1979: My fiancée is a goddess

"Bangdang..."

Listen to the crisp sound of rough porcelain bowls and chopsticks clattering against each other in the bamboo basket.

The village secretary looked at the young couple not far away, carrying baskets and walking with slightly heavy steps. He slowly frowned his already gray eyebrows, raised his pipe, and put it in his mouth to smoke.

The tobacco flickered, casting bluish-green smoke that swirled before my eyes, blurring the village secretary's cloudy eyes and the two figures indistinctly.

Yet, the tall, beautiful woman, even in her blurred silhouette and demeanor, suddenly evoked a vague sense of familiarity in him.

Who exactly is this woman?

The village party secretary gazed at the two young figures gradually disappearing into the distance, murmuring in a low, hoarse voice.

The lush, verdant primeval forest, like a silent behemoth, opened its dark maw to swallow the two of them whole.

The figure disappeared from sight, and the village secretary came to his senses.

I glanced at the bicycle leaning against the wall, then turned and went inside to have lunch.

As I drank and ate smoked red sausage, my thoughts gradually drifted into memories.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind.

Memories flash by like a choppy movie projector, frame by frame.

The final image was captured on a dark, rainy autumn night.

More than 20 years ago, he followed the militia into the mountains to look for people. When they came to a remote mountain valley, there were few people around and many graves with stone tablets.

It was raining, and the woods were quiet and silent.

He quickened his pace through the graves, then suddenly turned around and saw a short, thin figure standing quietly behind the graves, with a gnarled tree behind her.

With a deafening roar, a massive bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the girl.

She wore a patched floral shirt, her hair was tied in a bun, and she was soaking wet, with strands of hair sticking to her pale, emotionless face.

A pair of dark eyes were staring straight at me...

"hiss……"

The village party secretary couldn't help but shudder as he recalled the events.

He could almost smell the rain and the stench of decaying trees, and hear the roar of lightning.

In an instant, the cold and desolate atmosphere of the mountains and forests seeped through the clothes and into the bones, making one feel cold all over.

It wasn't out of fear or timidity, but rather because the memory from decades ago was so profound and vivid in his mind.

"Could it really be her? Has she grown up so much in the blink of an eye?"

"If you think about it, I'm probably in my thirties, and I should be married and have a family by now."

The man looked younger than her, but they seemed well-matched; he must be her lover, accompanying her back to pay respects?

"Judging from her clothes, her demeanor, and her figure, she must be doing very well now. She's finally reaping the rewards of her hard work..."

Thinking this, the village secretary's tightly furrowed brows and terrified face slowly relaxed and eased a little.

"Uncle Feng, are you home? It's me..."

Just then, a shout from outside the door brought him back to his senses. Upon closer listening, he realized it was a woman's voice.

The village secretary looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman in her thirties, wearing a patched dark blue coarse cloth shirt and tattered cloth shoes, walking briskly towards the gate.

"Cuilan?! What brings you here?"

As the figure drew closer, the village secretary saw the handsome face clearly and shouted with wide eyes.

"Hehe, Uncle Feng, are you eating?"

Jiang Cuilan greeted him with a slightly embarrassed smile, but stood at the door without coming in.

"Well, just say what's on your mind."

The village party secretary gave her a deep look, as if he had anticipated what was about to happen, and said.

"Well... I came here to see you."

Jiang Cuilan twisted the hem of her dress with both hands, looking somewhat restrained, and stammered, "I need to borrow some brown sugar from you. You know our youngest child is not even a year old..."

"Okay, I got it. The brown sugar is in the small dish under the kitchen cabinet. Go get it yourself."

The village party secretary lowered his head and drank, speaking without looking up.

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

Jiang Cuilan's face immediately relaxed. She went into the kitchen and found the brown sugar that the village secretary had mentioned. It was a small plateful, and she estimated that it wouldn't last long.

She carefully carried the bowl out, saying, "Uncle Feng, please enjoy your drink. I'll head back now; the children are waiting. Come home for dinner later."

"Hey... wait a minute."

"What, what's wrong?"

