I am not Ximen Qing.

These mountains are alluring, aren't they? The allure of the Jurchen spirits—imagine before anyone else existed, the mountains in front, behind, and all around were covered in forests, a vast, layered forest of red pines, cedars, elms, and birches. In winter, the Old Man of Antarctica would ride a sika deer to patrol the snowy Changbai Mountains, watching over all living things. The great rivers flowed through the basins and valleys, and every spring, the cliffs and precipices were covered in rhododendrons—the so-called "little flowers" in the movies—how beautiful! This is beauty from the imagination!

Dad once painted a large-scale, impressionistic oil painting depicting the past and present of Dahe Forest Farm for teachers Li Yuqing and Li Liwen. Zhang Sheng understood and could grasp the original intention behind his father's painting concept. It was only when the forest farm school organized afforestation every year that Zhang Sheng understood the reason for the formation of the private plots on the front mountain. If one reads Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems, one finds so much artistry. If one knew that Tao Yuanming starved to death, Du Fu died of overeating, and only Li Bai died of hallucinations, one would gain a clearer understanding.

The workers loved true rural life; only in their private plots could they see endless sunflowers in the summer. The sunflowers on the mountain and those in the production team naturally had a different, more vibrant yellow hue. If Sister Ping came here in the summer, Zhang Sheng would definitely take her to the front mountain to admire the beautiful sunflowers. For some reason, Zhang Sheng disliked Sister Feng's fake culture and her pretentious intellectual ways. If Zhang Sheng knew that the beauty in the iron tower on the distant mountain was Wagner's Venus, he would climb it alone, seeking Venus's allure. He knew nothing; perhaps he wanted something to happen on the distant mountain. So, what did Sister Ping and Sister Feng go to the mountains for? For the thorny berries, for the jujubes, for the wild grapes, for the schisandra berries. Old Chen replaced Li Jingshan's refined and romantic appearance, but he was empty-headed, an artistic bum pretending to be cultured. Zhang Sheng knew what Li Ping and Li Feng wanted; they wanted the ginseng fruit from the mountains—a treat, they wanted to eat the ginseng fruit from the mountains.

Not only is Sister Ping beautiful, but she also possesses a captivating charm. Her fate is somewhat similar to Sister Hua's; she gave up high school to work at the power plant. The eldest sister, meanwhile, is preparing to take the entrance exam for the forestry bureau's vocational school—this is the difference between having a father and not having one. Sister Hua's decision to go to the plywood factory clearly stems from her dislike of studying; the Zhao family's daughter's thirst for education has been entirely devoted to her sons. Li Feng has consistently ignored Zhang Sheng, and Zhang Sheng doesn't bother arguing with her; all his attention is focused on Sister Ping. He thinks that he's never brought a girl into his beautiful fairytale world before, which is quite risky, as the boundary of his private plot has reached the edge of his forest fairytale world. For several autumns in a row, this has been Zhang Sheng's heavenly paradise, complete with divine music. He thinks only Sister Ping is worthy of his dream of a vast forest. The road winds its way through soybean fields, cornfields, sunflower fields, and finally bean fields, its path rugged and winding. The traces of its presence on the private plot are negligible. Who could love this great forest more than Zhang Sheng? Therefore, only he deserves the favor of the forest god. He leads Pingjie and Li Feng; they depend on him. Zhang Sheng smells Pingjie's fragrance naturally; in the mountains, one can forget oneself. Fengjie no longer dares to pretend to be aloof with him, smiling chuckles, abandoning her pretentious air of a cultured young man. Perhaps many insincere confessions have occurred here, because this enclosed space of the forest is unique, complete, and unspoiled, a pristine ecosystem of an old forest. Besides the towering logs and vines that entwine this dense, enclosed space, various kinds of grapevines, and wild grapevines that naturally climb the towering trees, this forest space is a world of ginseng fruit built from lush foliage and vines. Crystal fruit belongs to the world of wild fruits; the moment they enter, everything is resolved.

Sister Ping laughed, and Sister Feng sang, so the lumberjacks had a change of heart; this was a place where spirits existed. They selectively abandoned dozens of trees with diameters of ten meters, knowing this place must have a story. There were no weeds or wild grasses, only a world of vines—jujubes, schisandra, wild grapes, and pear trees. The sky above the towering trees was a tapestry woven from vines. These wild ginseng fruits could grow quietly in this great forest. When they reached the place where the jujubes were most abundant, Zhang Sheng called out loudly to Sister Ping, never to Sister Feng, because he was always following his sister and couldn't shake her off. Sister Ping was completely at ease with him, but she had brought a large bucket—it was so heavy because it was filled with jujubes, schisandra, and wild grapes. Zhang Sheng taught Sister Ping to taste the grape leaves; they were sour and astringent. Eating more schisandra was good for healing and replenishing qi.

"After Sister Ping gets home, sunbathe in the sun more often. Eat it when it turns red, and you'll become even more beautiful."

"Zhang Sheng, you still want to make a move on my sister?"

"Li Feng is the younger brother. Where did you get so many wild fruits if you didn't have someone else?"

