“I hope you will agree with me about this, WeiQi, but I’m starting to think that canceling our ride this morning was better for both of us.”

After a long while of tranquility and silence with only nature's call reverberating around them, she was stunned at HuaYan’s sudden question.

“...! Well, I do find encountering ReZhui a wonderful turn of events, however…”

She then looked to her side where the freshly paved cement road laid in all its glory.

“I think it’s the experience of walking down this path that is also worth acknowledging. It’s a wonderful stroll indeed.”

“Yes, looks like you’re on the same page as I am. If we were on that carriage half-awake from a hangover, I doubt we would even bother noticing the developments made around here.”

He then turned to ReZhui.

“I’m sure a fellow resident like yourself is very proud about this, am I right, ReZhui?”

“WHY, YES I AM!!!”

“...!”

The duo instinctively shuddered back at this unexpected, immense display of pure-hearted joy. ReZhui was squealing about, armed with sparkling beady onyx eyes, like a little boy finally gifted a new toy. The sheer brightness of his charisma that emitted throughout him could blind the duo severely. It was too much.

“I-We can see that, ReZhui…” HuaYan shielded his eyes against ReZhui’s radiance with his sleeve.

“I’ve never seen anyone this amazed about a road, but that may just be me.” WeiQi remarked.

“Well, I don’t blame the two of you, but for myself personally, this road has a lot of firsts.” ReZhui said in contemplation.

“Firsts?” HuaYan interjected.

“Ultimately, my home village has long secluded themselves from the rest of the Bai river basin area for multiple generations. I can tell it’s going to take some time to establish close ties that rival those with the other villages and one another. However, it is a first in the Chieftain’s attempts to bridge that gap.

It’s the first ever route that can be categorized as a true road, compared to that dated, pothole-riddled dirt road, that belongs solely to my Bai village, and our villagers participated greatly in its construction, despite most of the engineering being handled by those of DongBu. Even I took part in some portions.

Remember when Teacher Woo redirected funds to the development instead. Together, they allocated more resources into reconsidering Bai village’s purpose in a broader perspective encompassing the river basin. In the end, they decided to build three more roads that led downhill into each of the other neighboring villages on the opposite side of the Bai mountains.”

ReZhui then pointed grandly uphill towards Bai village and its subsequent snowy peak. His seniors followed suit.

“Now, it’s the main route that leads up to the first ever road junction that is the highest ever with multiple intersected paths. With this network, you could say riding up this route would save someone significant travel time since you go ‘through’ the mountains rather than around them.

Finally, this is the first ever project that involved the collaborative effort of both DongBu and Bai village. A testament. A symbol of the ever growing friendship between these two wonderful communities of people.”

His proud gaze overlooked the landscape beyond. It was not as faltering and grandiose as the cliffside near MianJu’s abode, but it was just enough to bring up the atmosphere he wanted.

ReZhui then turned back to his seniors, who had parted their lips in awe of his words. Subconsciously, they felt their hearts resonating, as if they were helplessly drawn into what ReZhui’s feelings were, and they never considered that strange. It appeared natural to them.

“The outside world has a lot to offer that the humble rice farmers of Bai village do not even know a speck about. As per the Chieftain's words, they will greatly benefit from this recent developments, starting with this paved road, and later future prospects that are about to come.

That’s why I adore this road so much.”

In the wake of the end of his unanticipated speech, WeiQi held her palm close to her mouth. This time, she was extremely flabbergasted at what this young teen just said and how articulated his words and mannerisms were, especially when this entirety was thought off on the spot.

On the other hand, HuaYan shook off this trance and gave his typical response. He approached ReZhui and vigorously gave him a hard slap on the back, grinning from ear to ear.

“...!?”

“AH AH ReZhui! Spoken just like a true politician!”

“...”

While ReZhui simply accepted his words as a light-hearted joke, WeiQi suddenly turned furious with a darkened face and narrow slitted eyes. Fumed, she steadily drew nearer towards him.

