C320 The Tenth Day of the First Month

In the ancient hills of the American countryside, nestled among the trees, Gu Changping crouched on a sturdy branch, wielding a machete to trim the limbs. This particular tree, a rare black walnut, was the only one of its kind in the entire region, growing halfway up the hillside.

As he chopped, Gu Changping struck a match, setting a pile of dry leaves alight