IV. The Rebirth of Hualien
1
After being struck by two typhoons and devastated by an earthquake, many of the Amis villages in the Hualien region had been completely destroyed. Many homes had been knocked down and flattened, while most of the surviving houses had lost their roofs, with their beams and pillars leaning at odd angles. The entire region was left in a devastated and heartbreaking post-disaster state.
At dawn, the surface of the sea had returned to its former tranquility. Only a few wisps of mist that had not yet completely dispersed drifted slowly across the water like silver-white veils. The sails in the distance grew smaller and smaller until they finally became a vague black dot and disappeared into the eastern horizon.
Risheng stood at the stern of the sailboat, staring into the distance for a long time without looking away. During these days, he had carried not only the memories of being stranded on a deserted island, but also the life-and-death hardships he had shared with his dolphin friends, as well as the gold that had once awakened greed in countless people.
Now that the Dutch fleet had finally departed, the first thing that came to his mind was not himself, but the Amis people who were still struggling to live in Hualien. He raised his head and gazed across the vast expanse of sea and sky, secretly making up his mind.
“If this gold stays in my hands, it will only attract more people who want it.”
He murmured to himself, “Perhaps its best destination is to use it to help those who truly need it.”
Near the bow, several dolphins occasionally leaped from the sea, tracing beautiful arcs through the morning light. Huanhuan swam at the very front, sometimes rolling over and sometimes slapping the surface of the water, as if urging Risheng to hurry.
Risheng looked at her and could not help smiling. “Huanhuan, don’t be in such a hurry. We’re heading back now.”
The sailboat caught the favorable wind and slowly sailed away from Guishan Island. However, Risheng did not immediately return to Hualien. He knew that the gold was still hidden inside the underwater cave, and only he and his dolphin friends knew where the cave was. Although the Dutch fleet had temporarily left, no one could guarantee that they would not return someday. If the gold remained where it was, sooner or later it could become a source of trouble again.
Therefore, when the boat reached the waters near Guishan Island, Risheng signaled several warriors traveling with him to anchor in a secluded bay.
“Stay on the boat and wait for me.”
One of the warriors immediately stepped forward and asked suspiciously, “Young Master, there are reefs all around us. Where are you going?”
Risheng pointed toward the calm sea ahead. “I’m going underwater with Huanhuan and the others. There are some things I need to bring out.”
The warrior was about to ask another question, but Risheng had already removed his outer garment and tied his long hair behind his head.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
With that, he leaped into the sea. Several dolphins immediately gathered around him. Huanhuan swam to his side, affectionately touching his arm with her snout before turning and swimming toward the seabed.
Risheng reached out and grabbed her dorsal fin, following her beneath the water. The sea grew deeper and deeper, and the sunlight gradually became a swaying field of blue light above their heads. Huanhuan led Risheng through a reef and then into a narrow underwater crevice. Several dolphins took turns leading the way, and before long they arrived at the secluded underwater cave.
Risheng surfaced and took a deep breath. Familiar with the place, he felt his way along the rock wall and relit the torches he had prepared earlier. The dim yellow firelight began to flicker inside the cave, illuminating row after row of wooden chests that had remained silent for so long. When the chests were opened, the gold bars still gleamed with a dazzling brilliance.
Even though he had seen them many times before, Risheng still could not help stopping in his tracks. The gold bars shimmered with a cold light in the fire, as if countless greedy eyes were staring at him from deep within the darkness.
Risheng remained silent for a moment before reaching out and picking up one of the gold bars. Its heavy weight pressed against his palm, as though it were also weighing upon his heart.
“If these things can truly help a village rise again, then they should not remain here forever.”
He turned his head and looked at Huanhuan beside him.
“Huanhuan, I want to take them back to Hualien.”
Huanhuan swam in a circle and let out a clear cry. Risheng understood what she meant, and a smile finally appeared on his face.
“You agree?”
Huanhuan happily slapped her pectoral fins against the water, sending a large splash into the air.
Risheng could not help laughing. “All right. Then let’s move them together.”
With the help of several dolphins, Risheng spent a long time carrying several gold bars out of the underwater cave. The gold was not an enormous amount, but it was already enough to change the fate of many people.
When the sailboat once again headed toward Hualien, Risheng stood at the bow, watching the shoreline grow closer and closer. The sea breeze blew directly into his face, carrying the salty, humid scent of the ocean.
However, as the boat approached the shore, what he saw was not a lively village, but a heartbreaking scene.
Some houses had already collapsed, while some bamboo and wooden structures had been destroyed by the wind and rain, leaving only a few lonely pillars standing in the mud. Several elderly people sat beneath the remains of broken eaves, their expressions exhausted. The children, meanwhile, walked carefully barefoot through the mud.
Risheng stood at the bow for a long time without saying a word. He had originally thought that after returning this time, he would finally be able to enjoy a few peaceful days. But the sight before him once again weighed heavily on his heart.
“Can we really help so many people?”
The thought had barely surfaced when he shook his head.
“At the very least, we have to start with the people right in front of us.”
After the sailboat reached the shore, Risheng led several warriors onto the beach. The villagers quickly recognized him.
“It’s Risheng!”
“Risheng is back!”
The crowd soon gathered from all directions. An elderly Amis man walked up to him, tightly clasped his hands, and spoke with tears of excitement in his eyes.
“Risheng, you’ve finally come back.”
Risheng looked at the ruined houses behind the old man and asked, “Have things been very difficult for everyone in the village lately?”
The old man remained silent for a moment before giving a bitter smile.
“The typhoons, the torrential rains, and the earthquake before that have damaged many of our houses. Everyone wants to rebuild, but we don’t have enough lumber, tools, or food. We can only struggle along little by little.”
