Of Mountains and Rivers Extra 1

"What in the world is happening here!" exclaimed Chu Huan, tilting his head back silently to avoid Old Wang's spittle, which flew past his shoulder like a hidden dagger.

Old Wang, one-armed and dusty, wore a face that seemed to accuse every bitter moment life had dealt him, attributing them to the man before him.

Between them stood a wooden table displaying military supplies fit for a national exhibition.

Chu Huan glanced down through the decrepit window of the guest house, observing Nanshan conversing with the old soldiers downstairs.

The family patriarch, dressed in a shirt that seemed unfamiliar to him, moved cautiously, as though afraid of tearing his clothes with any sudden movement. Despite his caution, he served as an unexpected guide to the rustic men beside him in this county town he rarely visited.

Just then, Nanshan, engaged in conversation, suddenly looked up, locking eyes with Chu Huan. Interrupting his discussion, he offered a warm smile to the person upstairs, a touch of amusement in his serious expression.

The old soldiers in the cave, though a bit uncouth, hadn't lost their memories despite accidentally stumbling into the "Peach Blossom Spring" years ago. It was as if they'd simply awakened from a decades-long dream, the divine mountain perhaps intent on keeping this land hidden from the world.

The Elder with a goat-like visage, sensing the delicate situation, tactfully avoided discussing the bizarre events of the past. Instead, he portrayed himself as a border-dwelling minority, steering clear of uncomfortable topics.

Fresh from awakening after the Mountain Gate's reversal, Chu Huan found himself thrust into handling this matter before fully coming to his senses.

Thus, the scene unfolded in the guest house of the county town.

For various reasons, Chu Huan couldn't disclose the truth to others—Old Wang, in particular, would likely dismiss him as delusional. It was safer to feign ignorance and evade responsibility: "I don't know, I was found on the road."

Old Wang's face twitched as he followed Chu Huan's gaze towards Nanshan downstairs. Sensing something, he squinted and pointed at Nanshan, questioning, "Who's that with the long hair?"

Chu Huan replied casually, "My wife."

Old Wang listened, his eyes twitching with increasing animation. He took a deep breath and asked in a trembling voice, "What… what's happening?"

Chu Huan surveyed the bustling border town, observing his old friend's robust appearance with a tinge of nostalgia, as if he'd traveled through time. After a moment's consideration, he replied cautiously, "I can't say for certain, but it seems he was found, too."

Old Wang exclaimed, "But damn it, he's a man! Do you take me for a fool?"

Chu Huan shrugged inexplicably. "I never claimed he was a woman."

Visibly agitated, Old Wang paced the room like a mule pulling a millstone. Finally, unable to contain himself, he slapped Chu Huan across the face. "Rubbish!"

Leaning back against the worn-out sofa, Chu Huan stretched his legs and flexed his muscles, offering a tolerant smile toward the elderly man's irrationality, choosing silence over argument.

Over the years, Old Wang had always struggled to comprehend him. Frustrated, he sank onto the simple bed, eliciting a mournful creak from the frame.

Old Wang reached for a cigarette, but before he could light it, Chu Huan tapped the table with his index finger. "Hey."

Impatiently, Old Wang lifted his eyelids to glance at him.

Chu Huan remarked, "I'm on a smoking ban."

With an audible snap, Old Wang extinguished the lighter and stood up silently. He walked toward the window, gazing downward for a moment before grasping Chu Huan's shoulder, his frown deepening. "Who is he? Stop playing games with me. Is this going to last?"

Chu Huan sighed. "Do I seem like someone who plays games?"

Knowing Chu Huan's character, although Chu Huan was unreliable in trivial matters, he was never frivolous in important matters. Old Wang's tone turned stern. "After Old Chu's passing, no one can rein you in—do you plan to end your family line?"

Chu Huan paused for a moment, then couldn't suppress a smile.

Old Wang's expression remained serious. "Stop laughing, be serious!"

"I can see you're quite traditional," Chu Huan waved his hand dismissively. "There are plenty of children in their clan. Everyone's eager to be adopted by the Patriarch. It's nothing."

Old Wang studied him for a moment. Chu Huan appeared a bit unwell, but his spirits seemed high. The one-armed man fell into silence briefly. At this point, his only expectation of Chu Huan was for him to be a decent person. As for his personal life…

"Based on what you said earlier—is he the one you've chosen to accompany you?" Old Wang inquired.

Chu Huan touched his nose. "Not exactly."

Old Wang grew slightly irritated. "Then what are your plans? Do you intend to hide away in this remote place for the rest of your days? Didn't you promise me earlier…"

"I'll return to work," Chu Huan replied nonchalantly. "It's fine. If there's work, I'll do it. If not, I'll head home and cook. Living a bit far away won't hurt."

Old Wang had never encountered such a lifestyle, and he regarded Chu Huan with astonishment. "…You won't be reimbursed for the plane ticket."

Chu Huan felt no pressure as he responded, "I don't need to earn money to support my family. The moonlight is just right."

Old Wang struggled to comprehend this way of life. After fiddling with his cigarette for a while, he sighed helplessly. "You… are far too unreliable!"

Chu Huan grinned and reached out jokingly. "Let me see our nephew and niece—or should I say, nieces?"