“Say, Junior, what do you say of becoming one with me? We can rise the ranks together, reaching the top of the government and serve beneath the Emperor himself! Can’t you imagine the level of power and wealth we will have?! So, what do you say?!”

HuaYan got him, placing his arm over his shoulder.

“Haha, I’m fine, Big Brother Wei. I don’t have the ambition to gain any of that. I am simply satisfied with how things are going now.”

ReZhui raised his palms forward, close to his chest in surrender.

“Aw…”

Disheartened, HuaYan let go of him, and playfully, ReZhui saluted him as he trotted away.

“This junior will humbly dismiss himself from your aspiring offer.” He joked solemnly.

“but…But, ReZhui-YAOI AH AH! WeiQi!”

As usual, her bony hands, equipped with long nails of pink nail polish, pulled tightly on the meat of his left ear. HuaYan shrieked in pain as he arched backwards unnaturally, taking steps towards her in hopes to lessen the soreness.

“What! What now!?”

He desperately exclaimed.

In bitter breath, WeiQi lectured back.

“ReZhui poured his heart out into a sensational and emotional heart-felt piece…And all you said afterwards was this! A childish, ill-natured witticism, accompanied by a deluded retrospection of your desires.

I never expected you to stoop so low, you brutish bastard.”

“Oh come on, WeiQi. Give me a break, will you? Ah argh!…A little jab in there wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

“That’s exactly where-”

“AH NO!”

With that, the duo’s squabble resumed once more with ReZhui standing far, sighing reluctantly. He sat down on a nearby rock as he witnessed WeiQi’s onslaught on poor HuaYan who’s readily parrying with his lax comebacks.

.

.

.

“How are the others faring today, ReZhui?”

“...! Pardon?”

ReZhui was caught off-guard, and HuaYan, giving ReZhui a doubtful look, reiterated his question.

“Erhem, I meant, my fellow juniors, besides you, in that class. What are they doing currently?”

WeiQi also perked her ears up.

“...”

Realising how both his seniors’ interest piqued, ReZhui paused for a long while, looking back into his past memories. He doesn’t want to undermine their individual efforts and hopes to express their actions optimally.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

“Most of them are trying their hardest in life. Some of my older classmates are getting engaged by their parents or chosen individually. The latest couple that I can recall was QuiXin marrying off to someone else in the village. They were given a temporary portion of her father-in-law’s land to cultivate the paddy, and it seems that they were successful at getting a full harvest in time. I even heard rumours that she is carrying a child for the past month.

A few others are still helping out in their families’ farms. I see to it that they will inherit their fields in the near future.

However, there are a certain lot who are taking the recent headways more seriously and are regularly talking about making it big.”

ReZhui informed them.

“Big? To what extent?” WeiQi asked.

“They are now saving up money to migrate outside of Bai village with some of my classmates who are planning to travel together as a band and support one another in those new communities.

On behalf of all of them, I would say that all they desire now is a life that has no relation to rice paddies and farm animals. You could say they are bored and opportunistic. With the progress made by the Chieftain, they grew less hesitant to explore, and now, a brand new path for my generation of people is in sight.”

“I see. How bold of them.” HuaYan commented proudly. He knew being a pioneer of anything takes a certain level of will to proceed and eventually succeed until the very end, as such with the civil entrance exams that he was striving to pass. Despite everything he expressed in his light-hearted nature, HuaYan firmly believed that rising up in governance is the last thing he must achieve in his lifetime to reward his future family and parents a better standard of living. Thankfully, his father was able to earn just enough to fulfil the proper education he needed to even step foot into the examination hall. The ancestry of his all deceased relatives was always limited to skillful artisans that specialised in woodwork, including his father and brothers. However, he wanted to change that, and that led him to what he has become now. A failed candidate of numerous trials, but that doesn’t matter to him. There was still time for him and HuaYan was still looking into the gapping glimmer of hope for building his later legacy; as the trailblazer of the Wei family that will raise his family’s status for the generations to come. Ultimately, he respected those juniors ReZhui mentioned.

