Inside the pot of water was a bottle of alcohol.
“This is my granddaughter,” said the old man as he turned the boat around. “Too bad she’s a girl. If she were a boy, I would have sent her off to be a scholar. Young sir,” he said with a smile, “where are you from?” The boat headed out toward the center of the lake. As the wind sprang up, the old man sat down next to the oven.
The little girl looked up at Meng Hao, her wide eyes innocent and charming.
“I am a young scholar from Yunjie County,” Meng Hao said with a smile. “Below Mount Daqing.” This type of mortal life caused him to think of his life from before, three years ago.
“Yunjie County, that’s a good place! Great men lend their glory to a location. Many years ago, an auspicious sign appeared there. It even arose the notice of the officials.” The old man picked up the bottle of alcohol. “This weather is turning cold and my body can’t take it. Here, have a drink.” He extended the bottle toward Meng Hao. “Can you drink?”
Meng Hao knew the auspicious sign to which he referred. It had been ten years before, the day before his parents went missing. When he thought of this, his heart grew a bit melancholy. He hesitated for a moment, looking at the bottle. He had never drank alcohol before. Back in Yunjie County, he had lived in poverty, and there had been no alcohol in the Reliance Sect. He lifted up a glass and allowed the man to fill it, then took a drink.
A spicy warmth suddenly filled his heart, then slowly spread out through his body.