Chapter One
Xu Caitong stood by the river, where the moon cast a silvery glow that made the water sparkle. The Moon River, like the moon itself, meandered forward in a crescent shape. At its end, under the hazy moonlight, the river was veiled in mystery. In her memory, she felt she had been here several times before, always in her sleep. And in those dreams, there seemed to be a voice gently calling to her: “Ziyue, come back, Ziyue, come back, Moye is waiting for you.” Who was Moye? And who was Ziyue? Xu Caitong never paid much attention, but now she was absolutely certain she wasn’t dreaming; she was truly standing by the Moon River.
She took a few steps forward; the surroundings were filled with wormwood and tiny flowers, stretching into a vast plain with no end in sight. She picked a few of the small flowers and held them to her nose; a refreshing fragrance penetrated her lungs. The flowers were beautiful and aromatic. Xu Caitong continued walking, hoping to find her way back. In her previous dreams, she could come and go as she pleased, but now… she wasn’t sure how long she had been walking, but she had ventured very far. The Moon River seemed endless. She stood by the river, watching the calm water flow gently downstream. Xu Caitong stood there, feeling an inexplicable anxiety, lost and at a loss, wanting to burst into tears.
The night slowly faded from around Xu Caitong, revealing a hint of dawn. Xu Caitong didn’t notice the arrival of morning, still lost in her thoughts. She was tired and found a stone to sit on, staring blankly. As the sun rose above the horizon, Xu Caitong realized she had spent the night by the Moon River. She had never been here in the morning before; she hadn’t thought she would actually come here, as this place had only appeared in her dreams.
The morning breeze gently caressed Xu Caitong’s face, giving her a cool sensation. Ah, the morning by the Moon River was indescribably beautiful, with lush green grass and blooming flowers in reds, yellows, and purples, a myriad of colors. In the distance, mountains rose and fell, and mist under the sunlight created a white veil of haze. Not far away, a peach grove was in full bloom, and flocks of birds chirped as they took flight. “Meeh, Meeh…” A little white lamb appeared from somewhere, standing not far from Xu Caitong, bleating.
There was a sheep? There must be people nearby. Yes, Xu Caitong thought she should quickly find a household; only by finding people could she avoid starvation. She approached the lamb, which had only three legs. It was quite cute; she stroked its soft white fur, and the lamb obediently sat by her feet. “Little darling, little darling,” a little girl emerged from the grove, calling out. She ran over to Xu Caitong, excited to see her lamb.
“Sister, that’s my sheep, can I take it back?” Xu Caitong nodded. The little girl happily picked up the lamb. “Little darling, why didn’t you listen and run here?” The girl hugged the lamb and walked away.
“Sister, where are you from? You seem so strange, I’ve never seen anyone like you,” the girl turned back to say. Indeed, Xu Caitong was different. She was dressed in a black shirt, black trousers, and black shoes, while the little girl wore something akin to ancient attire, with a long robe, a diagonal lapel, and wide sleeves, her hair tied up in two little buns, reminiscent of costumes seen on TV.
“Where is this place? I don’t know how I got here, I shouldn’t be here, but I can’t find my way back. I don’t know what to do,” Xu Caitong said to the little girl, feeling quite downcast.
“Are you lost?” the little girl asked.
“Yes, I’m lost,” Xu Caitong replied.
“Sister, why don’t you come home with me? Let my father and uncles help you figure out what to do, okay?” The little girl blinked her bright eyes, looking up with an innocent face.
“Where do you live?” Xu Caitong asked.
“Right behind this peach grove,” the girl pointed out. Xu Caitong thought for a moment and nodded. The girl said her name was Yue’er, and the village was called Moon Village, named after the beautiful Moon River that encircled the village, bringing them happiness, joy, and prosperity.
Xu Caitong followed Yue’er around the peach grove to the small village behind it. Yue’er bringing back a strange woman caused a stir in the village. They gathered at Yue’er’s house, asking her to recount the story over and over. Yue’er said she saw her sister by the Moon River, near the peach grove, with the little lamb.
Yue’er’s grandparents, uncles, and aunts, over ten people in total, surrounded Xu Caitong. The grandmother asked, “Where are you from? Why are you dressed like this? Are you not a celestial being or someone from another tribe?”
“I’m from Hong Kong,” Xu Caitong told them.
“Hong Kong?” They looked puzzled. Yue’er’s grandfather said, “Never heard of that place.” The others also hadn’t heard of it; the younger ones suggested asking the elders where Hong Kong might be, to help her find her way back. They looked at Xu Caitong with curiosity, as if she were an alien. They scrutinized her from head to toe, noting how vastly different she was from them, with her hair flowing over her shoulders and attire completely unlike theirs.
They asked her which prefecture Hong Kong belonged to, who governed there, how she ended up in Moon Village, with whom, and where she was headed. Xu Caitong shook her head vigorously, not because she didn’t know, but because she didn’t know how to answer them. Hong Kong, she said, was a developed international metropolis in the south of China.
“The south of China? The barbarian lands?” said a young man with a ponytail, wearing wide-sleeved robes and a goatee, Yue’er’s uncle. “I’ve only heard of lychees being abundant in the southern barbarian lands, is that where you’re from?”
“Yes, it’s somewhere near there,” Xu Caitong replied.
“Don’t worry, many minds are better than one. If you don’t mind, please stay at our humble abode for now, and we’ll discuss further plans,” Yue’er’s grandmother, who looked to be in her forties or fifties, said kindly.
“Thank you, madam,” Xu Caitong said, genuinely grateful. She was exhausted, having barely slept by the Moon River all night.
