On New Year's Eve, the family put on new clothes and rose early to busy themselves. Zhang Xilin tended the fire, Mo Shanshan chopped vegetables, and Zhang Qiling was responsible for splitting firewood. In this remote little mountain village, this small courtyard was filled with the joy of the New Year and bright hopes for the year to come.
This year's New Year's Eve was markedly better than when they had first moved here last year, and a very large share of the credit belonged to the pillar of the household—Zhang Qiling. Of course, they also had the care of the neighborhood to thank.
To outsiders, old Zhang's son was both filial to his father and willing to toil, while the young couple, though childless, were deeply affectionate. A harmonious and happy family—it was the picture of contentment.
The New Year's feast was quite abundant: several freshly baked flatbreads, a plate of chive and egg dumplings, a fish, a few stir-fried dishes made with meat traded from a neighbor, and an egg soup to top it all off. That was the entirety of it.
Zhang Xilin smiled until his face was full of wrinkles, picked out a piece of food for Zhang Qiling, and said, "Yude has worked hard this year. Come, have some food."
Zhang Qiling also picked up some food, placed it in Zhang Xilin's bowl, and with a smile said, "Father, you eat too."
Zhang Xilin froze for a moment, tears glistening faintly in his eyes, and replied, "Ah, good, good, let's all eat."
"Come on, pillar of the house, have a dumpling. Open up, ah—" Mo Shanshan said, picking up a dumpling and holding it to his lips.
The corners of Zhang Qiling's mouth curved into a smile as he swallowed the dumpling in one bite, then, imitating her, picked one up and brought it to her lips.
"Ah—"
Watching him, Mo Shanshan couldn't help but chuckle, opening her mouth wide as she waited to be fed.
Seeing the two of them like this, Zhang Xilin let out a soft laugh as well.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, the three of them stayed up to welcome the new year together. Mo Shanshan sat on the stone steps, leaning her head against Zhang Qiling's shoulder.
Zhang Qiling pulled a hair-pin from his tunic and handed it to her. It was simply a wooden hairpin, with a lifelike rabbit carved at the tip.
He smiled, turned his head, and said, "Happy New Year."
Mo Shanshan took the hairpin and stuck it in her hair, gazing blankly at him.
Sensing the gaze of the person beside him, he turned to look. A sudden, fragrant breeze swept over him, and a soft sensation touched his lips, leaving his mind instantly blank. Involuntarily, he slowly closed his eyes.
After a long moment, their lips parted. Blushing, Mo Shanshan also said to him, "Happy New Year."
The First Day of the First Lunar Month, 1965
Early in the morning, children were already going about in groups from door to door to offer New Year greetings.
After about an hour, a group of children arrived at Zhang Xilin's doorstep, chattering away with New Year greetings. Calling out "Happy New Year, Grandpa!" at every turn put Zhang Xilin in a state of utter delight.
Seeing Mo Shanshan and Zhang Qiling come out carrying peanuts and candies, the children shouted all the more energetically.
"Happy New Year, Uncle Zhang! Auntie Zhang! Wishing Uncle and Auntie a harmonious marriage for a hundred years and peace through the seasons!" The cacophony of overlapping voices made one's head ring.
Beaming, Mo Shanshan distributed the candies to the children, echoing, "Happy New Year."
...
Spring, 1970
Nearly six years had passed, and under Zhang Xilin's instruction, Zhang Qiling's Golden Light Curse and Thunder Technique had already begun to show initial results.
With the continuous improvement of his vital essence and cultivation, he gradually discovered that the Kylin Blood flowing through his body was having a subtle chemical reaction with the acquired cultivation techniques he practiced.
In the Outsider World, "Qi" was universally considered to be the most fundamental substance constituting all things in heaven and earth, an innate energy possessed by humans and all living creatures. Those capable of using and mobilizing this energy were called "outsiders."
Innate Qi was the energy that sustained human life. Generally speaking, once consumed, this kind of energy could never be replenished.
Yet there were always exceptions, such as the Zhang family members. Aside from the portion sustaining life, a vast amount of their Innate Qi also existed within a portion of their blood, blood which the Zhang family called "Kylin Blood." This granted Zhang family members a lifespan far exceeding ordinary people and an extremely slow rate of aging, while likewise easily arousing the covetousness of others.
The Qi followed the governing vessel, passing through the tail-gate, spine-gate, and jade-pillow gate over the crown of the head, entering the conception vessel via the magpie bridge. A complete cycle made one circuit, which was the Microcosmic Orbit.
When the Qi circulated through the head, torso, hands, and feet once, it was the Macrocosmic Orbit. Whether Macrocosmic or Microcosmic, the Qi would ultimately flow back to the elixir field. But Zhang Qiling discovered that after completing an orbit, his Qi was preferentially absorbed and stored by the Kylin Blood before finally flowing back to the elixir field.
At first, he thought something had gone wrong with his training, so he asked Zhang Xilin for help. It was then that Zhang Xilin also discovered the abnormality inside his body.
He thought that this child's being hunted down in the past probably had an inseparable connection to this bloodline. Yes, even though he realized this "child" might be older than himself, in his eyes he remained a child.
It would be fine if such a person lived in seclusion alone forever, but once he entered the secular world, wouldn't he have to watch the people around him pass away one by one?
After a long moment, he let out a deep sigh, lamenting inwardly: To think there is such a bitterly fated person in this world.
Suddenly, as if thinking of something, he took Mo Shanshan's pulse and muttered to himself that it was just as he suspected. Alongside a growing sense of worry, he also let out a long breath of relief. Fortunately, even if he were gone in the future, they would still have each other.
For the sake of their safety, they were destined never to linger long in any single place.
Although life in Liujia Village had been getting better day by day and their relations with the neighbors were quite good, you never know what people are truly thinking beneath the surface. They had stayed here long enough; it was best to leave soon.
Summer, 1971
After harvesting the season's crops and packing everything away properly, the family embarked once again on the journey of moving.
Before their departure, the villagers gathered around the family's donkey cart, reluctant to part with the family they had spent several years alongside.
Old Yu shoved a set of writing brushes, ink, inkstone, and paper onto the donkey cart, turning to say to Zhang Xilin, "The lass Shanshan likes to write, and these aren't anything rare. You keep them; they'll come in handy when you have grandchildren in the future."
With Old Yu taking the lead, the villagers also crammed all sorts of things into Zhang Xilin's hands—eggs, grain, meat, and more.
"Things have been going so well here, why suddenly move?" asked a woman, holding Mo Shanshan's hand.
Mo Shanshan lowered her head, not knowing how to reply.
Despite everyone's earnest pleas to stay, they could not change the family's mind. In the end, they drove the donkey cart away from Liujia Village, where they had lived for eight years. Everyone escorted them all the way out of the village entrance before finally stopping at Zhang Xilin's urging, watching them leave with tears in their eyes.
"Take care, Old Zhang!"
"If you can't make it out there, remember to come back."
"Sister Shanshan, if you and Brother Yude can't make a go of it, remember to come back and find me! I'll provide for you!" shouted an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy.
Already in a foul mood, Zhang Qiling turned back at those words and glanced at him, causing the boy who had spoken to immediately snap his mouth shut.