Chapter Three: Returning Home in Splendor

The two of them left the temple, following the rough cement road until they reached the main dirt path. The so-called main road was barely more than three meters wide, but a few people were already waiting there. Upon hearing that Li Yiting was returning home for a family visit, his teammates from Beiting grew excited, all eager to witness the authentic mountain scenery. Only Xu Jingnan, tied up with his duties in the police force, and Pang Sheng and Little Orchard, who had to stay behind, were unable to join. The rest all came along to join the fun.

Liu Zichen and Shen Mingyue leaned against a stone railing, admiring the gentle flow of water beneath a small bridge and the houses nestled along the stream. Wan Yongkun crouched by the edge of a paddy field, quietly smoking, his gaze lingering on the rice stubble left in the water, lost in thought. The usually reserved Kuang Suo wandered aimlessly, genuinely captivated by the customs so different from Wan Yue Mountain, yet sharing a similar untouched beauty that felt warmly familiar.

Spring had not yet arrived, and nature was still dormant. Compared to the local counties and towns, the temperature in the mountains was four or five degrees lower. Patches of thin ice formed on the surface of the rice paddies, their edges sharp and dazzling in the sunlight. The river beneath the bridge, the Luoshui, still flowed steadily, showing no sign of freezing—perhaps because it was moving water.

Li Yiting was the first to raise his hand and call out to Wan Yongkun, “Hey, stop daydreaming. Let’s go home.”

Wan Yongkun reacted instantly, standing up and casually flicking his cigarette butt into the paddy with a barely audible hiss. His expression was indifferent; here, he seemed to revert to the mountain farmer he once was. Give him a tattered straw hat and no one would guess he was a formidable detective.

That was the nature of the Beiting team. Most came from humble backgrounds, able to blend into any environment like chameleons, transforming instantly into a part of their surroundings. They belonged to the grassroots, so they needed no disguise to feel at home.

Chen Tianyu sighed with emotion, “Yiting, how many years has it been since you came back?”

The question made Li Yiting pause for a moment. He thought for a bit, “Six or seven years, I suppose. During my time at the station, whenever I had a break, I always came back. This time, the holiday’s just a bit longer… but it’s good, nothing here has changed at all.”

“So, is this your triumphant return?” Chen Tianyu teased.

Li Yiting laughed. “Hahaha, rather than a triumphant return, I’d say I’m reverting to my original form.”

Wan Yongkun happened to join them and, upon hearing this, allowed himself a slight smile. Though this was Li Yiting’s hometown, Wan Yongkun felt a little dazed—he was the one who had truly returned in glory. A few years ago, he had been a bona fide hunter, just a country bumpkin.

“Fourth Brother, I think you should call it a fish returning to water,” he replied, visibly excited.

Chen Tianyu nodded knowingly. He understood Wan Yongkun’s feelings and gave the young detective’s shoulder a gentle pat—a gesture that said everything.

Li Yiting suddenly suggested, “Now that we’re back, let’s truly relax. Don’t bother about anything for once—let’s not waste this rare holiday.” There was a subtle undertone in his words, which only Chen Tianyu seemed to grasp.

No one else objected. All these wanderers understood: returning to one’s hometown brings a lazy comfort, a softening of one’s edge. Li Yiting was no exception.

Chen Tianyu let it be, waving to Kuang Suo in the distance, who quietly joined them. As they crossed Luo Shui Bridge, Liu Zichen and Shen Mingyue remained oblivious, chatting happily at the stone railing, faces alight with joy.

The girls’ affinity for nature was on full display.

The men walked the thirty-odd meters of the bridge and headed down the path before the girls realized. Shen Mingyue exclaimed, “Sister Zichen, they’re going to leave us here!”

“Let them go. This isn’t the city—you think we can’t find Yiting’s home?” Liu Zichen replied calmly. In the countryside, roads are few; one glance and you know where the village is.

Shen Mingyue, a city girl, didn’t understand and found the roads confusing.

“Let’s go too,” she urged. The men’s figures were already fading, about to disappear around the foot of the mountain.

With some reluctance, Liu Zichen left the stone railing. “Don’t worry, we’ll find it.” Despite her confidence, she joined Shen Mingyue in leaving the bridge and heading in what seemed the right direction.

At the end of the bridge was a fork, and by the roadside stood a one-meter-wide dirt path leading uphill—surely the entrance to Li Village, though there was no sign.

There, they noticed a two-story mud-brick house a few meters tall, its door open. An elderly rural woman, perhaps seventy, was eyeing the two elegantly dressed women with lively curiosity. Although they had tried to dress plainly, their natural beauty could not be hidden.

Liu Zichen offered a friendly smile, but the old woman’s face turned stern, her gaze cool and her wrinkled features speaking of age, experience, and a natural indifference.

Shen Mingyue asked in wonder, “Sister Zichen, what’s this mud house for?”

Liu Zichen shook her head, unsure.

As they were about to leave, the old woman suddenly called out, “Are you friends of Little Ting?” She was staring directly at Liu Zichen, making the moment slightly odd.

At first, the two didn’t catch her words. Liu Zichen was the first to respond, stopping and nodding politely, “Yes… Auntie, do you know Yiting?”

“I watched him grow up—do you think I’d not know him?” Her tone was still cold, as if stating the obvious.

Shen Mingyue found it strange, as she hadn’t seen Li Yiting greet the old woman.

