Chapter 23: The Road to Tianmen Village and a Fated Encounter

As the sun climbed higher, He Junan’s urgency mounted. He sped along the winding path towards Tianmen Village.

He had barely taken a few steps into the village when a familiar young man suddenly darted out, blocking his path.

“Stop right there, little brother He, don’t panic. Are you also rushing to the village chief’s house for the memorial service?”

“You are…?”

“Me,” the young man patted his own cheek, “I was the one who helped you mock the village chief back then, remember?”

“I think I have a faint impression…”

“My name is Li Chun, the carpenter’s son. Let’s look out for each other from now on.”

Pressed for time, He Junan had no leisure for pleasantries. He immediately cut to the chase. “By the way, do you know who Old Man Li at the village entrance is?”

“What a coincidence,” Li Chun grinned, patting his shoulder, “The Old Man Li you’re looking for is my father. However, he’s currently helping out at the village chief’s house.”

“Then where’s your father’s donkey?”

“Donkey?”

“The four-footed beast of burden!”

“Oh…” Li Chun rubbed his chin. “My father took a cartload of chickens, ducks, fish, and meat to the village chief’s house early this morning. The four-footed beast is probably in the animal shed.”

He Junan stamped his foot in exasperation, wishing he could sprout wings and flee. “So, the question is, where exactly is the village chief’s house?”

Li Chun grinned, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth. He then clasped He Junan’s hand.

“If you’re heading to the village chief’s house to borrow the four-footed beast, then we’re going the same way. How about you do me the honor, and we go together?”

“I’m in a hurry…” Inadvertently, He Junan noticed two bulging burlap sacks at Li Chun’s feet, and his expression instantly froze. “Wait, do you need something from me?”

Li Chun rubbed his hands together, praising him slyly. “This is precisely why I enjoy conversing with intelligent people!”

“Can I refuse?”

“Impossible,” Li Chun shrugged. “My family’s four-footed beast isn’t lent out for free. You’ll have to help me if you want to get your hands on it.”

He Junan’s lips twitched a few times. “Well, I’ll be…”

With no other recourse, he seized one of the large burlap sacks. Summoning Herculean strength, he hoisted it onto his shoulder. In that instant, his face flushed crimson, and his legs nearly buckled beneath him.

“Let’s go!” Li Chun effortlessly hoisted the other large sack and trotted ahead, regaling him with a stream of trivial anecdotes as they walked.

“I’m telling you, we Lis are famous for being capable in Tianmen Village. Almost every year, our family takes on the role of chief officiant for the memorial service.

Oh, you probably don’t even know what ‘memorial service’ means in our village, do you?”

“You mean…”

“If you assume ‘memorial service’ is merely a day of remembrance, you’d be gravely mistaken.

In Tianmen Village, our memorial services serve two purposes: naturally, to commemorate our departed ancestors, but also to pray to our progenitors for favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year!”

He Junan felt as though they had barely walked a few steps when they arrived at the village chief’s house, whether because Tianmen Village was small or because Li Chun was exceptionally talkative.

In front of the usually desolate thatched cottage, colorful feast tables were laid out.

Villagers, their faces beaming with smiles, bustled in and out, packing the spacious house to the brim. From a distance, it resembled a bustling market stall.

The two men set down the sacks from their shoulders. Just as they caught their breath, they were unexpectedly scrutinized by a fierce-faced old man.

With swift, agile steps, the hot-tempered man strode over, furiously brandishing a large, steaming ladle at Li Chun. “You rascal, the sun’s nearly overhead, and you’re only just arriving now?”

Li Chun placated him with a chuckle, “Now, don’t get worked up, sir. If you harm your health, your son here won’t be able to bear the responsibility!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than He Junan pushed forward, interjecting forcefully, “Uncle Li, I’m rushing to Moxuan Market Town. Uncle Wu said you have a four-footed beast here. Could I borrow it for a bit?”

For some unknown reason, Old Man Li only showed his fierce expression to his son, while he was quite amiable to others. “Bad timing, I just fed the four-footed beast its fodder. It’ll probably be eating for a while longer!”

Upon hearing his words, He Junan’s heart sank, feeling as though the sky itself were collapsing.

