Chapter 28

When celebrating a joyous occasion, the newlyweds are busy, and after hosting friends and relatives, they are often famished. It is quite common to sit down at the final banquet and just grab a quick bite to stave off hunger.

But I have never heard of the primary host of a funeral personally joining the banquet table.

It was only then that Li Zhuyuan noticed that earlier, when he and Runsheng were walking this way, Runsheng had called out from a distance: "Grandpa, they've already started serving the banquet, let's just go home!"

At the time, he only felt that something was out of sync, but he hadn't thought deeply about it. Now, the realization finally hit him.

Under normal circumstances, if you see your elder sitting at a table drinking with others, you should at least walk up, greet the other people at the table, and then lead your elder home. Calling out from a distance like that carries an air of disrespect toward those seated at the table.

Although Brother Runsheng was somewhat blunt and straightforward, he was still a man who understood etiquette and rules. So, the reason he acted that way—was it because, in his eyes, Li Sanjiang was the only one drinking at that table?

Li Zhuyuan looked at Runsheng beside him and saw that Runsheng had already turned his back to Li Sanjiang and crouched down, prepared to carry Li Sanjiang home on his back.

Yes, it was confirmed: Runsheng could not see those two people.

Following his usual habit, Li Zhuyuan instinctively wanted to pretend he couldn't see them either, but he quickly rejected this path dependency.

Although he hadn't spoken directly to them, his posture while walking toward the table, and the way he stood beside his great-grandfather, turning slightly to face the two people at the table... all of it silently revealed that he "saw" them.

To play dumb now would only make him look like a true fool.

At this moment, Li Sanjiang took Li Zhuyuan's hand again and said with a smile to the two people at the table

"Look at that, my great-grandson is so fair and clean. One look and you can tell he's a scholar in the making, destined for greatness."

Runsheng was somewhat used to it; his Great Uncle Li praised Xiao Yuan many times every day, and now that he was drinking, he wouldn't stop.

Brother Bao nodded and said meaningfully, "This child indeed looks very intelligent."

The host of today's event, the deceased Zhao Xing, also chimed in, "Anyway, he looks much sharper than I did when I was a kid. I was no good at studying."

Li Sanjiang was delighted to hear such praise and laughed, "Ha! Did you hear that, Xiao Yuan Hou? He's praising you!"

A wave of helplessness washed over Li Zhuyuan. He had just been thinking about how to escape this situation, only to have his great-grandfather pull him directly into the drinking circle.

Faced with this, Li Zhuyuan could only lower his head and act shy and bashful.

"Come, Xiao Yuan Hou, sit down and eat a bit more."

Although Li Sanjiang was old, his strength was still immense; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to pull the corpse out or carry it ashore. Furthermore, since he was now tipsy, Li Zhuyuan couldn't win against his grip and was pulled down to sit.

"Come, Xiao Yuan Hou, Great Grandpa will give you some ribs. These are your favorite."

Li Sanjiang proceeded to place several pieces of sweet and sour ribs into Li Zhuyuan's plate in succession.

Waiting nearby, Runsheng turned around with a puzzled expression and scratched his head. Didn't Xiao Yuan say he was going to carry Grandpa home? Why was Xiao Yuan sitting at the table eating?

If he wanted late-night snacks, he should have said so earlier; Runsheng could have brought some fragrance from home to join him for a few bites.

"Xiao Yuan..."

"Brother Runsheng, just wait for us for a moment."

"Alright, Xiao Yuan."

Uncle Shan had told him that Xiao Yuan was smart and that he should listen to him more. Runsheng felt the same way, so he simply turned his back to Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuyuan, crouched on the ground, and began rubbing his eyes and yawning.

Li Zhuyuan felt a sense of relief. As long as there was room for a smooth transition, he was unwilling to risk a direct confrontation.

If they were actual corpses, it would be one thing; with Brother Runsheng's brute strength and experience, they might be able to fight them.

But the problem now was complicated. The two in front of him were not corpses—at least, they had no physical bodies here—and Runsheng couldn't see them at all.

How could they fight? Was it like fighting ghosts?

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of sweet and sour rib, and put it in his mouth.

Since this was a genuine banquet, unlike the paper-man feast held by the Cat-Faced Old Lady, Li Zhuyuan dared to eat. He chewed slowly.