Jiang Cuilan stopped her foot, which she had just lifted halfway, with some trepidation.

"Is your sister back?"

"Sister? I don't have one..."

Jiang Cuilan was about to say that she didn't have a younger sister, but suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "You mean A-Ting?! That's impossible, isn't it? She won't be coming back, she said that."

"It must be her. She and her lover went into the mountains to burn paper money with baskets..."

The village party secretary shook his head.

"My love, how could this be?!"

Jiang Cuilan stared wide-eyed, muttering something inaudible, then lowered her head and went back in a daze.

……

"Zhizhizhizhi~"

"Quack quack quack~~"

It was the height of summer in August.

In the afternoon, a ceaseless buzzing sound came from the lush, verdant mountain forest.

Jiang Ting couldn't tell whether it was the chirping of insects or the sound of a snake.

Occasionally, a sharp bird cry would break the silence of the forest with its clear sound.

But it was then swallowed up by an even deeper stillness.

It sent chills down her spine and made her shudder.

The mountain gave her the illusion of being alive, a feeling that was very familiar and instantly reminded her of the primeval forests of southern Xinjiang.

"It's the same as back then, the same people, and the same time..."

A thought flashed through Jiang Ting's mind. Her beautiful eyes, sparkling with a strange light, looked up at the tall figure leading the way, somewhat lost in thought.

More than forty minutes had passed since they set off, but they had only just reached the halfway point of the mountain.

The mountain path on the mountainside is very narrow and steep, with a high slope, and the sides are covered with weeds, branches, and thorny vines.

It might not even be big enough for one person to walk on.

Beneath my feet were moss-covered blue pebbles and soft soil strewn with fallen leaves.

Be careful at every step.

However, Jiang Ting doesn't need to worry too much.

Because Cheng Kaiyan, who is ahead of me, will remind me in time and remove any hidden dangers for me.

Like now.

He carried a basket filled with wine and food, walking a few meters ahead to lead the way.

Meanwhile, he held a thick, straight branch that he had casually broken off from a tree, and kept whipping the vegetation on both sides of the mountain road.

I was afraid that some snakes, insects, rats or ants might crawl out and bite me, or that sharp leaves or thorny vines might scratch me from behind.

Jiang Ting felt a strong sense of security from him.

With his agile steps, he traversed the steep hillside as if it were flat ground, strolling leisurely.

It was very difficult for the physically weak Jiang Ting to keep up with his pace, and she felt nervous and uneasy.

It was as if the man she loved so deeply would disappear around the corner in the next second, leaving her alone in this deep mountain forest.

Fortunately, Cheng Kaiyan would stop and wait for her every now and then, or come over and lend her a hand.

My emotions fluctuated between feeling at ease and uneasy, tense and relaxed.

This made the beautiful woman, who was already anxious and nervous about seeing her parents whom she hadn't paid respects to for many years, even more absent-minded and sensitive.

The complex emotions were intertwined and tangled together, forming a chaotic mess.

"General Mountain, it looks like this is a primeval forest, but there are villages at the foot of the mountain..."

Cheng Kaiyan seemed to realize this as well. While cautiously observing her surroundings, she spoke softly and gently to the beautiful woman behind her.

"It is indeed a primeval forest, probably where many large wild animals live, such as wild boars, brown bears, and jackals."

I remember when I was a child, the village used to organize hunters to go hunting in the mountains, but after one or two hunters went missing, they never organized it again, and fewer people went into the mountains; everyone just stayed outside..."

Jiang Ting explained in a serious tone, glancing nervously to her side as she spoke, as if afraid that some large wild animal might suddenly emerge and attack them.

The dim light in the mountain forest, filtered by the endless greenery, turned into floating specks of light, making visibility very poor to the naked eye, which explains her nervousness.

"Okay, let's be careful then. If anything seems wrong, you should hide..."

Cheng Kaiyan nodded and gave her instructions.

After walking for so long, he was also slightly out of breath, and behind him came the same tired and heavy breathing of the beautiful woman.