Risheng patted him on the shoulder.
“Elder, from today on, everyone can stop struggling.”
The old man froze for a moment.
Risheng turned back to the warriors and said, “Bring the things down.”
Several warriors immediately opened the wooden chests. When the first gold bar emerged and its brilliant golden light shone beneath the sunlight, the crowd suddenly fell silent. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the dazzling gold.
One young villager could not help asking, “Risheng, are these… gold?”
Risheng nodded.
“Yes.”
“Where did you get so much gold?”
Risheng did not answer immediately. He glanced toward the distant sea, thinking of the underwater cave and the dolphin friends who had accompanied him along the way.
“These things never belonged to me in the first place.” He turned around and looked at everyone, his voice calm and firm. “So I want to use them where they are truly needed.”
The old man stared at him blankly. After a long while, he finally asked, “You intend to divide the gold among us?”
“Yes,” Risheng said. “This gold is for rebuilding everyone’s homes.”
The crowd immediately erupted in commotion. Some were astonished, some were deeply moved, and others could hardly believe their ears.
Yue Niang stood quietly behind the crowd, watching Risheng. She saw him standing in the sunlight, still dressed simply, without the slightest trace of pride on his face because he possessed gold. At that moment, she suddenly understood that what she truly loved about this man was perhaps that heart of his, a heart unmoved by wealth.
“Risheng, you always put other people’s needs before your own,” she said softly.
Risheng turned to her and smiled. “If everyone has a place to live and enough food to eat, what does it matter where I live or what I eat?”
Yue Niang gazed at him, her eyes gradually softening. “But I don’t want you to spend your whole life caring only about other people.”
Risheng was slightly startled. Yue Niang stepped closer and gently brushed the dust from his shoulder. “Because you are no longer alone.”
Risheng stared at her, feeling as though something warm had gently struck his chest.
He did not answer. He simply reached out and took her hand. “I know.”
In the days that followed, Huilan began to regain a sense of activity and life that had been absent for a long time. Many villages began working together. The young and able-bodied went into the mountains to cut timber, prepare bamboo, and build house frames. The women wove bamboo walls and repaired roofs, while the elders stood nearby and instructed everyone in the traditional methods of house construction. Even the children helped the adults carry lighter materials. One new home after another rose again under the sea breeze and sunlight.
Risheng traveled constantly between the villages, personally distributing funds and supplies. As he watched the roofs of the collapsed houses rise again, he felt for the first time that those heavy gold bars could actually be transformed into something so warm.
2
Rebuilding the houses was only the first step. Huilan still faced another, even more difficult problem: disease. Scattered cases of fever and chills began appearing in some villages. Back in his hometown of Xiamen, Risheng had once heard his elders say that the disease was called typhoid fever, and that mosquito bites were a major means of transmission. At first, only a few children became ill. Later, adults began falling sick one after another. Some developed red rashes, while others suffered from persistent high fevers. An unsettling atmosphere began to spread throughout the villages.
Risheng stood outside a simple house, staring at a child lying on a straw mat, his brows tightly furrowed. Yue Niang walked up beside him and said quietly, “This illness doesn’t look like an ordinary cold.”
Risheng nodded. “That’s right. It’s an infectious disease that can spread quickly.” Looking at the child’s suffering face, he felt a kind of fear he had never experienced even in the midst of storms at sea.
At least he knew how to face the dangers of the ocean. But disease was invisible and untouchable, yet it could quietly take a person’s life.
“If this continues, I’m afraid more people will become infected.” Risheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his head. “We need someone who truly understands medicine.”
A few days later, Risheng boarded a sailing ship again. This time, he set Xiamen as his destination. The sea breeze pushed the ship westward, while Huanhuan and several dolphins escorted them all the way, sometimes leaping beside the ship and sometimes disappearing beneath the blue waves.
After several days at sea, the sailing ship finally reached Xiamen Island. After coming ashore, Risheng asked around and finally received some news. There was a Dutch priest in the city named Lister who was highly knowledgeable in medicine and pharmacology and frequently treated poor people.
When Risheng found Father Lister, he was treating a patient inside a simple dwelling. Lister raised his head and frowned slightly when he saw the unfamiliar young man standing at the doorway.
“Young man, what brings you here?”
Risheng stepped forward and respectfully bowed. “Father, I have come from Huilan.”
“Huilan?” Lister put down the medicine bottle in his hand and looked at him suspiciously.
Risheng told him everything about the situation in Huilan, from villagers gradually falling ill and suffering high fevers and chills to the lack of medicine in the villages, without concealing a single detail.
After listening, Lister remained silent for a long while. “You want me to go back with you?”
“Yes.”
“It is a long way from Xiamen Island, and the sea route is not safe.”
Risheng answered without hesitation, “I know.”
Lister looked directly into his eyes. “Do you know what you are doing?”
Risheng nodded. “I only know that if we do nothing, many people may die from this disease.”
Lister’s expression changed slightly. The young man’s words were simple, yet they reminded him of the oath he had made when he first began studying medicine.
After thinking for a moment, he finally asked, “Can you provide the medicine?”
“Yes.”
“We will need a great deal of quinine powder. It has to be purchased from foreign merchants, and it is quite expensive.”
“I have enough funds to purchase quinine.”
Lister looked at him and added, “It isn’t just medicine. I will also need some medical instruments and enough supplies for disease prevention. If you truly want me to go, we must prepare as many of these things as possible.”
Risheng nodded. “No problem, Father.”
Lister reached out and shook his hand. “All right. I’ll go with you.”
While purchasing the medicine, Lister watched as Risheng paid with gold without the slightest hesitation. A puzzled expression appeared on his face.
