“Yao, three earths forming a mountain, implying loftiness. Not bad, not bad.”

Inside the small temple of Bajiao Village, Old Yu the Spirit Medium looked at the three “earth” characters Pan Sanjin had written on the paper, nodding repeatedly with his hands behind his back.

Tsk, the name is good, it’s just that Sanjin’s handwriting is a bit ugly.

“So it’s really pronounced Yao? I thought the little girl had just made up a character.” Pan Sanjin glanced outside at Pan Yao, quite surprised. “Good, good, my girl is more capable than I am. She truly is the big moon I dreamt of.”

Towards the end, Pan Sanjin became smug.

Old Yu the Spirit Medium was also smug. “If I hadn’t interpreted the dream for you, you wouldn’t have known it was a pregnancy dream, and you wouldn’t have brought her here. In a way, the bond between you father and daughter was brought about by me.”

“Right, right, thanks to you, Old Spirit Medium.” Pan Sanjin was grateful.

If he hadn’t known about the pregnancy dream beforehand, he definitely wouldn’t have gone when Zhou Aifeng sent the letter!

That little sister-in-law was no good. Seeing that they didn’t have children, she even encouraged Aihong to find someone else to have a child with. This matter disgusted not only him but also his Aihong. The two families had already stopped interacting much.

Thinking of this, Pan Sanjin immediately gave Old Yu the Spirit Medium a thumbs up.

“Old Spirit Medium, you’re really amazing! Your ability to divine and calculate is this!” He emphasized with the gesture. “That half-section of chicken I gave you was well worth it.”

Old Yu the Spirit Medium brought up the old score. “Come on, you stingy fellow. You even cut off a piece of the chicken rump, don’t think I don’t know.”

“This…” Pan Sanjin chuckled sheepishly. “I was being stingy. How about I bring you another one later?”

Old Yu the Spirit Medium: “Get out, get out!”

…

Over here, Pan Sanjin and Old Yu the Spirit Medium were chatting idly, holding large palm-leaf fans and drinking bowls of cold tea. The summer cicadas added their chorus to the mix, creating a unique atmosphere of leisure.

Under the big banyan tree, Pan Yao was also curiously examining this small temple.

Vermillion walls, wooden windows with octagonal lattice patterns, a hip-and-gable roof, and several small statues of immortals and running beasts placed on top. It had a simple, rustic charm.

Huh? Immortals and running beasts?

Upon seeing the stone-carved immortals and running beasts, Pan Yao was about to look away, when suddenly, she seemed to see something. Her eyes widened slightly.

“Am I seeing things? Why does that statue of an immortal seem especially bright?”

She rubbed her eyes, blinked again, and finally, Pan Yao confirmed that she wasn’t seeing things.

Of course it was bright!

She saw that when the light approached the immortals and running beasts near the eaves, the previously uniform brightness instantly transformed into shimmering rays of light. These rays of light swirled around the damaged statue of the immortal, occasionally darting inside.

Subtle, but impossible to ignore.

And this particular immortal statue looked quite familiar. It was sitting on a large rooster, wearing wide, flowing robes, its posture elegant and otherworldly.

Pan Yao’s expression became a bit strange.

She had a similar figurine since she was little! Not as Lai Di, but as Pan Yao, the eighteen-year-old Pan Yao.

She had found that figurine. Because it was a figurine of a person riding a rooster, it looked quite childish and fun, and she liked it very much.

She especially liked to look at the figurine riding the rooster; she always thought it looked particularly majestic. When she played house as a child, it was always her most loyal companion.

Because of her fondness and companionship, she always kept this figurine in her backpack. Even when she had the accident and fell into the river, that figurine was with her.

Under the bright sun, Pan Yao narrowed her eyes, tilting her head to look at the eaves of the small temple.

However, compared to the figurine she loved, the one on the temple eaves was pitifully damaged. Its head was missing, and one of the rooster’s wings was chipped. It looked dusty and gray.

Could this be her little figurine?

Or was it just a coincidence?

Pan Yao was a little hesitant.

Suddenly, Pan Yao remembered the shadow she had seen at the bottom of the river. Although she hadn’t seen its nose, mouth, or eyes, she had seen the scar. The shadow had a red mark on its neck, like a scar, or like a vine.

