Mei Qing nodded, and several of them entered the tea shed, finding only an elderly couple inside. The old woman was boiling water while the old man served tea. They ordered several cups of wild tea and sat around the roughly made tables and chairs under the shed. Mei Qing casually asked Liu Mengmei why he had ventured so deeply into the mountains.
A faint blush appeared on Liu Mengmei’s pale face, and he mysteriously whispered, “Gentlemen, may I ask whether you’ve heard rumors about immortals dwelling within Mount Baizhao?”
Upon hearing Liu Mengmei’s words, Bi Zhen and Mei Qing exchanged glances involuntarily. Mei Qing softly laughed and said, “You flatter us, Master Liu. Matters of immortals are merely ancient legends. Even if they were true, they would likely be like the dragon’s head glimpsed but never seen entirely. How could ordinary mortals like us ever encounter such beings?”
“No, no,” Liu Mengmei shook his head repeatedly, “This is absolutely not a fantasy. I saw it with my own eyes; I’m absolutely certain I’m not mistaken.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing replied, somewhat surprised. “May I ask how such a strange encounter occurred? Could you possibly share it with us?”
Liu Mengmei picked up the rough porcelain tea bowl in front of him and took a gentle sip. He frowned slightly, then pushed the tea bowl aside before speaking. “Master Mei, do you know how I got my name, Mengmei?”
Mei Qing was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. “In my opinion, it certainly wasn’t because you missed me so much that you chose such a fine name.”
Liu Mengmei smiled. “Master Mei, you’re teasing me. Indeed, this name was changed later, and the story behind it goes back to an incident from when I was a boy.”
After saying this, Liu Mengmei seemed slightly embarrassed. “Please don’t laugh at me, gentlemen. I was originally from Anlu city. I had a strict upbringing and thus never made any close friends. Meeting you two today, I inexplicably feel a sense of closeness, and I’m especially grateful for your rescue. Please don’t think me presumptuous for speaking so openly.”
“Not at all,” Bi Zhen quickly interjected. “As the ancients said, one may remain strangers for a lifetime, or become fast friends upon meeting. The mystery of fate is indeed profound. Meeting you today, Master Liu, is a great fortune. How could we possibly laugh at you?”
Liu Mengmei nodded repeatedly. “Your kindness in not laughing at me has eased my anxiety. Speaking of that past event, it feels just like a spring dream.”
“My family lived in Anlu city, but my grandmother’s family has long resided in Mount Baizhao. Every year, I would visit the mountain with my parents for a short stay—to visit relatives and also to give me a chance to relax. Back then, I remember being twelve years old, forced to study all day long, which I found quite painful…”
Upon hearing this, Mei Qing nodded in agreement. He himself had lost both parents at an early age and was labeled as “simple-minded,” so no one ever pushed him to study. Yet, though he had never tasted pork, he had seen pigs. In that era, imperial examinations were highly valued, and people were diligent in educating their children. It was no wonder that Liu Mengmei had found his childhood quite miserable.
“Later, during one of our visits to Mount Baizhao, I accidentally overheard my father saying that my behavior was rebellious and that I had no interest in studying. He planned to discipline me even more strictly after the New Year. I felt there was no way out. Being young and impulsive, I angrily ran away from my grandmother’s house alone,” Liu Mengmei sighed.
“Ai!” Bi Zhen exclaimed. “You were so young; where did you think you could go in these vast mountains? What if you had encountered wolves?”
Liu Mengmei nodded with a bitter smile. “Indeed. However, being young and inexperienced, I hadn’t thought through where I was going or what I would do. I just felt I couldn’t stay at home any longer, so I ran with my head down.”
“And then what happened?” Bi Zhen asked curiously. “Where did you go?”
“At the time, I didn’t care about directions. I just took the most difficult paths to avoid being found. Unfortunately, I soon got lost,” Liu Mengmei continued with a bitter smile.
Bi Zhen responded, “Of course. This mountain is so vast that even adults often get lost. A child of only ten or so getting lost was only natural.”
Liu Mengmei nodded in agreement. “Yes. I panicked and wandered through the woods without seeing any houses or paths. As dusk approached, I became increasingly frightened. Then I slipped and rolled down a hillside.”
“Ai ya!” Bi Zhen cried out, then quickly asked, “What happened then?… Oh, I know! You must have met an immortal who saved you, right?”
Liu Mengmei looked at Bi Zhen in surprise and said, “You’re indeed sharp, sir. Actually, I don’t clearly remember what happened after I fell down the hill. All I knew was that I was half-conscious, and I seemed to hear two female voices speaking nearby.”
“One voice, obviously older, called to another young lady, saying, ‘Miss, although it was kind of you to rescue this boy, if the master finds out, it will bring trouble.'”
