Chapter 22

As he read, Li Zhuyuan felt hungry, but Auntie Liu had not yet called them to eat; she was still busy in the kitchen preparing the next course.

Breakfast had been moved forward because of Xue Liangliang's loud shout, while lunch had been delayed due to Runsheng's arrival.

By now, everyone was likely hungry.

Li Zhuyuan went to his room to pick out some snacks and placed them between himself and Ali. At the same time, he made a mental note to remind Uncle Qin to buy snacks in pairs next time, otherwise it would be hard for him to choose, since Ali liked to eat the same snacks as him.

When they had returned on the tractor last night, Great-grandfather had brought him a case of Jianlibao. Li Zhuyuan took out two bottles, opened them, and placed them in front of Ali.

Ali held the Jianlibao with both hands, her head lowered, looking at it intently.

Li Zhuyuan immediately said, "Drink it. No collecting."

Ali lowered her head even further.

"If you like it, I'll get you another unopened one later."

Since the shelf life was long and they were sealed, Li Zhuyuan figured that since Grandma Liu had endured the trauma of the rotten duck eggs, she should be able to easily accept a canned drink.

Ali immediately picked up the drink, imitated Li Zhuyuan by taking a sip, and then poked her tongue out to lick her lips.

"Is this your first time drinking this?"

Ali looked over at him. Her expression was not very expressive, but Li Zhuyuan could always understand it.

"If you like it, I have a whole case over there. You can take one bottle and bring one home every time. When they're gone, I'll go beg Great-grandfather to buy more for me."

Ali quickly took another sip. Although she made no other movement, an image seemed to flash in Li Zhuyuan's mind

A cute little girl holding a Jianlibao, her eyes curving into crescents, happily swinging her legs.

"Shall we play chess?"

Hearing this, Ali immediately took out the small chess box she had kept by her side.

After setting up the board, Li Zhuyuan and Ali began to play. The two of them usually played fast games by default, but this time, as they reached the mid-game, both sides were evenly matched. They fought tooth and nail until the endgame, where Li Zhuyuan finally suffered a narrow defeat.

This was the hardest match Ali had ever won against him. The girl looked up at Li Zhuyuan; she wasn't unhappy, but rather looked even more radiant.

A smile appeared at the corners of Li Zhuyuan's mouth. On a whim, he had applied a portion of the algorithms from *The Theory of Fate Deduction* to the game of Go, which yielded unexpected results.

The board was the same, but in Li Zhuyuan's eyes, it had become vivid, making his moves more flexible and varied.

However, once the second game began, Li Zhuyuan noticed that Ali's style had changed.

After he had previously reminded her that she didn't need to let him win, she indeed stopped trying to lose on purpose, but she never minded playing longer with him. What she cared about was the experience of the process; winning was merely an inevitable outcome for her.

But this time, Li Zhuyuan found that Ali's playing style had suddenly become steady. Step by step, she left him almost no openings or opportunities. No matter how flexible or varied his moves were, they were meaningless before a mountain.

He lost—he was crushed by the girl's skill.

Indeed, whether it was physiognomy or fortune-telling, it merely provided another perspective for viewing the world, but you remained yourself.

Having an extra perspective is a good thing, equivalent to having an extra pair of eyes or ears, but to become too obsessed with it—thinking that mastering it means you can truly do as you please—is like an ant standing on an elephant's head and thinking it has become tall; that would be ridiculous.

Seeing Li Zhuyuan's silence, Ali reached out and gently tugged at his sleeve.

A warm smile appeared on Li Zhuyuan's face. "I was just thinking about things in the book, not because I lost. How could I be unhappy about losing to Ali?"

Just as he finished comforting the girl, Auntie Liu finally called them to eat downstairs.

The dining tables were still separate, but with Runsheng's arrival, Li Sanjiang finally had a lonely companion.

Li Zhuyuan first portioned out small plates for Ali. Just as he picked up his chopsticks and took two bites, he heard a "gurgle gurgle" sound from behind him, like muffled thunder on dry land.

Turning around, he saw that it was Runsheng's stomach growling in the corner.

