The Cat-faced Old Woman stared at Li Zhuiyuan in profound shock. She could not believe such words had come from the mouth of the child before her.

Her hands unconsciously released the shoulders she had been gripping, and her body recoiled slightly, taking a small half-step back. At this moment, she even began to wonder:

Why did she, compared to him, seem like the child who only knew how to throw tantrums?

Between them, who was the real “dead-ghost”?

He spoke with confidence and clarity, and he did not stop; he continued:

“For the one to be crippled, pay attention to the injured body part. I suggest paralysis from the waist down. Given the conditions here, a wheelchair would be impossible, and no one would specially take time off work to push him around for amusement. After paralysis, he’d be confined to bed, curled up in filthy bedding, requiring care for all his basic needs. He must still be able to speak, to cry out, and his hands must be able to pick up things to throw in frustration. This way, there’ll be a good show to watch, strong interactivity, and a rich experience.”

The Cat-faced Old Woman nodded, her hands unconsciously smoothing the clothes on the boy’s body that she had previously wrinkled. But her hands were dirty, making his clothes even dirtier, and she even felt a little cowed by this.

“For the one to be made sick, be careful not to make it a terminal illness from the start. It should be a chronic, recurring ailment that can be periodically controlled with effort and cost, but never completely cured. The severity of the illness must be controlled; it shouldn’t be fatal, but it should cause immense suffering and agony. The frequency of flare-ups also needs to be controlled. After each recovery, let him rest for a while, allowing him to appreciate the value of good health. However, this interval shouldn’t be too long, preventing him from having a complete period of usable labor or the chance to create value for his family. This way, he and his family will fall into a vicious cycle of internal strife due to repeated torment and treatment costs, more easily sparking family conflicts, tearing off their disguises, and exposing the ugliness of human nature.”

The Cat-faced Old Woman quietly retreated two more steps, her hands clasped in front of her, and asked, “Is…is there more?”

“Most importantly, the one to be driven mad cannot go completely insane. Complete madness would be too easy for her; it would mean she wouldn’t know anything, essentially giving her release, which would be boring. It should be an intermittent madness; she must be normal for most of the day, only going mad for a short while, but her madness must be highly aggressive. I imagine her family would impose coercive control measures on her, just as she did to her mother. She needs enough conscious time to curse, to wail, to complain, to be hysterical. She would likely repent, but we don’t need to understand or empathize with her; instead, we should enjoy her repentance as one of our sources of pleasure.”

At this point, Li Zhuiyuan nodded to himself. “These are the details to note for now. Do you have any suggestions to add?”

The Cat-faced Old Woman replied, “No…nothing.”

“Actually, this plan originally had some risks. What if a truly filial descendant appeared among the three? But it shouldn’t happen. Just look at the old woman’s grandchildren; they all believe she lived too long, absorbing their good fortune and ruining their futures. Children of such caliber should put our minds at ease.”

The Cat-faced Old Woman said, “Yes, I’m at ease, very much at ease.”

“So, what do you think of this plan?”

“Ah? Good, very good, excellent. I will follow your instructions and do exactly that.”

At that moment, Li Zhuiyuan saw black mist beginning to rise from the Cat-faced Old Woman, like dry ice evaporating on a stage.

“What’s happening to you?”

The rising black mist quickly receded.

“It’s because this plan is so good, so good that just thinking about it… my resentment is actually showing signs of dissipating.”

“Can you still hold on then?”

“Yes, my resentment is very strong. I think that when all three of them reach their deserved karmic retribution, I will be completely free.”

“So, you’ve actually been in great pain all this time?”

“Every moment, it’s like being fried in boiling oil, enduring torture. If I couldn’t speak, if I had no thoughts, it might be much easier. Unfortunately… I do, and this pain is magnified several times over.”

“How pitiful.”

“No, not pitiful. Things like us… no, like me. It’s already very difficult for something like me to exist, to be born. Although every time I look up at the sky, I feel fear and dread, I… am grateful to Him.”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the Cat-faced Old Woman before him. In truth, he wasn’t looking at the old woman, but at the black cat. The old woman had painstakingly raised three children, and even helped them raise their own children. Yet, in the end, the one who truly remembered her kindness, and was even willing to endure immense daily suffering to avenge her, was the ugly, crippled old cat she had taken in. Perhaps the biggest difference between humans and animals is that human depravity can sink lower than that of beasts.

