Sanlang Was Missing
Zhang Wanqing squinted her eyes, peering into the distance. The fields and paths were muddy, with no shelter from the rain. The downpour grew heavier, showing no sign of letting up anytime soon.
Recalling there was an old temple about three or four miles away, she didn't hesitate. Picking up a broken straw hat lying on the ridge, she covered her head and ran back.
The temple was small and deserted.
Dust covered everything, thick enough that her steps left deep footprints. Wooden stakes leaned in disarray in the corners, along with a few bundles of hay that had darkened from long storage. Cobwebs stretched across every nook and cranny of the roof, and a few dusty rags hung from the beams, swaying in the wind.
The place was desolate, with a hint of eeriness.
A statue of a goddess stood in the center of the north wall. Though covered in a layer of dust, the serene smile on her face was still discernible.
Zhang Wanqing closed her eyes and pressed her palms together in prayer. Gods are said to save all living beings, and even though she had crossed over into this world, she was still one of them. She hoped for the goddess's protection—not for a smooth life, but simply for a chance to survive and find stability, no longer adrift.
However, perhaps her prayer lacked sincerity, or she failed to perform the incense ritual. The goddess immediately seemed to turn hostile. The rain outside intensified into a torrential downpour, hammering noisily against the temple's roof.
Dark clouds loomed, thick like smoke, almost pressing against the ground, as though a massive black pot was about to smother the temple. The oppressive atmosphere was terrifying, making it hard to breathe.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky like a writhing serpent, followed by a deafening thunderclap. A hole was punctured in the roof, and tiles fell with a clatter, scattering right in front of her toes. If the trajectory had shifted even slightly, her head would have been struck.
Staring at the shattered tiles, Zhang Wanqing looked up to see rain pouring through the hole. She mocked the heavens for being blind, constantly setting obstacles in her path. Even finding a place to stay was a challenge.
At a loss, she sat down on the ground, ignoring the raging storm outside and the chaos around her. Fixating on the wet, broken tiles, she began to contemplate her next steps.
If she were to head to the county or prefectural city to make a living, she'd need capital. She had learned earlier that Peach Blossom Village was about 30 miles from Huaxi County and 50 miles from Luzhou City, in opposite directions. The journey would be long, and she would need money for travel, lodging, and food—expenses she couldn't afford as she had no money at all.
Even if she sought work that provided food and shelter, it would take time to secure such a position.
On the other hand, settling down locally seemed more feasible. The village was nestled against a mountain and faced a clear river. Where there were mountains, there were fruits and animals; where there was a river, there was water and fish. These could solve her immediate food and water needs.
In the meantime, she could plant vegetables and raise livestock. Once she had a harvest, she could sell her produce at the village market to earn some money. Peach Blossom Village was only six miles from Yunzhong Town. With her physical strength and walking speed, even carrying a load on her shoulders, she could reach the market in half an hour.
The immediate priority, however, was to find a place to live in Peach Blossom Village.
Zhang Wanqing looked around the dilapidated temple again.
Though the roof had a hole, it was in a less critical spot. Perhaps it could be repaired, or at worst, treated as a skylight.
She spotted two wooden planks of varying lengths in the northwest corner of the temple. Measuring them against herself, she found they were just about the right size to make a bed when combined with the wooden stakes scattered near the entrance. She could also use the haystack against the eastern wall—dry it out, and it would make a soft bed.
Excitement began to bubble up within her.
After moving the haystack, she could use the empty spot to build a stove with a pot and a few stones.
As for the incense table where the goddess statue was once worshipped, it could serve as a shelf for storing items.
She suddenly felt that being driven into this temple by the rainstorm was a blessing in disguise, a sign of divine intervention.
Zhang Wanqing clasped her hands together again and sincerely apologized to the goddess statue, saying, "Dear Goddess, I apologize for misunderstanding your intentions. It seems you brought me here to keep you company."
The gloom weighing on her heart lifted significantly.
Now that she had a potential place to stay, she could plan her ventures into the mountains and river.
After the storm, mushrooms and wood ear fungus would surely sprout on the mountain. She could gather them and sell them at the town market for a good price. If luck was on her side, she might even catch a rabbit or two.
Using a branch, she began to sketch plans on the ground. For tomorrow, for a week later, for a year, for three years, for five years… She envisioned every step of her livelihood.
Unknowingly, an hour had passed. When she looked up, the rain had dwindled to a light drizzle.
