Chapter 001: The Boy

Maoshan.

Located in Jiangsu Province, China, it is a famous Taoist mountain and the birthplace of the Shangqing sect of Taoism. It is known among Taoists as the "Shangqing Ancestral Altar," and praised as "the first blessed land, the eighth cave heaven."

Because the mountain's winding shape resembles the character "已," it was originally called Juqu Mountain. Taoists say, "Juqu's Jinling is a blessed realm for nurturing truth, a spiritual land for becoming an immortal."

During the Western Han dynasty, the three Mao brothers from Xianyang, Shaanxi—Mao Ying, Mao Gu, and Mao Zhong—came to Juqu Mountain to cultivate and do good deeds, benefiting the people. Later generations, to commemorate the Mao family's virtues, renamed Juqu Mountain as Sanmao Mountain, commonly known as "Maoshan."

During the Tang and Song dynasties, Maoshan Taoism reached its peak. On the front and back ridges, among the peaks and valleys, there were more than three hundred Taoist buildings of various sizes—palaces, temples, halls, and pavilions—totaling over five thousand rooms, with thousands of Taoist priests. There was a saying: "Three palaces, five temples, seventy-two Mao hermitages."

However, entering the 1980s, after experiencing the turmoil of the previous decade, Maoshan appeared somewhat dilapidated. Although it was restored in the early 1980s, it was still difficult to recapture the flourishing incense of its heyday.

At the foot of the mountain near the Jintan border, several small villages are scattered around. The largest has just over a hundred households, while the smaller ones have only a dozen or so. Every morning and evening, you can see wisps of cooking smoke rising from various spots at the foot of the mountain.

The children in these villages, once they reach school age, have to walk five or six li to attend school in the town.

In this era, boarding was not popular. After school, kids had to hurry home. Fortunately, there were no large wild animals near Maoshan, and the well-trodden paths posed little danger.

"Billy Clark, the holiday starts tomorrow. Should we celebrate tonight? How about sneaking into Li Erlengzi's cornfield to steal some corn to eat?"

On a small mountain path, three or four boys around nine or ten years old, slinging patched army-green schoolbags over their shoulders, darted their small eyes to either side of the road, searching for something. Their cloth shoes, with toes poking out, restlessly kicked at the pebbles on the ground.

When it came to food, all the boys except the one in the middle had their eyes light up, unconsciously swallowing as they thought about it.

Although the chief architect had already called for reform and opening up, and a southern coastal city was undergoing a great construction boom,

in this remote mountain village, the kids—at the age when "half-grown boys eat their fathers poor"—spent their free time mostly playing, but their favorite topic was always food.

The boy in the middle, William Clark, replied to the chubby kid, "Why eat corn? Come to my house tonight for fish. There will be crabs and eels too."

As for family background, William Clark's family were outsiders and could be considered the poorest among them. But William Clark's father always found ways to supplement his son's nutrition. Even if there was no meat, there was never a shortage of fish.

Hearing there would be fish, the boys immediately started drooling. Uncle Ye's fish-cooking skills were top-notch—even plain boiled fish soup was so delicious it left you wanting more.

"Billy Clark, did you catch the eel yourself? You're amazing. I can never catch one," the chubby boy said enviously, looking at William Clark. At eight or nine years old, he was already as round as a weight, clearly the result of stuffing anything edible into his mouth.

Catching eels is a skillful task, though the tools are simple—a bicycle spoke will do. Sharpen one end into a hook, bend the other into a loop.

Once you find an eel hole, insert the hook. If an eel bites, push the hook in quickly so it goes fully into the mouth, twist the angle, and pull it out. At the same time, grab the eel's neck with your other hand and pull it from the hole.

It sounds easy, but mastering the timing is very difficult. William Clark became the king of the kids in the surrounding villages not just because he could beat any peer in a fight, but also because his eel-catching skills surpassed even many adults.

"Look at you drooling! What's so great about eel? Crab is the real treat. This is just the right season for eating crab."

Maoshan is located in the watery region of Jiangnan, with streams everywhere at the foot of the mountain. However, people didn't seem too interested in crabs, and few bothered to catch them. On the other hand, you could see people fishing and catching eels everywhere. In this era of material scarcity, people were always looking for ways to improve their lives.

William Clark curled his lips, waved his fist, and shot a threatening look at his companions. "No one is allowed to tell my dad about Grace Foster crying today, or else..."

"Billy Clark, don't worry, we won't say a word," the chubby boy said, trying to please him. He sidled up to William Clark and asked, "Billy Clark, when you put the mirror on your foot, did you really see under her skirt?"

"Of course I did. But... she caught me after just one look."

William Clark replied sheepishly. That little girl was too sensitive—she ran off crying to the teacher, and as a result, even though he scored double hundreds on his exams this year, he still didn't get the "Three Good Student" award.