This towel, why does it look so familiar?

Liu Yumei suddenly remembered; wasn’t this the towel the Li family boy had draped over his shoulder earlier today?

“What’s going on here?”

Liu Yumei wanted to take the towel down, but just as her hand was about to touch it, she stopped. She turned her head to look into the inner room; at the doorway stood the girl.

“Ah Li, weren’t you already lying down? Why are you up again?”

The girl said nothing.

“Ah Li, did you put this towel here?”

The girl didn’t answer.

“Ah Li, this is where the ancestral tablets are placed. It’s the most sacred place for offerings, so you can’t just put things here. The towel should be in its proper place. How about Grandma takes it and washes it clean for you?”

The girl’s eyelashes began to twitch.

“Alright, just leave it there then, leave it. It’s fine here, hehe, perfectly fine.”

The girl became calm again.

“Ah Li, go to sleep. Grandma won’t touch it. Grandma promises that when you wake up tomorrow, you’ll still see it here.”

The girl turned and went back inside.

Liu Yumei sighed, then a smile reappeared on her face. She had just noticed that this time, when Ah Li was about to get angry, only her eyelids twitched, and her body didn’t tremble. This was progress. Over the years, they had always tried to prevent Ah Li from having an episode. This was not only because she could harm herself and those around her when in that state of violent rage, but also because each episode worsened her condition. At present, the most important thing was treating Ah Li’s illness; everything else was secondary.

Liu Yumei finally found her husband’s ancestral tablet behind those of her two brothers.

“I’ve really put you out, making you share a space with my two brothers for a while. You didn’t fight, did you?”

Back then, that old rascal shamelessly pursued her and was often disciplined by her brothers. Even after she married him, he and her brothers would always quarrel and almost come to blows whenever they drank together. The difference was that before they married, her brothers would pick fights with him. After they married, he would repeatedly use the excuse of being drunk to provoke her brothers, shamelessly shouting:

“Come on, hit me! If you’re capable, just kill me! If you kill me, your sister will have to be a widow for me!”

Her brothers were furious, constantly scolding themselves for being blind and letting him trick her.

Actually, despite being a bit petty and holding grudges, that old rascal was genuinely very good to her.

She gently wiped her husband’s ancestral tablet with a handkerchief. “Old rascal, your granddaughter wants you to make some space for her things. Just bear with it for a bit.”

After saying this, Liu Yumei shifted the tablet, placing her husband’s tablet next to her father’s.

“Talk more with my father. A son-in-law is like half a son, after all.”

Although that dirty towel placed right in the center was a bit of an eyesore, Liu Yumei’s tone was still joyful:

“Don’t be mad at Ah Li. Isn’t it also your fault that she’s ended up like this? Who told you to die so readily and heroically all those years ago, leaving no ancestral blessings for your descendants? This boy from the Li family, his name is Li Zhuiyuan, which sounds quite nice. He’s also quite interesting, just unusually precocious. I’ve seen many smart children, but I’ve never encountered anyone quite like him in my life. This child gives me the impression that, aside from a lingering childishness, he’s deliberately acting like a child. It’s a pity, such people often don’t live long. But you never know. He’s living with Li Sanjiang now and is a relative of Li Sanjiang, so sharing in the good fortune should be much simpler than for us. Anyway, none of that matters now. I just hope he can slowly help Ah Li recover from her illness. Our Ah Li has suffered too much and endured too many hardships; she doesn’t deserve any of this. You all, when you drowned in the river, you shouted about a new world. This world is too big for a simple woman like me with shallow understanding to comprehend. I can only look to my own granddaughter and hope she can laugh happily and speak freely like other young girls. If you have spirits in heaven…”

At this point, Liu Yumei couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the tablets, her tone turning to indignant complaint:

“If only you had followed the old rules and left some spiritual presence before you died, my granddaughter wouldn’t have turned out like this!”

After his bath, Li Zhuiyuan found another towel, scrubbed it thoroughly with soap until it was clean, and hung it on the clothesline. Passing by Li Sanjiang’s bedroom door, he hesitated for a moment, but eventually pushed the door open and entered. On the bed, Li Sanjiang was lying with a cigarette between his fingers, his legs crossed, humming a tune, preparing for sleep.

