Chapter 26 — Arc: Mengpo. The Grandmother

May 25, 2026

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Footnotes

[1]八字不合 [bā zì bù hé] literally translates to "our eight characters of destiny do not match." In Chinese astrology, it signifies a chronic, fundamental incompatibility where things or people bring each other nothing but bad luck.
[2]豆沙了 [dòushāle] means sweet red bean paste, but in internet slang, it sounds almost identical to 都杀了 [dōu shā le], which means "kill them all." Similarly, Sushi Bash'em [shòu sī bā] sounds identical to 受死吧 [shòu sǐ ba], which translates to "Accept your death!" or "Die!"
[3]The idiom 狐朋狗友 [hú péng gǒu yǒu] literally "fox friends and dog friends," means a bad crowd, drinking buddies, or a bunch of slackers who only get together to fool around.
[4]The term used here is 世交 [shì jiāo], which refers to an old family friendship passed down through generations, heavily implying a high social status and deep ties between powerful clans.
[5]中二叛逆派 [zhōng èr pàn nì pài] translates to "the rebellious eighth-grader syndrome faction"—teenagers or young adults who act out trying to look edgy and independent.
[6]寿公 [shòu-gōng]. In Chinese mythology, Shou represents longevity and health. (Amusingly, in specific internet contexts, these characters share the exact same tones as shòu and gōng, slang terms for passive and active partners).