“Where did you get this gold?”
Risheng paused for a moment.
“An accidental discovery of a treasure.”
Lister did not ask any further questions. He simply looked at the gold and then at the crates filled with medicine and medical equipment, seeming to understand the young man’s attitude toward wealth.
“I believe you are sincere about taking me to Huilan now.”
Risheng smiled. “Father, if this gold can save many people’s lives, then it is worth it.”
The sailing ship departed from Xiamen once again.
This time, besides Risheng and several warriors, there was also a Dutch priest from a distant land and a shipload of precious medicine.
When the coastline of Huilan appeared before them once again, Lister stood at the bow and gazed at the distant villages.
“Is that the Huilan you were talking about?”
“Yes.” Risheng nodded. “It is also the place we must protect from now on.”
After the ship reached shore, Lister immediately assigned people to assist with medical treatment. He first examined the symptoms of the patients one by one. Then he instructed the villagers to isolate the sick, ordered everyone to boil untreated water before drinking it, told them to hang mosquito nets before going to sleep at night, and required them to clear away standing water and improve drainage ditches around the houses.
At first, some members of the tribe did not understand Lister’s intentions.
“Father, why do we have to separate the sick? They are our family, too!”
Lister patiently explained, “Precisely because they are your family, you must protect everyone else even more. If everyone stays together, the disease will spread from one person to another, and eventually the entire village could become infected.”
Risheng stood nearby and translated Lister’s words into language the villagers could easily understand. Yue Niang also joined them in helping. Gradually, the villagers began to accept these methods.
During the day, Lister treated the patients. Risheng and the warriors transported medicine and cleaned the surroundings. Yue Niang led the women in caring for the sick and administering their medicine on schedule.
At night, the sea breeze blew into the villages from the ocean. Fires of burning camphor wood glowed throughout the darkness. Exhausted, Lister sat beside one of the fires and looked at the Amis people gathered around him. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his face, a smile he had not worn in a long time.
A young tribesman handed him a bowl of venison soup.
“Father, you’ve worked all day. Have some.”
Lister was momentarily stunned. He accepted the bowl and took a sip. The soup was not luxurious, but it filled him with an indescribable warmth.
“Thank you.”
The young tribesman smiled. “We thank you for saving our people.”
Lister raised his head and looked at the sincere faces before him. A thought he had never felt so clearly before suddenly arose in his heart.
Perhaps this was where he was truly meant to stay.
Several months later, the epidemic in Huilan finally came under control. Children who had once been weak and sickly began running and playing by the sea again, and laughter once again filled the villages.
Lister stood on the shore, looking at the villages beneath the setting sun.
Risheng walked up beside him. “Father, when are you planning to return to Xiamen?”
Lister did not answer. After a long while, he slowly said, “I’m not going back.”
Risheng was startled. “What?”
Lister turned toward him and smiled. “I’m staying.”
“Staying in Huilan?”
“Yes.” Lister looked toward the tribespeople working beneath the setting sun. “They need a doctor, and they also need someone to teach them more knowledge. I originally came here only to treat the sick, but during these past months, I have discovered that I have already come to regard this place as home.”
Risheng was silent for a moment, then reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “If you are willing to stay, we will certainly treat you as family.”
At that moment, several Amis young men approached. One of them smiled at Lister.
“Father, since you’re staying, we’ll build you a house.”
Another immediately added, “And not just a house. We should build a church, too.”
Lister froze. “A church?”
The tribesman nodded. “Father, if you are going to preach here, of course you need a place where people can gather and pray.”
Lister looked at them, his eyes gradually turning red. “You are really willing to help me?”
The tribesman smiled. “You saved so many of us. What does it matter if we build you a house?”
Risheng stood nearby, watching the tribespeople enthusiastically discuss where to find timber and how to construct the framework. A relieved smile appeared on his face.
The sea breeze blew in from the distance, stirring the robe around Lister’s body. Before long, a simple church slowly began to take shape on the land of Huilan.
It was not a magnificent building. There was no towering steeple and no ornate stone walls. There were only wood, bamboo, and thatch, along with a group of Amis people willing to accept the gospel preached by the priest.
Risheng stood in the distance, watching the church being built. A strange feeling suddenly arose within him.
He had once thought that bringing the gold back to Huilan was simply a way to help the tribespeople rebuild their homes. But now he understood that what was truly being rebuilt was not merely a few houses.
It was a village’s hope for the future.
And that land, once covered by disaster, disease, and fear, was gradually coming back to life.
The sun sank below the horizon.
In the distance, several dolphins leaped from the water, drawing graceful arcs against the golden evening sky. Risheng watched them and suddenly remembered everything he had experienced along the way.
He had once been a young man drifting alone across the sea. He had struggled simply to survive for a mouthful of food and a place to shelter.
Now he had Yue Niang beside him, his dolphin friends, and a group of Amis people willing to share their lives with him.
For the first time, he felt that he had finally found a place he could truly call home.
Yue Niang walked up beside him and gently took his hand.
“Risheng, what are you thinking about?”
Risheng gazed at the countless lights glowing across Huilan and answered with a smile, “I was thinking that perhaps this is our real new life.”
Yue Niang leaned against his shoulder and said nothing more.
The two of them stood side by side in the sea breeze.
Not far away, Huanhuan leaped from the sea once again, her clear call sending one blessing after another across this land that had been given new life.
3
The wind had been blowing across the sea for several consecutive days. A sailing ship flying a foreign merchant’s flag rode the monsoon winds and slowly approached the Huilan coast from north to south. The sails billowed in the wind, the mast creaked in a low, groaning sound, and the ship rose and fell with the waves.