A large incense stick, handmade by Auntie Liu, was stuck in his rice bowl and was currently burning. He was sitting there, waiting for the incense to burn down.

Once a person has passed the peak of hunger, the sensation often lessens, but when delicious food is placed before them again, the dormant hunger returns twofold.

This feeling of having food right in front of one's eyes while having to endure the wait of a timer was indeed a form of torture for Runsheng.

Curiously, Li Zhuyuan asked, "Brother Runsheng, do you have to wait for the incense to finish burning before you can eat?"

"Yeah, that's right." Runsheng swallowed hard and made a stirring motion with his hand. "I have to mix it with the ash to be able to swallow it."

Li Zhuyuan remembered this habit; Runsheng had told him about it before. But what he wanted to ask this time was: "Brother Runsheng, is there a big difference between eating it mixed with ash after it's burned and just eating it directly?"

"Huh?" Runsheng froze for a moment. "I've never really thought about that. Don't normal people all wait for the incense to burn out?"

"But do normal people mix incense ash with their rice?"

"Then... should I try it?"

Runsheng pulled the incense out of his rice bowl and took a bite of the unlit bottom end. As he chewed, his face showed no sign of pain; instead, his brow relaxed, as if he found it exceptionally refreshing.

Immediately after, he picked up his chopsticks and impatiently shoveled several large mouthfuls of rice into his mouth. After swallowing, he looked at the incense in his hand with a look of pleasant surprise and exclaimed

"Xiao Yuan, I actually swallowed it! It's not disgusting or nauseating at all!"

Auntie Liu made incense using traditional methods. Although it wasn't meant to be eaten, it wouldn't cause much harm if one actually did. Well, given Runsheng's stomach, even if it were a minor issue, the impact on him would be practically non-existent.

Runsheng happily took another bite of the incense and shoveled more rice, eating with great gusto. He acted as if what he held in his hand wasn't incense, but a stalk of green onion to accompany his meal.

Li Zhuyuan asked, "Brother Runsheng, do you want some sauce?"

"Sauce?" Runsheng thought for a moment and then nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes!"

Auntie Liu got up, went into the kitchen, and brought a bowl of salty sauce used for breakfast porridge to Runsheng's small table.

Runsheng picked up the large incense stick, dipped it in the sauce, and took another bite. He was so delighted his eyebrows nearly flew upward.

"Xiao Yuan, you're amazing. This is much more delicious than waiting for the incense to burn out."

It was as if Runsheng had opened the door to a new world; he ate with unparalleled satisfaction.

Li Sanjiang took a swig of white liquor, looked at Runsheng's eating manner, and couldn't help but laughingly scold

"Damn it, I'll have to find a way to get you some authentic Northeast soybean paste in the future. That stuff goes well with everything."

Li Zhuyuan took a sip of soup, looked at Li Sanjiang, and asked, "Great-grandfather, have you been to the Northeast?"

Li Sanjiang wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and sat with his legs spread, striking a commanding pose

"Of course I have. Back in the day, I was conscripted and sent straight to the Northeast. Later, thanks to my quick feet, I ran all the way from the Northeast to Shanhai Pass."

Once the floodgates of memory opened, they were hard to close. Li Sanjiang took another sip of liquor and continued

"After entering the pass, I thought I'd follow the railway and head south to get back. But before I had gone far, I was conscripted again. I put on the uniform and was pushed back to the front lines to fight.

But I had experience this time. I waited for my superior to get drunk, found an opening, and wrapped up an entire squad to slip away at night.

By the time I reached the Xuzhou area, seeing my hometown right before my eyes, well, I was caught again.

But this time it was quick. On the third day, my unit was broken up. The original platoon leader wanted to reorganize us, but I worked my magic from below, and the entire platoon that was just about to be reformed scattered again.

After that, I became more cautious. I didn't dare walk along the railways or main roads anymore; I went wherever the roads were small and the people were few, and that's how I finally made it home.

Even after getting home, I wasn't at peace. I was caught again later, but I had gained experience in deserting. They would catch me during the day, and I would slip back at night.

After that, once I was home, I just stayed low and didn't dare wander around until things settled down."

