Chapter 001: The Return of the Underachiever

In the early morning of a small mountain village, although the sun in early July has already risen brightly above the mountain peaks, its intensity seems to be somewhat weaker than that of the sun in the city. While it does cause some sweating, the occasional cool breeze that rushes out from the mountains diminishes its effect a little.

Beihai knew in his heart that he was at the very bottom of society in the United States, to put it plainly, he was working as a restaurant server. Although he had not yet fallen to the level of pushing a cart to collect scraps, he was only slightly above the poverty line.

Aunt San smiled and said, "Isn't it more comfortable to sleep in the air-conditioned room in the city than in this courtyard?"

This small village is called Bujia Village. From its name, one can tell that many people here have the surname Bu. Bujia Village has a total of fifty to sixty households, with only two families not sharing the surname Bu; one is the Bei family and the other is the Hu family.

Bei Hai does not believe this statement. The Bei family has been passed down through four generations, and their descendants are indeed flourishing. The notion of wealth and nobility is nothing but a shadowy concept. If it were true as the old man said, could Bei Hai still be doing menial jobs in the United States? He would have long since engaged in the kinds of activities that a capricious second-generation rich person would pursue.

According to the proper terminology, Beihai is now a bona fide Chinese American.

"It is indeed more comfortable than the breeze blowing from the mountains!" Bei Hai said with a smile

He twisted his body slightly, poked his head out from under the blanket, let out a long sigh, and with his eyes closed, took a deep sniff of the fresh air. Then he slowly opened his eyes

Such heavy humidity is not a good thing for those who enjoy moving a cool bed into the courtyard during summer to relax and take a refreshing nap

Unfortunately, in the last few years, the old immortal experienced a streak of bad luck, encountering a decade of turmoil. As an embodiment of both the monstrous and the feudal remnants, how could the old Taoist possibly escape unscathed? The old man was also quite stubborn; while most other Taoists had fled, he remained steadfast at the temple.

"Third Aunt, why don't you join us for a bite?" I said as I sat down, watching Third Aunt wave her hand and say that she had already eaten. Bei Hai picked up the bowl and began to slurp it down.

Awakened, Mei sat at the edge of the bed, looking up at the large tree overhead that blocked the sunlight. Through the branches and leaves of the tree, scattered golden light spots fell onto the bluestone slabs in the courtyard. The leaves swayed gently with the morning breeze, which carried a faint whisper of the mountains.

This story has another version that Bei Hai has heard, which is that when the old immortal got angry, he burned dozens of red little soldiers in the Taoist temple overnight, resulting in a fate where all their heads were moved and they ended up with no complete corpses.

In less than five minutes, a pot of millet porridge along with a few pieces of baked flatbread was devoured by Bei Hai, and seeing him eat so heartily, Aunt Hu San also wore a happy expression.

From the moment I returned to the small county town, there were occasional inquiries from people subtly asking Bei Hai's parents: Is your son still in a relationship? If not...

Carrying offerings, Bei Hai slowly walked along the familiar path towards the saddle of the mountain. Although this road was not easy to traverse, it was indeed much better than the wild paths of the past. Bei Hai remembered that in his childhood, the mountain was surrounded by ancient trees as thick as a person's arm, but those ancient trees had all been cut down. Now, the mountain was filled with new saplings that had been replanted in the last five to six years.

"It's nothing, I fell asleep before 10 o'clock yesterday and just woke up a moment ago, it was so comfortable" Bei Hai was holding a porcelain jar, scooping a jar of water from the large water tank in the courtyard while brushing his teeth and chatting with Aunt San.

By the time Bei Hai finished tidying himself up and sat back down at the small table, Aunt Hu San had already served the porridge and arranged the side dishes into small plates.

This shed was originally designed for raising large livestock. Later, as households no longer kept large animals, they all replaced them with hand-held tractors, turning it into a place for storing tractors

In short, Bei Hai, who was previously overlooked in the United States, suddenly became a sought-after figure. Out of a sense of obligation, I met with two or three young women, each more beautiful than the last, fair and delicate. Among them, there was a straightforward and bold young woman who, just two minutes after sitting down, directly stated: "As long as you take me to the United States, we can go get our marriage certificate tomorrow"

Upon hearing Bei Hai's words, Third Aunt nodded and said, "That's enough; even the six-colored offerings for the festivals are sufficient!"

It is said that the next scene was that dozens of Red Guards coming down from the mountains fought to death, and in the end, even the Tianyuan Temple, which had been preserved for over three hundred years through various trials and tribulations, was set ablaze by the Red Guards, turning it into ashes.

