The sun slowly sank behind the mountains. The sky turned a shade of orange and purple, and the shadows of trees began to stretch along the riverbank.
Li Yuan, Mu Yi, and Fan Tu were still sitting there, lost in laughter and simple conversations that gradually turned into a quiet, contemplative silence. The wind had grown colder, carrying the scent of damp earth and leaves.
“I’m heading home—let’s meet again tomorrow!” shouted Mu Yi as he waved and ran off toward the village path.
Fan Tu simply nodded and walked toward his home, a small wooden doll dangling from his hand.
Li Yuan was the last to stand. He looked at the river one more time before turning to go home.
Li Yuan’s house was located at the edge of the village, surrounded by a small garden and fruit trees planted by his father. As his foot crossed the threshold, a gentle voice greeted him.
“Li Yuan… why are you home so late, dear?”
It was his mother, Ye Ling, a simple woman full of love. Her hair was loosely tied, and her clothes were dusty from the fields. Though her body was tired after working all day helping the neighbors, her face lit up the moment she saw her son return.
Li Yuan gave a small smile. He didn’t reply. He felt his mother didn’t need to know he had spent the evening lost in thoughts about rivers, skies, and the secrets of the world.
From inside the house came a deep, calm voice.
“Let him be, Ling. A boy must come to know the world.”
It was his father, Li Houming, a strong, quiet man. He was neither a warrior nor a scholar, but he possessed a steady strength and calmness that made him respected in the village.
Ye Ling sighed, then gently brushed Li Yuan’s hair with her hand.
“You're as quiet as your father... But at least don’t make your mother worry, okay?”
Li Yuan nodded. Warm. Safe. Home always made him feel that way.
Dinner time in the Li household was simple, yet full of peace. On a wooden table worn with age, there was warm rice, vegetables from their garden, and a fish freshly caught from the river by Li Houming himself.
Li Yuan sat beside his mother, Ye Ling, who was ladling warm soup into his bowl with practiced hands. Sweat still dotted her temples, the result of a long day’s work, yet her face remained soft with a gentle smile.
“Eat plenty, Li Yuan. After dinner, you’ll sleep well,” Ye Ling said with motherly warmth.
Li Yuan nodded and scooped some rice into his bowl. The food, though modest, tasted incredibly good—more than just flavor. There was warmth in every bite.
Li Houming, usually quiet, looked at Li Yuan with a meaningful gaze.
“Tomorrow, I’ll go hunting. It might take a while. I may not be home until late,” he said as he sliced the fish with his knife. “You’ll need to take care of your mother, alright?”
Li Yuan nodded, though a small worry tugged at his heart. His father was an experienced hunter, but the forest could be dangerous, especially at night.
Ye Ling smiled, as if she could read her son’s thoughts.
“Don’t worry, Li Yuan. Your father knows what he’s doing,” she said, trying to reassure him.
After the quiet dinner, the family spoke a little more—about news from neighbors, the crops growing in the garden, and small plans for the next day. Lighthearted conversations that only added to the peaceful feeling in their home.
But not long after, sleepiness crept in. Li Yuan said goodnight to his parents and headed to his room—a small space furnished only with a thin mat and a dimly lit oil lamp.
He lay down on his simple bed, staring at the bamboo ceiling above him. Even though the house felt warm and full of love, that night, a strange feeling lingered in his heart.
A feeling he couldn’t quite understand.
Slowly, his eyes closed, and within minutes, he drifted into a peaceful sleep.
But in that sleep, something unusual stirred...