Guangnan stood at the bow, gripping the railing tightly with both hands as he gazed at the coastline gradually coming into view.
This land was completely different from Jinbaoli Village.
Wooden houses were scattered across the coastal plain, while rice stalks swayed in the fields. Several wooden fishing boats were anchored along the beach, and people could be seen moving about in the distance.
Several tribesmen came down from the mountains carrying game on their shoulders, while fishermen carried baskets of freshly caught fish ashore one after another.
What surprised Guangnan even more was that several foreign merchant ships were anchored in the bay, with sailors aboard unloading cargo.
Standing at the bow, Guangnan let his gaze pass over the busy dock, but he felt no joy whatsoever.
“So it has already developed this far...” he murmured.
A foreign merchant standing beside him followed his gaze and smiled.
“This is the fastest-growing place in the region in recent years. That great chief, Risheng, is quite capable. I hear that the people from all the villages respect him greatly.”
When Guangnan heard the name “Risheng,” his heart trembled slightly.
He said nothing, but tightened his grip on the railing.
Risheng.
If it really was him...
Guangnan did not dare to continue the thought.
But when the sailing ship reached shore and he stepped onto the land of Huilan with the merchants, all his suspicions became reality the moment a familiar figure appeared before his eyes.
Among the crowd, a man was leading several warriors as they patrolled the dock.
He was tall and upright, with a calm and steady expression. He wore the distinctive clothing of the Amis people, with an embroidered cloth scarf wrapped around his head.
Yet the familiar contours of his face remained unmistakably recognizable to Guangnan.
“How did you get so much gold?”
Jisheng did not answer immediately. He glanced toward the distant sea, thinking of the underwater cave and the dolphin friends who had accompanied him all the way.
“This never truly belonged to me in the first place.” He turned around and looked at everyone, his voice calm and firm. “So I want to use it where it is truly needed.”
The old man stared at him blankly. After a long moment, he finally asked, “You’re going to give the gold to us?”
“Yes,” Jisheng said. “This gold is for rebuilding everyone’s homes.”
The crowd immediately erupted into a commotion. Some were astonished, some were deeply moved, and others could hardly believe their ears.
Yue Niang stood quietly at the back of the crowd, watching Jisheng. She saw him standing in the sunlight, still dressed simply, without the slightest trace of pride on his face because he possessed gold. She suddenly understood that perhaps what she truly loved about this man was the heart that could not be moved by wealth.
“Jisheng, you always put other people’s needs before your own,” she said softly.
Jisheng turned to her and smiled. “If everyone has a place to live and food to eat, then where I live and what I eat doesn’t really matter, does it?”
Yue Niang looked at him, her gaze gradually becoming gentler. “But I don’t want you to spend your whole life thinking only about other people.”
Jisheng was slightly taken aback. Yue Niang stepped closer and reached out to brush the dust from his shoulder. “Because you’re not alone anymore.”
Jisheng stared at her, his chest feeling as though something warm had gently struck his heart.
He did not answer. He simply reached out and took her hand. “I know.”
In the days that followed, the long-lost bustle gradually returned to Huilan. Many villages began working together. The young men went into the mountains to cut timber, prepare bamboo, and build house frames. The women wove bamboo walls and repaired roofs, while the elders stood nearby and taught the traditional methods of house construction. Even the children helped the adults carry lighter materials. One new home after another rose again beneath the sea breeze and sunlight.
Jisheng traveled constantly from village to village, personally distributing funds and supplies. As he watched the roofs of collapsed houses rise once again, he felt for the first time that those heavy gold bars could actually be transformed into something so warm.
2
Rebuilding the houses was only the first step. Huilan still faced another, even more difficult problem: disease. In some villages, isolated cases of fever and chills began to appear. Jisheng had once heard elders in his family home in Xiamen say that the disease was called “typhoid fever,” and that mosquito bites were a major means of transmission. At first, only a few children fell ill. Later, adults began falling sick one after another. Some developed red rashes, while others suffered from persistent high fevers. An uneasy atmosphere began to spread throughout the villages.
Jisheng stood outside a simple house, staring at a child lying on a grass mat, his brows tightly furrowed. Yue Niang came to his side and said quietly, “This illness doesn’t look like an ordinary cold.”
Jisheng nodded. “That’s right. It’s an infectious disease that can spread quickly.” Looking at the child’s suffering, Jisheng felt a kind of fear he had never experienced even during storms at sea.
He at least knew how to face danger on the ocean. But disease was invisible and untouchable, yet it could quietly take a person’s life.
“If this continues, I’m afraid more people will become infected.” Jisheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his head. “We need someone who truly understands medicine.”
Several days later, Jisheng boarded a sailboat once again. This time, he set his destination as Xiamen. The sea breeze pushed the sailboat westward, while Huanhuan and several dolphins escorted them all the way, sometimes leaping beside the hull and sometimes disappearing beneath the blue waves.
After several days of travel, the sailboat finally reached Xiamen Island. After coming ashore, Jisheng asked around everywhere and eventually received some news. There was a Dutch priest in the city named Father Lister who was highly knowledgeable in medicine and pharmacology and often treated poor people.
When Jisheng found Father Lister, the priest was treating a patient inside a simple house. Lister raised his head and frowned slightly when he saw the unfamiliar young man standing in the doorway.
“Young man, what brings you here?”
Jisheng stepped forward and respectfully bowed. “Father, I came from Huilan.”
“Huilan?” Lister put down the medicine bottle in his hand and looked at him suspiciously.
Jisheng told him everything about the situation in Huilan, from the villagers gradually becoming ill and suffering from high fevers and chills to the village’s desperate shortage of medicine. He concealed nothing.
