Chapter One: Shi Xianyu’s Last Wish

After learning she had cancer, Xiangyu Shi decided that before leaving this world, she would do everything she once longed to do but never had the chance. She made a bucket list for herself:

1. Read a good book.
2. Watch a sunrise.
3. Ride the tallest Ferris wheel.
4. Fall deeply in love with someone.
5. Experience a first kiss.
6. Experience first love…

…and then she couldn’t go on.

She realized that starting from the fourth item, none of it really mattered; writing it down was pointless. If she forced herself to keep adding to the list, yet couldn’t fulfill any of it, wouldn’t she be setting herself up for disappointment in her final days? Was there any need to die with regrets? Better to let it go…

She decided to start with something simple, like number three: ride the tallest Ferris wheel. That, she felt, was doable.

The tallest Ferris wheel in the country was right in her city—160 meters tall, with sixty fully transparent cabins, offering a panoramic view of the city’s bustling splendor from its zenith.

With a light heart, Xiangyu Shi set off.

But when she arrived, she found the queue was made up entirely of couples. As a single woman, she felt completely out of place amidst the sea of affectionate lovers, the atmosphere stifling. She couldn’t help but think of items four, five, and six on her list… Was this, perhaps, a kind of self-inflicted humiliation before death?

The truth was, plenty of boys had chased after her since childhood. But for reasons unknown, they always ended up being drawn away by other girls. Rumor at school had it that she was an empty flower vase—blessed with beauty, but dull and uninteresting inside. Boys, they said, would be captivated at first glance, but bored by the second.

Young Xiangyu felt wronged and poured her heart out to her parents when she got home.

Her father burst out laughing when he heard the story. “It’s because you’re not of this world, darling. Your fate isn’t bound to the ordinary.”

She felt the warmth of her father’s love and said happily, “Dad, if you’ve got more words like that, say them all!”

He grinned and replied, “Do you know why we named you Xiangyu? Because we wished you a happiness that doesn’t envy fish in the water, but cherishes love above all. We hoped you’d always be happy.”

She beamed. “Dad, you’re a true scholar!”

It was only when she grew up that she learned her name was supposed to be Xiangxian, not Xiangyu—a beautiful literary mistake. As for the meaning of “Xiangyu,” it was: always dreaming of good things.

Under the enormous Ferris wheel, the line stretched endlessly ahead. Xiangyu shuffled forward with the crowd, bored out of her mind, when her phone rang with a call from an unknown number.

“Hello, is this Miss Xianyu Shi?” The caller spoke in awkward, heavily accented Mandarin.

She politely corrected him. “It’s Xiangyu, not Xianyu.”

“Hello, Miss Xianyu Shi. We’re calling from the Peach Blossom Village Committee in Jijizhen, Xiaonan District, Xiaoshan City. Your great-great-grandfather is critically ill. As you’re his only relative, we need you to come back and handle his affairs. There are also inheritance matters to attend to.”

Xiangyu was dumbfounded. “Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”

Her own grandfather had passed away long ago.

“Is your name not Xianyu Shi? ID number 735670783… Both your name and ID match. Young lady, don’t you know your great-great-grandfather? The ill man is your grandfather’s grandfather.”

“What?” Xiangyu could scarcely believe her ears. Her grandfather’s grandfather—how old would that make him?

“Please come as soon as you can. The old man has been talking nonsense these past few days. Come see him, let him go in peace.”

Her feelings were complicated. Wasn’t this just a new kind of scam?

But she was someone on the edge of death herself, with nothing left to lose. If by chance this really was her grandfather’s grandfather, accompanying him on his final journey would be a way to honor her family, even if only for her late grandfather’s sake.

With this in mind—and urged by the persistent phone calls—Xiangyu gave up on her Ferris wheel ride, bought a train ticket for the next day, and set off for Peach Blossom Village in Jijizhen, Xiaonan District, Xiaoshan City.

No sooner had she stepped off the train than she was met with the warmth of the village committee.

The village chief gripped her hand and exclaimed, full of emotion, “What a pity, what a shame! If only he’d had two more years, he could’ve broken the Guinness World Record for longevity!”

Xiangyu was speechless.

She, a twenty-year-old whose life was about to be cut short by cancer, really didn’t know how to respond.

The village chief personally drove her back to the village, recounting tales of her great-great-grandfather along the way.

“The old man was born in the eighteenth year of Emperor Guangxu’s reign—that’s 1892. He’s lived across three centuries! But despite his age, he remained spry, sharp-eyed, and quick-witted. Several TV stations have come to interview him, and gradually Peach Blossom Village became famous as a place of longevity, drawing countless tourists and boosting the local economy.

As the village’s oldest resident, he’s been cared for like a precious mascot. But in the past year, his health declined suddenly. He’s started rambling, often weeping and claiming he’s an immortal. The doctors say it’s probably dementia.”

No matter what, the village chief’s vivid account convinced Xiangyu this wasn’t just some new scam.

Arriving in the village, she was greeted by idyllic scenery—peach blossoms blooming on the hillsides, white geese playing in the river, farmhouses with green tiles and white walls nestled among drooping willows, all poetic and picturesque. The village roads were smooth and spotless, not a trace of chicken or pig manure in sight.

Noticing her amazement, the village chief beamed with pride. “Our tourism industry is thriving! We have beautiful mountains, clear waters, and fresh air. We’ve had over twenty residents live past a hundred! Wealthy people come here for holidays all the time.”

“Amazing…” Xiangyu exclaimed.

The chief continued, “There’s a spring on our mountain—the water is sweet and refreshing. Once, a coal mine owner came to stay here; he had a tumor and was given up for dead, but after drinking our spring water for a few months and returning to the city for a checkup, guess what? The tumor was gone!”

Xiangyu was more amazed than ever. “That’s incredible!”

Could it be that her cancer might also…

The driver interjected, “Didn’t they say it was a misdiagnosis?”

The village chief raised his voice, “The tumor disappeared, so the doctors called it a misdiagnosis! Otherwise, why would it vanish? Isn’t it because our mountains, our water, and our air are all so wonderful?”

The driver pondered this and nodded earnestly. “That makes sense.”

Xiangyu was at a loss for words.

The chief pointed ahead, “Here we are! Stop the car up ahead!”