“But are you sure that by telling… by instructing me on these things, you won’t face any repercussions yourself?”

“Me?” Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. “How could anything happen to me? I am clearly doing good deeds.”

“Doing good?”

“Yes.” Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the Niu family’s three siblings, still kneeling inside the house, and continued to explain, “You, this dead-ghost evil entity, wanted to kill them, but I saved their lives. Isn’t that doing good and accumulating virtue?”

The Cat-faced Old Woman opened her mouth, revealing a set of rotting teeth. “It…it can be explained that way?”

“Actually, I haven’t even gotten started yet. I’m still reading the basic books. I don’t even know if my explanation is correct. To find out the answer… I’ll just have to go back and keep reading. I’m still young, and my performance in this area isn’t great yet. I need to study hard.”

The Cat-faced Old Woman said, “You… you’re still going to study?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. My advising you to do this also comes from my own self-interest. If my great-grandfather and his group came to the Niu family to perform this ritual, and these three people all died by accident today, then the reputation my great-grandfather relies on for his livelihood would be ruined. My great-grandfather has been really good to me.”

“Actually, your great-grandfather has already given a hand.”

“What?”

The Cat-faced Old Woman replied, “Don’t worry, I know what to do.”

Li Zhuiyuan showed a childlike, innocent smile. “Thank you, Grandma.”

At that moment, shouts echoed from a distance; it was his great-grandfather and the others searching nearby. Li Zhuiyuan waved to the Cat-faced Old Woman, then walked onto the road.

“Xiao Yuanhou! Xiao Yuanhou! Where are you, Xiao Yuanhou!”

Hearing the shouts from the figures in the distance, Li Zhuiyuan felt comforted and pleased. When he first arrived at his ancestral home, he was unaccustomed to having “Hou” added to his nickname. But it was usually the elders who addressed him this way, and the local dialect’s intonation carried the elders’ affection and fondness for him. Professor Xu from the Chinese Department in the family compound, a Guangdong native, had said that with economic development and population mobility, dialects would gradually fade from the stage of history. Pan Zilei, Lei Zi, and Ying Zi now spoke Mandarin at school. So, Li Zhuiyuan knew that as the elders gradually passed away, these calls of “Xiao Yuanhou” would, in the future, only be found and savored deep in his memories.

“Great-grandfather! Great-grandfather!” Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and began to respond.

Li Sanjiang and Runsheng ran over, followed by Old Man Shan, Liu Jinxia, and some villagers.

“Xiao Yuanhou, are you alright?” Li Sanjiang touched Li Zhuiyuan from head to toe, confirming that his great-grandson was intact. Runsheng’s face was covered in sweat, smiling brightly. Earlier, they had each grabbed Niu Fu and Niu Rui, but soon discovered that what they were holding were bundles of straw. Looking up, Xiao Yuanhou was gone, which prompted their hurried search. Old Man Shan was injured, but he felt he could still help. Liu Jinxia hadn’t planned on coming out, but she dared not stay alone in the shed. As for the villagers behind them, many had volunteered to help find the child after hearing the shouts, and more villagers were gathering towards them.

It must be said that the local customs were still quite simple, but even the best fruit tree cannot avoid bearing some twisted fruit. Some villagers had already begun shouting that the Niu family members were missing. The families of the three Niu siblings, seeing that they hadn’t returned so long after midnight, also started to search.

“Great-grandfather, in there, in the old house,” Li Zhuiyuan whispered while in Li Sanjiang’s arms, ensuring only his great-grandfather could hear.

Li Sanjiang nodded, pushed Li Zhuiyuan towards Liu Jinxia, then raised a peach wood sword, his figure suddenly appearing much taller. Li Zhuiyuan recognized it; it was the one he had brought.

“Come on, there are many of us. Everyone, follow me! Fight the dead-ghost, save the people!”

Li Sanjiang led the charge towards the old house. Runsheng followed without a word. Old Man Shan stomped his foot and bit his lip, joining them. The villagers behind were somewhat timid. They were willing to help find the child, but confronting a dead-ghost was truly terrifying for them. However, given their numbers, even with hesitation, they slowly followed.

But as Li Sanjiang and the other two rushed in, an ear-piercing cat’s howl and sounds of struggle immediately erupted from the old house, interspersed with what seemed to be an old woman’s screams and curses. Some villagers recognized it as Old Lady Niu’s voice. But Old Lady Niu had died, and it had been six months, hadn’t it? Faced with such a scene, even the bravest villagers dared not advance, only standing in place, awaiting the outcome.

