Returning to the cave after bathing in the brook, the young snakes found a very serious Yin Dabai and Hua Xiahua, and the originally boisterous group quieted.
The young snakes looked at each other, not knowing who had angered Hua Xiaohua and Yin Dabai. After all the meaningful glances, Yin Xiaoxiao finally pushed to the front. You have no choice, youâve been bumped <sup>1</sup> . Yin Xiaoxiao turned around and firmly glared at the other five young snakes, then turned back around and pasted a flattering smile on his face. âPop, Dad. Itâs already late. Letâs rest.â
Hua Xiaohua coughed twice then said, âDabai and I have something to discuss with you.â Then, with a meaningful expression, he indicated that the many young snakes gather around the fire that he and Yin Dabai made and to stop talking. Then, taking the lead with Yin Dabai, they slithered over to the fire.
Yin Xiaoxiao went first, and the party of six snakes surrounded the bonfire. Yin Xiaoxiao stealthily assessed the situation. When had this started, of his family discussing anything that needed to be discussed in the evening around the bonfire?
Only, Yin Xiaoxiao quickly cast this matter to the back of his mind because Hua Xiaohua said this: âYin Dabai and I intend to leave here.â
The tableau after Hua Xiaohua finished speaking was quiet and the atmosphere was unprecedentedly heavy. But in fact, Hua Xiaohua and Yin Dabaiâs departure was inevitable. Two years earlier, Lan Yiyiâs Pappy and Daddy left, so the young snakes already knew that one day Yin Dabai and Hua Xiaohua would also have to leave them. But then two years passed, and Yin Dabai and Hua Xiaohua didnât mention leaving. The young snakes had begun to wildly hope that Yin Dabai and Hua Xiaohua werenât going to leave afterall.
âOriginally, we should have left that year with Lan Yiyiâs Pappy and Daddy. But with Yin Xiaoxiaoâs body, we werenât entirely at ease doing so. Itâs been two more years and we feel more reassured now that Yin Xiaoxiao can catch his own prey and that his body size is now that of an eight year old viperâs. Weâve decided that weâre going to leave in two days,â said Yin Dabai, solemnly.
Again the young snakes looked at each other, but no snake spoke.
When Hua Xiaohua spoke, he sounded helpless, âIn regards to my and Yin Dabaiâs leaving, itâs not that we wonât return. This will forever be our familyâs home. While youâre still growing, we will visit once a year.â
All the young snakesâ heads lowered and they nodded. Yin Xiaoxiao couldnât help but ask, âWe canât go with you?â
âYin Dabai and I are leaving the base of this mountain.â Hua Xiaohua patiently answered Yin Xiaoxiao. âBut before you grow to adulthood, you cannot leave the base of this mountain. Outside of here, itâs very dangerous. You young snakes must not leave.â
Dangerous? Yin Xiaoxiao tilted his head to the side. Werenât the vipers considered ferocious? Then what could be dangerous inside their borders? He couldnât ask them now, not since Hua Xiaohua hadnât specified what was dangerous. And similarly, there was no need for him to ask either.
Suddenly, Yin Dabai remembered something and said, âDuring these next twenty years, you need to slither around the mountain not stay inside the cave everyday, understand? Xiaoxiao, if you donât want to, you donât have to.â
Although the young snakes had questions, they only nodded, unable to speak around the emotions of their parting.
As for the reason why Yin Dabai tacked on those statements at the end? Well, it was because it served as a kind of covert blind dating arena for the viper clans! Young snakes that werenât yet 30 years old were restricted to the base of the mountain. The more slithering around they did, the greater the chance that they would meet another snake. The more snakes they met, the greater the likelihood that they would meet snakes they liked that also liked them back. Slowly, the feelings on both sides would deepen and, like this, by the time they grew to adulthood, they would have also forged a partnership! Many snakes found partners this way! Yin Dabai allowed Yin Xiaoxiao to stay in the cave, not so that Yin Xiaoxiao wouldnât be able to find a partner, but because he already had Lan Yiyi! Childhood sweethearts to life-long partners, not too shabby, huh!
The optimal time for having children was right after a viper entered adulthood, and this period only lasted for 50 years. That was to say, the period of time spanned 30 years of age to 80 years of age. After that, while it wasnât impossible to bear children, the odd of success were very small. In addition, snakes pregnancies were extremely difficult, especially between male-male. They would need to try their best for many years even if they started immediately after maturing.
Cheerfully and lightheartedly, Hua Xiaohua said, âGood, good. All children should hurry to go to bed.â And then the young snakes were forced back into the cave. In the midst of this very busy rush, Yin Dabai sent him a meaningful glance and nodded slightly, then said, âXiaoxiao, wait a moment.â Yin Xiaoxiao, having already slithered to the mouth of the cave, silently slithered back.
Hua Xiaohua forced the young snakes back into the cave, then also slithered back out. The two snakes surrounded Yin Xiaoxiao. Yin Xiaoxiao swallowed. It didnât look as though they were going to be telling him anything good.
âYour Daddy and I are most concerned about you, Xiaoxiao. You donât have the inherited memories to explain things, youâre still quite small and your speed is slow, nothing good can be said about your disposition, youâre quite the picky eater and you wonât eat uncooked food, you donât like to sunbathe but like to soak in the water, youâve even befriended a Hei snakeâŠâ Hua Xiaohua continued to list his many short-comings without getting to the point.