After listening, Lister remained silent for a long while. “You want me to go back with you?”
“Yes.”
“It is a long way from Xiamen Island, and the sea route is not safe.”
“I know,” Jisheng said without hesitation.
Lister looked directly into his eyes. “Do you know what you are doing?”
Jisheng nodded. “All I know is that if we do nothing, many people may die.”
Lister’s expression changed slightly. The young man’s words were simple, yet they reminded him of the oath he had made when he first studied medicine.
After thinking for a moment, he finally asked, “Can you provide the medicine?”
“Yes.”
“We will need a large quantity of quinine powder. It must be purchased from foreign merchants, and it is not cheap.”
“I have enough money to purchase the quinine.”
Lister looked at him and added, “It is not just medicine. I will also need some medical instruments and enough supplies for disease prevention. If you truly want me to go, all of these things must be prepared as thoroughly as possible.”
Jisheng nodded. “No problem, Father.”
Lister reached out and shook his hand. “All right. I’ll go with you.”
While purchasing the medicine, Lister watched Jisheng take out gold without hesitation to make the payment, and a puzzled expression appeared on his face.
“Where did you get this gold?”
Jisheng paused for a moment.
“A treasure I happened to find.”
Lister did not ask any further questions. He simply looked at the gold, then at the crates filled with medicinal herbs and medical equipment, as though he had already understood the young man’s attitude toward wealth.
“I believe now that you sincerely want to take me to Huilan.”
Jisheng smiled. “Father, if this gold can save many people’s lives, then it is worth it.”
The sailboat left Xiamen once again.
This time, besides Jisheng and several warriors, there was also a Dutch priest from a distant land aboard, along with a boatload of precious medicine.
When the coastline of Huilan appeared before them once again, Lister stood at the bow and looked toward the distant villages.
“Is that the Huilan you told me about?”
“Yes.” Jisheng nodded. “And it is the place we must protect from now on.”
After the boat reached shore, Lister immediately assigned people to begin medical treatment. He first examined the symptoms of the patients one by one. Then he ordered the villagers to isolate the sick, instructed everyone to boil drinking water before consuming it, told them to hang mosquito nets before going to sleep at night, and required them to clear the drainage ditches and standing water around their homes.
At first, some of the villagers did not understand Lister’s intentions.
“Father, why do we have to separate the sick from everyone else? They are our family!”
Lister patiently explained, “Precisely because they are your family, you must protect everyone else. If everyone stays together, the disease will spread from one person to another, and eventually the entire village could become infected.”
Jisheng stood nearby and translated Lister’s words into language the villagers could easily understand. Yue Niang also joined them in helping. Gradually, the villagers began to accept these methods.
During the day, Lister treated the patients. Jisheng and the warriors transported medicine and cleaned the surroundings. Yue Niang led the women in caring for the sick and making sure they received their medicine on schedule.
At night, the sea breeze blew into the village from the ocean. Fires fueled by camphor wood burned here and there in the darkness. The exhausted Lister sat beside one of the fires, looking at the Amis people gathered around him. Suddenly, a smile he had not shown in a long time appeared on his face.
A young villager handed him a bowl of venison soup.
“Father, you’ve worked all day. Have some.”
Lister was momentarily stunned. He took the bowl and lowered his head to drink a mouthful. The soup was not luxurious, yet it filled him with an indescribable warmth.
“Thank you.”
The young villager smiled. “We thank you for saving our people.”
Lister raised his head and looked at the sincere faces before him. Suddenly, a thought he had never felt so clearly before arose in his heart.
Perhaps this was where he truly belonged.
Several months later, the epidemic in Huilan finally began to come under control. Children who had once been weak and sickly returned to the beach to play, and laughter once again filled the villages.
Lister stood on the shore, gazing at the village beneath the setting sun.
Jisheng walked up beside him. “Father, when are you planning to return to Xiamen?”
Lister did not answer.
After a long while, he slowly said, “I’m not going back.”
Jisheng froze. “What?”
Lister turned his head and smiled at him. “I’m staying.”
“Staying in Huilan?”
“Yes.” Lister looked toward the villagers working beneath the setting sun. “They need a doctor, and they also need someone to teach them more knowledge. I originally came here only to treat the sick, but during these past months, I have discovered that I have already come to think of this place as home.”
Jisheng was silent for a moment, then reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
“If you are willing to stay, we will treat you as one of our family.”
At that moment, several Amis young men walked over. One of them smiled at Lister.
“Father, since you are staying, we’ll build you a house.”
Another immediately added, “Not just a house. We should also build a church.”
Lister was stunned. “A church?”
The villagers nodded.
“Father, if you are going to preach here, of course you need a place where everyone can gather and pray.”
Lister looked at them, his eyes gradually reddening.
“You are really willing to help me?”
The villager smiled. “You saved so many of us. What does it matter if we build a house for you?”
Jisheng stood nearby, watching the villagers enthusiastically discuss where to find timber and how to construct the frame. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
The sea breeze blew in from the distance, stirring the long robe on Lister’s body. Before long, a simple church slowly began to take shape on the land of Huilan.
It was not a magnificent building. There was no towering steeple and no ornate stone walls. There were only wood, bamboo, and thatch, together with a group of Amis people willing to listen to the priest preach the Gospel.
Jisheng stood in the distance, looking at the church under construction, and suddenly felt something strange in his heart.
He had once believed that bringing the gold back to Huilan was simply about helping the villagers rebuild their homes. But now he understood that what was truly being rebuilt was not merely a few houses.
It was a village’s hope for the future.
And the land that had once been shrouded in disaster, disease, and fear was gradually coming back to life.
The sun sank beneath the horizon.