Li Zhuyuan marveled, "Great-grandfather, you are truly amazing."

The three major campaigns—Great-grandfather had actually participated in all of them.

Even though he was on the opposing side, he had continuously contributed to the main battlefield.

Li Sanjiang rubbed his stubbly chin and said modestly, "It was alright, alright, hehe."

Runsheng had already finished half a bowl of rice and was taking a short break when he chimed in

"On the way here this morning, I saw a traveling movie projectionist. He said they're showing a movie in the town square tonight called *The Crossing of the Yangtze*.

Xiao Yuan, do you want to go watch it tonight?"

"Brother Runsheng, after we eat, we have to go to the Niu family in Shigang."

"No matter, no matter." Li Sanjiang waved his hand. "Just do the bare minimum there, and we should be back early enough to make it."

Li Zhuyuan looked at Ali. He knew the girl could not handle scenes where so many people were crowded together

"Let's not go. I'll stay home and read. Brother Runsheng, you and Great-grandfather go."

At that moment, Liu Yumei suddenly spoke up: "Ali wants to go. Even if she sits far away, she must see this movie."

Li Zhuyuan noticed a slight tremor in Liu Yumei's voice. He turned to look and found she was still eating normally, but the corners of her eyes seemed a bit red.

This was the first time he had seen Liu Yumei lose her composure like this.

After the meal, Runsheng pushed out the family's handcart, and Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuyuan climbed on.

Runsheng pushed the cart very steadily, so there wasn't much bumping, but the speed was still a bit slow.

"Marquis Runsheng, over the next few days, you should learn how to pedal a tricycle. That's faster."

"Grandpa, why don't you just buy a tractor? I'll learn that; that's even faster."

"Do I look like a tractor to you?"

Runsheng fell silent.

Li Sanjiang lit a cigarette and looked at Li Zhuyuan, asking, "Marquis Xiao Yuan, do you think our family should buy a television?"

"If you want to watch one, Great-grandfather, you can just buy it."

"I'm asking you."

"Oh, I don't have much time to watch television."

There were so many boxes of books in the basement waiting for him to read; how could he have time for television?

"You little brat."

Li Sanjiang had wanted to buy a TV to please his great-grandson, only to find the boy seemed uninterested. He would give him pocket money, but aside from things he bought himself, the boy wouldn't even go to the small shop.

Pushing the cart, Runsheng said excitedly, "Buying a TV is good, very good!"

"Good your head! Hurry up and push. Do you still want to see the movie tonight or not?"

"Oh, oh!"

Arriving at the intersection before Niu Fu's house, Li Sanjiang got off early, straightened his clothes, and then very solemnly raised his peach wood sword, wiping it carefully with a cloth.

Only after making these preparations did he walk into Niu Fu's house.

They were met by Niu Fu's two sons and two daughters-in-law. As soon as Li Sanjiang entered, they were incredibly enthusiastic, serving tea and snacks.

Li Sanjiang sat down first and began to converse with them.

This kind of client is actually the easiest to deal with, because they will spill everything like pouring beans, and then you just act according to the narrative they want.

Li Zhuyuan searched the house for Niu Fu. He checked several rooms but couldn't find him, which made him suspect that Niu Fu no longer lived here.

After leaving the main house and coming to the side woodshed, Li Zhuyuan finally found Niu Fu.

In his original assumption, Niu Fu should have been lying on a bed, unable to move and suffering from neglect...

But he had overestimated the filial piety of Niu Fu's children.

Niu Fu, who was paralyzed on one side due to an accidental fall, didn't even have a bed; he had been placed directly in the woodshed.

The haystack beneath him was his bed; to his left was a pile of dry wood, and to his right was a high heap of miscellaneous items.

There were two bowls nearby. One contained relatively clean water, while the other was filthy, with layers of grime accumulated in it; it was likely for rice.

As for Niu Fu's clothes, his upper body was bare, and his lower body wore a pair of dirty shorts that were almost scabbed onto his skin, smelling foul.

It made sense; if his children wouldn't even give him a bed, there was no way they would wash his body or change his clothes.