However, in this environment, no matter how delicious the food was, it tasted like wax.

He was very worried at this moment about whether Brother Bao still remembered him.

"Xiao Yuan, is it? Have we met somewhere before?"

Li Zhuyuan looked at Brother Bao with some confusion. "Have we?"

Li Sanjiang spoke up, "I doubt it. This boy is visiting his ancestral home for the first time and hasn't been here long; he wouldn't recognize many people."

Brother Bao continued, "Is that so? It's just that upon closer inspection, you look somewhat familiar. You went to the town market yesterday, right?"

Li Zhuyuan nodded. "Yes, I went to the convenience store to buy some snacks and stationery."

"Oh? Which convenience store?"

"The one next to the firecracker shop. I sat there for a long time watching people play billiards while drinking soda."

To the west of that convenience store was the firecracker shop, and to the east was Sister Mei's video rental shop.

Li Zhuyuan deliberately avoided mentioning the video shop. Firstly, he was afraid of upsetting Li Sanjiang; after all, Li Sanjiang knew what had happened at the video shop yesterday, and since he was currently drunk, he might accidentally start talking about it.

Secondly, Li Zhuyuan was gambling. He was gambling that when Brother Bao possessed that woman yesterday, he could only control her movements and could not access her memories. He was also gambling that when the convenience store owner went to the video shop to sound the alarm, he hadn't had time to explain clearly before the "high" hit him.

Li Zhuyuan felt the odds of winning were high, because if Brother Bao knew it was him who called the police, his attitude toward him would certainly not be this calm.

After a pause, Li Zhuyuan continued, "Hehe, there was an auntie yesterday who wanted to invite me to sit in the shop next door, but I preferred watching billiards. Besides, Brother Runsheng had taken the lady next door to the health clinic and told me to wait for him there so he could take me back. I had to be a good boy and listen to my brother. Right, Brother Runsheng?"

"Huh?" Runsheng was using his right fingernail to clean his left. "Uh, yeah, that's right."

He vaguely felt that something sounded off. Although he was older than Xiao Yuan, whenever they were together, Xiao Yuan was the one who made the decisions. Why did Xiao Yuan's words make it sound like *he* was the one in charge?

Wait, that's not right. Who exactly is Xiao Yuan talking to?

"Xiao Yuan, you..."

"Brother Runsheng, just be quiet for a bit. We'll go home after sitting for a little longer. Don't make noise or talk."

"Oh, okay."

Runsheng obediently continued picking at his nails, remaining silent.

Brother Bao said, "That makes sense. I bought a pack of cigarettes at that convenience store yesterday. I must have seen you then, but you probably don't remember me."

"Hmm..." Li Zhuyuan lowered his head slightly and said with a hint of apology, "I must have been too absorbed in the billiards."

It seemed Brother Bao indeed didn't know it was him who called the police, and from his manner, he didn't seem to remember Runsheng either, who had taken him to the clinic.

Was it because he was still unconscious then and hadn't died yet?

But Brother Bao's soul should have emerged from the clinic and walked to the video shop after he died at the clinic. Had he not seen Runsheng in the clinic?

Li Zhuyuan recalled Runsheng saying that he had wanted to leave at the time, but was stopped by the clinic staff demanding medical fees. He eventually had no choice but to wait outside Sister Mei's ward for her to wake up. So, they had missed each other?

Brother Bao asked again, "I just heard you say you took someone to the clinic. How is she?"

"The doctor said she's fine, just needs some rest."

"Oh."

Li Zhuyuan noticed that the gaze Brother Bao directed at him had softened slightly.

This was the purpose of his deliberate mention of Runsheng taking Sister Mei to the hospital.

In truth, there was still one problem: the fact that he could see them was a massive vulnerability.

But at the same time, because Li Sanjiang was here, this vulnerability seemed to be masked, as Li Sanjiang was the one who saw them first and began drinking with them.

And Li Sanjiang's identity was somewhat special. As a corpse retriever who ferried souls between the living and the dead, he possessed a certain uniqueness. Not only do the living seek help from corpse retrievers, but the dead do as well.

There were similar records in the *Chronicles of the Jianghu's Strange Tales*.

