Chapter 25

【Smooth marriage, long life and peace.】

Li Zhuyuan remembered the physiognomy reading he had once given Xue Liangliang.

Everything has multiple sides; as long as one frequently changes their perspective, they can always find the positive aspects.

For instance, this marriage was indeed quite smooth.

A single glance led to love; a single day led to a lifetime commitment.

Even if they only met once every three years, when paired with long life and peace, it could be considered a form of compensation, couldn't it?

"Xiao Yuan, come with me to check on Zhao Hequan and see if he's doing better now."

"Brother Liangliang, can you get out of bed now?"

"I can."

Xue Liangliang got out of bed, but then his legs began to tremble.

Li Zhuyuan hurriedly supported him, preventing him from falling.

Xue Liangliang looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Brother Liangliang, you've just recovered from a serious illness and your body is a bit weak. It's normal."

"Right, right, right."

"Walk slowly, lean on me."

"Okay, Xiao Yuan."

The two left the ward, went downstairs, and arrived in front of Zhao Hequan's room.

Zhao Hequan's parents had already rushed in from out of town and were listening to the doctor explain the condition. Both were dressed quite decently and formally, suggesting they were from a well-off family.

When they heard the doctor say that Zhao Hequan's condition had suddenly improved and he was completely out of mortal danger, the two wept with joy.

But when they continued to hear the doctor say that Zhao Hequan had previously suffered from multiple areas of erosion and suppuration, and that some parts had to be excised—including the removal of his two testicles—

The two cried even louder!

【Turbulent marriage, lifelong solitude.】

Li Zhuyuan muttered to himself. Looking at it this way, it seemed he had gotten it right again.

However, he had originally thought the reading would apply after Zhao Hequan went to America with his girlfriend; he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

Avoiding the two wailing elders, Xue Liangliang pushed open the ward door and walked in with Li Zhuyuan.

At this time, Zhao Hequan was already awake, sitting up against the hospital bed.

He looked extremely haggard and despondent.

Li Zhuyuan remembered when he had first returned to the village and was playing with Panzi and Leizi, he had seen a dog lying on the dam looking listless.

He had asked his older brothers back then if the dog was sick.

Panzi had replied, "It was just neutered yesterday; it hasn't recovered yet."

However, despite both of them wearing hospital gowns, the moment Zhao Hequan saw Xue Liangliang, a spark of fighting spirit flashed in his eyes. He instinctively believed that Xue Liangliang had come specifically to mock him!

Li Zhuyuan knew that wasn't the case. Brother Liangliang was here to confirm whether the Ladies of the Bai Family had all returned home and reached the shore.

Upon closer inspection, this should also be part of the negotiation terms—a sort of "hidden bride price" for Brother Liangliang.

Therefore, Xue Liangliang should be Zhao Hequan's savior.

Zhao Hequan: "Heh, don't celebrate too early. Medical science in America is advanced. Once I go to America, my illness will be cured!"

Xue Liangliang nodded and comforted him, "Don't worry too much. It doesn't matter if it can't be cured. If they continue to deconstruct collective concepts, your status in America will likely keep rising in the future."

Hearing this, Zhao Hequan's entire face turned red with rage, and his body began to tremble, as if his non-existent testicles had been stepped on, or as if he were experiencing phantom limb pain.

"Hah, I will definitely live a happier and better life than you in the future. I will live well and wait to see you become a laughingstock. Also, let me tell you, Lili has already called me. She said no matter what happens to me, she won't look down on me. Once we go to America, she will marry me. When the time comes, I'll send you photos of our wedding in the church."

"Congratulations." Xue Liangliang sighed. "I am already married."

"What are you talking about?" Zhao Hequan froze for a moment, then shouted, "Are you making up lies just to spite me, even abandoning logic?"

At that moment, the ward door was pushed open again, and Luo Tingrui entered.

Since a student from the school had been injured during an internship, the school was bound to be responsible. They had to cover the medical expenses and fulfill compensation obligations. Fortunately, the person was out of danger.

"Zhao Hequan."

"Director Luo." Zhao Hequan immediately flashed a smile at Director Luo.

"Focus on your recovery and strive to return to school to continue your studies as soon as possible."

"Yes, Director Luo."

"Liangliang, you just woke up, why did you run out? Be good, go back to your ward to rest. Seeing you like this, how can I be at ease?"

"I'm fine now, Director Luo."

"Stop calling me Director. Call me Uncle from now on."