As he gasped for breath, his keen sense of smell allowed him to detect a rich aroma in the air—a mixture of the pungent smell of decaying earth, the astringent musty odor of rotten wood, and the damp mist.

He felt somewhat unwell, let alone the beautiful woman who was always frail and sickly.
"Auntie, are you tired? Why don't we take a break?"

Cheng Kaiyan stopped and turned to the beautiful woman behind her, asking her with concern.

"Huff... Don't worry about me, I can still manage. Let's speed up a bit, huff... otherwise it will be dark when we get back."

The beautiful woman raised her hand to wipe the fine white sweat from her forehead and refused without hesitation.

She was panting heavily as she spoke, and her voice was trembling.

Cheng Kaiyan turned to look at her.

Jiang Ting, who kept saying she was fine, was already flushed with exhaustion. Her face and neck were covered in sweat, which dampened her dark hair and made it stick to her skin.

"You're clearly in terrible health, but you really like to show off!"

He frowned, looking displeased, and reached out his hand, saying, "Come here, I'll carry you."

"I said no!"

Faced with Cheng Kaiyan's slightly reproachful words, Jiang Ting felt a heavy weight in her heart, but she still refused indifferently, urging him in a hurried tone, "Let's hurry up and leave, don't waste any more time."

Once we cross this mountain, we'll be there soon.

"Okay, let me know if you feel unwell."

Cheng Kaiyan gave her a deep look.

He couldn't persuade Jiang Ting otherwise. He knew that this woman was always very stubborn, and once she made a decision, no one could change it.

Just like last year in southern Xinjiang, this woman was determined to see him alive or dead, so she dared to cross mountains and valleys alone on a rainy night to find him.

While the two were talking and arguing, they also managed to rest for several minutes.

At least the beautiful woman's breathing had calmed down a bit, and her strength had returned somewhat.

"Let's go."

Under Cheng Kaiyan's watchful gaze, she took a sip of water, ate a piece of candy, and then stretched out her pale hand, somewhat impatiently pushing Cheng Kaiyan to hurry up.

After walking and stopping intermittently, they finally crossed the mountain at 2:30 pm, and then it was time to descend.

The road down the mountain was even more difficult. For safety, Cheng Kaiyan switched places with her aunt, letting her walk in front while she held her hand from behind.

To prevent her from slipping and falling, and to save her some energy.

Not long after walking, a gushing mountain spring appeared beside the mountain path.

Cheng Kaiyan gently reminded her, "Be careful, the road ahead is a bit slippery." Upon hearing this, Jiang Ting subconsciously looked down and saw a large rock covered in wet, slippery moss.

"Whoosh..."

Jiang Ting had been walking for a long time and was exhausted, but she still managed to lift one foot onto the ground with difficulty, panting heavily.

The work boots she changed into before leaving the house provided good grip, preventing her from slipping.

However, just as he lifted his other leg and put it down, before the old strength was gone and the new strength had been generated, his leg went weak, and with a hiss, his shoe slipped on the moss, and his body leaned backward.

"what!"

Jiang Ting instinctively let out a panicked scream.

She hadn't forgotten that she was still holding Cheng Kaiyan's hand; what if she fell like that on the way down the mountain...?

The consequences would be unimaginable...

The next instant, there was a loud crash.

A pair of warm, strong hands quickly supported her soft armpits, suspending her body in mid-air, not far from the ground.

"Hoo hoo... Xiao Yan!!"

Jiang Ting kept her eyes tightly closed, her pretty face deathly pale as she called out his name.

As he spoke, he emitted short, labored breaths from his mouth and nose, his chest heaved violently, and his toes swayed weakly in the air.

Cheng Kaiyan didn't have time to check if the bowls and chopsticks in the basket were intact. He quickly hugged the beautiful woman's limp body and sat down with a thud.

He frantically and fearfully examined the beautiful woman's plump and soft body with both hands until he was sure there was nothing wrong.

Cheng Kaiyan breathed a sigh of relief, gently patting her soft hair to comfort her, "It's alright, it's alright! I'm here!"

"Hoo hoo, mmm."

The beautiful woman, still breathless with shock, nodded obediently.