Li Zhuyuan covered his nose and approached slightly.

The last time he saw Niu Fu, although the man was hunched, he was otherwise robust; after all, he was only fifty, an age that still fell within the "strong laborer" category in the countryside.

But now, Niu Fu had become far too emaciated. His mouth was open, constantly muttering, though it was unclear if he was speaking or if it was an uncontrollable reflex.

When Li Zhuyuan entered, he turned his head slightly to look, then moved back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

After watching for a while, Li Zhuyuan came out and took deep breaths of fresh air outside the woodshed.

"Meow."

A cat's cry came from nearby. A disabled, ugly old black cat stepped out from the top of the wall.

It looked at Li Zhuyuan and even raised a paw to lick it.

"Don't you think it's too quiet?"

The black cat's licking motion froze.

"Everyone is acting as if the others don't exist. There's a lack of interaction. Tonight, you should make some noise to escalate the conflict."

"Meow..."

This time, there was a tremor in the cat's cry.

Li Sanjiang began performing a ritual in the courtyard. The two sons, who didn't even have time to wash their own father's dishes, were now all kneeling before the altar with their wives, incredibly devout.

After the ritual, Li Sanjiang tapped their shoulders one by one with his peach wood sword and comforted them

"Don't worry. You know exactly what sins your own father committed. Some debts are settled by the elders and won't implicate you. Put your minds at ease.

If you feel the bad luck hasn't fully left, it's not impossible to divert the remaining bad luck to other close relatives. However, you must keep your mouths shut tight. You absolutely cannot let it out, or you won't even be able to remain relatives."

"Divert it, divert it! We'll divert it! Grandfather, please help us divert it!"

"Forget it, better not do it. It's too harmful to others and will ruin my cultivation."

Li Sanjiang began to play hard to get. When another red envelope was presented, he sighed and said,

"Fine, since that's the case, I will help you divert the bad luck. But you must keep your mouths shut; this must not be leaked."

"Grandfather, don't worry, we understand, we understand."

Li Sanjiang performed another ritual for them. After finishing, he said

"Alright, the remaining bad luck has been diverted to the homes of the second and third sons."

Under the profuse thanks of the eldest Niu family members, Li Sanjiang led Li Zhuyuan and Runsheng out.

While sitting on the cart on the way to Niu Rui's house, Li Zhuyuan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Great-grandfather, I thought you would lecture them."

"Lecture them? Heh, my brain isn't filled with water. Is there any need to lecture people who need to be told how to care for their parents?

It's better to ask for more money; then I can buy more pig head meat and liquor.

I just hope nothing else happens to the Niu family. If something else happens, it will be hard for me to smooth things over. I'm truly afraid of ruining my reputation."

"But wasn't the death issue resolved by you?"

"Right, that's true."

Li Zhuyuan knew that indeed, nothing else would happen. Once the three children were tortured to their ends, the cat-faced old woman would dissipate on her own.

As they approached Niu Rui's house, they saw Niu Rui squatting there by a small stove, decocting medicine. Beside him, his children were mocking him, saying his medicine was useless and only wasted money, and that no matter how he treated it, he wouldn't get better.

Niu Rui had killed people in his youth. Although his mother, Old Lady Niu, had cleaned up his messes, he was still hot-tempered at his core.

Unable to suppress his anger, he stood up and slapped his daughter-in-law, who was holding a child.

His son roared and came up to fight Niu Rui, and Niu Rui fought back.

Although he suffered from a strange illness, he was currently at a point where his condition had just been brought under control, so he actually ended up scuffling on the ground with his son, fighting fiercely.

Seeing this, Niu Rui's wife screamed and rushed forward to scratch Niu Rui's face, cursing him for being a piece of trash—not only spending the family's money on medicine in his old age but also daring to lay hands on his precious son.

The child's crying, the scuffling, and the cursing merged together, sounding like a symphony on the courtyard.

Only when Li Sanjiang's group arrived did they quiet down, and the bruised and swollen faces of the whole family were replaced with flattering, sycophantic smiles.