“Great-grandpa, there’s something I’ve thought about, and I need to tell you about it again.”

“Oh? What is it? Go on.”

“Last night, Niu Fu’s mother came to our house and, using the tables, chairs, crockery, and paper effigies on the first floor, hosted a lively birthday banquet for herself. I was also pulled into participating.”

Li Sanjiang frowned slightly and instinctively sat up. “Go on.”

“As the banquet was nearing its end, a zombie appeared and fought with Niu Fu’s mother. Niu Fu’s mother couldn’t defeat it, and at the last moment, she sent me away.”

“Sent you away? Where to?”

“I woke up.”

“Oh.” Li Sanjiang nodded. Recalling how he himself had been chased by a group of zombies in his dream, he understood. The child must have had a dream about zombies, just like him. He comforted him, “Xiao Yuanhou, just consider it a dream. Don’t worry, nothing will happen tonight.”

Without the fortune-transfer ritual tonight, he could also get a good night’s sleep.

“But, Great-grandpa…”

“It’s nothing, don’t take it to heart. Your great-grandpa understands completely.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. Indeed, Great-grandpa understood.

“Great-grandpa, there’s something else. Have you noticed the situation with Grandma Liu and the others living and working here for you?”

“Of course, I noticed that a long time ago, hehe.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded again. Indeed, Great-grandpa knew.

Li Sanjiang chuckled inwardly: this family helped him farm, made paper effigies, delivered tables, chairs, and dishes for banquets, and even handled cooking and cleaning… all for just a little pay. Heh heh, what else could it be but something wrong in their heads? These days, it’s hard to find long-term workers who do a lot for little pay and have something wrong with their heads. He had to cherish them.

“Anything else, Xiao Yuanhou? If not, go back to sleep. Your great-grandpa is also tired.”

“One last thing: actually, I’m the one who tutors Sister Yingzi every time. Sister Yingzi’s comprehension is quite average, and she learns rather slowly.”

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that after he finished speaking, Li Sanjiang’s lips pressed together, and the sides of his face puffed out more and more, as if he was struggling to hold something in. After ten seconds of silence, finally:

“Hahahahahahahahaha!”

Li Sanjiang laughed so hard it pulled at his wounds, making him gasp for air, but he still couldn’t help but laugh and curse:

“You little rascal, if you don’t want to study, just say so. Don’t come up with such pathetic excuses. Do you think your great-grandpa is a fool? Alright, alright, stop spouting nonsense. Go back to sleep. Ying Hou will definitely be here tomorrow. No matter how much you want to play, you won’t be able to escape studying!”

“Goodnight, Great-grandpa.”

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t argue. Even Great-grandpa wasn’t omniscient or omnipotent; it was normal for him not to understand certain things. Returning to his bedroom, Li Zhuiyuan lay down on the bed, pulled up the covers, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. He slept soundly, without dreaming.

Li Zhuiyuan woke up when the sky was still dim. He sat by the bed for a while, sensing that the quality of his sleep was far inferior to feeling energized after waking from a dream. Sitting up from bed, Li Zhuiyuan’s heart jolted, and he then realized that Qin Li was sitting on the chair in his bedroom. The girl seemed to realize she had startled him. She stood up and lowered her head. He could sense her anxiety and uneasiness.

Li Zhuiyuan got out of bed, walked to her, and took her hand. “This is wonderful, opening my eyes and seeing you right away.”

The girl looked up, her eyes brightening. Today, she was wearing a white qipao, with a flower hairpin in her hair, looking very elegant and noble. A faint orchid fragrance also emanated from her.

Li Zhuiyuan first washed up, then played three more games of Go with her, happily losing all three. When they came down for breakfast, Aunt Liu pointed to the twin wooden stools nearby. “Xiao Yuan, you and Ah Li can eat over here.” Li Zhuiyuan saw another table nearby, laden with wine and meat early in the morning. To accommodate Runsheng, incense sticks had even been thoughtfully lit in advance. At this moment, the incense was burning; it looked just like a sacrificial meal.