"Okay, Uncle Luo."

A person cannot lie while in a coma. Luo Tingrui already held Xue Liangliang in high regard, and after this incident, he liked the young boy even more.

He had already decided to submit a formal application to the school to participate in the Southwest Reconstruction Project, so that he could keep Xue Liangliang by his side and give the boy a higher starting point.

"Alright then, I'll head out first. Go back to your ward and rest early." After saying this, Luo Tingrui went out to comfort Zhao Hequan's parents.

By now, Zhao Hequan was gritting his teeth in rage. What kind of tone did Director Luo use with him, yet what kind of tone did he use with Xue Liangliang? He even made Xue Liangliang call him Uncle?

He understood now. No wonder Xue Liangliang said his marriage was settled—he was trying to marry into Director Luo's family!

As a student of Haihe University, Zhao Hequan knew that although Luo Tingrui was only a department leader, he was an absolute titan in his field domestically. Furthermore, with the current encouragement for professionals to enter government service, if Luo Tingrui chose to leave the school, his social status would immediately skyrocket.

"Fine then, Xue Liangliang, I didn't see that coming. No wonder you always act so convincingly; it turns out you were just trying to climb the social ladder!"

"I have also endured great psychological pressure; I was forced into this."

"You..."

Li Zhuyuan noticed that white smoke was actually rising from Zhao Hequan's head.

At this time, Zhao Hequan's mother entered while wiping her tears, saying, "Hequan, the Shanghai experts the school arranged for you through connections are almost here. Mom and Dad will go to the entrance to meet them. Don't worry, your illness will be fine."

"Mm..." Zhao Hequan nodded with a dark expression.

After his mother left, Zhao Hequan sneered, "See? This is how it is in this country. You have to use connections for everything, everything requires social favors. It's nothing like America, where none of this exists."

Xue Liangliang asked in confusion, "How can you think a country that still has a recommendation system is free of social favors?"

"You... get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Focus on your recovery and get some rest."

Supported by Li Zhuyuan, Xue Liangliang walked out of the ward. After closing the door, Xue Liangliang said

"Let's not go back to the ward yet. Let's go to the hospital entrance to buy you some snacks and toys."

"No need."

"You need them. Although I don't know exactly what happened, I know that your presence here proves you've helped me immensely. Besides, this is something I promised you. Come on, it's only natural for an older brother to buy food and toys for his younger brother. Unless, you don't want to acknowledge me as your brother?"

"Alright, Brother."

The two slowly walked down the stairs. At the corner of the first floor, Zhao Hequan's parents were standing there talking. Because Xue Liangliang was walking very slowly, they overheard a fairly long conversation.

"Can that part of our son really be cured?"

"Even if it's cured, that part is still gone. We should hurry up and try to have another one. We can't let our family line end here."

"I feel like I can still have more, but if we have a second child, my work and yours..."

"Just submit an application to explain the situation. After all, the eldest is already disabled."

"Mm, true."

Xue Liangliang and Li Zhuyuan did not stop or say hello; they went straight out of the inpatient building and arrived at the shops outside the hospital.

"Go ahead and choose. Take whatever you want to eat, and pick out some toys too. Don't be polite with your brother."

Li Zhuyuan picked out some snacks and stationery just to fulfill the gesture.

"Only this much?"

"It's enough for me."

"Alright then." Xue Liangliang paid the bill, then stuffed all the remaining money into Li Zhuyuan's pocket, patted it, and said, "This is your pocket money from your brother."

"Thank you, Brother."

When returning Xue Liangliang to his ward, they saw Uncle Qin waiting on a corridor bench. After Li Zhuyuan said goodbye to Xue Liangliang, he left the hospital with Uncle Qin.

"Go to sleep, I'll carry you on my back."

"Okay, Uncle."

Li Zhuyuan was carried on Uncle Qin's back. He was indeed tired and sleepy, and soon fell asleep on his back.

He didn't know how much time had passed; he only felt his body swaying slightly and could hear the sound of car horns in his ears.

Li Zhuyuan's first reaction was: *Did Uncle Qin use that paper car trick too?*

He opened his eyes excitedly, only to be disappointed.

The vehicle was full of people; it was a bus traveling from the city to Shigang Town.

This wasn't a trick used by Uncle Qin; it was a ticket bought with money.

Li Zhuyuan really wanted to ask Uncle Qin more about the paper car from last night, but he held back, because the closer they got to home, the more certain things were that could not be discussed.

