Chapter 1, Zhang Chi

"Second brother, I certainly do not possess your abilities; it seems I will never amass great wealth in this lifetime," Zhang Chi said with a smile

Ah!

At this moment, Zhang Chi did not have the time to think much; since the gourd had hidden itself, he naturally had to leave this place as soon as possible

Baby

At this moment, excitement is all that remains in Zhang Chi's mind

He/She has gone down to the ground

Just as I turned over, with my limbs on the ground, I thought about kneeling down first and then standing up. My gaze was drawn to something that was revealed on the pedestal of the statue.

The demolition team has arrived!

"I will go do it for my eldest grandson," the old lady said with a smile as she set down her work and turned to enter the kitchen

It is fortunate that the village is deserted at this moment; otherwise, several villagers, young and old, would have been sent away by his shout.

I tried all the myths and legends related to the magic gourd that I could think of in my mind

The old residence of Zhang Chi's family no longer resembles its former self, leaving only a small section of the courtyard wall.

Having grown tired from playing, Zhang Chi, the drunkard, let out a yawn. With the effects of alcohol taking hold, he disregarded his surroundings and simply lay down on the ground.

When Zhang Chi was young, he often played here, let's tentatively call it the Earth Temple

As soon as he stood up, he noticed a box on the ground. A brief glance revealed that the box was quite exquisite, so with a thought, the box on the ground was drawn into the gourd.

Zhang Chi reached out to touch the gourd and found that it resembled wood yet was not quite wood. It felt smooth and warm to the touch, almost like jade, and surprisingly, it still retained a hint of warmth.

This time he returned home to visit his family, and in the process, a matchmaking arrangement was made for him by his family

At present, Zhang Chi's mind is not very clear; upon discovering it is a gourd, he feels a few strands of childlike innocence.

However, today is not a blind date; who would drink like this on a blind date

Zhang Chi picked up the wooden gourd and examined it closely in front of him. After looking for quite a while, he did not discover anything unusual.

Oh, didn't my sister's family say they were coming over today

Even a drunkard knows how to play with the references from "Journey to the West"

How I came to the old village, Zhang Chi cannot recall at all, it is all a blur!

Upon arriving at the door, Zhang Chi recalled and asked, "Sir, where are my parents?"

This object not only has the ability to absorb things, but it can also expel the absorbed items intact. Do not be deceived by its small size, resembling a palm-sized gourd; it can surprisingly accommodate a tree trunk taller than Zhang Chi.

Ah, what are you moving for!

Today is a reunion of old classmates, and everyone gathered together to celebrate, which also served as a farewell for Zhang Chi as he returns to the United States. As a result, Zhang Chi was made quite drunk by a group of enthusiastic high school classmates.

At the moment the gourd floated up, its volume increased by more than ten times, becoming a gourd shape of about fifty centimeters in size. The small insects that were originally near Zhang Chi were suddenly pushed away as if by an invisible force, and within a radius of two to three meters centered around Zhang Chi, not a single living ant could be seen.

The village is no longer the same as it was in his childhood; many houses have already been demolished, and in the future, this area will be transformed back into farmland

The happiness of a single man is just that simple

On the country road, there is a person stumbling along slowly, clearly having consumed a considerable amount of alcohol

Zhang Chidao: "Sir, I drank too much yesterday and stayed at a classmate's house"

Running 2,000 meters usually takes half my life, but now I have a little secret in my heart, and my two calves are swinging like the wheels of a fire cart, and before I know it, I've arrived at the entrance of the town where I live now

Zhang Chi replied with a smile, "Oh, it's you, Second Brother. Just out for a stroll, and you are... ?"

What is referred to as the Land Temple is, in fact, not a temple at all, but rather a small house that is no more than 1.5 meters high and occupies an area of merely 4 square meters, truly small beyond measure

A tremendous creation

Unfortunately, at this moment he was so drunk that he was in a terrible state. After several attempts, he clearly saw the clasp on the wooden box right in front of him, yet his hands simply would not obey his commands.

This play transitioned directly from the dim light of dawn to the sun leaping above the horizon

The construction team arrived and, upon seeing Zhang Chi standing there, inquired aloud.

Hello, what are you doing

Gourd, gourd, protect me

Zhang Chi muttered to himself and slapped the wooden box with a hand, neither too light nor too heavy

Forget it, I won't talk to you anymore, see you later

The old gentleman said a word and then continued to focus on weaving the basket

From the gourd, one can also pour out a viscous, colorless, and odorless green liquid. Just a single drop is enough to cause a sapling, barely reaching the waist, to instantly grow into a towering tree

After speaking, Zhang Chi began to play with the gourd again, almost repeating the same routine from the night before. This illustrates the old saying that inebriation reveals one's true nature and that drunkenness exposes character has some merit.

