Chapter 42

The next morning, Nian Qi’s chin was already covered in stubble, which amazed Ruan Qing at how fast his beard grew. Nian Qi touched his chin and told her, “I’ll shave once everything’s settled.” Beards were rare in this era; even older men typically kept their chins clean-shaven.

Ruan Qing thought he would need rice and flour for appearances, but Nian Qi explained, “A person living deep in the mountains wouldn’t likely have rice or flour on hand; they’d have to go down the mountain regularly for it.” Instead, he bought some rough grains, and, noticing a decorative string of dried corn hanging outside the store, he decided to buy that as well. He also inquired where he could buy things like lime.

Since Ruan Qing didn’t know, she asked some locals for directions. Fortunately, the county town was small, and most shops were clustered in the same area. Just down the neighboring street, there was a hardware store where Nian Qi found everything he needed. Once he’d loaded everything up, he assured her, “Don’t worry.”

He added, “I’ve stayed in places ten times as remote, only coming out every few months. I’ll be fine. People from the past may lack your modern technology, but they’re far better equipped to survive in the wild.”

Ruan Qing reminded him, “Alright, just be mindful of the time. I’ll be back here at 6 p.m. to pick you up. Remember how to use the map app?”

“I remember. I’ve got it all down,” Nian Qi replied. “I’ll send you my location once I find it.” With his quick learning and impressive agility, Ruan Qing finally felt reassured as she watched him disappear into the forest. She drove back to her hotel in the county town, where her father called.

“Your Grandpa Qi just called to ask when you’re coming over to visit,” he said.

“Oh, not sure. I’m still in Jiangcheng right now,” Ruan Qing fibbed, “Maybe in a couple of days. I thought I’d have everything done in one day, but, well, plans change.”

There was no word from Nian Qi, and though she wanted to text him, she worried he might get distracted on those rugged trails. She waited patiently until he sent his location that afternoon. But when she opened the map, it was just a blank, green screen—deep in the mountains.

She called him, “Did you find the cave?”

Nian Qi’s voice came through in fragments, “Found… not here… distance… only this… signal…”

Ruan Qing understood, “Is the signal bad? Don’t worry; I get it. So should I come and get you?”

Nian Qi replied, “No need… just… stay… I’ll finish up…”

Talking with poor signal was exhausting, so she switched to messaging instead. Messages came through slowly, but at least they were clear.

Nian Qi: [I found a suitable cave, but it’s a bit of a distance from where this signal works. I still need to organize things there, so don’t worry about picking me up today. I’ll spend the night here instead.]

So, the plan had changed again?

Ruan Qing: [Are you sure you’ll be okay overnight? Do you have enough food?]

She’d only packed a day’s worth of food for him, not expecting he’d need to stay overnight.

Nian Qi replied: [I’ve still got supplies. I’m already cooking porridge.]

Ruan Qing: “???”

What? Cooking those coarse grains?

What did he use to cook with? That broken pot he picked up from the garbage yesterday? Weren’t those just for show? How did he actually end up using them? Yet Nian Qi messaged: [I’m heading back now since there’s no signal over there. Stick to the plan tomorrow; I’ll wait for you at the trailhead.]

Ruan Qing tried to text him again, but there was no reply, leaving her staring helplessly at her phone. With no other choice, she finally called her Grandpa Qi, “Hi, Grandpa Qi! It’s Ruan Qing. I’m on leave, so I’ll be visiting you first thing tomorrow…”

The twice-delayed plan was finally set in motion. The next day, Ruan Qing loaded her car with gifts of tea, baijiu, and cigarettes, all prepared for her Grandpa Qi, and headed to the village. Mountain villages like this one were often more isolated and, on average, poorer than those on the plains. She remembered visiting here as a child; villagers would chase after their car, but that was years ago. With the government’s new road initiatives, she figured things must have improved. Surely, the entire village wouldn’t come running after her car this time.

She was naive.

Because she didn’t enjoy being involved in the family business, Ruan Qing hadn’t really paid attention to it. She knew they employed many relatives from their hometown, but she didn’t realize that nearly 70-80% of the young men from the village worked in her family’s factory.

As her car approached the village entrance, she was stunned to see a whole crowd eagerly waiting. It was early morning—people in the city would barely be awake, but here it seemed like the whole village had come out to greet her. She hardly recognized anyone, except the elderly man at the front—her Grandpa Qi.

Watching her car slowly approach, Grandpa Qi’s face lit up with joy. With a wave, he shouted, “Aihua’s daughter is here!” And the crowd surged forward, a wave of people.

“She’s here!”

“Ruan Qing! Do you remember me? I’m your aunt!”

“Ruan Qing, I met you once at the factory! You had two little pigtails!”

“Ruan Qing, I’m your cousin’s fifth uncle!”

“Ruan Qing, why didn’t Aihua come with you?”

Only then did Ruan Qing fully realize the standing her mild-mannered father held in the village. No wonder each year relatives would haul bags upon bags of peanuts, sweet potatoes, and grains to their home. Her dad was truly a village icon.

