Due to pandemic controls, I have avoided unnecessary troubles and have not been able to return home for three or four years. Faced with the current erratic situation, it is difficult to predict when I will be able to return to my hometown. As homesickness deepens, I find myself repeatedly returning home in my dreams, each awakening bringing an added sense of melancholy. My hometown lies at the foot of Mount Ru in Shandong, in a small mountain village surrounded by mountains and rivers. Despite its remoteness, the scenery is charming. Legend has it that my ancestor, Jin Ri Di, and his descendants hid in the bushes to escape war and pursued soldiers, eventually settling in the mountains to live peacefully, all thanks to the spiritually powerful Mount Ru. Mount Ru is named after the larger Mount Ru, showing the local people's reverence for this motherly mountain. The motherly image of Mount Ru evokes feelings of sanctity, dignity, love, warmth, and harmony, inspiring reverence, gratitude, and filial piety. The people of Ru Mountain have a deep-rooted respect for mothers, seemingly innate and naturally formed. There is also a beautiful and sacred legend associated with Ru Mountain.
Long ago, the area was rich in resources, and the early inhabitants lived a peaceful and happy life fishing. However, a group of sea demons wreaked havoc, creating storms and bringing severe disasters. The sea demons frequently capsized boats, leaving many orphans in the coastal villages. The elderly in the village could not care for all these children, and the hungry cries of the children were heartbreaking. The Third Holy Mother in heaven heard the cries of these orphans. Remembering her own imprisonment under Mount Hua, longing for her son day and night, she could not bear to see so many children suffer. She decided to break the heavenly laws and descend to earth again to eliminate the sea demons and bring peace to the people. Fearing for her safety alone, her sworn sister Lingzhi joined her.
One day, the sea demons came ashore again to wreak havoc, killing people and looting livestock. The Third Holy Mother and her sister rode on clouds, commanding the sea demons to stop from their position above. The sea demons ignored the warnings and continued their evil deeds. The situation was urgent and could not be delayed. The Third Holy Mother waved her hand towards the sky, and countless stones flew down, each targeting the sea demons with precision. In an instant, all the small demons that had landed were struck, revealing their true forms—bizarre ghost-faced crabs and hideous demon shrimp. The sea demon leader, somewhat capable, parried the stones with a long spear and engaged in combat with the Third Holy Mother and her sister. After a fierce battle, the sea demon leader, unable to withstand the onslaught, fled back to the sea. The remaining ghost-faced crabs and demon shrimp also scurried back to the ocean. The villagers, witnessing the defeat of the sea demons by the Third Holy Mother and her sister, wept with joy and then erupted in cheers.
The once picturesque fishing village was devastated by the sea demons. Everywhere were injured or dead livestock, shattered boats, collapsed houses, damaged bridges, and uprooted trees—an unbearable sight. The Third Holy Mother and her sister were heartbroken and wept. Using her magical powers, the Third Holy Mother reversed time for the devastated village. The scene before her eyes unfolded like a movie in reverse: the injured and dead were revived, and the destroyed objects were restored. Everything returned to its state before the calamity. The villagers gathered around the Third Holy Mother and her sister, collectively expressing their gratitude for their rebirth.
After retreating to their lair in the sea, the sea demons regrouped and launched another attack on the village. Countless sea demons surged towards the village, creating an extremely perilous situation. Seeing the villagers in danger again, the Third Holy Mother immediately used her magic again. She sent a barrage of arrows from the palms of her hands towards the sea demons, annihilating them instantly. Seeing this, the sea demon leader, enraged, charged at the Third Holy Mother with a large spear. Unperturbed, she flicked her wrist, and a rope instantly bound the sea demon leader. At the same time, her sister drew a symbol in the air and blew a breath of magical air, summoning an eagle and a celestial dog from the sky. The eagle tightly grasped the sea demon leader, while the celestial dog watched closely. Knowing escape was impossible, the sea demon leader tearfully begged the Third Holy Mother for mercy, promising to reform.
