Time: 2013-03-29 12:58 Source: Sina Blog Author: Mingyue Zhuyeqing\During the Daoguang period, at the foot of Gouqu Mountain in Jurong, Jiangsu, there was a picturesque village called Lujiang Village. The village had about dozens of households, most of whom lived by farming and fishing. By the small river at the west end of the village, there were three tile-roofed houses, where two brothers lived. The elder brother, Jin Ernian, was about eighteen or nineteen years old, while the younger brother, Jin Yong, was still very young, not yet thirteen. As the brothers' parents had long passed away, they were left to rely on each other, sustaining their livelihood with a few acres of ancestral land. Although young, Jin Yong had a delicate and beautiful appearance, almost like a girl, and he was intelligent, lively, and fond of learning. Therefore, his elder brother Jin Er loved him dearly, even cutting back on his own needs to send him to a private school in a neighboring village, hoping he could achieve success in the future.\Jin Yong did not disappoint his brother's long-standing hopes. He was diligent and hardworking in his studies and outstanding academically. Although he had to walk several miles to and from school every day, he would wake up early and never be late for class. One day in March of that year, after school, just as he reached the foot of the mountain, he saw an elderly woman with graying hair sitting on a stone by the roadside. The old woman had a kind face and looked gentle. Seeing him, she smiled and said:
"Young lad, with such handsome features, you might only marry a celestial being in the future. A common woman from this world might not be a suitable match for you. If you don't mind, I, an old woman, could act as a matchmaker for you. Would you agree to this, young lad?"
Jin Yong was still young and did not understand what the elderly woman meant, so he lowered his head, shyly passed by, and the woman said nothing further, only watching him with a smile as he went.\Although Jin Yong felt a bit curious, he did not think much of it once he got home. Unexpectedly, the next day after school, he encountered the elderly woman again at the foot of the mountain. She smiled at him and spoke to him exactly the same words as the day before. Jin Yong was astonished and did not dare to ask her about it, remaining silent as he returned home. For several months thereafter, he met this elderly woman daily after school, and each time she asked him the same questions. Initially, Jin Yong was very surprised, but seeing that she meant no harm and was probably just speaking casually, he gradually became accustomed to it, although he never said a word. After a few more days, when he passed by the spot again, he found that the elderly woman was nowhere to be seen, and from then on, he never saw her again.In the blink of an eye, a year had passed, and Jin Yong had almost forgotten about the matter. One day, after returning home from school, he unexpectedly encountered the old woman again at the foot of the mountain, and she asked him the same question as before. By this time, Jin Yong had grown older and had developed into a graceful and handsome young man, and he had a vague understanding of romantic feelings. So this time, his curiosity could not be contained, and he shyly asked the old woman:
"I wonder where the celestial being you mentioned is, and whether you could let me see them with my own eyes?"
The old woman laughed heartily upon hearing his question and said to him:
"What is the problem with that? It's just that I have matters to attend to right now and cannot go with you. However, I can point out the way for you, and you may go see for yourself. If you are willing, you can return and tell me later."
After speaking, she pointed into the mountains and said to him:
"Follow this mountain path tomorrow, and after about three li, you will see a peach tree planted in front of a gate—that is the place."
Upon hearing this, Jin Yong felt somewhat skeptical because he had been in these mountains before but had not heard of anyone living there. Seeing the doubt on his face, the old woman smiled at him:
"You need not worry; if you follow my instructions tomorrow, your journey will not be in vain."
Only then did Jin Yong bow to thank her. The old woman waved her hand and said:
"There is no need to thank me now; you can thank me after you have found it."
Having said that, she turned and slowly entered the mountains. Jin Yong stood there in thought about the old woman's words for quite some time before returning home. The next morning, after breakfast, he greeted his elder brother and went to school.
As soon as he arrived at the private school, he said to his teacher:
"My maternal grandfather is very ill, and my brother has instructed me to go visit him, so I ask your permission for a one-day leave."