However, he remembered Uncle Qin saying last night that "She" had carried them.

So, the paper car was just something like a dream or hypnosis. In reality, one of the Ladies of the Bai Family had carried him and Uncle Qin from Siyuan Village into the city?

Looking at it this way, it didn't seem that special; wasn't he just a version of Brother Runsheng?

"Not going to sleep a bit longer?"

"No need, Uncle. It's strange; for some reason, I feel full after just a short nap this time."

"It's because of a traffic jam due to roadwork. It's 4:00 PM now."

"Oh, no wonder."

The bus stopped, and Li Zhuyuan and Uncle Qin got off. The two walked along the village road toward the interior.

"Xiao Yuan, Uncle wants to ask you something."

"Uncle, go ahead."

"What do you think of your 'big friend's' choice?"

"He doesn't know what's happening outside, so it's normal for him to make such a choice. It's understandable, right?"

"That's not what I meant. Uncle wants to ask you: if it were you, would you be willing to marry into another family?"

Li Zhuyuan stopped walking. He first looked toward his great-grandfather's house in the distance, then turned to look at Uncle Qin standing beside him.

He didn't answer Uncle Qin's question, but instead asked, "Uncle, are you leaving?"

Qin Li seemed not to expect the boy to ask such a thing, and a momentary look of shock appeared on his face. "Why do you say that?"

"A feeling."

Qin Li smiled, no longer insisting on an answer to his previous question, and neither of them spoke further as they walked quietly home with the boy.

Qin Li retracted her feet from the threshold, stood up, and brought the small chess box to Li Zhuyuan.

Li Zhuyuan looked toward Liu Yumei, who was sitting on the dam drinking tea. Uncle Qin was standing behind her, speaking with his head lowered.

Only after Liu Yumei nodded did Uncle Qin follow Auntie Liu back to the west room.

"Xiao Yuan, your great-grandfather and Runsheng have gone out," Liu Yumei said.

"Grandma Liu, do they have work to do?"

"Not exactly. They just settled the payment for two batches of paper offerings today. Your great-grandfather has money in his pocket, so he had Runsheng take him to Shigang Town to buy a television."

Li Zhuyuan could only sigh inwardly. His great-grandfather really didn't know how to save money; he spent whatever was in his pocket.

However, he truly had no expectations for a television.

He had finished reading *The Profound Interpretation of Yin-Yang Physiognomy* and *The Theory of Fate Deduction*. Although he hadn't fully mastered them—or rather, didn't dare to master them yet—at least he could set those two books aside for now.

Next, he would have to go to the basement to look for more books.

Although his great-grandfather's earnest teachings still echoed in his ears, and he understood the importance of building a solid foundation, he... really couldn't help himself.

He didn't want to be nothing more than a bystander the next time something similar happened.

This desire for quick success was certainly wrong and needed criticism, but who could blame him? He was still a child, after all.

Well, he couldn't always be too mature and rational; he was also trying to control his condition.

Li Zhuyuan first went to the drawer to assemble his flashlight, then entered the basement. The difference this time was that he brought Qin Li with him.

"A-Li, come, help me pick a box."

This time, Li Zhuyuan was no longer obsessed with clearing out the first box entirely.

A-Li walked to the middle box.

"This one?"

Li Zhuyuan signaled for A-Li to hold the flashlight, then he used his strength to pry open the lid.

"A-Li, help me shine the light."

Li Zhuyuan began searching for books inside. The books in this box were all thick, large sets, very similar to the *Chronicles of Jianghu Wonders* he had read first. They all started at least at twenty volumes and were very neatly organized.

But they were generally basic or conceptual in nature—mostly health and wellness books.

Li Zhuyuan even saw a book titled *The Scripture of Dual Cultivation of the Great Mystery*.

He pulled out a volume and flipped through a few pages; it had illustrations and text, showing various movements and postures.

Before A-Li could lean her head in to look at the book as per her usual habit, Li Zhuyuan quickly closed it.

He frowned. These were not the books he was looking for. Although he admitted these books would be useful in the future, right now they were useless.

Li Zhuyuan leaned into the box, intending to pull out the two sets pressed at the very bottom. After much effort and a lot of sweat, he finally retrieved them.

If these two were also health books, then this box could gather dust forever.

As his gaze fell upon the covers, Li Zhuyuan's spirits immediately lifted.

*The Record of Subduing Demons by the Righteous Path, Vol. 1*!

