At the entrance of Wind Household Village, a massive boulder stood tall on either side.
Behind each stone grew two sturdy Great Trees, their trunks thick and solid, with sprawling crowns that, at a glance, seemed to have weathered a hundred years.
Chu Zhou was feeling much better. He asked Zhang Ren to set him down and carefully examined everything around them.
Wind Household Village nestled by the mountains and waters. A slender River flowed past the front of the village, winding off into the distance.
The houses in the village were built facing the water, with their backs to the mountains.
Even though they were deep in the mountains, there was no sense of cold— on the contrary, it felt warm and inviting, like an otherworldly paradise cut off from the world.
The four of them walked into the village, passing between the boulders and Great Trees at the entrance.
They could immediately see houses built closely together, all of a uniform style— two-story earthen buildings with white walls and gray tiles, looking clean and tidy.
The arrival of four strangers made the busy villagers wary. They gathered defensively around, blocking their path.
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“Who are you? How did you get in here?” The leading villager demanded.
Zhang Ren and Xie Qi exchanged a glance. Zhang Ren stepped forward, softening his expression as he replied, “We’re here accompanying a friend to visit his family.”
The villager swept his unfriendly gaze over them. “Visit family? Our village has never married outsiders.”
Chu Zhou, standing behind Zhang Ren, stepped forward, lifting his chin slightly and looking at the villager. “Village Chief, do you still remember me?”
The villager —who was indeed the Village Chief— looked at him in surprise and uncertainty. After a long moment, he suddenly laughed. “So it’s little Zhou! You’ve finally come back.”
He called out to the people behind him, his expression unusually excited. “Chu Zhou is back! Everyone, come quickly!”
“After you got lost, your mother’s health just never improved. Now that you’re back, that’s wonderful, just wonderful. Go see her right away.” The Village Chief gripped his hand in excitement, his aged skin hanging in wrinkled folds like a piece of dried orange peel.
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Chu Zhou awkwardly withdrew his hand, pursed his lips, and said, “I’ll go see my mother first. My friends will stay at our house for a while.”
The Village Chief agreed repeatedly, telling him that after he met his family, the village would celebrate, and he must come join them.
Chu Zhou casually agreed and led the group in the direction he remembered.
The Village Chief and the villagers watched them leave, all wearing the same excited, joyful smile.
Once they were far enough away, Qu Yanning whispered to Xie Qi, “Why do I feel like something’s off here?”
The scenery of Wind Household Village was beautiful, and the villagers seemed warm and friendly, but Qu Yanning couldn’t shake a strange, unsettling feeling.
Xie Qi let out a soft “Oh?” and smiled. “What feels off to you?”
Qu Yanning carefully recalled everything he’d seen along the way, then said slowly, “The villagers are strange. So many people came out just now, but they were all middle-aged and elderly— there weren’t any young people or children.” By all rights, a village like this shouldn’t be lacking children.
Xie Qi looked at him with a smile. “Anything else?”
“And…” Qu Yanning thought hard. “Their attitude is weird too. They’re way too enthusiastic toward Chu Zhou.”
“Mm, not bad.” Xie Qi gave him an encouraging look. “Anything else?”
Qu Yanning bit his lip and thought for a while before shaking his head. “Nothing else.”
Xie Qi chuckled, patted him on the head, and pointed at the houses ahead. “Look here. See any problems?”
Qu Yanning looked carefully for a moment, then said in surprise, “The houses here… why are they all facing east-west?” And the houses were built so close together that the alleys between them barely allowed two people to pass at once.
Sunlight couldn’t reach in, making the alleys damp and dark.
“That’s enough,” Chu Zhou called out.
Xie Qi whispered to Qu Yanning, “I’ll explain later.”
Chu Zhou swallowed nervously, then gently knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” came a gentle woman’s voice from inside, followed by the sound of footsteps.
The door opened to reveal a woman who looked no more than twenty, certainly not over thirty.
She had a slender figure, willow brows, peach blossom eyes, and a delicate nose.
Her features were refined, but together they gave off a gentle, water-town beauty. Yet, the same features on Chu Zhou’s face created a dazzling handsomeness.
The three of them quietly speculated about Chu Zhou’s relationship with the woman, but none of them expected Chu Zhou to call out, voice trembling, “Mom.”
