As the evening drew in, Zhou Ni fed her mother her medicine and then walked alone towards the village pond at the edge of the settlement. She sat before the dilapidated little grass hut, staring unmoving at the setting sun. Her father’s words from that day—‘Your father is still counting on you to return from the capital with a good husband’—seemed to echo in her ears.

Now, though, things were irrevocably changed. A mound of yellow earth had buried her father’s life, and tragically, her brother, far away in the capital, remained utterly unaware. Zhou Ni had considered writing to her brother to summon him home, but her mother had vehemently opposed it. The mother knew her son’s temper; if he impulsively sought revenge on Zhang Tiancheng, success in vengeance was uncertain, but if the Zhou family’s only male heir met with disaster, how could she face her late husband in the afterlife? Thus, Mother Zhou preferred to bear the suffering with her daughter rather than have her son return at this juncture.

Zhou Ni felt the handle of the scissors she carried in her pocket; she had made up her mind. Should she run into Zhang Tiancheng, it would be a fight to the death—his or hers—to avenge her father!

The school term had long begun, but Zhou Ni could no longer concern herself with that now. Without her father, continuing her studies seemed pointless. Furthermore, the family was practically starving. The money for the fish fry had all been borrowed; now the fish were gone, the funeral had cost dearly, and there was no prospect of her brother’s tuition for this semester. Zhou Ni knew precisely what she had to do.

Her brother was the head of the household, the Zhou family’s sole hope. As long as he diligently pursued his studies in the capital, her father could rest in peace. As a girl, no matter how well she studied, she was destined to marry and bear children eventually; the opportunity for education had to be yielded to her brother, and she would shoulder the family’s burden from now on.

As for her father’s dying wish, it seemed it could only be realized in the next life. She could only apologize to that unknown man in the capital; Zhou Ni would henceforth be rooted to this land, determined to support her struggling family and make all those who had bullied or belittled the Zhou family regret it!

The most pressing matter was restoring the fish pond. Ideally, she should visit the county library to buy a few books on fish farming, see if she could raise another batch before the year’s end, minimize the year’s losses as much as possible, and prepare for her brother’s tuition next year.

Zhou Ni was deep in calculation when she sensed Mother Zhou standing behind her. Turning, she saw her mother and quickly said, “Ma, why are you out here? Hurry back to bed, your health is important.”

Mother Zhou replied, “I feel much better after taking the medicine. I just can’t stop worrying about you, Ni Ni. I can’t let anything happen to you or your brother. You should be at school; I must find a way to borrow your tuition fees. And then there’s your brother. With the whole household waiting to be managed, I can’t just lie still.”

“Ma, I’m not going to university anymore. Don’t try to persuade me; I’ve decided. I’ll farm and raise fish with you, so brother can finish his bachelor’s, then his master’s, and then his doctorate. When he makes something of himself, Dad will be happy too.”

Mother Zhou was deeply moved. “Ni, you are such an understanding child. I won’t say any more. We must just blame our bitter fate. In our next lives, please don’t be born into a family like ours again. I have failed you both.”

Zhou Ni threw herself into her mother’s arms. “Ma, don’t say that. I love this family. In the next life, I still want to be your daughter.”

The mother and daughter held each other, weeping with emotion, until the night deepened, the stars and moon bright overhead, still talking by the pond. “Ma, do you think there are gods in heaven?”

Mother Zhou mused, “Perhaps there are, or where would all those legends come from?”

Zhou Ni retorted, “I say no. If there were gods, why wouldn’t one descend to help us? Are they blind?”

Mother Zhou lightly tapped Zhou Ni’s head. “You child, how can you speak like that? You mustn't offend the deities.”

Zhou Ni suddenly sprang to her feet, pointing at the sky above. “Ma, if there are gods, then aren’t they blind? Father was drowned under mysterious circumstances—why aren’t the police arresting the suspects? Even if we gather evidence, why won’t they investigate? Do they think we’re just here to do their job for them? If heaven is unfair, even if there are gods, they aren’t fit to be called gods! Cursed heavens! If you think I’m wrong, if I’ve wronged you, then send down an immortal to help us!”

Boom! A clap of thunder suddenly tore through the night sky. Mother Zhou jumped up, clapping a hand over her daughter’s mouth. Could heaven be so coincidental as to hear her daughter’s curse?

“What is that!” Zhou Ni shouted, pointing at the heavens.

Mother Zhou looked up and saw a dark shape plummeting from the sky, landing squarely in the fish pond with a crash! sending up a huge splash.

“Someone fell into the water!” Zhou Ni cried out, immediately leaping into the pond herself. The water level had risen recently; even falling from that height shouldn't have killed a person.

Mother Zhou murmured an Amitabha to the heavens. Surely heaven wouldn't grant the wish so literally as to send down a deity? But she had never heard of a celestial being descending in such a manner.

Zhou Ni was a strong swimmer. She dove down and her hand brushed against a large mudfish. Pulling with the mudfish for leverage, she then embraced a smooth, bare body. Although the newly stirred pond water was cool, Zhou Ni’s face burned with shame. What she had grabbed wasn't a mudfish handle at all—it was distinctly the fallen person's private part! No, that thing wasn't just large; perhaps ‘gigantic’ was a better description.

Shame aside, Zhou Ni’s hands did not stop working. Soon, she hauled the person who had fallen from the sky out of the pond. Although the naked body was not light, Zhou Ni was strong from years of farm labor.

The body was laid flat on the bank. Zhou Ni clearly saw that part of him still twitching slightly. Embarrassed, she turned to her mother. “Ma, do you think he’s a god sent by heaven to save us? He looks so strange, and he’s not even wearing clothes—how indecent.”

Mother Zhou said, “I doubt it. If he’s unconscious, how can he save us? Besides, I’ve never heard of heavenly gods rescuing people like this.”

“Then let’s save him first. How could he fall from the sky? Was it a plane crash?”

As Zhou Ni spoke, she checked the man’s breathing; it was steady. His life seemed safe, but that massive appendage was terribly conspicuous. With two women present—Mother Zhou being elderly and less bothered, Zhou Ni was different—she had only ever seen the private parts of young boys and certainly never the lower body of an adult male, let alone one of such a formidable size.

Searching around, she found two ragged hemp sacks in the ruined grass hut, which they used for lying on the ground while watching the fish. Zhou Ni draped the sacks over the man’s body and prepared to carry him home.

Mother Zhou, weakened by her condition, could offer little help, so she walked ahead to lead the way. Zhou Ni, struggling under the weight of the man who fell from the sky, trudged toward the village. All along the path, she kept feeling something pressing against her backside, filling her with unbearable shame. Zhou Ni even entertained the thought of just dropping the man where he was, but then she reasoned that since he was unconscious, leaving him outside overnight could easily lead to his death. He hadn't meant to cause trouble; she decided she just had to endure it.