Although the title sounded a bit like the Hong Kong and Taiwan martial arts novels popular in the mainland today,

It was much better than the wellness scriptures he had flipped through earlier, and it gave him a strong sense of anticipation.

But why was it only "Vol. 1"?

Li Zhuyuan looked at the other set he had pulled out; the cover read *The Record of Subduing Demons by the Righteous Path, Vol. 2*.

So, these two sets, totaling over a hundred volumes, were actually one book? But why divide them into parts?

The books in the box were mostly handwritten versions, not published works; perhaps they released the second part only after the first part sold well.

Li Zhuyuan pulled the first volume from both the first and second sets.

He quickly flipped through the content and format; the illustrations and text were detailed, showing various "dead falls" in different environments, and he even saw items used to deal with them.

But why did it feel so familiar?

With this feeling in mind, Li Zhuyuan took out the first volume of the "second" set and flipped through it quickly. It was still detailed with illustrations, but every illustration had bubbles indicating they were underwater, and the use of props had decreased, replaced by more close-quarters combat with the dead falls.

So, the first volume covered land environments and methods of using various props to deal with dead falls; the second volume covered methods for dealing with dead falls in underwater environments.

However, the two shouldn't be completely contradictory; it didn't mean that land methods couldn't be used underwater.

The author likely divided them this way for ease of recording; one couldn't just apply things blindly.

But this comfortable font and this familiar illustration style... Li Zhuyuan immediately pulled out the last volume of the second set and flipped to the very last page.

Sure enough, the last line read

"—Written by Wei Zhengdao."

Looking at this name, Li Zhuyuan felt a great sense of familiarity.

*The Chronicles of Jianghu Wonders* had been his introductory reading, but he truly hadn't expected that Wei Zhengdao had written subsequent works.

If the former was about conceptual definitions, then these two volumes before him were the formulas.

Li Zhuyuan loved this sense of rigor and order.

Looking around at the dozen or so boxes, were there more books by Wei Zhengdao in here?

An idea rose in Li Zhuyuan's mind: if this person truly started from introductory popular science and wrote higher and higher... then, in every entry of *The Chronicles of Jianghu Wonders*, would the phrase "the dead fall was destroyed by the righteous path" be more than just the author's personal amusement?

Could it be that... Wei Zhengdao truly destroyed them?

Previously, Li Zhuyuan had only thought the author was interesting and that the idea was absurd; after all, how could one person travel to so many places, see so many dead falls, and destroy so many in a lifetime?

But last night, after witnessing Uncle Qin's style with his own eyes, he realized that it might not be impossible.

Just as his great-grandfather never believed he was actually teaching at a university, people are indeed prone to making empirical errors in unfamiliar fields.

"If I finish reading all the books you wrote, would you be considered my teacher?"

Then, if he wrote a diary in the future, how should he write it?

*A certain dead fall,*

*Was destroyed by a successor of the righteous path?*

...

Liu Yumei was eating snacks and sipping tea when she saw Li Zhuyuan walking up the stairs carrying a stack of books, followed by her granddaughter, who was also carrying a stack.

The two children carried the books to the second floor, placed them in the bedroom, and then ran back down, each grabbing another stack from the basement and heading back up, making many trips.

Liu Yumei felt somewhat helpless and wanted to laugh. *Sigh, this is my precious granddaughter whom I've nurtured since she was small.*

But this was also good. As long as she didn't continue to sit dazed behind the room's threshold, even if the boy had to carry a hoe to take her to the fields to farm, Liu Yumei wouldn't stop him.

After moving the books, Li Zhuyuan first took out a towel, dampened it, and wiped A-Li's face and hands, then folded the towel to wipe his own sweat.

Afterward, Li Zhuyuan took out three cans of Jianlibao, opening one for A-Li and keeping one for himself.

Then, the boy and girl sat together on the terrace, enjoying the evening breeze and their drinks.

The girl's hair was occasionally blown by the wind, brushing against her face, making it tickle.

The boy occasionally glanced sideways at the girl's profile; she was sitting on the west side, perfectly framed against the warm orange sunset.

"We're back!"

Runsheng pushed the cart, with his great-grandfather sitting on it, holding a yellow cardboard box in his arms.

"Xiao Yuan Hou, Great-grandfather bought the TV for you!"

"Coming, Great-grandfather."

Li Zhuyuan ran downstairs to meet them, acting very happy and excited.

They unboxed it, plugged in the power, raised the two antennas at the top, and rotated the channels, eventually finding CCTV, the Nantong local station, and the county station.

