The tourist bus drove to the foot of Qingmeng Mountain. The area around Mulian Village was so lively that Nan Zhi almost didn't recognize it.
The last time she had returned was seven or eight years ago. Consequently, aside from people like Shi Hongjiang who had known her since childhood, almost no one recognized her.
The company had arranged a guesthouse nearby, but Nan Zhi had informed Feng Jianguo in advance that she needed to return to her family home, so she didn't follow the main group to the county seat.
To her surprise, Zhang Qiuyu and her husband also got off the bus with their luggage, saying they wanted to go back with Nan Zhi to experience the local customs.
Nan Zhi felt a warmth in her heart, knowing Zhang Qiuyu was worried about her and didn't want her to be bullied. She didn't say much, only joking:
“Then you’re going to be disappointed. The old house hasn't been maintained for years, so it’s likely filthy. If you want to stay there, you’ll have to help me clean first.”
Zhang Qiuyu waved her hand dismissively.
“That’s nothing. There are three of us; we’ll be done in no time. The two of us can stay together tonight and watch the stars in the village. A guesthouse isn't nearly as attractive as an authentic wooden building, right, honey?”
Zhang Qiuyu’s husband practically ground his teeth before squeezing out a “Right.”
—He always felt like he was a bit of a third wheel.
The three of them carried their luggage into the village, following the direction in Nan Zhi’s memory. The narrow flagstone path stretched toward the base of the mountain, with stone alleys connecting one old house to another.
If someone looked down from above, they would see that the entire Mulian Village was shaped like a crescent moon, embracing a round lake. Between the lake and the river was a thin Stone River, resembling an umbilical cord connecting a baby to its mother.
The Nan family’s old house was located at the tip of the crescent, so to reach it, they first had to cross the bridge over the Stone River.
There weren't many people in the village during the day, mostly passing tourists. Cars couldn't enter, so tourists visiting for the first time often got lost and wandered around the outskirts.
As the three of them walked into the village with their luggage, they were met with curious or wary glances.
“Little girl, which house do you belong to? That area is empty; the families there all moved to the county seat.”
An old woman sitting by her door rolling tobacco gave a kind reminder as she saw Nan Zhi’s group crossing the stone bridge. Nan Zhi smiled and replied in the local dialect:
“Auntie Peng, I’m Nan Zhi, the child of the eldest Nan brother. I saw you when my grandma passed away.”
“Really? The eldest Nan brother’s child? Oh my, you haven't been back for so long! You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman. Your grandma would be so happy to see you!
“I said back then that you took after your grandma and would only get prettier as you grew up, but others said I was talking nonsense.”
Auntie Peng stared at Nan Zhi for a long time before slapping her thigh in delight.
“I knew you looked familiar! Your Second Uncle’s family isn't there. After your grandma died, his whole family moved to the county seat to live in an apartment building. If you go there now, no one will be home.”
“I know. I’m just back for the National Day holiday to burn incense for my grandma. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Besides, my father has a share in this old house, too. Who could stop me from staying there?”
Nan Zhi smiled and led Zhang Qiuyu and her husband away. After following the flagstone path past some flat fields, they saw an old house perched darkly on the slope, facing the lake behind the mountain from a distance.
Auntie Peng was right; the Nan family home had indeed been abandoned for a long time.
No one had visited the old courtyard in years. Strings of dried vines climbed the walls, and large clusters of pale yellow dodder vines wound around the door panels. When the wind blew, the thin, weak vines swayed along with the rotting wood, making a hollow thumping sound.
A tall locust tree stood in the courtyard. Without anyone to tend to it for years, its branches grew wildly, slanting across the tiles of the old roof until it looked like a tree house from afar.
The courtyard gate was locked. Nan Zhi didn't bother asking her Second Uncle for the key; she simply picked up a stone and smashed the lock. Neither of the two beside her thought anything was wrong.
—Smashing the lock to your own home? That wasn't an issue at all.
Unexpectedly, the courtyard was quite clean, with few weeds. The doors and windows were still usable. Aside from a slight musty smell, there wasn't even a single rat.
Dao Magu’s memorial tablet was placed in the main room. The little old lady had suffered her whole life and raised several children, yet in the end, she hadn't even left behind a proper funeral portrait.
Nan Zhi kowtowed before the tablet and wiped away the dust with a cloth. Suddenly, she felt her long-wandering heart slowly settle.
Home is where the heart finds peace.
Even though she knew the little old lady’s soul was no longer here, she still felt a sense of security.
“Grandma, I’m back.”
The tablet couldn't speak, but Nan Zhi imagined that if Grandma knew, she would surely be secretly wiping away tears with her sleeve again.
After paying her respects to Dao Magu, Nan Zhi began cleaning the main room. To her surprise, the room was very clean; forget animal tracks, even the dust was only a thin layer.
It looked like someone had been cleaning it from time to time, but Nan Zhi didn't think her Second Uncle possessed that kind of filial piety.
A pleasant surprise was that the usable furniture in the old house hadn't been moved. The old wardrobe, the bamboo bed, the tables, chairs, and even Grandma’s favorite rattan chair were still there.
Nan Zhi used the excuse of needing cleaning supplies to send Zhang Qiuyu and her husband out. Once she was sure no one was around, she summoned a gust of wind, sweeping the weeds and dust from the old house and blowing them toward the back mountain.
As for the dusty tiles and dirty furniture, Nan Zhi didn't overlook them either.
【Water Shield Art】
【Wood Binding Art】
【Flying Fire Art】
Orbs of water wriggled and crawled over the eaves and furniture surfaces in sequence, scrubbing them clean. Vines sprouted from the ground, coiling around the trash and stacking it in one place. A fireball landed on the damp branches, burning fiercely despite the light drizzle. Before long, a plume of black smoke rose from the old house.
With this cleaning, the stains on the surface of the gray old house were wiped away. The windows were bright and the tiles clean; the house looked ancient yet elegant, like a piece of fine jade finally revealing its unique charm.
Thus, when Zhang Qiuyu and her husband returned to the old house carrying newly bought buckets, brooms, mops, and rags, they were greeted by a refreshed home and Nan Zhi, who was "thump-thump-thumping" away at the tree with a battered axe bolstered by the Sharp Gold Curse.
Zhang Qiuyu: “...”
They had agreed to do it together; where did this kid get such incredible strength?
Staring at Nan Zhi perched in the tree, Zhang Qiuyu’s husband hesitated for a long time before speaking tentatively: “Did... did your best friend serve in the special forces, or did she work in professional deep cleaning?”
There were no shops in the village, so the two of them had taken a taxi to the county seat to buy these things, taking an hour for the round trip.
Yet in that short time, Nan Zhi had scrubbed the entire house clean. The doors and windows shone as if bathed in holy light.
With this kind of efficiency and strength, he bet that if you dropped her in the middle of a desolate desert, she could still cook herself a three-course meal.
He was genuinely afraid that if he spoke up, she might scrub both of them from head to toe.
With a person like this, was she really at risk of being bullied?
Zhang Qiuyu: “...”
She was starting to have her doubts as well.
Rate on N.U.