Shan'anzi and books are local dialects, referring to the saddle-shaped mountain terrain situated between two mountain peaks. It is said that this place was chosen a long time ago when our ancestors were still alive, and it was selected with the help of a friend, a master from Tianyuan Temple, who identified this auspicious site. It is said that being buried here would lead to prosperous descendants and great wealth.

In the words of Stephen Chow, how could I possibly believe such absurd things! Bei Hai speculates that the old master had helped too many people in the past, and the villagers all wanted to leave him with a good outcome. Otherwise, wouldn't that just confirm the old saying that heaven is blind and good people do not live long?

Ah! This sleep was incredibly refreshing! As I lifted the blanket, Bei Hai turned over and placed his bare feet on the large green and white board in the yard. A wave of coolness surged from the soles of his feet all the way to his forehead, and the sensation made Bei Hai involuntarily hum.

It cannot be said that Bei Haibai is entirely materialistic; at least this young man still believes that knowledge can change one's destiny. He is preparing to return to Los Angeles this time and plans to attend classes in the evening to learn a skill or something similar

Upon opening the door latch, I immediately saw Aunt San with a basket hanging from her arm. Inside the basket was a large porcelain jar, and beside it were several flatbreads, both sides baked to a slightly brown color. Judging by their thickness of about three to four centimeters, one could tell how soft and fluffy these breads were.

While rubbing her foot against the bluestone slab, Bei Hai turned her head to look at her own courtyard

Have you prepared everything for your great-grandfather's grave visit? Aunt San looked at Bei Hai, put down her bowl, and immediately reached into the basket.

The height is not considered tall, but it is certainly not short either. A height of 1.75 meters is quite decent in the domestic context, but if one were to walk down the streets of the United States, it would be regarded as average.

Not to mention being far from the middle class in the United States, even the domestic middle class feels somewhat distant. From the current perspective, it is significantly worse than the two high school buddies I had back home.

If everything goes according to Bei Hai's plans, then for the next two years, Bei Hai will not have any free time to spend with these girls who are eager to go to the United States

Beihai's home does not have a tractor. Ever since Beihai's grandfather passed away, this small courtyard has been looked after by the neighboring Hu San's family. Beihai's parents, along with his sister, work in the county town and are unable to take care of the old house. In exchange, the more than three acres of mountainous land belonging to Beihai's family are entrusted to Hu San's family for cultivation, benefiting both parties.

At this time, the scenery of the mountain village is quite pleasant, tranquil to the point of almost complete silence, with only the occasional bark of a dog breaking through the serene sky, accompanied by faint echoes returning from the valley

In the morning, the dew in the air has not yet completely dissipated; at this moment, if one casually lowers their head, they can find glistening and translucent dewdrops hanging on the blades of grass and the tips of tree branches everywhere.

It is fortunate that the face is somewhat round and has a slight double chin, which gives Bei Hai a certain degree of approachability. Especially when he smiles, it adds a touch of sincerity to his demeanor, making it clear that he does not have the appearance of a bad person

Aunt Hu San set up the food and pulled over a stool to sit down: "Why didn't you put a piece of plastic sheet on the bed in the courtyard? It would have been more comfortable to sleep on after the dew fell in the morning"

"Awake, Third Aunt! I will open the door for you right away!" Bei Hai lowered his head, found his slippers under the bed, and hurriedly ran towards the front room.

This year, twenty-five-year-old Bei Hai has not returned to his hometown for three years

A damp blanket feels like a non-breathable soft metal sheet, both stuffy and cold; clearly, having this over one’s body is not particularly pleasant

As for the immortal from Tianyuan Temple, it is said that he has lived for quite a long time. The elders in the village used to mention that this old immortal ages much more slowly than others

Just as the Beihai God was wandering through the vast void, the sound of Aunt Hu San knocking on the door came from the entrance. Generally speaking, women from mountain villages have loud voices, and Aunt Hu San's voice can definitely be considered among the loudest. At first hearing, it is certainly invigorating and refreshing

The two of them, aunt and nephew, chatted for a short while, and then the third aunt, carrying a basket, left the courtyard. Seeing that the sky was getting darker, Bei Hai gathered the offerings, disposable paper plates, joss paper, and other items into a large plastic bag, which he held in his hand as he walked towards the ancestral grave on the mountain

The small courtyard does not differ significantly from an ordinary farmhouse yard, presenting an overall square shape. There is a room on the north, east, and south sides, while the west side features a shed with a roof similar to that of the rooms. However, the part facing the courtyard is not a wall, but rather four large wooden pillars supporting the beams and a * picture * book.

