Bowing to Heaven and Earth1
Spring had reached its final stage, and the mountains and plains were teeming with vibrant green life.
Following the road to the hot spring inn up the mountain, the cement pavement was covered in the shadows of leaves, lush and green, winding and extending.
The island’s ancestral halls2 were all on the mountain, far from the residential areas, which also afforded the deities peace and quiet.
Although this road was rarely trodden, the path up the mountain was much easier to walk than the one Chi Qian had taken to bring Shi Jinlan home last time.
After all, the ancestral hall here enshrined deities. From time to time, the island’s residents would come to worship, and the village had designated people responsible for cleaning. No matter how winding the road was, it would not be swallowed by weeds.
Walking on such a road was reassuring, and the scent of spring floated in the air.
The already lush trees intertwined, their crowded branches and leaves forming a natural barrier. Even with the sun beating down, the road was not hot.
Chi Qian rode the little electric donkey3 with Shi Jinlan on the back, feeling as though they were out for taqing.4
She did not know why, but she inexplicably felt drawn to this place. The dense green that filled her vision felt familiar, as if she had been to such a place before in her past.
But as for when, Chi Qian could not recall.
Could it be that all the comfortable landscapes in the world were more or less the same?
“This place is so comfortable. I feel like it would be nice to come in the summer, too.” Thinking this, Chi Qian could not help but sigh with emotion.
“Yes, that’s why a certain someone often comes here to slack off as soon as summer arrives.” Yuan Ming, riding parallel to Chi Qian with Auntie Zhou, gently exposed Chi Qian with a warm smile.
Chi Qian had no idea the original owner5 had such habits. Before she could even marvel at the overlap between herself and the original owner in certain aspects, her heart faltered with uncertainty.
Yuan Ming grew up with the original owner; she could not let herself be exposed. So, she simply laughed it off. “Don’t expose my shortcomings.”
“Looks like we’ll know where to find Qianqian in the future,” Auntie Zhou said teasingly from the back.
Yuan Ming disagreed. “Now that we’ve said that, Ah Qian will definitely find a new spot. She can always find lots of places we don’t pay attention to.”
As she spoke, Yuan Ming looked toward Chi Qian.
The sunlight pierced through the shadows of the trees, casting a patch of soft white in her pupils, gentle and serene.
Chi Qian felt that Yuan Ming’s words were a great explanation in case any of her future actions did not align with her past self. She mentally filed away this reason and proudly lifted her head. “But of course.”
The little electric donkey drove through the verdant road, kicking up a pleasant breeze.
Mottled golden light fell through the gaps in the rustling leaves, inlaying the person riding in front with a brilliant, hazy halo.
Shi Jinlan watched from the back, her gaze heavy.
She held her crutches with one hand. The light leaking through the gaps in the leaves continuously fell upon her palm. She clenched her open palm again.
But still, she could not grasp it.
She had long been accustomed to the feeling of control, of having victory in her grasp. This current feeling of being out of her control made her very unhappy.
The sunlight made all things fluffy. It was as if countless willow catkins had floated into Shi Jinlan’s body; they clumped together, expanded, and blocked her heart by the tens of thousands.
Unpleasant.
The further they went up the mountain, the stronger the scent of spring became.
Along the way, Chi Qian chatted happily with Auntie Zhou and Yuan Ming, but for some reason, she kept feeling a chill down her back, as if the wind was lifting her clothes and blowing straight into her bones.
How strange.
The group soon arrived at the ancestral hall. Auntie Zhou went in first to offer incense.6
Chi Qian parked the scooter, shifting her shoulders uncomfortably.
“What’s wrong?” Shi Jinlan asked, watching Chi Qian’s movements in front of her.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s too cool in the shade. I’m a little chilled.” Chi Qian stretched her shoulders and neck. Seeing that Shi Jinlan was about to get off, she quickly reached out to support her.
It was inconvenient to use a wheelchair on the mountain, which was why she had found the infirmary’s crutches for Shi Jinlan.