The county station was playing a new Qiong Yao drama. At this time, local small television stations would broadcast whatever they could get their hands on, regardless of copyright issues; after all, they were only broadcasting to locals with a limited range.

"How is it, Xiao Yuan Hou? It's quite clear, right?" Li Sanjiang patted the top of the TV, boasting to Li Zhuyuan.

"Yes, it's clear."

"I bought the latest model! Alright, Runsheng Hou, carry the TV into Xiao Yuan Hou's room."

"No need, Great-grandfather. Let's just leave it on the first floor so everyone can watch it."

"That won't do! It was bought specifically for you; how can we not put it in your room?"

"If we do that, I'll get addicted to watching TV and it will affect my studies."

"Oh, alright then, we'll leave it on the first floor."

"Great!"

Runsheng happily carried the TV inside. He slept on a mat on the first-floor table every night, which meant he could watch TV all night long.

Auntie Liu said, "It's time for dinner."

Four small dining tables had been set up. Runsheng was holding a large incense stick, with a bundle of small ones beside him, looking very much like a large green onion and small green onions.

Ever since that day when Xiao Yuan reminded him to open the door to a new world, he could never go back to his old way of eating. However, before eating the incense, he had to light it and then start gnawing from the other end.

Li Sanjiang took a sip of wine and called out to Uncle Qin, who was sitting with Liu Yumei and Liu Ting

"Li Hou, the Zhao family in Shijia Village is holding a funeral the day after tomorrow. I ran into them on my way back; they've ordered sixteen sets of banquets. Send the tables, chairs, dishes, and everything else to them tomorrow afternoon.

Oh, and Ting Hou, please check the inventory to see if we have enough for a batch. If not, hurry and restock so Li Hou can deliver it to the Zhao family the day after tomorrow."

Auntie Liu nodded, "I'll restock the paper offerings; there's time. But as for A-Li..."

"What about A-Li?"

Qin Li stood up from the table, walked to Li Sanjiang, and said, "Uncle Sanjiang, my eldest uncle in my hometown is sick and might not make it. He has no children, so I must go back to take care of him."

"Then when will you be back, Li Hou?"

"I don't know. At least, I have to see the old man off."

"That's going to be a long time then." Li Sanjiang scratched the back of his head with the end of his chopsticks. "Are you going back alone? What about Ting Hou?"

"Uncle Sanjiang, I'm going alone. A-Ting, my mom, and A-Li will stay here."

"Alright then, go ahead."

"Uncle Sanjiang, you don't need to wait for me to come back. There's a lot of work at home and you need strong labor; you should hire someone else."

"It's fine, it's fine, no need to hire anyone." Li Sanjiang pointed at Runsheng, who was sitting in the corner gnawing on incense and eating rice with grains all over his face. "We have Runsheng!"

"Yeah, you have me! No problem!" Runsheng didn't just decline; he actively nodded with vigor.

"Don't worry, I won't let you work for nothing. I'll pay you wages."

"Uncle, you're being too formal. Staying here means meat to eat, incense to chew, and a TV to watch. It's only right that I work for you."

"Bullshit! Do you think I'm short on that much wage? If your grandfather knew you were working for free here, wouldn't he be upset to death?

Besides, take the wages and save them. When you go back in a while, buy some rice, flour, oil, and other things for your grandfather. Don't let that old man actually starve to death."

"My grandfather has money. He earned quite a bit from the Niu family last time. Even without me, he has enough to eat and drink for a long time."

"Heh." Li Sanjiang snorted disdainfully. "That old man has never had any luck with gambling, yet he still loves playing cards. Who knows how long that money will stay in his pocket."

Then, Li Sanjiang looked at Qin Li again: "A-Li, when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'll head to the station."

"So soon? Is everything prepared?"

"A-Ting helped me pack everything. It's not much, just a few clothes to take back."

Li Sanjiang reached into his pocket, took out some money, and handed it to Qin Li

"Here, most of the money went into the TV, so this is what's left. You might need it to treat your uncle when you get back to your hometown. Take it. Oh, and don't forget to buy some Nantong specialties to take back, like Xiting Crispy Cakes or Bai Pu Dried Tea."

"Uncle Sanjiang, I can't take your money. Please take it back."

Li Sanjiang's expression turned stern. "You brat, if I tell you to take it, then take it!"

"I really can't. I can't take any more of your money. Look, my whole family is eating and drinking here, and you've already paid wages."