The relationship between the family of the third aunt and the Bei family is the closest, and the reason is quite simple: both families are from outside surnames in this small village

As soon as these words were spoken, Bei Hai was immediately startled.

In the small county town of Bei Hai's hometown, whenever it is mentioned that someone is making a living in the United States, nine out of ten people listen with a sense of envy. This is because, in everyone's impression, America is truly a wonderful place, and one cannot help but think that this young man is thriving there, perhaps even becoming wealthy beyond measure.

Bei Hai lent a hand: "Everything is ready, all of it is store-bought!" After saying this, he explained the offerings in detail to Aunt San.

The Bu family did not oppress the two families, but when benefits came to the village, they naturally did not fall to the Bei Hu families. Over time, this led the Bei Hu families to feel a sense of shared fate, and naturally, they became closer than others.

Thank you, Aunt San! Bei Hai also did not close the door, and he hurriedly moved a small square table from the east room, bringing along two benches to place under the big tree, before going to brush his teeth and wash his face

After nearly an hour and a half of wandering, Bei Hai finally saw three tomb mounds. At first, he did not dare to recognize them, as all four tomb mounds were constructed with cement and stone, forming stone packages. The tombstones had also been replaced with large slabs of stone. Upon seeing the names and dates on the stones, Bei Hai realized that the ancestral grave had been renovated.

However, this story can only deceive small children; how could an old man compete with dozens of young people? Moreover, he killed every single one of them! Even if others believe in the sea of shells, they certainly do not believe this.

Have you woken up, Haiwazi?

Although it is said that the places one is currently mingling in can evoke envy, mingling in America! Yes, that is the United States of America! Unlike those who are secretly biding their time, constantly engaging in a cat-and-mouse game with immigration authorities while waiting for their green cards, the passport in Bei Hai's hand has featured the eagle since he was seventeen.

Uncertain whether it was the tranquility of this long-unseen scenery or the childhood memories that this small courtyard once held, Bei Hai, sitting by the bed, appeared somewhat lost in thought.

This graveyard is quite far, situated right on the saddle of the mountain

I have brought you breakfast. Upon seeing the door open, Aunt San directly stepped into the courtyard.

Through these years of aimlessly wandering in the United States, Bei Hai has come to a conclusion. He understands that this world is quite realistic; if you have real money in your pocket, you will fare better than others wherever you go. If you do not, then you should just do whatever you need to do.

With his own situation precarious, Bei Hai dared not provoke these young ladies any further. Observing the atmosphere, it seemed that the matchmaking was becoming somewhat endless. Taking advantage of the opportunity to visit his grandfather's grave, he slipped back to his small mountain village, preparing to enjoy a few refreshing days.

Beihai, this is for paying respects to the ancestors at their graves. How could there be a lack of offerings for ancestor worship? I bought a bottle of Haizhiluan from the county town, along with a few vacuum-packed beef ribs, and added four or five fruits, which made up six trays of offerings. Of course, for ancestor worship, one cannot forget the paper money and paper ingots.

Changing nationality to American does not imply a change in appearance. In terms of looks, Bei Hai is nothing special; he has an ordinary crew cut and an utterly unremarkable face. Each individual feature, when examined separately, lacks any standout quality, and when combined, they do not create any significant impression. He has a face that could be tossed onto the street and would immediately be overlooked by passersby.

In rural areas, matters are generally characterized by mutual assistance and support among families of the same surname, which is quite common. Although the Bu family in Bu Village has not overtly oppressed the Bei and Hu families, such dynamics inherently exist. After all, even distant cousins are closer than outsiders, are they not?

The ancestral grave of the Bei family is rather modest in comparison; other families have cemeteries with over a hundred graves, or at least dozens, featuring the remains of great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents, and ancestors spanning at least ten to twenty generations.

The Bei family has only three graves, and all three are joint burial sites. They contain the remains of Bei Hai's great-grandfather and great-grandmother, as well as his grandfather and grandmother. As for those further back, not only does Bei Hai not know, but even his father, Bei Mingyuan, is unaware of their names, and it is possible that even Bei Hai's grandfather does not know. To this day, the old Bei family does not even know from which province their ancestors migrated to this small mountain village.

The current situation in Beihai is just like this. Last night, I moved a small cot to sleep under the big tree in the courtyard. I had a refreshing night’s sleep, but now, the morning dew has already dampened the blanket covering my head, making the humid sheets a bit stifling to breathe.