Niu Rui was personally rescued by Li Sanjiang, and the Niu family had also heard the voice of the long-deceased Old Lady Niu coming from the old house, so they were extremely convinced of Li Sanjiang's abilities.

After respectfully inviting Li Sanjiang into the house, everyone began to weep and beg.

After comforting them, Li Sanjiang performed another ritual.

After the first set was finished, Li Sanjiang repeated the words about diverting the bad luck. Niu Rui's son immediately presented another red envelope, and Li Sanjiang performed another ritual.

But before leaving, Niu Rui himself secretly slipped in a red envelope, praying that Li Sanjiang would drive away evil and cure his illness.

Li Sanjiang accepted it, saying he would help set up an eternal candle for him when he returned, but he also instructed him that no matter what, he must take his medicine on time and not stop.

This was considered the professional ethics of a practitioner of the unorthodox: I take your money to pray for your blessings, providing psychological comfort, but you must continue to take your medicine and continue to see a doctor.

However, this instruction would undoubtedly continue to exacerbate the conflict between Niu Rui and his family.

Because Li Zhuyuan knew that Niu Rui's illness was incurable; it would be a bottomless pit that would continuously bring hope only to deliver deeper despair.

Niu Fu had completely lost the ability to care for himself after being paralyzed, so his status plummeted instantly. Niu Rui, however, was still in the struggling stage.

Although Niu Rui wasn't too miserable yet, as long as the current conflicts continued to accumulate, the future would surely explode with even more brilliant fireworks.

Just look at the hateful eyes his family directed at him; the ending would not disappoint.

Therefore, this time when the black cat passed by him, Li Zhuyuan merely nodded calmly.

Arriving at Niu Lian's house, Li Sanjiang was, as usual, invited in by her family first.

Li Zhuyuan didn't see Niu Lian in the main house, so he checked the woodshed, but she wasn't there either.

Finally, next to the pigsty, he saw Niu Lian tied there with iron chains; on the other side was the family toilet.

This meant that every time her family came here to use the toilet, they could talk to her while sitting on the "throne."

Quite thoughtful of them, considering her loneliness.

Her food bowl was right next to the pig trough, with a ladle for pig feed leaning beside it. It looked as if they would feed her whenever they fed the pigs.

As long as the pigs had something to eat, she wouldn't be forgotten for even a bite.

She was conscious now and not numb; seeing outsiders, she covered her face with both hands to hide her ugliness.

Li Zhuyuan saw her grandson and granddaughter; one had a bandage on their head and the other on their arm, likely injured by Niu Lian during an episode.

The two children were spitting at her while throwing stones—not playing, but aiming specifically at her body.

The children's parents saw this but did not stop them; instead, their eyes were filled with hatred.

The black cat emerged from the eaves above the pigsty.

Li Zhuyuan said nothing and walked a bit further away. Then, Niu Lian's pleading voice came from beside the pigsty, saying her illness was cured and begging her children to let her go, that she was well now.

What met her was the verbal abuse from her children, followed by a heavy kick from her son.

Niu Lian was kicked into a corner, wailing like a dog.

Clearly, they had believed her before and had been "tricked" again.

The black cat jumped down step by step from the eaves and finally walked to Li Zhuyuan's feet, rubbing its cat face against his trouser leg.

Li Zhuyuan bent down and stroked its head.

The black cat enjoyed it, leaning its body in and exposing its belly.

Great-grandfather began the ritual. As usual, he collected an extra red envelope to help divert the bad luck to those two families.

As they left Niu Lian's house to head home, Runsheng pushed the cart with one arm steadying it, while the other hand began counting on his fingers

"The eldest, the second, and the third families all asked the Grandfather to pass the bad luck to the other families. Isn't that the same as not passing it at all?"

Li Zhuyuan corrected him, "Brother Runsheng, it's different."

"How is it different?"

"Because Great-grandfather collected three extra payments."

"Oh, right! Xiao Yuan, you're right!"

Returning home, it was just around dusk, the time for dinner. After eating, Li Sanjiang waved his hand while yawning. "I'm not going to the movie. I'll take a bath and go to sleep. I'm exhausted."

