Sunlight dappled the ground with patches of tree shadows. Occasionally, a gentle breeze would stir, rustling the leaves and bringing with it the incessant chirping of cicadas. The noise was loud, yet it underscored the profound silence of the forest.

A brown hare lay comfortably under a spot of sunlight, its eyes slightly narrowed in contentment, seemingly on the verge of sleep. Its lips twitched occasionally, perhaps dreaming of something pleasant.

Suddenly, the sound of something slicing through the air broke the silence. A rough, homemade arrow sped towards the hare, striking its neck before it could react. The hare fell to the ground, dead before it even had the chance to fully open its eyes.

Tall grass parted as a large man in short, rough-hewn clothes stepped forward from behind. His face, backlit by the sun, gradually became clear—distinct features, handsome, with sharp brows and bright eyes. His presence was imposing, not someone easily trifled with.

He walked over to where the hare had fallen, bent down to pick it up by its long ears, and pulled out the arrow, tossing it into the basket on his back.

Casually, he wiped the arrow clean with some leaves before sliding it back into the leather quiver at his waist.

Now standing in the same spot where the hare had been basking, he looked up, squinting against the sunlight that hit his face.

Shielding his eyes with a hand, the right eye peeking through his fingers gleamed amber in the light.

Zhou Song wiped the sweat from his forehead and decided to head home, stepping into the cooler shade of the trees. It was late summer, not yet autumn, and the weather was still unbearably hot. The wildlife on the mountain was scarce and lean, not worth hunting extensively.

As he made his way down the mountain, Zhou Song picked some wild vegetables to throw into his basket, planning to stir-fry them for dinner. He also pulled off a couple of fruits, wiped them on his clothes, and popped them into his mouth to quench his thirst.

He hadn’t ventured deep into the mountain today; the trails showed signs of frequent village use, and the wild fruits left on the trees were a bit sour. After tasting one, he didn’t bother with more.

Reaching the river at the base of the mountain, he could hear laughter and chatter from afar. In the afternoon, many village women and aunts came out to wash clothes, gossiping by the river.

As Zhou Song approached, a sharp-eyed aunt spotted him and called out, “Zhou boy, been hunting in the mountains again?”

Zhou Song didn’t speak, just nodded in response, crouched by the river to wash his face, and casually dried it with his sleeve.

Standing up, he adjusted the straps of his basket and stepped across the river stones, leaving the chattering group behind.

As he walked away, the aunt who had called out to him sighed, “That Zhou boy is so withdrawn. He’s almost twenty; when will he find a wife?”

“Ah, it’s not that he can’t find one,” another younger woman said, continuing to scrub her laundry, “He just isn’t interested. People have been practically breaking down his door to propose, and he hasn’t agreed to a single one.”

“Yeah, with Zhou boy being the only Qian Yuan¹ in ten villages, he ought to be picky. No ordinary girl would catch his eye,” another aunt laughed, waving her hand dismissively. Then she lowered her voice, “I heard that even the Yuanwai from the next village tried to arrange a marriage, and Zhou boy turned it down.”

“What? The Yuanwai from next door?” the first aunt exclaimed in surprise, “I remember their unmarried daughter is quite a catch, good looking and well-shaped, and Zhou boy isn’t interested?”

“Who knows what he’s thinking? We can’t guess,” the younger woman shrugged.

•

At this moment, Zhou Song had already reached his home. He unloaded his bow and basket, scooping up half a scoop of water from the kitchen tank and drank it down in a few gulps.

He grabbed a basin and headed back to the courtyard, dragging a small stool to sit under the eaves in the shade, pulling out the rabbit and pheasant from the basket to prepare them.

The smell of blood was strong but Zhou Song, long accustomed to it, didn’t even frown.

“Is my big nephew home?” A woman’s voice called out as she pushed open the half-closed wooden door and walked in, not waiting for a response.

Zhou Song didn’t say anything, just grabbed a cloth to casually wipe his hands.

“Ah, finally found you at home. Earlier, there was no one,” the woman said with a smile, looking familiar and friendly. She was Hu Lan, Zhou Song’s aunt by marriage.

Without waiting for Zhou Song to reply, she glanced behind him, noticing the cleaned game in the basin, her eyes lighting up, “You’ve been up the mountain? Perfect timing. Your granny has been craving meat these days.”

Catching her hint, Zhou Song didn’t say much. He turned back, picked up a rabbit from the basin, and handed it to her.

“Oh, how can I accept this?” Hu Lan said, but her actions were swift in taking the rabbit, her eyes twinkling with a mix of pity and joy.

Zhou Song thought she would leave after taking the rabbit, but her smile faded, and she looked concerned, “Big nephew, I heard that Li Yuanwai proposed a match for you, and you refused?”

Zhou Song looked up at her.

“It’s not that I’m being nosy,” Hu Lan hurried to explain, “It’s your granny who sent me to ask. The Li family’s daughter is quite the match, and reportedly not bad-looking. Why wouldn’t you be interested?”

Zhou Song didn’t respond, turning back to continue working on the rabbit skin.

Seeing his demeanor, Hu Lan sighed deeply, “Alright, you live by yourself now and make your own decisions. We can’t dictate your life. I’ll go back and explain to your granny.”

After speaking, she watched Zhou Song silently working on the skin, thinking to herself that he was a tough nut to crack. Not wanting to overstay her welcome, she left.