“...”

ReZhui, sensing HuaYan’s stern thoughts, reinforced their efforts.

“CanYi once told me at his mother’s paddy field that he will accept any other job offered to him, as long as it doesn't need him to touch anything green or just dirt in general. If you get to meet him by any chance, you can tell he is really desperate, especially after the other roads were completed.”

“That really is wonderful to hear, ReZhui.” HuaYan immediately said right after him, “I may not return here for quite some time after today so for now, please send my regards to all of them, and inform CanYi and the rest that their Big Brother fully supports their dreams so never give up no matter the struggle!”

“Sure, I’ll let them now once I head back up!”

ReZhui returned with equal enthusiasm. WeiQi, on the other hand, gently smiled as she followed along behind their backs, while laughter erupted between the two momentarily.

HuaYan then turned to the road with an earnest expression.

“I suppose this is why you adore this road with all your heart, am I right, ReZhui?”

“...!”

ReZhui paused, before he nodded solemnly.

“Very much so.”

“...AH, MY BELOVED JUNIOR!” HuaYan pounced atop him in a bear hug.

“...”

“I hope that more residents of Bai village will follow their example!”

And with that, HuaYan let him go.

“Don’t worry, Big Brother Wei.” ReZhui reassured him in a bated breath.

“...”

“This very road is designed with the very purpose to efficiently link up the peoples on opposing sides of the Bai mountains. With how Bai village stands at its center, there will always be a constant flow of artisans and merchants travelling through my village, and that activity will definitely bring in the rest that the Bai village needs to stay more connected with the entire Bai river basin.

The trend will continue.”

“...”

“And the road will last a lifetime to support it.” ReZhui boasted with a smug look.

Now, HuaYan was satisfied and he simply returned an affirmative gesture back. However, there was someone else beside him who wasn’t, and ReZhui realised this as well.

WeiQi anxiously questioned the young teen.

“I’m very happy for you, ReZhui, along with your village. Your words tell all that I need to know since my absence here for the past few years. Evenso, aside from all that grandeur estimation and prediction for the sake of the wider community, have you ever considered for yourself what you will be doing in the near future?”

“...! Myself?”

“Yes.” She insisted sternly.

Pausing for a moment, ReZhui was obviously shocked that he would be asked this question. It had been quite some time since ReZhui last said he was already set on what he had to train for for the past half decade, and he sincerely never regretted that choice.

“...”

Right now, it was the same as back then with YaoMing. Nothing has changed, except for the fact that he had the skills to back it up. Scratching the back of his neck, ReZhui plainly said.

“Ah well, about that, I haven’t really thought about what specifically. I’m just happy to learn more from ShiYan’s father and continue to help run his pharmacy.”

“...”

Both WeiQi and HuaYan never expected that reply, and they were puzzled at how confidently ReZhui was saying this half-hearted and aimless answer. Not suspecting that yet from his seniors, ReZhui continued regardless.

“Perhaps, as being the Chieftain's eldest son, I would eventually get passed down the responsibility of managing Bai village and to some extent, the entire river basin, in which case, I will gladly accept when the time comes. However, that would just be me dreaming of the uncertainty.”

“...”

“In the end, I just want everyone to be happy, and as how I see things are right now, there’s nothing that’s disrupting the status quo.”

“...”

Now sensing their bewilderment, ReZhui finished with this.

“So, please take that as you will.”

HuaYan replied first with a low grunt.

“...erhm…”

Shattered expectations.

Given how ReZhui carried himself beforehand, they both anticipated that ReZhui would be aiming to become the Chieftain, or even possibly, join all the villages into one single entity rather than an united alliance. Although the first item was readily checked off the list, the manner he expressed that desire was totally different to the passion he had about the road. It was like night and day.