The rituals today had been so frequent that even a young person couldn't handle dancing six shows in an afternoon, yet Great-grandfather had gritted his teeth and persevered. His physical fitness was truly something to be noted.

Uncle Qin was waiting with many stools, and Auntie Liu didn't even bother to tidy the dishes as usual; she set aside the housework to wait with them.

Liu Yumei had changed into a qipao, wearing jewelry and rouge.

For an old lady of her age, makeup was often not for beauty, but to express respect.

The movie was being projected in the open space near the town market. Even before it started, people had already arrived early to claim seats.

Uncle Qin and Runsheng squeezed into the crowd, setting down their stools and forcibly carving out a space.

With their physiques, the people nearby were angry but dared not speak, only lowering their heads to move their stools aside.

However, Uncle Qin took out many candies from his pocket to give to the children and cigarettes to distribute to the adults, so the surrounding people happily accepted them without further dissatisfaction.

Liu Yumei and Auntie Liu sat between the two. Although she was old, she still had an elegant posture; from behind, she seemed out of place among the crowd.

As for Li Zhuyuan, he sat with Qin Li in a remote corner far from the screen. The viewing effect was poor, but it was quiet and undisturbed; such crowded places were not suitable for Qin Li anyway.

A few street vendors with carts set up stalls behind them, selling cheap snacks and small toys. These vendors could also be seen at weddings and funerals; they went wherever there was a crowd.

Some children were buying things, while most could only watch enviously from the side, offering opinions to the children who could afford to buy.

Li Zhuyuan felt his pockets. When he lived at Li Weihan's house, Cui Guiying would give him pocket money separately on a regular basis, but every time the money reached his hands, he would be swarmed by his siblings to go to Auntie Zhang's shop to buy snacks for everyone.

On the second day after being sent to Great-grandfather's house to "enter the monastery," when Li Weihan and Cui Guiying came to bring him clothes, they had stuffed him with more money, and this time it was quite a lot.

Combined with the pocket money Li Sanjiang gave him, and the fact that Li Zhuyuan had little need for spending, he had saved all this money.

At least among the children, he was quite wealthy.

"Ali, sit here and wait for me."

Immediately, Li Zhuyuan walked to a vendor and bought two bubble-blowing toys.

When he returned, he gave one to himself and one to Qin Li.

As the movie played, the two of them continuously blew bubbles in the back.

Ali was having a lot of fun; one bottle was quickly emptied. Considering the girl's habit of collecting things, Li Zhuyuan bought her three more.

At the same time, he scanned three stalls and finally bought a pair of friendship bracelets.

Actually, there were many small accessories at the stalls, like bow hair clips and colorful headbands, but Li Zhuyuan considered that since Grandma Liu personally designed and styled Ali's outfits every day, wearing these might actually ruin the effect.

Most importantly, he knew that if he gave them to her, she would definitely wear them, so he decided not to deprive Liu Yumei of the joy of dressing up her granddaughter every morning.

Ali looked at the red bracelet on her wrist; she seemed to like it very much, as she stopped blowing bubbles.

However, she soon looked at Li Zhuyuan's wrist.

Li Zhuyuan raised his hand, revealing his blue bracelet. Only then was she satisfied and continued blowing bubbles.

When the movie ended, Liu Yumei and the others came out.

Runsheng was very excited, constantly repeating lines from the movie and lamenting that there were no wars now, otherwise he could have been a Yangtze reconnaissance soldier.

Li Zhuyuan smiled and echoed him, thinking to himself that Runsheng actually seemed quite suitable, and his professional skills were barely on point.

Uncle Qin and Auntie Liu were very silent, feeling as if they had just attended a relative's funeral.

Liu Yumei held a handkerchief, wiping her tears as she walked.

Li Zhuyuan offered a polite greeting, but seeing that Liu Yumei was unwilling to speak, he let it be.

As the group walked quickly back from the town market, they saw Auntie Zhang from the small shop running toward them from the opposite village road

"There's a phone call! There's a phone call! Looking for you, Marquis Xiao Yuan!"

...

