Chapter 79: The Coral Sea

In the past, while living on the mountain, Chen Shian never really had a concept of holidays. It wasn't until he descended to pursue his studies that he truly experienced the first "holiday" of his life.

Even on mornings when there were no classes, Chen Shian still woke at five in the morning. Today, aside from continuing his map collection, he had set out specifically to buy a bamboo backpack—much more convenient for trekking in the mountains.

While bamboo backpacks were easy to find at rural markets, it was actually more difficult to buy one in a well-stocked city. Fortunately, after days of mapping, he had become quite familiar with his surroundings. After some wandering, he arrived at the local market and bought a secondhand bamboo backpack from an old man selling vegetables by the roadside.

Nothing was more practical for mountain foraging than a bamboo backpack: lightweight, spacious, and sturdy. It cost him sixty-five yuan, a bit pricier than in the countryside, but since the old man had given up his own, it seemed only fair.

Noticing the old man’s vegetables were homegrown and of good quality, Chen Shian bought some, and the old man threw in a cucumber and some scallions as a gift.

Afterward, he went into the market, bought ten yuan’s worth of meat—enough for breakfast—then visited the hardware store for a small hoe (twelve yuan), a small shovel (nine yuan), and a sickle (seven yuan). With this, his mountain-foraging kit was complete, and he had spent exactly one hundred yuan that morning. As the saying goes, to do a good job, one must first sharpen his tools; these were necessary expenses. Otherwise, how could you claim to be foraging if all you had was a regular backpack?

Returning home, it was just past six o’clock. Chen Shian first cleaned the bamboo basket he’d used for vegetables, shaking away all stains with a jolt of his spiritual energy. After washing up, he entered the kitchen to begin breakfast.

Ten yuan’s worth of meat wasn’t a lot—about three hundred grams—but it was enough for two, as he was including a portion for Li Wanyin. If it were just for himself, half that would suffice.

He sliced the meat thinly, marinated it in a large bowl, chopped scallions, washed a few lettuce leaves, and put the rest in the fridge. He also took out three eggs and three rounds of noodles—today’s breakfast would be noodles, but a bit more sumptuous than usual.

To make noodles truly fragrant, the eggs had to be fried first. As he fried them, Chen Shian would make a small slit in each yolk with his spatula, letting some of the yolk seep out into the hot oil to release its aroma. Then, he’d add hot water, allowing the flavor of the fried egg to infuse the broth.

When the water boiled, he added the noodles and scattered in the marinated meat slices. Because the slices were so thin, they changed color almost instantly. Using chopsticks, he separated them skillfully, paying close attention to timing—too soon, and they’d be raw; too long, and they’d be tough. A final touch of seasoning, a quick blanch of the lettuce, and a sprinkle of scallions, and a steaming bowl of meat and egg noodles was ready.

Chen Shian fetched two large noodle bowls and was just placing noodles into them when Li Wanyin’s voice called from the kitchen doorway.

“That smells amazing!”

His sister, still groggy from sleep and not yet washed up, wandered in, her voice soft and lazy with sleep.

“Shian, you’ve already made breakfast?”

“Yeah, Wanyin, just wash up and you can eat. You’re up early today.”

“Mm, since you said we’d go hiking, but didn’t say when, I thought I’d get up early so we wouldn’t waste time.”

“My plan was to let you sleep as long as you needed, but now I’ve made you get up early.”

“Haha, it’s fine. I usually wake up around this time anyway, but you’re always at school by then.”

“That works out. Brush your teeth and let’s eat together.”

“I was going to cook breakfast for you today, but you beat me to it. Let’s see how your cooking is.”

There was something magical about waking up to breakfast already made. First, there were sounds from the kitchen; then, upon peeking in, she saw his back as he worked.

The youth’s tall figure, practiced movements, the dancing flame, the aroma filling the air—these elements intertwined in the small kitchen, and, for a moment, it made her feel incredibly happy.

...

“This is delicious!”

At the dining table, Li Wanyin’s eyes sparkled. She never imagined she’d use “delicious” to describe such a simple bowl of noodles. The noodles were perfectly cooked—firm yet yielding, neither mushy nor tough. The fragrance of the fried egg and the flavor of the lean meat had merged with the wheat aroma, bringing out a complexity of tastes she hadn’t known noodles could have.

The simpler the food, the more it depended on skill and attention to detail.

“It’s not that special, just noodles.”

“No, it’s really good! Shian, you’re a much better cook than I am!”

Li Wanyin couldn’t understand how he did it. The same ingredients, the same seasonings—yet his always tasted better. Maybe it was because he cared? Most people saw noodles as a quick meal, rarely considering how to cook them to perfection.

Whatever the reason, Li Wanyin thought this was the best bowl she’d ever had. She finished every drop of soup, feeling utterly content and warm inside.

When Chen Shian moved to clear the table, she beat him to it, swiftly tidying up the kitchen.

...

At 7:10 in the morning, the siblings were ready to set out.

“When did you get a bamboo backpack?”

“Just now. It’s more convenient.”

“You’re so professional... That thing can carry a lot, but what if we come back empty-handed?”

“Empty-handed?”

“Yeah, like those fishermen—go out all geared up and come back with nothing but a bucket of water.”

Chen Shian laughed as he understood. “I don’t think that’ll happen. As long as you search, you’ll find something in the mountains. Have you ever foraged before, Wanyin?”

“Hehe, I’ve dug bamboo shoots and picked wild mushrooms.”

“Not bad, you’ve got experience.”