"The wages I pay you are a bargain for me. Just take it, or I'll get angry."

Liu Yumei spoke up at that moment, "Take it. Remember your Uncle Sanjiang's kindness."

Only then did Qin Li accept the money and give Li Sanjiang a solemn bow.

Li Zhuyuan silently lowered his head and ate his meal. He didn't believe a word about Uncle Qin going back to care for his uncle. He had been to the east room to pay respects at the memorial tablet; it was clearly a situation where the entire family—no, the entire clan—was gone.

Uncle Qin's departure could only be because of what happened last night.

Li Zhuyuan could sense that by living here with his great-grandfather, they were constantly trying to avoid certain taboos. Uncle Qin's departure was likely to ensure safety.

*Sigh, the cost of propping up a bystander is truly high.*

He stole a glance at Liu Yumei and found that she was also looking at him; their eyes met briefly.

Liu Yumei's eyes were meaningful, and the corners of her mouth held a smile.

Li Zhuyuan knew this was a silent warning.

He could no longer act like he did in the past, returning to seek help from the Qin family whenever he encountered a difficult situation. To ask for help from one meant losing one; he didn't have enough "feathers" to pluck from that broom.

After dinner, Runsheng impatiently turned on the TV and started searching for channels.

Li Sanjiang didn't go upstairs to listen to storytelling; he sat there too, smoking.

Soon, an energetic melody came from the TV. It was the county station, broadcasting *Leo the Super Cop*.

Runsheng sat back down, grabbed a few incense sticks, lit them with a match, and began gnawing on them while watching intently, as if he were eating spicy strips.

Li Zhuyuan wasn't in a hurry to go back to his room to read Wei Zhengdao's new book; instead, he brought a small stool and sat with A-Li to watch TV.

Li Sanjiang asked Runsheng curiously, "What is that guy in the red leather suit?"

"Uncle, that's Leo the Super Cop."

"What about the round thing flying around?"

"That's a disc-shaped creature, a monster. It's bad."

"Oh, I see."

Runsheng had watched a lot of TV before, sometimes at the village, sometimes at an employer's house, or even in shops, though it was always in fragments.

However, in this era, most children with the means to watch TV would find it difficult to watch such series systematically. They would inevitably miss episodes due to various interruptions, or the station would switch programs before a series finished.

Although home video recorders existed now, they were expensive, and videotapes were inconvenient to circulate. This led to the rise of local video rental parlors, where people would pay an entrance fee to watch together in one room. At night, the owner would play more "exciting" adult films at fixed times.

After an episode finished, an advertisement for psoriasis ointment would play.

Runsheng continued to stare intently at the advertisement, hoping the next episode would play after it ended, though the probability was low. After watching TV for a while longer, even without a program schedule, he would be able to clearly remember what programs each station aired at specific times.

And, incidentally, he would even be able to memorize the lines of those advertisements.

After waiting for a long time, Runsheng turned to Li Zhuyuan and asked, "Xiao Yuan, have you seen this?"

Li Zhuyuan nodded.

"How many episodes are there?"

"About forty or fifty."

"Wow, that's great."

Back when he was in the residential compound, Li Zhuyuan had been pulled by several older brothers to watch videotapes at their homes. They had collected many complete sets, but the version they had was called *Superman Neo*.

The localized versions during this period were mainly Hong Kong and Taiwan versions, which led to differences in translation habits.

Liu Yumei walked over at this time and said, "It's time for A-Li to rest."

She was speaking to Li Zhuyuan.

"A-Li, go back to your room to rest with your grandmother. See you tomorrow morning."

A-Li obediently stood up and followed Liu Yumei back to the room.

Li Zhuyuan left his stool. As he walked up the stairs, he looked back through the paper offerings in the first-floor room and saw Brother Runsheng and his great-grandfather still sitting in front of the TV, watching the advertisements with great interest.

Then he thought of Uncle Qin last night, riding the motorcycle at high speed with him.

The violent collision of tradition and modernity, the friction and biting of the backward and the advanced—it was truly hard to imagine how so many things could be stacked out of sync in the same era.

It was just that most people living in this era, including himself, were unable to perceive it most of the time, even if the storm was right beside them.

Perhaps only many years later, when everything had settled and one looked back, would they be startled to realize what a bizarre and extraordinary period of time they had lived through.

"Xiao Yuan." The one to break Li Zhuyuan's thoughts was Uncle Qin, who was standing at the top of the second-floor stairs, as if he had been waiting for him.