Shi Jinlan had never tried using them before. It was not that Chi Qian did not trust Shi Jinlan’s ability to learn, but she was a little worried, always afraid that something might happen to her.
She did not want anything to happen to her.
That warm palm landed on Shi Jinlan’s wrist, and the familiar dampness pressed against her skin once more.
Shi Jinlan glanced at Chi Qian with a calm expression. The willow catkins piled up in her heart were instantly soaked by rain, and a rush of fresh air flowed in.
“The incense is burning beautifully today; something good is sure to happen.” The incense was indeed burning nicely, and Auntie Zhou was also happy. She clapped her hands and walked to the door, calling out to everyone, “Come in quickly, Niangniang7 is in a very good mood today.”
Hearing Auntie Zhou’s words, Shi Jinlan maintained her usual distant and indifferent demeanor.
She was dismissive of such things. If she had to follow the local customs after arriving in this place and believe in something, then she was a staunch believer in Marxist materialism.
Chi Qian, on the other hand, was very receptive to these things.
Although the education she received since childhood taught her to believe in science, she saw no harm in believing in such a poignant and beautiful myth. Curious and excited, she asked, “So, can we cast the blocks8 now?”
“Of course.” Auntie Zhou nodded and took two crescent-shaped objects from the offering table. “Miss Shen, you first?”
“Alright.” Shi Jinlan nodded and accepted the objects from Auntie Zhou.
She had some understanding of this custom and knelt gracefully on the putuan.9
She cupped the two crescents in her praying hands, shook them lightly, and then cast them to the ground.
Kadā.
Two crisp sounds echoed in the ancestral hall.
The gazes of the several people all focused on the ground, and the sunlight filtering in from the doorway also seemed to gather there.
The two bright red crescents lay still on the floor, one facing up and one facing down.
Shi Jinlan, of course, knew what this meant. She only glanced at it before raising her head.
Subconsciously, she looked toward Chi Qian.
That person was as happy as if she had cast the sheng bei10 herself, a smile leaping onto her face. “It’s a sheng bei! Lady Lingji has agreed!”
“You have to do it two more times. You need to cast three sheng bei for it to count.” Auntie Zhou rationally patted Chi Qian’s shoulder, reminding both Chi Qian and Shi Jinlan. “Miss Shen, let’s go again.”
“Alright.” Shi Jinlan nodded calmly.
She found this sort of thing rather meaningless.
Why repeatedly verify an answer that was already confirmed? Since it was confirmed, why repeat it?
At this point in time, the four words “to worry about personal gains and losses”11 were not yet in Shi Jinlan’s dictionary.
She only saw this as a matter of probability: a 1/2 chance, three times in a row. Easy to say, but not exactly easy to do.
She had not gotten this far in life by relying on luck.
Chi Qian is about to be disappointed—
With this thought, Shi Jinlan tossed the objects in her hand.
But afterward, she did not see disappointment on Chi Qian’s face, but rather, overwhelming joy.
Because her next two throws were one sheng bei.
And another sheng bei.
Three consecutive “agrees.”
Such probability, such luck—even Shi Jinlan found it hard to believe.
When had she ever had such luck?
Neither Auntie Zhou nor Yuan Ming had ever seen such a situation, and their faces were filled with surprised delight.
Chi Qian went even further, walking over to Shi Jinlan’s side in a few steps, unable to hide the smile on her face. She said to her, “Miss Shen, you are simply the heaven-chosen Lingji!”12
Hearing this, Shi Jinlan looked up at the statue of Lingji enshrined in the hall.
The mermaid was wearing clothes like a human, her long tail coiled around Ah Qing.
Although a figure carved from stone could not possibly have life, Shi Jinlan saw a gaze within it.
Profound and serene, carrying a kind of pity for the people of the world.
The heaven-chosen Lingji, this is not a good thing, Shi Jinlan thought to herself, turning to look at Chi Qian, who was taking pictures as a memento.
Could she be Ah Qing?