Chen Shian nodded. The likes of the class monitor and the timid little Zhila probably wouldn’t have a clue.

Li Wanyin’s gear was simple: a backpack with water, mosquito spray, tissues, and a towel. She’d avoided wearing a white T-shirt, choosing loose pants and a floral long-sleeved shirt for sun and insect protection. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a plain baseball cap.

She was actually quite experienced at hiking. In college, she and her roommates often climbed mountains—one of the most affordable ways to enjoy nature.

Chen Shian wasn’t in uniform today, but wore his Taoist attire—not the ceremonial long robe from the first day of school, but the more casual, short hemp jacket.

Long robes were for rituals or important occasions; usually, the short jacket was more practical for training, chores, and outings.

The fat cat naturally joined them, leaping into the bamboo backpack on Chen Shian’s back, its paws draped over the edge as it rode along.

“Should we buy some snacks, in case we can’t make it back for lunch?” Li Wanyin asked.

“Sure, what do you want?”

“How about bread?”

“That works.”

“I’ll go get some.”

There was a bakery near the entrance to their complex. Li Wanyin bought some bread and stuffed it into her bag. As the older sibling, she felt responsible for leading the way, so she pulled up the route to Shuiche Mountain on her phone.

“Hmm, it’s not too far—a fifty-minute bus ride, and there’s a direct route. Let’s go to that stop.”

At the bus stop, Li Wanyin was checking the map’s street view when she suddenly spotted Chen Shian in the image: he was wearing a tank top, standing at the stop with a young man beside him, the latter absorbed in his phone. Chen Shian happened to be looking at the camera, so he was perfectly captured.

It was like finding treasure on the map. Li Wanyin was delighted and showed him.

“Shian! You’re on the street view! How cool!”

“Looks like I am...”

“When was this taken?”

“That morning I went for a run and happened to see the mapping car.”

Chen Shian checked his own phone and found the image—he was now part of the map’s data.

The app even showed the estimated bus arrival time—how convenient.

Soon, the 761 bus arrived. Before Chen Shian could pay, Li Wanyin swiped her card for both of them.

“I’ve got enough rides left for a discount. This trip’s on me!”

“Thanks, Wanyin.”

She was pleased, though she couldn’t say why. She was nearly broke, but spending a little on him made her happy.

It was the weekend, still early, so the bus was nearly empty. They found seats near the back—Li Wanyin by the window, Chen Shian by the aisle, setting the bamboo basket at his feet.

With a long ride ahead, Li Wanyin took out a cheap set of wired earphones. For audiophiles, these would be barely usable, but she thought the quality was fine.

“Shian, want to listen to music?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll give you one earbud.”

Chen Shian had never used earphones before. He examined it curiously, then awkwardly placed it in his left ear, while Li Wanyin wore the right one. The cable was short, so she sat a bit closer, until their arms touched.

She felt the warmth from his arm, and her heart began to race for reasons she couldn’t explain.

It was a bit embarrassing—at twenty-two, almost twenty-five by her mother’s count, she’d never dated, nor ever been so close to a boy.

Li Wanyin sat a little stiffly, eyes on the playlist, but her attention was entirely on their touching arms.

Normally, she played her music on shuffle, but today, wanting to recommend her favorites, she queued up a dozen songs she loved.

Music flowed softly through their shared earbuds.

She glanced at Chen Shian. His expression remained composed, but his head nodded subtly in time with the melody—a clear sign of approval.

“How do you like this song?”

“Not bad. The melody’s nice.”

“Can you sing, Shian?”

“Well... I haven’t sung songs much, but I’ve chanted a lot of scriptures.”

“Scriptures?”

“Yes. The ‘True Scripture of the Three Realms and Northern Dipper,’ ‘Supreme Mysterious Spirit,’ ‘Northern Dipper Scripture,’ ‘Supreme Cavernous Spirit Treasure’s Wonderful Scripture of Deliverance,’ ‘Purification Incantation of Heaven and Earth’... All the scriptures used in rituals. They must be chanted in specific tones. When I accompanied my master, I’d help with chanting and percussion—bells, gongs, wooden fish, cymbals, chimes, wind and string instruments like the flute, sheng, ruan, bamboo flute, pipa, erhu, guzheng, and guqin. I can play all the instruments used in Taoist ceremonies or vegetarian feasts.”

Li Wanyin was stunned; it was a world entirely unknown to her. She’d thought life on the mountain was leisurely, but had never imagined being a Taoist required so many skills!

“That sounds really hard to learn...”

“Not really. Listen a few times and you get it.”

“Then you must have a good ear for music.”

“Do you sing, Wanyin?”

“As my name suggests!” she replied, a bit proud. “I think I sing okay, but I get shy when there are people around.”

“Will you sing a little now?”

Li Wanyin glanced around at the empty seats. Gathering her courage, she softly hummed along with the music.

“...What hopes are hidden in the shell?” (from “Waiting for Flowers to Bloom”)

As she sang, Chen Shian’s lips moved as well, and a perfectly harmonized backing vocal sounded in her ear.

Li Wanyin’s eyes widened in surprise. She was sure that wasn’t from the song, but from Chen Shian himself!

What a magnetic voice! Such perfect harmony!

“(We’re no longer guessing...)”

“Facing the sea breeze~” (“Facing the Sea Breeze”)

“A salty love~” (“A Salty Love”)

...

Their gentle humming blended together in the small space, so in sync it was as if they’d rehearsed countless times.

Li Wanyin gazed at the young Taoist beside her, her eyes shining even brighter.