up to give a gift, right? How much should I give?"

Lin Baoguo replied, "Yes, you should. He’s working for you! It’d be inappropriate not to. The bride price can be any amount, just go and give about thirty to fifty yuan, this isn’t a joyous funeral, your presence can’t really help, just show your respect."

In rural areas, there are nuances to funeral rites. A ’joyous funeral’ is when an old person dies naturally from old age without any diseases or pain, especially when the person is in their eighties or nineties. The family members should avoid showing too much grief and ensure the elderly pass away peacefully.

"They probably have all the things prepared. You don’t need to bring anything. Don’t linger, to avoid causing unwanted fuss." Lin Baoguo advised him before Yan Fei departed.

"Sure! You guys eat first, I’ll be back soon." With that, Yan Fei left.

Many people gave gifts at funerals in the town. Apart from relatives who received the news and hurried over, there were also the close friends of Ma Chao’s father, many of whom came to help. At this time, everyone who should be there was there.

By the time Yan Fei arrived, the mourning hall at Ma Chao’s house was already set up. He gave fifty yuan as a gift, and hearing the loud crying from within the house, he didn’t go in. He didn’t even see Ma Chao, and just returned.

Lin Baoguo was not in a hurry to leave after finishing his meal. He retired to Yan Fei’s room for a nap. Yan Fei didn’t feel great and lazily ate and fed the cows. He lay down for a while, and when he felt sleepy, he went to the river to catch some fish.

When feeling down, it’s better to stay busy, Yan Fei knew from his experience. When his grandfather died, he was very sad and isolated at home. After some time of indulging in food and drink, he felt much better. He kept himself busy, so he didn’t have as much time to dwell on worries.

He left his clothes on the river bank and let the four dogs watch over them.

He didn’t have to worry about them running off. The dogs, including San Hei and Si Hei, had completely betrayed their previous owners and didn’t dare to roam too far from the cattle farm. The reason being, Yan Fei had once intentionally let them loose from the farm at night. As soon as they tried to go too far, the Pterosaur monster would carry them back. This was a lesson that made the dogs behave.

Being in the water felt much better than it did at night. Since it was daytime, his vision was clear. As long as he stayed away from the polluted waters, he had no problem spotting fish in the river.

Yan Fei only knew of one professional fisherman in the area around Sancha River Town. He kept several fishing eagles and frequently paddled a small boat into the river to fish. As for anyone else, he’d occasionally see people casting nets to fish, but it was just for fun and not professional. Not many people had time to fish leisurely. Nowadays, people used their free time to try to make money, who had the leisure time for fishing by the riverbank?

Which meant there were a lot of fish. But during the day, not only could he see the fish, but the fish could see him too. It was difficult to chase them, so he decided to just lie on the river bed and wait for the fish to come by.