“Mom!”

Li Juxiang rushed forward, embraced Liu Jinxia, and pulled her off the bed. If she had been a moment later, Liu Jinxia would have been strangling the old woman on the bed, and it would have been difficult to say how the dying woman had truly passed away.

Liu Jinxia struggled, kicking her legs while being pulled back, and cursed viciously, “Old beast, you’re not human, old beast, you’re nothing!”

You’re dying, and for your own satisfaction, you’ve dragged up all these old secrets. What about her, Liu Jinxia? She’s already this old, with a daughter and a granddaughter; her life is clearly nearing its end. How could she genuinely care about her origins now? Whether she was born to her parents or abducted by kidnappers, what meaning does it hold for her at this point? Besides, her own mother never revealed this before she died; she kept it secret from her. So, you just had to blurt it out, you old beast with an itchy tongue, didn’t you? At this moment, Liu Jinxia felt no curiosity about her background whatsoever, only immense anger and disgust.

Noise, arguments, chaos.

With great difficulty, Li Juxiang managed to get her mother onto the tricycle and then rode it away. After passing the small path and reaching the village road, she rode for a distance. Li Juxiang looked back and saw that the people on the distant drying ground weren’t chaotic or running, nor did she hear any firecrackers, which allowed her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Liu Jinxia quieted down. She didn’t sit on the small stool wrapped in cloth; instead, she gripped the tricycle with both arms, her semi-white hair and elbows swaying with the bumps of the wheels. She sat in a daze for an unknown period before Liu Jinxia started to dry heave. Li Juxiang immediately pulled the tricycle over to the side of the road and helped her mother down.

Liu Jinxia pushed her daughter away, squatted down, and began to vomit. Her stomach soon emptied, and tears followed in quick succession. Ignoring the grime at the corners of her mouth, Liu Jinxia collapsed sideways, hugging herself with both hands, sobbing silently. Li Juxiang squatted beside her, one arm around her mother’s head, the other gently stroking her back.

The saying “after bitterness comes sweetness” was merely a solace she used to cope with painful memories. In reality, she had endured every bit of hardship without exception. Near the end, she thought she had finally accounted for her life, both to her late husband and to the next generations. But unexpectedly, she was struck again, a blow that didn’t physically hurt but left her heart heavy and choked.

A yellow pickup truck pulled up nearby. Tan Wenbin poked his head out. “Aunt Juxiang?”

“Binbin?”

Tan Wenbin got out of the car, quickly asked about the situation, and after learning they didn’t need to go to the clinic, he first lifted the tricycle onto the pickup, then motioned for Li Juxiang and Liu Jinxia to get in.

“Aunt Juxiang, here’s some tissue.”
“Thank you.”

Li Juxiang pulled out some tissues and wiped away her mother’s tears and the corners of her mouth.

“Binbin, are you returning from Shigang?”
“Yes, I was at my girlfriend’s place.”

“Is your girlfriend home?”
“She’s still studying in Jinling.”

“You visit quite often then.”
“Not really that often. I don’t spend much time at home, so I visit whenever I can.” He was often away during holidays, sometimes for long periods. So, naturally, he visited often when he had free time. Other prospective sons-in-law, before marriage, would almost willingly put a halter around their necks and act like mules to gain favor every time they visited their future mother-in-law. Tan Wenbin didn’t need to; he simply put the gifts inside and then went directly to Zhou Yunyun’s old room to lie down and wait for dinner.

“That’s wonderful. Both of you are college graduates, with promising futures. Your parents on both sides must be very relieved.”
“Hehe.”

“As parents, we all hope our children grow up, settle down, and start a family. Then, half a lifetime of worry can finally be put to rest.”

“Life will only get better in the future. Cuicui is still young; by her generation, they’ll have their own way of life.”
“Let’s hope so.”

Tan Wenbin reached for a can of soda and offered it. “Have some; it’ll quench your thirst. I don’t have water in the car.”
“Thank you. Riding in your car and drinking your soda, I feel a bit awkward.”
“Nonsense, you’re not an outsider.”

