Gaoling Village
"It's so early, and that magpie has been chirping nonstop in the branches. I wonder what good news today will bring." Gu Sanbu looked up at the tree again, his voice full of anticipation.
"Father, it's probably just a tired magpie stopping here to rest. What kind of good news could possibly happen in a poor, remote place like ours?" Dai Ling was clearing the soil in a corner of the courtyard, preparing to plant the wild orchids Gu Shulin had dug up from the hillside.
"That's not necessarily true. Since we settled here, life has been tiring, but at least there's hope for the future. Isn't that good news in itself?"
Gu Sanbu beckoned his grandson, Gu Yi, over. "Yi, you're six this year, right?"
Gu Yi said, "Grandpa, I'm already seven."
"Is that so?" Gu Sanbu patted his grandson's head. "You've suffered a lot with us these past few years. Do you want to attend a private school?"
