Chapter 0001: Never take this road

Whenever someone in the village has a minor illness or mishap, they like to come to our doorstep and shout: Old Ou, so-and-so from such-and-such family is feeling unwell.

It is precisely because of this piece of jade that I have escaped numerous calamities, though that is a story for another time

Both my grandfather and mother are very kind individuals. Although the people in the village may gossip behind their backs, they show great respect in their presence, as my grandfather is the only itinerant doctor in the village and also the sole Taoist priest.

If there is a wedding or funeral at any household, they will come to our doorstep and shout: Old Ou, whose funeral is it

The village is quite far from the town, so most of the children from the nearby villages have to carry rice and flour on their own to school. Upon arriving at school, they hand over the rice and flour to the cafeteria, which secures their meals for the week

By the time the two of us discovered the problem, all that lay before us was either weeds or a bamboo forest

After my birthday, my grandfather sent me to the school in the town to study

My mother is very intelligent and hardworking. The yard at home is always kept clean and tidy, and we raise plenty of chickens and ducks. Every once in a while, she will slaughter one or two to improve the meals for my grandfather and me, and life is quite comfortable.

I have never seen this peculiar clinic open its doors

In a daze, I seemed to hear many voices not far away. Daxiong stood beside me, tugging at my shoulder and saying, "Ouning, wake up quickly, your mother is calling you home for dinner"

The village is remote, and the villagers have few other activities. Every day, before and after meals, they discuss the trivial matters of village life. Many rumors about my family have also reached my ears, the vast majority of which concern my grandfather and father

My name is Ouning, and I was born in a remote village called Sheshan. From the moment of my birth, it was destined that I could not lead a life like an ordinary person, for my family is a unique one

I once asked my grandfather why the doctor does not come to see patients himself, and why he insists on going to treat others instead

Because every time it is late at night and quiet, grandfather would quietly get up and go out, returning home quietly just before dawn

Although my grandfather has little formal education, when it comes to the art of storytelling, he is exceptionally skilled

In fact, there is no need for discussion; the two of us immediately decided to return the same way we came

At that time, I was still young, thinking to myself, wasn't it said that Yu would protect me? How did it turn into me protecting Yu instead

My mother is a model of a virtuous wife and good mother, embodying kindness and virtue, with filial piety held in the highest regard. She rarely speaks and never inquires about what grandfather goes out to do

By this time, the sky had gradually darkened. Both of us were tired and hungry. After much effort, we found a large rock and sat back to back on it to rest. Before long, I surprisingly heard Da Xiong's faint snoring

That being said, I have never been to my grandfather's yin-yang clinic, not because I do not want to go, but because he does not allow me to go

With the improvement of transportation, many villagers have found employment in the town, and their living conditions have significantly improved

Every once in a while, my grandfather would go on a long trip, lasting about three or four days. Each time he returned, he would hand me a box of popcorn. I would always smile brightly and give him a kiss on the cheek, then indulge myself with the popcorn.

Two children stood helplessly by the roadside, watching the sky gradually darken. After a discussion, they decided to walk back to the village

We were just walking and making a fuss, and somehow we ended up on the gravel path, and the further we walked, the farther we went.

However, this piece of jadeite is exceptionally pure, with a milky white color that is quite endearing. Naturally, I am also unable to part with it, and at night, I always enjoy holding it in my hand while I sleep, keeping it close to my chest during the day.

The road back to the village is an unfinished gravel path, with large stones crunching underfoot, causing our feet to ache. However, the two of us ran and played along the way, making good progress.

However, my grandfather often took me up the mountain to gather herbs, and gradually imparted to me a considerable amount of knowledge in medicine. In his words, I am the root of the Lao Ou family, and the future yin-yang medical clinic is to be passed down to me, so how could I not know the art of medicine

After those students' parents had picked them up, it was already dark.

And my mother always held me tightly and cried softly at such times

In the mountains and fields, night falls particularly quickly; in the blink of an eye, the surroundings become dark. Both Da Xiong and I feel a bit scared, and we begin to discuss where we should go.

Every time grandfather returns from a long trip, he always hands her a stack of colorful banknotes

Later, I came to realize that the stories my grandfather told were actually facts he had personally experienced

The composition of our family is both simple and complex

I once asked my grandfather why that road was not accessible. His long, gray eyebrows trembled slightly, and he seemed to say with some regret: "That is Dongshan, a place where the dead are buried. You are still young; going there might frighten you."