In the distance, several dolphins leaped from the water, tracing graceful arcs through the golden evening light.
Jisheng gazed at them and suddenly thought of everything he had experienced along the way. He had once been a boy drifting alone across the sea. He had once struggled simply to survive for a mouthful of food and a place to shelter.
Now he had Yue Niang beside him, dolphin friends by his side, and a group of Amis people willing to share their lives with him.
He suddenly felt that he had finally found a place he could truly call home.
Yue Niang walked up beside him and gently took his hand.
“Jisheng, what are you thinking about?”
Jisheng looked at the countless lights glowing throughout Huilan and answered with a smile, “I was thinking that perhaps this is our real new life.”
Yue Niang leaned against his shoulder and said nothing more.
The two stood side by side in the sea breeze.
Not far away, Huanhuan leaped from the sea once again, her clear cry sending one blessing after another across this land that had been given new life.
3
The wind had been blowing across the sea for several days.
A sailboat flying a foreign merchant’s flag rode the monsoon winds and slowly sailed southward toward the coast of Huilan. The sails billowed in the wind, the mast creaked deeply, and the hull rose and fell with the waves.
Guangnan stood at the bow, gripping the railing tightly with both hands as he stared at the coastline gradually becoming clearer ahead.
The land was completely different from Jinbaoli Village. Wooden houses were scattered across the coastal plain, rice stalks swayed in the fields, and several wooden fishing boats were anchored along the beach. In the distance, people could be seen coming and going.
Several villagers carried game down from the mountains on their shoulders, while fishermen hauled baskets of freshly caught fish ashore.
What surprised Guangnan even more was that several foreign merchant ships were anchored in the bay, with sailors on board busy unloading cargo.
Standing at the bow, Guangnan’s eyes swept across the bustling harbor, yet he felt not the slightest bit of happiness.
“So it really has developed this far...” he murmured.
The foreign merchant standing beside him followed his gaze and smiled.
“This is the fastest-developing place in the region these past few years. That headman Jisheng is quite capable. I hear the people from all the villages respect him.”
When Guangnan heard the name “Jisheng,” his heart trembled slightly.
He did not answer. He only tightened his grip on the railing.
Jisheng.
If it really was him...
Guangnan did not dare to continue the thought.
But when the sailboat reached shore and he followed the merchant onto the land of Huilan, all his suspicions became fact the moment he saw the figure among the people.
A man was leading several warriors in an inspection of the harbor.
He was tall and upright, with a calm expression. He wore the distinctive clothing of the Amis people, with an embroidered cloth headband wrapped around his head.
Yet the familiar contours of his face remained.
At that moment, Guangnan froze in place. Even though they had not seen each other for many years, and even though the other man had changed his name and identity, he recognized that face at a glance.
“Dongping...” The two words were almost forced out of his throat.
Just then, the man seemed to sense an unusual gaze. He turned around, his eyes passing through the people coming and going until they fell upon Guangnan.
Their eyes met.
Jisheng’s body trembled slightly. Memories from many years ago surged back into his mind like a rising tide. Jinbaoli Village. The years they had once shared. And the person he had believed he would never see again: Guangnan.
Jisheng said nothing. He simply stood quietly where he was. He had known for a long time that his past could not remain buried forever. The reason he had changed his name to Jisheng all those years ago was not because he had truly forgotten the name Chen Dongping, but because he had chosen a new way of life. In Huilan, he now had his own land, the trust of the villagers, his wife Yue Niang, and a son and daughter.
But now, the past had actually come looking for him.
Guangnan slowly approached, forcing a faint smile onto his face. “Dongping, it really is you.”
Jisheng looked at him, his expression so calm that no emotion could be detected. “Brother Guangnan, long time no see.”
Hearing the word “brother” made Guangnan’s heart tremble. He had still been holding on to one last hope that this man merely looked like Chen Dongping. But now, even the way he addressed him was unmistakable, and there was no longer any way for him to deny it.
“Father was right,” Guangnan thought to himself. “He really is alive, and he is here in Huilan.”
Yet he continued to maintain a smile on his face.
“You made us search for you for so many years.”
Jisheng looked at him calmly without replying. However, he knew very well that Guangnan had not come to Huilan simply to reminisce about the past.
After Guangnan moved into Jisheng’s home, he had originally said that he would stay for only a day or two, but he ended up remaining for several days. Every morning, he followed Jisheng around the village, carefully observing everything in Huilan. During the day, he spoke with the headmen of the various villages, asking how Jisheng managed the people, and he did not overlook even the conditions of the farmland, fishing grounds, and foreign merchant ships coming and going.
Jisheng did not stop him openly. He simply watched in silence.
Sometimes, Guangnan would stand beside the fields, watching the villagers working, and deliberately sigh. “Dongping, you really have become quite something. Back when we were in Jinbaoli Village, I never imagined you would have come this far.”
Jisheng crouched beside the field and gently brushed his fingers over the rice stalks. He smiled faintly. “People change.”
“Yes, people change.” Guangnan looked at him meaningfully. “But no matter how much people change, in the end, we are still family. Father is getting old. He has been thinking about you all these years.”
Jisheng’s hand stopped for a moment. “Uncle Arati... Is he doing all right?”
“He is still strong, but he is getting old.” Guangnan took a step forward and lowered his voice. “Now that I have unexpectedly found you and Yunying here in Huilan, I came this time because I want to take the two of you back to Jinbaoli.”
Jisheng raised his head. “Take us back?”
“Yes.” Guangnan nodded. “You and Yue Niang should both go back. Jinbaoli Village is, after all, your homeland. You have already gained status and a reputation here in Huilan. If you are willing to return with me, our family can be reunited again.”