Fortunately, the screaming gradually subsided. Soon, Li Sanjiang emerged from under the old locust tree in front of the dilapidated house, carrying one person on his back, while Runsheng carried two.

“They’ve been rescued!”

“Heavens, the Niu family is really here!”

“The dead-ghost has been subdued!”

Li Sanjiang tossed Niu Lian off his back with a thud, and she landed directly on the gravel path. Runsheng followed suit, releasing his arms, and Niu Fu and Niu Rui slid to the ground, rolling before lying still. A crowd of villagers immediately gathered to gawk and ask questions. This was talk for dawn, and a significant experience to boast about when leaving the village and encountering people from other areas. Then they could light a cigarette, feign mystery, and say:

“Tsk, what you’re saying is nothing. Let me tell you about something that happened in our village back then…”

The sudden disappearance of the three Niu siblings, their reappearance in the old house, and their current unconscious state clearly indicated something sinister had occurred. Everyone looked at Li Sanjiang and the others with admiration and respect, showering them with compliments; these were truly capable individuals. Who could guarantee a smooth life without encountering any evil? Even if one didn’t, what about family, relatives, and friends? People with such special abilities would be treated with courtesy by anyone with a shred of sense.

Old Man Shan, seeing Li Sanjiang standing at the forefront, being praised by everyone, felt a sourness in his lips. He had followed them in and seen a cat-faced old woman standing at the old house’s entrance. Li Sanjiang had stopped with his peach wood sword raised, waiting for him and Runsheng to go first. But then the cat-faced old woman, as if possessed, lunged at Li Sanjiang and impaled herself on the peach wood sword, piercing right through. Then came a series of wails, cat meows, and the old woman’s cries, until finally… silence! Old Man Shan himself had wanted to slap himself twice to see if he was blind. A corpse-demon that could bewitch them all, making him urinate like a dog… was it just extinguished like that?

Li Sanjiang himself was somewhat surprised. He even flicked the peach wood sword in his hand and remarked, “It must be genuine peach wood. The quality from a state-run furniture factory is indeed trustworthy.”

“Move aside, everyone, move aside!” Li Sanjiang pointed to the three people lying on the ground. “They’ve been possessed. They haven’t woken up yet. Everyone, go to the nearby ceramic jars, fetch some ‘golden liquid,’ heat it up, and make them drink it.”

In truth, Li Sanjiang knew that Liu Xiazi was best at exorcising possessions, but first, Liu Xiazi was injured and not in good condition. Second, he clearly knew what these three were, and it was what they deserved.

Immediately, the villagers divided into two groups: one responsible for carrying the Niu family’s three siblings back to the shed where the ritual was held, and the other going to fetch the ceramic jars to prepare the “golden liquid.” The latter group was noticeably more excited and walked with a spring in their step.

The shed quickly became crowded. Some villagers who were still asleep were either startled awake by the commotion or roused by their neighbors, all coming to watch the excitement. The daytime ritual had been quiet, but in the latter half of the night, it was bustling with people.

Old Man Shan and Liu Jinxia sat in chairs, receiving warm inquiries from the villagers. In the villagers’ eyes, these two must have been injured while fighting the dead-ghost! A sharp-eyed child noticed Old Man Shan’s damp trousers and was reprimanded by an adult, who explained it was from being soaked by the dead-ghost’s water during their struggle. Then, a villager passing by the graves brought news that Old Lady Niu’s grave had been dug open, and there was nothing inside. This news immediately pushed the discussion in the shed to a climax, making it even livelier than an outdoor cinema showing.

The busiest was still Li Sanjiang. He continued to hold the peach wood sword high, moving and waving it, performing the ritual. His movements were not particularly standard or ethereal, nor were they continuous or elegant; in terms of visual appeal, he was far inferior to the Taoist and Buddhist priests of funeral troupes. But the villagers clearly understood that the funeral troupes were just for show, while this old man before them possessed true ability.

Li Sanjiang swung the sword here, thrust it there, stopping and moving, moving and stopping, muttering some old incantations. These words were mumbled, and to Li Zhuiyuan’s ears, they sounded a bit like the *Generals of the Yang Family* opera that his great-grandfather listened to on the radio while enjoying the cool air on the terrace at night. Li Sanjiang had slept well, and with so many people watching and cheering, he danced with even more vigor.

