Chapter 1: The Full Moon Capture

Faced with this scene, everyone in the room stared wide-eyed.

Upon hearing about the cooked sweet potatoes, the little girl's face lit up with joy. At that moment, as if suddenly remembering something, she dashed over to the bedside and placed a toy made of corn husks on the bed. "This is what Xiao Dong and the others taught me to make. Mother, look, can I give it to my little brother?"

In this chaotic era, wars are raging everywhere, and death is rampant. Even the mountain dwellers, who have little contact with the outside world, clearly understand that joining the army is tantamount to courting death, serving as cannon fodder for the high-ranking officials. Even if one dies, there will be no gravestone; a pit is dug, and the bodies of hundreds are tossed in, casually buried, and that is considered the end of the matter

He arrived in this world with a loud cry. The woman, who had exhausted all her strength in repeated struggles, looked at the baby that the midwife brought before her. Observing the infant's "little penis," which symbolized the continuation of the family line, a faint smile of relief finally appeared on her sweat-drenched, pale face that was frightening to behold

This suggests that the boy's future profession will inevitably be related to firearms. In this desolate mountain area, there are not even larger wild animals, let alone hunters who rely on the mountains for their livelihood. After considering all possibilities, the only occupation that seems to be related to handling guns is serving in the military.

Nestled among these mountains is a small village called Walen Village. It is indeed a small village, with the total population not exceeding five hundred even during the so-called "most prosperous period in history." The villagers have lived on this barren and impoverished land surrounded by desolate mountains for generations, using the simplest tools and their own hands to cultivate the terraced fields they have painstakingly carved out on the slopes, pouring their sweat into the soil in exchange for barely enough food to sustain their existence.

At that moment, the door to the room was pushed open, and a small head timidly peeked in, staring at the child's mother, and cautiously said: "Mother, I am hungry"

The child's mother had not yet had a chance to speak. Just a moment ago, the child, who was nestled under the blankets and happily snoring, was awakened by the small commotion. He saw the new toy that the little girl had placed on the bed, and a glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes. Before anyone could stop him, he reached out with his small hand and grabbed the toy made of corn husks that had just been placed on the bed.

Grasping the hope that had completely shattered, the child's mother forcefully hurled the worn-out brush at her daughter. The brush, which had long lost its practical significance, struck the little girl's head and, with a soft sigh, bounced back up, tracing a few small circles in the air before finally landing on the ground

According to Chinese customs, if a child grabs something on their full moon day, it is believed that they are likely to pursue a certain profession in the future. Therefore, a woman who hopes for her child to succeed may go to great lengths to place a nearly bare brush in front of the child, believing that if the child can indeed grasp this brush, they might become a scholar, leaving behind this excessively barren and desolate land to lead a respectable life

Child's father, did you see? I have given birth to a son for the Lei family. I have finally given you a son for the Lei family. The Lei family has descendants now

The child's mother pointed at her face, which she was covering with her hands. Tears were already welling in her eyes, but the little girl, afraid to let them fall, cried out loudly: "You broom star, is this how you want your brother to die? You wish for his death, don't you? You have cursed him to death, and I refuse to believe that you will live in peace after this!"

The widow gave birth to a posthumous son, which is believed to be the greatest blessing from heaven after experiencing misfortune for anyone. When the boy turned one month old, according to Chinese customs, this woman, who finally had her own son, invited the village chief and, under his guidance, placed various items in front of the child.

It was not until this moment that the children's mother remembered that she had sent her two daughters out for quite some time, and it was already past mealtime. Looking at her daughter, who wore a face full of anticipation, the mother gently sighed. After all, her two daughters were still very young, the eldest being only seven years old. She softly said, "There are some cooked sweet potatoes in the kitchen; you and your sister can share them."

The boy was holding in his hand a gun made of corn stalks!

The winter of 1919 was particularly cold, and the first snowfall was long overdue. The bare mountains, devoid of any trace of green, appeared even more desolate and bleak.

