Ger, So Proud

Chapter 119: Epilogue 2: The Beginning

Qiongchuan County, He Family Town.

In the distance, the mountain peaks were ablaze with red autumn leaves. The bustling streets were filled with people, and a slow-moving carriage approached from afar. The driver, an elderly man with white hair and beard, had a ruddy complexion and agile movements, indicating good health.

“We’ve arrived. Let’s get off and have something to eat.”

The old man jumped down from the carriage and pulled back the curtain. Inside was another elderly man, whose features still showed traces of his youthful handsomeness. At the moment, he was comfortably nestled in thick blankets, sleeping soundly.

The first old man couldn’t help but smile, though his smile quickly faded, replaced by a persistent sadness in his eyes. He walked over to a nearby shop. “Could you please prepare a bowl of sweetened mung bean soup, but not too sweet, and also two pancakes with two eggs?”

He handed over a small piece of silver.

“Sure thing, sir! It’ll be ready in no time.” The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up at the sight of the silver, and he became even more enthusiastic. “You must be from out of town. Let me tell you, I’ve been running this pancake shop for over ten years, and our pancakes are exceptional—thin, crispy, and absolutely delicious!”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely! See that mountain over there? That’s the famous Liuxian Peak, where immortals are said to have stayed. It’s part of He Family Village. You’ve heard of He Lin, right? Lord He, the former top scholar and high-ranking official who later became the emperor’s tutor. He grew up at the foot of that mountain. I wouldn’t dare make such claims if it weren’t true!”

The words “former” and “deceased” were painfully jarring. The old man felt a pang of sorrow. “It’s been more than ten years, and you still remember him.”

“Of course! Lord He was a great official. When he passed, the emperor conferred him the title of ‘Duke of Wen’ and mourned him for three days with the rites of a disciple. When his coffin was brought back to Qiongchuan, many locals fasted and mourned voluntarily, crying uncontrollably. We common folk remember and can’t forget a good official who was kind to us.”

“You all remembering him makes his life truly complete. I’m proud of him.”

“Haha, it’s not just you. Here in Qiongchuan, any random citizen you ask would be proud of Lord He.” The shopkeeper chatted cheerfully while deftly cracking two eggs onto the pancake. “You know about He Family Town, right? It used to be He Family Village. Later, Lord He’s father became prosperous and didn’t forget the villagers. He built roads, established schools, and did a lot of good deeds. Along with the fame of Liuxian Peak, the area became more prosperous. As Lord He climbed higher in the ranks, the village also flourished, becoming more populated. He Family Village turned into He Family Town. I, too, am a He. I have three grandsons, all studying in the school here.”

The shopkeeper smiled sheepishly. “Oh, I’m rambling on, probably taking up too much of your time. I’ll add an extra egg for free today since I’m enjoying the chat.”

“Alright, thank you.”

The pancakes were finally ready. The shopkeeper wrapped them up and handed them to the old man. “Here you go. You must try our local specialty.”

“Sure, I’ll definitely enjoy it later.” The old man couldn’t help but smile, appreciating the gesture.

With the bean soup and pancakes in hand, the old man brought them back to the carriage. By then, the other elderly man inside had woken up. After a short while, the carriage resumed its slow journey, heading toward what was once He Family Village.

The two old men hadn’t returned for a long time.

Now, He Family Village had orderly houses, one after another, spacious courtyards, and wisps of cooking smoke. The village school, occupying a large area, echoed with the crisp, melodious voices of children reading, reaching the ears of the returning travelers. The only thing unchanged was the old tree at the village entrance, except that it had grown taller.

The two elderly men exchanged smiles and, hand in hand, walked towards the school.

The bronze bell outside the school rang once. “Class is dismissed—class is dismissed—”

Lively, cheerful children poured out of the school. A chubby-faced child with twin pigtails, clutching a book, rushed out headlong, then—thump—fell to the ground.

“Oh, where did this little sweetie come from? Did you get hurt?”

The elderly man hurriedly picked up the child, who patted his knees, holding back tears like a little adult. “It doesn’t hurt, thank you, Grandpa.”

“Jinyu, I told you to slow down! Look, you fell again!”

An elderly man with white hair and a scholarly demeanor, carrying a book box, ran up a few steps behind. The chubby child, who had been holding back tears, immediately burst into tears upon seeing him. “Grandpa, it hurts—”

“Sweetie, I told you to slow down. Will you listen to Grandpa next time?” The scholarly man dusted off the child’s clothes before looking up. “Thank you both, you—”

The moment he looked up, he swallowed all his words. “Grandfather, Granddad—”

The two old men were none other than He Ze and Lin Yu.

Years ago, after seeing off Zhang Su, Uncle Xu, Old Man He, and Dad Li, and after watching their children marry and have children, He Ze and Lin Yu faked their deaths and left. Over the years, they sailed the seas, climbed snowy mountains, viewed waterfalls, saw the aurora, and trekked through jungles. They visited many places and saw many people and sights. But in recent years, Lin Yu’s body began to struggle even with using his wood-element abilities.

They had returned when An-ge passed away, and later for He Lin, He Yu, and then He Ming. They sent off one after another, and now it was Lin Yu’s turn.