It was as if the neck had been injured and sewn up, leaving a scar after it healed.

Pan Yao looked at the immortals and running beasts again.

Was this really the rooster immortal she had treasured since she was a child? Was it the one that saved her?

Then where was its head? Where should she look for its head?

…

“Panpan, let’s go. Call out to your Grandpa Yu.”

Before Pan Yao could figure it out, Pan Sanjin, holding a sea bowl and having finished the remaining cold tea in one gulp, called out to Pan Yao.

“Goodbye, Grandpa Yu.”

“Hey, come play again when you have time.”

Pan Sanjin took Pan Yao’s hand and walked along the dirt road towards the Pan house.

…

The breeze blew in through the wooden windows with octagonal lattice patterns, rustling the pages of the handwritten blue-covered book on the table. The paper rubbed together, making rustling sounds.

“Heh, this thing left behind by the ancestors, it’s really accurate!” Old Yu the Spirit Medium grabbed the book from the table, patted it lovingly, and his old face creased into a smile.

Although his abilities weren’t great, he relied on his glib tongue, his ability to talk and boast, and his good handwriting. He usually put on a show of profoundness, spoke in half-sentences, and then talked about spirits and ghosts. If he didn’t know something, he’d say it was a secret of heaven that couldn’t be revealed. If something didn’t come true, he’d say the opportunity hadn’t arrived. In this way, he managed to earn a living.

And now, this pregnancy dream of the Pan family, by a stroke of luck, he’d actually managed to make it all fit!

Heh, it was really amazing.

Not bad, not bad. Old Yu the Spirit Medium was satisfied. He crossed his legs and continued to doze off.

…

Over there, Pan Yao was also inquiring about this small temple in Bajiao Village.

“Which deity is enshrined in the temple? I didn’t see anything just now. The temple only had Grandpa Yu’s bed and table.”

“There’s no deity enshrined there anymore. They were all destroyed during the Breaking of the Four Olds,” Pan Sanjin replied casually.

“Those years were chaotic. People swarmed in, smashed the statues, and threw them into the river. The clay ones were useless, but the wooden ones weren’t wasted. They were dragged home and used for firewood! It’s only because Old Yu the Spirit Medium is still living there, adding a bit of life, otherwise, that temple would definitely be deserted.”

Seeing that Pan Yao was listening intently, he continued.

“It’s not like it was before, but everyone is focused on their own bellies. It’s good to have money to buy a couple more jin of meat, add a dish to the family meal, or buy a new outfit for the children.”

“Even if families have extra money and want to invite back the statues and worship the deities to protect their homes and ensure safety, they wouldn’t dare to take the lead in doing so.”

Pan Yao understood. They were afraid of being the nail that sticks out and gets hammered down.

She couldn’t help but say, “It’s not easy being a person, and it’s not easy being a god either.”

“That’s right!” Pan Sanjin laughed loudly and reached out to ruffle the little girl’s hair. “Our Panpan knows so much!”

On the road, they saw a jasmine bush. Pan Sanjin had Pan Yao stand in the shade of the tree and carefully picked the unopened flower buds, gathering a handful.

“Smell it.” Pan Sanjin picked up a few flowers and placed them in Pan Yao’s hands, smiling.

Under the sunlight, his face was a bit dark. It was very hot, and the sun made one’s head feel like it was steaming. Big drops of sweat fell down his cheeks, making him look a bit disheveled. However, his eyes were very bright, slightly narrowed, and filled with affection as he looked at Pan Yao.

“It smells good!” Pan Yao was delighted and responded loudly.

“Let’s go. Your mom has already cooked dinner. If we don’t go back, she’ll be yelling for us.”

…

Pan Yao settled down in the Pan family in Bajiao Village.

Bajiao Village was different from Phoenix Island. It was far from the urban area of City A, separated by a large river. The day Pan Yao came to Bajiao Village from Phoenix Island, besides taking three trolleybuses, she also took a ferry, and finally rowed their own small boat from the ferry terminal to reach Bajiao Village.

Bajiao Village was located near mountains and water. Besides farming and fishing, many villagers had a skill: shipbuilding.

Boats like fishing boats, dragon boats, and large passenger boats… the village’s shipyard could make them all! Pan Sanjin had this shipbuilding skill.

