Mortal Bones

Chapter 1: On a Snowy Night, Little Taiping Knocks on the Door to Ask for Charcoal

Volume 1: The Wind Rises in Yunlu

Thud, thud, thud…

Amidst the howling winter gale, a thinly clad young boy trembled violently, his small fists rapping against a courtyard gate.

It was New Year’s Eve. Bursts of warm, joyous laughter drifted from within the walls.

Thud, thud, thud…

When a long silence yielded no response, the boy raised a shaking hand, grasped the iron ring of the door knocker, and tapped it gently once more.

Haaa…

The night air was biting. The moment his knuckles left the wood, he cupped his hands over his mouth, exhaling hot breath to stave off the freezing chill.

It wasn’t just his hands. His feet, wrapped in nothing but frayed straw sandals, had already lost all sensation.

“Who’s there?”

Thankfully, a voice finally rang out from within the courtyard.

The young boy’s face instantly lit up.

“Second Uncle, it’s me!”

he called back hurriedly.

Creeeak…

Moments later, the heavy wooden gate cracked open. A middle-aged man with a weathered, honest face poked his head through the gap.

“Oh, it’s Taiping. It’s so late, what brings you here?”

the man asked, peering down at the boy.

“Se… Second Uncle… the charcoal at home is all gone. I was hoping… I was hoping to borrow a few pounds of charcoal from you. Once spring comes and I can go up the mountain to chop wood, I will definitely repay you.”

The boy’s gaze darted around nervously, his cheeks flushing with shame.

“A few pounds of charcoal? What is that worth between family? Wait right here, your uncle will go fetch it for you!”

The man waved off the boy’s worries, agreeing without a second thought.

“Taiping, have you eaten yet?”

After taking only a few steps, the man suddenly paused, turning back to ask.

“I-I… I’ve eaten… but Grandpa… Grandpa hasn’t…”

The boy’s small hands gripped the tattered hem of his shirt. By the end of his sentence, his voice had dropped to a terrified whisper.

Seeing the child’s plight, the middle-aged man let out a soft sigh before offering a warm grin.

“Wait here, Taiping. Second Uncle will be right back.”

“Mhm.”

The boy gave a small, earnest nod.

Another violent gust of wind swept past, forcing a shudder through his frail frame, yet the biting chill in his heart had thawed just a little.

“Taiping!”

Shortly after, the middle-aged man emerged carrying a woven bamboo basket.

“Here, take this.”

Panting white clouds into the freezing air, Second Uncle hurried to the gate and shoved the basket into the boy’s arms.

Taiping looked down. Nestled atop several pounds of black charcoal were four plump, steaming-hot white steamed buns.

“Second Uncle, I…”

Staring at the precious food, a wave of panic gripped him. Yet, having starved all day, the sight of the fluffy buns betrayed his discipline, and a heavy swallow tore at his dry throat.

“Just take them!”

The man chuckled, his smile broad and kind.

“Er Niu, why are you still dawdling out there?”

Suddenly, a stout woman marched aggressively toward the courtyard gate.

At the sight of her, the blood drained from both the boy’s and the man’s faces.

“Taiping… Taiping just came to borrow some charcoal.”

The man offered a placating, awkward smile, his gaze darting away in obvious dread.

“S-Second Aunt.”

Taiping stammered out a greeting.

The woman shot daggers at her husband before her sharp eyes snapped to the boy, ultimately locking onto the basket in his arms.

Her expression darkened the moment she spotted the fresh steamed buns resting on the coal.

“Those steamed buns were saved for Xiao Hu! I couldn’t even bear to eat them myself, yet here you are playing the generous saint!”

She glowered at her husband before viciously snatching two of the buns back with a single swipe.

“Mother, is the roast goose ready? I want roast goose, I don’t want to gnaw on plain buns!”

At that moment, a plump boy wrapped in a brand-new, thick cotton jacket waddled out of the main house. Spotting the plain steamed buns in his mother’s hand, his face contorted in disgust.