When a foul smell permeated the air, Li Sanjiang decisively stopped. “Alright, the ghost aura is dispelled, the evil energy is cleansed. Everyone, rest assured, there will be no more trouble here.”

Everyone clapped and cheered. Li Sanjiang stood with his sword, a subtle smile on his face. He knew that his previous set of actions was meaningless, but he hadn’t charged extra money, so it wasn’t profiting from promoting feudal superstition. It was purely to provide the villagers with peace of mind and emotional value.

The “golden liquid,” served in plastic buckets, was brought over, steaming and hot. Many nearby villagers began to gag from the smell, and some even vomited, yet despite this, not a single person wanted to avoid it or leave! Especially those who pushed to the inner circle, where the smell was strongest, still pinched their noses and watched intently, while those in the outer circle kept jumping up and down, afraid of missing the famous scene. This truly was a case of “smelling foul, looking good.”

Li Sanjiang himself felt his stomach churning, but he had to force himself to instruct the villagers to administer it. Several eager villagers had already wrapped wet cloths around their noses. They first pried open the mouths of the Niu family’s three siblings, then carefully poured the liquid in using a large ladle meant for pig troughs. Their hands didn’t tremble at all; they were truly steady, not spilling a single drop. It was like pouring hot water into a thermos, with a distinct dripping sound.

Niu Fu, the first one to be given the liquid, woke up and immediately vomited on the ground. Then came Niu Rui and Niu Lian. Soon, all three siblings were vomiting together. Their own children brought clear water for them to rinse their mouths. The surrounding villagers were all smiling broadly, praising the effectiveness. Though the smell was bad, it was truly potent.

Once the Niu family’s three siblings finished vomiting, or rather, gradually adapted, they all wept loudly and rushed to Li Sanjiang, kneeling and embracing his legs, wailing their thanks. They retained some memory of what had happened, seeing their own deceased mother coming to claim their lives. If Li Sanjiang and his group hadn’t been performing the ritual there that day, they feared they would have truly been taken away by their heartless, cruel mother. They cried genuinely for their narrow escape from death, and Niu Lian even spoke at length, eulogizing Li Sanjiang as her reborn parent. Her two elder brothers, just like during the daytime funeral wailing, echoed her ending phrases in harmony, like a chorus.

Li Sanjiang tried to comfort them while pushing them away. Firstly, he found their current smell too pungent. Secondly, he found the idea of being their reborn parent ominous; this was not gratitude, but clearly a curse on himself! However, with the Niu family’s three siblings coming forward to attest to their experience, it further solidified Li Sanjiang’s, along with Old Man Shan and Liu Jinxia’s, reputations in the villagers’ minds. After this, it was likely that people from this village or neighboring villages who encountered problems would seek out the Li family in Siyuan Village.

After a session of tearful confessions and tugging, Li Sanjiang received the remaining payment from the Niu family’s three siblings. The final payment wasn’t originally much, as it was customary to pay most of it upfront for such matters. However, this time, the final payment was significantly larger, quite a hefty sum. It seemed that the Niu family’s three siblings were only stingy with their own mother, but quite generous with their own lives and with outsiders.

Old Man Shan clutched the red envelope containing money, unable to keep his lips from twitching, revealing his dark, missing teeth. But when he turned his head, he saw that the amount in Li Sanjiang’s hand was much thicker, and he felt another bout of chest tightness. It was always like this, every single time! Liu Jinxia, on the other hand, was indifferent, neither overly happy nor sad. She just felt a stinging pain on her face, unsure if her skin was less tough than Old Man Shan’s or if that young man named Runsheng had been particularly ruthless with her.

The Niu family’s three siblings even wanted to recognize Li Sanjiang as their godfather, but Li Sanjiang refused without hesitation. For this, Li Sanjiang even concocted a theory about fate, saying that he was destined to be childless and solitary, making him unsuitable for godchildren. Liu Jinxia found this explanation familiar; people in their line of work often had a certain professional persona.

Before leaving, Li Sanjiang specifically reminded the Niu family’s three siblings publicly: “Anyone who does something, every single account, is registered with Heaven. This time, my saving you was already going against Heaven’s will. From now on, you must only do good deeds, sincerely perform acts of kindness, and diligently accumulate virtue. If your hearts are not sincere, or your intentions are not pure, I fear you will soon encounter further misfortune. That would be beyond my control; I can only help you this much.”