Seeing He Junan’s anxious expression, Old Man Li kindly reassured him, “Don’t worry, my beast eats its fodder very quickly. I’ll go check in a bit, and if it’s finished, I’ll lead it out for you.”

“Alright, thank you, Uncle Li!”

“Don’t call me Uncle Li, it feels odd. Just call me Old Man Li.”

Just as he finished speaking, a familiar voice drifted from nearby. “Hey, you with the surname He!!!” This startled He Junan. He fixed his gaze on the source of the sound, realizing it was none other than Yao Tian, the village chief’s treasured grandson.

“Yao Tian…”

“I can’t believe that after only a day or two, you’re already up and about, jumping around. The physique of you Donghua people is ridiculously strong…”

“I don’t know why, but after just one night’s sleep, my wounds were practically healed.”

“You two carry on chatting. I’ll go to the animal shed and check on the beast. I’ll bring it out for you as soon as I can.” Old Man Li, feeling the pleasant atmosphere of their conversation, decided not to intrude further. He waved his hand and turned to leave.

“Thank you, Uncle Li.”

“Don’t mention it,” Old Man Li replied with a chuckle. “Just call me Old Man Li from now on; I’m truly used to it. You calling me Uncle Li actually makes me uncomfortable.”

“Alright,” He Junan nodded, reluctantly calling out, “Old… Old Man Li.”

“I’ll be right back.” With that, the decisive Old Man Li grabbed his son and quickly headed towards the animal shed behind the village chief’s house.

“Old Man Li is the strangest elder in our village. He’s incredibly harsh with his own son, but he’s as loving as a biological father to other children,” Yao Tian remarked, a sympathetic expression on his face as he watched Li Chun’s crestfallen back.

“If you ask me, Li Chun has truly hit rock bottom, being Old Man Li’s son…”

“Not all fatherly love is purely tender affection,” He Junan paused, then continued, “There’s also a kind of paternal love that’s ‘hating iron for not becoming steel’ – a deep desire for improvement.”

“Hating iron for not becoming steel…”

Yao Tian froze upon hearing this, pursing his lips, unsure what to say.

“Actually, I really envy Li Chun. To have such a fierce father by his side… How wonderful it would be if my dad could come back to life…”

“What happened to your father?”

“He passed away, and my mother too… They left this world when I was very, very young.”

“You…”

“I’m sorry, for making you listen to all this irrelevant talk. Just pretend you didn’t hear it.”

“What are you talking about?” Yao Tian scoffed, taking He Junan’s hand without another word. “How could I pretend not to hear something like that? Come with me!”

****

Not long after, Wu Lingfeng arrived at the village chief’s house, carrying a basket of firewood. He wound his way through the bustling kitchen until he found Wu Xiyu, who was completely engrossed in her work. “Are you tired?”

“I’m fine,” Although she said so, Wu Xiyu couldn’t stop her hands, and even speaking a single sentence seemed a luxury. “Father, why are you here before the feast has even begun?”

“I came as soon as I finished my tasks,” Wu Lingfeng shrugged. “By the way, He Junan said he found a job. Did you know about this?”

“A job?” Wu Xiyu blinked, subconsciously pausing her work. “Why…?”

Just then, Old Man Li came rushing over, gasping for breath. “Miss Wu, trouble… terrible trouble!”

“Uncle Li, what happened?”

Old Man Li had no time to explain. Upon seeing Wu Lingfeng, he forcibly grabbed his arm and pulled him outward. “Perfect, Brother Wu is here too. Quick, quick, come with me!”

“Old Man Li, what kind of monstrous chaos outside has you, an old craftsman, so utterly flustered?”

“That young man from Donghua, your family’s friend, is probably getting beaten by Yao Tian!”

“What did you say?!” As soon as she heard his words, Wu Xiyu immediately dropped the cooking utensils in her hands, her anxiety undisguised. “Why would Little Tian hit him…?”

“Let’s go assess the situation first,” Wu Lingfeng said decisively. “Old Man Li, lead the way!”

“Alright!”

And so, the Wu father and daughter, along with Old Man Li, left Tianmen Village and walked towards a forest of dead trees to the west—the renowned Rotten Wood Forest.

Legend had it that strange things happened there at night, and even heavily armed merchant escorts dared not travel its paths.

