The Birthday Gift

The next morning, Gu Ning'an woke early and freshened up. After sharing a simple breakfast with Shopkeeper Wu and his daughter, he prepared to set off on his journey.

Outside the tea house, Shopkeeper Wu pressed a bundle into Gu Ning'an's hands. Without needing to look, Gu Ning'an knew it contained freshly roasted Wishing Spring tea.

Gu Ning'an did not refuse. He needed it, and the other party was willing to give it. There was no need for unnecessary courtesy; he could repay the favor later elsewhere. This was a principle he had upheld even in his past life.

"All right, there's no need to see me off any farther," Gu Ning'an said with a wave of his hand. Glancing at Shopkeeper Wu, he smiled and added, "Take care of your health. You're not young anymore. Let Little Sanhua handle more of the work. After all, you'll need to pass down your skills to her someday."

Shopkeeper Wu chuckled and replied, "Understood. Safe travels, Mr. Gu. If you pass by again, make sure to stop for some tea. We may not have much, but tea we've got plenty."

"Mr. Gu! My name is Wu Lan! Stop calling me by that nickname!" Wu Guniang pouted in protest, clearly displeased. [Note: it seems like Guniang(Miss/Young Lady) is a form of address and not her actual name.]

Gu Ning'an walked over to Young Lady Wu and flicked her forehead with a light tap.

"Ow!" Young Lady Wu cried out, quickly turning to run to her father's side. With a pitiful look, she complained, "Dad! Mr. Gu hit me again! That's the third time!"

Shopkeeper Wu patted his daughter's back and chuckled. "If Mr. Gu hit you, then you must've deserved it. It's only fair he calls you Little Sanhua. Now, hurry up and bid him farewell so he can be on his way."

"Dad!" Young Lady Wu's face was full of grievance, but she still turned to Gu Ning'an, bowed slightly, and said, "Safe travels, Mr. Gu."

Gu Ning'an nodded and waved as he turned away. "I'm off."

The Wu family watched his retreating figure, the father feeling a mix of admiration and relief, the daughter inexplicably forlorn.

...

"Dad! Is the longevity noodles ready yet? It's almost time!" Wu Lan stood outside the kitchen, glaring at her father, who was dragging his feet. She was so impatient she wished she could just take over.

While Shopkeeper Wu's tea-making skills were unmatched, his cooking was... ordinary at best.

Usually, Wu Lan did most of the cooking. But today, when she asked him to make a simple bowl of noodles, he had spent an entire hour dawdling in the kitchen.

"Coming, coming!" Shopkeeper Wu emerged from the kitchen, carrying two steaming bowls of longevity noodles. He set them on the wooden table in the dining hall with a smile.

*Clang!*

As the bowls landed on the table, he blew on his scalded fingers and chuckled. "Behold! Your father's masterpiece—auspicious and long-lived longevity noodles. Eat them while they're hot!"

Wu Guniang picked up her chopsticks, pulled her father to sit down, and smiled. "Let's eat together, Dad. You have to stay with me forever."

Hearing this, Shopkeeper Wu froze for a moment before nodding with a faint smile. "All right. Your dad will live a long life, too. Otherwise, how could I leave you, my Little Sanhua, all alone?"

The longevity noodles were simple: scallions, bone broth, dragon's-beard noodles, and a fried egg, crisp and golden on both sides.

Father and daughter ate silently, their heads bowed, each lost in their own thoughts.

One missed the mother she had never met. The other mourned the wife he had lost many years ago.

Before long, the two finished their meal. Wu Lan stood to clean up the dishes. But as she stepped into the kitchen, she noticed a bowl of untouched longevity noodles on the counter.

The bowl had two fried eggs.

"Hey, let me clean up. Today's your birthday; you shouldn't overwork yourself," Shopkeeper Wu's voice came from behind, a trace of urgency in his tone.

Wu Lan set the dishes down and approached the bowl meant for her late mother. Smiling faintly, she asked, "Dad, did Mom love fried eggs?"

