Chen Ping’an, his expression dazed, walked out of the house and into the small courtyard. He raised his head to look, and the blazing sun hung in the sky. His vision was unusually clear, the sky resembling a porcelain embryo, the layers of glaze having been removed, smooth and lovely.

Unintentionally, Chen Ping’an noticed his breathing was somewhat stagnant. He sat on the threshold, held his breath, and performed the Sword Furnace Boxing Stance with his hands forming a sword shape.

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Chen Ping’an finally felt his breathing become smooth and even. Just as he was about to stand up, a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye made him sit back down abruptly on the threshold, his eyes wide. He stared. He did not know when a black stone had appeared, lying quietly in the corner of the courtyard—the best sword-sharpening stone in the world, the Dragon-Slaying Platform!

Chen Ping’an quickly rose and walked over, crouching down to examine it closely. Compared to the collapsed pedestal of the Heavenly Official statue, it looked as if it had been cut like tofu, a single, clean stroke severing it into two. Chen Ping’an rubbed his chin, inching his position, squatting down in a different direction. He circled around, moving east, south, west, and north. After his buttocks returned to their original position, he became more certain that it was indeed the pedestal beneath the statue that “nodded like a Bodhisattva.”

This made Chen Ping’an shudder. Although Miss Ning liked to make boastful claims, all her dismissive words and actions were absolutely genuine. If she said the Dragon-Slaying Platform was exceptionally sturdy and could only be split open by a Great Sword Immortal at a great cost, Chen Ping’an believed it without a doubt. So, had this Dragon-Slaying Platform grown legs and run all the way to his Chen Ping’an’s house?

Chen Ping’an now knew that gods, immortals, ghosts, and countless mountain spirits existed in the world, but the possibility of a stone becoming a spirit was unlikely, wasn’t it? Besides, it could run to anyone’s house and enjoy blessings, so why run to his house where it would only suffer? Was there such a foolish stone spirit?

Chen Ping’an tentatively asked, “Hey, can you talk? Or can you understand me?”

Of course, it couldn’t.

The suspicious and bewildered boy shook his head, unable to look away.

Perhaps the dream he had before was too vivid. Chen Ping’an hadn’t fully recovered yet, causing everything he saw now to seem strange.

Many small things he hadn’t deeply considered back then, when pieced together now, seemed to make sense all of a sudden.

Teacher Qi had said that such things existed in the world, and Ning Yao had even spoken of the bizarre and fantastical nature of the world outside.

Even Old Yao had, in fact, said many things bit by bit long ago. Even the simple act of entering the mountains had many intricacies. Old Yao had said a lot, such as how those unremarkable old tree stumps might be the seats of mountain gods, and one shouldn’t sit on them. He had also said that all the mountains under heaven, regardless of size, were all connected, differing only by their ancestral lineage.

At this moment, Chen Ping’an suddenly became very curious, wanting to know how one could see the entire panorama of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven where the town was located. Was it only by climbing to a mountain peak higher than the Pi Yun Mountain that one could have an unobstructed view?

Chen Ping’an put aside his thoughts and looked down at the black stone, thinking of moving it to the blacksmith shop. Miss Ning would definitely need this sharpening stone. As for how Miss Ning would deal with the stone, whether she chose to sharpen her sword herself or give it to Master Ruan as a thank-you gift for helping forge her sword, Chen Ping’an didn’t care. He was just curious about how a sharpening stone sharpened swords. Would it be similar to how he sharpened his wood-chopping knife?

Chen Ping’an never procrastinated when making decisions. Once he made up his mind, he acted immediately. He reached out and lifted the sharpening stone, able to raise it a few inches off the ground. It was somewhat heavy, but not to the point that he couldn’t move it. This was good. Chen Ping’an went inside the house to find a bamboo basket.

Soon, the boy was walking down Mud Bottle Lane carrying the basket on his back, with a piece of clothing covering the sharpening stone inside.

