Chapter 30: Sun Shan Is Undocumented

Sun Shan was still drifting in a half-asleep haze when his mother, Su, pulled him up. After washing, he sat dazed in the main room. Madam Huang, fearing the cold, had placed a charcoal brazier in the center of the room.

Breakfast consisted of steamed radish cakes and pork offal porridge.

It was not yet dawn, and howling winds whistled through the window gaps. The entire Sun family was gathered, sipping their porridge. Madam Huang checked her daughter’s luggage repeatedly; the freshwater fish were packed in a small wooden bucket, the two pots of kumquat trees were already in the carriage, and the family’s citrus fruits had been loaded long ago. She checked back and forth seven or eight times, ensuring nothing that needed to be brought was left behind.

As soon as the sky began to brighten, Madam Huang urged, "Chunlan, you should set off early. Go to the escort agency and wait for the caravan; don't make them wait for you."

Escort caravans from Yang County to the provincial capital did not run every day; they only departed every few days, so timing and reservations were crucial. Madam Huang worried that if her daughter missed this one, she would have to wait several more days, which would not do. Staying at her maiden home too long would certainly invite complaints from her in-laws.

Sun’s eldest daughter looked at the sky and agreed it was time. She turned to the family and said, "Mother, we are heading back now."

Sun Bomin went to the front courtyard to help lead the horse and secure the carriage. The village head and his wife walked over from outside, having risen early specifically to see them off. As for the gifts Sun’s daughter was to bring back to Yu-niang, they had already been packed the day before.

The village head said, "Chunlan, leave early; don't delay the hour."

Sun Chunlan bade farewell to everyone one by one. With Sun Bomin leading the horse at the front, a group of people walked them to the edge of the village. The fellow villagers they encountered along the way followed them to the village entrance to say goodbye to her as well.

When they reached the crossroads, the village head’s eldest son’s ox cart was already waiting. The village head said with lingering reluctance, "Chunlan, let Bomin and the others escort you to the county town." Although there were no mountain bandits in the area, he would only feel at ease if they were escorted all the way to the agency. After all, in the countryside, labor and time were not considered expensive.

Madam Huang chimed in, "Let Bomin and his brothers take you to the county town. Don't refuse; with Bomin following you, I will feel at ease."

Neither the son-in-law nor Sun’s daughter could resist, so they reluctantly accepted. Sun Bomin and his two brothers, along with the village head’s eldest son, climbed onto the ox cart, while the son-in-law drove the carriage. The two vehicles vanished from Sun Village one after the other.

Madam Huang and the village head’s wife wiped away tears; they feared that the next time they met would be another year away. The group returned to their home in low spirits.

Sun Shan, having been woken up early, felt hazy and went through the motions of breakfast and the farewells. By now, he was sleepy again. He said to his grandmother and mother, "I’m so tired; I want to go to sleep."

Su tucked him in and urged, "Sleep well if you're tired. The more you sleep, the more you’ll grow." Her son was thin and short, even more fragile than his peers. He ate plenty, yet he simply would not put on any weight.

Su then went to the mud hut where the livestock were kept. They had slaughtered chickens, ducks, and geese over the past few days, and with all the feasting, they had gone through much of the poultry raised for the New Year. After counting, there were four geese, two ducks, and six chickens left. That should be enough for the holidays.

She instructed her second daughter, Lixia, who was in the kitchen, "Lixia, go herd the ox; it’s hungry."

In the village, only two families owned oxen: the village head’s family and their own. Lixia responded, ready to go even without being told. She didn't know when the task of herding the ox had fallen onto her shoulders. Her eldest sister did the housework, her third and fourth sisters went up the mountain to gather firewood, and her parents were busy in the fields. With her grandmother at home watching her younger brother, everyone in the village said her grandmother was a woman of great fortune.

Lixia agreed. Her grandmother was well-fed, warmly dressed, and had money to spend. She worked if she wanted to, and no one dared to say a word if she didn't. Lixia thought that if she could have a life like her grandmother’s, she would be very lucky, even without a husband, as long as her children were filial.

By the time Sun Shan woke up, it was already noon, and the three Sun brothers had not yet returned. A round trip from Sun Village to the county town took a full day. Lunch was the leftover steamed cakes and porridge from the morning.

He secretly opened the purses his aunt had given him—one from the first day and one from last night. The first contained one tael of silver, and the second held a full tael. Loving the house and its crow, his aunt clearly favored him. After organizing his entire fortune and locking the wooden box, Sun Shan finally felt at ease. In this life, one could not do without money, a habit of thrift carried over from his previous existence.

By the afternoon, Sun Bomin and the others returned. Madam Huang asked anxiously, "Did the eldest daughter make it safely?"

Sun Bomin took a sip of water and said, "Mother, it went very smoothly. We waited until she had joined the escort caravan and headed toward the provincial capital before we returned."

The third uncle added with a smile, "Mother, rest assured. The agency said the world is peaceful now, and there are no bandits on the road. They are well-acquainted with the routes and can deliver people safely."

The second uncle chimed in, saying honestly, "The fare to the provincial capital is expensive—500 wen for an adult and 250 wen for a child. They just let you follow along and take no other responsibility."

The third uncle sneered, "Can it not be expensive? They have many escorts protecting them." If one wanted safety, one had to spend money. Fortunately, the He family was well-off and could afford it. Madam Huang felt much relieved after hearing her sons’ words.

