Love Under Mortal Skies
The Weaver’s Joy, The Heavens’ Watchful Eye
For a time, Zhinü (织女) and Niulang (牛郎) lived in quiet happiness.
She wove not the clouds of the heavens, but simple cloth, filling their home with warmth. He plowed the fields, tended the ox, and watched their two children play beneath the endless sky.
But the heavens do not forget.
Far above, among the jade palaces of the immortals, whispers stirred.
"The Weaver Maiden has abandoned her loom." "She has wed a mortal. She defies the laws of heaven."
At the heart of the celestial realm, the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝), ruler of all, sat in stern silence. Beside him, the Queen Mother of the West (王母娘娘)—keeper of divine order—was furious.
"A goddess does not belong in the mortal world."
She turned her gaze downward, her voice cold as the northern wind—
"She must return to the heavens."
The Heavens Strike
The Weaver Stolen Away
That night, as the stars shone cold and clear, a storm gathered—not of rain, but of divine will.
Through the sky descended celestial maidens, their robes glowing like moonlight on water.
Zhinü, unaware, sat by the hearth, spinning thread by candlelight.
Then—a gust of wind. A silk ribbon coiled around her wrists. A force unseen lifted her from the earth.
She turned, crying out, "Niulang!"
But the sky had already opened—
And in an instant, she was gone.
Niulang ran after her, his heart pounding like a drum, but the heavens had already sealed shut.
The earth was silent. Zhinü was no longer his.
A Promise in the Stars
A Mortal’s Determination
Niulang fell to his knees, his hands empty. His wife—stolen. His children—motherless.
All he could do was look to the sky, where a single star burned brighter than all the rest.
But then—a voice.
His faithful ox (老牛), the one who had walked beside him for years, stood at his side. Its eyes—old, knowing—held sorrow.
"I was once of the heavens. I have seen their ways. If you take my hide, you can follow her."
Niulang shook his head. "No. I will not sacrifice you."
But the ox only lowered its head, pressing its nose to his hand.
"Love is not meant to be parted. Take my gift, and fly to her."
With tears in his eyes, Niulang did as he was told.
🔥 Wrapped in the ox’s hide, he rose into the sky—his children in his arms. 🔥
His heart beat with one promise, one hope—
"I will bring you home, Zhinü."
—To be continued in Chapter 3: The Celestial Divide – The Creation of the Milky Way.