After walking out of Mud Bottle Lane, Chen Ping’an found the streets crowded with people. He figured the sudden darkness must have frightened people, and now that they finally saw the sun, they all wanted to come out for some fresh air. So, most of the townspeople had left their homes, walked out of the alleys, and come to the streets, discussing among themselves. Occasionally, someone would run past in a hurry, shouting that the Iron Lock Well had completely dried up, and even the iron chain that had hung in the well for perhaps thousands of years had been secretly taken home by some bastard. Even more, children who feared not a chaotic world ran about in groups of two or three, jumping and skipping with joyful faces, babbling nonsensically about the changes in the old locust tree.

It turned out that the old locust tree had been uprooted “overnight” and fallen on the street, with shattered branches and withered yellow leaves scattered all over the ground. At first, many residents nearby thought it would be a waste and picked up branches and leaves to use as firewood. Some lazy young men were unwillingly urged by their wives to chop the thicker branches with wood-chopping knives. It wasn’t as if no one tried to stop them. Most of the elderly townspeople who had lived around the old locust tree for generations were heartbroken. They cursed those men and women who were taking such advantage, and some of the elderly patiently spoke of the old locust tree’s connection to the town, saying that the tree had spiritual energy, and for so many years, even when withered branches fell, they only did so late at night, not wanting to hit anyone on the head. Not to mention that during times of poor harvests, the locust flowers of the old tree were like rice, filling the stomachs of many people.

But it was no use.

Those young men either ignored them, only focused on chopping the tree, or, if they were more ill-tempered, clashed with the elderly, pushing and shoving. In short, it was a bit of a mess.

After hearing the commotion from the old locust tree’s direction, Chen Ping’an hesitated while carrying the basket on his back, slowing his pace, looking back at the locust tree. Intuition told him that he should go to the locust tree to take a look, but there was also a voice in his heart urging him to hurry to the blacksmith shop.

Suddenly, he saw a nimble figure like the wind brushing past him. It was a little girl wearing a bright red cotton jacket. What was both funny and endearing was that the little girl was carrying a locust branch as thick as a young man’s arm on her shoulder. The branch was as tall as she was, and the little girl was moving her feet quickly, like spinning wheels, lively and adorable.

Chen Ping’an recognized her at a glance. She was that lone little girl who came and went like the wind, liking to wander around the town. She and Gu Can belonged to those who became acquainted after a fight. He had recently seen her again on the Green Ox Back. She seemed to be close to those immortal figures, and her relationship with that young Daoist nun seemed especially good. Chen Ping’an had even given her a small snake gallstone.

Chen Ping’an quickly called out to her. The little girl in the red cotton jacket turned her head. Seeing that it was Chen Ping’an, she grinned, her pair of articulate autumn-water eyes seeming to say, “If you have something to say, say it quickly. I’m listening, I’m busy moving things like an ant!”

Chen Ping’an held back a smile and waved, “I want to discuss something with you. It’ll only take a moment.”

The little girl in the red cotton jacket carried the branch and ran over with swift action, tilting her body slightly as she raised her head, looking puzzled.

Chen Ping’an asked, “You brought this branch from the old locust tree, right?”

The little girl nodded vigorously, regretting, “If I don’t hurry, it’ll be snatched away. I’m not very strong and can only move something this small. I’ll try to make a few more trips.”

Chen Ping’an’s mind raced. He tentatively asked, “If your home is near Fulu Street, then it’s far. If you trust me, you can put the locust branch in my courtyard first, so you can make more trips back and forth.”

The little girl silently weighed the pros and cons. While seriously considering it, she kept observing Chen Ping’an’s eyes and face. Perhaps she felt that Chen Ping’an didn’t have bad intentions. She nodded, “Then what do you want me to do? Let’s make it clear beforehand that I can’t carry branches that are too big. They’re heavy, and my shoulders already feel like they’re on fire.”