This was merely a standard professional saying in their line of work, first securing the immediate benefits and reputation, then dissociating themselves from future events. However, these words were recalled by the villagers not long after, causing them to once again give Li Sanjiang a thumbs-up for his abilities, with some even calling him “Old Immortal Li.” This even led to the Niu family’s relatives later respectfully inviting Li Sanjiang back to “treat illnesses.” But these are stories for another time.

In short, when all the chaotic events finally concluded, it was past four in the morning. Runsheng pushed out the flatbed cart, and Li Sanjiang, Old Man Shan, and Liu Jinxia took their seats. Li Zhuiyuan was about to get on too when he heard a bicycle bell behind him. Turning around, he saw Uncle Qin.

“Great-grandfather, I’ll ride with Uncle Qin.”

“Go on, go on. Get back and rest early.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the bicycle, and Uncle Qin picked him up, placing him on the front bar. Then he pushed the bike for a bit before hopping on and pedaling. Feeling a little sleepy, Li Zhuiyuan leaned against Uncle Qin’s chest and dozed off. Uncle Qin looked down at the boy in his arms, somewhat surprised that he hadn’t asked if he had been there all along. This meant his prepared explanation went unused.

By the time they returned from Shigang to Siyuan Village, the eastern sky was already showing the pale light of dawn.

“Uncle, you should rest early.”

“Mm, you too, go to sleep early.”

Li Zhuiyuan ran into the house, went up to the second floor, and immediately took a bath. In the east wing bedroom, Qin Li, who had been sleeping, sat up, hearing the commotion from the courtyard.

“Lie down, don’t go to him now. He’s just returned, tired, let him rest well. If you go to him now, he’ll have to divide his attention and energy for you. Once or twice is fine, but too many times, anyone would get annoyed and feel bothered.”

Qin Li looked at Liu Yumei, her eyes filled with confusion.

“Good girl, child, Grandma won’t lie to you. If you want to be playmates for a long time, then both of you must feel comfortable and happy when you’re together, understand?”

Qin Li lay back down.

“Oh, and tomorrow morning, don’t rush into his room to wait for him. Wait until he wakes up, then go. Better yet, let him come down to pick you up.”

Qin Li’s eyelashes on the bed began to flutter.

“Alright, alright, once he wakes up and comes out of his bedroom, you can go up.”

Qin Li closed her eyes and began to sleep. Liu Yumei tucked in her granddaughter, then walked to the central room, opened the door, and Qin Li’s father, Qin Li, stood at the entrance. After coming in, Qin Li quietly recounted the day’s events. Liu Yumei nodded, and Qin Li left.

“Sigh…”

Liu Yumei turned to look at the ancestral tablets. She usually had a habit of chatting with the tablets every day, but today, just as she was setting the mood, she was interrupted by a smell. It was the cracked duck egg placed in the mourning hall. In this weather… it had already started to smell rotten.

By the time Li Zhuiyuan finished showering, his great-grandfather and the others hadn’t returned yet, so he went straight to his bedroom and lay down to sleep. He woke up, almost at noon. He looked towards the chair in his bedroom but didn’t see the familiar figure, feeling a little disappointed. He wondered what she was wearing today. Getting up, he took his washbasin, pushed open the door, but she wasn’t standing there either. Her figure was also absent from the bench in the northeast corner where she usually read.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the edge of the terrace and looked down. Today, the girl was wearing a *qixiong ruqun*, a traditional Chinese dress with a red top and a goose-yellow skirt, her hair softly draped over her shoulders. She looked more lively and playful than usual. She was still sitting inside the threshold, her embroidered shoes resting on it.

The girl sensed something, lifted her head, and looked up at the second floor.

“Stay steady, A-Li!”

Qin Li stood up and walked into the house, leaving Liu Yumei behind, sighing with her hand over her head.

Qin Li came to Li Zhuiyuan on the second floor, her eyes fixed on him. “I came back late last night and overslept,” he explained, then began to wash up. Afterward, he held Qin Li’s hand and went downstairs. It was almost mealtime, and he was hungry.

