Chapter 1

In 1998, summer.

In the north, there was a small mountain village, nestled against the mountains and beside the water. The mountain was to the west of the village, shaped like a long dragon; the water was to the east, named Qinglong River.

Therefore, the village was called Wolong Village.

On the path leading to the western mountain, far from the village, stood a solitary courtyard.

The wattle-and-daub house, battered by the storm, swayed but remained standing.

With a "creak," the two wooden doors opened. A young man, carrying an elderly woman, emerged into the rain.

The young man's name was Zhang Xiaobai, twenty years old. The elderly woman on his back was his grandmother, who had passed away three days ago.

The rain had lasted for three days, and people couldn't wait that long.

Today, Zhang Xiaobai was burying his grandmother.

A wooden cart was parked at the door. Zhang Xiaobai slowly placed the elderly woman on the cart, covered her with a new mat, and then tied her down with a hemp rope.

Zhang Xiaobai came to the front of the cart, harnessed the reins, and began walking down the mountain step by step.

The mountain path, washed by the rain, had lost its soil, and the rocks were exposed. The young man in the cloth shoes leaned back, trying his best to keep the cart stable, as if he was afraid of the elderly woman being jolted.

The short journey took Zhang Xiaobai twenty minutes to reach Wolong Village.

The village was located at the foot of the mountain, with a relatively gentle terrain, and housed several dozen households. Most were wattle-and-daub houses, with a few brick and tile houses, the entire village bearing the marks of poverty and decline.

The rain gradually became lighter, and some children joyfully rushed out of their homes onto the street, running and chasing each other despite the mud.

When they saw the wooden cart and recognized Zhang Xiaobai, they seemed to have seen a ghost, screaming and running back home.

Soon, the adults came out. Men with cigarettes in their mouths and arms crossed, and women with basins and sweaters, watched the commotion as usual.

A funeral in the village was indeed a spectacle, at least with trumpets and a coffin. But this family's funeral was particularly quiet.

"Ah! This child is truly pitiful, just got into university, and now everyone is gone."

"Pity? Nonsense, this broom star has cursed everyone in the family. Whoever gets close to him will suffer."

"Shh, keep it down, this rascal is vicious. He beat up our eldest a few days ago!"

"Hey! I saw it, your eldest and second son beat him up together, and still couldn't win!"

...

The women whispered, their voices full of sarcasm and rich in expression.

The men were relatively silent, watching the wooden cart slowly move forward with blank expressions.

In such a small village, only weddings and funerals could spark people's interest, breaking the monotony of their daily lives.

Zhang Xiaobai was oblivious, having long become numb to the words and tired of the expressions.

If it weren't for his grandmother's insistence, he would have moved elsewhere long ago. But now that his grandmother could no longer insist, Zhang Xiaobai didn't want to go anywhere.

The wooden cart left two tracks in the mud, moving farther and farther away. In the crowd, a young man with glasses quietly peeked out, a slight smile on his lips as he watched Zhang Xiaobai's back, then quickly ran home.

A brick and tile house stood out in the eastern part of the village, a sign of wealth. Inside, a young man was sobbing.

His father was named Shi Youfu, a well-known rich man in the village, a contractor. The sobbing young man was his second son, Shi Lei.

At that moment, Shi Youfu, with a cigarette in his mouth, blocked the door and shouted at the unfilial son: "I tell you, as long as I'm alive, you won't leave this door today!"

Shi Lei growled, lifted his head, eyes bloodshot, and said through gritted teeth: "Shi Youfu, I also tell you, if you don't let me out, you won't be my father anymore!"

The father, enraged, was about to hit him, but he was shocked to see his son clench his fists and charge forward.

Was this a rebellion?

As Shi Youfu hesitated, his son Shi Lei ducked and slipped past him.

It was too late to chase him.

...

A grove of poplar trees, two solitary graves.

Zhang Xiaobai stopped and said softly, "Grandma, we're home! Grandpa and Mom are here, you won't be alone!"

Next to the grave was a pit, dug in the rain last night. After a night of rain, it was already in disarray. Zhang Xiaobai jumped into the pit and carefully tidied it up.

"I didn't take good care of you in life, so you should rest comfortably in death!"

Zhang Xiaobai's voice was choked with emotion, tears welling in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall.

Grandma said not to cry.

"Xiaobai, I'm late, Grandma, I've come to see you off!" Shi Lei cried, running over.

Zhang Xiaobai said, "Why do this? You shouldn't defy the old man!"

Shi Lei shook his head, his gaze falling on the mat, tears streaming down his face.

Zhang Xiaobai said, "Don't blame the old man. It was wrong of you to steal money and lend it to me. A thousand yuan! When will I pay it back?"

Shi Lei sobbed, "Are you still talking about money? Do you consider me a brother?"

Zhang Xiaobai sighed, rolled up the mat. Grandma still looked the same, her features gentle, as if she were sleeping, very peaceful.

"Grandma, rest in peace!"

The two men lifted the elderly woman, moved slowly, and gently placed her in the pit.

Zhang Xiaobai knelt by the grave, but he couldn't bear to fill the pit, didn't dare to fill it.

Once covered, he would never see Grandma again!

After a long time, Zhang Xiaobai scooped up soil and sprinkled it on Grandma.

One scoop, two scoops, three scoops...

When he could no longer see the elderly woman, Zhang Xiaobai stood up, took the shovel, and filled the pit frantically until the grave mound appeared.

Zhang Xiaobai turned to look at Shi Lei, his face already wet with tears. He smiled sadly and murmured, "Brother, I have no grandma! I have no grandma!"

...

Shi Lei lit a cigarette and handed it to Zhang Xiaobai, then lit another one and carefully placed it in front of the grave.

Zhang Xiaobai took a deep puff and said, "Grandma didn't like cigarettes!"

Shi Lei said, "What are your plans? Really not going to school?"

Zhang Xiaobai said, "No money to go, besides, I have to stay and take care of the family. Grandma said, we can lose everything, but not the home!"

Shi Lei sighed, "Got into university but can't go, I want to go but can't get in. This world is truly a mess!"

Zhang Xiaobai was silent for a moment and said, "I always feel that the outsider is not a good person. There's definitely something fishy going on. Don't lease your mountain!"

Shi Lei said, "I don't want to, but my father does. He's a money-grubber, five thousand yuan is a lot! Enough to build six big tile houses!"

Zhang Xiaobai said, "From ten thousand to thirty thousand, then to fifty thousand, it shows he's in a hurry. Let's stall him for now. I have a theory."

A gust of wind blew, faintly carrying the sound of machinery.

The two men stood up immediately.

Zhang Xiaobai shouted, "Take the cart back!"

Without waiting for Shi Lei's response, Zhang Xiaobai ran towards the western mountain!