In the peaceful years before famine struck, the Zheng family of Da'an stood in great prestige. Kind and genero…
In the peaceful years before famine struck, the Zheng family of Da'an stood in great prestige. Kind and generous, the Zheng couple earned the respect of all, aiding neighbors and forging goodwill throughout the community.
Then came the birth of young master Zheng E. The whole town rejoiced—guests from far and wide arrived with gifts, the most precious among them a Gilded Longevity Thread handwoven by his grandmother, symbolizing a full life and a wish for a hundred years of peace and joy. Everyone shared that hope.
Those days were warm and bright, filled with harmony and family. It felt as if such happiness would last forever.
But after the chaos of marauders, Zheng E stood alone in the ruins, watching A'Ruan die before his eyes. His home gone, his family lost. Once surrounded by love, now he was the only one left. Reunion? What a cruel joke. Longevity? Only he had lived.
He untied the golden thread, once a symbol of everyone's hopes, and placed it gently on A'Ruan's grave. The one most wished to live long was gone. As for his own life... he left it there too.