Chen Ping’an took out a bunch of keys, took one off, and handed it to the little girl. “This is the key to my courtyard gate. You can have it. I don’t want you to do much, just to see if there are any green leaves that haven’t turned yellow when you’re grabbing locust branches. If there are, remember to collect them for me.”

She didn’t take the key, her eyes widening. “That’s all?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Yes, that’s all. Do you know where my house is?”

She hummed in agreement. “The twelfth house on the left side of Mud Bottle Lane.”

In the end, she didn’t take the key. “The courtyard wall on your side isn’t high. I can gently put the locust branch inside without opening the courtyard gate.”

Chen Ping’an put the key away. The girl in the red cotton jacket had already turned around and sped away.

Chen Ping’an felt that she was like himself entering the mountains. She was walking the streets and alleys, and he was crossing the mountains.

Chen Ping’an walked out of town and continued south. When he approached the “Covered Bridge,” he was shocked to find that the Covered Bridge was gone.

It had reverted to the old stone arch bridge in his memories.

For some reason, although the Covered Bridge was brand new and grand, with eye-catching gold-lettered plaques, Chen Ping’an still preferred the old bridge before him.

Chen Ping’an stood at the end of the stone bridge, inexplicably thinking of that unexplainable dream. He took a deep breath and slowly walked up the slope.

The closer he got to the center of the bridge, the more nervous Chen Ping’an became. He was already drenched in sweat, and now he sweated even more profusely. However, nothing happened even when he walked to the other side of the arch bridge. Chen Ping’an chuckled at himself and quickened his pace towards the blacksmith shop.

—–

On Green Ox Back, Old Yang was sitting on the edge of the green stone cliff, puffing away at his dry tobacco pipe.

Ripples spread across the pool at the old man’s feet. Underneath the water, it seemed as if large swaths of aquatic plants were swaying. Even under the bright sun, there was still an unspeakable eerie aura.

Gradually, a blurred face of an old woman floated on the surface of the water, but she had a head of raven-black hair that spread out in the water. At this moment, the old woman looked as if her parents had just died. Her voice trembled as she said, “Great Immortal, I really dared not approach that area last night. I tried several times, and every time I went over, it felt like being thrown into a pot of boiling oil, more painful than being sliced to pieces. Great Immortal, please spare me! There’s really nothing I can do.”

Old Yang coldly said, “I’m not here to question you. You should just do what you can, without hesitation. However, there is now a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of you. It depends on whether you dare to seize it.”

The old woman’s ghostly green face swayed with the water, exuding an indescribable ghastly aura. Hearing that the Great Immortal intended to point out a clear path for her, she quickly adopted a posture of attentive listening.

The old man slowly said, “Now the small Grotto-Heaven has slowly fallen back to the human world, connecting with the land. It is at a critical period of settling down. Before long, it will be connected to the territory of the Great Li Dynasty. The reason you can only be called a River Hag, and not a River God, is just like in a secular dynasty, you are still only an unqualified clerk, not truly having obtained an official position. One step away, yet worlds apart.”

He pointed his old pipe towards the stone arch bridge, “The root cause of this is not that your jurisdiction is small, but that your territory has been cut in half. See that bridge? It has cut off your future incense offerings. Now, as long as you can swim under the bridge, you can have a great future. The stream where you are will become the source of many important rivers in the future. Not to mention a lowly River God with strands of hair not even a few hundred miles long, even being conferred as a River God by the Great Li, with strands of hair stretching for thousands of miles, would not be difficult.”

The old woman’s eyes flickered slightly.

Old Yang didn’t urge her. He smiled and said, “Lying in the mud is quite comfortable, isn’t it? Why be lifted up by others, isn’t it?”

The old woman, who had previously been timid and dared not agree immediately, realized that something was wrong upon hearing the Great Immortal’s sarcasm. She immediately begged for mercy, and the deep pool of stream water churned.