Li Zhuyuan ran up.

"Horse stance."

"Okay."

Li Zhuyuan knew this was likely the final lesson.

Following Uncle Qin's past teachings, Li Zhuyuan took a horse stance and began breathing exercises, quickly entering the state.

Uncle Qin's hands moved continuously over Li Zhuyuan's muscles and joints, carefully adjusting every point of force.

After a period of time, Uncle Qin said, "That's enough."

Li Zhuyuan stood up. He didn't feel tired; instead, he felt his body was light. After reading for long periods, he had gradually started using the horse stance to replace his morning exercises.

"Practice well. Don't let it slip."

"I'll remember, Uncle Qin."

"Mm." Uncle Qin walked downstairs.

Li Zhuyuan felt a bit melancholy. With all of Uncle Qin's skills, it seemed he had only learned the horse stance.

But it was fine; in Wei Zhengdao's *The Record of Subduing Demons by the Righteous Path, Vol. 2*, there were descriptions of combat methods against dead falls. He could practice those instead.

Returning to his bedroom, he turned on the desk lamp. He wasn't in a hurry to read the second volume; after all, he was still a child. Before practicing close-quarters combat, he should first learn how to use tools.

He opened the first volume of the first set and began reading from Chapter One.

Next,

Li Zhuyuan cast aside all distractions and began to seriously study—the correct cultivation of a Child Black Dog.

...

In the early morning, Li Zhuyuan woke up and turned his head to look at A-Li, who was sitting in a chair. She wasn't wearing a dress today, but a white and green, somewhat tight-fitting outfit.

If she were given a sword, she could go act as a young female hero in a martial arts drama.

A smile appeared at the corners of Li Zhuyuan's mouth. It seemed Grandma Liu had just changed her taste, so A-Li had changed her style too.

"Good morning."

Walking up to the girl to greet her, Li Zhuyuan's gaze unconsciously fell on her belt. The belt shimmered with silver light and was covered in fine carvings.

*Uh, could it be...*

Li Zhuyuan reached out to touch it. The girl did not dodge or show embarrassment; she just stood there calmly.

Sensing the texture transmitted through his fingertips, Li Zhuyuan couldn't help but be astonished. This belt of hers was actually a soft sword!

He couldn't help but marvel at Grandma Liu's degree of perfectionism.

Perhaps A-Li's obsessive-compulsive tendencies were partly inherited from Liu Yumei.

Seeing Li Zhuyuan's interest in her belt, A-Li reached down, making a gesture as if she were going to untie it for him.

"No, no, no, no need to untie it." Li Zhuyuan hurriedly grabbed the girl's hand to stop her, then praised, "It's really beautiful."

A-Li's eyelashes fluttered slightly, but this time it wasn't a sign of anger, but of happiness.

Li Zhuyuan was pleasantly surprised to find that this was the first time A-Li had used such an obvious gesture to express an emotion other than violence.

She really was changing.

During breakfast, Uncle Qin packed his bags, said goodbye to everyone, and walked down the dam.

Everyone's emotions were quite stable, except for Li Sanjiang.

He was probably the one most reluctant to see Qin Li leave. It wasn't entirely because he was losing a worker who did a lot of work for little pay; after all, when people spend time together, they naturally develop feelings.

After breakfast, Li Zhuyuan walked up to Auntie Liu, holding a list and some money. "Auntie Liu, you're going to the town market to buy groceries today, right? Could you help me buy these things?"

"Sure, it's no trouble." Auntie Liu took the list, scanned it, and first showed a look of shock, which then turned into traditional confusion. "Xiao Yuan, what are you buying all this for?"

"The school assigned summer extracurricular practical assignments. These are the materials I need to complete my homework."

It was a very clumsy excuse, but it didn't matter, because he only needed an excuse.

"Alright, I'll buy them all for you when I'm there."

"Thank you, Auntie."

He felt confident letting Auntie Liu buy them for him, and he didn't need to give any specific instructions, because she was likely much more professional than he was.

In the morning, Li Zhuyuan continued reading. This book was actually quite simple; the difficulty lay in the experimental operations. It could be said that, without considering practical application, this first set was more like a manual for handicrafts.

At the same time, Li Zhuyuan also noticed that many of the things mentioned here were also present with his great-grandfather.

Every time his great-grandfather went to retrieve a corpse or attended a ritual, he would bring many things. But upon closer comparison, he found that his great-grandfather's items were only similar in form or name; they were not fundamentally the same things.

