Cannot breathe

Author: Gu Yi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: After climbing the mountain several times, every time he returned to the south of the village, everyone said they wanted to rest. They said that resting here made them feel strong and refreshed, no longer feeling tired. He also said it was strange that he always felt he had been to this place before. Later, he finally remembered that this place was very similar to the area of the clear lake he had seen in his dream, led by the yellow-clad man. Later, he couldn’t help but tell everyone about the dream where fairies were bathing in the clear lake. His neighbor’s half-grown boy grabbed his arm tightly and said, "I dreamed too! Nine fairies! Bathing naked!" He said there were really nine! Everyone who heard was stunned—could such a magical thing exist? This story quickly spread throughout the village. The wise old man said the nine fairies were divine beings, belonging to the yin. The place where they bathed must have divine water, and it had always been this way since ancient times. People should follow the water, as water is the source of life. The old man came out and led them to recall their dreams in detail, asking them to identify the location. Then he said, "All the villagers who want to live must contribute grain or labor to dig a well here! Whoever does not work diligently will not have water in the future!" The villagers, young and old, dug for 48 days without finding a drop of water. On the 49th day, the old man said, "Dig one more day. If we still don’t find water, we must accept our fate!" As the sun was about to set and the sky was filled with colorful clouds, a thin, thread-like stream of golden spring water gushed out. At first, it flowed through the muddy ground, gradually growing thicker like chopsticks, and in no time, it surged everywhere, gushing from all sides under people’s feet. The people working in the well were quickly pulled out. After the sun set, the old man tasted the water under the moonlight and then called the young men to carry water buckets and run back to the village, asking the elderly who were sick in bed to taste the water. The water was sweet and fragrant, quenching their thirst and satisfying their cravings. The old man, the children, and the entire village all said so. The next day, the entire village gathered by the well, burned incense, knelt down, and made a vow to heaven: no one was allowed to harm the well water, wash vegetables or clothes, bathe, or let children play near the well. No one was to throw anything into the well. Every year, the well must be cleaned, with contributions of money or labor. Anyone who broke the rules would not be allowed to drink from the well. As the saying goes, only good water can produce beautiful women. Without good water, how could beautiful women exist? Since the people of Sweet Water Well started drinking the sweet water from the nine fairies, this place began to produce many beautiful women. The Sweet Water Well became more and more famous, and more and more new residents moved in. No one ever broke the rules of the Sweet Water Well. Because of this well, Sweet Water Well Village quickly became a large town. In Sweet Water Well Town, doors were never locked at night, and nothing was ever stolen—even a needle was never lost. The people lived in harmony, respecting each other, because the water in everyone’s life came from the same Sweet Water Well. The people of Sweet Water Well passed down this tradition from generation to generation, treating the well as their lifeline. Adults and children alike knew how to cherish the Sweet Water Well, and even during times of war, the well was well-protected.