“That child Yao Tian has been spoiled rotten by the village chief. When he was little, if any child spoke or acted in a way he disliked, he’d unabashedly resort to violence!”

Old Man Li said worriedly as they walked.

“It’s fine when someone’s around to intervene, but in a place like the Rotten Wood Forest, where almost no one goes, let alone someone to break up a fight, even if someone were beaten to death, it wouldn’t be discovered by outsiders for a while.”

Wu Lingfeng’s brow furrowed, his expression growing graver. “Although that imp Yao Tian has a bad temper, I don’t think he’d do anything truly out of line.”

As he spoke, he unconsciously glanced at Wu Xiyu. Her expression was exceptionally anxious, her eyes filled with worry for He Junan.

The three of them entered the Rotten Wood Forest and immediately began jogging, searching. Before long, the sound of a struggle caught Wu Lingfeng’s attention. The next second, He Junan’s scream echoed through the sky:

“Aaaahhhhh——!!!”

“Damn it!” Wu Lingfeng dashed towards the sound, leading the charge.

Soon after, another scream resounded: “Aaaahhhhh——!!!” This time, however, it wasn’t He Junan’s voice, but Yao Tian’s.

Suddenly, Wu Lingfeng seemed to discover something. He stopped without warning, simultaneously raising his arm sharply, signaling Wu Xiyu and Old Man Li behind him to halt. “Don’t go any further!”

As the two approached, they realized that ahead was a large clearing, covered in withered fallen leaves. The two people they were looking for were fighting in the clearing—no, to be precise, they were sparring.

Yao Tian nimbly scrambled to his feet, shook the leaves from his clothes, and patted his cheeks, revitalizing himself. “You with the surname He, is that all you’ve got? Come on, again!”

He Junan bounced in place a few times, stretching his limbs. “That was just a warm-up! Watch my ‘Crow Riding an Airplane’—!”

Yao Tian saw through his move, grabbed his leg, and with a skillful twist, immediately sent him tumbling to the ground face-first. “The crow has landed!”

However, He Junan seized the opportunity to react quickly, delivering a fierce kick to Yao Tian’s shin.

Consequently, the large man instantly lost his balance, collapsing to his knees like falling building blocks, perfectly landing face-first and getting a mouthful of leaves.

“The mighty warrior falls!” Swift as lightning, He Junan gave him no chance to react, immediately executing a scissor lock, clamping tightly around Yao Tian’s neck.

“Damn it, you’re serious…”

“What’s the fun in a fight if you don’t get a little serious?”

“Good one, kid!” Yao Tian wasn’t to be outdone. He used his strong body to pin He Junan down, then applied the same move, clamping around his neck. “Watch me give you a taste of your own medicine…”

And so, the two of them resembled a pair of large lobsters, grappling and rolling amidst the fallen leaves, each clamping onto the other, neither willing to release their hold first.

Seeing this, Old Man Li quickly stepped forward, intending to stop them, but was unexpectedly held back by Wu Lingfeng. “It’s fine. Just a bit of roughhousing, nothing serious.”

“Brother, do you think these two will develop a grudge?”

“Soon.”

“Huh?”

Wu Lingfeng revealed a comfortable smile. “They’re about to become friends!”

Only then did the other two notice that He Junan and Yao Tian’s faces were beaming with genuine, cheerful smiles.

“You let go!”

“No, you let go first!”

“Why should I go first? Let go together. I’ll count to three, and we’ll both release.”

“Deal, it’s a promise!”

“One, two… three.”

The two ‘lobsters’ finally released their pincers, each lying on their side, limbs stretched out, gazing up at the sky, enjoying the gentle sunshine and every sweet breath of air.

“Well?” Yao Tian crossed his legs, a triumphant expression on his face. “Didn’t a good fight just make all your worries disappear?”

“Phew—you know what, that method actually works.” He Junan relaxed his body, his worries carried away by the wind, vanishing without a trace.

“When you’re annoyed, fight. Once you’ve fought, you’ll feel better. If you’re still annoyed, fight again, until you’re completely at ease!”

“Something’s not right,” At that moment, He Junan suddenly remembered something. He shot up like a startled carp, as if jolted by electricity. “I seem to have forgotten something important…”

“Something important?”