But Liu Zichen wasn’t surprised; in rural areas, this was common—villagers rarely bothered with pleasantries. She smiled, “So that’s it. Auntie, what do you do here?” She was curious about the purpose of the mud-brick house.

“This is a little shop. Do you want to buy anything for the New Year? It’s been a long time since you came, hasn’t it?” The woman’s words were disjointed, though she seemed to smile a little.

Liu Zichen understood. She shook her head, “Maybe… we’ll come back later.” She didn’t refuse outright, as she was indeed curious to have another look.

The old woman nodded slightly and said no more.

The two kept walking up the slope. After several dozen meters, Shen Mingyue couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Zichen, there are hardly any passersby. Why would she open a convenience store here?”

Liu Zichen laughed, “This isn’t a convenience store—it’s the supermarket.”

“Oh,” Shen Mingyue realized. In the countryside, goods were scarce. Though the house was small, perhaps it was indeed the only ‘supermarket’ in all of Luoshui Village.

“Why did I feel like the shopkeeper’s gaze was so strange?” Shen Mingyue wondered aloud.

Liu Zichen tapped her forehead, “You’re overthinking it. You’ve never been to the countryside. Strangers are rare here—so they’re valued.”

“Really?” Shen Mingyue still felt uneasy, but couldn’t say why.

After the one-meter-wide dirt road, the path narrowed to barely thirty centimeters, still climbing uphill. At the top, several men were waiting for them—apparently, worried the two women might get lost on their first visit.

But instead of four, there were more than a dozen people waiting at the summit.

Someone had come to greet them—men, women, elders, and children alike. These were Li Yiting’s family and friends, their eyes warm as they watched the two women climb up.

Instinctively, Liu Zichen tugged at Shen Mingyue’s arm and quickened her pace. With a welcoming party, they couldn’t be too casual.

Fortunately, no one minded the minor impropriety.

Li Yiting offered a brief introduction: among the group were his father, Li Qihuai (while his mother was busy at home), his eldest uncle Li Qisi, his fifth uncle Li Qiumao, and his sixth uncle Li Qiubin. He introduced a few other villagers as well, but the women couldn’t remember their names, and as for the younger generation, even Li Yiting barely knew them.

Everyone knew Li Yiting worked for the government in the city and held some status, but what exactly he did, they weren’t clear. Li Yiting was unwilling to explain further; at home, he preferred to be an ordinary man, unnoticed.

Of course, whether others saw him that way was another matter.

After the introductions, the group, lively and cheerful, continued walking. It seemed the village was still some distance away. “Welcoming guests before the mountain” meant coming out to greet them, a sign of respect.

At this moment, a young man in the group smiled at Li Yiting, “Brother Yiting, your friends don’t look like ordinary people.”

Liu Zichen glanced at him. He was dressed simply, as if he’d just come from the fields—hair tousled, clothes muddy. Earlier, Yiting had introduced him as his cousin—Li Fuqi, yes, the fourth uncle’s son. She wondered idly why the fourth uncle wasn’t here.

Li Yiting confirmed, “Fuqi, you have sharp eyes. These are all my new colleagues.”

“An honor,” Li Fuqi replied. Though he looked rustic, his manners were polite and his speech clear, without a hint of dialect. He shook hands with everyone; when he reached Liu Zichen, he hesitated, but she took the initiative. As for Shen Mingyue, he tactfully avoided her.

Liu Zichen secretly chuckled—it seemed Li Fuqi was still unmarried, awkward around pretty women.

Li Yiting added, “Don’t be fooled by Fuqi’s country ways—he’s our village secretary.”

Everyone was surprised. Li Fuqi scratched his head sheepishly, “Brother Yiting, don’t tease me.”

“How would I dare tease you, Mr. Village Official?” Li Yiting handed him a cigarette and explained, “Fuqi is our village’s only graduate student—a rare phoenix in a hundred years.”

“Oh?” Chen Tianyu was interested and took a closer look, but said nothing further.

Li Yiting continued, “After graduating university, Fuqi didn’t go anywhere—he gave up a good city job to come back and build our new countryside. His commitment is no less than yours.”

Li Fuqi kept scratching his head with a bashful grin, looking so honest that one couldn’t help but smile.

Wan Yongkun gave a thumbs-up—his admiration was sincere. Li Fuqi nodded in understanding, saying nothing.

“Brother Yiting, don’t just praise me. Everyone in Li Village knows you’re the true pioneer—you’ve gone farthest and achieved the most.”

Li Yiting patted his shoulder, accepting the compliment.

“Let’s go home. I want some of Mom’s yam stew.” His eyes softened, the sharpness gone, his voice gentle. A long-missed emotion welled up inside him—one only a wanderer could know.

Li Fuqi nodded, “Second Aunt knew you’d be craving it. She had me dig up dozens of pounds of yams this morning. Enough to last you a while.”

No wonder the village secretary looked so disheveled.

Li Yiting was moved. “Fuqi, you’ve worked hard.”

“That’s too formal,” Fuqi chuckled. “Look what I’ve got.” He pulled a few long, yellow-tipped bamboo shoots from his large coat pocket.

Li Yiting’s eyes lit up, “Ah, winter bamboo shoots!”

Winter bamboo shoot and yam stew was a local specialty of Luoshui—a dish that held the flavor of home. In this moment, the Beiting team’s usually steely leader, unshaken by life and death, was completely melted by the warmth of his hometown, reverting to a simple countryman.

His eyes grew moist without his realizing it.

The others were also quietly moved—homesickness and the taste of the New Year swept over them, gentle and irresistible.