Jisheng did not answer immediately. He looked at the villagers working in the distance, but in his heart he knew perfectly well that the family reunion Guangnan spoke of might not truly be about family reunion at all.
Over the years, Huilan had gradually prospered. Maritime trade had become increasingly active, and foreign merchant ships came and went without interruption. This land was no longer the remote coastal village it had once been. It had become a prosperous place that everyone could see.
How could Guangnan possibly remain unmoved by all of this?
And behind him stood Arati.
“Brother Guangnan, I need to discuss this with Yunying.”
“Of course.” Guangnan smiled and patted his arm. “Take your time. I’m not in a hurry.”
Although he said he was not in a hurry, Guangnan’s eyes continued to wander over the many sights of Huilan.
Jisheng noticed everything, but he did not expose him.
4
That night, the sea breeze swept through the houses, while moonlight streamed into the room through the cracks in the wooden window.
Yue Niang sat beside the hearth, her head lowered as she folded Jisheng’s clothes. The firelight illuminated her face, giving her naturally gentle expression an added touch of maturity and charm.
Jisheng sat beside her, but he remained silent. After a long while, Yue Niang finally raised her head.
“Jisheng, do you really believe my brother came here to take us back?”
Jisheng looked at her without answering.
Yue Niang placed the clothes aside and leaned slightly forward, lowering her voice. “Guangnan is my brother, but don’t forget that he is also Arati’s son.”
Jisheng’s expression darkened slightly.
Yue Niang continued, “My brother has obeyed our father since he was a child. You and I both know what happened back then. Now he suddenly comes to Huilan and keeps asking questions about everything. On the surface, he says he wants to take us back, but I just feel that things are not that simple.”
As she spoke, she reached out and grasped Jisheng’s wrist, deep concern showing in her eyes.
“You have to be careful of him.”
Jisheng lowered his head and looked at his wife’s hand. A warm feeling suddenly rose in his heart. This woman had accompanied him through the most difficult years of his life, and now she was willing to worry about him again. He knew that Yue Niang was not unwilling to face his past. She was afraid that the past would once again destroy everything they now possessed.
He placed his hand over hers and said softly, “Yue Niang, I know.”
“You really know?”
“I know why Brother Guangnan came.”
Yue Niang looked at him.
Jisheng raised his head and gazed through the window into the darkness outside.
“He didn’t come to take us home.”
Yue Niang’s hand tightened slightly. “Then what did he come here for?”
Jisheng was silent for a while before finally saying, “He came to make sure that I was still alive and well.”
Yue Niang’s expression changed.
But Jisheng continued. “And now, he has confirmed it.”
He turned his head toward Yue Niang. His voice remained calm, but a deep sense of vigilance appeared in his eyes.
“As for what he really wants, I believe it won’t be long before he tells us himself.”
Yue Niang stared at her husband and finally understood that he had already seen through Guangnan’s intentions. Yet the uneasiness in her heart did not disappear.
She looked out the window. In the distance, the surface of the sea shimmered with a cold silver light beneath the moon. The seemingly calm sea now seemed to be gathering strength for a coming storm.
“Jisheng, I only hope that everything we have now will not be taken away from us again by my father and my brother,” Yue Niang said softly.
Jisheng tightened his grip on her hand. “It won’t.”
He said this aloud, but in his heart he knew very well that the real test had only just begun.
Now that Guangnan had found him, Jinbaoli Village, Arati, and the grievances that had been deliberately buried many years ago would eventually follow this sea route, step by step, all the way to Huilan.
5
When Guangnan returned to Jinbaoli Village of the Bashia community, darkness had already fallen.
The sun had sunk behind the distant mountain ridges, leaving only a vast expanse of dark red afterglow along the horizon. The sea breeze swept through the village, carrying the salty, damp scent of the ocean, while the sound of waves striking the shore drifted into the house in waves.
Arati sat inside the house with an oil lamp burning before him. The dim yellow light illuminated his weathered face.
He had been sitting with his head lowered in thought when he heard footsteps outside. He raised his head and saw Guangnan lift the curtain and walk inside.
“Father, I’m back.”
Guangnan sat down in front of Arati. He first picked up the water on the table and took a drink before recounting everything that had happened during his trip to Huilan.
He told his father that he had indeed seen Dongping and Yunying in Huilan, confirming the suspicions that the father and son had held all these years.
The two had now settled in Huilan, and they had also adopted new identities as protection. The local people called them Jisheng and Yue Niang.
Arati remained silent after hearing this. He merely reached out and stirred a piece of charcoal beside the oil lamp.
Guangnan had expected his father to be happy that their suspicions had been confirmed. Instead, Arati’s expression grew darker and darker.
After a long while, he finally raised his head and looked at his son.
“Are you certain that the treasure of gold is in Huilan?”
“I did not see the gold treasure with my own eyes, but judging from their current way of life and the changes that have taken place there over the years, I believe our suspicion is correct,” Guangnan answered in a deep voice. “Besides, Huilan is indeed much more prosperous than before. Foreign merchants come and go in large numbers, and trade at the harbor is extremely active.”
Arati’s hand slowly came to a stop.
The gold treasure.
The mystery he had obsessed over for so many years was like a thorn buried deep in his heart. The slightest touch immediately caused his ambition to flare up again.
He had always believed that the lost treasure of gold had never disappeared. It had merely been hidden somewhere no one knew about.
Now Huilan had suddenly flourished, while Dongping and Yunying had happened to settle there and had even gained high status and a strong reputation.
In his eyes, none of this could possibly be a coincidence.
He stood up and walked to the doorway. Lifting the curtain, he looked outside.