As for what he went to do, I do not know, nor does my mother

In the end, we must come to terms with a reality: we are lost

The complexity lies in the fact that my grandfather is a mysterious old man. I have never seen my father since I was little; it is said that he was not at home before I was born. However, my mother has always remained steadfast, taking care of the old man and enduring hardships to give birth to me

What I remember most vividly is when he pointed to a narrow path and said to me: "Ning, you must remember, do not ever enter this road"

Grandfather said that it is a medical clinic left by our ancestors, with a history of over one hundred years, a precious heritage passed down to us by the ancestors of the Ou family

Grandfather's voice was very soft, and at that time I did not pay any attention, I only remembered that the place was where the dead were buried

My grandfather would respond with a cheerful laugh, and then he would trot off with his old medical bag to see patients

Since he is already dead, why has my mother never taken me to visit his grave?

Between the ages of 3 and 6, while children from other families attend kindergarten, in our impoverished and remote area, they can only struggle and toil in the fields and mountains.

Although my grandfather speaks of it lightly, I always feel that his role is not merely limited to treating illnesses or handling funerals.

We clearly have not traveled far, so why can we never find that main road

At that time, I was still young, and my grandfather carried a sufficient amount of rice and flour on his back, holding my hand as we walked along the dirt road leading to the town and to the school

At that time, I was still young and in the age of obedience, so I had indeed never been to my grandfather's clinic. However, this also led to my curiosity about that mysterious clinic as I grew older

Grandfather always smiled and said to me: "Our family tradition is like this, itinerant doctors must make house calls."

I was indeed still young at that time, only six years old. How could I not be afraid of dead people? As soon as I heard it was a place where the dead were buried, I would always keep my distance whenever I passed that narrow path, fearing that some kind of monster or ghost might suddenly appear and take me away.

This fellow is named Gan Chengxiong, and he is about the same age as I am; one could say he is a childhood friend.

As time passed, I gradually grew up

I have never seen my father since I was young. From the time I became aware, I often heard similar discussions about our family. However, every time I asked my grandfather and mother about my father, my grandfather would angrily curse and say that the beast was already dead

Sleep for a while! A voice said to me, and then I fell into a drowsy sleep.

My grandfather still carries his old suitcase and runs to help others

I do not know how long I have slept; I feel as if I have been pulled by someone, as if I have awakened, yet also as if I have not fully awakened, experiencing that state of being half-awake and half-asleep

Looking up, beyond the fields, there are only the continuous mountain ranges; where is the existence of the gravel road?

Later, the village constructed a road, allowing vehicles to pass through, and the narrow path for sheep was abandoned, becoming overgrown with weeds, making it difficult to find

Then I vaguely seemed to hear my grandfather murmuring softly: "What a pity, there are no such powerful Taoists anymore..."

As a year gradually passed, I became thoroughly familiar with the route to and from school, so I no longer had my grandfather accompany me. Each time, I would go to school and return home together with the boy from the old Gan family in the village

Since he is already dead, why does grandfather always curse whenever he mentions him

The simple meaning is that there are only three people in our family: grandfather, mother, and me

Most children go to school on motorcycles ridden by their fathers. Only I, each time, am led by my grandfather, standing by the freshly repaired roadside, waiting for the daily bus that runs between the town and the villages in the morning and evening.

Mother never asks where the money comes from; she simply remains silent, washing clothes and cooking, attending to the lives of the two of us.

Later, I gradually understood that the saying "people nurture jade, and jade nurtures people" is not as simple as its literal meaning

At that time, the animated series "Doraemon" was popular, and Gan Chengxiong resembled the character Nobita from the show, both in appearance and personality. He wore a pair of round black glasses and a yellow short-sleeved shirt, which is why we nicknamed him Nobita.

Although the village is small, our family's life is the most prosperous. Looking back now, it is evident that relying solely on my grandfather's meager earnings from practicing medicine and handling funerals is insufficient for us to live so comfortably.

Grandfather's clinic is located in the bungalow at the entrance of the village, and the name of the clinic is rather peculiar, Yin-Yang Clinic, which I believe anyone who sees it will remember clearly

I vaguely remember that year when I was seven; it was a weekend, and after school, I, along with Daxiong and a few other classmates, played at school for a while longer.

It was only then that Nobita and I realized we had missed the bus back to the village

Later, I gradually became more understanding. In order to avoid making my grandfather angry and my mother cry, I never brought up the topic of my father, not even once. However, in my heart, I still held a question about that man whom no one in the entire village was willing to mention.

Every time I walk along this dirt road, my grandfather points to the beautiful scenery among the mountains, forests, and fields, sharing with me some stories from his childhood as well as some strange and intriguing tales

We began to turn around and head back, but after we had been walking back for nearly an hour, the problem arose again

At the age of six, I reached the age for schooling. On my birthday, my grandfather solemnly hung a piece of sheep fat jade, about the size of my index finger, around my neck. He earnestly said to me: "Ouning, you are a descendant of the Ou family. While I am by your side, I will protect you. When I am not by your side, this jade will guard you. You must take good care of this jade and never lose it."