The two sat slumped on the ground, side by side.

Two hearts, separated by their chests, thumped wildly in response to each other.

As time passed, it gradually subsided.

Jiang Ting calmed down, but the areas on her body that Cheng Kaiyan had examined continued to feel a sensitive, tingling sensation.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, and her jade-like ears blushed so deeply they seemed to bleed.

Even more panicked than when she had slipped and fallen, Jiang Ting scrambled to her feet from Cheng Kaiyan's arms, somewhat clumsily using both hands and feet.

For her, this was an even more terrifying 'misstep' than before!

But after being pulled away from his embrace, Jiang Ting felt a little empty inside.

"Stupid woman! I told you not to be stubborn! Don't be stubborn!"

Do you know that if I hadn't caught you in time, you would have at least broken your leg! You might even be dead!

Cheng Kaiyan glared angrily at the beautiful woman and reprimanded her.

"you!"

Jiang Ting's pretty face flushed red with disbelief, and she pointed at Cheng Kaiyan with trembling fingers, unable to speak.

I never expected that he would actually dare to call me a stupid woman!
"What do you mean, you stupid woman!"

Cheng Kaiyan gripped the beautiful woman's delicate shoulders, stared into her eyes, and cursed.

Now that I've come to my senses, I'm almost furious. I shouldn't have let her be so stubborn!
Faced with the man's unwavering rebuke, Jiang Ting's heart softened, and she lowered her head, unusually remaining silent.

Even the anger and disbelief I felt vanished at that moment.

She was even shocked to find that she felt somewhat satisfied and happy when Cheng Kaiyan scolded her.

Jiang Ting fell into deep thought and confusion.

"What are you spacing out for? Have some water and take a break."

Immediately afterwards, the cold, hard rim of a thermos was forcefully handed to my lips, and clear, sweet tea slowly flowed into my mouth.

"Gulu..."

The beautiful woman swallowed unconsciously, even greedily enjoying his care.

But soon an indescribable, immense shame welled up from the depths of her heart and spread throughout her body.

It made her tremble slightly.

"Cheng Kaiyan! How could you be so rude..."

After finishing the water, the beautiful woman, her dark phoenix eyes moist, shouted with a mixture of shame and anger.

But the coldness and indifference in her voice had all vanished, replaced by a soft, weak, and gentle quality, like a pool of spring water.

It sounds like she's being coquettish and angry with Cheng Kaiyan.

"Shut up, have two more candies!"

Startled by the call, Cheng Kaiyan coldly stuffed two more candies into the beautiful woman's mouth.

"Cheng Kaiyan!! I'm your aunt! I'm your teacher! Cheng Kaiyan, you show me no respect at all! You're unfilial!"

Caught off guard by his feeding, Jiang Ting immediately let out an angry wail.

The voice was a little muffled.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, Auntie, please stop fooling around. Come on up, I'll carry you down."

Cheng Kaiyan gave a perfunctory reply, walked to the front, and half-squatted down.

Jiang Ting hesitated for a moment, moved her slightly numb foot, and said coldly, "I think I twisted my ankle, so I'll punish you by making you carry me down the mountain!"

After saying that, she stretched out her slender, jade-like arm and skillfully wrapped it around Cheng Kaiyan's neck, leaning her body against him.

She seemed to feel she had lost her authority, so she added in an exceptionally cold and stern tone, "Remember! This is your punishment. If you experience even the slightest bump, you'll be served with the whip when you get back!"

"Yes, yes, Ms. Jiang Ting! Thank you for carrying the basket."

Cheng Kaiyan sighed, lifted the beautiful woman's plump, round buttocks, and gently lifted her up so she could hold on tight.

They then headed down the mountain.

Their steps were light and agile, as steady as if they were walking on flat ground.

Jiang Ting lay on his back without feeling any bumps or discomfort.

I could feel the firm warmth of his body as we sat close together.

At that moment, she felt all her panic, fear, anxiety and tension vanish.

My heart was filled with him; only a deep sense of peace and sweetness filled my heart.

