Chapter 1

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Prologue: The Green Hills Lie Beyond the City Walls

Chapter 1: Opening Up The Land

On a vast unnamed continent, one day, under a clear sky stretching for miles, devoid of clouds or wind, a scorching sun hung in the sky, casting an infinite radiance.

Suddenly, from the sky, there flashed something resembling a ring, appearing out of nowhere, so abrupt in its appearance as if it had just torn through the fabric of space and time. With immense speed, it shot towards the mountain peaks below, accompanied by an eerie ‘whoosh’ sound.

Ordinarily, if something were to fly in from beyond the heavens, it would leave a thick trail of smoke, whistling as it approached, with a thunderous sound that could be felt throughout the entire world.

However, this object emitted only a brief sound for a fleeting moment. Then, with a long ‘Puchi’ sound, it plunged deeply into the rocky crevices of the mountain peaks, disappearing without a trace.

This event happened so swiftly that it failed to elicit any reaction from the surrounding creatures, not even the nearby mountain birds had a chance to take flight.

Subsequently, those startled birds circled briefly in the air before swiftly descending back to their own affairs, oblivious to the fact that there was one more mysterious thing on this continent.

And countless years later, with the changing tides and shifting landscapes, the once towering mountain peaks had sunken, transforming into sloping hills. Many areas had leveled out into plains, gradually becoming inhabited by people. Some even chose to settle around these hillsides. What wondrous tales might unfold with the presence of this mysterious ring? Zhang Xiaohua felt immensely content, wearing a blissful expression on his face.

His gaze burned fiercely as he stared at the barren land before him, as if this land was a succulent piece of pork belly, exuding a fragrant aroma.

In reality, it would be more accurate to call it a mountainous area than barren land, because this piece of land was situated halfway up a hill. However, the slope was relatively gentle, allowing for roughly four plots of land to be cultivated. Yet, even this patch of land was the result of Zhang Xiaohua’s father’s arduous efforts of negotiating with the village chief for nearly two months. Zhang Xiaohua also knew that while there were many barren mountains in the village, arable land was scarce. Therefore, everyone was eager to find additional land capable of producing food beyond the existing plots.

Most of the other villagers sought out barren land closer to the riverbank. However, because Zhang Xiaohua’s family lacked the funds to bribe the village chief, they had to broaden their search and look for land that others had overlooked. After scouring high and low, they finally stumbled upon this piece of land.

The village where Zhang Xiaohua lived was called Guo Village. It spanned an area of roughly four miles in radius, surrounded by mountains on both sides. These mountains were not particularly tall, more appropriately described as hills. A river flowed through the village, with a small bridge connecting it to the neighboring village. Guo Village was home to around forty households, with half of them surnamed Guo, forming a small clan residing in the center of the village, while the rest lived scattered around the village’s periphery. The rural folk were simple yet shrewd. In Guo Village, most matters were overseen by the patriarch of the Guo family. Although they lived in the same village, the distinction in surnames inevitably led to some bias when the village chief dealt with affairs, often favoring the members of the Guo clan. The best residential locations within the village and the prime agricultural land outside were mostly controlled by villagers with the surname Guo. Nevertheless, despite occasional minor disputes, big conflicts had never arisen in this small village. The people of Guo Village felt they were leading tranquil lives akin to those in the Peach Blossom Spring, a utopian paradise.

Zhang Xiaohua’s mother, Guo Sufei, was a native of Guo Village, belonging to a branch of the Guo family. Their branch had once enjoyed some ‘glory’, but by the time of her mother’s generation, there were no male descendants left. Additionally, Zhang Xiaohua’s maternal grandfather, Guo Shan, also had only daughters. When it came time for his daughter to marry, both he and his wife were elderly, and to support them in their old age, Xiaohua’s father, Zhang Cai, married into the Guo family.

It was often said that the prosperity of a rural household was closely tied to its labor force. As Guo Shan had no sons, he had considered adopting a male relative before Guo Sufei was born, but due to various issues, this plan never materialized. As a result, the household was solely supported by Guo Shan, indicating the family’s impoverished circumstances. On the other hand, Zhang Cai was quite capable. After joining the Guo family, he proved himself to be adept in farming and significantly increased the household’s labor productivity, surpassing even his father-in-law, Guo Shan. Within a year of their marriage, Guo Sufei became pregnant and gave birth to a son, blessing Guo Shan with a grandson whom they named Zhao Xiaolong. Guo Shan and his wife were overjoyed to see the birth of their grandson and felt deeply gratified. Just as the family was envisioning a bright future, Guo Shan fell seriously ill, and his condition worsened rapidly…

For impoverished families, illness was undoubtedly a calamity. Zhang Cai, in a desperate attempt to save his father-in-law, sold off all valuable possessions. However, despite his efforts, Guo Shan’s life was like a candle blown by the wind and could not be saved. He passed away when Zhang Xiaolong was just over two years old.

