I am not Ximen Qing.

Love, romance, and the world of beauty will disappear, only to be reborn in another form. In the destruction and rebirth of the world, death is, in fact, the ultimate beauty itself. In the process of beauty's final death, Pearl no longer worries about her gold and jade. She wants to comfort Honglin, but she is powerless. What does she see? She sees Jinhai, and her noble Manchu princess mother. Why does Jinhai appear instead of her father? This is a final burst of energy before death; there is no indication that Pearl is about to leave this world.

"Tana, you'll be alright, you'll be alright."

The shaman dances with clanging and jingling sounds, a totem dance of the Manchu people. Now, Guo Baoshan believes in the witches who dance the shaman dance even more than the pearl. Compared to the shamans in the Forbidden City, it is no longer pure. The magical realism of the mountains is fading. The fire fox becomes a fireball in the snow, illuminating the souls lost on the snowfield. Myths and legends are becoming fewer and fewer.

The pearl held countless mysterious secrets. The witch screamed in fury, her cries echoing along the entire riverbank—a mournful, desperate lament. Guo Baoshan, holding Tana's hand, excitedly called out, "Tana, Tana, Tana!" The man's grief and despair had disregarded all shame and propriety. He knew his heartless children cared nothing for the pearl's departure.

Baoshan

"Pearl, don't scare me. You're just weak. You'll get better. Your soul has returned."

"Take good care of Guo Jinchai, take good care of Guo Jinchai."

The neighbors were busy dressing the pearl, all prepared by Zhang Honglin. He had a deeper understanding of death; the more he experienced death, the more experience he gained. However, he was a thorough believer in Marxist materialism. But the tradition of China for thousands of years was the last vestige of magical realism. Perhaps it was the conjecture left to the world by Confucius, who left it to the world without knowing life. So no matter what scientific materialism was like, the Chinese people still maintained a mysterious awe towards the existence of souls and spirits with a skeptical attitude.

Guo Baoshan believed in shamans and witches more than doctors, a testament to Pearl's influence. Zhang Honglin was angry with Guo Baoshan; why didn't he get a few IV drips from the new doctor at the clinic? Many people in the past died because of incurable stupidity. Zhang Honglin's opinion was that even shamans would jump around and IV drips would be done. A lively combination of Chinese and Western medicine was all that mattered, as long as the person was alive. Pearl, however, didn't want to live a life of ignominy. She wanted to leave her children with a final act of dignity, a final, most sorrowful memory. Tragedy was too colorful; ending life in tragedy, going to heaven, to hell, or through the cycle of reincarnation, was another grand and glorious funeral. Guo Baoshan was the canteen manager at Dahe Forest Farm, and he received far too much respect. Almost all the workers from the work team came, making it a lively affair, like a grand feast. No one cared about Pearl, lying quietly and peacefully in her vermilion coral-red coffin. Her children, dressed in mourning clothes, cried loudly, tears streaming down their faces, their mourning like that in *Dream of the Red Chamber* or *Jin Ping Mei*. This tradition has been preserved remarkably well since ancient times. It's okay if you can't cry; someone crying will move others. Life is painful enough as it is, and just thinking about it can move you to tears. Actually, you're not crying for the deceased in the coffin, but for your own pain and unhappiness. For example, Zhuangzi's celebration of his wife's death with drums and gongs often prompts the living to reflect and release their inner repression. Attending a funeral is itself a process of psychological therapy.

Pearl had no regrets. She loved Jin Yu's daughter the most, and even took a family photo with Zhang Honglin and Guo Jin Yu's eldest granddaughter. Guo Baoshan was quite tactful; he never took family photos with Guo Jin Yu's family, and Pearl didn't say anything—that was Guo Baoshan's temperament. The funeral cemetery was deep in the mountains of Dahe Forest Farm, and the forest farm's tractor was specially used for a part of the journey. Then, the funeral procession, with eight large pallbearers, entered the old cemetery. This was different from the one in the bureau; the cemetery in Dahe Forest Farm was fifty or sixty kilometers away from the forest farm. The cemetery was surrounded by wetlands, and in the large forest surrounded by wetlands, the soul could rest peacefully in the cemetery—this was people's most idealistic blessing. With Pearl gone, Guo Baoshan aged considerably overnight, losing all sense of presence. His children were constantly vying for control of their mother's funeral arrangements. The second daughter, Guo Jinque, acted like the eldest in the family, while her brothers, Guo Jinshui and Guo Jingou, opposed their eldest sister, Guo Jinyu. Even her brother-in-law, Zhang Honglin, had no objections. Even Guo Jinchai had a conflict with her eldest sister. The children had grown up and understood the situation clearly; they knew their eldest sister and her so-called siblings were half-siblings, and the blood ties became crystal clear after the funeral. Guo Jinque took on the responsibility of keeping accounts, meticulously reporting the received gifts to Guo Baoshan.

