Chapter 46: Shui Miao’s Origins

There were several rooms upstairs, each person having one for themselves, and Shui Miao stayed in the same room as last time.

After taking a shower and lying on the bed for a while, Shui Miao found himself unable to fall asleep due to the hot weather. Suddenly, he remembered the luggage he had hastily brought home today, which included a shoe box from his grandfather’s bedside table.

So, Shui Miao got up and opened his suitcase.

He took out the box and opened it. Inside, he saw a thick notebook, at least five centimeters thick. However, it wasn’t old at all—it looked quite new, clearly a memoir written by his grandfather in recent years. On top of the notebook was a note that read, “Read two pages a day; reading more won’t help.” Underneath the notebook was an old, seemingly ordinary compass.

Shui Miao picked up the compass first. While it might be useful for ordinary feng shui practitioners, it was of no use to someone like him who could directly open his yin-yang eyes to observe energy. It seemed his grandfather, who also had no use for it, had simply passed it on to him. Shui Miao carefully put the compass aside. Though useless to his grandfather, it might come in handy for him—he was still young, and if he claimed to have the ability to open his yin-yang eyes, no one would believe him.

With a compass, he could at least pretend to be a real practitioner.

There was also a metal box in Shui Miao’s suitcase. It was about ten centimeters thick, originally a gift tin from many years ago, given to Xiong Ying by a wealthy person. Since Xiong Ying didn’t like sweets, he had given it to Shui Miao. Thus, the tin became the first gift Shui Miao ever received. Though the sweets inside had long been eaten, he had kept the tin. Inside were the jade trigrams Wang Yong had given him last time. Shui Miao placed the compass inside, separating it with foam padding.

Then, he picked up the notebook and started reading…

He flipped through it roughly without reading carefully at first, only to find that it was indeed a memoir. The first page described events more than fifty years ago—back during the Great Leap Forward and the era of the People’s Communes, before the Cultural Revolution even began. At that time, his grandfather was just a child.

What would his grandfather have been like as a child?

Shui Miao became deeply interested and continued reading…

The notebook recorded that when Xiong Ying was very young, he had suffered from a strange illness and had always been very weak. At age six, his family, fearing he wouldn’t survive, sent him to a nearby Taoist temple for a while, where he stayed with an elderly Taoist priest named Zhang for half a year. Later, when he recovered, he was taken back home and lived on until he was thirteen. That year, he nearly died from illness again, and finally, Master Zhang took him back to the temple, where he gradually recovered after staying there for half a year.

Because of constant illness, Xiong Ying had always been very thin and weak.

At eighteen, in the year 1960, Xiong Ying fell ill again. His parents once again sent him to the temple. At that time, Master Zhang was already a hundred years old. Strangely, as soon as Xiong Ying entered the temple, his illness disappeared, and he stopped coughing. He became full of energy and spirit.

Xiong Ying’s parents were simple-minded and slow-witted. It wasn’t until their son’s third stay at the temple that they finally asked Master Zhang why he always got sick at home but recovered immediately upon entering the temple.

Master Zhang, in a serious tone, told them that Xiong Ying’s bones were different from ordinary people’s, his eyes bright, and his breathing irregular. In his past life, he must have been a Taoist priest who practiced energy cultivation. In this life, he was born into the Xiong family but still carried some of the ailments left over from his previous life’s cultivation. That was why he fell ill—because he was extremely sensitive to negative energy. However, the feng shui of the temple was excellent, so when Xiong Ying stayed there, his illness naturally disappeared.

Xiong Ying’s parents were half-convinced and half-doubtful. They then asked why Master Zhang hadn’t said anything earlier. Master Zhang smiled bitterly and replied that first, the Xiong family had never asked, so he hadn’t spoken up. Second, the Xiongs only had this one child, and he didn’t want to take him into the Taoist order and cut off their family line. He had hoped that as Xiong Ying grew older, his body would adapt, so he had remained silent.

After hearing the Taoist priest’s explanation, the Xiong family finally understood. For the sake of their child’s life, they decided to leave Xiong Ying at the temple.