Liu Jinxia was brought over by Li Juxiang in a trishaw. Seeing Li Sanjiang, who was covered in bandaged wounds, Liu Jinxia was practically frightened to tears, pointing at him and scolding:

“Li Sanjiang, you old beast, you’re not human, you’re not human!”

Liu Jinxia cried and made a fuss for a long time, but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to quit. Instead, she first persuaded her daughter to go back. Li Zhuiyuan and Qin Li sat in their spots and began eating breakfast. After a while, Li Sanjiang called Grandpa Shan, Runsheng, and Liu Jinxia to eat:

“Come, come, everyone’s here, the offering table is set!”

The old man’s surname was Lu, and his name was Lu Shan. He was from Xiting Town and also from the village. The teenager was named Lu Runsheng, found by Lu Shan by the river. Although he was an adopted son, the age difference was too great, so Lu Shan had the boy call him Grandpa.

“Xiao Yuanhou, your great-grandpa and your Uncle Shan, we have a life-or-death friendship.”

Lu Shan scoffed, “Heh, yes, every time I risk my life, you just pass along the money.”

“Hey, isn’t it because I trust your abilities? Besides, that bit of work is nothing to you. I don’t even need to get involved.”

“You old rascal, the older you get, the thicker your skin.”

Some tasks were quite complex, impossible for one person to handle alone, so they would call friends to help. Lu Shan was Li Sanjiang’s familiar partner. Their relationship was extremely good; whenever there was dangerous work, Li Sanjiang would think of him first. Just like Niu Family’s posthumous birthday banquet this time.

Li Zhuiyuan also sensed that Grandpa Shan harbored considerable dissatisfaction towards his great-grandpa. However, this was normal; their simple clothes clearly showed that Grandpa Shan and his grandson lived a rather difficult life, while his own great-grandpa… even the village chief’s daily meals probably weren’t as good as his. They were both in the same line of work, but their lives were worlds apart. There was bound to be an imbalance in their hearts.

Aunt Liu brought the dishes. Short on time, she only managed to stir-fry two: one was sausage with garlic scapes, and the other was eggplant with salted pork. The portions were large, with more meat than vegetables. The freshly steamed rice was in an aluminum basin, steaming hot. Upon seeing the meat, Runsheng unconsciously began to swallow.

To Li Zhuiyuan’s surprise, Aunt Liu, while bringing the dishes, also brought a bundle of incense sticks.

“Sister, bring me another rice bowl.”

“Alright, I forgot.”

Clearly, it wasn’t the grandfather and grandson’s first visit to Great-grandpa’s house; Aunt Liu had hosted them before. Aunt Liu brought another large bowl. Grandpa Shan scooped rice into it, then piled dishes on top. Afterward, he lit the incense sticks and inserted them into both the rice and the dishes on the table. Having done all this, he began to eat the rice bowl in front of him heartily. Li Sanjiang took out white liquor and poured a cup for Grandpa Shan, who downed it in one gulp between bites, then glanced at the table, signaling Li Sanjiang to pour more.

Runsheng, however, remained seated, watching the burning incense, without touching his chopsticks. Yet he was clearly very hungry and eager to eat. Aunt Liu brought the soup: tomato and egg drop soup, with a generous amount of balsamic vinegar added. Grandpa Shan picked up the soup bowl, poured it directly into his own basin, and continued to shovel food. Li Sanjiang took out his cigarette case, pulled out two, flicked one to him, lit his own, and cursed, “Damn it, did you come here on an empty stomach after not eating yesterday?!”

Grandpa Shan continued to swallow noisily, finally picking up the basin and pouring all the broth into his mouth. Only then, satisfied, did he wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, put the basin down, pick up his cigarette, tap it on the table, and say:

“When I received your message, I stopped eating. I’ve been hungry for almost three days.”

“I said if you starve to death, you can just be wrapped in a straw mat and buried. But for the child to suffer this way with you, it’s truly a sin.”

Grandpa Shan lit his cigarette and said nonchalantly, “I picked him up, so he has to suffer with me; that’s how it is. I’ve also told Runsheng Hou that when I die, he should come find you. He’ll work for you, and you’ll feed him.”

“Don’t talk such nonsense. I’m older than you, so I’ll definitely go before you.”