Days passed quickly. Soon after his aunt left, it was the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month—only a few days until the New Year. Sun Bomin and Su took Sun Shan to visit "Half-Immortal Sun," a village resident who lived on government welfare and served as the local fortune teller.

Sun Shan’s name had been given by Half-Immortal Sun. After Sun Shan was born on Wild Boar Slope, he had been in poor health. They had tried everything—seeking doctors, taking medicine, and praying to gods and Buddhas—to no avail. Sun Bomin and his wife had sought out the fortune teller to see if the child’s fate was cursed and if it were possible to defy heaven and change his health.

Half-Immortal Sun had calculated for a long time but could not find anything. He then asked for the parents' birth dates. After a moment, his face turned pale with shock. "Bomin, we share the same ancestors, so I will tell you the truth: you two are destined to have no sons."

Sun Bomin and Su were panicked. "Uncle Sun, what do you mean, 'destined to have no sons'?" They looked at the kitten-like, fragile Sun Shan in their arms, terrified.

Half-Immortal Sun quickly reassured them, "You have no sons in your fate, yet you have one. This child must have snuck into your home; he went to the wrong door."

Su asked nervously, "Uncle Sun, what do you mean by 'wrong door'? What should we do?" In truth, Su was the one who believed this most. When she gave birth to Sun Shan, she had felt as if the child wouldn't come out, and she might have died in labor.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in, and a shadow flickered before them. Perhaps there was a higher will; Wild Boar Slope was the very place where the child’s grandfather had died, and perhaps the grandfather had lent a hand.

Su voiced her theory: "Could it be that the child’s grandfather led him to the Sun family? The child was born right on Wild Boar Slope."

Half-Immortal Sun nodded. "It is possible. This child was not meant for the Sun family's door, but since you went into labor at Wild Boar Slope that day, perhaps your late elder brother guided a soul looking to be reborn to your home. A parent’s heart is boundless; your father, seeing you childless, tried everything to ensure you had an heir."

Sun Bomin believed this. Su had rolled down Wild Boar Slope and both mother and child had survived—it was a miracle.

Sun Bomin asked anxiously, "Uncle Sun, what should we do?"

Half-Immortal Sun thought for a long time and said solemnly, "There are three strategies. The best is to give the child away, register him under someone else’s genealogy, and let them raise him."

Su immediately rejected this. "No, he is my own flesh and blood; I cannot give him away." Besides, the child was her only hope; the only reason she hadn't been divorced was because she had produced a son. Sun Bomin also opposed it; he couldn't give away a son he had struggled so hard to have.

Half-Immortal Sun nodded, understanding. "The middle strategy is for you to raise him yourselves, but do not enter him into your genealogy or the family ancestral hall. Do not even follow the family naming convention. Raise him in secret so the gods do not notice. In this way, you are still considered childless by fate." This was a way to "deceive the heavens."

Su felt that as long as he wasn't on the genealogy and didn't need to be reported to the ancestors, it didn't matter, as long as the child was by her side. Sun Bomin hesitated, wondering if this would work.

Half-Immortal Sun stroked his long beard. "The worst strategy is to do nothing and ignore the taboos, but you will bear the consequences."

Terrified, Sun Bomin said, "Uncle Sun, we choose the middle strategy. Tell us what to do, and we will follow."

Half-Immortal Sun nodded, satisfied. Sun Bomin asked what name to give the boy and whether to use his birth chart. Half-Immortal Sun shook his head. "Don't bother with that. The child snuck into your home; the lower profile, the better. He was born in the mountains, so he is a mountain child—tough and easy to raise. Let's call him Sun Shan."

And so, Sun Shan, still in his swaddling clothes, knew his name was Sun Shan. He gave the fortune teller a resentful glance; the name he had chosen was both common and unique. *Sun Shan, Sun Shan—"falling behind Sun Shan" (an idiom for failing an exam).*

Sun Bomin brought a pound of pork, a bag of rice cakes, and a bag of sugar to Half-Immortal Sun’s place, leading Sun Shan into the room to pay his respects.

Half-Immortal Sun smiled. "Shan-zi, are you doing well?"

Sun Shan nodded and said crisply, "Very well."

Su smiled and said, "Uncle Sun, please help him replace his protective charm. It’s almost the New Year, time for a new one."

Half-Immortal Sun retrieved a protective charm and a house-warding charm. He was used to this, as many people came seeking charms these days. Su devoutly took the charm and quickly replaced the one around Sun Shan’s neck. He now wore a key and a protective charm.

Half-Immortal Sun pulled Sun Shan over and felt his bones, saying with satisfaction, "The child is a bit thin and short, but he is healthy. You are raising him well."

Sun Bomin breathed a long sigh of relief. "It’s all thanks to your methods, Uncle Sun. Over the years, Shan-zi has been getting sick less and less."

Half-Immortal Sun smiled. "Keep raising him this way, and we'll see after he turns twelve."

Sun Shan looked at the three adults in silence. He was still an "unregistered person"—he had no official records. If he were abducted, the government wouldn't even accept the case; in a strict sense, he didn't exist.

The Sun couple thanked him and departed. Half-Immortal Sun was a busy man, and soon another family arrived seeking charms.