The teacher knew that Jin Yong was usually very honest and gentle, so he had no doubts and nodded in agreement. With leave granted, Jin Yong immediately followed the direction indicated by the old woman and entered the mountains. At that time, the mountains were shrouded in mist. He walked along the narrow path for a while, feeling the mountains growing taller and the forest denser. After further walking, he gradually lost his way. Feeling a bit anxious and seeing no sign of any homes, he was about to turn back.
At that moment, he suddenly saw a faint red color by a small stream ahead. Upon stepping closer, he saw a large peach tree about several spans thick, with its branches covered in splendid blossoms. Behind the tree was a red-brick house with green-tiled roofs—surely this was the place the old woman had mentioned.Jin Yongyi was overjoyed at first sight and hurried to the door. Seeing that the main gate was ajar and not locked, he immediately reached out with both hands to push it open. As he raised his foot to step in, he suddenly heard someone shout sharply: 'Whose little boy is this, trying to be a flower thief before he's even out of his milk?' Startled, Jin Yongyi looked up and saw an old man, over seventy with pockmarked skin and white hair, holding a cane and staring at him intently. Jin Yongyi, naturally intelligent and understanding, felt no fear in this situation and immediately stepped forward to bow to the old man. The old man, holding the cane with his left hand, extended his right hand to pat his head and said with a smile: 'This boy's intentions are not good.' Jin Yongyi replied loudly: 'I heard there is a celestial being here, so I came specially to see, though I don't know if it's true or not.' The old man frowned and said: 'That again is Grandma Liu speaking out of turn, but what she said is not false. Just follow me.' Saying this, he took Jin Yongyi by the hand and led him inside.
Jin Yongyi followed the old man in and saw a courtyard with three tiled rooms. The old man led him to the middle room and they sat down. Jin Yongyi glanced around and saw a jade zither in the room, and behind it a bookshelf with books of unknown titles. At that moment, the old man called out: 'Ziyu, there's a guest, bring tea.' Before he could finish, a curtain was lifted and a young girl with braids entered, holding a lacquered tray. The girl was slightly older than Jin Yongyi, with a slim waist and a strikingly beautiful appearance. Jin Yongyi found her face as beautiful as a freshly bloomed lotus, her demeanor gentle and enchanting, and inwardly thought: This must be the celestial one the old woman spoke of. The old man then instructed the girl to serve tea to the guest. Jin Yongyi sat to the side, mesmerized, completely unaware of anything else. Seeing this, the old man could not help but smile: 'This little boy is indeed a romantic.' Then he asked Jin Yongyi: 'Now that you've seen the celestial being, are you satisfied at last?' Jin Yongyi replied: 'I have seen her, but my wish is still not fulfilled.' The old man laughed and asked: 'Then what would satisfy your wish?' Jin Yongyi thought for a moment and said: 'I would be truly satisfied if I could spend every day with the celestial being.' The old man laughed heartily: 'How easy do you think that is?' While they were speaking, the girl stood to the side, secretly glancing at Jin Yongyi with the corner of her eye. The old man then asked the girl: 'Ziyu, what do you think?' Ziyu lowered her head in silence, as if she also wanted Jin Yongyi to stay.Seeing this, the old man said to Jin Yong: "Actually, this is not a difficult matter. If you can stay and not go home, I will let Ziyu play and have fun with you every day." Jin Yong was delighted to hear this and immediately nodded repeatedly in agreement. The old man then turned to Ziyu and said: "Ah Yu, having this young man, you will no longer be lonely in the future." Ziyu smiled but said nothing.\
From that point on, every evening Jin Yong shared a bed with the old man, and during the day played and roamed with Ziyu, sometimes competing among the flowers and grasses, sometimes playing hide and seek under the moon, their hands intertwined, hearts connected, leaving and returning together in pairs. They were inseparable and intimately close. Jin Yong was so happy here that he forgot about returning home. Unknowingly, spring passed and winter came in cycles; peach blossoms withered and bloomed again, and in the blink of an eye, a year had gone by. Jin Yong and Ziyu had grown a year older as well, and as feelings of love began to stir, affection appeared between them in their glances.\
