Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 3 A happy event at home
Jiang Yi was taken aback. He was still holding the bowl in his hand. He had drunk all the water, but the coolness was still lingering on his lips.

"wrong?"

He repeated it, his tone hesitant, a hint of strangeness in his eyes.

Her breathing had calmed down, and she looked down at her eldest son.

I noticed that her face was dark with a rosy tinge, and her eyes were unusually bright, like black jade wiped clean after the rain.

A smile unconsciously crept onto her lips as she raised her hand to rub his head. His hair was soft, like that of late summer and early autumn, carrying the scent of grass and the warmth of a day's sunshine.

The tone was half teasing and half coaxing:
"Then, little Bao, tell your father, what is the correct way to breathe?"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Ming stood there with a straight face and a serious expression, and said:
"You must first exhale the turbid air, then inhale the clear air. Keep your nose and mouth closed, and swallow the dantian (lower abdomen) with your mind."

As she spoke, she gestured with her little hands, looking so serious and professional that it was even more impressive than when she usually tried to paddle like a dog.

"Touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue, hold your breath and close your teeth, focus your gaze and listen attentively... The breath should enter and exit the dantian, the mind leads the breath, and the breath follows the mind."

"When inhaling, focus your mind on the lower abdomen (Dantian); when exhaling, let your mind and spirit expand outwards. This is called the interdependence of mind and breath."

She spoke with a measured tone, making perfect sense.

He then spoke of "inhaling long breaths and exhaling short breaths" and "the harmonious energy nourishing the dantian."

Even his tone of voice carried a lecture hall air, making him seem like an old monk.

Jiang Yi listened, raising an eyebrow, sensing that something was amiss.

These words... don't seem like something his son would have said on his own.

It was as if he had heard a rule somewhere, memorized it by rote, and then read it to him.

Jiang Yi paused slightly, his smile faded a bit, and his expression became serious.

Following the method taught by the little fellow, I slowly regulated my breathing, my breath as fine as silk, as if the wind were blowing through a dense forest and the water was lapping against a shallow beach.

I couldn't pinpoint exactly what was unusual, but the weariness and pent-up emotions in my chest had definitely dissipated somewhat.

Once you breathe smoothly, you feel much better.

Even the scorching autumn sun, so bright it made people squint, no longer made them feel tired.

After drinking the remaining water in the bowl, Jiang Yi patted his son's head and told him to go back and do his homework.

He quickly finished the remaining chores in the field, found a shady spot under a tree, and sat down, lifting his coat.

Lower your head and concentrate, quietly observing each breath and carefully regulating your breathing.

I sat there for almost half the afternoon.

When I got up again, I felt lighter and my legs were more agile.

Even the fatigue from years of farming seemed to have been lifted off my body.

When I got home in the evening, dinner was, as usual, simple food.

After eating, however, Jiang Yi did not urge the two boys to turn the pages of their books and sharpen their pens as he usually did.

Instead, he waved his hand and sent them back inside to rest.

The next morning, Liu Xiulian got up early.

Her face, however, did not show the usual signs of fatigue; instead, it had a rosy glow.

Like peaches freshly picked from the mountains, washed by dew, glistening with a delicate light.

On the dining table, in the rough porcelain bowl in front of Jiang Yi, there was an extra bright yellow boiled egg.

It lay round and plump next to the porridge, as if it were a special gift prepared for someone.

Time flows like water, and in the blink of an eye, more than two months have passed.

Autumn is in full swing, and the maple leaves on the mountaintops are turning red in successive waves.

The beans in the field were also full of pods, which rustled loudly when the wind blew.

Jiang Yi continued as before, spending all his time in the fields, hoe in hand, feet treading on mud.

But now there's a new rule.

During breaks from the busy farming season, he would always find a quiet place and meticulously adjust his breathing according to Jiang Ming's method.

While it didn't seem to reverse aging, it certainly did improve my energy and vitality.

My eyes are no longer sore when I wake up in the morning, my back feels more agile when I work, and even the weathered lines at the corners of my eyes seem to have faded a bit.

When he had a spare moment, he secretly passed on this breathing technique to Liu Xiulian and his youngest son.

It wasn't explained in too mysterious a way; it was simply said to be a "good habit" that improves blood circulation and is more effective than eating eggs.

This idea is not uncommon in the Jiang family.

Jiang Yi has always been full of ideas. One moment he'll make up a story to scare the children, and the next he'll practice some strange and unorthodox martial arts in the morning, which he even named "Five Animal Frolics".

Liu Xiulian had heard this many times before and was no longer surprised, so she practiced it for two days as well.

I practiced it only a few times.