The old man remained unmoved and said calmly, “Is it continuing to be a mudfish wagging its tail for pity, or transforming into a River Dragon sitting in charge of the water transport of one side? The choice is now. Also, don’t forget what I told you in the beginning. There is no turning back on this road. You can only go all the way down a dark path. There are no good things that can be accomplished once and for all under the heavens. To put it bluntly, everyone in town can have good karma, but it can’t possibly be your turn.”

The more indifferent and unconcerned the infinitely powerful Great Immortal was, the more uneasy the River Hag felt. Finally, she gritted her teeth and swiftly dove into the water.

After a moment, the old woman’s figure disappeared, but in the stream between Green Ox Back and the stone arch bridge, there seemed to be a dark green shadow, crookedly moving downstream.

When this shadow approached the stone arch bridge, its speed slowed down, and in the end, it was almost like a turtle paddling.

When it was still more than ten feet away from the deep pool of water at the stone arch bridge, the River Hag’s figure suddenly accelerated. Clearly, she was seeking wealth and honor in danger, going all out for the desperate gamble.

She swam past.

Unimpeded.

After rushing out dozens of feet, the old woman’s underwater figure spun in a circle. To celebrate her escape from disaster, she couldn’t help but spin around and around, a mass of black hair wrapping around her thin and fleshless body.

The River Hag stood straight, suspended in the middle of the stream. She raised her head to look at the stone arch bridge and finally clearly saw the old sword.

It was still covered in rust, just like how she had seen it when she was a child, a young woman, a mature woman, without any difference.

However, in the next moment, after just taking a glance at the old sword, both of the River Hag’s eyes exploded on the spot.

A wail.

The stream water churned and waves rippled.

After a long time, this section of the stream finally returned to calm. The old woman had grown a new pair of eyes, but her aura had become weak. She heard the Great Immortal’s voice in her ear, “They don’t bother with you. It’s your ancestors who must be smoking with good fortune. Don’t push your luck. Remember not to look up when passing by the stone bridge in the future.”

The old woman mumbled, “I dare not, I dare not anymore.”

Old Yang’s voice came slowly, “You only need to go downstream and see where you can swim. Don’t be too arrogant when passing by that blacksmith shop. But don’t worry too much. Your existence can make this stream particularly ‘gloomy’, which will be conducive to the birth of water spirits, which is beneficial for sword forging and quenching. Therefore, that Master Ruan will not make things difficult for you. If you work diligently, maybe he will even bestow you with some opportunities. Although the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven has shattered and its spiritual energy is rapidly scattering, it can still last for about thirty or forty years. Master Ruan’s position as a sage is very stable. For him, it is a good thing.”

The old woman breathed a sigh of relief and said flatteringly, “I will obey the Great Immortal’s decree.”

On Green Ox Back, someone said with admiration, “Senior has great divine powers and can even confer the title of River Hag himself, without alarming the Heavenly Dao.”

Old Yang remained in his original sitting position, not turning his head, and sneered, “River Hag and River God, one word difference, are worlds apart. As a scholar, would you not understand?”

The person who came was none other than the most promising scholar of Guanhu Academy, Cui Minghuang. He would probably be the last outsider to leave this place.

The handsome scholar, who was as elegant as jade, smiled, “It is already shocking. Creating a small road on a dead end path. This kind of feat cannot help but make the younger generation admire.”

Old Yang asked indifferently, “Boy, do you know my identity?”

Cui Minghuang shook his head and smiled, “The Mountain Lord did not inform me beforehand, but I can barely guess a little bit.”

Old Yang said impatiently, “Go, go, go. You are not qualified to talk to me. It would be the same if it was your Mountain Lord.”

