One month was considered neither long nor short. The day that An Xiaoning had been waiting for finally arrived.
On this very day, the skies were clear and vast.
The weather was more pleasant than ever.
An Xiaoning woke up bright and early in the morning to feed the sheep and chickens.
She then cleaned the yard and garden before proceeding to make some breakfast by herself, despite having substandard culinary skills.
After having breakfast together, Xiao Huang and his colleagues took charge of washing the dishes.
An Xiaoning and the elderly man were the only ones left in the room.
They sat down facing each other, both smiling widely.
“You’re really such a patient lass. I believe you’d be willing and patient enough even if I made you stay here for a year. But, I’m not such an unreasonable person. I reckon you must be extremely eager and anxious to know your husband’s fate. I shall reveal it to you right now,” said the elderly man.
An Xiaoning held her breath and kept her eyes fixed on him.
“Based on the name, birth characters, and home address you gave me, your husband is still alive.”
His words empowered An Xiaoning and gave her endless hope. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, and she was sent into a state of agitation. “Really?” she asked, unsure where she should place her hands.
“Absolutely, without a doubt. He’s not an ordinary person. I would’ve found it very peculiar if it were anyone else. But, it’s understandable since he’s a descendant of the Jin family.”
“Uncle, what do you mean?”
“The Jin family used to be a large family with extended members. It’s actually rather shocking to see how few descendants there are left today. Since you’re the daughter-in-law of the Jin family, shouldn’t you be aware of the reason why the Jin family is extraordinary?”
An Xiaoning shook her head and said, “I don’t know.”
“How could you not be aware of that? Didn’t the elders of the Jin family tell you about it before? The Jin family are the descendants of the Dragon.”
“What!?!” An Xiaoning gasped in utter shock, as if she had just heard the most absurd thing ever.
“The ancestor of the Jin family fell in love with the Dragon Maiden and gave rise to their descendants. The Jin family bloodline had always been extraordinary. The reason why there had been peace within the family for so long is merely because their family heirloom has yet to unleash its power. They’re not suspiciously different from ordinary people, apart from being much more intelligent.”
An Xiaoning was suddenly reminded of the jade ring on Jin Qingyan’s thumb, which was sculpted in the shape of a dragon.
“Uncle, I think I know what heirloom you’re talking about. My husband has shown it to me before,” she said, overwhelmed with shock and bewilderment.
“I heard that the Jin family heirloom is spiritual and would never leave once it has found its owner.”
An Xiaoning immediately understood upon recalling how Jin Qingyan could never remove the ring on his thumb.
“Uncle, what are the purposes of their family heirloom?”
“I’m not too sure about the rest, but one thing I know for sure is that it protects the life of its owner. After the passing of so many generations, I reckon the Jin family may no longer be clear about the purposes of the family heirloom.”
“Uncle, how did you know about these? I know you’re not an ordinary person, but I just feel like you seem to know everything about the Jin family and their ancestors. Could you possibly be a deity?” An Xiaoning asked while staring at him intently.
The elderly man smiled without answering her question. “That’s enough. Now that you know your husband is still alive, shouldn’t you be hurrying along to look for him?”
“Yes.” An Xiaoning stood up and bowed down to him before saying, “Thank you, Uncle. When I’ve found my husband, I’ll bring him here to thank you again.”
“It’s alright. We won’t meet again.”
Knowing that the elderly man did not wish to be disturbed or imposed on, An Xiaoning did not say anything else and instead retreated out of the room slowly.
Fan Shixin was already waiting for her in the yard.
“Young Madam, has he told you yet?”
“Let’s go,” she said, taking the lead.
They then followed her and walked out of the courtyard. An Xiaoning turned behind to take one last glance before leaving.
While they were on the helicopter, Fan Shixin asked, “Did Uncle mention the exact location?”
“He’s a fortune-teller, not a global positioning system. How could he possibly deduce the location too? It’s enough to know that Qingyan is still alive. At least my efforts and time didn’t go to waste. I have a strong feeling that this elderly man seems to be a deity or something of the sort. He doesn’t seem to be an ordinary fortune-teller,” said An Xiaoning.
“Young Madam, fortune-tellers like you are extraordinary to begin with. Look, you couldn’t read Young Sir’s fortune, but the elderly man managed to. That just means he’s superior in terms of capability. He definitely isn’t ordinary since he’s willing to live alone on the mountains in the woods and is not after fame or money.”
“He even knows about the Jin family’s history and ancestors. That was what really surprised me.”
“Given what you said, why do I feel like he’s been living for a lot of years?”
“Shixin, turn the helicopter around. I’d like to speak to the elderly man about something.”
Fan Shixin nodded in agreement.
They then walked along the route back to the elderly man’s abode. To their astonishment, the yard was missing and the wooden house was no longer in sight, as if it had never existed in the first place.