Early that morning, the family gathered around the table as usual. The aroma of tofu soup wafted through the steam, and pickled vegetables and two boiled eggs sat beside the bowls.

Liu Xiulian picked up a piece of food, and just as she brought it to her lips, she suddenly paused, her expression changing slightly.

He immediately put down his chopsticks, covered his mouth, turned around and ran to the wall, where he gagged and leaned against it.

The two boys were startled. They didn't even bother to put down their chopsticks and looked over in a panic.

Jiang Yi, on the other hand, was much more composed and at ease, as he was the head of the household.

He quickly got up and went over to his wife, gently supporting her shoulder with a soft touch and a gentle tone, but his eyes held a certain determination.

The two children huddled closer, peering in with nervous expressions.

Looking at his wife's appearance, Jiang Yi had a vague idea of ​​what was going on.

But he didn't rush to say anything, he just waved his hand and coaxed the two boys back:
"Your mother ate something cold, she'll be fine after resting for a while."

The child trusted his father, so he stopped making a fuss.

He simply returned to the table, eating his meal while glancing back with worry in his eyes.

Standing by the wall, Liu Xiulian paused for a moment, her face slightly pale, but her breathing gradually became even.

After a hasty breakfast, Jiang Yi put down his bowl and helped Liu Xiulian head to the village doctor's shop.

The doctor's surname was Li. He was short and thin, like a withered twig, but had a goatee that looked quite spirited.

He usually speaks with a joking and carefree attitude, like an old relative visiting someone's home, and can chat with anyone he meets.

But when it came to actually examining the patient and taking their pulse, those dry hands were surprisingly steady.

The pharmacy was small, filled with a strong smell of herbs and the acrid smell of mugwort smoke, as if an old forest from the mountains had been moved inside.

Anyone with a sensitive nose will surely sneeze the first time they come in.

Old Li stroked his beard as he gestured for people to sit down, his tone still casual and nonchalant:
"What's wrong? Has your sister-in-law lost her appetite lately?"

The words were a joke, but the actions of his hands were quite decisive; he placed three fingers on the pulse point and held them there for a moment.

Before long, a smile bloomed on that weathered old face, and his beard and hair trembled three times.

"A positive pregnancy test! Oh my, what wonderful news!"

He spoke with a laugh, his voice brimming with an irrepressible sense of excitement.

Jiang Yi had already guessed it, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but smile, quite pleased with himself.

The couple sat down to listen to the instructions, which were nothing more than to work less, rest more, and take some medicine to help with pregnancy.

Jiang Yi nodded in agreement, paid for the medicine, thanked the old doctor, and helped Liu Xiulian out the door.

As soon as they got home and opened the door, the two boys rushed over, gazing longingly at their parents.

Jiang Yi smiled and told them about the great joy, which immediately caused a stir among the two children.

"I want a little brother!" the younger one cried.

"I want a little sister!" the older sister protested.

They chattered away, making a great fuss, so much so that two sparrows under the eaves were startled and flew away.

Jiang Yi stood in the house, listening to his son's noisy chatter, feeling a surge of smugness that seemed to brighten even the eaves.

Liu Xiulian sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the lively scene in front of her, a smile on her lips.

But there was a faint trace of worry hidden in that smile.

At this critical moment, Jiang Yi's gaze naturally fell on his wife, without missing a beat.

When a couple has been together for a long time, they understand each other without saying a word.

Approaching gently, the movements were deliberately slow and tender, as if afraid of startling something.

He reached out and pulled Liu Xiulian into his arms, his breath warm against her temple, his voice soft:
"All the work in the fields is done, and the autumn beans have been planted cleanly, so there's no need to worry about them anymore."

He paused halfway through his sentence, then continued, his tone casual, as if it were a casual conversation:
“I’m thinking that starting tomorrow, I’ll go and clear out that piece of wasteland at the foot of the mountain. Even if we can’t grow grain, we can still plant fruit trees or medicinal herbs. At least there will be something to look forward to.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiulian looked up at him, her eyes filled with heartache and reluctance.

Jiang Yi smiled, raised his hand and gently smoothed the hair at her temples, the movement as light as a willow swaying in spring.

He knew she cared deeply for people, but there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. The arrival of the child was both fate and a burden.

Jiang Yi didn't find it heavy.

I'm not the kind of person who's afraid of hardship.

I used to take a lot of breaks from farming, simply because I was concerned about my health and didn't want to wear myself out.

Now that I've mastered the secret to breathing, my blood and energy are abundant, my muscles and bones are strong, and my strength has also increased.

Working here is even more comfortable than when I was younger.

It is only right that we do more and take on more responsibility.

(End of this chapter)