Li Juxiang was indeed thirsty. She opened the soda, offered it to her mother, but when Liu Jinxia didn’t drink, Li Juxiang drank it herself.

After turning off the main road onto Siyuan Village’s road, Tan Wenbin first drove to Liu Jinxia’s house. Li Juxiang looked up at the second floor; no lights were on. “Cuicui isn’t home!” When Cuicui was home alone at night, she always left the lights on.

Tan Wenbin: “She’s probably eating at Uncle Li’s place. Come on, let’s go together. It’ll save us from cooking at home.”

Li Juxiang was about to refuse, but Tan Wenbin pointed at the still vacant-eyed Liu Jinxia: “An old woman needs another old woman to deal with her.” And so, Li Juxiang got back into the car. Tan Wenbin turned the car around and drove back. Since Cuicui wasn’t home, she could only be at Uncle Li’s house, as no other families in the village would welcome her, nor would she go there.

The car stopped in front of Uncle Li’s house. The people on the drying ground were having dinner. After Li Sanjiang recovered, he was finally able to drink with Old Man Tian again. Once they started, they couldn’t stop, and both old men’s faces were flushed. Over by Lin Shuyou and Runsheng, the original three-way dynamic hadn’t been lost due to Tan Wenbin’s absence, because Zhao Yi had joined them. The food still tasted better when it was eagerly eaten.

But as they ate, Zhao Yi also noticed something was off. He looked at Runsheng with a hint of curiosity: “Your appetite… hiss!” Before he could finish his question, Lin Shuyou stomped hard on Zhao Yi’s foot.

Lin Shuyou: “Three-Eyes, can’t even eating keep your mouth shut!”

Everyone thought Runsheng had lost his appetite because Yin Meng wasn’t there. At a time like this, there was no need to rub salt in his wound. Zhao Yi, however, knew that Runsheng wouldn’t be so “childish.” Logically, with Yin Meng away, he should be eating more to gain strength so he could pick her up later. Glancing at Lin Shuyou, Zhao Yi gently nudged Runsheng with his arm and said, “If there’s a good late-night snack place, remember to tell me about it.”

Runsheng nodded.

Cuicui, along with Aunt Liu, Uncle Qin, and Liu Yumei, were eating at a small round table. Aunt Liu personally peeled a small bowl of shrimp for her and drizzled a little aromatic vinegar over it. Cuicui wanted to take the bowl to share with Sister Ali, but she turned her head and saw Sister Ali peeling shrimp for Brother Xiaoyuan, who was deboning fish.

Aunt Liu: “Don’t watch them; just eat your food.”
Cuicui: “Oh, okay. Aunt Liu, your cooking is really delicious.”

Aunt Liu: “Better than your mother’s cooking?”
Cuicui leaned close to Aunt Liu’s ear and whispered, “It really is better than my mother’s.”

Aunt Liu: “Hehe, alright, quiet down, your mom and them are here.”

Tan Wenbin and Li Juxiang helped Liu Jinxia walk onto the drying ground. Liu Yumei, holding a cup of rice wine, walked over, sipping as she went. Li Juxiang immediately noticed her mother’s feet starting to find purchase on the ground, and the vacant look on her face gradually gave way to animation. Ever since her mother started coming here to play cards, at home in the evenings, she would constantly talk about “Sister Liu” this and “Sister Liu” that, a complete replica of how Cuicui used to incessantly chatter about “Brother Xiaoyuan” when she first met him. From the looks of it, her mother not only got along well with Aunt Liu but also feared her.

Tan Wenbin released her, and Liu Jinxia also pushed away Li Juxiang’s hand, steadying herself. Tan Wenbin wasn’t surprised at all by this; he could tell that Liu Jinxia hadn’t truly “fallen ill” but had deliberately shut herself down after experiencing a massive emotional shock.

“Mama!” Cuicui got up from the table and ran over. “Mama, what’s wrong with Grandma?”

Li Juxiang: “Your grandma…”
Liu Jinxia stroked Cuicui’s head: “What could be wrong with Grandma?”