At least for now, neither Brother Bao nor Zhao Xing showed any surprise at his ability to see them.

Even Runsheng, under his concealment, was in a state of "seeing without seeing."

"Sss... Tsk!"

Li Sanjiang downed another glass of wine, wiped his mouth, and used his chopsticks to pick up a bite of food to settle his stomach.

Li Zhuyuan sighed silently. While he was here carefully racking his brains to patch things up, his great-grandfather was enjoying his food and drink to the fullest.

Zhao Xing asked, "How is the food today? Are you satisfied?"

Li Zhuyuan lowered his head and continued eating his ribs. "It's delicious."

Li Sanjiang nodded and said, "The Zhao family are honest people. The food at this banquet is truly excellent."

Li Zhuyuan guessed that his great-grandfather likely viewed Zhao Xing as one of the Zhao family's nephews.

"That's good. As long as everyone eats and drinks well. I was only afraid that if I didn't do it well, I would have neglected everyone."

A smile appeared on Zhao Xing's face, but since his complexion was naturally pale, the smile only made him look more eerie.

Li Zhuyuan picked up a piece of salted meat, dipped it in the sauce on his plate, and put it in his mouth.

Only the cold dishes on the table were still edible; the rest had gone cold.

However, this host truly cared about the reputation of his banquet.

In reality, at a funeral banquet, if the host—who was supposed to be lying there—personally got up to ask, no one would dare say the food was bad.

Brother Bao said, "If I didn't know your banquets were good, would I have rushed over to eat?"

Zhao Xing laughed. "Alright, in a couple of days, won't I be coming to your place for a banquet too?"

Brother Bao responded, "Yeah, but my banquet certainly won't be as good as yours. Your Zhao family is in big business, while mine is just a small operation. After daily expenses, there isn't much left. But if you come, I will certainly host you well, just as you have hosted me today."

Zhao Xing waved his hand. "Eating and drinking are secondary. It's the atmosphere that matters. Given our relationship, there's no need for such formalities."

Li Zhuyuan picked up a mouthful of cold spinach. This kind of exchange—dead people inviting each other to their respective banquets—was truly novel.

However, how could he end this drinking session in a natural way?

Furthermore, why had the two of them appeared to drink with his great-grandfather? Was it out of loneliness, or was there something else?

Li Sanjiang looked at Brother Bao. "What's wrong? Is your family also preparing for an event?"

"Yeah, soon. Once my wife's health improves, we'll hold it."

"You can't be like that. Your wife is sick, yet you're staying here drinking so late. Shouldn't you go back to take care of her? That's quite irresponsible. Besides, hosting a banquet is a lot of trouble. Since your wife is ill, you'll definitely have to be the one in charge. You won't be able to avoid the work."

Li Zhuyuan immediately nodded in agreement. "When I was sick, I always hoped someone would stay with me."

Brother Bao shook his head helplessly. "I did something wrong to my wife, and her illness was caused by my actions. So, it's not appropriate for me to go home right now. Including today, I'll stay out for another six days. On the seventh day, I'll go back. By then, she should have cooled her anger."

"Hehe." Li Sanjiang pointed his chopsticks at Brother Bao. "You young people are really something. Either don't get married, or if you do, don't go fooling around outside."

"Uncle is right to lecture me." Brother Bao picked up his chopsticks and twirled them in his hand.

Li Zhuyuan sensed that Brother Bao was angry.

As a local thug, how could he allow someone to point a finger and lecture him like that? In the past, regardless of age, he would have simply used his fists to teach a lesson.

But now, he was enduring it.

Zhao Xing took the initiative to change the subject. "I say, Uncle..."

"Bah! How old are you, kid? You look twenty at most, and you call me Uncle?" Li Sanjiang pointed toward the funeral altar. "That old Zhao over there is only just old enough to call me Uncle, and that's only because I'm being lenient. You look about the same age as the person in the portrait today."

Seeing Li Sanjiang turn his head toward the portrait, Li Zhuyuan feared that his dizzy great-grandfather might realize who the "shadow under the lamp" at the table was.

He hurriedly picked up the wine bottle to pour more for his great-grandfather, intentionally letting it overflow.