“My sweet son, why did you come out? It’s freezing! Hurry back inside before you catch a chill.”

The woman’s harsh demeanor vanished, replaced by frantic doting as she rushed to the chubby boy.

“Mother, I don’t want plain buns! I want roast goose!”

The spoiled child stomped his foot, tears of frustration already welling in his eyes.

“Alright, alright! The roast goose will be ready soon. These buns are just for Ah Huang.”

Coaxing the crying child with infinite patience, she carelessly tossed the pristine, warm buns into the dog cage beneath the eaves.

Sigh…

Watching this unfold, Er Niu’s brows furrowed deeply, but he could only release a helpless sigh.

Taiping bit his lower lip hard as he watched the hound tear into the precious food. Tightening his grip on the heavy basket, he tilted his head up and forced a bright smile for his uncle.

“Thank you, Second Uncle. I’m heading back now.”

“Be careful on your way. When you light the brazier tonight, remember to leave the window cracked open. And make sure your grandfather’s quilt is tucked in tight.”

The man waved in farewell, his eyes lined with guilt.

“Xu Er Niu! If you don’t drag yourself back inside this instant, don’t even dream of sleeping on my heated bed tonight!”

The shrill, berating voice echoed from the house once more.

“Coming, coming!”

The man scrambled to answer, flashed the boy one last apologetic look, and pulled the heavy gates shut.

With a dull thud, the last sliver of warmth and light on the snowy ground vanished. The world was swallowed by the oppressive darkness once more, save for a solitary, flickering glow emanating from a dilapidated thatched hut further east.

“With this charcoal and these two steamed buns, Grandpa will definitely get better.”

Stranded in the frigid night, the little boy felt no fear. Tucking his chin into his collar, he murmured the words like a prayer. Clinging desperately to his meager spoils, he marched through the snow, his brisk steps carrying him toward the lone earthen hovel in the dark.

…

Outside the ruined hut.

Creeeak…

Taiping pushed the weathered wooden door ajar.

“Taiping… is that you?”

The moment he stepped across the threshold, a hoarse, incredibly frail voice rasped from the illuminated corner of the room.

“It’s me, Grandpa.”

The boy vigorously rubbed his frozen cheeks, forcing warmth and a smile onto his stiff face. Only then did he hurry forward, parting the tattered curtain to enter the inner room.

A thick, bitter stench of medicinal herbs immediately assaulted his senses.

Devoid of any fire, the temperature inside the hovel was indistinguishable from the freezing wilderness outside.

Tucked away in the deepest corner lay a makeshift bed of splintered planks. Beneath a ragged quilt, its cotton stuffing spilling from the seams, a man reduced to little more than skin and bones lay curled in a fetal position.

“Grandpa, Second Uncle lent me a few pounds of charcoal! He even gave us two white steamed buns. We can roast them by the fire in a bit.”

Little Taiping chattered happily, his hands working quickly to empty the black lumps into the stone brazier.

“Good… that’s good…”

The old man offered a weak, trembling smile.

Though an inescapable aura of death clung to the elder’s frail form, his clouded, sunken eyes regained a flicker of vibrant light the moment they landed on his grandson.

“Taiping… these past few years… staying by my side… you have suffered so much.”

His gaze overflowed with boundless affection as he forced the words through chapped lips.

“I haven’t suffered, Grandpa. Not at all.”

Having successfully coaxed a flame into the brazier, Taiping looked up, flashing a brilliant grin and shaking his head emphatically.

“Silly boy… such a silly boy… If you hadn’t been here to care for me these past years, this old man’s bones would have returned to the earth long ago…”

A trembling hand reached out from beneath the quilt, gently resting on Taiping’s head as a sigh of profound sorrow left the elder’s lungs.

“Don’t say such unlucky things, Grandpa! You are going to live to be a hundred years old!”

Taiping shook his head furiously, carefully skewering the buns to roast over the burgeoning fire.

“Taiping… have you ever heard of Immortals?”

The old man suddenly asked, his voice taking on an unprecedented gravity.