Aunt Liu got up from the table: “I’ll get some chopsticks; let’s eat together.”
Liu Jinxia: “How can we impose? We’ll just pick up Cuicui…”

Liu Yumei placed her wine cup down on the round table with a slightly heavier thud.
Liu Jinxia: “Eat, yes, let’s eat, I’m hungry, I’m hungry.”

Aunt Liu smiled and went to the kitchen for bowls and chopsticks. Liu Jinxia sat down. Liu Yumei glanced at her and asked, “What happened? You look so disheveled.”
Liu Jinxia: “Nothing much, just feeling a bit choked up all of a sudden.”

Liu Yumei: “Your daughter’s here, your granddaughter’s here, and they’re both fine. What are you getting so choked up about?”
Liu Jinxia quickly nodded: “Yes, yes, yes.”

Aunt Liu brought the bowls and chopsticks and motioned for Li Juxiang to sit down. Liu Jinxia had just reached for her chopsticks when Liu Yumei spoke: “Fix your hair, dust off your clothes. When you come to the table to eat, you should look presentable.”

“Alright, I’ll go now.”
Liu Jinxia put down her chopsticks and left the table. Li Juxiang followed her. By the well, she drew water for her mother to wash her face while also helping her brush the dust off her clothes. When they returned, Liu Jinxia had completely regained her usual lively demeanor.

Liu Yumei nodded with satisfaction and personally poured her a cup of rice wine. “Come, eat.”
Liu Jinxia: “Alright, let’s eat!”

On the other side, Li Sanjiang let out a hiccup and said to Old Man Tian: “Ha, Old Blind Liu usually acts so tough, but she actually has someone she’s afraid of.” Old Man Tian didn’t dare respond. That person—who wouldn’t be afraid of her? Earlier, when Liu Jinxia was being helped up the steps, Old Man Tian just took one look and knew she was having a fit of hysteria. Yet, with just a few words from that person, the hysteria was both dispelled and suppressed. One had to admit, sometimes it was just fate. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed that the matriarchs of two Dragon King families would sit and play cards with a few village old women and even develop genuine affection.

Li Sanjiang was raising his cup to clink with Old Man Tian when he realized Old Man Tian’s attention was entirely behind him.
“Hey, old brother?”
“Ah, cheers!”

Old Man Tian clinked glasses with Li Sanjiang and drained his cup. Li Sanjiang leaned closer and whispered, “Old brother, you haven’t taken a fancy to Old Blind Liu, have you?” Old Man Tian quickly waved his hands: “How could that be? How could that be? I’m used to being alone, and at my age, how could I still have such thoughts?”

Li Sanjiang: “If you haven’t taken a fancy, then you haven’t. Why make so many excuses?”
Old Man Tian: “I…”

Li Sanjiang: “Come on, old brother. Old Blind Liu and I are fellow villagers, so I shouldn’t say this, but you’re also my friend, so I, your elder brother, still have to warn you.”
Old Man Tian: “Brother Li, tell me.”

Li Sanjiang: “It’s fine if you want to find a partner, but let’s choose someone else. Some things are just village gossip and nonsense, but others… cough, are harder to talk about.”

Li Sanjiang knew that Liu Jinxia’s family wasn’t unlucky. There was no problem being friends with them or even doing business together. But if you were to marry into the family, that would be a huge matter. Li Sanjiang was quite a bit older than Liu Jinxia. When Liu Jinxia’s husband died, she hadn’t yet entered the profession, so Li Sanjiang performed the funeral rituals for her husband. After that ritual, Li Sanjiang went home and had nightmares for three consecutive nights.

Later, the live-in son-in-law Liu Jinxia found for her daughter died when he fell headfirst into a paddy field while transplanting rice. Li Sanjiang went to help again. By then, Liu Jinxia had already entered the profession, so he accompanied Liu Jinxia during the funeral rites, and Shan Pao was also there. As a result, Li Sanjiang had nightmares for another three nights. Shan Pao’s experience was even more extreme: he was hit by a car on the way back to Xiting, and the driver fled the scene. Fortunately, Shan Pao had Runsheng with him at the time. Little Runsheng first begged the nearby villagers to take his grandfather to the clinic by ox-cart, then ran all the way home to borrow money for the hospital fees. Shan Pao always blamed himself for this incident, as bad things always happened when he worked with others. Li Sanjiang would usually retort, but that one time, he let Shan Pao blame him, just smoking quietly without explanation.