Downstairs was lively. Li Sanjiang, Old Man Shan, and Liu Jinxia were already drinking wine, accompanied by a plate of peanuts and a bowl of fish jelly. Liu Jinxia and Old Man Shan had their wounds bandaged and their faces covered with ointment. They hadn’t gone to the clinic; those in their line of work generally avoided clinics, especially Liu Jinxia, as many people came to her for “treatment.” However, Liu Jinxia always acted prudently, knowing her own limits. After giving people her “talisman water” — which was just boiled water mixed with sugar and black sesame paste — she would always instruct the family to take the patient to the health center for continued care or medication, stating that her methods were merely minor paths assisting the doctor.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that Aunt Liu must have applied the medicine for them; her skill in applying medicine for his great-grandfather last time had been excellent.

“Where’s Brother Runsheng?”

“Runsheng, huh.” Old Man Shan burped, just about to speak, when he saw Runsheng and Uncle Qin returning together from the fields outside. Runsheng had gone farming. Seeing him carrying a hoe, barefoot and sweaty, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly felt a bit like a freeloader, though he admittedly was.

“Dinner’s ready, dinner’s ready!” Aunt Liu called everyone to eat.

Liu Yumei and her group sat at one table, Li Sanjiang and his group at another. Li Zhuiyuan sat at a small table with Qin Li, and… Runsheng sat alone at his own table. His table was in the loneliest corner, with a large rice basin in front of him, filled with dishes poured from the main table, and a thick incense stick, as thick as an arm, stuck upright in it. Runsheng smiled contentedly, whether at the food or the incense stick, or perhaps, in his eyes, there was no difference. So, it wasn’t that everyone was isolating him, but that the large incense stick was too smoky to eat near.

Li Sanjiang joked to Old Man Shan, “Heh heh, look, Runsheng Hou’s appetite is getting bigger and bigger. From now on, when he eats, we’ll have to burn pagoda incense!”

Old Man Shan grumbled twice, burying his head in his porridge. He wanted to eat solid food but couldn’t now because he had lost his teeth.

After dinner, Li Zhuiyuan took Qin Li back to their usual spot on the second floor to read. At that moment, a tricycle pulled into the courtyard. Li Juxiang was riding it, with Cuicui sitting behind.

“Mom.”

“Grandma.”

The mother and daughter rushed to Liu Jinxia, looking anxious and concerned about her condition. It seemed Liu Jinxia had treated her injuries and then taken a nap after returning here in the morning, not wanting to go home first and worry her family.

“Mom’s fine, fine now. Grandma’s good, why are you crying? Don’t cry.” Liu Jinxia gently comforted her daughter and granddaughter.

Cuicui wiped away her tears, no longer crying, but her eyes scanned the surroundings. “Go play with your Brother Yuanhou; he’s upstairs,” Liu Jinxia pointed upwards.

“Okay!”

“Don’t play too long. We’ll be taking your grandma home soon. You can come back in a couple of days to specifically play with Xiao Yuanhou.”

“Got it, Mom.”

Cuicui went up the stairs to the second-floor terrace and saw Brother Xiao Yuan sitting with a girl in beautiful clothes, both looking at a book. She rarely went out to play in the village, and Li Sanjiang’s house was a place villagers seldom visited unless necessary. Qin Li, on the other hand, never went out at all. So, Cuicui had only heard from her grandma that there was a family of long-term laborers living with Great-Grandfather Sanjiang, including his old mother and daughter. Today was the first time Cuicui had ever seen Qin Li.

“Cuicui, you’re here.” Li Zhuiyuan stood up and greeted Cuicui.

Qin Li also turned sideways. She didn’t look at Cuicui, but continued to look at Li Zhuiyuan. Cuicui saw the girl’s face. She covered her mouth but still gasped out loud: “Wow, so beautiful, so pretty!” Before, she had only thought the clothes were pretty, like something she’d only seen on TV, but now that she saw the person, she was truly beautiful. Even hearing Cuicui’s admiration, Qin Li still didn’t spare her a glance, because Cuicui was just “hard-fated,” not “unclean.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked over to Cuicui and introduced, “Cuicui, this is Qin Li, Grandma Liu’s granddaughter.”

“Hello, I’m Cuicui, Li Cuicui.”

Qin Li followed Li Zhuiyuan. Seeing Cuicui actively approaching her, her eyelashes began to flutter. Li Zhuiyuan held her hand, and she quieted down, but still didn’t respond to Cuicui’s enthusiasm. Cuicui felt a little awkward.

“Cuicui, A-Li is shy around strangers. She’s not targeting you; she’s like this with everyone else.”

