Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

Finally, the dusty three-wheeled farm vehicle, carrying Cang Liuqing and her family of three, came to a stop, panting heavily, under the crooked old locust tree at the village entrance. The swirling yellow dust slowly settled, like the dust of time, covering and revealing layers of memories.

Cang Liuqing was the first to jump off the cart. The moment her feet touched her familiar soil, a complex mix of smells assaulted her nostrils. It was the dusty smell of dried cow dung being crushed, the faint fishy odor of a distant pond, and the cheap coal smoke emanating from every chimney. This wasn't scenery; it was a reality she recognized in her very bones, yet had become unfamiliar to her due to the pampered life in the capital.

She took a deep breath, but the air caught in her throat, turning into a sour taste. Looking up, she saw the winding village road, the low houses on both sides looking more dilapidated than she remembered. Only the old locust tree remained, its gnarled branches silently pointing towards the gray sky.

Beneath the tree, few figures stood. Her gaze instantly locked onto two figures supporting each other—her father, Cang Yuanzhi, leaning on a single crutch, his empty trouser leg swaying slightly in the cold wind like a faded flag; her mother, Liu Wenxiu, nestled tightly against him. They craned their necks to look, and the moment they saw her, her mother's eyes widened, tears streaming down her face, while her father, that stalwart man, trembled violently, the veins on the back of his hand gripping his crutch bulging.

"Dad! Mom!" All the weariness, hardship, and confusion vanished with that cry. She wasn't the cautious, well-mannered legal professional in the important government office in the capital; she was simply their daughter, the Qing'er who struggled to escape this muddy land, only to leave her soul behind here. Like a stray meteor, she lunged forward, crashing into her parents' arms. The force was so great, carrying the weight of years of separation, that Cang Yuanzhi stumbled, but he braced himself with his single leg and crutch, his other, steel-like arm instantly tightening around her, holding her tightly as if afraid she would disappear again. Liu Wenxiu, tears streaming down her face, trembled as she stroked her daughter's face, hair, and back, murmuring incoherently, "She's back... really back... my Qing'er... let Mom see... you've lost weight... but you're stronger..."

Qin Hao stood by the slightly cleared dirt road, holding his son Qin Siyuan, who had been startled awake and looked bewildered and dissatisfied. His expensive coat was covered in mud and dust, and his carefully styled hair was now a mess in the dust and cold wind. The weariness and discomfort on his face from the long journey were particularly striking against the backdrop of the simple environment. He subconsciously straightened his back, trying to maintain the last shred of dignity, but when he saw the touching scene of his wife and parents embracing and crying, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him—weariness, discomfort, alienation, and perhaps even a slight ripple of emotion that he himself was unwilling to admit, touched by this primal scene.

Soon, the news spread like wildfire. The news of Cang Liuqing's return, along with the children who were playing at the village entrance and witnessed the reunion, quickly spread throughout the small Xiqiao Village.

"Liu Qing is back? That PhD from Beijing?"

"Really? Let's go check it out!"

"The Cang family's golden phoenix has returned!"

The villagers dropped what they were doing and poured out of their homes, gathering towards Cang Yuanzhi's house with curiosity, envy, and a touch of awe. The children ran ahead, squealing excitedly. Among the crowd, an elderly neighbor squinted, observing them, and whispered to the person beside him, "Look at Yuanzhi's girl, she's really made something of herself. Look at her air about her… The Wang family will have to think twice about this."

Some people whispered, "I heard it's a very important job in the capital; even higher-ups have sent people to inquire about it..."

The few brick and tile houses belonging to Cang Yuanzhi instantly became the focus of the entire village. The courtyard gate was wide open, and the house was crowded with people inside and out.

Surrounded by the enthusiastic villagers, Cang Liuqing wore a polite smile and patiently answered their barrage of greetings and curious questions. But beneath this polite facade, her heart was far from calm. The familiar yet unfamiliar local accents, the faces etched with the marks of time, and the familiar scent in the air all acted like keys, instantly unlocking the floodgates of memory—a torrent of painful, warm, and humiliating past events.

Her gaze unconsciously swept over a faint, almost worn-down mark on the doorframe of the main room, a mark she had carved as a child, comparing her height to the others. She seemed to see again, under the kerosene lamp, her stepfather's rough hands holding hers, teaching her to write stroke by stroke; she saw her mother busy at the stove, saving the best food for her…

She felt a strange sense of alienation, as if half of her belonged here, while the other half had taken deep root in the capital. She tried to suppress her turbulent emotions, but her gaze involuntarily searched for her parents, who were quietly sitting in the corner. Seeing her father's empty trouser leg and her mother's striking silver hair at her temples, a sharp sense of guilt gripped her heart.

Qin Hao was seated in the most "honorable" armchair in the main room, with steaming tea and a tray of fruits and snacks in front of him. He forced a polite nod and smile, but his body was stiff as a board, and every breath felt filled with an uncomfortable, rustic atmosphere. He didn't touch the tea, and ignored the melon seeds and peanuts. He was increasingly agitated, worried about his son's health and exhausted by the seemingly endless small talk. He even wondered why his wife was being so patient and attentive to these neighbors who probably didn't even remember her names; it was completely at odds with his usual social etiquette of maintaining appropriate distance. Qin Siyuan huddled close to his mother, clutching her clothes tightly, his large eyes filled with impatience with the unfamiliar environment and noisy crowd.