"Yes, Li Feng, you can forget about eating thorn fruit again."

“I’m not afraid of you. Let my uncle take me to pick thorn berries.”

"My dad doesn't know where to go either."

"know."

"do not know."

Zhang Sheng regretted arguing with Li Feng because he still cared about Ping Jie's fluctuating moods. Ping Jie had regained some of the youthful energy of a young girl, saying, "I'm going to work at the power plant soon, and I won't be happy anymore after I start working."

"Sis, why are you telling him all this?"

"Sister Ping, I want you to be happy."

Actually, my two older sisters loved swinging. In the entire Dahe Forest Farm, only the school had swings. It wasn't elegant for the boys to play on the swings; it was almost like the circus troupe that frequently performed outdoors in Dahe Forest Farm. Things used to be so much better; people would gather to watch open-air movies. But after the movie theater was built, people lost interest in it and became obsessed with televisions and VCRs. The children especially loved going to video arcades. Zhang Sheng vividly remembered the circus's motorcycle stunts; they terrified my two older sisters, making them scream, but they swung incredibly high on the swings, singing happily all the while.

"You don't really make me happy or joyful?"

"Sister Ping, I want to use the perfect love here to make you happy."

"Aren't you ashamed? She's my sister, and you call this 'perfect love'? Have you ever been in a relationship? Do you know what love is?"

"Li Feng, stop talking nonsense."

It turns out that Auntie was looking for a young man for Pingjie to work at the power plant, and even asked Pingjie's fifth uncle to give his opinion. Actually, it was just that her fifth uncle wanted to help Pingjie's boyfriend, a literary-minded young man, to get away from frontline work and go to the office to attend meetings, write reports, and take photos. Pingjie has an artistic mind, which is influenced by Li Jingshan.

"Sister Ping, come with me!" Zhang Sheng pulled Ping's hand. For some reason, Li Feng's words spurred Zhang Sheng's courage; he could even hear Sister Ping's heartbeat. Sister Ping's face was even redder than Hong Yingying's schisandra berries. Her hair was so flowing, exuding a fragrance, the scent of ripe, blossoming apples. In the secluded forest not far from the Iron Tower, towering trees and various wild fruit vines intertwined. This was Zhang Sheng's secret, a space where he could enjoy the freedom of soaring freely. Here, he didn't need to compete for swings anymore. This was a gift for the forest fairy Li Ping, and he naturally imagined himself as the king here, with Li Ping as his queen, and Li Feng as a maidservant to serve him and Li Ping in their daily lives.

"A swing? Is it a swing?"

“Yes, Sister Ping, this is a swing woven from tree vines. Sit on it, and I'll push you to swing.”

"Sis, that kid has some bad intentions."

"Li Feng, then you push me."

"Sister Ping, Li Feng can't push it."

"Who says I can't push it!"

"Li Feng, you sit down too, and I'll push you two on the swing in the forest."

Everywhere you looked, there were plump schisandra berries, jujubes, and purple wild grapes. Zhang Sheng not only did hard work to make Li Ping and Li Feng happy, but he also made a floral crown for Sister Ping, the kind worn by ancient Greek fairies. This forest was rich in wildflowers and weeds; to conquer a beauty's heart, one needed the flair of an artist. Seeing that the two sisters were already intoxicated by the perfection of the great forest, their souls mesmerized by the aroma of wild fruits, Li Feng no longer guarded against Zhang Sheng. It seemed that, at least in this perfect fairytale world of the great forest, she acknowledged him as king, possessing power. The beauty of Li Ping wearing the floral crown—she had matured, her youth brimming with youthful fullness—suddenly pierced Zhang Sheng's eyes, creating a turbulent presence in his mind. "Sister Ping, I want to paint a picture for you."

"Do you draw with your eyes?"

“I’ve hidden here the brushes and oil paints that my uncle bought for my dad to use for painting.”

"It's paint."

"Should we paint on the tree bark, or paint in the air?"

“On the canvas, there’s my studio, Sister Ping, on the island in the river, and there’s also the little wooden house I built.”

"You're lying, Zhang Sheng. Don't even think about my sister."

"Li Feng, shut up."

"Sister, tell me to shut up, tell me to shut up for his sake."

"Li Feng, I'll paint one for you too, so you can become Snow White."

"Really, can you draw?"

"Of course I can. I help my dad mix colors every time he paints an oil painting, but I've never been able to mix white, pure white."

At first, Li Feng was skeptical. What could an ignorant boy from the mountains possibly do with oil painting? But art often originates from the great rivers and mountains, rarely from big cities. Yet, beauty is often born after studying, working, and living in big cities. Isn't art just like childbirth? Men and women create together, and the artwork is born after ten months of childbirth—either a daughter or a son. Little did the sisters know that Zhang Sheng had already secretly harbored feelings for Ping Jie's beauty! In his heart, Li Feng was just an annoying, blond-haired girl, but Li Ping was different. She resembled the beauties in "Water Margin" so much—not Lin Niangzi, nor Jin Yong's heavily made-up daughter, nor Song Jiang's Yan Xipo, but so much like Ximen Qing's beloved Pan Jinlian. She was so beautiful, as beautiful as the beauties on television. The world was so different. The girls in the Dahe Forest Farm were too rustic, too vulgar; in the mountains, they were all wild girls. Why did Li Ping become a fairy as soon as she arrived at the mountain, and even Li Feng became Snow White? There must be tree spirits in the mountain who turn into beautiful women. Of course, he hoped that all the flowers, grasses, trees and plants in the mountain would turn into great fairies and ascend to the Jade Emperor in heaven.