Actually, Old Blind Liu herself was well aware of this matter. Otherwise, why would she not find another husband for her daughter all these years? Although her family had a bad reputation, their financial situation was good. Most importantly, Xianghou was young and beautiful. Even now, because she didn’t have to work in the fields, Xianghou was still the best-looking woman in the village. If she really wanted to find someone, even if it wasn’t for money but just for looks, there would certainly be plenty of men willing to jump at the chance. When it happened to Old Blind Liu herself, she refused to accept her fate, but after the same thing happened to her daughter, she finally understood.

After another drink, Old Man Tian sighed and said, “It’s not her fault; she didn’t want it either. They’re all unfortunate souls, quite pitiable.”
Li Sanjiang pulled his neck back: “If you tell her she’s pitiable to her face, she’ll throw feces at you.”
Old Man Tian: “Huh?”

“Old Blind Liu’s temper has mellowed a bit these past years. Back when she was raising her daughter alone, the contents of her ceramic jar wouldn’t have been enough to fertilize a field, let alone throw at people. I remember there was a scoundrel in the village back then who got drunk and said that since she was a widow with a daughter, she should just come live in his house and serve him along with his wife. That very night, Old Blind Liu pushed a manure cart to his house and repainted everything for him, from the drying ground to the walls.”

Old Man Tian: “Hehehehe.”
Li Sanjiang: “What are you laughing at?”

Old Man Tian: “Without that kind of personality, she really couldn’t have endured such hard times.”
“You’re truly drunk.”

“I’m not drunk. Don’t believe me? Come on, keep drinking!”
“Who’s afraid of who? Drink!”

After dinner, Runsheng carried the thoroughly drunk Li Sanjiang back into the house, while Zhao Yi carried the equally drunk Old Man Tian to Big Beard’s house to rest. As the two old men parted ways, Li Sanjiang was still muttering drunkenly: “Don’t get carried away, don’t be impulsive…” Old Man Tian, waving his hand, also mumbled drunkenly: “It’s not easy for anyone, not easy…”

Li Juxiang helped Aunt Liu clean up. Cuicui went to the second-floor terrace and watched Brother Xiaoyuan and Sister Ali play chess under the starry sky. Liu Yumei, holding a cup of tea, leaned there. Liu Jinxia held a palm-leaf fan, swatting away mosquitoes for the two, while recounting her day’s experiences. Her narration was accompanied by emotional buildup, and by the end, Liu Jinxia was almost sobbing: “Sister Liu, why is my life so bitter? I’ve lived so many years in a daze, and only at this age do I find out about my origins, and that my hometown is in Anhui.”

Liu Yumei took a sip of tea and calmly said, “Jiujiang is in Jiangxi.”

Liu Jinxia’s old face flushed: “Oh, my hometown is in Jiangxi.” An old person her age would only remember Nantong and two or three nearby cities. She hadn’t even sorted out place names within her own province, let alone those outside it.

“So, are you planning to search for your relatives?”
“Search for what relatives? I’ll just assume that old hag made up those lies to disgust me before she died.”

“Then just pretend it never happened and continue living your life.”
“That’s what I thought too.”

“Then you should go back and sleep early. You still have cards to play tomorrow. You can introduce your hometown to them then.”

Liu Jinxia was amused by this, but too embarrassed to laugh out loud, her face turning crimson like a chrysanthemum. “Hehehe.” Liu Yumei, however, smiled, stood up, pushed open the door, and walked into the east room. Aunt Liu followed her in with hot water, preparing to draw a bath for the old lady.

