Misty Villa is built on Mount Donglan. The mountain is 3,000 m high and therefore can be considered a high mountain.
2 years has passed.
Qin Yu is now an 8-year-old boy. He has grown taller quite a bit. His eyes occasionally radiate wisdom but deep in the eyes there is a hint of sadness. At this moment Qin Yu is walking on a mountain road alone with a black young eagle standing on his shoulder.
‘Xiao Hei, it’s been 2 years. My father has only visited me once in 2 whole years.’ Qin Yu nips his lips then talks to the young eagle on his shoulder.
He found this young eagle 1 year ago while going about on Mount Donglan and conveniently brought it along. Having the eagle as a friend, he has not been very lonesome. His father was his everyday friend before he turned 6. But it has been 2 whole years since then and he has only seen his father once.
The black eagle flaps its wings and gently caresses Qin Yu’s childish face, making him laugh immediately.
After walking for a while, he suddenly sees a pregnant woman ahead of him who is arduously carrying firewood. He promptly turns to the eagle and says: ‘Xiao Hei, let’s help this auntie, OK?’
Xiao Hei flaps its wings at once and shakes a couple of times on Qin Yu’s shoulder. Without delay Qin Yu runs very fast to the woman while laughing.
‘Auntie, allow me to carry the firewood for you.’ Qin Yu says to the woman.
Hearing that, she puts down a bundle of firewood and wipes the sweats on her face. When she sees that Qin Yu is only a boy, she says laughingly: ‘Thank you, little kid. Your auntie here can carry it by herself. It’s still about 1 li from here to our hamlet.’ Saying to here, she puts the firewood on her back again and continues to advance.
‘I’m not a little kid. I’m 8 years old already. I’m sure I can carry the firewood.’ Qin Yu looks at the sweats on the woman’s face. With just 2 actions he abruptly snatches the firewood from her and puts it on his back.
A bundle of firewood is nothing to an ordinary people, but to an 8-year-old boy it is very heavy. However, because Qin Yu often soaks himself in the hot spring in Misty Villa, his body is much stronger than that of a normal 8-year-old child, and he is actually able to carry it on his back.
‘Auntie, you see, aren’t I carrying it? Humph, you still call me a little kid?’ says Qin Yu proudly. His childish little face is covered in dust at the moment, looking very dirty.
The woman is amazed briefly. She soon says with a smile: ‘Your strength is really not bad. But there’s a li to go. I’m sure you can’t go on till the end, kid. You’d better let auntie carry it.’
‘Who says I can’t go on till the end?’
Seeing the woman reach out her hand, Qin Yu hurriedly starts to run forward. Then he turns his head around and says: ‘Auntie, I’ve run about this Mount Donglan many times. I know there’s a hamlet just over a li from here. It must be your hamlet. Let’s go. Hurry up. Hah, you’re not as fast as me!’
The pregnant woman smiles broadly: ‘This kid, what family is he from? Having a son like this, his parents must be very happy.’
At first it is not difficult for Qin Yu to carry the bundle of firewood but after going some length he feels his own legs start to weaken. After all, he has been going on a mountain road while carrying firewood on his back. Even though Qin Yu surely is strong, he is also merely 8 years old.
After a while, his legs suddenly tremble.
‘Kid…’ says the woman alarmingly.
‘Don’t worry, this is a piece of cake,’ says Qin Yu after turning his head around and struggling to put on a smiling face. Those words make him sound like a strongman. But the mountain road does not agree with them. Qin Yu’s foot hits a stone and he cannot help stumbling.