The full-moon night over Guangzhou was serene and radiant. Paper lanterns glowed from nearly every household, painting the streets in a dreamy luminescence. Well-dressed citizens strolled leisurely, savoring the moonlight, their daily weariness forgotten.
Yet down a narrow alley, a single faded yellow lantern hung limply at a rusted gate, its light feeble. The character Xiao was painted in washed-out ink—a relic of a once-wealthy household now fallen into decay.
In better days, such lanterns were crafted from fine oiled paper, their calligraphy bold and proud. But time had yellowed the paper and bleached the ink, just as it had eroded the fortunes of the Shàng family.
The courtyard beyond the gate lay in shadows, its overgrown garden and peeling vermilion gate whispering of neglect. The plaque above the gate read: Xiao's Abode, its carved characters weathered but still legible.
Creak…!
The gate groaned like an old man's bones as a gust of wind rattled it.
Inside, an unkempt garden sprawled before a two-story house, its only light a flickering lantern swaying in the breeze. The rest of the house stood dark and silent.
From the shadows near the gate, the glow of a pipe flared briefly.
Pah…!
An old man in his sixties spat, cleared his throat, and peered down the street. He was waiting for someone.
His pipe burned out, but he didn't refill it. Instead, his eyes sharpened as distant hoofbeats echoed.
Clop-clop-clop…!
A black carriage pulled by four sweat-lathered horses raced toward Shàng's Abode. The driver wore a wide bamboo hat and a dust-coated white robe.
The carriage lurched into the courtyard, and the old man swiftly shut the gate behind it.
The driver removed his hat, revealing a man in his thirties with sharp, weary eyes. Though not handsome, his presence was calm and dignified.
"I'm back, Uncle Fán."
The old man's face lit up.
"Young Master! You've returned safely. Did all go well?"
"Well enough,"the man replied. "But we've brought a guest. Light the house first, then tend to the horses."
Uncle Fán hurried inside, igniting lamps with surprising agility for his age. The carriage door creaked open, and the young master bowed deeply.
"Grandmaster Sun, we've arrived. Please, come inside."
From the carriage emerged a gaunt, white-haired elder in tattered robes, clutching a polished black cane. His eyes gleamed like polished jade.
"Hah! You made good time, Xiao Baichuan."
Xiao Baichuan smiled faintly.
"We rode hard. Uncle Fán, escort Grandmaster Sun to the dining hall. I'll check on Shan Mei first."
---
Upstairs, in a dimly lit chamber, Shnn Mei lay asleep. Moonlight spilled through the window, caressing her pale face. Though weak, her lips curled slightly—perhaps in a pleasant dream.
Xiao Baichuan entered silently, gazing at her with tender worry.
Her eyes fluttered open.
"Husband…"
Her voice was soft as a breeze.
"I waited for you… but I dozed off."
He knelt beside her, clasping her cold hand.
"Rest, my love. I've brought Grandmaster Sun. He'll see you soon."
"Did you eat? Change your clothes?"
she murmured.
"Later. And don't worry—I remembered not to call him 'Grandmaster Hermit.'"
She smiled weakly as he tucked her in.
---
In the dining hall, Grandmaster Sun devoured chicken and wine with gusto.
"A feast after so long! Now, what trouble needs fixing?"
Xiao Baichuan hesitated.
"My wife… she's been bedridden for six months. No physician could diagnose her."
The grandmaster grunted, then followed him upstairs.
At Shan Mei's bedside, he pressed his cane to her wrist, then her forehead. His expression darkened.
"Strange… very strange."
"What is it?"
Xiao Baichuan's grip tightened on his wife's hand.
Grandmaster Sun's eyes snapped open.
"She's with child."
"What?…!"
The couple froze. After years of infertility, this was impossible.
"Six months along,"
The grandmaster continued.
"Yet her belly doesn't show. The child… doesn't move. Had any physician detected it, they'd have declared it stillborn and tried to purge it."
Shan Mei's tears spilled over. Xiao Baichuan clutched her hand, his own trembling.
"Then… what's wrong with her?"
Grandmaster Sun stroked his beard.
"This isn't just a child. It's something… else."
End of Chapter -1