Shopkeeper Wu hadn't intended to stir up his daughter's sadness on this day. Caught off guard, he faltered, allowing her to see the bowl of noodles he had quietly prepared for his late wife.

"Yes... Back then, we were poor. During the New Year, when we could finally add some extra dishes, your mother always said we should fry a few more eggs. You're just like her—loving that crispy, golden flavor..."

*Sizzle! Sizzle!*

Tears dripped onto the hot stovetop, producing faint sizzling sounds.

Shopkeeper Wu let out an awkward laugh. "Hey, you're all grown up now—still crying? Aren't you ashamed?"

"Come on, let's take the noodles to your mother together. I always brought them alone, but today, let's go together."

"Okay, I'll carry them." Wu Lan wiped her tears, carefully picked up the bowl of longevity noodles, and walked outside.

...

"Dad, you should go to bed early," Wu Lan said softly as she stood outside her father's room, gazing at his tear-swollen eyes.

Shopkeeper Wu nodded slightly. "You, too. No more crying, all right?"

"Mm." Wu Lan responded, gently closing the door behind him. She then turned and walked toward her own room.

*The third quarter of the hour of You.(5-7 PM)* [Note: Sorry, I'm really confused about this. Idk if it's third quarter past of the You hour or third quarter of the You hour.]

Perhaps it was from exhaustion, but Wu Lan fell asleep almost as soon as she lay down.

In her dream, she found herself standing on a long, narrow official road.

Wu Lan's delicate face showed surprise. She had never experienced such a vivid dream before. If not for the memory of Gu Ning'an telling her to sleep at this exact hour, the startlingly lifelike plants and trees around her might have convinced her she wasn't dreaming at all.

"Why is this road narrower and muddier than usual? And the weeds on either side are so much denser," she muttered to herself before smiling faintly. "Of course, it's a dream—things are bound to be a little different."

As she followed the twilight-lit road, Wu Lan spotted a small tea house—or rather, a simple tea stand made of thatch. The word "crude" immediately came to mind.

"Where's my family's tea house?" she murmured, confused. Her gaze fell on the tea stand's signboard, and her breath caught—it was identical to her own tea house's sign.

She recognized it instantly. The bold, vigorous character for "tea" was unmistakably Gu Ning'an's handwriting, something she had seen daily for over twenty years.

In front of the tea stand were a few old, square tables, and the tea bowls on them were a dull, earthy yellow, as though crafted from clay.

Inside the stand, a young woman, slightly older than Wu Lan, was scrubbing a large iron pan used for roasting tea.

Who was this woman?

Why did she look so much like Wu Lan?

And why did she feel so familiar to her?

Wu Lan frowned deeply. This dream was so vivid, so strange, and it filled her with confusion.

*Scrub, scrub, scrub.*

*Splash!*

The woman finished cleaning the iron pan and poured the water onto the dirt behind her. Looking up, she noticed Wu Lan standing there, dazed.

"Little Sanhua, you're here," the woman said, wiping her damp hands before stepping out of the tea stand and pulling Wu Lan to sit down.

It was the second time that day someone had called her by that childhood nickname, yet Wu Lan remained calm. Perhaps it was because she had already guessed the woman's identity in her heart.

She didn't dare say it aloud, though. She feared that speaking it might break the dream.

"Come, let me take a look at you." The gentle woman reached out and tidied Wu Lan's messy hair with an expression full of love.

Hearing the woman's words, Wu Lan instinctively grabbed her hand and pressed it to her cheek. The warmth she felt against her skin only deepened her astonishment.

"In a dream... how can there be such sensations?"

"This isn't a dream?"

"No! It must be a dream!"

Seeing Wu Lan caught in this loop of doubt, the gentle woman chuckled and pinched her cheek lightly. "Don't overthink it. This is a dream… but I'm truly your mother."

"Do you remember? Mr. Gu said he'd give you a gift."

As she spoke, the gentle woman tapped Wu Lan's forehead lightly. "This meeting between us, mother and daughter, within a dream—that's the gift Mr. Gu has given us."