Before his death, Guo Shan found solace in the fact that his second grandchild was about to be born, therefore, he named the child in advance. If a boy he was to be named Zhang Xiaohu, and if a girl Zhang Xiaohua. After Guo Shan’s passing, Zhang Cai’s mother-in-law’s health also declined rapidly. Thankfully, the birth of Zhang Xiaohu slightly alleviated the elderly woman’s sorrow, allowing the family to maintain their ordinary way of life.

Life for rural families revolved around working in the fields during the day and returning home for meals. The foundation of their livelihood lay in the land. In the past, with the old Guo family’s sparse population, the land was always sufficient for their needs. However, as Zhang Xiaolong and Zhang Xiaohu grew older, Zhang Cai constantly worried about cultivating enough land to support the family. In the beginning, he and his wife, Guo Sufei, took Zhang Xiaolong and Zhang Xiaohu to pay respects to the village chief, hoping to secure some land for cultivation. Perhaps out of respect for Guo Shan, the village chief allocated a small plot of land by the riverbank, which could be considered as a solution to Zhang Cai’s ‘desperate circumstances’.

Zhang Xiaohua was born when his eldest brother was seven years old, meaning there were already two and a half pairs of hands available for labor. The family’s poverty was slightly alleviated by this time.

Speaking of Zhang Xiaohua’s birth, there was something magical about it. The weather had been dry for over two months, but on the night Xiaohua was born, a sudden downpour occurred. The rainfall in the mountains surged dramatically, causing the river outside the village to overflow its banks, a scene that was quite alarming.

And when Guo Sufei was giving birth, she also saw flying flowers in the sky, adding to the mystique surrounding his birth, therefore, Zhang Cai had high hopes for Xiaohua. Even when it came to naming him, they consulted the neighboring village’s teachers and considered various names like Zhang Zhen, Zhang Yu, and Zhang Xueyou. However, even after much deliberation, they couldn’t settle on one. Finally, inspired by the rain of flowers and her departed father, Guo Sufei bravely gave Zhang Xiaohua such a popular name, despite being a typical boy.[TL_Note: Xiaohua -> Little flower]

At this time, Xiaohua was already twelve years old. Children from farm families tend to mature early, several years ago, Xiaohua had already been assisting his father and older brothers in the fields. Zhang Cai had thought about sending the children to school to learn reading and writing, hoping they could achieve some level of literacy and perhaps even pursue a career. However, Guo Village was small, and there were few scholars in the clan, so they could not support a small school. Another prominent family operated the neighboring village’s school, and the fees for Guo Village children were high, so considering their impoverished circumstances at the time, Zhang Cai was willing but powerless to afford it for Xiaolong and Xiaohu.

Xiaohua was sent to the school for a few days when he was young, but according to the teacher’s assessment, his aptitude was average and despite his best efforts, he would only achieve a basic level of literacy. The teacher believed that aspiring for a career in government service or becoming a scholar would be like chasing a mirage for Xiaohua. Zhang Cai weighed his purse and then looked at Xiaohua’s thick eyebrows and big eyes. Realizing the impracticality of nurturing such lofty aspirations, Zhang Cai returned with Xiaohua to Guo Village, where they focused on the family’s primary occupation of farming.

However, it seemed that Xiaohua’s mother still remembered the auspicious signs at his birth. She occasionally enlisted the help of literate young people in the village to teach Xiaohua some basic knowledge. Although Xiaohua enjoyed working in the fields with his older brothers, his mother’s insistence led him to learn many words. He could read some things and was considered as the literate person in the family, whenever there were matters related to reading and writing, Zhang Xiaohua took charge.

Today marked Xiaohua’s first day of independently farming the land, his father had informed him yesterday that this plot of land was now his, his own livelihood. Although it was still a piece of land without any signs of being cultivated, Xiaohua remembered something a scholar in the village had once said, ‘With a goal in mind, you can begin; with a beginning, you’ve already achieved half of success! With success, your hopes are not far away’, and Xiaohua’s hope was to enjoy a delicious piece of pork belly~

It was already the beginning of winter in November. The sun cast a dim light and warmth from above. The mountain breeze swept through the slopes, causing the trees to rustle with a mournful sound. Everything seemed to foretell a silent chilliness.

However, Xiaohua didn’t have time to pay attention to these things, he held his hoe and tirelessly cultivated this four-acre plot of land. Following Zhang Xiaohua’s plan, he first marked out an oval/rectangular border around the center of the slope. Then he moved the rocks from within this area, cleared away small stones, and dealt with the weeds. As the farm gradually took shape, he planned to refine and cultivate the entire field meticulously, laying a solid foundation for sowing various seeds.

