Behind the door was a world filled with warm sunlight and the faint sll of disinfectant.
Outside the window, the familiar sound of cicadas and the laughter of children playing intertwined to form the most beautiful symphony of a sumr afternoon.
On the walls were colorful children's drawings, the style innocent yet filled with boundless imagination.
The drawings depicted winged little pigs, castles in the clouds, and rabbits driving carrot cars.
This was Linzhou City, the South City Orphanage.
A place that bore many broken childhoods, yet glued them back together with love and hope.
A little boy nad Li Yuan was lying on a small desk so clean it could reflect a person's silhouette, diligently tracing characters from a copybook.
His grip on the pen was still a bit clumsy, but his expression was intensely focused.
He was Xuanqing in his previous life.
A soul pure like crystal, untouched by any dust.
Li Yuan grew up in this orphanage.
He had never seen his parents.
For as long as he could rember, this was his ho, and everyone here was his family.
He was naturally intelligent since childhood, always a step ahead of his peers whether in studies or play.
His personality was like the sumr sun, optimistic and cheerful, as if the word "worry" never existed in his world.
His hearty laughter was the most common sound in the orphanage, always easily infecting everyone around him.
In this small orphanage, he lived with a group of children with similar backgrounds under the careful care of the old headmaster, carefree and happy.
Though they were not related by blood, they were closer than siblings.
The headmaster was a very interesting old man.
His hair was gray, and his face was full of wrinkles of ti, but the eyes behind his glasses always sparkled with wisdom and kindness.
His mind seed to hold a treasure trove of endless stories.
He would often, in the warm afternoon sun, bring a creaking bamboo rocking chair, sit under the lush banyan tree in the yard.
The children would bring their small stools, surrounding him like hungry fledglings.
"Today, let's tell the story of Pangu God's Creation of Heaven and Earth..."
"Long, long ago, our world was still a dark Chaos, like a big egg..."
The headmaster's voice was not loud, but it carried a unique rhythm that easily transported the children into that fantastical world.
He would speak of the grandeur of Pangu's Heaven Creation, the compassion of Nuwa molding humans, the bravery of Hou Yi shooting the sun, and how the Master of the Netherworld judged the wrongdoers of the world.
Through these srizing and captivating stories, he subtly wove in simple truths about "punishing evil, promoting good," "upholding justice," "self-sacrifice," like silent spring rain into every storyline.
He cleverly planted seeds called "kindness," "courage," and "righteousness" in the pure hearts of the children, waiting for them to grow into towering trees one day in the future.
In the sumr of Li Yuan's ninth year, an unprecedented torrential rainstorm swept through Linzhou City.
The incessant rain poured down like the breaking of the Heavenly River.
The city's drainage system was quickly overwheld.
The floodwaters, like wild beasts unleashed, ravaged this once tranquil city.
Large areas were subrged in muddy waters, roads beca rivers, and houses turned into isolated islands.
The South City Orphanage, due to its low location, was not spared.
Fortunately, the city's teorological departnt issued the highest level of red alert well in advance.
The local governnt's response was swift and organized a large-scale evacuation before the flood truly arrived.
The orphanage's children, under the guidance of the headmaster and with the help of rescue workers, were safely moved to a temporary shelter on higher ground.
In the makeshift shelter, the environnt was simple and noisy.
The air was filled with a damp sll, surrounded by rushing crowds and the constant rise and fall of voices.
The headmaster worried that the children might be afraid due to the sudden disaster and the unfamiliar environnt.
Thus, he took out his expertise, retelling those old stories that had been told countless tis, over and over, with a voice more gentle and steady than usual, for the children to hear.
The children, however, never tired of listening to them.
Whenever the familiar and gentle voice of the headmaster echoed in the corner, they would imdiately quiet down, forming a circle spontaneously, their eyes glowing with concentration.
It seed as long as there were stories from the headmaster, no matter where they were, they felt like they were back in that safe and warm ho.
Li Yuan was naturally more optimistic and strong than the other children.
Seeing the clouds of worry slowly dissipating from his companions' faces, he had a brilliant idea.
Like a little adult, he stood up and shouted to everyone, "Just listening to stories is not enough! Let's have a singing contest! Singing can make people feel better!"
He looked around and suggested, "Let's sing that song the headmaster taught us, 'Where is the Road,' okay?"
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