Chapter 35: Such a Mysterious Thing Actually Happened

Chapter 35: Such a Mysterious Affair

Men don't cry easily, and today is a rare day of joy—so why dwell on the bad stuff?

Yan Fengan slowly pushed down the sourness in his heart, took out his handkerchief, and turned his head to wipe his eyes. When he turned back and saw everyone staring at him strangely, he smiled and said, "After nearly dying not long ago, I suddenly came to understand a lot of things. In this life, what a person really wants is probably right here in front of us. I just hope our whole family stays well from here on out."

Hearing his words, Chen Lanfang also felt an inexplicable urge to cry. She nodded and said, "It'll be fine—it really will. You're already past twenty, and from now on your road ahead will be smooth and worry-free. That's what the old immortal said, and it can't be wrong."

"Old immortal? What old immortal?" He Jin swallowed the rice in his mouth and asked curiously, "When did you meet an old immortal?"

Chen Lanfang glanced at Yan Shichang. The man drained his cup of wine in one gulp and, thinking this was nothing shameful to speak of, said, "You know how Fengan got his name?"

Yan Fuqiu spoke quickly: "You and Mom gave it to him—how else would he get it?"

Chen Lanfang smiled. "If your dad and I had named him, Fengan would probably be called Fengdong now." Folks in the countryside didn't overthink names. The three sons in the family—the eldest, born in spring, was called Wangchun; the second, born in autumn, was called Fuqiu; and the third, born in winter, would naturally have been called Fengdong.

Yan Fengan was a little surprised. He'd always figured his parents just picked his name randomly and had never given much thought to its origin.

Yan Shichang didn't drag it out and continued where Chen Lanfang had left off: "Twenty years ago, on the day of Fengan's one-month celebration, a traveling Taoist priest knocked on our door, said he was passing through and the snow and wind had messed up his eyes, and asked if he could have a bowl of hot soup. Your mother and I saw that he had an immortal air about him, with a calm and gentle look in his eyes—not at all like a wicked person—so we brought him in and used the leftover meat broth to make him some noodles to fill his stomach."

Chen Lanfang added, "Your father saw that he was thinly dressed, his hands and face red from the cold, so he gave him an old cotton jacket."

Hearing this, Yan Wangchun also recalled: "I think I remember that." The brothers were six years apart in age, so when Yan Fengan was born, Yan Wangchun was already old enough to remember things. "I remember him saying Third Brother's name wasn't great and should be changed."

"That's right," Yan Shichang said. "He asked what Sanlang's name was, and I said that since he was born on the winter solstice, we had named him Fengdong. The old Taoist shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this, saying the name was not good. 'Winter is the last of the four seasons,' he said. 'Everything withers and the bugs go dormant. That one character alone has a feel of bleakness and loneliness. Fengdong, Fengdong—wouldn't that mean he'd run straight into the freezing cold of winter? Then his whole life would be too cold and lonely.'"

"And that's not all," Chen Lanfang said, still getting chills thinking about what that old Taoist said. "He also said Fengan was fated to face a big disaster before he turned twenty. If he got through it, the rest of his life would be smooth; if not, he might even die. Your dad and I were scared and mad when we heard that."

We were scared, of course, that the old Taoist's words would come true and their son would not live past twenty. And we were mad because on such a happy day, they had kindly given the old Taoist food and clothing, and instead of showing gratitude, he had the nerve to curse their kid—it was really off-putting.

If he'd heard his parents tell this story when he was a teenager, Yan Fengan would've laughed it off or brushed it aside. He was a well-read scholar—how could he buy into that superstitious stuff?

But after going through something so weird, seeing with his own eyes that otherworldly visitor take over his body and move through the world under his identity, he realized how narrow-minded he'd been.

The world is huge and full of strange things. You should respect things you don't understand, not deny they exist just because you don't get them.

Yan Fuqiu had been three then, but he didn't remember any of it. He asked, all eager, "What happened next? What happened after that?"

Yan Shichang continued, "Then the old Taoist said, 'On this snowy day, you and your wife gave me food and clothes. Since we've met, it must be fate.' Then he gave Sanlang the name Fengan, to keep him safe from bad luck and danger—even if he hit that big disaster, he'd still have a chance to survive."

Li Wan said in surprise, "That's so mysterious?"

She almost asked why they'd never mentioned it, but then thought better of it—this wasn't the kind of thing her in-laws would want to talk about. Who'd bring up stuff like that all the time?