Old Wang retrieved several phones from his person, selecting the least conspicuous one and handing it to Chu Huan. Despite being very young, the fraternal twins appeared distinct from each other.

"The one in pink is the girl, the other is the boy," Old Wang explained with a sigh. Seating himself nearby, he refrained from boasting about his twin grandchildren. "I appreciate your willingness to seek a partner, but why must you venture so far and exert yourself so much?"

"Having a boy and a girl completes the word ‘good’ ¹. It's amusing, though, his drool is so long…"

“Chu Huan!”

Chu Huan glanced at him. "Looking for someone closer? Are you planning to drive away your son-in-law and put me in his place?"

Old Wang was momentarily taken aback, then recognized the playful glint in Chu Huan’s eyes. Feeling powerless, he sighed. "You're a real pain, you know that?"

Chu Huan tossed the phone back to Old Wang and turned his gaze out the window, spotting Nanshan escorting a few old soldiers who hadn’t had a decent meal to "KFC" for some junk food exposure. Leaning against the window, Chu Huan shouted, “I want that bowl of potato rice the landlady made last time, with coarse salt!”

Nanshan waved back from below, indicating he heard.

Chu Huan pushed the window open fully, swiftly retrieved a cigarette from Old Wang’s pocket, lit it, took a long drag, and spoke slowly through the puff of smoke. “Sometimes you realize what you feel isn’t the same as others'. Your pain might be profound to you, but others don’t feel a thing. You might feel fine, but others are clueless. After a while, you start to have this illusion… that you and others aren’t living in the same world.”

Old Wang scrutinized him carefully. Chu Huan's features were more pronounced due to weight loss, but his eyes gleamed, perhaps reflecting the glow of the cigarette butt.

“Loneliness doesn’t care how many people you’re with. If you don’t have that feeling, you could be single your whole life and never feel lonely, not even for a minute. If you have these thoughts all the time, even a daily gathering won’t feel lively,” Chu Huan continued, unhurried. “It's terrifying, you know? If you let this kind of loneliness sink too deep, you’ll lose touch with reality.”

Old Wang asked solemnly, “What do you mean by losing touch with reality?”

“Everything,” Chu Huan replied. “Once you lose touch, you start questioning what ‘reality’ really is. The more you think, the more you realize… you can’t prove the existence of ‘reality’.”

Old Wang looked grave, beginning to suspect that Chu Huan hadn't fully recovered from whatever was troubling him.

Chu Huan caught sight of Nanshan leaving the others to eat at the restaurant, while he himself walked out of “KFC” carrying several large food boxes toward the guest house.

"So one day I found someone willing to help dispel this neurotic sense of loneliness, and it was remarkably effective. He's my anchor, my reference point," Chu Huan said, crushing the cigarette and casually disposing of the ashtray under the sofa, then switching on the exhaust fan on the louvered window. "Don't say it's just a matter of taking a few more flights. I could even ride a missile if I wanted."

Footsteps approached the door. Chu Huan motioned for Old Wang to step aside and opened the door for Nanshan. As Nanshan entered, he subtly wrinkled his nose, as if catching a whiff of something, but out of respect for Old Wang's presence, he remained silent, shooting Chu Huan a discreet glare as he handed over the takeout.

Ignoring the tension, Chu Huan gestured towards Old Wang. "This is my… um, my godfather."

Old Wang remained silent, processing the situation. Eventually, he cleared his throat and composed himself, adopting an elder's demeanor as he nodded briefly to Nanshan. "Hello."

Nanshan, taken aback by the unexpected introduction, quickly regained his composure. Though inexperienced, he was still a Patriarch. With politeness, he greeted Old Wang, meeting his slightly assessing gaze with courtesy.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Old Wang struggled for words. Then, Nanshan stepped forward, speaking Mandarin fluently and with solemnity. "My name is Nanshan. I'm the Patriarch of the 'Liyi Clan’. Rest assured, Chu Huan will not suffer any grievances under my care."

Old Wang was left momentarily speechless.

In a silent standoff with Nanshan, Old Wang recalled his experience of marrying off his daughter, inexplicably feeling a subtle dissatisfaction towards his own upright son-in-law.

This unease lingered until that evening when Old Wang supervised the departure of Chu Huan's men, along with rifles and military supplies. Then, as if to demonstrate his magnanimity, he suppressed his sour feelings and generously granted Chu Huan a month of "honeymoon leave."

As Old Wang watched Chu Huan's men depart, he turned to Nanshan beside him. "Why don't we hold off on returning to the clan for now? I'm sure you could cross the border without any trouble now. I'll take you out… um, this…"

Nanshan silently retrieved the ashtray Chu Huan had hidden in the sofa crevice using a short knife, glaring at him accusingly.

Chu Huan nervously chuckled. "That was from the old man just now… he smoked it…"

Attempting to explain himself, he fell silent under Nanshan's scrutinizing gaze.

Nanshan tightened his grip on Chu Huan's hand, his gaze deepening. "So you think you've recovered, huh?"

Chu Huan's throat tightened slightly. He couldn't shake the feeling that Nanshan's questioning gaze was unsettling.

Nanshan held onto his hand tighter, his gaze penetrating. "Then have you forgotten… what you still owe me?"