"Hey, hey, hey, that's enough! What a waste, wasting good wine." Li Sanjiang's gaze was quickly pulled back. While steadying the bottle, he lowered his head and "slurped" up the spilled wine from the plastic tablecloth.

"My hand slipped, Great Grandpa."

After exchanging a glance, Zhao Xing and Brother Bao changed their tone. "Grandpa, the two of us would like to ask you for a favor."

"Tell me first."

"Old Jiang from Shigang Town owes us a debt. He's been stalling on the payment."

"Old Jiang?" Li Sanjiang tapped his forehead, trying to recall through the alcohol. "Sounds familiar... Ah, is it that Old Jiang who runs the karaoke bar and the bathhouse in Shigang? That guy is quite famous around there. I heard he made his fortune in earthworks years ago?"

"Yes, it's him."

"Then that's difficult. If he owes you money, why don't you go ask him yourself? Do you have an IOU?"

"It's just that he has something on us, so it's really inconvenient to see him."

"Sigh, I can't help with things like that." Li Sanjiang shook his head quickly. "I'm no big shot, just a corpse retriever from the river. I can't handle such matters. If I had that kind of capability, would I still be out here taking jobs? I'd be lying at home enjoying my life long ago."

"There is a large vat in the middle of the pond at his house. Inside the vat, there is a large *Taisui* [a mythical, fleshy growth] that he fished out of the river many years ago. Because he tricked us into eating that thing, the two of us are suffering greatly. Not only do we dare not go to him, but we also have to continue working under him."

"What *Taisui*?" Li Sanjiang was bewildered. "Is it poison? Did he feed you medicine?"

"We only ask that you help us destroy that vat of *Taisui* in his house. Whether you burn it, take it, bury it, or throw it away, anything is fine. Just don't let that vat of things stay in his house."

"I say, what on earth are you talking about? Are you asking me to steal? I'm an old man; how could I do such a thing? You've found the wrong..."

From under the table, Zhao Xing continuously pulled out stacks of ten-yuan notes, totaling nine stacks.

Every stack was brand new, bound with white paper.

Li Sanjiang swallowed hard, his breathing becoming rapid.

"Grandpa Li, if you agree to help, all this money will be yours."

Li Sanjiang's hand holding the wine cup was already trembling. One must know that he had once gone to the Niu family's house despite knowing there were "dirty things" there, all for the sake of money.

But this time, even while drunk, Li Sanjiang forced his head down, slammed his wine cup heavily onto the table, and said firmly

"No!"

Immediately after, Li Sanjiang slapped the table repeatedly and cursed

"You two blind little brats! Do you think your grandfather is the kind of person who would do thieving work for money? Bah!"

Both Brother Bao and Zhao Xing were stunned, and then a greenish hue began to emerge on their faces—a sign of rage.

The surrounding air grew cold.

Even Runsheng, who was crouching nearby almost asleep, couldn't help but shiver.

Li Zhuyuan spoke up, "Did that Old Jiang commit any crimes?"

Seeing the two men turn their gazes toward him, Li Zhuyuan explained, "I just want to ask clearly to help my great-grandfather."

Zhao Xing shook his head; he didn't know.

Brother Bao said, "I've seen it. In the mud at the bottom of the pond under that vat, there is a person buried. It was Old Jiang's enemy, surnamed Zhou."

"What, he even killed someone?" Hearing this, Li Sanjiang's intoxication dissipated slightly, but his first reaction was, "Are you damn well asking me to steal from a murderer's house?"

Zhao Xing looked at Brother Bao and asked, "When did you see it?"

Brother Bao replied, "Because I was the one who helped him bury it. Old Jiang said that burying the corpse there would nourish the *Taisui*."

Zhao Xing said in astonishment, "So you've been working for him for a long time. Why didn't you tell me sooner? Otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up so miserable."

Brother Bao sneered, "Have you forgotten? We left one after the other."

"True, I really did forget that. What a waste, my assets..."

Zhao Xing looked around with great regret. His family was well-off, and his father was capable of making money, so he could have continued to enjoy life. If he had played enough and wanted to marry properly, there was no marriage in the surrounding villages that his father couldn't secure with money.

However, what he didn't know was that it was precisely because his father was too good at making money that he, a man of poor fortune, could not sustain it for long.

