Time flies unnoticed, and Fatso and I have already gotten used to our days in high school. We thrived at Zhenyi High School and soon it was summer vacation again.

Summer vacation is definitely the happiest time and the most beautiful memory for every kid.

Firstly, summer vacation usually lasts for two months, which is long enough. Secondly, there are plenty of recreational activities in the summer. City kids might have to attend various training classes and tutoring sessions, but it's different for rural kids. We go bird hunting in the mountains, fish in the river, catch cicadas, dig out wasp nests, and move around dung beetles by the river. Every day is filled with different activities.

Compared to others, rural kids truly experience childhood.

Xie Qiang, who attends vocational high school in the county town, also came back. Ever since I helped with the arrangements after Xie Lao Er's passing, Xie Qiang treated me like a good brother. Whenever he returned to Hongqi Village, he would look for me to play.

On this afternoon, the scorching sun hung high in the sky, baking the earth until it seemed parched. It was lifeless, except for the deafening sound of cicadas.

In those days, there were no air conditioners in the countryside. Most people had never even seen what an air conditioner looked like. At most, we had old-fashioned electric fans that wobbled and made squeaky noises when they turned. More people simply used banana leaf fans and sat under the eaves, swaying back and forth, dozing off.

The fan in my room was old and worn out. Feeling restless and uncomfortable from the heat, I paced around the room.

Just when I was feeling annoyed, Xie Qiang came to find me and invited me to go swimming together.

For rural kids, swimming in the river is a common activity. Parents don't have many concerns about it. I informed my mom and followed Xie Qiang as we ran out.

The sun was scorching, like a blazing fireball, and it made me feel like my hair was about to catch fire.

We also called Fatso and dragged him off the bamboo mat where he was napping. Together, we walked towards the river.

Rural kids don't fuss much. We don't need to change into swimming trunks. We simply take off our clothes and jump into the river wearing our underwear. Sometimes, we even swim naked, letting the water turn us into water birds, playing and splashing in the river.

Once we reached the river, the sense of heat instantly diminished. We played with water for a while and then began playing "dive and hold your breath" games.

"Dive and hold your breath," also known as diving for treasure, involves taking a deep breath and then submerging underwater to see who can hold their breath the longest.

Xie Qiang said, "I'll count to three, and when I say 'go,' no cheating by secretly taking a breath! The loser will have to treat everyone to ice cream later!"

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Ice cream in the village shop cost twenty cents each, and they had a faint fruit juice flavor. To be honest, it was basically just water mixed with fruit juice and frozen into ice cream. There wasn't even a brand, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

Fatso patted his chest and said, "My lung capacity is really good. I can hold my breath until it's dark outside! You guys, get ready to treat me to ice cream!"

"Hold your breath until it's dark? Come on, stop bragging. You might have been suffocated to death!" I chuckled and pinched my nose, taking a deep breath.

"One! Two! Three! Go!" Xie Qiang flipped over and dived into the water with a splash.

Both Fatso and I submerged ourselves in the water. The river in the mountains had no industrial pollution, so it was relatively clear and clean.

The sunlight was dazzling, like arrows piercing the water. Underwater, a faint halo appeared, giving an illusion of floating in heaven.

Underwater was peaceful. I opened my eyes and saw the gentle swaying of aquatic plants. Among the clusters of aquatic plants, there were small shrimps and fish swimming around, creating a tranquil and beautiful scene.

I swam among the aquatic plants, feeling as if I had transformed into a fish, free and content.

Then, with a loud splash, someone obviously couldn't hold their breath any longer and emerged from the water earlier.

I felt delighted and quickly surfaced, wiping the water droplets off my face. I gasped for breath and excitedly shouted, "Haha, Fatso, you lost! Treat us to ice cream!"

Xie Qiang playfully shook his wet hair and said arrogantly, "Hmph, you guys are no match for me when it comes to competition!"

Fatso's face didn't look too good as he stood dumbfounded in the water, resembling a stump submerged in the water.

I walked over and asked, "Fatso, aren't you happy about treating us to ice cream?"

Fatso shook his head and said, "Am I that kind of person?"

"Then why do you look unhappy? Is there something bothering you?" Xie Qiang also approached.

Fatso suddenly pointed underwater and shivered, saying with a trembling voice, "Just now, underwater... I... I think I saw a pair of eyes..."

A gust of wind blew, and both Xie Qiang and I couldn't help but shudder in response.

The scorching sun hung in the sky, but Fatso's inexplicable words made our spines tingle.

Angrily, Xie Qiang scolded Fatso, "If you lose, just admit it. Who are you trying to scare with these words?"

Fatso grumbled, "It's true, I really saw a pair of eyes underwater, among the aquatic plants, staring at me intently!"

Xie Qiang and I exchanged glances. Seeing Fatso's serious expression, we realized he wasn't joking.

But how could there be eyes among the aquatic plants? Could there be a dead body underneath?

Xie Qiang, being a few years older than us, naturally had more courage. As the "big brother" leading the way, he volunteered to dive back underwater and search for the pair of eyes Fatso mentioned.

After a while, Xie Qiang resurfaced with something in his hand and burst into laughter, "Fatso, is this what you saw?"

I took a closer look and almost burst into laughter. What Xie Qiang was holding was actually a water-soaked woman's bra.

Xie Qiang held up the bra, pretending to wear it as glasses in a gloomy tone, asking Fatso, "Fatso... do I look good? Do you like me?"

Fatso furrowed his brows, saying, "Get lost, you lunatic!"

Xie Qiang threw away the bra and burst into laughter. We didn't take Fatso's words seriously and continued playing in the water.

Xie Qiang teased Fatso, "If you don't want to treat us to ice cream, then go back home first!"

Fatso's face turned red and he said, "That's a joke! Am I that kind of person? I'll treat you to five, ten ice creams! I'll make you feel sick!"

Fatso grumbled a few more words, then returned to the water. However, he deliberately kept a distance from where we played the "dive and hold your breath" game earlier.

We continued playing until the sun set. Checking the time, it was almost dinner time, so we agreed to head back to the riverbank.

As we walked not far, we heard a splash behind us, as if something had fallen into the water.