Through the rain, a figure approached the temple, holding a shabby umbrella. The person hurriedly looked around as soon as they reached the entrance, their expression frantic. Their eyes met Zhang Wanqing's, and tears instantly welled up in the stranger's murky eyes. Dropping the tattered umbrella, the person grabbed Zhang Wanqing's hands and knelt down, crying, "Mistress Wanqing, thank goodness I found you! Sanlang is missing!"
The face, which had been kind and pleasant at their last meeting, now looked utterly forlorn and dejected, like a frostbitten eggplant.
Zhang Momo's entire body trembled as she clung tightly to Zhang Wanqing's hands, scratching a few shallow cuts into her palms. Her rough hands even bled slightly.
Zhang Wanqing's heart skipped a beat. She held Zhang Momo's hands in return and asked, "Momo, don't worry. Tell me what happened."
Wiping her tears, Zhang Momo explained, "After you left, Sanlang sat silently at the courtyard gate for half an hour. When it started raining, he suddenly said he was going to bring you an umbrella. I tried to stop him, but before I could, he grabbed an umbrella and dashed out.
"We searched everywhere—fields, paths, the village up and down—but there was no sign of him or you. I thought you wouldn't have gone far and searched every shelter from the rain near the fields. That's how I found you here."
Zhang Momo blamed herself, regretting that she hadn't stayed at the gate with Su Hanshan instead of going back inside to work.
"Mistress Wanqing, if anything happens to Sanlang, how will I face the master and madam?" Zhang Momo's voice quivered as she spoke, deeply remorseful after two years of caring for Su Hanshan.
"Momo, don't panic. Let's go look for him together. Sanlang is a grown man; he'll take care of himself. He might just be hiding somewhere, playing hide-and-seek with you," Zhang Wanqing said, trying to comfort her while feeling anxious herself.
Su Hanshan, though an adult, had the intelligence of a child and could easily be tricked or encounter danger. Most worrisome was the river at the front of the village. While it didn't seem deep, the wet ground and slippery paths made falling in a real possibility. If he slipped and couldn't swim, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Her sister's drowning was a shadow that lingered in her heart, and she feared anyone in her life suffering the same fate.
Clearly, Zhang Momo had thought of this as well. "Let's go, Mistress Wanqing. We'll search by the river again!"
Though she had already searched the riverbank multiple times and hadn't seen any sign of Su Hanshan, she still feared the worst. Two years ago, a fall into the river had cost her memory. If Su Hanshan were to drown now… she might as well jump in herself to atone.
The two women plunged into the rain.
The river was shrouded in mist, its muddy waters no longer clear. The rain had washed debris from the banks, leaving waterlogged grass mixed with mud strewn chaotically on the riverbed.
There were no signs of anyone falling in.
Zhang Momo broke into a wail, crying out, "Sanlang, where are you?"
Her voice echoed across the open fields, drowned out by the sound of rain.
Zhang Wanqing joined in, shouting, "Su Langjun! Su Langjun!"
But there was no response.
"Momo, let's search the back mountain!" Zhang Wanqing suggested, her soaked clothes clinging to her body and her disheveled hair sticking to her forehead.
She suddenly realized that despite Su Hanshan's childlike intellect, he wasn't foolish. He would have come to the riverbank to look for her, not to play. Seeing no one there, he likely would have turned back to search elsewhere.
The hope that Su Hanshan was still alive strengthened her resolve.
As they searched higher into the mountain, a weak voice, barely audible through the rain, reached Zhang Wanqing's ears: "Aunt Wanqing… I'm here."
It was faint, more like a whisper than a call, but her heart seized. She screamed, "Su Langjun, where are you?"
"Here… Aunt Wanqing, I'm scared…"
Following his voice, she saw a figure perched precariously on a rock, clutching an umbrella that was hanging by a thread. His face was pale, and his lips were quivering.
She rushed to him, holding out her arms. "Sanlang, don't be afraid! I'm here!"
As Su Hanshan hesitantly reached for her, his body wobbled, and his feet slipped on the wet rock.
But Zhang Wanqing had anticipated his fall, and with a quick dash forward, she caught him in her arms, pulling him to safety.
Her hands shook, but she forced herself to remain calm, holding him tightly as he buried his face in her shoulder and cried, "I thought I'd never see you again."
"You'll always have me, Sanlang," she whispered, her voice firm despite her own trembling. "I'll never let you go."