Besides the income from the land, when the shipyard had a lot of work, he could also go to the shipyard to work and earn some wages. Adding Pan Yao to the family didn’t feel like a heavy burden.

Pan Sanjin and Zhou Aihong were both good people. Although Pan Sanjin was a bit stingy with outsiders, he was generous with his family. In just a few days, Pan Yao got used to calling them Dad and Mom, and she also got used to them calling her Panpan.

“Panpan, come eat watermelon. Mom chilled a watermelon in the well today. It’s so sweet, so sweet.”

“Okay, coming.”

Hearing Zhou Aihong’s loud call from inside the house, Pan Yao scrambled down from the reclining chair, slipped on her sandals, and ran into the house with a “da da da” sound.

“Mom, I’ll wash my hands first.”

Zhou Aihong and Pan Sanjin watched the little girl tiptoe, wash her hands in the washbasin, and then climb onto the long bench and sit down properly.

She was short, so her feet dangled in the air when she sat on the high stool.

As she waited obediently at the dining table to eat watermelon, her little braids swayed back and forth.

The two adults exchanged a look, and they could see the smiles in each other’s eyes.

Having a child in the house really made the days feel hopeful.

The usual, ordinary scene, with the addition of a child, seemed to be filled with endless warmth and fun.

“Eat, this piece is the sweetest.”

Zhou Aihong smiled and pushed the watermelon over.

Pan Yao took a look; it was the piece closest to the center of the watermelon, definitely the sweetest.

“Thank you, Mom.” Her voice was loud and clear.

“Silly child, why are you being so polite?” Zhou Aihong scolded playfully, but although she said that, her eyes and eyebrows were filled with smiles, her wrinkles softening.

Raising children, who wouldn’t like to raise one that was considerate and grateful?

Pan Yao ate the watermelon, listening to Pan Sanjin and Zhou Aihong chat idly.

The watermelon was of the sandy-fleshed variety, with black seeds inside. The rind was thick. With one bite, it was crisp, sweet, and juicy, with a refreshing sweetness. Even the part close to the rind was sweet. It was incredibly delicious.

Pan Sanjin: “Hey, why is the rind of my piece broken?”

Zhou Aihong didn’t think much of it. “It was fine when I put it in the well just now. Maybe it got bumped. It’s not a big deal.”

Pan Yao took a look. The piece of watermelon Pan Sanjin had was indeed broken, revealing the red flesh inside. It looked like something had secretly taken a couple of bites, making it unsightly.

“Dad, you eat this piece.” Pan Yao pushed another piece over.

These were the other two pieces Zhou Aihong had saved for Pan Yao, both near the center of the watermelon. The rinds were smooth and without any nicks. The key was, they were especially sweet!

Pan Sanjin was moved. “My daughter is so filial! No, no, you eat it, you eat it. This piece is sweet. Dad will eat this one.”

One large watermelon was too much for three people to finish. Their bellies were full, and to avoid waste, Pan Sanjin picked up the remaining two pieces of watermelon and prepared to go out.

He called out to Zhou Aihong.

“Hong’er, I’m taking Panpan to Old Yu the Spirit Medium’s place for a walk to aid digestion. I’ll take these two pieces of watermelon to him.”

“Go ahead. Watch Panpan carefully, don’t let her step on a snake.”

“Alright!”

…

Tonight was another full moon night. The sky was especially clear. Besides the full moon, which looked like a large plate, there were also many stars in the sky. The sky had a faint blue hue. Looking at it for too long would make one’s heart feel intoxicated.

The wind blew gently, and the leaves on both sides of the dirt road swayed, making rustling sounds, stretching out the leaves that had wilted from the sun during the day.

Pan Sanjin held a flashlight in one hand and a wooden stick in the other, occasionally sweeping it in front of him. He looked back and saw Pan Yao holding the two pieces of watermelon, her eyes focused on the watermelon, walking very carefully.

“Keep your eyes on the road ahead, don’t just look at the watermelon. Our Panpan is much more important than this watermelon,” Pan Sanjin said earnestly.

Pan Yao smiled upon hearing this. “Dad is the best.”

With this smile, her eyes curved, and a small dimple appeared on her cheek, sweet.