Guo Baoshan saw hope in his second daughter, Guo Jinque's thoughtfulness and competence, but he began to doubt himself again. He was mistaken; at least his second daughter genuinely cared for him as her father, wasn't she? He still felt something was amiss. He had fed and cared for his children from childhood, providing them with the same standard of living as in a communal canteen. Whatever the forest farm had, they had at home; whatever the mountains had, they had at home. He felt Guo Jinyu was still fortunate; Honglin's filial piety and respect for his mother, apart from his eldest and second sons, made all his other children seem inferior.

Guo Jinshui's way of antagonizing him was peculiar: he would write calligraphy all day long, endlessly, without ever uttering a single word to Guo Baoshan. Even Guo Baoshan could sense this was a nameless intimidation. The second brother, Guo Jingou, was quite imposing, a complete airhead who acted like a cultured man. He neither read nor wrote, preferring to frequent his brother-in-law's house for drinks and food, getting tipsy under the guise of protecting his sister. Not only did the eldest daughter of the Liu family in the bureau fall for him, practically throwing herself at him, determined to marry him. The girl was rather petite, a classic case of a height discrepancy in their relationship. Knowing Jingou's weakness, she provided him with alcohol and food, practically showering him with good meals. Even Guo Jinlan and Guo Jinchai admired him, calling him "Little Brother, Little Brother, Little Brother." The two brothers are alike, both acting arrogantly like lords in front of Guo Baoshan. This is because Guo Baoshan disciplined them too harshly when they were young. Now, they feel that if Guo Baoshan dares to go too far, they are prepared to retaliate in kind and let him know what it was like to be beaten up back then!

Guo Baoshan was in despair. His world was being swallowed up by his children's world. Each of them would argue with him, arguing for no reason. Why? For no reason at all. It was because his children were becoming young and impetuous, becoming more mature. Even Guo Jinchai was now starting to look down on him. "Old man, if you dare to interfere with me again, I'll have my brother beat you up."

When Tana was around, everything was orderly; now that he's here, everything is chaotic and disorderly. The crucial problem is that his lifelong work in the food service industry has run into trouble. He has a serious lung problem—not tuberculosis, but bronchitis—causing constant coughing and phlegm. The Guo canteen manager is finally retiring. Then, something even bigger happened in the forest farm than Guo's retirement: Ximen Xue's waiting and patience finally paid off with a university acceptance letter. While the workers in the work team were busy with their lives, having children, working, and supporting their families, Ximen Xue still surprised everyone. He was so excited that he traversed two mountain ridges and three hills, enduring a heavy snowfall that lasted all night, finally returning to the forest farm. He was just a hair's breadth away from despair.

Zhang Honglin often invited Ximenxue to drink with him, and Wang Renxue was also a close friend. Ximenxue did everything quietly; he was almost never seen at Dahe Forest Farm, barely noticeable. He truly honed his skills over ten years, like Goujian of the Wu-Yue Spring and Autumn Period, enduring hardship and biding his time for ten years! The roommates from the large dormitory and the kang (heated brick bed) gathered in the forest farm's large canteen. Secretary Zhang and Director Qiao were also present. This was the first college student from Dahe Forest Farm who had studied on his own for ten years.

The one-child policy quietly arrived. Li Jingshan, the policy he most supported, could no longer prevent Zhang Hongyu from continuing to be a mother. The policy was publicized daily; having more than one child would result in job loss and fines. He had two little princesses, and his attention was entirely focused on his daughters. He truly adhered to his own ideas and policies regarding his daughters and sons. Poor Li Xian was locked in a small, dark room, which he claimed was the only way to motivate his son to work hard instead of living in Zhang Hongyu's comfortable nest. Even his fifth uncle said his eldest brother was like a madman, too cruel to his sister-in-law and nephew. One was his wife, who had borne him three children; the other was his eldest son, Li Jingshan's own flesh and blood. How could he treat them like this? A long line of people pleaded for Li Xian, but no one could change his mind. Li Jingshan remained resolute and impartial. He believed that only in this way could he suppress his son's rebellious spirit. Putting everything else aside, Second Aunt Hongying, Third Aunt Honghua, Little Aunt Hongmei, Second Uncle Hongqi, Third Uncle Hongli, Grandma Huang Yupei, and Grandpa Uncle Jin all pleaded for Li Xian. Second Sister's husband Zhao Mengji even said, "Don't do this, it violates the principles of education." Li Jingshan retorted to Old Zhao, "Yes, Zhao Mengji's son, Zhao Yonghui, is incredibly stupid. He studies like crazy!" Zhao Yonghui and Li Xian are fundamentally different.