“Aren’t you going to talk to her more? I think Aunt Liu really wants to talk, and she’ll probably have trouble sleeping tonight if she goes back now.” Liu Yumei shook her head and said, “I dare not talk anymore.”

Aunt Liu immediately realized there was more to her words: “What’s wrong?”
“I just felt an ominous premonition… cough cough, cough cough!” Liu Yumei had a coughing fit, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. When she finished, she saw blood on the handkerchief.

Aunt Liu said anxiously: “You, weren’t you just saying your body was fine after taking medicine? Why are you coughing blood again? Have you been secretly looking at Ali’s picture books again?” Liu Yumei slightly frowned, perplexed: “Didn’t our Xiaoyuan just come home?”

Liu Jinxia walked over to Li Juxiang and asked, “Are you all packed?”
“Mom, everything’s packed.”

“Then call Cuicui home.”
“Cuicui, come down quickly, it’s time to go home!”

“Hey, coming!”
Cuicui came downstairs and went home with her mother and grandmother.

On the second-floor terrace, Li Zhuiyuan gazed thoughtfully. The teenager had good hearing, so he naturally heard the chatter downstairs clearly. When the place name “Jiujiang” appeared, it meant the nature of the matter had completely changed. The third waterway had thus appeared before him. How much did the Heavenly Dao truly dislike the Zhao family? He had just decided to act against the Zhao family, and the river water immediately surged up in cooperation. But the more this happened, the more it meant the secret deep within the Zhao family was not simple.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up and looked downstairs at Lin Shuyou, who was reading under a light bulb. Lin Shuyou was reading his book with great relish, because Tan Wenbin was sitting there watching TV.

“Ayou.”
“Brother Xiaoyuan, I’m here.”

“Go call Zhao Yi over.”
“Understood!”

Lin Shuyou put down his book and ran towards Big Beard’s house. As soon as he arrived at Big Beard’s house, he found it completely dark. Soon, a kerosene lamp was lit, illuminating Zhao Yi’s face from behind.

“Young Master, don’t…”
“There’s no other way.”
“Young Master, please don’t…”
“No, I’ve already decided.”

Upon seeing the kerosene lamp and hearing this exchange, Lin Shuyou immediately shouted: “Three-Eyes, what are you doing!” The next moment, Lin Shuyou appeared in front of Zhao Yi. The gust of wind he brought caused the lamp’s flame to flicker violently, and then, with a “clatter,” it went out!

Lin Shuyou: “…”

Zhao Yi asked, “Why are you here? Is the guy surnamed Li looking for me?”
Lin Shuyou: “You, you were… you were just doing…”

Before Lin Shuyou could finish, Zhao Yi pinched the wick with his fingertips, and the flame reignited.

Lin Shuyou: “Wasn’t that it just now?”
“What are you talking about? Oh hahahaha!” Zhao Yi burst out laughing. “You thought I was lighting the lamp again to retire from the martial world?”

Lin Shuyou: “Then… what were you doing?”
Zhao Yi: “The circuit at home burned out, and the power went off. I just lit a lamp for light.”

Immediately, Zhao Yi reached out and pulled three needles from the back of Old Man Tian’s neck, who was lying beneath him. Old Man Tian, who had been drunk, slowly regained clarity in his eyes, looking very wronged. He was a martial artist, not easily intoxicated. So, to get truly drunk with Li Sanjiang, he would always insert needles into himself before drinking with Li Sanjiang, preventing his body from expelling the alcohol. He loved the feeling of getting completely drunk together with Brother Li. But this time, his young master didn’t allow it, because he had just been injured under the peach trees not long ago and hadn’t fully recovered. His qi and blood were prone to stagnation, and if he got too drunk, he might have passed out for good.

“What are you thinking? How could I possibly light the lamp again and admit defeat?”
“But this afternoon, Brother Xiaoyuan…”

“That was just a joke. By the way, is it the guy surnamed Li looking for me?”
“Yes, he wants you to come.”

“Alright, I’ll go then. Oh, and since you’re here, could you help me fix the circuit here?”

Second-floor terrace.