Xiong Ying was very intelligent. After entering the temple, he always had endless questions. One day, he asked Master Zhang if he had offended the Grand Duke of Jupiter (Tai Sui).

Master Zhang was greatly surprised, never expecting that Xiong Ying had figured it out on his own.

It turned out that near Xiong Ying’s home was an earthen hill. He occasionally played there, but each time he went, he would feel unwell. The more often he went, the worse his health became. While at the temple, from his senior brothers, he had learned something about Tai Sui and concluded that he must have been poisoned by the toxic energy emitted by the Tai Sui. As for why Master Zhang had lied to his parents, claiming that his illness was due to ailments carried over from his previous life, Xiong Ying believed it was just a way for his master to persuade his parents to let him stay at the temple.

Seeing how clever Xiong Ying was, Master Zhang realized he couldn’t hide the truth any longer and told him honestly that his illness was indeed caused by the toxic energy of the Tai Sui.

There are several rooms upstairs, one for each of us. Shui Miao stayed in the same room as last time.

After taking a shower, he lay on the bed for a while. Due to the hot and stuffy weather, Shui Miao couldn’t fall asleep. Suddenly, he remembered the luggage he had hurriedly brought home earlier that day. Among the items was a box that had once been used to store shoes, which his grandfather had kept in the bedside cabinet.

So, Shui Miao got up and opened his suitcase.

He took out the box, opened it, and found a thick notebook inside. Roughly estimating, the notebook was at least five centimeters thick. However, it wasn’t old; in fact, it looked quite new, clearly a memoir his grandfather had written in recent years. On top of the notebook was a note that read, “Read two pages a day. Reading more won’t help.” Besides this, beneath the notebook was an ordinary-looking but very old compass.

Shui Miao first picked up the compass to examine it. While it might be useful for an ordinary feng shui master, it was utterly useless for someone like him, who could directly open the Yin-Yang eyes to observe energy. He felt that his grandfather probably had no use for it either and had simply passed this useless item on to him. Shui Miao put the compass away carefully. Though it was useless to his grandfather, it might still be of some use to him. Given his young age, if he were to claim he could open the Yin-Yang eyes, few would believe him. With the compass, he could at least use it to bluff his way through situations.

In Shui Miao’s suitcase, there was also a tin box, about ten centimeters thick. It was a pastry box that a wealthy person had given to Xiong Ying over a decade ago. Xiong Ying didn’t eat sweets, so he gave it to Shui Miao. Thus, this box of pastries became the first gift Shui Miao ever received. Although the pastries inside had long been eaten, he had kept the box all this time. Inside the box was the jade Bagua that Wang Yong had given him last time. He placed the compass inside, separating it from the jade with foam padding.

Afterward, Shui Miao picked up the notebook and began to read…

He flipped through it roughly at first without paying close attention, only to find that it was indeed a memoir-style notebook. The first page recounted events from over fifty years ago. Fifty years ago was the era of the Great Leap Forward and the People’s Communes, a time when the Cultural Revolution hadn’t even begun. Back then, his grandfather was just a child.

What must his grandfather have been like as a child?

Shui Miao became deeply engrossed and started reading with great interest…

According to the notebook, Xiong Ying had contracted a strange illness at a very young age and had always been very weak. When he was six years old, his family, fearing they couldn’t keep him alive, sent him to a nearby Taoist temple to live for a while. He spent half a year there with an old Taoist priest surnamed Zhang. After his health improved, Xiong Ying was brought back home and lived there until he was thirteen. That year, he nearly died of illness. In the end, Priest Zhang took him back to the temple, where he stayed for another half a year, gradually recovering his health.

Because he was often sick, Xiong Ying had always been very thin and frail.

By the time he turned eighteen, in 1960, Xiong Ying fell ill again. His parents once again sent him to the Taoist temple. By then, Priest Zhang was already a hundred years old. Strangely, as soon as Xiong Ying moved into the temple, his illness vanished. He stopped coughing and became full of energy.

Xiong Ying’s parents were simple, honest people who were slow to react. It wasn’t until their child was sent to the temple for the third time that they finally asked Priest Zhang why he kept getting sick after living at home for a few years but recovered as soon as he returned to the temple.