“Young Madam… what’s going on? We didn’t go the wrong way. I’ve been taking this route every single day for the past month. It’s impossible that I’ve made a mistake. Where’s the wooden house? Where’s Uncle?”
An Xiaoning immediately understood the situation. “I initially wanted to ask Uncle how old he was this year. Seems like there’s no need for that anymore.”
“Young Madam, what do you mean…”
“Nothing is impossible in this world. Uncle is indeed no ordinary human. Perhaps he had used a diversionary trick to keep the wooden house completely obscured. Or perhaps the wooden house, the sheep, and the chickens never existed in the first place. Maybe Uncle is not even human and is a deity from Heaven. Let’s leave this place and stop imposing on him,” said An Xiaoning, gesturing for them to leave.
“Yes.”
On the flight back home, An Xiaoning instructed sternly, “You’re all not to breathe a single word about what happened here to anyone at all. Hear me?”
“Yes!” they chorused unanimously.
“But, Young Madam, that was really so incredible and fantastical. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. I think he was putting you to a test by making you live with him for a month, Young Madam,” said Xiao Huang.
“Yeah, he probably knows what he’d like to test about me. Let’s not dwell on those any further.” An Xiaoning turned to face Fan Shixin and asked, “Where did you hear about this Reverend?”
“I found out about him from my father. My father has been working for the Jin family for years. He’s been cultivating agriculture in the old mansion.”
“Your father told you?” An Xiaoning asked in surprise.
“Yes.”
“Who did your father hear about it from?” An Xiaoning asked. How could a gardener possibly know of the existence of such a powerful Reverend? she wondered in her head.
“I reckon he must’ve heard it from others. My father told me that many people in the past, including the wealthy and the powerful, have gone to the place we went in a bid to look for the Reverend, but to no avail. It sounded really unbelievable. There was an uproar because no one managed to see him then, according to my father,” Fan Shixin explained.
An Xiaoning nodded in acknowledgment and said, “Oh, I see. So many people failed to see him, but we managed to succeed on the first try. Shixin, do you think that’s fate?”
“Yes.”
“If fate allows, we’ll get to see Uncle again in the future. Even if we don’t, it’d be a blessing to have at least met him once in my life.”
“You’re right, Young Madam. Since Uncle has revealed that Young Sir is still alive, we have to buck up and keep searching for him carefully.”
One month was considered neither long nor short. The day that An Xiaoning had been waiting for finally arrived.
On this very day, the skies were clear and vast.
The weather was more pleasant than ever.
An Xiaoning woke up bright and early in the morning to feed the sheep and chickens.
She then cleaned the yard and garden before proceeding to make some breakfast by herself, despite having substandard culinary skills.
After having breakfast together, Xiao Huang and his colleagues took charge of washing the dishes.
An Xiaoning and the elderly man were the only ones left in the room.
They sat down facing each other, both smiling widely.
“You’re really such a patient lass. I believe you’d be willing and patient enough even if I made you stay here for a year. But, I’m not such an unreasonable person. I reckon you must be extremely eager and anxious to know your husband’s fate. I shall reveal it to you right now,” said the elderly man.
An Xiaoning held her breath and kept her eyes fixed on him.
“Based on the name, birth characters, and home address you gave me, your husband is still alive.”
His words empowered An Xiaoning and gave her endless hope. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, and she was sent into a state of agitation. “Really?” she asked, unsure where she should place her hands.
“Absolutely, without a doubt. He’s not an ordinary person. I would’ve found it very peculiar if it were anyone else. But, it’s understandable since he’s a descendant of the Jin family.”
“Uncle, what do you mean?”
“The Jin family used to be a large family with extended members. It’s actually rather shocking to see how few descendants there are left today. Since you’re the daughter-in-law of the Jin family, shouldn’t you be aware of the reason why the Jin family is extraordinary?”
An Xiaoning shook her head and said, “I don’t know.”
“How could you not be aware of that? Didn’t the elders of the Jin family tell you about it before? The Jin family are the descendants of the Dragon.”
“What!?!” An Xiaoning gasped in utter shock, as if she had just heard the most absurd thing ever.
“The ancestor of the Jin family fell in love with the Dragon Maiden and gave rise to their descendants. The Jin family bloodline had always been extraordinary. The reason why there had been peace within the family for so long is merely because their family heirloom has yet to unleash its power. They’re not suspiciously different from ordinary people, apart from being much more intelligent.”
An Xiaoning was suddenly reminded of the jade ring on Jin Qingyan’s thumb, which was sculpted in the shape of a dragon.
“Uncle, I think I know what heirloom you’re talking about. My husband has shown it to me before,” she said, overwhelmed with shock and bewilderment.