The on-site seminar on the river was lasting much longer than expected. The local comrades would certainly seize every opportunity to push this project forward with all their might. Luo Tingrui also utilized his professional expertise, beginning to explain the key points and difficulties of the project to the surrounding leaders.

In fact, most of the comrades on the boat did not understand water conservancy or engineering, but that did not prevent them from listening with great interest.

This was because the construction of this bridge considered not only professional aspects but also shipping needs, urban planning, highway construction, and even military factors.

Most importantly, it involved the speed of social development. They had suffered similar lessons before; they once thought that bold and radical advance planning was good, only to find shortly after construction that it was actually too conservative.

Finally, as the sky began to darken, the seminar finally concluded.

The boat began to head toward the shore, and everyone took out cigarettes to share.

Xue Liangliang did not smoke, so he stood alone by the railing. After learning that the Baijia Town might be right beneath his feet, his mind had been restless.

Suddenly, he seemed to hear a movement beneath the river surface.

He looked down. Beneath the water, a figure seemed to emerge.

At that moment, a hand patted his shoulder, startling him.

He turned around to see Luo Tingrui.

"What's wrong, Liangliang? I saw you looking distracted just now."

"Director, I'm fine."

"What, don't you like attending these kinds of meetings?"

"No, Director. I might just not have rested well. I know the importance of these meetings."

"Mhm. Since you plan to devote yourself to this field in the future, you must learn to adapt. Those of us in professional roles easily develop a sense of looking down on those in administration, but without efficient and stable organization, many things cannot be implemented. Sometimes, the more professional you are in certain aspects, the more amateur you appear in others."

"I understand, Director." Xue Liangliang knew Luo Tingrui was giving him advice.

"Let's go, we're reaching the shore. Get some good sleep on the way back so you don't miss tomorrow's class."

"Yes, Director."

Back on land, they boarded the bus. Xue Liangliang sat in the back row, and shortly after the bus started moving, he fell into a daze and drifted into sleep.

As he slept, Xue Liangliang suddenly felt his lower body getting cold. He opened his eyes and was instantly stunned. He was sitting in his seat, but he didn't know how water had entered the bus, and the water level had already reached his waist.

He looked forward. The small lights inside the bus were on, and he could see the people sitting ahead, even hearing their low-voiced conversations.

"The bus is flooding! Driver! Sir! The bus is flooding!"

Xue Liangliang shouted, but no one paid him any attention; it was as if no one had noticed.

"Sir, stop the bus! The bus is flooding! Sir! Director! Director!"

Still, no one responded.

Gradually, the water rose to his chest. Xue Liangliang began to pull at the bus window, but it was pitch black outside, and the window wouldn't budge.

Just then, a figure seemed to flash through the darkness before his eyes, so fast that Xue Liangliang thought he was hallucinating.

But very quickly, the figure appeared again, and a face pressed against the window.

Under the dim light of the bus, a somber face was revealed, making it impossible to tell if it was male or female.

*Crack...*

But at that moment, the window was suddenly opened and pulled all the way up.

In the next instant, the water inside the bus seemed to finally find its only outlet, all rushing toward him.

Xue Liangliang felt as if he were being squeezed out by the current. He was washed out of the window, falling into a void of darkness, his body drifting uncontrollably.

*Splash...*

He didn't know how long he had been drifting. It felt as if he had been washed up by a surging river; a sharp pain shot through his body, and he regained consciousness.

He looked down and found himself lying on the riverbank on jagged stones. His palms, arms, chest, and thighs were all covered in bloody abrasions.

There were no major wounds, but such extensive scraping was truly agonizing.

Enduring the pain, Xue Liangliang struggled to stand up and scanned his surroundings. The moonlight above was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, making the environment below hazy.

But he could roughly discern that he was by the river, not far from where he had boarded the boat for the seminar.

But hadn't he already left Nantong by bus? How was he back here?

Xue Liangliang felt lost. Suddenly, he saw a woman appear ahead.

The woman wore a blue dress, her hair in a ponytail, holding a porcelain vase in her left hand and a black umbrella in her right.

Why was she holding an umbrella?

As the thought occurred to him, he realized it was raining—a heavy rain. Large droplets hit his body, stinging painfully.