Priest Zhang solemnly told them that Xiong Ying’s bone structure was unusual, his eyes were bright, and his breathing was sometimes slow and sometimes rapid. He explained that Xiong Ying had likely been a Taoist priest practicing Qi cultivation in his previous life. After reincarnating into the Xiong family, he had retained some of the ailments from his past life due to his practice. The reason he fell ill was that he was particularly sensitive to energy and would become sick when exposed to negative energy. The temple, however, had excellent feng shui, so Xiong Ying’s health naturally improved whenever he stayed there.

Xiong Ying’s parents were half-convinced and half-doubtful. They asked why Priest Zhang hadn’t told them earlier. Priest Zhang smiled wryly and replied that firstly, the Xiong family hadn’t asked, so he hadn’t spoken up, and secondly, since the Xiong family had only one child, he didn’t want to recruit him into the Taoist order and cut off the family line. He had hoped that Xiong Ying’s body would adapt as he grew older, so he had remained silent.

After hearing Priest Zhang’s explanation, the Xiong family finally understood. For the sake of their child’s life, they decided to leave Xiong Ying at the temple.

Xiong Ying was very clever and always had endless questions after moving into the temple. Once, he asked Priest Zhang if he had offended the Tai Sui (a mythical being in Chinese folklore).

Priest Zhang was astonished that Xiong Ying had figured out the reason on his own.

It turned out that near Xiong Ying’s home, there was a earthen hill where he occasionally played. However, every time he went there, he would feel unwell. The more he went, the worse his health became. While at the temple, Xiong Ying had learned about the Tai Sui from his fellow disciples and concluded that he must have been poisoned by the toxic energy emitted by the Tai Sui, which caused his discomfort. As for why Priest Zhang had lied to his parents, claiming that his illness was due to ailments from a past life, Xiong Ying believed it was because the priest wanted to take him as a disciple and had deliberately made up the story.

Seeing how intelligent Xiong Ying was, Priest Zhang knew he couldn’t hide the truth from him and confessed that his poor health was indeed due to poisoning from the Tai Sui.

The Tai Sui, also known as Ròu Língzhī (Flesh Lingzhi), is a mythical substance that Qin Shi Huang fervently pursued as the elixir of eternal life. Li Shizhen also recorded Ròu Língzhī in the Compendium of Materia Medica, categorizing it under the “Vegetables” section as a type of “Zhi” (Mushroom). It was regarded as both edible and medicinal, esteemed as a “supreme-grade substance” in ancient texts, with the purported effects of “prolonged consumption lightening the body, preventing aging, and extending life like an immortal.”

However, there are many types of Tai Sui.

Not all types are easy to deal with; most can emit toxic energy. For humans, this toxic energy is undoubtedly deadly.

There’s an old saying: “How dare you break ground on the Tai Sui’s head? Do you have a death wish?”

This saying means that when the Tai Sui, hidden underground, is startled by construction on the surface, it releases a toxic energy. Those who inhale this energy may experience dizziness or, in severe cases, bleeding from all orifices, or even death. Therefore, the Tai Sui is not to be trifled with. Don’t assume that consuming it will make you immortal—that’s nothing more than a beautiful legend.

According to scientific research, the Tai Sui contains thousands of types of bacteria. Anyone who dares to eat it must have a death wish.

Priest Zhang had thought that after telling Xiong Ying the truth, he would leave the temple.

To his surprise, Xiong Ying not only stayed but devoted himself wholeheartedly to the temple, constantly pestering Priest Zhang to talk about astronomy, geography, and strange tales. Priest Zhang soon realized that while Xiong Ying had no interest in Taoist spells or incantations, he was particularly curious about feng shui and numerology. So, Priest Zhang tailored his teachings to Xiong Ying’s interests and passed on all his knowledge of feng shui to him.

Unfortunately, Priest Zhang was too old and passed away just a few months later.

The Cultural Revolution began, and the slogan “Down with all monsters and demons!” echoed across the land. The temple was destroyed, and Xiong Ying bid farewell to his fellow disciples and returned home.

From then on, Xiong Ying lived a peaceful life. He never went back to the earthen hill, so he never fell ill again.