Zhang Ren: “……”
Qu Yanning: “……”
The woman stared blankly at Chu Zhou, who was now much taller than her.
After a long pause, she sighed, her expression both gratified and tinged with other emotions. “You’re back… Come in.”
They followed her inside. The small building was impeccably tidy. The first floor was a main hall, with a Spirit Tablet of a man hanging on the wall facing the door.
On either side of the Spirit Tablet were incense burners, each holding several sticks of incense, their wisps of smoke faintly dispersing into the air.
The woman pulled out chairs for them, inviting them to sit, then went to the kitchen to fetch a hot water kettle and cups.
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Chu Zhou held his cup absent-mindedly, sipping in small mouthfuls.
Once the woman finished her tasks, she sat beside him and gently touched his face, eyes filled with nostalgia. “In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown so big.”
Chu Zhou lowered his eyes. Since returning to the village, his face had gained some color, but now, facing his birth mother, he grew a little pale again.
He spoke softly, “It’s nothing, just the usual old problems.”
Chu Zhou took another sip of tea. He had so many questions, but they circled on his tongue and were finally swallowed back down.
In the end, he could only say quietly, “Mm, just take care of your health.”
Zhuang Meng, however, was clearly pleased. She couldn’t help but stroke Chu Zhou’s head, her gaze fixed on him. “Have you eaten yet?”
Chu Zhou shook his head. “Not yet.”
Zhuang Meng happily exclaimed and told them to sit for a while as she went to the kitchen to prepare a meal.
Once she’d left, Qu Yanning whispered, “Zhou Zhou, your mom is so young! I almost thought she was your sister.”
Chu Zhou’s eyelids fluttered. He forced a slightly awkward smile. “Maybe it’s the water and soil here. My mom was known as the village beauty when she was young.”
Xie Qi glanced at Zhuang Meng’s busy figure, then calmly looked away.
The meal Zhuang Meng prepared was simple, not as rich as food outside, but clearly made with care.
There was porridge and corn cakes, along with four stir-fried dishes. The steaming corn cakes were placed right in front of Chu Zhou. Anyone could see that she was doing her best to please him.
“Mom, come sit and eat too.” Chu Zhou picked up his chopsticks and looked at Zhuang Meng, who was standing nearby.
Zhuang Meng wiped her hands on her apron and sat down next to him. Only then did everyone pick up their chopsticks.
During the meal, the only sounds were the clinking of bowls and chopsticks and Zhuang Meng urging Chu Zhou to eat more.
After the meal, Chu Zhou offered to help Zhuang Meng with the dishes. The mother and son stood side by side at the sink.
Zhuang Meng scooped a ladle of water from the bucket, but as she was about to wash the dishes, Chu Zhou gently took her hand.
“I’ll do it. Your hands get chilblains in winter.” He naturally took the ladle and slowly started washing the dishes.
Zhuang Meng stared at him in a daze, then turned and left. When she returned, her eyes were slightly red.
Winter nights fell early. With four extra people in the house, Zhuang Meng bustled up and down, preparing rooms upstairs.
She got three rooms ready— Qu Yanning and Xie Qi shared one, while Chu Zhou and Zhang Ren each had their own.
The rooms weren’t big and still smelled a bit of earth, but the bedding was new and looked soft and fluffy.
At the doorway, Zhuang Meng held Chu Zhou’s hand, fussing over him. “It gets dark at night, and the toilet is far from the house. I put a Urine Pot under the bed. The kettle on the table is hot water I just boiled…”
Chu Zhou patiently listened at the door until she finished, then she smiled contentedly, patted his head, and carried her kerosene lamp upstairs.
Chu Zhou watched her go up, only turning away once she disappeared.
As he turned, he saw Zhang Ren leaning against the door, watching him. “I didn’t expect to see such backward places in this era.” No running water, no electricity— living like it was ancient times.
Chu Zhou gave a helpless smile. “The village has always been like this. The traffic is bad, and they’re not willing to interact with outsiders.”
Zhang Ren wanted to say more but, seeing how tired Chu Zhou looked, stopped himself and said gently, “You’ve had a long day. Get some rest.”
Chu Zhou nodded, closed the door, and went to his room. Across the hall, Qu Yanning was still wide awake.
Qu Yanning sat on the bed in his sweater, seriously listing all the things that felt off to Xie Qi.