Li Sanjiang was about to say something more when his stomach suddenly churned, and he turned to his side to vomit.

Li Zhuyuan patted his back while keeping a peripheral eye on Brother Bao and Zhao Xing.

Brother Bao urged, "Do you agree or not? Give us a straight answer. For the sake of my wife, I don't want to make things too difficult for you."

Having just finished vomiting, Li Sanjiang was catching his breath. Hearing this, he asked in confusion, "What do I have to do with your wife?"

After asking, Li Sanjiang began to vomit again, even more violently than before, his whole body hunched over as he lay on his side on the long bench.

Li Zhuyuan continued to pat Li Sanjiang's back and said, "If we can help, we will try our best. We don't want the money. If we can't do it, don't blame us, okay?"

At that moment, the two men, who had previously maintained a semblance of human appearance, suddenly sat bolt upright in their seats.

Their faces were ashen, their skin showed patches of livor mortis, and their eyes were completely filled with white.

Their lips moved rapidly, opening and closing, as if they were speaking, but no sound could be heard.

Li Zhuyuan tried hard to catch any useful information, even if it were a threat, but to his dismay, he truly couldn't understand a single word. He only felt as if countless flies were "buzzing" in his ears.

What was happening?

Weren't they communicating quite well just now?

Was there something wrong with them, or was something wrong with his side?

"Clack!" "Clack!"

Two pairs of chopsticks were placed neatly into the rice bowls in front of the two men.

The two men's mouths were still twitching rapidly, and still, nothing could be heard.

But in the blink of an eye, the two men stood up;

In another blink, they had left their seats;

By the third blink, they had left the shed.

When Li Zhuyuan looked again, he found the two had appeared in the distant fields, their figures very blurry.

Then, they vanished completely.

In the end, however, Li Zhuyuan still couldn't understand if they had accepted the proposal he had suggested.

But most likely, they had not. Otherwise, they wouldn't have said so many words before leaving. Although he couldn't understand a single word, the word count was quite high.

At the very least, it wouldn't have been a simple "Okay, goodbye."

Li Zhuyuan looked at Li Sanjiang, only to find that he had already fallen asleep on the long bench.

When did he fall asleep?

It seemed to be right when those two were speaking and he couldn't hear them.

"Brother Runsheng." Li Zhuyuan went to nudge Runsheng.

"Ah, are you finished eating?"

Runsheng stretched. He had actually fallen asleep; in his dream, he had suddenly felt a bit cold.

"Yeah, Grandpa is drunk. Brother Runsheng, please carry him on your back."

"Alright."

Runsheng stood up, first grabbed Li Sanjiang's arm, and then with a swing, he hoisted Li Sanjiang onto his back in a very standard manner.

It was indeed very standard—a standard posture for carrying a corpse.

Li Zhuyuan turned his gaze toward the nine stacks of money in the center of the table, reached out to take them, and shone his flashlight on them.

The original ten-yuan notes had actually turned into joss paper.

"Shall we go, Xiao Yuan?" Runsheng asked.

"Wait a bit longer."

Li Zhuyuan fished out matches from Li Sanjiang's pocket, picked up the joss paper from the table, and walked to the front of the funeral altar, where there was an extinguished brazier.

After placing the joss paper inside, Li Zhuyuan lit it. He picked up a half-charred wooden stick from the side and flipped it over to ensure it burned thoroughly. Then, Li Zhuyuan said to the portrait

"The money you left behind has been returned to you."

Regardless of how things turned out, severing ties with such dirty things as much as possible was never a mistake.

After finishing this, Li Zhuyuan walked back. As he passed the dining table, his flashlight swept over the spot where Brother Bao and Zhao Xing had been sitting, and an unusual reflection immediately appeared.

He stepped forward to look closely; it was a water stain.

Ignoring the disgust, he touched it with his finger; it was very greasy.

He shone the flashlight under the chair and found that a puddle of water had accumulated underneath, as if a light rain had just fallen.

Because the ground here was uneven, the water had not flowed toward where he and his great-grandfather were sitting.

"Wet... so much water..."

Li Zhuyuan immediately followed his memory to search for the positions where the two men had lingered during those few blinks.