Cui Minghuang not only did not leave but instead sat down cross-legged on the Green Ox Back. Before sitting down, he did not forget to carefully hold the jade pendant at his waist to avoid it hitting the stone cliff. He raised his head and looked at the unobstructed blue sky, and said softly, “Having a whole body of supreme cultivation, in order to protect this Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, not allowing the slightest bit of the Heavenly Dao to seep in, he is unwilling to use it at all, and in the end, he can only rely on two natal characters, truly holding on to the end. Old Yang, what is our Teacher Qi really trying to accomplish?”

The old man only puffed his pipe, his expression gloomy.

Cui Minghuang murmured, “If it is to ‘establish a destiny for the people,’ that is too much of a loss. He is Qi Jingchun, the Mountain Lord of the Cliff Academy, the proud disciple of the Fourth Sage of Confucianism. Is his one life in exchange for the next life of five or six thousand ordinary people worth it? I don’t think it is worth it. If it were me, I definitely couldn’t do it.”

Old Yang spat out a puff of smoke, “You can only talk about this with me. Otherwise, if it spreads, you can forget about becoming the Mountain Lord of the Academy in this lifetime. Seeing that you said a few words from your heart first, how about we chat casually?”

The scholar smiled slightly, “That would be great, this junior couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The old man looked at the surface of the water, “But before that, I want to ask you a question.”

Cui Minghuang nodded, “Senior, please ask.”

The old man slowly said, “Was it your hand that pushed Qi Jingchun step by step into that situation where he had no choice but to seek death?”

Cui Minghuang was stunned at first, then smiled bitterly, and finally mocked himself, “Senior is looking too highly on me, isn’t he?”

Old Yang did not turn his head. Clouds of smoke rose in front of the old man, “I have no other abilities, but I am okay at seeing people’s hearts. So you shouldn’t have come here.”

Cui Minghuang explained with a smile, “Even if it is calculated from a later time, from the first time my Confucian Fourth Sage’s position in the Temple of Literature declined, using this as a beginning, that was eighty years ago. I am now only thirty years old, how does that make sense?”

The old man turned his head, smiling, “You mean to say that you just happened to come here to take away the Town-Nation Jade Seal, and happened to encounter this tragedy, just like yellow mud falling into your pants, not shit but shit?”

Cui Minghuang looked calm and smiled, “The world is impermanent, and coincidences make a story.”

Old Yang laughed, his smile not reaching his eyes.

Cui Minghuang was unwilling to waste time and went straight to the point, “This junior has a special fondness for the Pi Yun Mountain and hopes to use it as the site for a new academy. This junior is a guest here, and when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Logically, I should say hello to Senior Yang. I don’t know what requirements Senior has?”

Old Yang frowned and remained silent.

Cui Minghuang seemed to not dare to urge the old man and slowly stood up, whispering, “Senior, rest assured, as long as Senior does not nod his head, this junior’s academy will not dare to break ground. If Senior thinks this matter is feasible someday, you can have the Kiln Affairs Supervisory Yamen send a message to Cui Minghuang of Guanhu Academy.”

Old Yang grunted, not completely rejecting him.

Cui Minghuang bowed and took his leave.

Compared to small chess pieces like the River Hag, whether they can truly achieve the position of a god or whether Guanhu Academy is seeking an enclave in the Great Li Dynasty, choosing that Pi Yun Mountain, the old man did not care too much about these things, because they were unimportant.

The only thing that the old man cared about was what Qi Jingchun said to Ruan Qiong at the Covered Bridge that night. In the end, he sat alone on the Covered Bridge all night, only getting up and returning to town after dawn. During that time, what exactly did Qi Jingchun say and do?

The old man stood up with his old pipe and cursed in a low voice, “Not one of them is easy to deal with.”

—–

Inside the school, the four students looked at each other.

The children did not see Teacher Qi. Instead, it was the old man who seemed to be sweeping the floor all year round who put on a Confucian robe similar to Teacher Qi’s attire, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. His frost-white hair was neatly arranged, and he wore a high hat. The old man sat in Teacher Qi’s original position and told the four children that Teacher Qi had resigned as a teacher and the Mountain Lord of the academy, so he would lead the study tour from then on.