The Third Holy Mother, compassionate and hoping the sea demon leader would turn away from evil and cultivate goodness, decided to give him a chance to repent. She disabled his powers, confining him to live in the water forever. However, the sea demon leader deceived the Third Holy Mother. Unable to leave the water, he stirred the seas, attempting to reach the land with the waves. He struggled to raise the water, growing agitated, and stood on the wave crests, shouting for the Third Holy Mother to restore his powers. Disgusted by his betrayal, her sister could no longer tolerate his deceit. She raised her sword and threw it forcefully, striking the sea demon leader directly in the throat. Unexpectedly, the sea demon leader's struggles caused a massive wave. The Third Holy Mother and her sister attempted to use their creation magic to build a mountain to block the wave but failed due to the excessive depletion of their magical energy, causing them injury. In a critical moment, they decided to use their bodies to block the wave. The Third Holy Mother lay on the eastern side and her sister on the western side, quickly positioning themselves along the beach. Their bodies stretched to match the length of the wave crests, successfully blocking the water and protecting the people onshore.
As the Third Holy Mother lay blocking the water, she thought of the children's dismal plight and felt deep pain. To prevent future famine, she considered using milk derivatives as food. As she pondered, her milk flowed out like silk, dripping to the shore. The milk dispersed with the seawater and attached to the rocks, forming oysters. The flesh of the oysters was white like milk and could be eaten raw or cooked, rich in nutrition and delicious. Because it originated from the Third Holy Mother's milk, people called it "Mother's Drip," later known as "oysters." To spread maternal love, the Third Holy Mother disregarded her injuries and transformed into the Great and Small Ru Mountains. Seeing this, her sister worried about her sister's further loss of energy and also exerted her magical powers to help, resulting in the same excessive depletion of energy and transforming into the Sleeping Beauty mountain range, accompanying her sister.
The Third Holy Mother was a reincarnation of the goddess Nüwa and possessed a powerful magical artifact, the Precious Lotus Lamp, also known as the Nüwa Lamp, which was incredibly powerful. However, considering the innocence of the marine creatures, she could not bear to use the Precious Lotus Lamp. Even facing the small sea demons, the Third Holy Mother chose to let them reincarnate as hermit crabs under the sea rocks, thus protecting the marine ecosystem.
The Small Ru Mountain is located to the east of the Great Ru Mountain. At that time, due to the excessive secretion of the Third Holy Mother's milk, the Small Ru Mountain shrank in size and could not recover in time, taking on the form of a motherly mountain. The prolonged secretion of milk and the intense battle caused internal heat to build up in the Small Ru Mountain, eventually turning it into a volcano with fiery characteristics. The locals say that the Great Ru Mountain is a water mountain and the Small Ru Mountain is a fire mountain; their coexistence regulates the local climate, ensuring that the area always enjoys favorable weather.
The Third Holy Mother and her sister protected the people and the environment with their selfless maternal love, embodying the sanctity and greatness of motherhood. Not only in humans, many animals also display the power of maternal love, but human maternal love encompasses both cultural and emotional depth. Their maternal love moved heaven and earth, their kindness flowed like rivers and shone like the sun and the moon.
Ru Mountain, with its beautiful legends, is regarded as a sacred place, believed to be a happy homeland under the protection of maternal love. The Chinese nation has the myth of Pangu creating the heavens, and Ru Mountain has the legend of the Holy Mother transforming into a mountain. These legends not only display geographical wonders but also shine with cultural brilliance.
Growing up listening to these myths, although I may not be able to discern the truth of the stories, the virtues of truth, goodness, and beauty from the myths are deeply engraved in my memory. Growing up in such an environment, I have always aspired to be a fairy like the Third Holy Mother, often boasting to my friends that I came from the heavens and fabricating various experiences of my celestial life.
* Nüwa is commonly referred to as Empress Nuwa. Originally a tribal leader during the legendary era of ancient China, she later became the progenitor of humanity in Chinese mythology.
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The Chinese Dream on Earth
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