However, when he saw a gourd floating in the air, he couldn't help but let out a scream akin to that of a young girl spotting a mouse

Drunk as he was, he still had a basic awareness of his body. Just before he collided with the statue, Zhang Chi reached out his hand in an attempt to steady it.

Without caring whether he could stand or not, Zhang Chi crawled over using both hands and feet, leaning his head closer to take a look.

As he played, Zhang Chi realized that he had acquired a treasure that he could not comprehend, one that perhaps modern science would also be unable to explain

The small earth temple has also been almost completely demolished, the surrounding small stone walls have disappeared, and the stones are scattered around. The originally intact statues inside are now fully exposed.

Receive

Goodness, this run almost turned into a half marathon!

One o'clock in the middle of the night

Most of the houses in the village have been demolished, but soon Zhang Chi discovered something from his memories

A full moon hangs high in the sky, casting a layer of pale silver light over the earth. At the same time, it greatly extends one's vision, allowing clear visibility of images even a hundred meters away, while also distinctly projecting the shadows of the roadside trees on both sides of the country road onto the ground

After lying on the ground for quite some time, Zhang Chi finally sat up, stared blankly for a while, and then began to attempt to get up.

"This... this is not scientific," Zhang Chi mumbled

If at this moment Zhang Chi were clear-headed, he would realize that he is currently moving away from the direction of his new home, heading towards the old house instead.

He himself was dizzy and his hands were weak, yet he blamed the wooden box for moving back and forth

Cousin leaned out of the car window and joked with Zhang Chi, saying: "Da Chi, no wonder people say you Americans love to work out, getting up early in the morning to go for a run?"

As one wishes, so it aligns with my heart's desire

The person laughed and said, "It's all been taken apart, there's nothing worth seeing anymore. Hurry up and leave, we are about to start construction. No one is allowed to stay on site, quickly go!"

The young man's name is Zhang Chi, with 'Zhang' meaning 'chapter' and 'Chi' meaning 'to gallop'.

The destination for the young person is not far; from his current position, it is almost less than a mile away.

How are you still doing well

Goodness, this fellow has mixed things up, going from "Journey to the West" to "Huluwa".

The young person's home is right here, yet the young person feels little attachment to this new home. Firstly, he does not reside here permanently; secondly, many of his memories of his hometown were formed in the original village. The current home has lost the old appearance from his memories and has become exceedingly unfamiliar.

Uh

Feel free, how about some stick noodle porridge

Zhang Chi began to speak to the gourd

A small land temple

Zhang Chi, in a state of confusion, gazed with dazed eyes at the dilapidated old house that had been torn apart, murmuring to himself

Looking around, Zhang Chi discovered that he had unexpectedly returned to the old village, leaving him somewhat perplexed and at a loss.

Just like the "chi" in his name, at the age of thirteen or fourteen, the young man followed his clan uncle to gallop across the ocean. The clan uncle opened a Chinese restaurant in a small town in the countryside over there, while he worked as a helper inside.

After calling out three or four times, the broken statue on the ground could certainly not respond to him, so he had no choice but to continue speaking himself

There are a number of residential areas created by the transformation of villages into towns. Originally, several nearby villages were consolidated, and everyone moved in together. Each household used to have its own separate courtyard, and the houses were built in various styles. After the consolidation, they were uniformly transformed into two-story Chinese-style buildings, with a small courtyard in front of each house and a small garden and garage at the back.

Gently stretching his body, Zhang Chi let out a deep breath and opened his eyes

These fellows can really drink a lot

Having nearly vomited everything in his stomach, the young man raised the back of his hand and casually wiped it.

This person is approximately twenty-five or twenty-six years old, standing at about 1.7 meters tall. He has a slightly plump figure, though not excessively so. He is wearing a white short-sleeved shirt on the upper body and loose beige linen casual pants on the lower body, with a pair of flip-flops on his feet

That land, if I call you once, would you dare to respond

As he walked, his brain began to control his limbs according to Zhang Chi's memories

He picked up the small gourd, raised his hand above his head, and aimed the gourd at the fallen statue.

Grandmother put down the water ladle in her hand and, with a joyful expression, asked: "What do you want to eat in the morning? You tell me, and grandmother will make it for you"

As he walked and walked, it is likely that Zhang Chi himself did not know how long he had been walking. Relying solely on the memories stored in his mind, Zhang Chi found his way back to the village of his childhood

At the same time, the sound of cars in the convoy reached Zhang Chi's ears

Do your parents know how flamboyant you are

Where is my house?