Li Zhuyuan couldn't help but wonder: had his great-grandfather been retrieving corpses with a set of counterfeits all this time?

However, the items here were truly difficult to obtain. For some tools, he would have to draw design diagrams based on the book's descriptions and then commission a carpenter and a blacksmith to make them.

There were carpenters in the village, but where could he find a blacksmith now?

He couldn't find a blacksmith shop that sounded like the "ding-ding-dang" workshops described in the book. Or, could he find a factory and hire a master to machine them out on a lathe?

In the afternoon, Runsheng had to deliver the tables, chairs, and dishes to the Zhao family. He didn't know the way, so since Li Zhuyuan knew where they lived, he accompanied him.

The Zhao family lived on the east side of Shijia Bridge, not far from where Li Zhuyuan had waited for the bus last night.

Runsheng pushed the large flatbed cart onto the Zhao family's dam by himself and helped the Zhao family unload the goods.

The memorial hall was already set up. Li Zhuyuan saw the deceased lying motionless in the center of the main room. It was a quite young man, perhaps only seventeen or eighteen, not much older than Panzi and the others.

Two old women were huddled together nearby, whispering

"Such a good young man, how could he just be gone like that?"

"They say he was coming back from a play in town at night, tripped into a field on the way, and just passed away."

"That's truly terrible. What did Zheng Datong say? A sudden heart attack?"

"What a pity. Tsk tsk, the Zhao family does small business and is quite well-off, but this was their only son."

Just as someone began to apply makeup to the body, the white cloth covering it was lifted. Li Zhuyuan saw the true face of the deceased: sunken eye sockets, slack eyebrows, a smooth philtrum, and thin, sharp lower lips...

In physiognomy, this belonged to 【Shallow Fortune Pool, Defective Bottom】.

This was considered a very poor sign in physiognomy, meaning that one's inherent fortune was thin and there was a gap through which it would constantly leak away.

If one cherished their blessings, lived cautiously, and kept their heart pure, they could manage to live a stable life. But if one indulged excessively—such as in eating, drinking, and playing—and enjoyed life too hard and too fast, they would easily drain themselves dry.

Combined with what the two old women said about the Zhao family being well-off, a lifestyle that exceeded that of the surrounding ordinary people was actually unsuitable for someone with this kind of face.

After delivering the goods, Li Zhuyuan and Runsheng walked home together.

On the road ahead, they encountered Panzi and Leizi walking side by side. It was unclear whether they had applied water or glue to their heads, but their hair was all combed back, with a very obvious part in the middle that looked oily and shiny under the sunlight.

"Ha, Yuanzi, we were just going to your great-grandfather's house to find you. I didn't expect to run into you here."

"Brother Panzi, Brother Leizi."

Panzi immediately took Li Zhuyuan's hand. "Come on, Yuanzi, your brothers will take you to the video parlor in town to watch a movie. They're showing Chow Yun-fat's *A Better Tomorrow* this afternoon."

Beside him, Leizi was making shooting motions with his hands, repeatedly jerking them, while making sound effects with his mouth: "Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Great! I want to go too!" Runsheng shouted.

Li Zhuyuan didn't want to go; he wanted to go back and continue reading. So he said, "I'll go back and get some money to treat you guys to a movie, but I won't go. I still have to do my homework."

The money in his pocket from this morning had been given to Auntie Liu, and the rest was in his bedroom drawer.

"Go, go, go! How can we let you pay every time? We as older brothers have faces too, okay? We really didn't have any pocket money before, it's not like we just want to take advantage of you, little brother."

"Exactly, exactly. We have money now. We just went to the Xicun Kiln to carry bricks all day yesterday."

As they spoke, Panzi and Leizi each took out the small change from their pockets, counted it together, and did a head count, including Runsheng.

After the final tally, Panzi laughed, "Perfect, four tickets, and we can still buy four bottles of soda!"

Runsheng was overjoyed. "I'll push the cart back first."

Seeing how excited they were, and knowing they had specifically earned the money by carrying bricks to treat him, Li Zhuyuan could no longer feel embarrassed about refusing and agreed to go along.

However, when returning the cart home, Li Zhuyuan made a quick trip to his bedroom to put some money in his pocket. After saying something to A-Li, he then went to town with them.

Finally, the four of them arrived in front of a video parlor. The storefront was very small, with a simple sign hanging above

"Sister Mei's Video Parlor."