Learning about his grandfather’s past, Shui Miao found it incredible. Had his grandfather really been a Taoist priest in his previous life? And one who practiced Qi cultivation?

As he read on, the notebook contained more mundane family matters. When he reached less interesting parts, Shui Miao realized he had inadvertently read over ten pages.

He felt a pang of guilt for not keeping his promise.

He decided not to read for five days, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to wait until he had accumulated ten pages to read. The stories in the notebook were so captivating that Shui Miao decided to store it carefully in the tin box for safekeeping. He took out the old compass instead, reasoning that it wasn’t valuable and didn’t need to be kept in the box.

When he opened the box, because the notebook was so thick, Shui Miao opened it from the middle and laid it flat inside. To his surprise, when he opened it, he saw a page with only a short paragraph written on it. Curious, he glanced at it casually, but that one glance made his heart race.

“Child, by the time you read this, you should have matured enough. There’s something Grandfather must tell you. Eighteen years ago, by chance, I met a middle-aged woman. During our conversation, I learned that she was the trafficker who sold you to Chen Jianguo. She lives in Haimen County, Haikou Township, Qilitun Village. Her name is Liao Jifen. If you ever want to learn about your origins, go find her when you have the chance.”

These words sent Shui Miao’s emotions into a whirlwind.

As an orphan, how could he not want to know who his biological parents were?

Before, he had no clues, so he hadn’t held out much hope. But now that he had a lead, his heart could no longer remain calm.

“Grandfather! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Shui Miao quickly flipped through the nearby pages but found nothing else about his origins.

That night, Shui Miao couldn’t sleep.

His mind was filled with images of various faces, wondering what his father and mother might look like, whether he had brothers or sisters, and how they were doing. Had they been thinking about him all these years…

Shui Miao thought about it all, growing more excited and emotional with each passing moment.

As dawn broke, Shui Miao opened his door and woke everyone up, urging them to pack their bags and prepare to leave.

Wang Yong was sound asleep. He had planned to take Shui Miao and the others to catch a bus around seven or eight o’clock, but he hadn’t expected Shui Miao to be up by five.

“Why so early? There are no buses at this hour!” Wang Yong mumbled sleepily as he opened his door. He saw Shui Miao with a backpack on his back and a suitcase in hand, looking exhilarated as he said, “Godfather, there’s no need for you to see us off. Go back to sleep. I know the way, and there’s no need for you to worry about such a small matter. I’ll call you once we reach Zhonghai. Goodbye, Godfather!”

Without waiting for Wang Yong’s response, Shui Miao turned and hurried downstairs with his luggage.

“Hey, wait, Shui Miao! Have something to eat. I’ll make breakfast for you…”

“No need, we’ll buy something to eat on the way.”

Shui Miao went downstairs and handed the lighter suitcase to his younger sister, Chen Xiang. He took the two heavier ones that Wang Yong had prepared, and the three of them made their way to the road. They hailed a minivan and asked the driver how much it would cost to go to Qilitun Village, Haikou Township, Haimen County. It was early in the morning, and the driver, not wanting to miss his first fare of the day, calculated a moderate price: four hundred yuan.

“I’ll give you five hundred if you get us there as fast as possible.”

Shui Miao directly handed five hundred yuan to the driver.

“Deal! I guarantee we’ll arrive by around noon.”

The driver’s eyes lit up, and in high spirits, he took the money and started driving immediately.

However, Tai Sui also came in many varieties.

Not all types of Tai Sui were safe to approach. Most could emit toxic gases that were deadly to humans.

There was an old saying: “Daring to dig where the Tai Sui lies—don’t want to live anymore?”

This meant that when the Tai Sui hidden underground was disturbed by construction on the surface, it would be frightened and release a toxic gas. When people inhaled this gas, they might suffer from dizziness and blurred vision at best, or nosebleeds and even death at worst. Therefore, Tai Sui was not something to be trifled with. Don’t believe the beautiful myth that eating Tai Sui can grant immortality.

According to scientific research, the surface of Tai Sui hosts thousands of different types of bacteria. Anyone who wants to shorten their life can try eating it.

Master Zhang had originally thought that after telling Xiong Ying the truth, he would leave the temple.

