A hot spring under waterfall

Upon waking up, Xiangbei found herself lying on a slightly warm pebble riverbed, with her legs immersed in the cool stream. Following the water upstream, she could see a distant waterfall resembling white silk, cascading from a dark and wide cave halfway up the mountain. The terrain was steep, the trees tall and dense, with various shrubs and grasses growing amidst the forest. The sunlight had just risen, casting its glow on the steep south-facing cliffs, creating substantial mist from the evaporating water vapor, faintly carrying the scent of sulfur. Nearby, a vast bamboo forest appeared as if refreshed by water, lush and moist. This was a place of cliffs and valleys, gradually sloping from northwest to south. However, the eastern side of the mountain could only be described as hills, as if forcefully pushed, causing the originally towering mountain to rupture and form a long ravine. The large waterfall was split into two by a green oasis in the middle, with Xiangbei's landing site being the shallow stream on the west side, where various birds could be seen foraging on the opposite bank.

"I've finally found an undisturbed pristine green landscape," Xiangbei self-deprecatingly chuckled. However, where was she exactly? The original mountain wasn't this high, and the map didn't mark such a large gorge. "What's happening? Did I survive the fall because of the gentle water flow, or am I destined to play the role of a strong, optimistic, mature independent woman in this noisy world, alone?" Uncertain whether to be grateful for being alive or to cry out for the parents she could never catch up with, the rumbling sound of her hungry stomach pushed aside these thoughts. "Well, forget about that for now. Let's fill the stomach first and then figure a way out," Xiangbei mumbled to herself.

Pulling on the backpack strap hanging over her shoulder, she froze for a moment. What was this? A souvenir? A handmade basket for herbs or medicine? There were no herbs left, even if there were, they would have been washed away. The funnel-shaped bottom held a medicine hoe and a machete horizontally. Who replaced her with this cotton-padded jacket? The long hair spread over her shoulders again, what was happening? The head started throbbing, the body went limp, and before losing consciousness, the fragmented images in her mind began to connect, like scenes from a TV drama in which she was the lead.

This ancient girl, who shared the same name, appearance, and surname as herself, was fourteen today, in an unclear era. Three years ago, her parents led her to the town to celebrate her birthday. While holding her father's hand and watching dough figurines being made, she turned around and her mother was nowhere to be seen. Every year during these days, her father would search the town in a trance, and the girl would silently follow, collecting herbs on the way to sell in town and then leading her father home. Today, just after the rain, stepping on the green grass on the slope, her foot slipped, and she fell from the collapsed part of the cave's roof into the underground river. When her head hit the stalactite and she floated down the waterfall, Tong Xiangbei woke up.

Tong Xiangbei opened her eyes, sat up with difficulty, buried her face in her knees, feeling the strong sense of guilt and sorrow lingering in her body. She faintly felt that this was a real story. The girl fell to her death when she hit her head on the stalactite while falling, her soul already far away. And here she was, waking up in this body.

The Tong family lived on the mountain to the northwest. The eldest Tong, it seemed many years ago, brought his son and two loyal servants here to escape someone. They made a living by collecting herbs, hunting, and making saltpeter. Over the years, they slowly developed some terraced fields around their residence. Tong Xiangbei could sense the deep affection and concern between the young girl and the old man. Xiangbei let out a sigh and silently said, "Living is the same everywhere. Since I'm here, I'll live on for you."