One day, Ziyu woke up late, and while she was in her room binding her feet, Jin Yong happened to come to call her out to play. Unexpectedly, when he reached the window and saw her, he was stunned. Ziyu's feet were as white as snow, slender as needles, like a piece of tender lotus root, leaving him dumbfounded and stirred with desire. He even blurted out to Ziyu: "If I could have you as my wife, I would have no regrets in this life." Ziyu, noticing someone outside the window, was initially shocked and then blushed crimson, feeling extremely shy. At this moment, the old man suddenly came in from outside, and upon hearing these words, he was very angry. Seeing Jin Yong, he scolded: "You little rascal, you actually want to steal my precious jewel? You are truly raising a tiger to bring harm." Jin Yong was terrified upon hearing this. The old man then forbade Ziyu from staying with him in the future, glared at Jin Yong with anger, and seemed ready to strike him. Seeing this, Jin Yong became even more frightened, so he made an excuse to relieve himself and quickly left, retracing his steps back to the village.\
When he reached the gate of his home, he saw that the original three-tiled cottages had somehow been replaced with a small building, and the small willow tree he had planted at the entrance last year had grown into a large tree with a trunk that required both arms to encircle.\
Jin Yong was frightened at the sight and hurried forward to knock on the door. Soon, an old man with a walking stick appeared, about sixty years old. Jin Yong noticed that his appearance was somewhat similar to that of his elder brother, so he asked if this was the Jin family residence. The old man scrutinized him for a while and said: "Yes, it is. Where are you from? Who are you looking for in my family?" Jin Yong then told him his name.The old man laughed heartily upon hearing this and said: "This is utterly ridiculous. My parents passed away many years ago, and they once told me that I had an uncle named Yong, who went to the private school in his youth. If he hadn't returned home by nightfall, it must mean he had long since met his end at the hands of wild beasts. Because of this, my father firmly forbade me from studying and made me spend my entire life working in the fields. The year my uncle died was almost seventy years ago. Even if he were still alive, he would be an octogenarian with missing teeth and snow-white hair. How could he look as young as you? Stop joking around."
Upon hearing this, Jin Yong felt disbelief in his heart and began to argue with him. Unexpectedly, a group of people suddenly emerged from the room; they were all descendants of the old man. Upon hearing the matter, they all glared angrily at Jin Yong and shouted: "Who is this brash young boy? Could he be trying to impersonate our ancestor?" Saying this, they rolled up their sleeves and clenched their fists, ready to attack him.
As the commotion reached a climax, an elderly neighbor of over eighty years came out. After hearing about the incident, he first observed Jin Yong for a moment and then said to the others: "This matter seems somewhat strange. Don't act rashly just yet."
Jin Yong noticed that this old man's face looked vaguely familiar, somewhat like a classmate from his private school. Just as he was about to ask, he heard the elder say to the Jin family patriarch: "Your uncle was once my classmate at a private school. I can still remember some of his facial features. This boy bears a striking resemblance. Could it be that your uncle encountered an immortal?"
The Jin family patriarch replied: "Who could possibly believe this?"
The neighbor said: "I remember your uncle had seven black moles under his ribs, shaped like the Big Dipper. Someone once said that was a sign of an immortal. You can check right now—if he has the same moles, there is no doubt."
Before he finished speaking, Jin Yong had already removed his shirt. Everyone saw that indeed he had seven black moles under his ribs arranged like the Big Dipper. The Jin family members were so astonished that they could hardly close their mouths.
