Taking the Whole Family to Open Up the Land

When Zhou Qingwu was very young, she learned from her parents that the Zhou family had an ancestor who could read the future and divine fortunes. Little Zhou Qingwu didn’t take it to heart. After all, whose family legends didn’t have an amazing ancestor? As she grew up, the land fell into chaos, and the Zhou family teetered on the brink of ruin. The map left by their ancestor finally came in handy! But why was the place they’d traveled to nothing but barren wasteland? And so their journey of reclamation began. Clear the land and grow grain; fell trees and build houses. Grow cotton and make new clothes; dig river clay and fire pottery. Cut bamboo and weave baskets; sink a well and draw sweet water. Venture deep into the mountains to pick wild fruit; wade into streams and catch fish and shrimp. Before long, the Zhou family was thriving. Zhou Qingwu marveled: Her ancestor really was amazing! What Zhou Qingwu didn’t know was that her ancestor had also arranged a marriage for her!