Longevity Candle

Chapter 27 Taozhi Yaoyao
In the forty-eighth year of Yong'an, a natural disaster struck Qingjiang, with floods raging and countless people dying or being injured.

The enormous green snake rose to the surface of the water, nodded slightly to the couple in the distance, and then left the Qingjiang River, disappearing without a trace.

A small boat, carrying a single lamp, drifts with the current, heading towards an unknown distance.

In the winter of the forty-eighth year of Yong'an, Emperor Yong'an passed away.

The floods lasted for more than a month, and all the residents of nearby cities and villages had to be relocated.

The torrential rain stopped briefly, then resumed, causing the Qingjiang River to swell and flood countless fields. The intermittent downpours prolonged the flooding.

Those who survived said that the appearance of a second sun was due to the protection of the Qingjiang God, who illuminated the Qingjiang River, guided the way, and saved countless lives.

However, no news about Bai He and Jiang Zhu has been released.

The story of Liu Lang spread far and wide. He foresaw the coming natural disaster, but no one believed him. So he built a large ship and carried all the people of the town to safety from the flood.

He and his wife, however, remained in Qingjiang.

People often saw two old men in the river, and they all said that they were Liu Lang, who saved people, and his wife, Xiu Niang.

To commemorate them, some people built temples for them.

This time, the government did not destroy the temples, but allowed them to build temples and perform sacrifices.

……

As time goes by, the Qingjiang flood has passed, and Qingjiang has returned to normal.

Downstream from Qingjiang, a branch leads to the continuous mountains.

The bright moon shines alone, but no starlight is visible.

Inside the dense forest, pitch black, came heart-wrenching cries.

"Mother, where are you? Yaoyao is so scared..."

A seven-year-old girl stumbled through the woods, her clothes torn by branches and thorns leaving marks on her body.

The fear of darkness, the terror of loneliness, and the wounds on her body made her cry even louder.

She couldn't tell which way was which, and as she walked, she called out for her mother.

In the darkness, the beast heard the shouts and smelled the scent of its prey.

Suddenly, a candlelight appeared ahead, shining brightly in the darkness.

"Mother, is that you?"

Yao Yao called out, ignoring the thorns under her feet, and ran towards the candlelight.

She arrived at the edge of the woods, but she was disappointed. Her mother was not there; only a dim lamp burned with a faint light.

A low growl echoed through the woods, accompanied by faint footsteps that sounded particularly jarring in the silent night.

Yao Yao turned around in fright, only to see pairs of bright green eyes staring at her.

Wolf!
Startled, she backed away, tripped over the green lamp, fell onto the riverbank, and sat in the water.

Suddenly, a brilliant light appeared, illuminating the void as if it were daytime, and golden light gathered in the air.

The wolves seemed to have seen something terrifying, and they all turned and fled for their lives.

Yao Yao looked up and saw a golden light that gave him a warm and comfortable feeling. A figure in white was slowly solidifying.

He stood in the void, golden light transforming into a halo behind his head, shining like an immortal under the bright moon.

A figure in white descended from the sky and extended a hand to her: "My name is Jiang Zhu. Have you gotten separated from your mother?"

"Yaoyao can't find her mother." Yaoyao's eyes were filled with tears, fear still lingering in her heart.

"Don't be afraid, your mother is looking for you. Hold this green lamp, it will dispel the darkness and lead you to your mother," Jiang Zhu said.

Yao Yao grasped the green lamp; its dim candlelight, at this moment, was so bright, illuminating her heart.

She felt very warm, and her body no longer ached.

"Are you an immortal?" Yao Yao looked up at her, her fear gone.

"I'm just a traveler passing through," Jiang Zhu said with a smile. "Come on, I'll take you to find your mother; they're just ahead."

Jiang Zhu led Yao Yao into the woods.

To Yao Yao's surprise, the surrounding vegetation automatically parted, and the thorns also retracted.