During the important ceremony held on the full moon, even the two daughters were driven out of the room by the women. A child who had just turned one was placed on the bed, and then a pile of various inexpensive trinkets, which embodied the beautiful hopes and wishes of the people in the mountains, was placed in front of this little one. Those who were qualified to stay in the room watched with wide eyes, carefully waiting for this child to make a "lifetime" choice

The village looked at the toy made of corn husks that the child was tightly gripping in their hand. After a long while, they let out a deep sigh and said: "Little sister, do not blame the girl; this is all fate! Otherwise, why would the child crawl on the bed for half a day without grabbing anything?"

A gun already grasped in hand cannot change anything even if it is put down again

This small mountain village is indeed very poor, to the extent that even the peddlers are unwilling to come here. Naturally, due to the lack of any substantial resources, the bandits and officials who roam during chaotic times seldom pay a visit. In this light, such a remote small mountain village has paradoxically become a kind of utopia. As the turmoil intensifies and the influx of outsiders gradually increases, the population of the small mountain village has surprisingly begun to rise slowly. This peculiar phenomenon can only be seen as a satire and a true reflection of the chaotic times.

In his youth, he had worked as a porter, traveling extensively and gaining a wealth of experience. He even apprenticed under a fortune-teller for a few days, becoming the village chief. Gripping his graying hair tightly, he faced the situation, observing the trembling body of the child's mother. At this moment, how could the village chief dare to make a definitive judgment about the child's future? If this child were to grow up to be a good-for-nothing, living off others without any ambition, which family would dare to marry their daughter to him? Looking at the child's mother, who was already starting to tremble, how could the village chief confidently assert the child's destiny? If this child were indeed to become a useless drifter, which family would be willing to marry off their daughter to him? Such a scenario would clearly indicate that the Lei family was effectively cutting off their own lineage.

The well-read and knowledgeable village chief, who could barely write his own name, pondered for a long time before finally giving the child a rather resounding name... Lei Zhen. His intention was to hope that the child's fate would be strong enough, so that even if he were to become a soldier in the future, he could drive away those haunting spirits and ultimately return home safely.

A one-month-old baby struggled to twist and turn on the bed, until everyone watching felt a strain in their necks, yet his little hands could not reach any of those objects. After playing like this for a while, the child seemed to tire out, and he nestled back into his little blanket, starting to make happy little snores.

This ... ...

During the "Full Moon Grasp" ceremony held after the child turned one month old, the child did not grasp any items. Faced with this scene, the people in the room were somewhat taken aback.

Newborns are always filled with curiosity towards unfamiliar objects that appear to pose no danger. The first things they grasp are often those that they subconsciously favor and are more receptive to. Under this premise, the ritual of "full moon grasping" indeed carries a somewhat peculiar and certain significance.

The village chief murmured, "This is truly strange! In all my years, I have never seen a situation where not even a small trinket was caught during a full moon!"

Village chief! At this moment, the child's mother spoke with a trembling voice, "This child doesn't grasp anything. If he truly desires nothing, learns nothing, will he end up being unable to do anything in the future, destined to be a good-for-nothing drifter who just wanders around, living off others?"

Thank you, mother

Looking at what he was holding, the corners of the mother's mouth trembled incessantly. Suddenly, she slapped her daughter hard across the face. The little girl was caught off guard and stumbled back four or five steps, her legs giving way beneath her, causing her to fall heavily to the ground

He finally caught the gift that was in his full moon.

Of course, picking up that small flower basket is also quite good, as it symbolizes that the child will become a skilled craftsman in the future, able to provide for themselves wherever they go. ... If that doesn't work out, then one can take up that small hoe and be a diligent and honest farmer, as long as they work hard in the fields, they too can marry, have children, and continue the family line, ensuring that the Lei family does not become extinct.

With a heartfelt smile, this woman, finally feeling a sense of relief, murmured softly as she fell into a sweet slumber. Meanwhile, the father of the child remained silent, for he was merely a lifeless figure, quietly standing at the rough wooden table that served as a memorial. Only two little girls, crouching outside the door, curiously peeked in, eager to see what their brother looked like