Grandpa Shan exhaled a smoke ring, ran his tongue over his teeth, spat on the floor under the table, and said, “Forget it, you’ll be a scourge for a thousand years. I have no confidence in outliving you. Even comparing our lifespans feels taboo.”

Finally, the incense sticks on the food burned down, leaving a good amount of ash on both the dishes and the rice. But Runsheng didn’t care at all. He brought the aluminum basin of rice in front of himself and began to eat. Li Zhuiyuan was somewhat puzzled but felt too awkward to ask. Grandpa Shan, sitting opposite, noticed this and said with a smile, “Runsheng Hou ate ‘dirty meat’ when he was young, which is why he now vomits if he eats clean food meant for the living. Normally, even if he’s just having a bowl of corn porridge, he has to stick an incense stick in it first.” As he spoke, Grandpa Shan suddenly leaned teasingly towards Li Zhuiyuan, and asked playfully:

“Xiao Yuanhou, right? Do you know what ‘dirty meat’ is?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Meat from dead people?”

Grandpa Shan’s expression froze. He truly hadn’t expected this young lad to calmly ask back. He had originally intended to tease the child without giving an answer, but now he was the one flustered by the boy’s response. Li Sanjiang grumbled, “Old rascal, what nonsense are you spouting to the kid?” Grandpa Shan, however, pointed at Li Zhuiyuan: “Sanjiang, this great-grandson of yours is quite interesting. He’s good material for our line of work.”

“Nonsense! My great-grandson will be going back to the capital to take university entrance exams. How could he possibly follow our wretched path?”

“Li Sanjiang, I despise how you look down on our profession while still earning money from retrieving corpses. Heaven must be blind not to have sent a drowned corpse to swallow you whole!”

“Hah, resentful? Keep it to yourself.”

“Great-grandpa, I’m going to read.”

“Go on, go on.”

Li Zhuiyuan left the table and went upstairs to the second floor. The morning sun was bright, shining on Qin Li’s hair and ma-skirt, making her look like an exquisite sculpture. He took out his book, sat down, and apologized to Qin Li, “We had guests, so I had to entertain them for a bit. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Qin Li said nothing.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his book and began to enjoy his pleasant reading time for the day. When he finished the volume he was holding and was about to switch books, Qin Li suddenly stood up and looked behind them. Li Zhuiyuan also looked and saw Runsheng standing there, looking a bit shy. He was quite awkward because he was only wearing shorts. Logically, such attire was normal in the village; in the height of summer, boys and men with bare torsos were everywhere in the fields and on the dam. However, this outfit, in front of the young boy and girl, created too strong a contrast. Li Zhuiyuan’s clothes and shoes had been sent from the capital. Although he wasn’t particular about food and clothing, he wasn’t used to going shirtless. As for Qin Li, there was even less need to say. Although Runsheng was older than them, when facing them, he was both self-conscious and eager to join in and play.

Li Zhuiyuan held Qin Li’s hand. “Brother Runsheng is a guest in our home; it’s fine.”

Qin Li listened and stopped looking at him. Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t surprised that Qin Li would look at Runsheng. The girl seemed to have the ability to see “unclean things,” and Runsheng’s eating habits earlier… it would be stranger if there was nothing unusual about him.

“Brother Runsheng, we’re reading. Come and sit with us.”

“Oh, is that okay?” He wanted to sit but just scratched his head with a smile.

Li Zhuiyuan proactively walked over and took his wrist. His body was so cold. It was the middle of summer, and he had just eaten so much, so he should have been sweating and warm, but he was surprisingly dry and cool. Runsheng followed Li Zhuiyuan and sat down on the small stool.

Qin Li’s eyelashes began to twitch, and her body gradually trembled. Li Zhuiyuan could only hold her hand again to see if he could calm her down. If not, he would have to ask Runsheng to sit farther away. Fortunately, she calmed down after he held her hand, so he could only continue holding it. Runsheng, seeing this, seemed to awkwardly prepare to stand up. He could tell that this incredibly beautiful girl was rejecting him.