The matter of going on a study tour had been discussed with the children long ago by Teacher Qi, and their elders had also nodded in agreement.

The old man was no longer the kind and amiable person he used to be, but had a majestic aura. He asked, “Where is Li Bao Ping? Why hasn’t she come to school?”

Li Huai, who was quick-witted and mischievous, and did not get along with that girl in the red cotton-padded jacket, immediately revealed, “Li Bao Ping heard that the old locust tree had fallen on the way here, so she insisted on going to join the crowd. I couldn’t hold her back. She has a bad temper and didn’t listen to my advice. She even wanted to hit me.”

The other three students each muttered in their hearts that Li Huai was just like his mother, and his ability to lie through his teeth was better than anyone else.

The old man turned to a little girl with braided pigtails and said, “Go and call Li Bao Ping back. We will leave the town today.”

The little girl gave an “oh” and stood up reluctantly, trotting out of the school.

Li Huai, who was young but had a sharp tongue, did not forget to add fuel to the fire, saying in an old-fashioned way, “Old Ma, you must discipline wayward students like Li Bao Ping properly, or they will not become anything worthwhile. Since Teacher Qi is not here, Old Ma, you must take on the burden…”

The old man glared at him sternly, and Li Huai was so frightened that he fell silent, obediently shutting his mouth, but in his heart, he kept cursing this old man Ma for being a good-for-nothing, and the monkey becomes king when the tiger is not on the mountain.

In the past, Li Huai was very annoyed by Teacher Qi’s rules, but now he missed Teacher Qi’s kindness.

Next to the school classroom, in the room that belonged to Qi Jingchun, Cui Minghuang of Guanhu Academy sat behind the desk, looking around. The scholar who had taken someone else’s nest had a gentle smile, and said with disappointment, “There are not many books either.”

—–

Chen Ping’an arrived at the blacksmith shop and was a little confused when he heard the news.

Ning Yao had left the town before dawn. Ruan Xiu said that she had received a flying sword message from Daoist Mountain, and after hearing it, Miss Ning had left the shop in a hurry.

It was at this time that Chen Ping’an realized that Miss Ning had gone to Mud Bottle Lane earlier to say goodbye to him.

Chen Ping’an stood under the eaves of the house where Ning Yao had been temporarily staying, carrying the basket on his back, and pursed his lips.

Ruan Xiu said softly, “Miss Ning asked me to tell you that she will borrow the scabbard for a while and will return it to you later.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “It’s okay.”

Ruan Xiu hesitated, and Chen Ping’an realized that it made no sense to say this to Miss Ruan and scratched his head, “Then I will go back to Mud Bottle Lane.”

Ruan Xiu nodded.

Chen Ping’an walked forward.

Ruan Xiu suddenly remembered something and called out, “Chen Ping’an, my dad said that you should work hard in the shop during this time. You may need your help with blacksmithing in the future.”

Chen Ping’an turned his head and smiled, “Thank you.”

The girl in green smiled.

Chen Ping’an walked alone by the stream, walked onto the stone arch bridge, and suddenly stopped. He took off his backpack, sat on the edge of the stone bridge, with his feet hanging in the air. The basket containing the heavy Dragon-Slaying Platform was placed beside him.

A pair of straw sandals gently swayed.

The boy did not have much sadness about Miss Ning’s departure, because he knew from the beginning that she would leave.

It was just that there were some things that he did not have time to say.

He did not know how long had passed when Chen Ping’an was suddenly awakened by a huge splash of water under the bridge. Chen Ping’an quickly turned his head, and the basket was gone!

Chen Ping’an did not hesitate at all. He supported himself with both hands and let himself fall into the stream.

After entering the water, he quickly changed his posture in the water, with his head facing down, and desperately dived into the water.

When Chen Ping’an opened his eyes wide and vaguely saw a bit of light, he lost consciousness at that moment.