Yin Xiaoxiao was full of grief and indignation. âSo what, so what?! Were they stopping to mock me before they left?! Neither of you need to say anything, I know my own numerous short-comings! In fact, both of you have always regarded me with impatience, disliked me and considered me a burden, right?! Thatâs ultimately what you both feel for me, right?!â
âAlthough there are a lot of short-comings, you are still my and your Dadâs dearly loved son. So, we are still very concerned about your life in the future. Xiaoxiao, you still canât catch the birds which you prefer to eat. At the moment, your elder brothers can continue to help catch them for you, but after theyâve grown up and settled down, they wonât still be able to help you catch your food. Whatâs more, at that time, it would be quite normal for you to not see each other for two or three years at a time. While these are all trivial things, life is made of trivial things.â Here, Hua Xiaohua paused, then said. âYour Dad and I want you to live well. You must find someone to love you, love to dearly and pamper you. Someone who is very formidable. We donât want you to have to suffer some from forming a partnership with some strange snake who abuses <sup>2</sup> you. If itâs like that, then for your father and I, our hearts and minds will be at peace.â
When Hua Xiaohua finished, Yin Dabai began to speak, âIn this case, I consider Lan Yiyi to be almost perfect. We all know Lan Yiyi likes you. And, heâs also a neighbor. We know his background, and weâre both very fond of him. Whatâs more, the Lan snake clan is very strong and powerful. If heâs there to protect you, we would feel reassured. Of course, while it would be best if you could get together with him in the future, if you really donât want to we wonât force it. In short, the choice is in your hands.â
Yin Xiaoxiao silently nodded. Pop and Dad were itching to wrap him up and hand him off to Lan Yiyi, but he really didnât like Lan Yiyi! He absolutely couldnât imagine seeing Lan Yiyiâs face everyday for the rest of his 190 year lifespan! However, Yin Xiaoxiao didnât come out and say this. If he opposed it now, Pop would say that it was because he was still too young to come a decision, that he should stay in contact then examine it later, discuss it then, etc etc. Then Dad would push him over to Lan Yiyi and place him in Lan Yiyiâs care, and then he would have absolutely, 100%, landed himself in deep water and scorching fire <sup>3</sup> ! At this thought, Yin Xiaoxiao shuddered. Now he was even more convinced not to defy Yin Dabai and Hua Xiaohuaâs decision. Anyway, when Hua Xiaohua and Yin Dabai left, wasnât the sky high allowing birds to fly, and the ocean broad allowing fish to leap <sup>4</sup> ? Nothing beneficial would come from him resisting now!
Thus, in this discussion concerning Yin Xiaoxiaoâs future 190 years of happiness and âĄâĄ, Yin Xiaoxiao, stunned, managed to survive Hua Xiaohua and Yin Dabaiâs little chat. After hearing the beautiful sound of Hua Xiaohua re-entering the cave, Yin Xiaoxiao sighed with relief, turned his head and quickly slithering into the cave, his tail raised cheerfully behind him. Really! It took forever <sup>5</sup> for Pop and Dad to finish speaking!
"
"
Hua Xiaohua and Yin Dabaiâs eyes followed Yin Xiaoxiao as he slithered into the cave. With a sigh, Hua Xiaohua said, âWhy donât I feel like Xiaoxiao likes Lan Yiyi.â
Yin Dabai said, âIt doesnât matter. After all, thereâs still twenty years, thereâs time. Xiaoxiao is sure to accept Lan Yiyi.â
Helplessly, Hua XIaohua nodded his head. Currently it did seem as though this was the only way. âOh, thatâs right. Xiaoxiao doesnât have inherited memories. He shouldnât be able to go to that place.â
Yin Dabai muttered to himself for a while, âThis is unlikely to be a big issue. Although the inherited memories say that we must protect this mountain, we also must protect that stuff in the mountain. However, the viper clans have existed for so many millennia, and yet Iâve never heard of a snake who has found that thing. Like this, it seems that we only know its approximate location. But itâs unlikely that itâll be found, so surely itâs also unlikely that Xiaoxiao will find it. Then, adding in Xiaoxiaoâs laziness, even if heâs told to go and look for it, he would be disinclined to try to find it.â
Hua Xiaohua cautiously agreed with that assessment. So many millennia had passed. It wasnât as thought no vipers had looked for it, but no viper had found it. In the fullness of time, no vipers would go and meticulously search for it. âThen, we arenât going to tell Xiaoxiao not to go in that over there?â
Yin Dabai said, âThereâs no need. You know Xiaoxiao. If we have him do something, he wonât do it. And if we tell him not to do something, then he will definitely do it. If you tell him not to go to that area, I fear that, as soon as we leave, heâll immediately go searching.â
Hua Xiaohua nodded, conceding that what Yin Dabai said was reasonable. Poor Yin Xiaoxiao. He didnât know that Hua Xiaohua and Yin Dabai had stuck him with the labels of lazy and rebellious.
Two days passed, Yin Dabai and Hua Xiaohua werenât carrying anything (there was no need to bring anything) as they left.
The young snakes stood in the mouth of their familyâs cave. Oh, Yin Dabai and Hua Xiaohua had said that they didnât need to see them off, but the gazes of the young snakes followed Yin Dabai and Hua Xiaohuaâs silhouettes as they faded from sight. The hearts of the young snakes were absolutely empty. Tears appeared in Yin Xiaoxiaoâs eyes. This time the young snakes were very envious that Yin Xiaoxiao could cry, because each time Yin Xiaoxiao cried over something, after the tears Yin Xiaoxiao would again become happy. If they were like that, if they could also cry, would their hearts still hurt like this? Perhaps if they had been able, after they finished crying, would they be able to smile tomorrow?