“Brother Runsheng, don’t feel like an outsider. Ah Li is naturally afraid of strangers; it’s not just you. In this family, only Grandma Liu and I can approach her. She’s fine now, so please continue to sit. Oh, by the way, Brother Runsheng, do you and Grandpa Shan often go retrieve drowned corpses together?”

Indeed, as soon as ‘retrieving drowned corpses’ was mentioned, Runsheng immediately became much more natural and confident. He said, “Yes, nowadays my grandpa mostly sets up the offering table on the bank, and I’m in charge of the actual retrieving. Let me tell you, just three months ago, I retrieved a drowned corpse that was a dead infant. That thing was truly sinister, seriously, you wouldn’t believe it.”

“Did you encounter a ‘swirl’?”

Runsheng paused, “What’s a ‘swirl’?”

“It’s a river leak, a section of the river prone to sinkholes or whirlpools.”

Runsheng excitedly slapped his thigh and loudly asked, “How did you know?!” Then, as if enlightened, he smiled, “Did your great-grandpa tell you?”

“I read it in a book.”

“A book?” Runsheng looked at the book on the wooden stool in front of him, reached out and opened a page. “These characters give me a headache. Is it written in this book?”

“Yes, that’s right. This set has many volumes.”

The *Records of Jianghu Oddities* specifically detailed drowned infants because, since ancient times, many places had the custom of infanticide, leading to an endless stream of drowned infants. These types of drowned corpses shared a characteristic: they generally carried a strong, purposeful malice. With other drowned corpses, if you didn’t stumble upon them directly, or if you saw them and quickly retreated, you’d usually be fine. However, drowned infants would deliberately linger in specific river sections, actively seeking people out. Their most common tactic was to lure people to dangerous spots in the river and use the terrain to trap and kill them. Even ordinary small rivers had dangerous spots; experienced fishermen could lose their lives if unlucky. Moreover, they would use special methods, such as wrapping water weeds around your legs while you swam, causing you to lose strength and drown. Many of these drowned infants died either before birth or shortly after, carrying intense resentment and anger. Yet, their own power was weak, unlike other types of drowned corpses that possessed many special abilities, so they could only use environmental tactics to retaliate against the living.

Runsheng said in great surprise, “There are even books about our profession?”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, “Indeed.”

Runsheng: “Who’s so idle as to write about our corpse-retrieving work?”

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t know how to answer. He didn’t know the author of the book, but he had a faint guess: at the end of each entry, the drowned corpse was “destroyed by the righteous path.” Could it be that the author’s name contained “righteous path”? Runsheng continued, “Even stranger, a book is written for people to read, and yet someone actually reads stories about retrieving corpses.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “…”

As it currently stood, the *Records of Jianghu Oddities* was packed with useful information.

“Brother Runsheng, please tell me more about that incident.”

“Oh, right. That day, I encountered a whirlpool. The boat flipped, and I got stuck in the quicksand myself. Luckily, I held my breath and clawed my way up with all my might; that’s how I managed to win against it. Otherwise, I would have been buried alive in the river.”

“That sounds really dangerous.” Li Zhuiyuan added, “Brother Runsheng, you’re really amazing.”

Thankfully, Little Oriole only wanted him to lead the way at that time. If he had encountered a drowned infant, by counting the days, he probably would have been past his first seven-day memorial period by now.

“Hehe, luckily. The main thing was that Grandpa and I, thinking about having a good meal at the host’s place after finishing the job, purposely went without lunch. If I’d had food in my stomach, I wouldn’t have been made to look so bad by that drowned corpse.”

“Then this time, you definitely need to eat your fill before going.”

“Of course! I love your great-grandpa’s house. Every time I come here, I get to eat my fill and eat well!”

“Was that drowned infant eventually retrieved?”

“Of course it was retrieved! It was very cunning. Seeing it couldn’t kill me, it tried to burrow into the water weeds to hide. So I just followed the water weeds at the bottom of the river and clawed at it. When it realized it couldn’t hide there, it tried to burrow under the riverbed. I dug it out forcefully, like digging up a taro. Honestly, with its bloated, pale, and tender appearance from being soaked in water, it really did look like a boiled, peeled taro. It just needed a bowl of soy sauce and some minced garlic.”