A puddle of water,

A puddle of water,

Two sets of water stains showing footprint traces.

The fourth was in the field, so Li Zhuyuan did not go into the field to look for it.

At this moment, connecting the fact that the two men said the vat for raising the *Taisui* was in a pond, and that a corpse was buried beneath the pond...

And the fear the two men showed toward the *Taisui* in that vat, which clearly looked like they were being controlled...

Li Zhuyuan's gaze gradually darkened

"You two... you wouldn't have anything to do with the *Sidao* [corpse-related entities], would you?"

Runsheng turned his head, intending to urge him again, but upon seeing Li Zhuyuan standing there with the flashlight, for some reason, his words got stuck in his throat, and he didn't dare speak.

Because he suddenly felt that this Xiao Yuan before him was very strange, and very frightening.

The more pure and simple a person's nature, the more sensitive their perception of the outside world tended to be. Even though everyone around them thought Li Zhuyuan was very well-behaved and sensible, and praised him and liked him, Runsheng had never gone up to the second floor again after the first time he had done so at Li Sanjiang's house.

Everyone else in the family thought it was because of the girl there, and that the girl didn't like contact with outsiders.

But only Runsheng knew that, compared to that girl, he was more intimidated by Xiao Yuan. He didn't dare disturb him unless Xiao Yuan sought him out.

Li Zhuyuan looked up, and Runsheng immediately turned his head away, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Let's go, Brother Runsheng, let's go home."

"Mm."

On the field path in the middle of the night, Runsheng walked in front carrying Li Sanjiang on his back, with a boy following behind.

The boy's eyes were half-closed, his head was lowered, and as he walked, his hands were lightly clenched.

Li Zhuyuan was very angry now.

Because once again, he felt this sense of powerlessness.

Previously, he had wondered if the frequency with which he encountered such things was a bit too high.

But then he looked at his great-grandfather, who could sit at a table with two dirty things just by having a drink.

He felt his frequency was actually quite normal.

Furthermore, although many people had died in these incidents, in the eyes of ordinary people, those people had died of accidents or illnesses.

Indeed, it was difficult for a normal person to encounter or hear of such an event; but if it were framed as various accidents, it would suddenly become very common.

He was merely, because of some special changes, able to see through what ordinary people saw as accidents, knowing what he had encountered.

It was like in real life, where bacteria are everywhere, but because the human eye cannot see them, everyone thinks it's normal; if you look through a microscope, they are everywhere.

Li Zhuyuan actually quite enjoyed this change and liked to explore and learn this path, but he loathed these sudden occurrences, and even more, he loathed his own repeated powerlessness.

He could admit he was a poor student, but that didn't mean he could accept this practice of being reminded of his grades every few days.

Even a poor student has dignity.

Upon returning home and settling Li Sanjiang into his bedroom bed, Li Zhuyuan went into his own bedroom and turned on the desk lamp.

The fatigue from earlier had been stimulated away; he held a pen and moved it rapidly across the blueprints.

Under the lamp, the boy's eyes were full of determination.

Like a student who usually doesn't work hard, making a final, desperate effort before an exam.

In all of Li Zhuyuan's life experiences, he had never entered such a state of hardworking and focused study.

Finally, when the clock struck five in the morning, Li Zhuyuan finished the blueprints in his hand.

He stood up to tidy them, only to find that both his shoulders and legs had lost sensation. His whole body slumped; if he hadn't braced himself against the table in time, he might have fallen.

It took a while before he recovered from the numbness.

Without taking time to rest, Li Zhuyuan organized the blueprints. Of course, these were not all of the *Records of Subduing Demons through the Righteous Path*; in fact, these blueprints were just the tip of the iceberg in the book.

But these were the tools Li Zhuyuan had selected for himself—the most convenient and practical set to manufacture at present.

The raw materials he had prepared yesterday were also reorganized and categorized by Li Zhuyuan.

Next was to assemble and manufacture them.

At that moment, the door was pushed open gently, and Ali walked in.

Normally at this time, when she entered, Li Zhuyuan should have been sleeping in bed.

The girl walked up to the boy, crouched down, looked at him, and reached out to touch his forehead.

Her grandmother had done this to her more than once; in her understanding, this represented care.