Gradually, she closed her eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, a low-lying valley came into view.

A long stretch of graves, with their neatly arranged tombstones reflecting light in the somewhat gloomy sunlight.

"Auntie, we've arrived."

Cheng Kaiyan softly called to the beautiful woman behind her, but there was no response.

Turning my head, I realized that she was sleeping peacefully and obediently with her eyes closed, her head tilted to the side, and her chin resting on my shoulder.

"Ah Ting, you're even more well-behaved when you're asleep..."

Cheng Kaiyan sighed softly, took the basket that the woman was clutching tightly from her hand and put it away. She stood quietly in place, waiting for the woman to wake up.

About fifteen minutes later, Jiang Ting slowly opened her eyes.

She leaned on Cheng Kaiyan's shoulder, staring blankly at the two overgrown graves under the menacing tree not far away.

Jiang Ting let go of Cheng Kaiyan's hand, got off her, and slowly walked over.

When she reached the two tombstones side by side, she suddenly opened her arms and rushed over to hug them.

"Dad, Mom..."

"I...I'm back. I've brought him back..."

Her eyes gradually became moist and blurred, tears silently streaming down her face, her voice filled with an unprecedented fragility and sobbing.

Cheng Kaiyan carried her things and slowly walked over, squatting down next to her aunt.

Looking at the names and black-and-white photos engraved on the stone tablet, they all looked to be only in their thirties or forties.

She was a woman with a beautiful face and a gentle temperament to the core. She looked about 60% like her aunt and the others. Her name was Wen Shuixin.

The other was a middle-aged man with glasses, a refined and amiable demeanor, named Jiang Juncheng.

Cheng Kaiyan took a deep breath and took out the sacrificial items from the basket.

The overturned bowls and chopsticks were all unharmed.

Divide each dish into two portions, resulting in six bowls of food, and set them out one by one.
Open the wine and set out the glasses filled with wine.

Then light two pairs of candles and place two incense sticks in front of the tombstone.

He pulled out a stack of yellow paper and crumpled it up.

"Click..."

Cheng Kaiyan slid the match and lit the yellow paper.

Orange flames rose, and wisps of blue-green smoke, carrying a pleasant aroma, drifted slowly upwards.

As he continued stuffing paper money into the container, he murmured softly:
"Please rest assured, Aunt Wan and Auntie Xiao are doing very well, there's no need to worry..."

"Woooo..."

Suddenly, a gentle breeze stirred up in the valley.

The ashes from the burning yellow paper and paper money slowly floated up and began to swirl gently in front of the tombstone.

"Dad, Mom!"

"Are you back?"

Jiang Ting caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of her eye, suddenly looked up and stared, shouting excitedly.

"They're back, and they're watching you."

Cheng Kaiyan patted her back and comforted her softly.

"Waaah... I'm doing great now..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ting burst into tears, knelt on the ground, and recounted her current life.

As time went on, her voice became increasingly hoarse and weak, and the vortex grew fainter.

Suddenly, Cheng Kaiyan felt her clothes being tugged.

Looking down, I saw my aunt with red eyes, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"what happened?"

"Kaiyan, kneel down and kowtow to them, let them get to know you, get to know you... okay?"

Jiang Ting tilted her pretty face up and pleaded softly.

"it is good."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Kaiyan's heart trembled violently. She slowly nodded and knelt down on the ground shoulder to shoulder with Jiang Ting.

The two exchanged a glance, their hearts at peace, and then revealed calm, natural smiles.

Then he bowed and kowtowed to the two tombstones and two photographs in front of him.

Once, twice... three times.

It's just like a wedding ceremony.

First bow to heaven and earth, second bow to parents, only the husband and wife are missing the mutual bow...

The beautiful woman bit her lip, her eyes wet and sore, gazing at her mother's gentle and beautiful face on the stone tablet, a face that had long since become blurred and distorted in her memory.

She raised her hands, clasped them together in front of her, and prayed devoutly in her heart:
"Mom, he is the hero I found, the one I love... Can you see him?"

"I hope your spirit in heaven will bless him, okay?" (End of Chapter)