Zhao Yi took a drag from his cigarette, holding the smoke in his mouth, concentrated and unscattered. After a while, he finally closed his mouth, and two white streams of smoke shot from his nostrils. He pulled out a small notebook and a pen, and while writing, he sighed with emotion: “Heavenly Dao, how much does it dislike my Zhao family?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “The matter of the Shizhuo Zhao branch splitting off needs to be re-investigated. The reason for their separation probably wasn’t that this lineage harmed others, leading the main family to expel them, as you originally said.”
Zhao Yi: “Hmm, I will investigate.” Historical secrets are certainly hidden, and when future generations recount this history, they will instinctively embellish their own family’s reputation.

Li Zhuiyuan: “The incantations that Shizhuo Zhao specializes in.”
Zhao Yi: “Incantations aren’t very effective against those with strong fates and can easily backfire.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Those are all details.”
Zhao Yi: “I understand.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Also, one more thing: when I rode that wave at the True Monarch Temple under the sea in Zhoushan, it was Liu Jinxia who provided the splash. From her, I drew out a ‘monkey.’ Strictly speaking, that True Monarch Temple is an avatar’s dojo of a Bodhisattva.”
Zhao Yi: “This means that not only the Great Emperor but even the Bodhisattva also laid a hand here early on?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Your Zhao family is really a prized commodity.”

The Heavenly Dao’s rejection, the Great Emperor’s conferment, the Bodhisattva’s intervention…

Zhao Yi: “Hey, Li, you know, I never thought that my Jiujiang Zhao family would one day be put on this ‘blackboard’ and seriously studied by you and me like this. I barely recognize this home where I grew up. It feels foreign.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Liu Jinxia’s situation still needs to be handled. This was pushed here by the river water, so we must continue digging the channel deeper.”
Zhao Yi: “Take her to Jiujiang to find her relatives?”

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: “There’s no need for that. Normally, we just need a reason to get an oral handover and a request.”
Zhao Yi: “You want to protect the three of them, you don’t want them to risk danger in Jiujiang.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Why would I bring three burdens?”
Zhao Yi: “Is that a rational statement, or are you just making excuses for yourself?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I’ll handle this matter tomorrow.”
Zhao Yi: “Alright, I’ll go back and inform the family to do some preliminary investigations, aiming to have everything laid out for us by the time we reach Jiujiang.”

As a rare genius in the history of the Zhao family, and the only lamp-bearer of the current Zhao generation, Zhao Yi would be the future successor of the Jiujiang Zhao family, unless he died on the river, regardless of whether his journey succeeded or failed. Therefore, a group of Zhao family members would naturally place their bets early, gathering around him and assisting him.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Aren’t you curious what those who’ve aligned themselves with you will think when they discover your true intentions?”
Zhao Yi: “I’m saving the Zhao family. A great fire is about to ignite, and it’s good if we can salvage even a few plaques.”

Zhao Yi, who had stood up and was walking towards the staircase, suddenly stopped again. He turned back to Li Zhuiyuan and asked: “Hey, Li, tell me, is there a ridiculous possibility that Liu Jinxia’s surname might be Zhao?”
“There’s that possibility. She might even be your great-aunt.”

“Hahaha.”
“What’s so funny?”

“I’m laughing because if Old Man Tian really pushed hard, he might actually become my great-uncle.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Liu Jinxia doesn’t plan to search for relatives, nor is she interested in finding another companion.”
Zhao Yi: “One should always have dreams. I used to be bothered by Old Man Tian trying to find me a step-grandmother. But if she were a real step-grandmother, it would actually be a relief.”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the small notebook clenched in Zhao Yi’s hand. Zhao Yi carefully placed the notebook into his chest pocket and patted it. “Li, I have to say, you’re truly generous this time; you haven’t held anything back. I know this is your most treasured possession, and I’ll cherish it.”

“What do you think you’ll gain after learning this?”
“Of course, future river journeys will be more…”

Mid-sentence, Zhao Yi choked up, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Li Zhuiyuan: “If you play mind games with it, it will play mind games with you.” Zhao Yi first exhaled, then wiped his forehead, and with an exaggerated flourish of his hand, he chuckled: “After experiencing it closely, I realized it’s not as scary as I imagined. Perhaps I’ve been ‘played’ by you so much in the past that I’ve gotten used to it?”

