Yun Qing looked down. Below him, the years passed in peace, filled with the warmth of ordinary human life.
Inside a small house, a beautiful young woman held a swaddled infant and wept with joy. Her husband stood beside her, at a loss for what to do, while the elders gathered around the bed. The whole family laughed and cried.
"At last, at last..."
"Mother prayed for so many years. At last, you're here."
The woman lowered her head and kissed the child's forehead. Her body had been damaged in her youth, and she had spent years desperately praying for a child. Today, at last, her own flesh and blood made her life complete.
Elsewhere, a white-haired old man lay peacefully in bed, surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
Someone tucked in his blanket; someone held his hand, tears streaming down their face. Peaceful and free of regrets, the old man closed his eyes with a smile, passing away naturally at the end of his days.
Beyond the houses lay an ordinary little village.
Beside a farmer's great cooking pot, young children sat in a circle, eagerly watching the meat tumbling inside. Fragrance billowed up, making them purse their lips and blink with longing.
"Granny, is it ready?"
"Not yet. Just a little longer." Beside them, a stooped old woman with kind eyes held a ladle and smiled as she tapped one child on the forehead.
"You little gluttons."
Even as she spoke, she scooped hot broth from the pot and gently served each child.
The children had food to eat, and laughter rang out inside and outside the houses. Firewood crackled, loved ones stayed close, new lives were born, and the elderly departed in peace.
Cooking smoke curled upward, family bonds enfolded everyone, and warmth and harmony filled this