Zhang Hongyu was particularly fond of her nephew Zhao Yonghui and secretly hoped to marry Li Jingshan's eldest daughter to him. The two sisters often chatted about it. Her second sister, Hongying, discovered that Li Jingshan's eldest daughter, her own niece, was a beauty, but she wondered if Yonghui was lucky enough to have her. People are fickle, and Hongying had already forgotten the risks of cousins ​​marrying. Honghua often fought with Uncle Jin at home. Honghua was a bit dim-witted and easily angered, and her protectiveness of her younger siblings often clashed with her stepfather, Old Jin. Huang Yupei was caught in the middle, feeling uncomfortable. Suocai, however, was now treated like a treasure by Old Jin and was practically lawless at home. Old Jin's strange temper meant he was happy even if Suocai defecated or urinated on him—truly, every creature has its counter. Now, in Old Jin's eyes, resources were limited, and Suocai was too young. He had to build a fortune for Suocai so that no one would be left to suffer poverty after Old Jin's death. Old Jin's last attachments to this world were only the gold lock and the yellow jade pendant.

Honghua felt she should go out and become a truly independent woman, to support the rural areas and spread knowledge to the farmers. Since the educated youth could dedicate their youth to the vast countryside, to the most arduous places, to realize their ideals and values, she believed they could achieve this. She and her stepfather, Lao Jin, had reached a point of irreconcilable conflict. Hongqi and Hongli, ever cunning, used reverse psychology to incite their third sister and stepfather Lao Jin to fight, while they themselves lived a carefree and happy life. The two brothers didn't act like older brothers in front of Jin Suocai at all. Whenever their younger brother saw them, he wanted to play games with them, but they would run away as if they were plagued by a plague. This wasn't entirely their fault; Suocai was too mischievous. Lao Jin was furious. How could they treat his precious son like this? This wouldn't do. Luckily, Hongmei was resourceful. She called him "Daddy," acting as an older sister, a mother, and a stepmother all at once, taking care of him even more meticulously than Huang Yupei. It's true that Honghua's radicalism was too idealistic; it was just an excuse for her to leave home. She was too naive, influenced by her older sisters, and secretly longed for a home of her own. Ironically, a remote rural school needed a female teacher, and she was tempted. Her second sister, Hongying, was quite rational and advised Honghua not to leave home, to wait, and ideally, to go to high school and apologize to Lao Jin. Besides, Lao Jin wasn't bad; it was normal for him to get angry sometimes. All the family's expenses depended on his salary, so why argue with him? This wasn't the era of the Red Guards anymore, those passionate years were over. Ultimately, she had to focus on her studies, work, and life. She shouldn't have such aimless thoughts; she absolutely couldn't go to the countryside. She could go to the mountains or a forest farm. Her older brother had been a worker there for years; he could try to pull some strings with the forest farm leaders to get her a job as a worker, or even attend a large collective farm. Alternatively, she could study for the college entrance exam.

"Sister, do you think I don't want to go to high school? That's unrealistic. What about my younger brother and sisters? I can't continue my studies. Let Hongmei and Hongqi continue. I can't let them fall behind."

"Red Flower, what exactly do you want?"

"I want to get married."

"Who will you marry?"

"Marry a farmer."

Hongying was speechless. She hugged Honghua and cried. Honghua had suffered far too much. It couldn't be said that Honghua was irrational. If her father were alive, Honghua would definitely be a legend like Ximen Xue. Honghua was born to learn, but her path to learning was blocked. What kind of fate was this! There was a strange feeling, but it was just Honghua's stubborn cry. If she didn't fight against Lao Jin, then Hongqi Hongli and Hongmei would suffer. This world always has to fight; there's no other way!

"Sister, I don't want to go to the countryside either, but what can I do? Being a teacher in the countryside is fine, but what else can I do? There's no other way."

"Red Flower, are you really determined?"

"I've made up my mind. Besides, what's wrong with the countryside? It's better than constantly arguing with him at home, and it saves me from making my mother angry."