The novel opens with young Rendi’s having stowed away in a merchant’s cart. The moon has been missing for weeks, and every night, sorrowful moans can be heard in the air, but it seems that only Rendi has noticed these. As soon as the merchant discovers Rendi hiding in his cart, he throws him out and abandons him at a remote village of Clear Sky. Just like that, Rendi becomes the chore boy at the Inn of Clear Sky.

Master Chao, the innkeeper, needs someone to help with the chores because his son, Jiming, has disappeared. Peiyi, Master Chao’s young daughter, is forced to show Rendi around the small village. While strolling in this village, Rendi notices this strange, endless plain of stone that lies beyond the inn. Peiyi proudly tells him that place is created by her ancestor. Her esteemed great grandfather was an extraordinary man. He was so determined and courageous that when he wanted his tea made of Nan Ling water, he journeyed the hundreds of miles to the Long River to get it. One day he became outraged by the mountain next to his house because the mountain blocked the sky. He was determined to see the sky so he and his obedient sons began digging. One bucket at a time, they began to carry the mountain away. Obviously, this seemed an impossible task, like emptying the ocean with a rice bowl. The Spirit asked Peiyi’s great grandfather why he was trying to move the mountain and reminded him that it was impossible to move the mountain bucket by bucket. But her esteemed great-grandfather brushed away the Spirit’s words and said if he didn’t move the mountain in his lifetime, his sons would continue his work and their sons after that. Upon hearing these words, the Spirit left. The next morning the mountain was gone. Instead, there was an empty stone field that seemed as flat as a plate and as endless as the sky. A new guest arrives early this morning, alone, on foot, and paid for a room for a whole month. She says she may stay longer. It is unheard of for a woman to be staying alone at an inn, much less one who comes on foot and stays longer than a night.

如果你覺得我的podcast對你的英文學習有幫助就請到Apple podcast 幫我按五顆星訂閱和分享。也可到李老師陪你探索英文世界的臉書和IG粉絲專頁按贊追縱或留言。那我們就下集見了。 Talk to you next time on Exploring English with Ms Lee. Goodbye

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