The courtyard finally quiet once more, Zhou Song shook off the excess fat from the rabbit skin and hung it up to dry. He changed the water in the basin to clean his hands, disposing of the dirty water and placing the wooden basin back in the corner.

“Knock knock.”

The loosely closed wooden door was tapped a few times. Turning around, Zhou Song saw a head poking around from behind it, smiling, “Brother Song!”

Recognizing him, Zhou Song’s expression softened, and he waved him in.

Lin Erzhu didn’t hesitate, stepping into the courtyard with a smile. His tall, plump figure was endearing, and his round face was always pleasant to look at.

He pointed outside, “I saw your aunt just left with a rabbit. Coming to mooch again?”

His words were straightforward, clearly not fond of the visitor.

Zhou Song didn’t answer directly, just asked, “What’s up?”

His voice was low and resonant, very composed.

Lin Erzhu didn’t push the issue, smiling instead, “Ah, my wife’s been in a bad mood, doesn’t want me around, so I was just heading to the fields. Thought I’d see if you’d come along, keep me company.”

Their homes were close, and their fields adjoined, often helping each other out when one finished early.

No wonder he was heading out in the afternoon. Zhou Song glanced at the sky, still early enough before dinner, and nodded in agreement to join him.

Their wheat was growing well; they hadn’t needed to be in the fields much recently, just watering and checking for pests every other day, which didn’t take much effort.

“Supposed to be autumn soon, but it doesn’t feel like it’s cooling down at all,” Lin Erzhu said, wiping sweat from his brow as they walked, feeling the intense heat of the afternoon sun.

After the official start of autumn, the real heatwave would begin, and for someone like him who disliked the heat, it was unbearable.

Walking along, Zhou Song’s forehead also showed fine beads of sweat, but he seemed unaffected.

Lin Erzhu was used to his quiet friend and didn’t wait for an answer, just continued, “My wife’s been feeling the heat too, no appetite, threw up twice at noon, looking thinner by the day…”

He had married the previous year, and his wife was already five months pregnant. Being nearly a year younger than Zhou Song, his mother had used his wedding as an opportunity to nudge Zhou Song towards marriage, but to no avail.

“Brother Song, next time you go up the mountain, take me with you. I’ll gather some wild fruits, have my mom pickle them. Maybe it’ll help my wife eat more, and we can snag a wild chicken to boost her health.”

Zhou Song listened to his rambling and nodded.

Both raised by the mountains, Lin Erzhu didn’t have Zhou Song’s skill in hunting or navigating the wilds. His talents lay elsewhere, and while not as bright as Zhou Song, he had always followed him around, the village teasing that he was Zhou Song’s tag-along, a title he wore proudly.

Zhou Song was exceptional, stronger and better than others. Being his sidekick wasn’t something just anyone could manage.

Despite Zhou Song’s reserved nature and seeming approachability, he was actually hard to get close to. If not for Lin Erzhu’s persistent following over the years, he wouldn’t have been accepted as a friend.

As Lin Erzhu chatted, they reached their fields, the lush green of the wheat a pleasing sight. Once harvested, it would translate into tangible earnings, vital for the villagers’ livelihood.

Zhou Song owned seven acres in total, five inherited from his parents and two he had bought later. Managing this land alone was tough, especially during planting and harvesting, often leaving him unable to straighten his back for days.

But as a Qianyuan, and spending his days in the mountains, he was beyond ordinary strength. While others struggled with one acre, he could nearly finish two, working both fast and well.

With no one else in the fields at this hour, they inspected their crops separately, finding no major issues. The grain was growing well.

Not in a rush to head back, Lin Erzhu pulled Zhou Song to sit under a tree at the field’s edge to rest, noticing Zhou Song’s muscular forearms as he rolled up his sleeves slightly because of the heat, “Besides going up the mountain, I don’t see you doing much more work than me… why the difference…”

Commenting, he pinched his own somewhat soft belly. He wasn’t really fat, just robust, having always looked like a big dumpling since childhood. Daily farm work hadn’t slimmed him down, just firmed him up a bit.

“Ah…” he sighed deeply, “Is this the difference between an ordinary person and a Qianyuan…”

He often lamented this way, and Zhou Song was used to it, ignoring him.

Lin Erzhu didn’t take offense, just elbowed him playfully, “Hey, Brother Song, with such good prospects, isn’t it a waste not to marry soon?”

Hearing his nonsense, Zhou Song glanced at him and pushed away the face coming too close, “No need to marry, I’m fine on my own.”

More people meant more chaos, constant noise and bustle, entertaining to some but never peaceful. Better to live alone.

He stood up, facing the setting sun, “Let’s go, time for dinner.”

Lin Erzhu looked up at him and followed as he got up.

Since the deaths of his uncles and aunts, Zhou Song had grown more reclusive, interacting normally with the villagers but close to no one, not even Lin Erzhu, who had thickened his skin to stay accepted.

Sometimes jokingly urging him to marry was just a wish for someone to accompany him, to alleviate the loneliness of solo living.

Lin Erzhu sighed inwardly, catching up to Zhou Song who had started walking away, grinning, “Brother Song, come to my house tonight. My mom said to bring you for dinner, and let me tell you…”

His chatter filled the air as Zhou Song walked ahead, only half-listening, occasionally responding noncommittally.

See, more people, more noise.

1. Qian Yuan – Similar to Alpha ↩︎