“I heard that the Jin family heirloom is spiritual and would never leave once it has found its owner.”
An Xiaoning immediately understood upon recalling how Jin Qingyan could never remove the ring on his thumb.
“Uncle, what are the purposes of their family heirloom?”
“I’m not too sure about the rest, but one thing I know for sure is that it protects the life of its owner. After the passing of so many generations, I reckon the Jin family may no longer be clear about the purposes of the family heirloom.”
“Uncle, how did you know about these? I know you’re not an ordinary person, but I just feel like you seem to know everything about the Jin family and their ancestors. Could you possibly be a deity?” An Xiaoning asked while staring at him intently.
The elderly man smiled without answering her question. “That’s enough. Now that you know your husband is still alive, shouldn’t you be hurrying along to look for him?”
“Yes.” An Xiaoning stood up and bowed down to him before saying, “Thank you, Uncle. When I’ve found my husband, I’ll bring him here to thank you again.”
“It’s alright. We won’t meet again.”
Knowing that the elderly man did not wish to be disturbed or imposed on, An Xiaoning did not say anything else and instead retreated out of the room slowly.
Fan Shixin was already waiting for her in the yard.
“Young Madam, has he told you yet?”
“Let’s go,” she said, taking the lead.
They then followed her and walked out of the courtyard. An Xiaoning turned behind to take one last glance before leaving.
While they were on the helicopter, Fan Shixin asked, “Did Uncle mention the exact location?”
“He’s a fortune-teller, not a global positioning system. How could he possibly deduce the location too? It’s enough to know that Qingyan is still alive. At least my efforts and time didn’t go to waste. I have a strong feeling that this elderly man seems to be a deity or something of the sort. He doesn’t seem to be an ordinary fortune-teller,” said An Xiaoning.
“Young Madam, fortune-tellers like you are extraordinary to begin with. Look, you couldn’t read Young Sir’s fortune, but the elderly man managed to. That just means he’s superior in terms of capability. He definitely isn’t ordinary since he’s willing to live alone on the mountains in the woods and is not after fame or money.”
“He even knows about the Jin family’s history and ancestors. That was what really surprised me.”
“Given what you said, why do I feel like he’s been living for a lot of years?”
“Shixin, turn the helicopter around. I’d like to speak to the elderly man about something.”
Fan Shixin nodded in agreement.
They then walked along the route back to the elderly man’s abode. To their astonishment, the yard was missing and the wooden house was no longer in sight, as if it had never existed in the first place.
“Young Madam… what’s going on? We didn’t go the wrong way. I’ve been taking this route every single day for the past month. It’s impossible that I’ve made a mistake. Where’s the wooden house? Where’s Uncle?”
An Xiaoning immediately understood the situation. “I initially wanted to ask Uncle how old he was this year. Seems like there’s no need for that anymore.”
“Young Madam, what do you mean…”
“Nothing is impossible in this world. Uncle is indeed no ordinary human. Perhaps he had used a diversionary trick to keep the wooden house completely obscured. Or perhaps the wooden house, the sheep, and the chickens never existed in the first place. Maybe Uncle is not even human and is a deity from Heaven. Let’s leave this place and stop imposing on him,” said An Xiaoning, gesturing for them to leave.
“Yes.”
On the flight back home, An Xiaoning instructed sternly, “You’re all not to breathe a single word about what happened here to anyone at all. Hear me?”
“Yes!” they chorused unanimously.
“But, Young Madam, that was really so incredible and fantastical. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. I think he was putting you to a test by making you live with him for a month, Young Madam,” said Xiao Huang.
“Yeah, he probably knows what he’d like to test about me. Let’s not dwell on those any further.” An Xiaoning turned to face Fan Shixin and asked, “Where did you hear about this Reverend?”
“I found out about him from my father. My father has been working for the Jin family for years. He’s been cultivating agriculture in the old mansion.”
“Your father told you?” An Xiaoning asked in surprise.
“Yes.”
“Who did your father hear about it from?” An Xiaoning asked. How could a gardener possibly know of the existence of such a powerful Reverend? she wondered in her head.
“I reckon he must’ve heard it from others. My father told me that many people in the past, including the wealthy and the powerful, have gone to the place we went in a bid to look for the Reverend, but to no avail. It sounded really unbelievable. There was an uproar because no one managed to see him then, according to my father,” Fan Shixin explained.
An Xiaoning nodded in acknowledgment and said, “Oh, I see. So many people failed to see him, but we managed to succeed on the first try. Shixin, do you think that’s fate?”
“Yes.”
“If fate allows, we’ll get to see Uncle again in the future. Even if we don’t, it’d be a blessing to have at least met him once in my life.”
“You’re right, Young Madam. Since Uncle has revealed that Young Sir is still alive, we have to buck up and keep searching for him carefully.”