Ruan Qing rolled down her window, her face aching from smiling as she kept telling everyone, “Please, please don’t stand in front of the car—watch your feet!”

With the villagers’ enthusiastic guidance, she parked her car at the village entrance. As soon as she stepped out, she was surrounded. When she opened the trunk, she didn’t need to lift a thing. Countless hands helped carry everything, escorting her all the way to Grandpa Qi’s house.

And despite her insistence that she’d already had breakfast, her protests fell on deaf ears as they ushered her to the table, insisting she eat. Surrounded by so many expectant faces, she couldn’t refuse and managed to eat a massive steamed bun—as big as her fist. A tea-soaked egg—apparently steeped overnight and indeed flavorful. And a bowl of freshly made soy milk, ground early that morning by one of her aunts.

Grandpa Qi had apparently been organizing this breakfast for her since yesterday afternoon.

“It’s a pity Xiangyun isn’t here. He’s at a county meeting and won’t be back until tomorrow,” Grandpa Qi said.

After breakfast, he led Ruan Qing into the house for a more private chat.

He found the crowd a bit overwhelming, so he sent everyone away and came back to chat with Ruan Qing. Ruan Xiangyun, the man in question, was Ruan Qing’s Grandpa Qi’s son, making him her uncle by family hierarchy. He was the village party secretary. She remembered meeting him when he visited her family home before. When it came time to settle Nian Qi in the village as a “mountain recluse,” she’d have to go through him for things like registration.

After some polite conversation with her Grandpa Qi, Ruan Qing mentioned her plan to explore the mountains. Her uncle already knew, thanks to her father, that she was a designer—a creative, needing to gather inspiration. He promptly stood up, insisting on finding her a guide. But that would ruin the plan! Ruan Qing’s heart sank, and she mustered every ounce of charm to refuse. Resisting the villagers’ well-meaning enthusiasm took considerable effort!

Finally, clutching her uncle’s hand, she put on her best “good child” look and said, “Grandpa Qi, you don’t understand; I need to be completely alone to gather inspiration in untouched nature. It has to be completely quiet—no one else in sight!” Her Grandpa Qi was powerless against her earnest expression, but he still hesitated. “What if you get lost?”

Ruan Qing almost swore to the heavens, “I’m just taking pictures and looking at the scenery; I’m not one of those hardcore hikers, and I’m definitely not venturing too far.” He cautioned, “The weather changes quickly in the mountains; a different climate’s just over the next ridge. Rain can come out of nowhere.” She patted her backpack confidently, “I brought a raincoat.”

Finally, she promised her uncle she’d stay on the outer edges and not go deep into the mountains. With a smile that stretched her cheeks sore, she climbed into her car, waved goodbye to everyone, and said, “I’m off!” The day hadn’t even begun, and she already felt exhausted.

Driving out of the village, she arrived at the familiar spot where she and Nian Qi had been a few times before. She looked around but didn’t see any sign of him. Just as she was about to call, a “creature” swooped down from above like a great bird.

After dealing with half the village all morning, Ruan Qing was frazzled, and the surprise made her yelp, tossing her phone. Thankfully, the “creature” caught it mid-air. She focused and realized—who else could it be but Nian Qi?

He looked absurdly authentic, almost too much so. He was wearing secondhand clothes he had personally reworked, a bizarre ensemble of a blue uniform pants with a Taoist robe. Coarse rope, which they’d scavenged from some village trash heap, tied his waist and legs. His normally handsome face was scruffy, with long, unwashed hair tied into a Taoist topknot using a peeled branch. Strands of hair hung down messily, completing his “beggar aesthetic” perfectly. A vegetable knife was strapped to his leg, a machete to his waist. This was no ordinary disguise; it was almost disturbingly realistic.

Ruan Qing clutched her chest, “You nearly scared me to death! Why did you suddenly jump out?”

Handing back her phone, he pointed upwards, “Didn’t want to risk being seen, so I was watching from the trees.” Ruan Qing looked up at the towering tree, two or three stories high.

“There’s no one here,” she said. “I didn’t see anyone all the way over. It’s still early; no one else would be in the mountains.”

This was exactly the sort of thing an out-of-towner would say. Usually, by this time, there’d be villagers gathering mountain produce to sell at the market—wild mushrooms and the like. But Ruan Qing had already called Grandpa Qi yesterday to tell him she’d be visiting today. It was a big deal for him! After hanging up, Grandpa Qi had gone around announcing, “Aihua’s daughter is coming to see me tomorrow!”

Everyone in the village knew her father, Ruan Aihua. Nearly every family had members working at his factory. Though he wasn’t born in the village, he was devoted to it, returning every three or four years to pay respects to his ancestors. Ruan Qing, on the other hand, hadn’t been back since she was very young, which made her arrival special. So that morning, everyone had waited at the village entrance to catch a glimpse of Aihua’s daughter, which was why no one else had gone up into the mountains.

Seeing Nian Qi restored her energy, sweeping away her fatigue. Slinging her backpack on with renewed enthusiasm, she said, “Let’s go! Show me the site!”