Shaodian Qingnu settled down by the banks of the Luo River.
Ji He provided for all her daily needs, though she would occasionally venture into the surrounding mountain forests to find a rabbit willing to sacrifice itself to improve her diet.
In her spare time, she returned to her old trade.
She set up a fortune-telling stall by the Luo River.
Through this, Ji He learned that she was not actually a daughter of the Qi royal family, but the title of the 'Immortal Maiden in Green' carried far more weight than any royal lineage ever could!
As a result, Ji He treated her even better and frequently visited her to have his fortune told.
Over the next two years, the two became quite well-acquainted.
Early one morning, Ji He rushed to the front of Shaodian Qingnu’s house, knocking on the door and shouting, "Qingnu, wake up! Open the door! It's me, Ji He! I have something to discuss with you!"
Inside the house, Shaodian Qingnu covered her ears and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep.
Outside, Ji He continued to hammer on the door, seemingly determined not to leave until he received an answer.
"So noisy! Can't a snake get some sleep?!"
Shaodian Qingnu let out a roar. She climbed out of bed in a huff and pulled open the courtyard gate. Seeing Ji He standing there with an excited expression, she ground her fangs.
"What is it? Did you see a ghost?"
Ji He shook his head vigorously, his eyes gleaming. "What ghost? It's the Great King!"
Shaodian Qingnu asked, "The Great King turned into a ghost?"
Ji He’s eyes widened in alarm. He quickly glanced left and right before whispering, "You can't just say things like that!"
Seeing his startled expression, Shaodian Qingnu looked up at the sun and squinted her eyes.
"You're making such a fuss so early in the morning. What do you actually want?"
"Luoyi is complete! The Great King rewarded me with thirty peng of cowrie shells and thirty jin of bronze!"
Ji He spoke excitedly. "The Great King also acknowledged my father’s achievements. This is a monumental grace. I plan to cast a bronze vessel. You are well-traveled and knowledgeable, so I came to ask for your advice."
"I suggest you give it to me!"
Ji He: "..."
Seeing his speechless expression, Shaodian Qingnu waved him off. "Go do what you need to do. It was a gift from the Great King; do whatever you want with it. Why come and disturb my sleep so early?"
"Then once the bronze vessel is cast, I’ll bring it over to show you!"
Ji He didn't linger; he was still caught in the thrill of his reward.
Shaodian Qingnu returned to her room, hoping to catch a few more winks, but once awakened, she found sleep elusive. She punched her bed in frustration and headed out to the forest to hunt.
It was a bad day for the local animals; she had a significant case of morning grumpiness.
Ji He cast the thirty jin of bronze into a zun vessel and even had an inscription carved into its base.
Once it was finished, he excitedly brought it to show Shaodian Qingnu.
Looking at the vessel being carried in on a wooden platform, Shaodian Qingnu circled it once before leaning over to peer inside.
"What did you write?" she asked.
Upon hearing her question, Ji He puffed out his chest and said solemnly, "I recorded the words of the Great King and the merits of my father."
"It was when the King first began to reside at Chengzhou, again receiving the Mandate from King Wu..."
"I shall reside in this central kingdom, and from here govern the people..."
As Ji He recited the inscription, Shaodian Qingnu reached out, her fingers tracing the characters at the bottom of the vessel.
When she heard that specific line from Ji He’s mouth, her hand stopped.
It stopped on the two characters for 'Zhongguo.'
She knew that at this time, the term 'Zhongguo' meant 'the center of the world,' rather than the meaning it would hold three thousand years later.
Shaodian Qingnu was witnessing the earliest written record of the name 'Zhongguo.'
"Not bad."
After Ji He finished reciting, Shaodian Qingnu nodded slightly.
"Keep this safe. It will have a great use in the future."
"The future?"
At these words, Ji He asked, "Qingnu, have you divined something again? Could you tell me about it?"
Shaodian Qingnu looked at the inquisitive Ji He and smiled. "If I told you that this bronze vessel would become a national treasure in the future, would you believe me?"
"A national treasure?"
Ji He was visibly shocked. He laughed and shook his head. "I want to believe you, but that is simply too incredible. I only hope my descendants can preserve it well, so that future generations will remember the deeds of the Great King and my father!"
"They will remember!"
With a smile on her face, Shaodian Qingnu nodded. "Whether they are your descendants or someone else's, they will all remember."
This vast land would eventually be named because of it.
"That’s good then!"
Ji He nodded firmly.
He believed in Shaodian Qingnu’s divinations!
If she said future generations would be proud, then he believed they would be! He also believed that the Great King’s and his father’s merits would be passed down forever.
After Luoyi was completed, King Ji Song of Zhou moved the citizens of Haojing there to live, and Shaodian Qingnu’s neighborhood gradually became more populated.
Ji He, who had thought he could stay in Luoyang forever, was reassigned to a post back in Haojing.
It was a promotion, and a significant one at that!
However, he was reluctant to leave Luoyang, a city he had personally helped coordinate and build. Nevertheless, the King's command could not be disobeyed.
Before leaving, Ji He came to bid Shaodian Qingnu farewell.
The two drank for the better part of a day. Shaodian Qingnu didn't remember how much Ji He drank, only that the brat started trying to steal her meat after he got drunk.
Meat was a serpent girl’s treasure!
Luckily, Shaodian Qingnu didn't drink and stayed sober; otherwise, she would have definitely bitten his head off.
Ji He promised her that he would write regularly after returning to Haojing, but given the speed of horse and carriage in this era, one could imagine the difficulty of sending a letter.
Furthermore, Shaodian Qingnu didn't believe Ji He would remember things here after his promotion.
Sure enough, after Ji He returned to Haojing, letters only arrived for the first year or two before the news gradually tapered off.
Short-lived humans were but passing travelers in Shaodian Qingnu’s long life.
She didn't particularly care what became of Ji He.
Instead, she was currently overwhelmed by the intricate social relations of her new neighbors.
Shaodian Qingnu had grown accustomed to living in the wilderness; she hadn't expected neighborhood politics to be this complex even three thousand years ago.
The matchmakers trying to set her up had almost trampled her doorstep into the ground!
But as time passed, her unchanging appearance gradually became obvious. Once the neighbors realized she was special, the matchmakers stopped coming, but the number of people seeking her blessing increased.
Prayers for good harvests, blessings for sick children, or asking her to check if a missing family member had been eaten by wild beasts...
Such matters occurred every single day!
As time went on, Shaodian Qingnu realized one thing: she could no longer keep her home in Luoyang.
One morning, she packed her bags and prepared to slip away.
Just as she opened the door, a young man was standing there.
His hand was raised as if he were about to knock. When he saw her open the door, he looked quite surprised.
"Who are you?"
Shaodian Qingnu frowned at the stranger posing in front of her house.
The youth snapped out of it and quickly performed a deep bow.
"I am Yao Jiang. I greet the Immortal Maiden."
Here we go again.
Shaodian Qingnu said impatiently, "No 'Immortal Maiden' here. I have mushrooms, though. If you want some, pick them from the corner of the wall yourself."
"The Immortal Maiden jokes!"
Yao Jiang laughed. He took a step back and bowed solemnly to her.
"I have come to ask the Immortal Maiden to take me as her disciple!"
"Here is a small gift from me, a humble token of my respect..."
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