Finally, WeiQi wanted to question his choice of delivery, however, this was stopped immediately by HuaYan. In a loud voice, he interrupted her and riled up ReZhui for the upcoming events.

“So that’s how ReZhui?! What a relaxing life you are planning to have.”

“Haha, please Big Brother Wei, it’s harder than you think it is.”

“Looks like the Heavens rewarded you on a silver spoon, huh, Chieftain’s male successor?”

“You can’t be serious, right?”

“Argh fine! No, I ain’t, ReZhui.”

“I’m glad…Hah”

“Now then, shall we make haste? We cannot be late!”

“True, I shouldn’t make ShiYan wait any longer!”

Once ReZhui paced faster downhill to where his focus was solely on getting there in time, the seniors right behind him eyed at one another in disagreement, unbeknownst to him. WeiQi glared knives at the man, holding herself not to lash out after seeing his expression. It was different, not like him. Rather than his usual light-hearted, reluctant gaze, it suddenly turned cold and serious with his eyes indicating a focused mind.

Whether she enjoyed pinching his ear and quarrel all over again, WeiQi reasoned this was not the time and that HuaYan had his intentions for disrupting her earlier.

“Why?” She speedily blurted.

Having been her closest companion for over a decade at this point, HuaYan knew this was her eventual response, and was proud that she acted like he needed to.

“If he can explain all of that right then and there with no preparation whatsoever, I trust that by time, ReZhui will naturally grow out of this quickly and find his true purpose in life.”

He muttered sternly to her.

“...Isn’t that too risky? A child with this much potential that we both surely have never seen before, and you are immediately betting on a probability?”

“He’s shown great maturity.”

HuaYan sharply replied.

“And immaturity.”

WeiQi added.

“But, he’s just gonna turn fifteen this year.”

“That’s exactly why.”

“No it doesn’t. Believe in him.”

“That boy is both mature and immature at the same time, in certain areas at the extreme of either their highs or lows. Isn’t that someone you must reel in to safety?”

“You are being overly cautious, WeiQi.”

“Which is the reason one of us is employed and it ain’t you.”

She scowled back.

Internally, HuaYan felt like smacking his head in frustration and probably WeiQi too.

“...”

That’s when he thought of something brilliant.

“What about our old man?”

“Old man…Wha-why are you bringing Teacher into this?”

“You clearly remember how close ReZhui is to him, so I am sure that in the last three years or so, there would be a chance that they had this exact same conversation, and yet, look at him now. That meant Teacher deemed it better to let him experience it naturally. Do you get me now?”

He hissed back at her.

“...”

It was a desperate last effort to silence WeiQi and make her agree with him before ReZhui would be alerted of their secret conversation.

“...” However, there was only silence from her as her eyes indicated contemplation.

Moments later, she finally answered.

“Fine. You win this round.”

“...!”

Upon hearing those words, it felt like his pent up emotions were gushing out like out of a broken dam

“YESSS! YAHAAAHAHAH!”

Suddenly, ReZhui jerked back to see a cheering HuaYan, light on his feet. In a short trance, he hopped around WeiQi and teased her with a chant, repeating the words ‘I won, I defeated you’. Much to her bursting embarrassment and frustration from likely her first ever surrender, WeiQi lost it, blushing a deep red.

“YOU HEARTLESS BRUTE!!! UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!”

“Aaah!”

Despite her shorter, petite stature, she managed to tackle him to the ground and unleash a flurry of feeble slaps to his face. An ecstatic expression was pasted stuck to his face, never to change for quite some time in spite of her attacks.

Their screams and whines grew louder this time throughout the forests. Birds flew away in fear while ReZhui watched behind the sidelines, clearly confused. Luckily for the three of them, no one was there to pass disgusted glances until the very end of their fight.

It was a chaotic few minutes for ReZhui caught in the crossfire.