Months later, Wang Mian, missing his aged father and young son at home, felt a deep yearning for his native place and mentioned it to his wife. Fang Yun said, "Returning home is not difficult, but once we part ways from this point, I fear we shall never meet again."

Wang Mian was saddened by her words, sensing in her tone a desire for eternal separation. He pleaded, "Let us go back together, will you?"

Fang Yun pondered for a long while before replying, "It is permissible for me to accompany you, yet the distinction between human and immortal is profound. Though the mortal realm is pleasant, it is ultimately not a place for lasting residence. Once your parents have passed beyond their hundred years, we too must eventually depart. At that time, will you be willing to walk that path with me?"

Wang Mian declared, "To the ends of the earth, I am willing."

Fang Yun laughed, "With those words from you, I am at ease."

His father-in-law, Old Man Huan, upon hearing his son-in-law intended to leave, personally hosted a farewell banquet. During the feast, Lü Yun entered carrying a basket and announced, "Sister is embarking on a long journey, and as your younger sister, I have nothing much to offer. However, since the road ahead passes through the South Sea, and you will have no fixed abode, I hurried to finish this work overnight, crafting several residences for you, Sister."

Fang Yun thanked her and accepted the basket. Wang Mian’s curiosity was piqued. He mused, "Residences can be constructed? My little sister-in-law is surely not simple." He stepped closer to examine the gifts. There were no actual residences to be seen, only several pavilions woven from fine grass, the largest as big as a ball, the smallest like a kumquat, numbering perhaps over twenty structures. Each pavilion was exquisitely crafted; the doors, windows, tables, and chairs were all distinctly visible. He smiled and dismissed it, praising, "Superb craftsmanship! However, such houses are fine for viewing, but uninhabitable."

Fang Yun laughed, "Whether they can be lived in or not, we shall see."

Old Man Huan inquired, "On your journey home this time, will you travel by land or by water?"

Wang Mian replied, "The sea route is perilous with storms and waves; let us stick to the land path—safety first. After falling into the water last time, I suffered greatly; the memory still haunts me." With this, he bowed in farewell and stepped outside. Carriages and horses were already waiting. The couple mounted the carriage and sped away, soon arriving at a coastline.

Gazing ahead, the great sea blocked their path, the winds fierce and the waves turbulent, stretching limitlessly into the distance. Wang Mian frowned, "What shall we do?"

Fang Yun smiled faintly, retrieving a bolt of white silk from her robes and tossing it into the wind. The cloth swelled dramatically upon meeting the breeze, instantly transforming into a long dike. The dike cut off the flow of water, extending an incalculable length, dozens of meters wide—sufficient for passage.

The carriage rushed forward, crossing the barrier in a blink. With every step the horses took, the dike shortened slightly. By the time they reached the shore, the long dike contracted and vanished from sight.

As dusk approached, they arrived at a flat expanse where a river wound its way through the terrain. The surroundings were vast and desolate, devoid of human habitation. As twilight deepened, a mountain wind blew, causing Wang Mian’s body to shiver. He frowned, "In such a desolate place, where shall we lodge for the night?"

Fang Yun chuckled, "Have you forgotten the grass houses your sister gifted us?" As she spoke, she took out the woven items and placed them on the ground. In the blink of an eye, the grass structures transformed, becoming grand mansions. Inside, silken beds lay waiting, the windows were clean and bright, and every item was of the highest quality.

The couple entered the mansion to rest, exhausted from their journey, and slept soundly.

Rising early the next day, Fang Yun declared, "The scenery here is beautiful; we shall settle down here from now on. Go and fetch your parents; the whole family will no longer be separated."

Wang Mian joyfully accepted the commission and spurred his horse into a wild gallop, racing back to his hometown. As his horse entered familiar ground, he found no trace of his family. Inquiring among the neighbors and villagers, he learned that his wife’s mother had long since died, and his own father and son remained, surviving day by day. The grandfather was old and muddle-headed, unable to care for himself; the grandson was wild and dissolute, having squandered all the family estate. The ancestral home had also changed ownership. Father and son were left without shelter, temporarily residing in a ruined temple in the West Village.

Wang Mian, whose heart had been filled with enthusiasm, was struck by inexpressible grief upon hearing this terrible news. With a long sigh, he lamented, "Fame and fortune are nothing more than falling flowers in flowing water. From this day forward, I, Wang Mian, desire only to retire to the mountains and forests, serving my aged father; the official world is to me as dust."

With this thought, he immediately went to the West Village to welcome his birth father. Father and son met and wept uncontrollably. Wang Mian inquired about his son’s recent condition. His father replied, "That wretched boy has not improved; he gambles through the night and has not returned."

Wang Mian said with bitter hatred, "It is better to be without such an unfilial son."

After the father and son finished catching up, they returned together to their temporary lodging. When Fang Yun heard that her father-in-law had arrived, she personally went out to welcome him, serving him diligently, preparing tea and boiling water, showing the utmost filial piety.

Several days later, the son found their location. Wang Mian refused to see him, bestowing only several ingots of gold, asking Ming Dang to deliver them, and sending the message: "Use these twenty taels of gold to find a wife. From now on, you and I owe each other nothing. If you dare to come again, you will be beaten to death!"

Four years later, his father passed away peacefully, having reached the end of his natural life. After completing the funeral rites, Wang Mian returned with his wife to retire to the mountains and forests, and from then on, their whereabouts were unknown.