In recent days, Lin Yu’s condition had worsened. He often fell asleep mid-conversation. Both of them had an inkling of what was coming.

He Ze could live on, perhaps for a very long time. But Lin Yu couldn’t. His abilities and life force kept him healthy and free of pain, but they couldn’t surpass the human lifespan. He was already over a hundred years old and approaching death.

But He Ze lacked the courage to let him go.

He Ze and Lin Yu settled back into their old home where they had lived when newly married. During the day, they lay together in the sun, watching the lush flowers and plants in the corners of the yard. The grapes in the courtyard were almost ripe, hanging in clusters of deep purple. He Ze often talked to Lin Yu about their pre-marriage days, reminiscing about their teenage romance. He also liked telling him stories—myths, tales of the modern era, and even stories of the post-apocalyptic world.

Every day, the scholar brought food with the little chubby boy.

The scholar was He Lin’s second son, named He Qi. He had followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued the imperial exams. However, he had been injured during disaster relief efforts a few years ago and had since retired early. Now, he lived in the old home and taught at the clan school in his spare time.

The little chubby boy was of his grandson’s generation, named Jinyu, and was six years old. He attended the school more for fun than for learning.

When He Ze and Lin Yu had faked their deaths, He Qi had been a teenager. He knew the truth, and when his father and uncles passed away, he had seen his grandparents. But after the youngest of the family, Uncle He Nian, passed away, his grandparents had not returned.

This time, however, it seemed his grandparents wouldn’t be leaving.

He still remembered being lifted high by his grandfather as a child. Time had flown by… He Qi suppressed his tears and picked up Jinyu. “Jinyu, be good. The great-grandparents are feeling down. How about you sing them a song later?”

“Jinyu is the best. What should I sing? Little Duck?”

“Anything you like, Jinyu. You’re great.”

…

That night, after Lin Yu had fallen asleep, He Ze stepped out into the yard where He Qi was waiting.

“We don’t have much time left. Don’t tell anyone else just yet. Let me spend these last days with him. When we pass, bury us together on Xiangyang Mountain. That’s where we first met.”

“Grandfather—”

“Everyone dies eventually, and we’ve lived long enough. You’re over fifty now; stop crying like a child.” He Ze patted his shoulder and scolded gently. “From now on, your eldest brother is the head of the family. He’s cautious and won’t make mistakes, so we can rest in peace. As for the rest, I’m not as capable as your father, and have nothing much to leave you. Just remember that as long as our He family descendants live with a clear conscience, that’s enough.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Go back.”

Three days later, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Yu woke up. The bedding beside him was cold; He Ze was not there. He dressed and went outside, immediately noticing smoke rising from the kitchen.

He Ze was making wontons, the filling already chopped.

“What made you decide to cook? Doesn’t Xiao Qi bring us food?” Lin Yu walked up behind He Ze, watching his deft fingers skillfully wrap each wonton quickly and perfectly.

“Haven’t you always said that wontons taste better than dumplings? Today, I’m cooking. How about having a few more for me?”

“Alright.”

Lin Yu replied, leaning quietly against He Ze’s back, his arms around his waist, his mind growing hazy again.

“Yu’er, Yu-ge… don’t fall asleep yet. I’m almost done. You can sleep later, alright?”

Drip—

A tear fell onto the wonton wrapper, but He Ze didn’t care, continuing to wrap one after another.

That night, He Ze went alone to Xiangyang Mountain. The next day, when He Qi came to deliver food, he saw that his grandfather seemed to have aged ten years overnight, his steps unsteady.

As he was about to leave the courtyard, He Ze called out to him, “In the future, if the He family faces an unavoidable disaster, take the bow I gave to your granddad and go up the mountain to try it.”

“Grandfather?”

“Go.”

He Ze offered no further explanation, and He Qi left with a head full of questions.

In the evening, as the sun set, the fiery red afterglow painted the earth in a crimson hue. Lin Yu, who had slept all day, was unusually clear-headed. When he turned his head and saw He Ze lying in the adjacent recliner, his eyes couldn’t help but fill with tears.

“Why are you so foolish… Never mind, it’s always been the two of us…” He hugged He Ze’s arm, carefully leaning closer.

That year, He Ze had miraculously appeared in this world, miraculously entered his life. They had met, fallen in love, and grown old together, their lives as beautiful as one of He Ze’s fairy tales.

He was lucky and content.

It was enough.

A gentle breeze blew through, entwining the two old men’s hair. The courtyard returned to its peaceful silence.

Time slowly, bit by bit, passed by. The courtyard was so quiet it seemed even the sound of breathing couldn’t be heard.

In the distance, on the northern peak of Xiangyang Mountain where He Ze and Lin Yu first met, despite it being late autumn, the vegetation on the mountain was lush and green. This greenery was rapidly spreading outward, covering the entire Xiangyang Mountain.

In an inconspicuous corner, a small, fingernail-sized, bright green diamond-shaped shard was merging into a cut tree stump. The tree’s core was red, with tightly knit grain, revealing it to be an ironwood tree. As the shard fully embedded itself into the tree’s core, new buds on the stump suddenly grew taller. The leaves shook, breathing in the sweet forest air, exuding an aura of joy.

Perhaps, this would be the beginning of another story.

Author’s Note: With this, the story officially concludes. Love you all.