Pan Sanjin was very proud.

His Panpan was the cutest!

…

Bajiao Village didn’t have electricity yet. Every household used kerosene lamps, or candles. The tiny flames were dim and yellow, casting only a faint, shadowy light. The tin flashlight dutifully illuminated the road ahead.

The old temple was hidden in the darkness and couldn’t be seen yet. However, in Pan Yao’s eyes, the eaves of the old temple were exceptionally bright. The moonlight pouring down from the full moon in the sky transformed into shimmering rays of light, rushing towards the immortal statue on the corner of the eaves.

Dark night, bright moon, old temple, divine statue. This radiant light had a unique, mysterious beauty.

Pan Yao looked intently.

Over the past few days, through her observations, she believed that this immortal riding the rooster was cultivating. When his cultivation was complete, he would definitely repair his missing head.

The light was especially abundant tonight. Was it because it was a full moon?

Pan Yao looked at the moon in the sky and pondered silently.

Beside her, Pan Sanjin was still lamenting, “If I’d known there would be watermelon left over, I should have eaten the good pieces earlier and left the ones with the broken rind for Old Yu the Spirit Medium. A miscalculation.”

Pan Yao chuckled upon hearing this.

…

Amidst the chirping of cicadas, the two strolled along, and before they knew it, they were near the old temple.

At some point, the chirping of the cicadas faded, and the rustling of the summer wind blowing through the big banyan tree also faded. A kerosene lamp was lit on the Eight Immortals table in the old temple. Old Yu the Spirit Medium looked worried, looking at the person below the entrance, somewhat helpless.

“Comrade, I’m really not the person you’re looking for. You’ve got the wrong person. Please leave.”

“Is my lord truly so heartless?”

A delicate voice arose, melodious like the warbling of an oriole, filled with both sorrow and complaint. The intonation between the turns seemed to contain endless affection.

Pan Yao and Pan Sanjin had already arrived at the old temple, and they also saw the person standing below the old temple. They immediately stopped in their tracks.

Pan Yao: “Dad, who is that?”

“I don’t know either,” Pan Sanjin shook his head. “Probably a client of your Grandpa Yu. He has a good business, and people often come from other places to find him.”

Pan Yao took a look. The person’s attire was a bit strange, but in the future, people would even dress up as Spiderman.

Thinking of it this way, this outfit wasn’t strange. Maybe they had just come from a stage performance.

Indeed, under the moonlight, the person was wearing a pink opera costume, their figure graceful. Their face was pale, with a touch of red on their cheeks. Their eyes were full of charm.

The next moment, this person in the opera costume lifted the corner of their robe, stepped lightly, raised their hand in a gesture, lowered their head, and then looked back, pointing at Old Yu the Spirit Medium with a delicate orchid finger.

Tears shimmered in their eyes, but their expression was filled with hatred, resentment, affection, and longing. Then, a bold Huadan singing voice arose.

“You heartless man! When our love was strong, you held me in the moonlight, calling me your darling. Now, seeing that I’m old and faded, your love has waned, you don’t acknowledge me, and you even call me ‘Comrade’… You, you, you,”

He stamped his foot, his voice suddenly rising, like a heartbroken oriole.

“My lord, your heart is so cruel.”

Pan Sanjin roughly understood the “moonlight” and that shameful “darling.”

His eyes widened, and his gaze darted back and forth between the two. Finally, he also stamped his foot, heartbroken.

“Old Spirit Medium, you, you’re being foolish!”

There was still a crime of hooliganism now.

Old Yu the Spirit Medium: …

Under the eaves of the old temple’s main entrance, Old Yu the Spirit Medium had a messy beard, was thin and old, and looked exhausted and helpless.

Old Spirit Medium, Old Spirit Medium, but no spirit medium could be seen, only old.

The person wearing the opera costume below the entrance had delicate and moving eyebrows and eyes outlined in powder and ink. When they wiped their tears with a pink handkerchief, the hollowed-out colored clothes on their shoulders rustled with their soft weeping. Truly, every move and gesture was full of charm.

Yes, foolish indeed.

Pan Yao nodded repeatedly.

She lowered her head and looked at the two large red watermelons in her hands.

…It was fitting, it was fitting. What a big, juicy piece of gossip!