"Is the painting done?"

"Sister Ping, you are prettier than Pan Jinlian."

"It's not that I look down on you, kid, but I've read 'Water Margin' ten times. Talking about Pan Jinlian in front of me, I think you're just a born Ximen Qing, a rogue."

"Who said that? I'm not a hooligan, I'm not Ximen Qing."

"You must be Little Ximen Qing."

"I am not Ximen Qing."

"Then what do you mean by saying you're prettier than Pan Jinlian?"

"Sister Ping is prettier than Pan Jinlian on TV."

"Nonsense, the only bad man in the world who should say she's pretty is that bad man Ximen Qing."

"Don't talk nonsense, Li Feng. I'm not Ximen Qing, and I'll still say that Sister Ping is beautiful."

"Sister, he never reads books, and he argues illogically when he watches TV. He's ignorant and incompetent. You couldn't be as good as Ximen Qing even if you wanted to. Ximen Qing was a capable man."

"Great, I'm not Ximen Qing, am I? You yourself said you're Li Feng, don't think you're useless just because you're more educated than me."

"Why didn't it work? Tell me."

"At best, you're just a silly girl."

"Look at you, you're just like a little Ximen Qing."

"I'm not."

"Yes"

"No"

You have to prove you're not!

"how to prove?"

“If you can recite the names of all thirty-two Heavenly Spirits and seventy-two Earthly Fiends without missing a single one, you can prove that you are not Ximen Qing.”

"Aren't you cheating? I only remember Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian."

Why can't I remember Wu Song and Lu Zhishen?

"Wu Song is unreasonable, and Lu Zhishen acts like a drunkard."

"Sis, listen to him spouting those rubbish theories again."

"Li Feng, I'm not going to reason with you anymore. Do you want some pine cones?"

"Isn't a pine cone just a pine nut?"

"No"

Can you climb a tree?

"can"

"Don't show off in front of my sister."

"I can climb a 30-meter-high pine tree and knock down pine cones without using an iron hook."

"Zhang Sheng, listen to your sister, don't climb trees and hit the pine cones."

"No, Sister Ping, I have to climb up and make Li Feng submit to me."

It's unclear where Zhang Sheng got such courage, but it's all thanks to the power of the alcohol produced by Sister Ping's (Pan Jinlian's) wisdom and beauty. Perhaps the Western god of wine is hidden in wild fruits. Zhang Sheng has already eaten three or four pounds of grapes, dates, schisandra berries, and even thorn berries—a cocktail! Apparently, this cocktail is produced in the stomach, even more hallucinogenic than Mexican tequila. This might be the ultimate form of intoxication. There seems to be a shadow of the sun god Apollo in the mountains and forests as well. Actually, this is the power of love. Perhaps Zhang Sheng has fallen in love with Sister Ping, like Han Yu fell in love with Tang Wan. Zhang Sheng knows his clothes are ruined, soaked in pine resin, but to win Sister Ping's favor, it doesn't matter; he'll build several pyramids with pine cones.

Li Feng was dumbfounded. She couldn't take this with her. "Fine, I give up!"

"Don't try to fool me with your words."

"Who tried to fool you with words?"

"So what do you want to do?"

"If you truly love my sister..."

"Li Feng'er, have you gone mad too?"

"Sis, I'm not crazy. I know you don't want to get married, so I'll make you happy too."

"Alright, let's go down the mountain."

"No, sister, let Zhang Sheng climb up the Eiffel Tower and say 'I love you'."

"Li Feng'er, what's wrong? Have you gone mad?"

"He's not crazy. If he dares to think of you as Pan Jinlian, then he must have the guts of Ximen Qing!"

“Li Feng, I’m not Ximen Qing, but I still have the guts to shout ‘I love you’ from the Iron Tower.”

"No, it's Li Ping, I love you."

Zhang Sheng recalled the stories of life and death cycles from the Jin and Song dynasties. This great forest might harbor a maddening evil curse. Li Feng's eyes were clearly flickering with malice; something evil had possessed her. It seemed her uncle's death had a profound impact on Li Ping and Li Feng, causing them to resonate with the evil spirits of the forest. "What's the big deal? It's just climbing to the small house at the top of the iron tower and shouting 'I love you, Sister Ping!'" It was so exciting, much easier than climbing a mountain, because the ladders were iron, nothing to Zhang Sheng, who frequently practiced light-body techniques. It seemed martial arts movies weren't all lies. The tower was incredibly high, the wind was strong, but the view was unobstructed, overlooking the vast forest and even the distant Tianchi Lake of Changbai Mountain. Looking down at Li Ping and Li Feng, he shouted, "Sister Ping, I love you!"