The land, which should have been uneven and bumpy, became smooth and soft. In the distance, there was the light of torches, and Yaoyao excitedly shouted, "Mother, Mother!"

"Yaoyao."

A response came, and torches quickly approached. A young woman hugged Yao Yao tightly, saying, "It's alright, it's alright."

"Mother, I'm alright. It was my older brother who chased away the wolves and saved me... my older brother?"

Yao Yao turned her head, but saw nothing but a green lamp in her hand.

The woman was terrified: "There's no one here!"

"sister in law."

Torches lit up the surrounding area, and a group of strong men gathered around.

"There really was an older brother named Jiang Zhu. He was radiating light, and he came from the heavens..."

"Okay, okay, big brother, let's go home first." The young woman hugged her tightly.

The men around them all changed their expressions. They all said that children could see wandering spirits. Could it be that there were wandering spirits here?

They dared not linger and quickly left the dense forest.

Yao Yao held the green lamp tightly, unwilling to let go.

Jiang Zhu floated behind them, following them to a village.

Peach Blossom Village!
Yao Yao's father was working away from home and had not yet returned; only her mother and grandmother were at home.

"My Yaoyao." Grandmother hugged Yaoyao, checked her carefully, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she was not injured. "How did you get lost?"

"It was my fault." The woman wiped away her tears and blamed herself. "I took Yaoyao to see the fish traps, but I tripped and fell down the hillside. When I climbed back up, Yaoyao was gone. Luckily, nothing bad happened to her."

"Mother, don't cry, Yaoyao is alright. It was big brother who saved Yaoyao." Yaoyao sensibly wiped away the woman's tears.

"Big brother?" Grandmother looked at the woman: "Why don't you invite our benefactor in?"

The woman's expression changed, and she whispered, "We didn't see anyone."

Grandmother's face instantly turned grim. Back then, the Qingjiang River was ravaged by floods, causing countless deaths and injuries. People often said that there were wandering spirits along the riverbank.

I thought it was just a legend, but I never expected to actually see it today.

The woman then noticed the blue lamp: "Yaoyao, where did this blue lamp come from?"

“Yaoyao picked this up by the river. Her older brother said that if she held the green lamp, she could dispel the darkness and find her mother.”

Yao Yao hugged the green lamp tightly: "If Yao Yao holds the green lamp, she won't be afraid anymore, and she'll find her mother."

"Grandma will keep this lamp for you," Grandma said.

"No, this is from big brother for Yaoyao." Yaoyao hugged it even tighter.

The woman was somewhat anxious, but her grandmother did not force her: "Please ask Third Granny to come and take a look tomorrow. Yaoyao is fine now. If it's a bad omen, it won't be anything good either. Maybe it's a good one."

The woman was relieved and nodded, saying, "Yaoyao, Mother will take you to take a bath."

“Okay,” Yao Yao replied obediently.

Grandmother went along too, and saw that her skin was fair and smooth, without any injuries, and even the burns she had when she was a child were gone.

After Yaoyao fell asleep, the woman frowned and said, "Something's not right with Yaoyao. Her arm was scalded by boiling water, but now there's no trace of it."

"She's just a child with delicate skin. She wandered around in the woods and her clothes got scratched, but she was perfectly fine."

Grandmother pondered for a moment and said, "Let's not go and invite Third Granny for now."

"Mother, what about the green lamp?" the woman asked worriedly.

"If there's anything else, we'll ask Granny San for help. If we wanted to harm Yaoyao, we wouldn't have sent her back."

Grandmother said, "Perhaps we've encountered the River God. I've heard he's a very kind man who saves people all over the Qingjiang River."

“But Yaoyao is talking about her eldest brother. How many years has Lord Jiang Shen been around?” the woman said.

“Lord Jiang is no ordinary man. If Granny San offends Lord Jiang, then we’ll be in trouble.”

Grandmother said, "Let's see first. If Yaoyao is healthy, then we can keep this matter in mind."

The woman nodded, also worried about angering the River God.

(End of this chapter)