The night had completely enveloped the village. From somewhere in the distance came the occasional sound of barking dogs.
Yet there was not the slightest trace of weariness in Arati’s eyes. Instead, they appeared unusually sharp.
“If the Dutch cannot find the treasure, then we will encourage them to look for it.”
Guangnan froze for a moment and looked up at his father.
“Father, you mean...?”
Arati turned around, and a cold smile slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Why should we do the work ourselves?”
Guangnan looked at his father’s face and suddenly felt an ominous chill rise within him.
He knew that whenever his father wore such a smile, he had usually already conceived some extremely frightening plan.
“You immediately send someone to deliver the news to the Dutch merchants in the territory. Tell them that we have received reliable information that the gold treasure they have been searching for is actually hidden among the Amis villages of Huilan.”
Arati paused for a moment, deliberately lowering his voice.
“Tell them that the treasure is now in the hands of the local Amis people. Tell them that the reason Huilan has suddenly become prosperous in recent years is because that gold has been secretly circulating there.”
Guangnan frowned.
“If the Dutch really believe it, they will certainly send a fleet to Huilan and put direct pressure on Chen Dongping and the Amis villages.”
“That is exactly what I want,” Arati replied without hesitation.
He returned to the table and sat down, folding his hands across his chest. A calculating light flashed in his eyes.
“The Dutch will never leave Huilan alone because of the gold. When the time comes, they will clear the way for us and send troops to raid the Amis villages. We only need to wait until they make their move, then take advantage of the chaos. Without much effort, we can get the person we truly want: Chen Dongping.”
Guangnan fell silent.
He finally understood his father’s true purpose.
It was not simply to find the treasure. He intended to use the Dutch to create chaos and then profit from the disorder.
More importantly, the person his father was truly targeting was Dongping and Yunying, who had settled in Huilan.
“Father, you want to... capture them alive?”
Arati did not answer. He merely raised his eyes and looked at his son.
That single look was enough to explain everything.
“As long as we capture them, we won’t have to worry about finding out where the treasure is,” Arati said in a low, cold voice. “They must know where the treasure is. We will force them to take us there and find it. If they refuse to tell us, then...”
He did not finish the sentence. He merely tapped the tabletop twice with his fingers.
Guangnan stared at his father, suddenly feeling a chill run through him.
He knew that his father had waited far too long for the treasure of gold. Now that he had finally seen a glimmer of hope, anyone who stood in his way would probably be regarded as an enemy.
6
A few days later, at Hualien Harbor, a merchant ship slowly sailed into the bay. Its sails billowed in the sea breeze, and the hull rose and fell with the waves. The shore was filled with noise and activity. The Amis people moved back and forth carrying goods, while several foreign merchants stood along the pier haggling with local traders. The air was filled with the mixed scents of seawater, timber, spices, and cargo.
No one noticed that several men who appeared to be ordinary merchants were standing beside the ships rail, carefully observing everything on shore. Arati had changed into the kind of clothing commonly worn by foreign merchants. He wore a broad-brimmed hat, and his beard had been deliberately trimmed. Standing beside him were Guangnan and several men who were similarly disguised. They no longer appeared as members of Bashiaqun Jinbaoli Village. Instead, they presented themselves as merchants who had come from elsewhere to do business.
As the ship approached the shore, Arati pressed down on the brim of his hat and slowly scanned Hualien through the bustling crowd.
"Remember, from this moment on, we are only merchants." Without turning around, he spoke in an extremely low voice. "No one is to act without my orders."
"Yes."
The men behind him answered quietly.
Standing beside his father, Guangnan looked at this unfamiliar yet prosperous land, but he felt none of the ease of a man who had come to conduct business. He knew that their real purpose in coming to Hualien was to wait for an opportunity—an opportunity to capture Dongping and Yunying in one stroke.
After coming ashore, the group deliberately blended into the inns and lodging houses frequented by foreign merchants. They pretended to discuss business and inspect goods. During the day, they moved around the harbor, while at night they stayed in their rooms and quietly discussed their plans. Day after day passed, but Arati never rushed to make his move. He knew that the greatest mistake a hunter could make was to reveal himself too early.
One evening, the setting sun outside the window dyed the surface of Hualien Bay a golden red. Arati stood by the window, watching the ships slowly returning to the harbor, his fingers gently rubbing the window frame.
Guangnan walked up behind him and asked in a low voice, "Father, how much longer do we have to wait?"
Arati did not turn around.
"Until they let down their guard. Then well make our move and capture the two of them."
"What if Dongping and my sister dont even know were here?"
"Then thats even better." Arati gave a cold smile. "The prey is easiest to trap when it doesnt know the hunter is there. For now, well deliberately spread the word among the foreign merchants here that the golden treasure is in Chen Dongpings hands. Then well wait for the Dutch military and the Amis to come into conflict. Once everything becomes chaotic, we can take advantage of the confusion and make our move."
Guangnan said nothing more. He walked to the window and stood beside his father. Together they looked toward the distant street. Amid the crowd, a familiar figure suddenly flashed past the corner.
Guangnans heart tightened.
He recognized the man.
"Father, thats Dongping..."
Arati immediately turned around. Guangnan said no more and merely gestured toward the window with his eyes. Arati followed his gaze, but the figure had already disappeared into the crowd. His eyes instantly became sharp, and a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He knew that the opportunity they had been waiting for might already be approaching.
Meanwhile, Hualien remained immersed in the noisy bustle of its busy harbor. No one knew that an undercurrent surrounding the golden treasure was quietly surging beneath this newly emerging port town.
Arati and his son were like hunters lurking in the darkness, patiently waiting for their prey to step, one step at a time, into the trap they had already laid.