"Isn't that something? Your dad and I thought the old Taoist had come to our house to scam us out of money, but after giving Sanlang his name, he only took your dad's old cotton jacket and nothing else. Your dad chased after him with silver, but in the span of a few steps, the old Taoist had vanished without a trace—not even a footprint left in the snow."

After closing the door, the couple broke out in a cold sweat, unsure whether they had encountered a person or a ghost.

Such things are better believed than doubted. Though they still had some misgivings, they ultimately changed the child's name.

"Sanlang has had smooth sailing all these years, and your dad and I thought the old Taoist was just crying wolf. Who would've thought he'd nearly lose his life this year? His recovery is truly a blessing within misfortune." Chen Lanfang pressed her palms together and prayed toward the sky outside: "Thank the old immortal for his protection, and thanks to Xiao Xi as well—if not for him marrying into this family, who knows when Sanlang would have woken up."

Yan Fengan smiled and glanced at Wen Xi, but in his heart, he thought the old Taoist was probably a real immortal. His parents believed the great tribulation referred to the accident this year when he fell and injured his head, becoming simple-minded.

In reality, the old immortal had been referring to his body being taken over by another, and him nearly losing his soul entirely.

Being trapped in darkness for years, watching helplessly as some wandering ghost from who-knows-where occupied his body, enjoyed his parents' affection, and used his face to do things he found shameful and detestable—it was truly agonizing.

If he had a physical form, he would probably have vomited blood from rage every single day. Several times he had even considered resigning himself to fate, but in the end, he persevered and found the opportunity to seize his body back.

And that otherworldly visitor who had stolen his body—apparently never expecting him to still be alive—had his soul squeezed out, and with no vessel to contain it, dissipated into a wisp of smoke within moments.

Yan Fengan had long wondered why his soul, after leaving his body, could linger for so long without dispersing, gathering around his physical form. Now it seemed that must have been the old immortal's doing.

He wondered if he would ever have the chance to thank the old immortal in person.

Wen Xi had not yet fully processed the story they had just told. Seeing that after Chen Lanfang's words, the whole family was looking at him, he quickly said, "Fengan was able to wake up because you and Father are kind-hearted people who have accumulated much good fortune over the years. When the critical moment came, that good fortune fell upon him. With your and Father's protection, we children will surely do better and better."

Though Wen Xi was usually quiet, he still knew how to say pleasant words when needed.

Hearing this, the smiles on Chen Lanfang's and Yan Shichang's faces deepened. Li Wan then added, "Mother and Father were kind-hearted, giving the old immortal hot noodle soup and a cotton jacket. That's why the old immortal bestowed a name upon Third Brother to ward off disaster for him. It's a case of good deeds being rewarded."

He Jin also sighed with emotion: "So people really must do more good deeds in their daily lives. When times are smooth, these blessings don't show themselves, but when trouble truly comes, you realize how important it is to be kind to others."

Chen Lanfang agreed with their words: "That's right."

Having finished discussing the origin of Yan Fengan's name, the family happily continued eating meat and drinking wine.

The plum wine tasted sweet when it entered the mouth, but its aftereffect was strong. Wen Xi only drank one cup before daring to have any more.

Yan Fengan, on the other hand, was persuaded by his two brothers to drink several cups. He wasn't drunk, but he inexplicably became more clingy and playful than during the day.

Even though he had already washed up clean, he insisted that he could still taste plum wine in his mouth. Wen Xi leaned in to smell him, and that wasn't enough—Yan Fengan coaxed him into kissing.

And Wen Xi, to his own detriment, was also weak-willed. Knowing full well that the man was deliberately teasing him, he still foolishly wrapped his arms around the man's neck, and just as he caught his breath, he eagerly leaned back in. The two of them went back and forth, kissing each other, playing until late into the night before gradually settling down.

Wen Xi was held in Yan Fengan's arms and noticed that something felt different about their bodies. This had never happened before. He felt embarrassed and didn't know how to ask, so he quietly shifted his body, trying to make himself more comfortable.

But they were pressed so close together that no matter how he moved, it felt uncomfortable. Yet he didn't want to leave Yan Fengan's embrace, so he simply let it be.

Yan Fengan also felt uncomfortable. To divert his attention, he asked Wen Xi a question: "Xiao Xi, do you believe there really are immortals in this world?"

Wen Xi stopped his wandering thoughts and answered honestly, "I didn't believe before, but after hearing what Father and Mother said, I'm starting to believe a little."