To his surprise, Xiong Ying not only stayed but became even more determined. He constantly pestered Master Zhang to tell him about astronomy, geography, and strange tales. Master Zhang soon realized that while Xiong Ying had no interest in Taoist spells and talismans, he was deeply fascinated by feng shui and numerology. Thus, Master Zhang taught Xiong Ying everything he knew about feng shui.

Unfortunately, Master Zhang was already very old and passed away just a few months later.

Then came the Cultural Revolution, with the slogan “Smash all cow ghosts and snake spirits” echoing across the land. The temple was destroyed, and Xiong Ying bid farewell to his fellow disciples and returned home.

From then on, Xiong Ying lived a peaceful life. He never went near the earthen hill again, and thus never fell ill.

Learning about his grandfather’s past, Shui Miao felt it was unbelievable—his grandfather’s previous life had also been a Taoist priest? And even a Taoist priest who practiced energy cultivation?

Continuing to read, the notebook then described some trivial family matters. When he found parts that were not interesting, Shui Miao suddenly realized he had already read over ten pages unintentionally.

He had failed to keep his promise to himself. Shui Miao secretly blamed himself.

He decided not to read for five days and would only continue once he had ten pages ready. The story in the notebook was fascinating, so Shui Miao decided to store it carefully in the metal box, taking out the old compass instead. After all, the compass wasn’t valuable and didn’t need to be kept inside the box.

Opening the box, since the notebook was thick, Shui Miao opened it from the middle and placed it flat inside. But as he did, he noticed a piece of paper with only a short paragraph written on it. Curious, he casually glanced at it—and the moment he read it, he was deeply shocked!

“Child, by now you should have matured in mindset. There is something I must tell you. Eighteen years ago, by chance, I met a middle-aged woman. During our conversation, I learned that she was the trafficker who sold you to Chen Jianguo. She lives in Qili Tun Village, Haikou Township, Haimen County. Her name is Liao Jifen. If you ever want to know your true identity, go find her.”

This passage instantly stirred up a storm of emotions in Shui Miao’s heart.

How could an orphan not want to know who his real parents were?

Before, there had been no clues, so Shui Miao had never held much hope. Now that there were clues, his heart could no longer remain calm.

“Grandpa! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Shui Miao quickly flipped through the nearby pages but found no further information about his origins.

That night, Shui Miao couldn’t sleep.

His mind kept conjuring up countless faces, imagining what his parents might look like, whether he had an older brother, a younger brother, an older sister, or a younger sister. Were they doing well? Had they missed him all these years?

Shui Miao thought and thought, growing more and more excited and emotional.

At dawn, Shui Miao opened the door and woke everyone up, urging them to pack and prepare to leave.

Wang Yong was still sound asleep. He had planned to send Shui Miao and the others to catch a ride at seven or eight in the morning, but he never expected Shui Miao to wake up at five.

“Why so early? There’s no transportation yet!” Wang Yong mumbled groggily as he opened the door and saw Shui Miao already with his backpack and suitcase, his face filled with excitement as he said, “Dad, you don’t need to see us off. Keep sleeping. I know the way myself. This is a small matter, no need to trouble you. I’ll call you once I reach Zhonghai. Goodbye, Dad!”

Without waiting for Wang Yong’s response, Shui Miao turned and went downstairs with his belongings.

“Hey, wait, Shui Miao! Have something to eat. I’ll cook breakfast for you right away…”

“No need. We’ll buy something on the way.”

Shui Miao went downstairs, gave the lighter suitcase to Xiaoxiang, and carried the two heavier ones that Wang Yong had prepared. The three of them directly went to the roadside and stopped a minivan, asking the driver how much it would cost to go to Qili Tun Village, Haikou Township, Haimen County. Since it was the driver’s first business of the morning and he didn’t want to miss the opportunity, he calculated a moderate price—400 yuan.

“I’ll give you 500. Just get us there as fast as you can.”

Shui Miao immediately handed the driver 500 yuan.

“Great! I guarantee we’ll arrive by around noon.”

The driver’s eyes lit up with joy. He took the money, then immediately started the car and drove off.