The end of the month arrived quickly, and today was the day Lin Mengli and I had agreed to return to the Lin Family clan together.
Early in the morning, Lin Wanwan and little Lin Qingyu dressed in matching ancient costumes, donned matching veils, called two sedan chairs, and with two large trunks, left the town and took the official road back to the countryside.
Little Qingyu was thrilled upon learning she would be accompanying her mother on a visit to relatives, almost treating it as an outing. With Lin Wanwan providing milk powder, rice cereal, and various fruits and meats over this period, the little one had gained some weight and no longer looked like a skin-and-bone refugee.
The sun-darkened skin had also been lightened considerably under Lin Wanwan's regimen of milk baths, children's sunscreen, and moisturizer. It's likely even Qingyu's biological mother wouldn't recognize her now, let alone the unkind uncles, aunts, and grandparents from the past.
After about half an hour in the sedan, they could go no further, as the path ahead was narrow and not wide enough. Lin Wanwan and the others got off the sedan, each carrying a trunk, and walked on. Fortunately, it wasn't much farther to the village. Following the path to the seaside, the sound of waves rhythmically met their ears, allowing them to unconsciously relax.
"Is your village by the sea? I vaguely remember coming here once as a child," Lin Wanwan said casually.
"Yes, the ancestral home of the Houtao Lin clan is around here. Since you are a Lin daughter, it's natural that you've been here before to pay respects to your ancestors, so it's normal to have memories. A bit further ahead is our Lin Family Manor. The whole village belongs to one clan, with no outsiders," Lin Mengli explained to Lin Wanwan.
Lin Wanwan nodded softly, choosing not to speak further to avoid revealing anything. Gazing ahead, she could already see the village built against the mountain.
But little Qingyu's steps grew increasingly heavy, and she even dared not move forward. This was where her uncles, aunts, and grandparents lived—was her mother planning to leave her behind?
The more little Qingyu thought about it, the more fearful she became, suddenly stopping in her tracks, unable to move.
Lin Wanwan turned back to look at her, "What's wrong, little Yuer, are you tired?"
Children of this age indeed cannot walk long distances. In modern times, children like her would sometimes have strollers, and she could sit whenever she got tired.
But Lin Wanwan clearly guessed wrong this time; little Qingyu stopped not because of exhaustion, but out of fear.
Seeing her mood was off, Lin Wanwan put down the trunk, squatted, and held her arms, gently asking, "What's wrong, little Yuer, tell me."
As she listened to Lin Wanwan's gentle voice, little Qingyu suddenly couldn't hold back, throwing herself into her mother's arms and bursting into tears. If Lin Wanwan hadn't practiced standing for several years, she would have been knocked over.
"Mother, please don't leave little Yuer, Mother, I'll be good!"
So the little one was afraid of this!
Lin Wanwan quickly hugged little Qingyu tightly, speaking softly, "How could Mother leave little Yuer? I will always love you and never leave you."
Little Qingyu raised her head, her lashes glittering with tears, and looked at Lin Wanwan for reassurance, "Mother, will you always love me?"
Lin Wanwan gave a definitive answer, "Of course, now tell me, little Yuer, what are you to Mother?"
Little Qingyu tilted her head, tearfully saying, "Heart and soul sweet jam."
Lin Wanwan laughed and said, "That's right! You are Mother's heart and soul sweet jam!"
With the little one comforted, the three continued walking. Lin Mengli smiled and said, "Wan Niang, you're quite indulgent with the child."
Lin Wanwan just smiled without speaking.
Upon reaching the village entrance, Lin Wanwan saw a simple dock with two worn-out wooden sailboats.
At that moment, the people on the boats were about to come ashore, and seeing Lin Wanwan and little Qingyu, they were stunned.
"Where did this fairy come from?" asked Lin Mengjin, a man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, though standing no taller than about 1.65 meters.
Lin Mengli, being his cousin, quickly responded, "She is also a Lin family lady. Where is the clan leader uncle? We need to see him."
Lin Mengjin replied, "He just got off the boat and must have returned home by now. Come, let's go find him together."
He said this and followed Lin Wanwan and the others.
"The fairy in front is dressed so well, her clothing alone could probably be worth a year's supply of food for us. Is she really from our Lin family? A direct lineage?"
"She must be. I wonder why she's visiting today."
The two young men following Lin Mengjin whispered among themselves.
Upon hearing the gossip, Lin Wanwan smiled lightly, not responding. They soon reached the village, with men and women bustling in the fields along the village path, busy and vibrant with activity. On the field ridges and paths, many barefoot, naked children ran about energetically.
What a lively farming scene—such sights still exist a thousand years later. For a moment, Lin Wanwan felt as if time had shifted once more.
Due to the village's isolation, there were almost no outsiders. Suddenly being confronted with someone as striking as a phoenix, Lin Wanwan, and little Lin Qingyu holding tightly to her sleeve, left everyone amazed.
"Who is this young lady?"
"Mengli, Mengjin, who is she?"
People in the field were full of questions, and the very curious children were already following behind, mimicking the sounds of horse riding with their mouths.
Having been a campus beauty, Lin Wanwan was accustomed to such attention and didn't feel awkward. Instead, the lively scene of a thousand-year-old village filled her with a sense of freshness.
This area was called Houtao South Mountain, located by the sea. A thousand years later, there were no more homes here, and it had become part of a port area.
The descendants of Houtao Lin had long since moved away.
But at this moment, this coastal pastoral scene was so vibrant.
Lin Mengjin and Lin Mengli, striding confidently ahead, led the way. They quickly passed through the village and turned left into a yard enclosed by a fence.
In the yard, an old man with rolled-up sleeves and pants was drying prawns.
"Clan leader uncle, drying shrimp are we? Done cooking the shrimp so soon?" Lin Mengjin called out.
The old man lifted his head, his gaze instantly focusing on Lin Wanwan and Lin Qingyu: "And who might this be?"
Lin Mengjin stepped forward quickly to explain, "Clan leader uncle, she's the direct-lineage Lin lady, the only daughter in her family. She grew up following an old sage in seclusion in the mountains and only recently came down. Just recently, she saved Da Ya's life in town."
The old man suddenly understood, "Oh, so it's her. They mentioned it when Mengbo's family returned."
By now, Lin Wanwan had removed her veil and was looking at the old man.
His dark, wrinkled face and body were clad in a coarse, earth-colored linen garment, patched in two places. It was difficult to determine his exact age. He looked like he was sixty or seventy, but considering the poverty of Tang Dynasty fishermen, such longevity would be rare. Seventy was a rarity, so he was likely around forty or fifty.