Chapter Forty-Three: The Two Old Men

Early in the morning, everyone began packing their belongings into large and small bundles, slinging them onto their backs. The Immortal Elder was by far the most carefree, simply cradling his favorite possession as he led the way.

Halfway down the mountain, they noticed how beautiful the sun was at that hour, just beginning to rise. The group paused, taking in the rare sight of the sunrise—not at the seaside, but here amidst the high mountains and forests, which carried a special charm of its own.

The crimson sun bathed the woods in waves of rosy light. The warm rays spilled onto the dew-laden grass, and the flowers slowly began to bloom. Mornings truly are a wonderful time.

After watching with smiling faces, they started their descent on foot. The path down was even steeper. Despite his age, the Immortal Elder kept pace, in no way inferior to the younger ones.

Their car was parked by the roadside—a spot where, presumably, no one would dare tamper with it. The descent would take two or three hours, perhaps less if they hurried.

News of Mo Lan’s injury had reached the Mo family, prompting Old Master Mo, Mo Fan, and the four children to come in person to meet them.

As soon as they reached the roadside, they saw the family waiting there, clearly having stood by for quite a while.

“Grandfather!” Surviving her ordeal, Mo Lan rushed down to her grandfather, enveloping him in a bear hug.

Tears shimmered in Old Master Mo’s eyes as he embraced her, only to notice her injuries. His expression darkened with displeasure, though knowing she did everything for his sake made his heart ache even more.

“Silly child, you must look after yourself first,” he said, his voice full of gentle concern as he stroked Mo Lan’s hair.

“I understand, Grandfather. Let’s hurry home. This is the Immortal Elder, a physician specially invited from the deep mountains. I hope you’ll treat him as an honored guest and allow him to watch over our family.” Mo Lan spoke with a touch of ancient elegance.

Old Master Mo nodded, then moved to give the Immortal Elder a bear hug as well. The Immortal Elder hesitated, slightly embarrassed—what were these two old men up to?

“What on earth are you doing at your age?” The Immortal Elder unceremoniously pushed Old Master Mo aside and made straight for the front passenger seat.

Old Master Mo didn’t take offense, instead laughing heartily.

The younger ones glanced at each other with exasperation—these two eccentric old men!

“Master, are you alright? They said it was very dangerous. Sister Mo Lan even fell off a cliff, is that true?”

“Sister Mo Lan, are you really okay?”

The four children chattered away, their voices overlapping in concern.

“Let’s hurry home—I just want a good bath,” Qian Yin said in resignation, finding the outpouring of concern not entirely enjoyable.

“Alright!” the four children chorused, and went to start the car.

No sooner were they seated than the four of them drifted into deep sleep. The Immortal Elder sat up front, while Old Master Mo personally took the wheel, leaving the Immortal Elder somewhat stunned.

“You’re not young anymore—do you still have a license? Driving like this? If something happens, can you afford the consequences?”

“No need to worry. If anything happens, I’ll go with you,” Old Master Mo replied before flooring the accelerator, and the car shot forward.

Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei watched from behind, wondering who would drive so fast, then hurried to catch up. Once they reached the Mo residence, the four children reluctantly roused the four passengers from their slumber.

Barely awake, the four made their way to their rooms, where they promptly fell asleep again.

The Immortal Elder had already returned to his guest quarters, thoroughly satisfied with his new lodgings. It was a small courtyard within the Mo residence—three rooms and a living area, with a patch of ground outside. Though nothing was planted there yet, and it was overgrown with weeds, the Immortal Elder felt he would have plenty to keep him busy, and could soon grow his cherished medicinal herbs.

Suddenly, the heavy thud of footsteps echoed nearby. The Immortal Elder looked back in confusion—he hadn’t asked for anything to be moved.

“Be careful with that, it’s very valuable!” Old Master Mo called out anxiously as two men nearly dropped a stone table.

“Why are you moving things in here? Wasn’t this space meant for me?” the Immortal Elder protested, displeased by what he saw as backtracking.

“I didn’t move anything else—just this chess set. From now on, we can play chess, drink tea, and chat whenever we like, can’t we?” Old Master Mo replied, smug with satisfaction. Usually, no one would indulge him, but now another old child had come to keep him company—how delightful.

“Father!” Mo Ye looked at the two elders in exasperation, then turned and left.

The Immortal Elder had no choice but to acquiesce. The table was already in place, and though it didn’t disturb his space, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Once everything was arranged, the others quickly departed, leaving the two old men alone.

The Immortal Elder set out his own things and sat down to drink tea at the new table, Old Master Mo joining him. The Immortal Elder wore a look of discontent, while Old Master Mo appeared utterly pleased.

After drinking tea, the Immortal Elder fetched his tools and began weeding the little courtyard. Old Master Mo watched for a long time, then rolled up his sleeves and joined in.

The Immortal Elder glanced at Old Master Mo, inwardly rather impressed—such a man, with so much status, yet still inclined to pull weeds.

He was used to working alone, but now, with company at his side, it was impossible to ignore. He could only treat Old Master Mo as a rival, pulling weeds with greater speed, shuffling forward on his haunches.

Old Master Mo wanted to get to their chess game sooner, so he lent his efforts as well. Both men worked nimbly. What had been an overgrown yard was soon cleared by half.

They began to compete, squatting stubbornly, weeding furiously, occasionally glancing over to check the other’s progress.

It wasn’t until they tried to stand that they realized their backs would no longer cooperate.

“Come help me up,” the Immortal Elder grumbled first, his back aching terribly. He’d never squatted for so long, and feared if he stayed down any longer, he’d never get up again.

“I can’t stand either,” Old Master Mo admitted awkwardly. He hadn’t squatted in years and was surprised by how exhausting it was.

For a moment, the two men sat in silence, then simultaneously plopped down on the ground.

“What are you two grandpas doing sitting on the ground?” came a young voice.

“So you were weeding!” Dong, Xi, Nan, and Bei returned to find the two elders seated on the ground, looking puzzled.

The two old men fell silent, unsure how to explain their childish antics to the younger generation.

“We’re just resting. Go and play for a while,” the Immortal Elder said, his dignified image nearly undone by Old Master Mo’s mischief. All he wanted was to send these little rascals away.

“Alright!” The four children sensed their timing was off and retreated with tact.

Bei, unable to keep a secret, muttered as they left, “These two grandpas are so adorable.”

Inside, the two old men blushed furiously, their whiskers bristling as they glared in embarrassment.