“But you and I are still a little different, after all.”
Zhao Yi pointed above his head: “Heh, you saw it too; it used to want me dead.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “It doesn’t want me to live in the future either.”

When he returned to Big Beard’s house, Zhao Yi saw a person hanging on the wall, hair standing straight up. How much time had passed? Their conversation was over, and Lin Shuyou still hadn’t fixed the circuit. Zhao Yi didn’t disturb him; he stood nearby, lost in thought. A while later, the lights inside the house came on. “Thump!” Lin Shuyou landed, clapped the dust from his hands, then reached up to pat down his hair.

Zhao Yi clapped, praising: “Amazing, amazing! You’re truly a college student.”
Lin Shuyou frowned: “Three-Eyes, why do you talk like an old grandma?”

“Which old grandma?”
“Cuicui’s grandma.”

“You might find out in the future that your assessment is quite accurate.”
“What do you mean?”

“It’s praising your keen insight, that you already see the essence.”
“Nonsensical. I’m going back.”

“Wait a moment, electrician, you’ve worked hard! Here!” Zhao Yi pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tossed it to Lin Shuyou, then turned and entered the house. Lin Shuyou happily caught it, opened the cigarette pack, and found it empty. For a moment, Lin Shuyou felt an impulse to climb back up the wall and cut his circuit again. But in the end, Ayou still went home, fuming.

He had intended to read a bit more, but as soon as he entered the living room, he heard the successive snores of Brother Bin and Runsheng. Listening to them, Lin Shuyou simply tossed aside his book and flashlight and joined the symphony. However, this trio’s symphony didn’t last long. Runsheng sat up from his coffin. He walked onto the drying ground and rode the tricycle away. Only this time, Runsheng didn’t ride directly out of the village but stopped outside Big Beard’s house and rang the bicycle bell. Soon after, Zhao Yi walked out, putting on his clothes, carrying a bottle of medicinal wine in his hand. Sitting on Runsheng’s tricycle, Zhao Yi waved his hand: “Let’s go get some late-night snacks!”

The evening breeze swept across the river surface and then curled towards the bank. A large white rat pushed a pot, struggling to swim in the river. Its long tail swished continuously, propelling it forward, and its mouth kept muttering: “Here they come again, here they come again, every day! They don’t even give a rat a break!” As it neared the bank, the large white rat saw two figures sitting there, waiting for their meal. “You came, fine, but you brought guests too!”

The next morning, Li Zhuiyuan woke up on time, but when he turned his head, he didn’t see the first ray of dawn. After washing up, the young man saw a light on in the east room, so he went downstairs and approached the east room door. He knocked.

“Xiaoyuan, come in.”

Li Zhuiyuan entered the room and saw Liu Yumei brushing Ali’s hair.
“Grandma woke up late.”

“Grandma, let me do it.”
“Can you comb it?”

“Grandma, have you forgotten? You taught me once.”
“Oh, that’s right. Here.”

Li Zhuiyuan took the comb, stood behind Ali, and in the mirror, two dimples appeared on Ali’s face. Liu Yumei sat down in the chair behind her, poured herself a cup of overnight cold tea, took a sip, and sighed with emotion: “People’s brains really are different. When Ali’s grandfather used to comb my hair, he’d manage to tangle it.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Grandpa must have been excited.”
“No need to make excuses for him; apart from his unique talent in cultivation, he’s like a blockhead in other aspects.”

As Liu Yumei spoke, she reached for Ali’s grandfather’s memorial tablet from the offering table, placed it on the coffee table, and chuckled: “Ali, today we’re going to give this old fellow a hard time.” Li Zhuiyuan looked in the mirror and could see Liu Yumei and the memorial tablet behind him, facing him together, like two old people sitting side by side, watching him comb Ali’s hair.