It is unclear whether it was due to Zhang Chi's excessive strength or if the statue had already been destabilized, but with this support from Zhang Chi, both the statue and Zhang Chi fell together.

Quickly hide, become invisible, become invisible

Before long, Grandma finished preparing the meal, and Zhang Chi, after finishing his porridge, began to fiddle with the gourd in his own room

Coming to his senses, Zhang Chi reached out to feel around the gourd, discovering that there were no ropes or strings hanging from it.

Just as Zhang Chi mentioned the collection, the statue on the ground suddenly disappeared. However, Zhang Chi, whose mind was somewhat abnormal at the moment, did not notice that there was anything unusual about this.

Well, let's go!

I have some business to attend to in the city. By the way, don't you dare go back; there's nothing good over there. If you want to make a fortune, it still has to be here in the country. Come back and work with me...

This time, there was indeed nothing new to showcase, still the same moves from the morning, yet Zhang Chi remained thoroughly engrossed in the activity

It turns out to be a wooden box

These conditions are comparable to those of the small villa district in the county seat

In this sleep, Zhang Chi slept exceptionally well

The young man muttered to himself and then began to stagger back home

Zhang Chi responded with a sound and then returned to the room

Your sister's family has an event today; a relative from your brother-in-law's side has passed away, and the whole family has gone to pay their respects. It seems that I won't be able to see you this time

The sleep was truly beautiful

Then, with a tilt of the head, the person began to snore contentedly.

In summary, this small temple has been around for many years

The sleeping Zhang Chi did not notice that the gourd, which was originally held in his hand, suddenly rose up, floating in the air as if in a state of zero gravity

The young man felt a wave of nausea, instinctively grasping the nearby tree trunk. As he bent down, he began to vomit.

Zhang Chi looked at the floating gourd with some anxiety, how could such a treasure possibly be allowed to be seen by others

Drink less alcohol

As Zhang Chi's thoughts stirred, the gourd that was originally floating in the air suddenly vanished. However, Zhang Chi knew that the gourd was right beside him, as if a mysterious connection had formed between him and the gourd

Finally, the wooden box was opened by Zhang Chi, and inside was a wooden gourd approximately the size of a palm.

Zhang Chi gazed at the statue, attempting to steady his body; however, the effects of the alcohol were too strong, and he lost his balance, toppling towards the statue

Upon arriving at the doorstep, I entered the courtyard and discovered my grandfather weaving a bamboo basket, while my grandmother was watering the small vegetables in the yard

"Goodbye, Second Brother!" Zhang Chi said, watching the black Audi disappear from view before he finally turned and headed home

The term "going to the fields" here does not refer to the traditional meaning of going to the fields, but rather to working in the nearby greenhouses. Currently, Zhang Chi's parents, like most people, are working in the greenhouses of a vegetable and fruit company, which can be considered as having a job

Hmm

The house was gone, but Zhang Chi did not leave; instead, he stood for a while watching, then staggered his steps and began to wander around the village

Inside there is a statue of a deity, but Zhang Chi does not know exactly which god it is. It is likely that the elderly villagers do not know either. Some say it is the Earth God Temple, others say it is Lingbao Tianzun, and there are also those who say it is the Five-Color Plague God being worshipped.

Early the next morning, Zhang Chi and his family drove to the high-speed railway station in the county. This was not their first time, and they were aware that many items could be troublesome when passing through customs. Therefore, Zhang Chi did not bring much with him, taking only a suitcase and a backpack as they departed from their hometown for the United States

He found himself in the old village, and soon his attention returned to the gourd. Anyone who discovers a large gourd floating in front of their eyes would surely find it strange

At this moment, the rural road is devoid of the bustling crowds of the day, and everything has returned to the tranquility and serenity of the night

What is this!

Zhang Chi exchanged a few words with others before quickly leaving, initially pretending to be calm. However, once out of their sight, he immediately took off running, as if afraid that someone would snatch away his invisible gourd.

At this moment, the effects of the alcohol began to take hold, and the originally light and airy steps gradually became heavier, while my mind started to feel a bit hazy

Why didn't you come back yesterday

A day spent toiling with the gourd

Zhang Chidao: "My family originally lived here, just came to take a look"

In a state of intoxication, with his senses somewhat dulled, Zhang Chi paid no attention to the exquisite patterns on the wooden box and directly knelt on the ground, extending both hands in an attempt to pry open the box.

A black Audi car came to a stop in front of Zhang Chi, who was drenched in sweat.

Zi——! Zi——si!