"Ali, you're here. I'm fine, but today, I'll have to trouble you again. I'll explain the process of these blueprints to you."

Yesterday, Ali had shown extremely strong manual talent; Li Zhuyuan only needed to explain the blueprints once, and she could make them using the existing materials.

Today, Ali was wearing a black, tight-fitting training suit. Li Zhuyuan suspected that Liu Yumei had learned from yesterday's lesson and felt that black was more dirt-resistant.

After explaining to Ali, Li Zhuyuan worked together with her. Before long, the sky was bright.

"Ali, keep working on this. I need to go out for a bit."

With that, Li Zhuyuan grabbed a stack of blueprints and a prescription and went downstairs.

"Xiao Yuan, come eat breakfast." Auntie Liu happened to be coming out of the kitchen.

"Auntie Liu, could you help me decoct this medicine?"

Auntie Liu took the prescription, glanced at it, and then looked at Li Zhuyuan.

"Please, Auntie Liu. This is for Grandpa. He's been feeling weak lately and said he needs to nourish himself. This is... your job."

"Alright, I understand. I'll decoct it for you."

Decocting medicine was a troublesome task and a technical one. If Li Zhuyuan did it himself, it would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, and he couldn't guarantee the medicinal properties; he could only seek Auntie Liu's help.

Although using this semi-coercive method was somewhat inappropriate, Li Zhuyuan was very short on time. Those two would give him at most three days; when they saw he hadn't finished, they would likely come looking for him again.

"Thank you, Auntie Liu."

"You're welcome. You're going somewhere? It's time for breakfast."

"I'm going out for a bit."

Li Zhuyuan ran to the old carpenter's house in the village. The carpenter's house was a two-story building, quite grand.

Because the man had originally been a regular worker at the Xingren Machinery Plant, although he was now retired at home, he still took on some jobs on a regular basis. Additionally, both of his sons worked at the machinery plant, so their family conditions were among the best in the village.

When Li Zhuyuan entered, the old carpenter was eating breakfast.

"Are you... the grandson of Li Weihan?"

"It's me, Grandpa. My name is Li Zhuyuan. My great-grandfather, Li Sanjiang, sent me. He said there is a batch of tools that need your help to make as quickly as possible."

The old carpenter took the blueprints, looked at several in succession, and asked in surprise, "Who drew these?"

These hand-drawn blueprints were very detailed and professional, and they were also very thoughtful for the manufacturer.

In truth, Li Zhuyuan hadn't just learned drawing recently; in his mother's study, there were always these blueprints on the desk and the floor. He had been crawling on these blueprints since he was very small.

"I don't know. My great-grandfather gave them to me. He said they are urgently needed and that he owes you a great favor."

Li Sanjiang's favors were quite effective in the village, especially with the elderly.

Because in a person's life, everyone eventually faces that one final destination, and in the end, everyone would invite Li Sanjiang to preside over their funeral rites.

Li Zhuyuan did not feel that he was abusing his great-grandfather's influence; after all, those two had come looking for his great-grandfather this time, and by making these things quickly, he was also helping his great-grandfather.

"Fine, leave it to me. No problem. I'll start working on them immediately. We have materials at home, all ready to go. It's just that some of the parts in these blueprints need to be turned on a machine...

I'll have my son take them to the plant and borrow their machines to help you."

"Thank you so much. About how long will it take to complete?"

"So urgent?"

"Yes!"

"Come pick them up tomorrow morning. I'll call my two apprentices to help. It will be done very quickly."

"Thank you for your hard work. I'll come to pick them up tomorrow morning."

After thanking him, Li Zhuyuan ran home. Just as he was about to go upstairs, Liu Yumei called out to him: "Xiao Yuan, call Ali down to eat breakfast. We can't get her to come."

"It's okay, we won't eat. We have snacks."

Eating snacks while working wouldn't delay progress.

Seeing Li Zhuyuan run up to the second floor, Auntie Liu said with some surprise, "Xiao Yuan is in such a hurry so early in the morning. What's wrong?"

Sitting nearby drinking porridge, Liu Yumei gave a light snort

"Who knows? Maybe he saw a ghost."

"Should we call Ali down then?"

"If that boy doesn't say anything, who can get Ali to come down for a meal?"