“I then heard another voice, sweet and melodious, reply, ‘He’s just a young boy alone in the wilderness. If we threw him out, what if he met someone bad? Old Mama Zhao, I know you’re kind-hearted. Let’s keep him for tonight and send him out first thing tomorrow morning, alright?'”
“Old Mama Zhao muttered something else but said no more. I struggled with all my strength and finally opened my eyes. I heard that sweet voice say, ‘Ah, you’re awake!'”
At this point, Liu Mengmei’s eyes seemed to relive the scene of the past, as he gazed dreamily and said, “Master Mei, you asked me if there are immortals in the world. You wouldn’t understand how I felt when I opened my eyes back then. At first sight, I knew that the fairy before me must be an immortal. How could there be such a graceful and incomparably beautiful woman in this mundane world?”
Looking at Liu Mengmei’s enraptured expression, Mei Qing merely sighed. Bi Zhen, however, was clearly displeased and said, “Master Liu, you’re mistaken. There are countless beautiful women in the world. Beauty alone doesn’t make one an immortal.”
“You wouldn’t understand, Master Mei,” Liu Mengmei waved his hand, ignoring Bi Zhen’s reaction. “If you had seen that fairy in person, you would understand my meaning. Such a woman simply cannot exist in this world.”
Bi Zhen, clearly annoyed, wanted to argue, but Mei Qing, secretly amused, quickly gestured to stop him.
Every woman in the world desires beauty, and every beautiful woman takes pride in her looks.
Bi Zhen had always considered herself beautiful and couldn’t bear hearing someone praise another woman’s beauty, especially in front of Mei Qing. She wanted to reveal her true face and show that young man what real beauty looked like, to teach him not to mistake a mere stone for a precious jade.
“What a fool, a complete fool! He can’t tell gold even when it’s right in front of him, and mistakes a hen for a phoenix,” Bi Zhen thought bitterly while glaring at Mei Qing with a warning look.
Mei Qing pretended not to notice and turned to Liu Mengmei, who was still lost in his reverie. “So, it was that fairy girl who saved your life. What happened afterward?”
Liu Mengmei snapped out of his daydream and said somewhat embarrassedly, “I’m sorry. Whenever I talk about this, no one ever believes me. Today, hearing you two are willing to listen, I couldn’t help but get carried away. I’m truly sorry.”
He shook his head and continued, “When I saw the fairy girl asking me questions, I was momentarily at a loss for words. She smiled gently and asked again, ‘Young master, do you know where you live? How did you end up alone in these wild mountains?’ I felt that no one in the world could be as close and comforting as her, so I poured out all my troubles and worries to her.”
“After listening, the fairy girl shook her head and said, ‘Your father wants you to study for your own good. You running away like this must have worried your family greatly. You should go back home tomorrow.’ Her words made perfect sense, so I could only nod repeatedly, not knowing what else to say.”
“The next morning, Old Mama Zhao came to send me away. That old woman was quite stern and warned me not to tell anyone about what had happened here. All I wanted was to see the fairy girl one last time, but the old woman kept urging me forward, so I had to follow her out.”
“On the way out, she even asked me to close my eyes. I thought maybe the fairy girl would come out, so I refused to shut them completely and instead pretended to keep them closed while secretly leaving a small gap. Looking through my half-closed eyelids, I was astonished.”
“It turned out that outside the house, the entire area was filled with blooming plum blossoms. Although my eyes were barely open, all I could see was a sea of flowers. Unfortunately, before the fairy girl could appear, I suddenly felt a jolt in my body, as if I had been lifted into the air, and then I fainted, knowing nothing else.”
“When I woke up, I had no idea how much time had passed. I was already back at my grandmother’s house, with my grandparents and parents by my side. They told me I had been found beside a stream valley several miles from home. When I told them about my experience, saying I had entered a valley filled with plum blossoms, they all said I must have been dreaming. They insisted there were no clusters of plum trees in Mount Baizhao, let alone such a valley.”
Mei Qing and Bi Zhen had already been paying close attention when Liu Mengmei mentioned seeing plum blossoms. Upon hearing that no one knew about the valley, they exchanged glances. Bi Zhen asked, “You mean your family doesn’t know about this place? Could it be that the location is just obscure and rarely known?”
Liu Mengmei shook his head. “Ever since then, I’ve never forgotten this place. After returning home, I listened to the fairy girl’s advice, applied myself to my studies, and made noticeable progress, which pleased both my father and my teacher. Later, when I insisted on changing my name to Mengmei, they didn’t object. From then on, I made it my mission to search for that place, even sending people into the mountains to look. To be honest, gentlemen, I’ve practically explored every stream and valley in Mount Baizhao. I could probably name every location within dozens of miles around Anlu city where plum trees grow. Yet, there truly is no place in these mountains where plum blossoms bloom so abundantly.”
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