Sunlight streamed in from behind Shi Jinlan, illuminating the two crescents on the floor—one up, one down—in a brilliant red.
She did not know why a trace of anticipation inexplicably rose in her heart. It was not the speculation she was used to, but anticipation.
“Alright, stop being happy for others. Quick, you cast the blocks too.” Auntie Zhou pulled back the delighted Chi Qian and gestured for her to kneel on the putuan next to Shi Jinlan.
“Oh.” Chi Qian knelt on the soft putuan, feeling a little nervous.
She was worried the deity would not agree.
She actually… really wanted to be in the float parade with Shi Jinlan.
It was not so much that she wanted to. She just did not want another person to take her place.
To become Shi Jinlan’s other half.
Lady Ah Qing, please bless me. I want to be with Shi Jinlan, please, please. Chi Qian pressed her hands together, raised them above her head, and prayed silently in her heart for a good while. Only when she felt she had prayed enough did she toss the objects in her hand.
Kadā.
The same crisp sound echoed in the ancestral hall, and the same expectation filled three pairs of eyes.
Lying conspicuously on the ground was one face up, one face down.
It was a sheng bei!
Chi Qian’s heart pounded a few times. She was encouraged by this initial victory, picked up the crescents from the floor, and continued to cast the remaining two sheng bei.
The wooden crescents began to shake again in Chi Qian’s hands, their collisions sounding like the chiming of a small bell.
She was not asking to be like Shi Jinlan and get three consecutive sheng bei; she just hoped not to cast a yin bei13, which signified rejection.
Please, please.
Heaven is divine, Earth is divine14, Old Man Heaven bless me, System bless me…
Chi Qian shook them for a long time before finally casting them.
The second time.
Sheng bei!
The third time.
Sheng bei!!
“What kind of good luck is this today!” Auntie Zhou looked at the result of Chi Qian’s casts in disbelief, then looked up at the statues of Ah Qing and Lingji. “In the past, people would have to put in some effort and cast several times.”
“Yeah,” Yuan Ming nodded. “I cast five times last year.”
“That’s already considered highly approved by Niangniang,” Auntie Zhou said, patting Yuan Ming’s shoulder. “As long as you don’t get a yin bei, it’s fine.”
“Yeah.” Yuan Ming nodded, looking at Chi Qian’s three sheng bei and Shi Jinlan’s three sheng bei, her long lashes silently falling.
“Since Niangniang has chosen you two, give them a kowtow15, and then we can go back,” Auntie Zhou reminded the two still kneeling on the putuan.
This kind of worship and inquiry was not exactly tedious, but Chi Qian was a bit worried that Shi Jinlan would not like it.
Her back had always been ramrod straight; getting her to kowtow was something even a thousand gold pieces probably could not buy.
“Are you feeling alright?” Chi Qian thought up an excuse for Shi Jinlan. “Didn’t Grandpa say you shouldn’t hold one position for too long? Your blood won’t circulate well with a posture like this. You should get up; I’ll bow for you.”
Chi Qian’s words were so considerate. How could Shi Jinlan not tell that she was taking her temperament into account and giving her a way out?
Shi Jinlan indeed disliked kneeling to gods and Buddhas.
She did not believe in them, so…
Shi Jinlan turned her head to look at Chi Qian, who was kneeling beside her in the same manner.
A little kneeling wouldn’t hurt.
“It’s alright. I will finish the kowtow with you.” Shi Jinlan’s calm and cool voice echoed faintly in the ancestral hall.
Chi Qian suddenly heard a dānglāng sound from her heart, like a silver bell ringing in the wind.
She had been in a good mood since a moment ago. She then nodded at Shi Jinlan. “Alright.”
Sunlight passed through the ancient doorframe, scattering brilliant gold across the floor.
Then, they kowtowed together.
Just like they were bowing to Heaven and Earth.
The author has something to say:
I really like this ending.
Writing up to this point, I suddenly thought of another line: This is the closest they ever came to a happy ending.
(Referring to the island period before the feigned death)16
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