Chapter 2

In the Gregorian year 1990, in Gui Xing County, Linzhou City, Jiangnan Province.

A vast mountain range stretched for hundreds of miles, with towering peaks and steep cliffs, teeming with flocks of birds and vibrant life. This mountain was called Yangming Mountain, with its main peak, Yuexiu Peak, crowned by a Taoist temple. It was said that the old Taoist in the temple was particularly skilled at divination, attracting many people from surrounding counties and cities to seek his advice and make wishes.

At the foot of the mountain, a small river about seven to eight meters wide meandered through, its clear waters revealing the playful antics of small fish and shrimp at the bottom. Nestled along the riverbank was a village, with several hundred households scattered at the foot and halfway up the mountain.

Legend had it that during the late Ming Dynasty, a minister surnamed Ye, having offended the powerful officials of the court, fled south with his family. Finding the mountain and its surroundings picturesque and with excellent feng shui, they settled here. Over the centuries, the village grew as more families moved in, eventually forming a community of several hundred households.

At the entrance of the village were three wells, from which water flowed year-round. The villagers later surrounded the wells with blue stone slabs, and the village became known as Sanjing Village.

The eastern sky was already tinged with the pale white of dawn, with a few scattered stars still twinkling in the sky. At this moment, a household at the eastern end of the village was still brightly lit. A young man, not yet thirty, with a crew cut, and a demeanor that still hinted at his military background, was pacing anxiously in the courtyard, smoking one cigarette after another. From inside the house, the anguished cries of a woman could be heard.

The young man's name was Ye Liancheng. His wife, Yang Sulan, was nearly ten months pregnant, but it was not yet her due date. Unexpectedly, she had sudden abdominal pain in the middle of the night, and upon examination, it was found that her water had broken, indicating the onset of labor.

The situation was urgent, and there was no time to go to the county hospital. In a hurry, they called for the village midwife. However, several hours had passed, and the baby still had not come.

Just as Ye Liancheng was on the verge of despair, a meteor with a long blue tail streaked across the night sky, leaving a long arc of light.

"A meteor!" Ye Liancheng, who had served in the military after high school and had some exposure to Western culture, knew that seeing a meteor was a sign of great luck. He closed his eyes and made a wish for the safety of his wife and child.

What he did not know was that as he closed his eyes, the meteor had flashed like lightning into the inner room, and everything returned to normal in an instant.

"Ah!" A clear and loud cry of a newborn echoed throughout the village.

"It's a boy! Liancheng, mother and child are safe, it's a healthy baby boy!"

The baby cried a few times and then stopped, its small eyes looking around, incredibly adorable.

Ye Liancheng looked at his son with joy, his heart filled with excitement: "Son, I have a son, I'm a father now..."

A month later, the Ye family held a grand feast for relatives and friends according to local customs. Ye Liancheng's father personally named the grandson: "Born at dawn when the sky is about to brighten, let's call him Lingtian!"

At the moment of Ye Lingtian's birth, in the Taoist temple on Yuexiu Peak, an old Taoist with white hair and a long beard watched the meteor streak across the sky, silently reciting a mantra. He threw the yin-yang divination tiles, and with a "snap," the four tiles landed and broke into eight pieces...

The old Taoist's face tightened, and after a long moment, he muttered to himself, "The will of heaven cannot be fathomed!"

...

Flowers bloomed and withered, spring turned to autumn, and eighteen years passed.

In August in the south, the sun was scorching. At noon, the leaves were scorched and curled, and the cicadas chirped incessantly, adding to the oppressive heat.

At the back of Sanjing Village, Ye Lingtian sat quietly under a large Chinese toon tree, leaning against the trunk, his brows furrowed, his expression complex.

"Go? Or not go?" Since receiving the acceptance letter from Yanjing University, two conflicting voices had been echoing in Ye Lingtian's ears.

"Go, you must go! Yanjing University has been your dream, and all your hard work has been for this day. Only by going to university can you have a higher starting point, showcase your talents, and fulfill your ambitions..."

"No, absolutely not! The family still owes a lot of money. In recent years, your mother has worked tirelessly to support the family and pay for your education. As the only man in the family, you should find a way to earn money and not let your mother continue to toil..."

A gentle mountain breeze blew past, bringing a coolness that provided some relief from the summer heat, but it did not interrupt Ye Lingtian's thoughts.

After a long while, Ye Lingtian's face finally returned to a calm expression, as if he had made his final decision.

He stood up, looked up at the distant, vast sky, his eyes filled with determination. He carefully folded the acceptance letter from Yanjing University, which he had been dreaming of, and carefully placed it in his pocket.

At the eastern end of the village, in a rather ordinary courtyard with a few tiled houses, the buildings, due to lack of maintenance, looked somewhat dilapidated. The rooms were sparsely furnished, giving them a slightly empty feel.

Ye Lingtian pushed open the door and entered. A middle-aged woman with a slender build and slightly graying hair was busy with her back to the door.

"Mom, the college entrance exam results are out. I'm sorry, I... I've let you down. I didn't get into university!" Looking at his mother's haggard back, Ye Lingtian felt a lump in his throat, his eyes brimming with tears, partly because he could not realize his dream, but more so because of the years his mother had supported the family with her frail shoulders.

The middle-aged woman paused, put down her work, and slowly turned around. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes showed disbelief: "Lingtian, is that true? You've always been such an excellent student, how could you not have passed?"

At this moment, Ye Lingtian's face turned slightly red, as he lied to his mother for the first time in eighteen years, making him feel uneasy.

Daring not to meet his mother's questioning gaze, Ye Lingtian looked down at the ground and said hesitantly, "Mom, it's true. I didn't perform well on the exam."

After a moment, Yang Sulan clearly believed Ye Lingtian's words, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

However, this hint of disappointment was very brief, and her expression quickly returned to normal.

She reached out to wipe away the tears on Ye Lingtian's face and comforted him with concern, "Lingtian, don't cry. It's not a big deal if you didn't get in. Can't you retake the exam? If you retake it this year, with your abilities, you'll definitely get into university next year! Don't lose heart, okay?"

Looking at his mother's caring eyes, a warm current welled up in Ye Lingtian's heart. Suppressing his inner desire, he said nervously, "Mom, I've already decided not to retake the exam. I'm going to work and earn money."

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