“Really?!” A smile reappeared on Cuicui’s face. Hearing that A-Li didn’t dislike her, but disliked everyone, made her very happy. After all, the other villagers only disliked her, but A-Li treated her the same as everyone else!

Li Zhuiyuan temporarily put away the books, took out some snacks, and they started chatting. Actually, it was just Li Zhuiyuan and Cuicui chatting; Qin Li remained silent. And because Cuicui was there, Li Zhuiyuan had to keep holding Qin Li’s hand, otherwise she might suddenly react. Cuicui ate her snacks while her eyes constantly flitted between Brother Xiao Yuan and Sister A-Li, mainly focusing on Sister A-Li because she was truly too beautiful. As for other thoughts, she had none. She didn’t even have that possessiveness common among playmates, like “you must play with me, not her”; such thoughts simply didn’t cross Cuicui’s mind. She was very happy to have met another friend today, especially when Brother Xiao Yuan explained that Qin Li had always been alone with no friends; she felt sad and sympathetic, thinking this beautiful sister was much more unfortunate than herself.

Soon, Li Juxiang’s call came from downstairs; they were going home.

“Goodbye, Brother Xiao Yuan. Goodbye, Sister A-Li. I’ll come back to play with you in a couple of days.”

Li Zhuiyuan waved to Cuicui, then took A-Li’s hand and waved it too. He could feel A-Li’s slight resistance. After Cuicui left, Li Zhuiyuan looked down at Qin Li in front of him and said, “I know you’ve adapted to that self-imposed darkness, but I still suggest you try to step out and experience the outside world. Make your decision whether to go back after you’ve experienced it.”

Qin Li said nothing, just looked intently at Li Zhuiyuan. After experiencing those inexplicable feelings recently, Li Zhuiyuan increasingly felt that A-Li’s current state might very well be his future. No, judging by his mother’s current state, his future would only be more severe than A-Li’s.

Next came a period of quiet reading. With his previous reading accumulation, combined with his practical experience of seeing dead-ghosts twice in reality, Li Zhuiyuan now read *The Records of Jianghu Monsters* at the speed of flipping through a comic book. For each chapter, each page, his gaze keenly captured keywords and special points to form memory and understanding, then quickly turned the page. With suitable comparative references, other dead-ghosts were merely additions and subtractions from the basic template. Li Zhuiyuan found himself reliving the feeling of quickly flipping through newly issued textbooks. He swiftly finished one volume, then moved to the next.

Finally, just before Aunt Liu called them for dinner, Li Zhuiyuan finished Volume 42 of *The Records of Jianghu Monsters*. In the bottom right corner of the last page of the final volume, there were a few lines of small text:

*This book was obtained from my spiritual journeys through heaven and earth, traversing rivers, lakes, and marshes. Ordinary folk will only see it as a tale of the strange, to add to their tea-time conversations; but if one truly finds it delightful, then one’s fate must be riddled with misfortunes.*
*I can only wish you good luck, my friend.*
*— Wei Zhengdao.*

Li Zhuiyuan leaned back in the rattan chair, one hand behind his head, sighing in his heart: This book’s author is truly an interesting person. As for what the author said at the end, Li Zhuiyuan understood: ordinary people who hadn’t seen dead-ghosts would just read it as a ghost story, but for those who had… well, their fate certainly wasn’t good.

At that moment, Li Zhuiyuan felt a soft, small hand slip behind his head, linking its fingertips with his. It was Qin Li. Li Zhuiyuan smiled at her, then closed his eyes, preparing to nap for a while. After dinner, he could go to the basement to find new books. Hmm, it seemed more comfortable resting his head on someone else’s hand.

Qin Li intently watched the boy in front of her, who had closed his eyes, from his hair, to his forehead, to his eyes, to his nose, to his mouth. Then her gaze returned, and she began to count each of his eyelashes.

At dinner, Old Man Shan said that tomorrow Runsheng would push him to the town clinic to get dentures, then push him home. In a couple of days, Runsheng would come to Li Sanjiang’s place. When there was business, he would then ask someone to call Runsheng back to retrieve corpses.

Li Sanjiang was so angry he slammed his chopsticks down and cursed, “So you’re keeping your mule at my house, and when you need it, you’ll take it, and when you’re done, you’ll drop it back here to eat my feed?” If it were just ordinary feed, fine, but this fellow’s appetite alone exceeded everyone else’s combined! Before, when Ting Hou cooked, she made only a shallow pot of rice, but when he was here, she had to cook a separate pot just for him.