For most country folk, entrusting one's wishes to the gods is a common practice. On the northern hillside of Daoxiang Village, there was a Guanyin temple dedicated to fertility that had existed for many years. Even now, many newlywed couples would go there to pay their respects.

Logically speaking, the harder one's life, the more one would pray to the gods and Buddha.

So why didn't someone like Wen Xi believe?

Yan Fengan couldn't bear to ask further, so he simply gently stroked Wen Xi's slender back to comfort him.

Wen Xi was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Before, at home, I couldn't get enough to eat or wear, and I would be beaten and scolded for no reason. During the day, I would use the excuse of going up the mountain to dig wild vegetables or gather firewood to run to the Fertility Goddess Temple. That temple was usually unattended, and if I was lucky, I could find some offering fruits and sweets to eat. The Fertility Goddess had a kind face and a compassionate smile. After eating the offerings, I would kowtow to her, praying that she would protect me from being beaten less, praying that she would make my parents treat me better."

Remembering those things, Wen Xi's eyes reddened again. He sniffled and said, "But no matter how much I prayed, my life never changed. I thought the Fertility Goddess was angry at me for eating her offerings, so later, no matter how hungry I was, I never ate anything from her temple again. I kowtowed and apologized to her, begging for her forgiveness. Even so, my days only got worse and worse—nothing changed at all."

"From then on, I stopped believing in any of it. In all those years of being beaten, I begged the Bodhisattva, and I begged the neighbors in the village, but no one ever stepped forward to help me. Only you... only you..."

Wen Xi's voice trembled in the darkness: "I thought you were different from them."

Yan Fengan's throat tightened, and his heart gave a sharp pang. Not knowing what to say, he could only open his dry lips and call out, "Xiao Xi..."

"But later, even you joined them in bullying me."

At this point, Wen Xi was crying like a child, sobbing without restraint.

Just moments ago, the two had been intimately close, their cheeks pressed together. Wen Xi shouldn't have poured out the bitterness in his heart at such a moment. He had been suppressing it desperately, trying hard to forget all the unpleasantness that had happened between him and Yan Fengan.

He told himself that the current Yan Fengan had already changed for the better, and bringing up old grievances would only hurt their relationship without any meaning. But the more he thought this way, the more those memories refused to leave his mind.

During intimate moments with Yan Fengan, he could clearly feel the other's tenderness and affection, which filled his heart with boundless sweetness and happiness. Yet just as they were kissing passionately, lost in each other, several fragments suddenly flashed through his mind.

He didn't want to recall them, but his brain refused to obey, bringing back memories of Yan Fengan's humiliation and coldness toward him when he was with Wen Liu, and the sorrow and confusion he felt when his attitude suddenly changed.

Years of Wen Liu's relentless bullying had numbed him, but the malice Yan Fengan showed without reason caused him unbearable pain. Back then, Wen Xi often fell into self-denial, trapped in self-loathing that was hard to escape. He truly believed he was as inherently lowly and inferior as Wen Liu said, which was why he had earned Yan Fengan's disdain.

He had married Yan Fengan out of desperation, originally hoping only to survive and live out his days in peace. But he never learned his lesson, knowing full well this man was unpredictable, yet still giving him his whole heart.

Now he was happy, but what about the person he used to be, the one who had been bullied relentlessly? If he forgave Yan Fengan today, and if someday Wen Liu and his parents also reformed and tried to make amends, would he have to forgive them too?

At that thought, nausea churned in Wen Xi's stomach. He knew he was overthinking things, and he knew a wise person would let go of the past, pretend nothing had happened, and live sweetly with Yan Fengan.

But he simply couldn't. The kinder Yan Fengan was to him, the more pain he felt inside.

With a tearful voice, Wen Xi poured out all the sorrow and grievance of those years in one breath, demanding, "When I met you, you were so good. After I married you, you were still so good. But then those years, you turned so cruel. Why? Tell me, why did you treat me that way back then!"

Yan Fengan had thought he had already removed the thorn from Wen Xi's heart, little knowing it had long since festered and spread to every corner.

"I'm sorry, Little Xi, I'm truly sorry."

Pain kept surging up, and Wen Xi resisted his touch, but suddenly felt something like water gently striking the hollow of his neck.

Drop by drop...

The warmth burned into Wen Xi's heart, making it tremble. Shocked, he tried to look up, but Yan Fengan's palm pressed down on the back of his head.

A moment later, he heard him speak in a hoarse voice, "You probably won't believe this, but that person really wasn't me."