Farming activities always take up a lot of time, and by the time Xiaohua finished clearing the perimeter and prepared to move the large stones from the land, it was already noon. Xiaohua paused his work, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and walked to the edge of the field. He grabbed the water jug his mother had prepared and gulped down half of the water. He then stretched his back lazily and pounded his waist, feeling the pleasant relief after straightening up his hunched posture.

Indeed, in the past, although Xiaohua worked alongside his father and older brothers, being the youngest, everyone tried to spare him from too much labor. He didn’t feel exhausted back then, but now, bearing the burden alone, he realized the hardships involved. However, when he thought about his grandmother, his mother, his own family, and his future, he felt that it was all worthwhile.

Zhang Xiaohua learned to read with the help of the young scholars. Although he didn’t take it seriously, he often heard them talk about vague topics like the future, life, and love, and it left some impression on him. Occasionally while working or during his leisure time, he pondered about his life, but soon reality would bring him back to the land, facing the tasks at hand. Thinking about these things now was probably just daydreaming, a brief respite from the busy schedule.

Just as Zhang Xiaohua was lost in his thoughts, his stomach began to growl incessantly, signaling that it was time to eat. In the past, he would have gone home with his mother to eat, but now he was working independently in the fields. When he left in the morning, his mother had promised to bring lunch to him at noon. Glancing at the sun, he realized it should be arriving soon.

Sure enough, a voice came from below the slope. “Xiaohua~, come help your mother.” There was a steep and slippery section of the slope leading up from below, Zhang Cai had slipped there the last time he came to inspect the land. Zhang Xiaohua quickly replied. “Mom, wait a moment. I’ll go down right away. Don’t try to come up by yourself.”

As Xiaohua descended the slope, he saw his mother standing by the roadside with a bamboo basket in her hand, waiting for him. Zhang Xiaohua took the basket carefully and helped his mother up the slope, assisting her to sit on a nearby rock. He then uncovered the cloth covering the basket, revealing a bowl of pork belly and a few pieces of coarse bread inside. Xiaohua, being considerate, asked his mother if she had eaten, and as expected, her answer was affirmative. Seeing Xiaohua devouring the food hungrily, Guo Sufei felt a pang of heartache and said gently to him,

“Eat slowly, don’t choke, drink some water.”

“Mom, why did you suddenly make pork belly?” Xiaohua asked.

“Today is your first day working alone in the fields. Your father instructed me yesterday to cook pork belly to reward you.” Xiaohua’s mother said affectionately to her youngest son. “It’s hard on you, Xiaohua. You’re only twelve years old this year. Look at the children in the neighboring village who are the same age as you, they are still studying in school. Yet here you are, working alone in the fields.”

“Mom, look at what you’re saying. Didn’t my older brother start working separately from Dad when he was just ten? What’s so special about what I’m doing? Besides, this land is mine, and my second brother is still sharing the land with my eldest brother. I’m just happy to be here.” Xiaohua interrupted his mother’s nagging and continued. “What about Grandma, has she eaten the pork belly yet?”

“Your grandmother is over eighty years old, how can she eat this, I made her some millet porridge.” Xiaohua’s mother said. “Only now you remember your grandmother. Your grandmother has been worried about you all morning.”

Xiaohua scratched his head in embarrassment as if he really hadn’t thought about it that much.

Speaking of Xiaohua’s grandmother, Guo Sufei’s face clouded with worry. With the children growing up, life at home gradually improved, however, Xiaohua’s grandmother’s health was deteriorating. While being over eighty years old was considered a rare longevity in the countryside, who wouldn’t wish for their elders to accompany them for a longer journey?

Recently, Xiaohua’s grandmother had even lost her eyesight. Guo Sufei discussed with Zhang Cai about getting a doctor to check on her, but Xiaohua’s grandmother adamantly refused. She insisted that at her age, losing eyesight was normal and she didn’t want to spend money on it anymore, unable to persuade the old lady, the couple reluctantly agreed. Now, the elderly woman worked around the house every day, doing chores in the dark like feeding the chickens and pigs.

Watching Xiaohua finish his meal and drink some water, Guo Sufei said. “ Xiaohua, do less work in the afternoon and come home early, Grandma misses you. I still need to take food to your father and brothers.” Xiaohua was taken aback. “Mom, then, then I’ve finished all the pork belly. What will Dad and my brothers eat?” “It’s okay, there are other dishes. Just remember to do less in the afternoon and don’t catch a cold.” Guo Sufei lovingly stroked Xiaohua’s head, staring at her youngest son’s anxious and blushing face, as if he were still the little child who used to lean on her knees and act coquettishly.

As Zhang Xiaohua helped his mother down the slope and watched her disappearing figure, he felt very guilty in his heart. Sigh, how could I eat all that pork belly?