cultivate immortality

Autumn was deepening, and the cold was getting stronger, so cold that the jackdaws chirped from time to time, cursing the chilly weather.

The sky was slightly bright and foggy.

A bamboo raft floated along a small river. On the raft, a young boy who looked to be only eight or nine years old was scooping water back into the river from time to time with a small bamboo basket.

The boy's name was Ethan. He looked ordinary. Long-term labor had darkened his skin, turned his hair yellow, and made his body thin.

Malnutrition had stunted his growth, so although he looked eight or nine, he was already over eleven years old.

Ethan looked at the harvest in his bamboo basket and couldn’t help but feel happy: “The catch this morning is quite good. If I work a bit harder, it should be enough to feed our family for a day.”

Ethan’s family were all fishermen. Most of his parents’ catch was taken as docking tax by the Jupai Gang, which controlled the major waterways in Willowdale County. The little they had left went to buy medicine for Ethan’s sister.

So, since Ethan was eight, he had been piloting a bamboo raft down the river to catch small fish and shrimp.

Although life was difficult for the family, they were managing.

Putting the small fish and shrimp from the larger bamboo basket into a smaller one, Ethan placed the larger basket back into the water.

Caw–

In the chilly autumn morning, the nearby jackdaws cried out again.

“What are you complaining about? I’m cold too!” Ethan was only wearing thin clothes, and his body shivered from time to time, but he couldn’t go back since he hadn’t caught enough fish.

After Ethan scolded them, the jackdaws quieted down.

Ethan nodded in satisfaction and continued fishing with the bamboo basket.

Though the weather was cold, he felt a sense of satisfaction thinking about today’s catch.

“If I can catch a bit more fish, today will be a good day.”

The early morning sun rose and dispelled most of the thick fog.

“Now all the small fish and shrimp are hiding in deeper water.” Ethan lifted the bamboo basket and, seeing only a few small fish inside, shook his head: “Time to go back.”

Having made up his mind, Ethan turned the bamboo raft, intending to drift back to his fishing boat with the current.

“Huh?”

Just as he looked up, Ethan saw a silver object floating down from upstream. His eyes lit up, and he quickly used his bamboo pole to pull the object closer.

“A silver swordfish!”

Silver swordfish were a specialty of the waters in Willowdale County. Their meat was delicious and expensive, often gracing the tables of high-end restaurants.

However, silver swordfish usually lived in the deep waters of large rivers or lakes, so Ethan couldn’t understand why one had appeared in his small river.

“A one-foot-long silver swordfish is worth three taels of silver. The larger they are, the more they’re worth. This one is over two feet long and could sell for over ten taels.”

“It’s a pity it’s already dead. The restaurants in Willowdale City don’t accept dead silver swordfish at all. Otherwise, our family wouldn’t have to worry about the docking tax this year.”

“Sigh.” Ethan picked up a dagger he had placed on the bamboo raft. “Although dead silver swordfish don’t taste as good as common carp, it’s still meat. I hope it died recently, and the meat is still edible.”

As he spoke, he used the dagger to cut open the belly of the fish. He couldn’t see any wounds, so to prevent poisoning, Ethan decided to discard the internal organs.

“Huh?”

Ethan looked at the fish’s organs in surprise. For some reason, they had hardened like vines.

“What’s going on?” He pulled at the strange organs, filled with curiosity.

This was the first time Ethan had seen something like this.

Before long, he pulled a round bead, about an inch in diameter and as large as a baby’s fist, from the fish’s organs.

The bead was perfectly round and dark green.

In this chilly autumn, it felt warm to the touch.

“Did this fish die because it swallowed this ball?” Ethan looked from the fish to the bead.

Then, he chopped the fish into small pieces and threw it into the river.

“Though silver swordfish is also meat, this strange bead is suspicious. Better not to eat the fish.”

Ethan put the bead into his clothes, then used his bamboo pole to navigate the raft down the river.

After leaving the small waterway, he came to the Lanjiang River.

As the mist was completely dispelled by the sun, Ethan finally saw a row of fishing boats docked on the shore.

Guiding his raft, Ethan quickly found his family’s fishing boat.

“Is that Third Uncle’s cart?”

Seeing a familiar large cart near the boat, Ethan recognized it as his third uncle’s.

Ethan’s third uncle, named Uncle Lin, worked at a restaurant in Willowdale City.

Since this was a gathering spot for fishermen, Uncle Lin often came here to collect fish.

After docking his bamboo raft, Ethan jumped onto his fishing boat and saw his mother, Jiang, speaking with his sister, Lily.

“When you reach the house, just do what they ask, and don’t talk back to the master.”

“You’re still young; they won’t be too hard on you.”

Lily’s face was pale. She looked like a typical fisherman’s child, dressed in patched and slightly loose clothing. Though nine years old, she looked more like seven or eight.

Lily nodded blankly, clearly scared.

“Mom, what’s going on? What are you and Lily talking about?” Ethan put down his bamboo basket and walked over curiously.

Jiang, who was only in her thirties but already had silver hair and callused hands, turned to him. “Ethan, you’re back.”

“Brother, our parents want to sell me to a household in Willowdale City.” Lily couldn’t hold back her tears.

“What!?” Ethan looked at his mother, shocked. “Mom, is this true?”

Jiang sighed. “It’s the Huang family in Willowdale City. They’re hiring maids.”

“But Lily is weak and often sick. How can she work as a maid?” Ethan frowned.

The Huang family had a poor reputation, and their servants were often beaten.

Lily was so young and frail; if she were made a maid, any mistake could lead to disaster Ethan couldn’t bear to imagine.

“We know.” Jiang sighed again.

“Your third uncle also brought news that the Jupai Gang has been overtaken by a gang called the Giant Whale Gang.”

“I’ve heard that the Giant Whale Gang’s docking tax is even worse than the Jupai Gang’s. They demand ten taels of silver a year.”

“After paying the tax, how will we afford medicine for Lily?”

“It’s better to sell her to the Huang family and get ten taels at once. Maybe Lily’s illness can be cured then.”

“Curse the Giant Whale Gang!” Ethan clenched his fists. Gangs like these always preyed on the weak. If only he had the strength to fight them.

Looking at his pale sister and his helpless mother, Ethan said, “There must be another way! Lily can’t be sold to the Huangs.”

“We’ve tried everything, Ethan. This may just be the fate of poor people like us.” Jiang’s voice was heavy with resignation.

Selling Lily was never what she wanted.

Seeing his sister so pale, he remembered how she’d once trailed behind him, calling “brother” as they roamed the hills.

With sudden resolve, Ethan asked, “Mom, where are Dad and Uncle Lin?”

Jiang pointed downstream on the Lanjiang River. “They’re gathering fish with your third uncle.”

Ethan nodded, touched Lily’s head, whispered, “Don’t worry, your brother is here,” and then he jumped to the shore to find his father and third uncle.