After her hair was combed, Ali pulled Li Zhuiyuan’s hand to help her choose her outfit. Liu Yumei opened her mouth as if to speak. Li Zhuiyuan chose a green set. Liu Yumei smiled, giving a pointed glance at the memorial tablet beside her, as if to say: “See? Didn’t choose red, did he?” Ali took the clothes to the inner room to change.

As Li Zhuiyuan tidied the dressing table, he said: “Grandma, it’s been windy lately, so perhaps don’t play cards. It’s not good for your health.”
“Grandma knows. Yesterday, I was blown by the wind, and had a headache last night, which is why I woke up late.”

“You’re getting older, so you need to take better care of your health. After all, you’re not as young as you used to be.”
“You rascal, how dare you say Grandma is old to her face?”

“I know you’re still young, but we’re even younger, so you can age with peace of mind.”
“Grandma trusts you; you’re full of ideas.”

“Thank you, Grandma.”

After Ali changed, Li Zhuiyuan held her hand and walked out of the east room. Liu Yumei picked up the memorial tablet and placed it in front of her: “Look how scared the child is. Old thing, tell me, was I really that scary when I was young?”

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan went to Cuicui’s house alone. At the fork in the road leading to Cuicui’s house, Li Zhuiyuan saw Old Man Tian standing there early in the morning. Old Man Tian wore a traditional long gown and new cloth shoes, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. Honestly, he truly looked like the stereotypical wealthy old man. But upon seeing Li Zhuiyuan, Old Man Tian’s back immediately hunched, unable to advance or retreat, he started turning in circles on the spot.

Li Zhuiyuan walked up to him.
“Young Master Li, good morning.”

“I don’t like that title.”
“Brother Xiaoyuan, good morning.”

“Didn’t Zhao Yi tell you last night?”
“My young master… told me to dress like this and wait here this morning.”

“What else did he say?”
“The young master told me to tilt my head 45 degrees and look at the sun.”

“Then you can look first.” Old Man Tian was already on Zhao Yi’s “ship,” so he didn’t need to worry about any karmic backlash.
“Alright, Brother Xiaoyuan.”

Li Juxiang was washing clothes on the drying ground. Seeing Li Zhuiyuan arrive, she said with some surprise: “Xiaoyuan Hou is here! Our Cuicui is still sleeping in.” It was the weekend, no school, so she naturally woke up later.

“Then I’ll go up and find her.”
Li Juxiang: “You wait here. I’ll go call her.”

It wasn’t that she thought it was inappropriate for a boy to enter her daughter’s bedroom early in the morning. Rather, Li Juxiang was worried that her daughter would get angry if Brother Yuanhou saw her sleeping posture.

“Okay, Aunt Xianghou.”

Li Juxiang opened a bottle of soda for Li Zhuiyuan and went upstairs. Li Zhuiyuan, holding the soda, walked to the door of a bedroom on the first floor. Elders’ bedrooms were usually on the first floor, and this one was Liu Jinxia’s. Liu Jinxia had been troubled all night and only fell asleep at dawn. This meant the plan Li Zhuiyuan had made last night had no room for execution. However, the situation also became simpler because of it.

The young man pushed open the bedroom door, walked in, and stood by Liu Jinxia’s bed. One side of Liu Jinxia’s pillow was wet with tears. In her deep sleep, her hands were still clutching the thin quilt tightly. Li Zhuiyuan took out a ‘Clear Heart Talisman’ and placed it on Liu Jinxia’s forehead. Liu Jinxia’s brow smoothed, her breathing became more even, and her fingers relaxed their grip.

Next, the young man’s voice seemed to possess magic, carrying a unique magnetism. “I’m from Nantong. That old hag lied to me. I’m my parents’ daughter; I wasn’t abducted…” The young man’s words seemed to open Liu Jinxia’s floodgates, and she began repeatedly uttering such sleep-talking phrases. Lying in bed last night, she had repeatedly used these reasons to counsel and comfort herself.

After waiting a while, Li Zhuiyuan said, “But if it’s not too much trouble and there’s a chance, lighting incense for your birth parents would also be