The noisy scene continued for quite some time until a voice rang out at the courtyard gate: "Oh my! Liu Qing! What a distinguished guest! Welcome home! Welcome home!"

The crowd seemed to freeze, the noise instantly subsiding. Village Party Secretary Wang Zhenkun, accompanied by accountant Wang Youfu and several other village officials, strode in, his face beaming. He rushed to Cang Yuanzhi and Cang Liuqing, extending his hands warmly in greeting:

"Brother Yuanzhi, Sister-in-law Wenxiu, Happy New Year! Liu Qing!" He turned to Cang Liu Qing, his smile even brighter. "Liu Qing, your demeanor is becoming more and more composed and dignified! Welcome home!"

Cang Liuqing looked at Wang Zhenkun's smiling face, her gaze as calm as a deep pool, undisturbed. She politely extended her hand and gently shook his. That handshake carried a cool, businesslike quality that seemed out of place with the surrounding rural warmth.

"Secretary Wang, hello! I'm sorry to trouble you to come over. I'm just going home to see my parents," she said calmly.

"Of course! Of course! Comrade Liu Qing is now a pillar of the nation. It's rare for him to come back. We, as representatives of the village, must come and greet him! If there's anything you need, just let us know! The village will definitely cooperate fully!" Wang Zhenkun said repeatedly, his gaze quickly sweeping over Qin Hao, who was expressionless beside him, his tone carrying a deliberate obsequiousness.

He once thought that no matter how well Cang Liuqing studied, she was just a scholar. Besides, no matter how capable she was, or how well she married, she was far away in the capital, far from the emperor's reach—could she really control Xiqiao Village? Until what happened last year:

That day, a jeep carrying a mysterious man in a suit and tie, with a serious expression, arrived at the village committee accompanied by the township secretary to retrieve Cang Liuqing's file. The man inquired about Cang Liuqing's background and solemnly made her sign a confidentiality agreement. The serious scene still sends chills down his spine when he thinks about it. He vaguely understood that this golden phoenix from the Cang family was no longer the girl he could easily manipulate; the power behind her was unfathomable.

He then turned to Qin Hao beside him, bowing even lower: "This must be Comrade Qin Hao, right? He's quite the handsome young man. Distinguished guest from the capital, you must be tired from your journey. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Qin Hao simply nodded slightly and replied casually, "Village Chief Wang, you're too kind." That aloofness and the inherent sense of distance made Wang Zhenkun's smile freeze imperceptibly for a moment, but it immediately became even brighter again.

Cang Liuqing spoke again, her voice low but clear and strong: "Village Chief Wang, thank you for your hard work in the village. My parents are getting old and have difficulty walking. I hope you and the other cadres will take good care of them in the village from now on. The villagers of Xiqiao Village all hope that life will get better and better. However, harmony in the family brings prosperity, and only when rules are established can people's hearts be at peace. Don't you agree?"

Her gaze seemed to fall casually on Wang Zhenkun's face, but it carried an undeniable weight. The words "harmony in the family brings prosperity" and "rules must be established correctly" were particularly meaningful, like a small but sharp key that precisely pierced Wang Zhenkun's most sensitive heart lock.

Wang Zhenkun's heart skipped a beat. "Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things"? Was she referring to the Cang family, or was she warning him to stop resorting to underhanded tactics? "Upholding the rules"? Did she know something? He felt a thin layer of sweat instantly break out on his back, and his smile almost vanished.

"Yes, yes, yes! Liu Qing is right! Harmony in the family brings prosperity in everything! Rules... yes, rules are the most important! Brother Yuanzhi and Sister-in-law Wenxiu are role models in our village, we will definitely take good care of them! Please rest assured, Liu Qing!" He quickly patted his chest to assure them.

The arrival of the village officials and Cang Liuqing's seemingly casual yet subtly witty remarks brought the noisy atmosphere to a climax, leading to an even longer social gathering. It wasn't until dusk that the villagers, reluctantly persuaded by the village officials, gradually dispersed.

The night was deep and quiet, the noise subsided. Cang Liuqing stood alone in the courtyard of the old house, a cold wind brushing her face. She looked up and saw that the starry sky here seemed sparser than that in the capital, yet more vast and profound.

A complex mix of emotions lingered within her: sorrow for her aging parents, sighs over her family's past, a conflicting feeling of both attachment and alienation from this land, and a vague yet increasingly clear thought—she had flown away, gained power, but how could she truly give back to the land that had given her birth and nurtured her and subjected her to countless trials? How could she protect her parents and relatives who had weathered half a lifetime of storms?

This question has no answer yet, but it weighs heavier than anything else.

The night wind rustled through the withered branches of the old locust tree at the village entrance, making a soft, mournful sound, as if responding or questioning.