Old Man Shan sucked on his water pipe, glanced at Li Zhuiyuan, who was eating with the pretty girl at the small table, and chuckled, “I say, Sanjiang Hou, you’re this old. You’ll need someone to take over, right? If you don’t rely on Runsheng Hou, are you going to rely on this Xiao Yuanhou?”

“You’re talking nonsense!”

“Heh, whether I’m talking nonsense, just listen to me first. I know you found Xiao Yuanhou’s grandfather to care for you in your old age and handle your funeral. I believe Sanjiang Hou’s judgment of people is never wrong. But you’ve been accustomed to a comfortable life your whole life. You wouldn’t want to suffer when you’re old and bedridden, would you? Or start selling off your property? What if you sell everything and you’re not dead yet? Will you drink porridge every day? Yes, Han Hou wouldn’t deny you half a bite of his food, but look at the life Han Hou is living now. If you want to live comfortably and prosperously in old age, it’s not enough to just have someone sincerely serving you; you also need…” Old Man Shan rubbed two fingers together at Li Sanjiang. “You also need income. Runsheng Hou may eat a lot, but he’s excellent at retrieving corpses. This kid is much more capable than I am. Besides, Sanjiang Hou, you don’t lack this bit of rice. You can just give him less vegetables and less meat, and make sure he has enough rice, won’t that do?!”

“What about the incense?”

At this moment, Aunt Liu, who was serving the soup, smiled and chimed in, “I know how to make incense using local methods. Not only will he have enough to eat, but we can also have a small side business.”

“Uh…” Li Sanjiang rubbed his nose, suddenly thinking this wasn’t bad at all. But then he turned to Old Man Shan and asked, “If Runsheng Hou comes to me, what about your retirement? You old rascal, you’re not planning to freeload off my retirement, are you?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t have a good death.”

“What kind of talk is that?”

“My true feelings. I’ve seen it clearly, I don’t have as good a fate as you, to die peacefully in bed.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? If you let Runsheng Hou break your leg now, wouldn’t you be lying in bed heading towards a peaceful death?”

Old Man Shan: “…”

After a round of teasing, arguing, and feigned reluctance, the matter was implicitly agreed upon. Li Zhuiyuan was quite happy. Watching Runsheng, who was drooling while waiting for the incense to burn out, he thought, how good this was! As long as Runsheng was around, he would have an additional practical channel for his reading and studies.

After dinner, Li Zhuiyuan escorted Qin Li back to the east wing, then went to a cabinet drawer to get his flashlight and put new batteries in it. It was a rural custom to remove batteries from flashlights after use, supposedly to prevent power drain. Li Zhuiyuan also didn’t plan to ask his great-grandfather to change the basement light bulb for now; he felt that entering with a flashlight gave it a treasure-hunting atmosphere.

Following the flashlight beam, he arrived at the box he had opened for the first time. There were still many books inside, and he planned to clear them out one box at a time. With the flashlight in his left hand, he reached in with his right, feeling around like picking prize tickets. Finally, Li Zhuiyuan found two stacks of books. These two stacks were very thick and had hard covers, like slipcases, organizing all volumes of a set together. He took out both stacks and placed them on the ground. Each set contained eight volumes, and none of them were too thick. The slipcase covers had no writing, so Li Zhuiyuan first pulled out one book from each set and found that their covers were also blank. He had no choice but to open them and look at the contents. Shining the flashlight, Li Zhuiyuan was momentarily stunned. They were handwritten, and the calligraphy was beautiful, small standard script, but the problem was that the font was too tiny, like ant legs, and densely packed on both sides… Therefore, although the books weren’t thick, their content was terrifyingly rich. To read these books, he would probably need a magnifying glass. He then flipped through the other set, and it was the same tiny font. Could these two sets be by the same author?

Li Zhuiyuan carefully searched with his flashlight. Finally, on the inside of both slipcases, he found two white labels, which listed the titles of the two sets:

*A Comprehensive Guide to Yin-Yang Physiognomy*
*Treatise on Fate Deduction*

One was about physiognomy, and the other was about fortune-telling. Li Zhuiyuan lightly tapped his flashlight, the light occasionally sweeping across his small, pensive face.

“Hmm… seems pretty useless?”