In the next moment, Chen Ping’an found himself standing on a mirror-like water surface. He gently stomped his feet, and ripples circled out, but the mirror surface did not collapse.

Chen Ping’an suddenly raised his arm to cover his eyes.

There was dazzling light in front of him, illuminating the world.

When the light faded, Chen Ping’an lowered his arm and saw someone sitting in the air in the distance, with one leg bent and the other hanging down, as if sitting on the edge of a cliff, in a lazy posture.

The whole person was bathed in pure white light, and strands of light were constantly swaying.

Chen Ping’an could not see the person’s face at all.

He looked similar to the figure standing in the center of the Covered Bridge in the dream at his home in Mud Bottle Lane before.

But Chen Ping’an was not sure if it was the same person.

That person raised his head and yawned, and said slowly, “That scholar named Qi Jingchun said that he was very disappointed in this world. What about you?”

After that person spoke, Chen Ping’an had difficulty breathing and gritted his teeth.

Soon he heard his own heartbeat again, as if someone was drumming thunderously, and the boy’s face was flushed, and he reached out to hold his heart.

A god is drumming in the spring, telling the world that spring is coming.

If the drum does not sound, spring will not come.

That person waved his hand, and the sleeves swayed like a silver river.

On the stone arch bridge, the boy who was pecking rice like a chicken woke up dazed, turned his head and looked, and the basket was obediently placed beside him.

The boy held his head and said, “Again?!”

Chen Ping’an slapped himself hard, it hurt.

He stood up in a panic, and ran away with the basket on his back.

Chen Ping’an ran all the way back to Mud Bottle Lane, opened the courtyard gate, and found that near the courtyard gate, locust branches were lying haphazardly.

He thought that the girl was really able to run and carry.

Chen Ping’an put down his backpack and then sat at the courtyard gate, wiping his sweat.

A touch of red ran quickly from one end of Mud Bottle Lane.

The little girl was covered in sweat, and smiled when she saw Chen Ping’an.

She rested the locust branch on the ground, panting, and took out a handful of brightly colored emerald green locust leaves from her embroidered bag.

Chen Ping’an took it and looked down. Compared to the locust leaves that Qi Jingchun had brought him to ask for, although these locust leaves were also green, the leaf veins were already withered and yellow. Looking at them for a long time, he could not see any green fluorescent light traveling through them.

Chen Ping’an looked at the girl in the red cotton-padded jacket who was looking around, and smiled and reached out his hand.

The little girl looked blank.

Chen Ping’an did not withdraw his hand.

After she insisted for a while, she took out the last leaf from her embroidered bag with a look of chagrin, and slammed it heavily on Chen Ping’an’s palm.

Chen Ping’an continued to stretch out his hand.

She puffed out her cheeks, and turned around and took out a locust leaf from nowhere, and handed it to Chen Ping’an with a sad face.

Chen Ping’an held back his laughter, put the eight locust leaves together, but took out three of them, handed them to the little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket, and said softly, “These are for you.”

The little girl did not take the locust leaves, and her big eyes, like black grapes, were full of doubt.

Chen Ping’an rubbed the little girl’s head, and explained gently, “You secretly hide it yourself, and I give it to you afterward, it’s different. Don’t forget in the future, you must do what you promise others.”

Chen Ping’an looked at that innocent and naive face, and smiled, “If you have tried hard, but still can’t do it, remember to say hello.”

Although the little girl thought what he said made sense, she didn’t have any face, so she tried her best to wrinkle her face and said angrily, “Why are you so like the Teacher Qi in the school? I don’t like you anymore!”

Chen Ping’an did not know whether to laugh or cry, and said, “I will help you move the locust branches to your house. I am strong, and one trip is enough.”

The little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket, who was exhausted, suddenly lit up her eyes, smiling so that her eyes narrowed into crescents, “Then I can like you a little longer!”