"True." Auntie Liu had just tried calling, but Ali hadn't responded at all. "I wonder what Ali is doing in her room."

Liu Yumei sighed

"What is she doing? Working for that boy."

...

Returning to the bedroom, Li Zhuyuan opened the snacks and placed them in front of himself and Ali. The two of them continued their work while eating.

Ali was naturally silent, and Li Zhuyuan didn't have time to talk today either. The room was filled with the continuous sounds of pounding and tapping.

Various materials were being processed methodically by the boy and girl, and one small component after another was being produced.

They didn't go down for lunch either; they just ate snacks whenever they were hungry.

By evening, almost all the work on hand was completed.

Li Zhuyuan slumped on the floor, while Ali looked at the results of their two days of work. She didn't seem tired; she even seemed to want more.

At that moment, Auntie Liu called from downstairs, "Xiao Yuan, it's ready."

Auntie Liu hadn't called the great-grandfather to drink the medicine.

Li Zhuyuan walked out of the room. Having not slept all night, his head felt heavy and light. As he went down the stairs, he had to lean against the wall.

Tomorrow morning, as long as he went to pick up the forged tools and performed the final assembly with the prepared materials, the work would be completely finished.

Today, only the final step remained. Once it was done, he could finally have a good sleep.

Downstairs, Li Sanjiang was sitting there watching TV with Runsheng. Seeing Li Zhuyuan come down, Li Sanjiang asked

"Xiao Yuan Hou, what were you doing in your room today? You didn't even come down to eat."

"Great Grandpa, about the banquet last night..."

"I drank too much last night and had a dream. In the dream, someone gave me so much money and asked me to do something illegal, but I refused.

Oh, my heart still aches for it. That dream was too real; I almost thought it wasn't a dream. Luckily I asked Runsheng Hou, and Runsheng Hou said when he came to pick me up last night, I was the only one drinking."

Li Zhuyuan: "..."

At this moment, Li Zhuyuan suddenly empathized with Uncle Shan.

Li Zhuyuan went to get the medicine.

Li Sanjiang sniffed and asked, "Is this Chinese medicine? What's wrong, are you feeling unwell?"

Li Zhuyuan took a sip from the edge of the bowl and said, "No, Auntie Liu was worried I was studying too hard, so she stewed this brain-nourishing soup for me."

"Oh, then you should drink more."

Li Zhuyuan brought the medicine back to his room. Just as he set the bowl down, the little black dog actually ran over on its own and began "lapping" it up.

The taste of this medicine wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Li Zhuyuan had originally intended to force-feed it to the dog.

The little black dog finished the medicine and then walked back to its cage on its own, walking unsteadily, as if its belly was too full.

Li Zhuyuan took out a small syringe, walked to the cage, and beckoned it.

The little black dog sat facing the cage with its belly, one paw gripping the cage and the other paw reaching through the gap to Li Zhuyuan.

Li Zhuyuan had seen this posture before; it was the posture of a giant panda undergoing a physical examination that he had seen when his parents took him to the zoo as a child.

Li Zhuyuan held its paw, inserted the needle, and drew out a bit of blood.

Then he used a cotton ball to wipe it.

The little black dog didn't bark or make a fuss; it waited quietly for Li Zhuyuan to finish. Once it confirmed everything was fine, it flopped over and began to sleep.

"Why are you so well-behaved..."

Li Zhuyuan felt that if Wei Zhengdao were to be resurrected and saw such a sensible black dog, he would probably drool with envy.

After dripping the black dog's blood into the prepared components in proportion, the final stage of the manufacturing process was quickly completed.

All that remained was the final assembly tomorrow morning, which was simple.

"Ali, thank you."

Ali walked up to Li Zhuyuan, reached out to touch his head, and then pointed to the wooden bed in the room.

In the past, Li Zhuyuan had always coaxed her like this to go back to her room to sleep.

"Okay, I'm going to sleep."

Li Zhuyuan truly couldn't hold on any longer. He would wash up after waking up. As he lay on the bed, even though the mat beneath him was hard and cool, he felt as comfortable as if he were sinking into cotton.

Before closing his eyes, Li Zhuyuan looked at the ceiling and whispered in his heart

"The counterattack begins now..."