At this time, Jin Yong also described the looks of his brother and sister-in-law and some daily family matters, all of which matched what they knew. From then on, there was no more doubt among the Jin family. The elderly man with a staff immediately led all the descendants to kneel, believing him to be a true immortal. They invited him inside the house, where he stayed in the same room he had once occupied. Neighbors nearby, upon hearing the story, came to pay visits. Recollections of childhood seemed as if they were happening right before their eyes, and it was only deep into the night that they gradually left, one by one.Jin Yong was alone in a room, sleeping soundly until dawn. When he opened his eyes and got up, he suddenly felt something under his chin. He reached out to touch it and found it was a beard about an inch long, each strand silvery and silky. His face was covered with wrinkles, and his hair had turned completely white, like an octogenarian. Jin Yong was greatly shocked. After a long moment of astonishment, he sighed and said,
'Living in the immortal realm for a long time is like being an infant. Today, I have spent just a day in the mortal world, and my hair has already turned white. No wonder the busy people age so easily.'
Then he left without saying goodbye and, following the path from the previous day, went into the mountains to the Zi Yu family. Unexpectedly, as he got closer, he saw only trees all around; there was no house at all. While he was feeling lost and helpless, he suddenly saw a person staggering toward him. When she came near, it was the old woman he had seen every day on his way home from school. Seeing her, Jin Yong was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed to her. But the old woman looked at him with surprise and confusion, not recognizing him. Knowing that his appearance had changed, Jin Yong quickly told her his name.
Upon hearing it, the old woman suddenly understood and smiled at him: 'If you had only lived a normal lifespan, the tree above your grave would have been as thick as a pair of arms. Now, why do you stop me?'
Jin Yong said, 'At this moment, I only wish to see the celestial being again, and that alone would satisfy me. How could I dare hope for anything more?'
The old woman, hearing this, suddenly became serious: 'If you wish to seek immortal fate, you must first find a good partner.'
She then took a red polygon more than ten feet long from her bosom and handed it to him, saying: 'Carry this red polygon and walk southeast. When you see a tidy grove of trees, brush it into the air, and you will find the person you are looking for.'
Jin Yong was delighted to hear this, but suddenly thought of his now aged appearance and feared being rejected by immortals. For a moment, he became despondent and worried. The old woman seemed to sense his thoughts and took out a bronze mirror from her sleeve and showed it to him: 'Haven't you become a youth again?'
Jin Yong looked into the mirror and indeed saw a handsome young man, with black hair and no trace of the beard on his chin. He was overjoyed and quickly bowed to the old woman in thanks, but she vanished in the blink of an eye. Following the old woman's instructions, Jin Yong traveled southwest. After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he indeed saw a flat area in a mountain hollow, with evenly arranged and lush trees on the ground.He knew in his heart that what the old woman mentioned was here, so he immediately went into the forest, holding the red water caltrop and waved it in the air. Sure enough, something wrapped inside the red caltrop fell down. He went forward and opened it, only to see a beautiful woman laughing softly while adjusting her clothes. This woman was none other than Ziyu, whom he had longed for day and night. Jin Yong was overjoyed as if mad, hurriedly went forward, and grabbed her clothes, fearing she would run away again. Seeing this, Ziyu smiled gently and said, 'This matchmaker is truly unreasonable, insisting on managing the marriage herself, leaving people helpless.' After speaking, she took Jin Yong by the hand and headed east. After walking several hundred steps, they suddenly saw a huge mansion in the mountains, with peaks and waters surrounding the tall buildings. Before entering, they already heard loud music playing. An old man, accompanied by more than ten people dressed in festive clothes, stood by the entrance to welcome them. That very night, the two completed their wedding ceremony. From that point on, Jin Yong devoted himself to the study of Taoism, mastered the art of fasting, and eventually achieved the proper result of an Earth Immortal. Moreover, Luhua Village set up a shrine in his honor, where offerings were made regularly, and incense burned continuously throughout the year.