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that as he said this, Runsheng licked his lips. Li Zhuiyuan didn’t want to think too much about other aspects; he could only assume that Runsheng was truly hungry at the time.

“Runsheng Hou! Runsheng Hou!” Grandpa Shan’s voice called from downstairs. “Come down and make the bed for Grandpa. Grandpa’s going to take a nap before lunch.”

“Coming, Grandpa.”

Runsheng got up and ran downstairs. Qin Li, meanwhile, actively opened the book on the wooden stool. Li Zhuiyuan understood what she meant: she wanted to read with him, and she didn’t want to be disturbed.

“Brother Runsheng is a guest. Tomorrow, Great-grandpa and the others will still have to rely on Brother Runsheng.”

Thinking about the group for Niu Family’s posthumous birthday tomorrow: one injured person, one too old to walk, one blind person… Only Runsheng could be relied upon.

Qin Li looked up at Li Zhuiyuan, her eyes dimming slightly. She seemed to be expressing her grievance. Li Zhuiyuan squeezed her hand. “Alright, good girl, let’s continue reading.”

However, after Runsheng made the bed in the afternoon, he didn’t come back upstairs. At lunchtime, Li Zhuiyuan led Qin Li downstairs and saw the grandfather and grandson sleeping on a bed made of a round table on the first floor. They also got up and had lunch. The amount of breakfast was indeed just breakfast. Moreover, Aunt Liu had meticulously prepared lunch, which was quite a spread. The grandfather and grandson ate until their bellies were round, then lay down on the round table-bed for an afternoon nap. They slept straight through until dinner time, and after dinner, they went straight to proper sleep, snoring loudly enough to shake the heavens. One couldn’t help but suspect that they had a special way of accumulating energy in advance for the next day’s use.

Li Zhuiyuan, as on the previous day, was able to read almost an entire day’s worth of books. His efficiency was even higher today, having reached volume twenty-four. With the previous foundation and accumulation, he only needed to remember the names and characteristics of the drowned corpses that followed. Li Zhuiyuan felt that in one more full day, he could finish the *Records of Jianghu Oddities*, and he was very much looking forward to the next set of books. What was slightly odd was that Sister Yingzi hadn’t come today. Li Sanjiang had muttered something about it, but since he had things to do tomorrow, he could only wait until after tomorrow’s business to talk to Han Hou about it.

That night, again, he had no dreams.

In the morning, Li Zhuiyuan purposely woke up earlier than the day before. Lying in bed, he felt around and realized he was starting to miss feeling energized after waking from a dream. Sitting up from bed, Li Zhuiyuan’s heart jolted, and he then realized that Qin Li was sitting on the chair in his bedroom. The girl seemed to realize she had startled him. She stood up and lowered her head. He could sense her anxiety and uneasiness.

Li Zhuiyuan got out of bed, walked to her, and took her hand. “This is wonderful, opening my eyes and seeing you right away.”

The girl looked up, her eyes brightening. Today, she was wearing a white qipao, with a flower hairpin in her hair, looking very elegant and noble. A faint orchid fragrance also emanated from her. Li Zhuiyuan first washed up, then played three more games of Go with her, happily losing all three. When they came down for breakfast, Aunt Liu pointed to the twin wooden stools nearby. “Xiao Yuan, you and Ah Li can eat over here.” Li Zhuiyuan saw another table nearby, laden with wine and meat early in the morning. To accommodate Runsheng, incense sticks had even been thoughtfully lit in advance. At this moment, the incense was burning; it looked just like a sacrificial meal.

Liu Jinxia was brought over by Li Juxiang in a trishaw. Seeing Li Sanjiang, who was covered in bandaged wounds, Liu Jinxia was practically frightened to tears, pointing at him and scolding:

“Li Sanjiang, you old beast, you’re not human, you’re not human!”

Liu Jinxia cried and made a fuss for a long time, but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to quit. Instead, she first persuaded her daughter to go back. Li Zhuiyuan and Qin Li sat in their spots and began eating breakfast. After a while, Li Sanjiang called Grandpa Shan, Runsheng, and Liu Jinxia to eat:

“Come, come, everyone’s here, the offering table is set!”