Had it been raining this whole time?

"Hey, who are you!"

Xue Liangliang shouted at the woman.

The woman didn't seem to hear him, walking straight toward the riverbank with her umbrella.

As she drew closer, Xue Liangliang saw her face clearly. Her makeup and features carried a hint of worldly weariness, yet she looked very young.

Mainly, after leaving Siyuan Village, Xue Liangliang had gone to the hospital and then to the river, so he hadn't had the chance to check the police bulletin. Otherwise, he would have seen her photo there; the police had already issued a wanted notice for her.

Seeing the woman continuing to walk toward the river, Xue Liangliang reached out and grabbed her arm that was holding the umbrella

"What are you doing? Don't do anything rash! You can't go any further!"

The woman ignored him and kept walking.

*Plop...*

Xue Liangliang felt an incredible force from the woman, which actually knocked him over.

Immediately after, he found his hand seemed stuck to the woman's arm, unable to break free, as she dragged him along toward the river.

This position was extremely uncomfortable; not only could he not maintain his balance, but his lower body was constantly being scraped against the stones.

Only when the woman stepped into the river did Xue Liangliang manage to balance himself using the buoyancy of the water. But what followed was an intense sensation of choking and suffocation, which was even more terrifying.

He struggled desperately, but it was futile.

The woman continued her march. She walked along the riverbed in total darkness, while Xue Liangliang floated, one hand still stuck to her arm, but his whole body was now above her.

He tried to call out, but every time he opened his mouth, water rushed in first, completely preventing him from making a sound.

He had to use his other hand to grab the woman's hair. After wrapping the hair around his hand, he began to exert force.

The woman's movement didn't change at all as she continued along the riverbed. The upward force Xue Liangliang had been applying turned into a downward pressure, causing him to press against her back.

Her hair began to grow, growing to an incredible length. It was extremely tough; even with just a few strands caught, Xue Liangliang could not break them. Instead, the more he tried to break free, the tighter he was bound.

In the end, he was almost in a position where he was hugging her from behind while she carried him on her back.

The desperate sensation of suffocation continued. Xue Liangliang could no longer calculate how long it had been since he last breathed. He was miserable and in pain, but for some reason, he remained conscious.

This was by no means a blessing, for it allowed him to taste the agony more clearly and directly.

Now, he was praying that he would drown quickly so he could find relief.

After an unknown amount of time, light suddenly appeared ahead.

How could there be light at the bottom of the Yangtze River?

And under the illumination of the light, the shadows of houses were faintly visible.

At the bottom of the river, there was not only light but actual villages and towns.

Suddenly, Xue Liangliang felt the hair that had been binding him scatter completely, and even the hand that had been stuck could be released.

He did not float upward, but instead landed on the ground.

The woman continued forward, following the guidance of the light, walking toward the vaguely visible village.

Xue Liangliang discovered with absolute terror that it wasn't just the woman who had brought him down. In the darkness of the riverbed within his sight, there seemed to be many other figures—all long-haired women in various styles of clothing, even from different eras.

Each of them had a deathly expression, walking without emotion, all moving in the same direction.

The surrounding current seemed to have a fixed flow. Sitting on the ground, Xue Liangliang felt his body being pulled in that direction uncontrollably.

He instinctively tried to grab anything stable beneath him, but he failed. When he grabbed a stone, it was overturned; when he grabbed mud, he only pulled up a patch of sludge that quickly dissipated.

No matter how much he resisted or how unwilling he was, he could not change the reality that he was being forcibly pulled away.

Finally,

He was closer to the light. From a distance, it had looked like a single glow, but up close, he realized it was a collection of red and white lanterns.

The silhouette of the village became more three-dimensional and clear—rows of houses arranged neatly. At the entrance of every household was a niche with an eternal lamp burning, emitting a ghostly green light.

Directly in front of him appeared an archway, very majestic and ancient, covered in thick moss.

Two rows of hanging lanterns were suspended on either side, decreasing in size from top to bottom.

On the left were red lanterns, representing celebration; on the right were white lanterns, signifying death.

Xue Liangliang looked at the center of the archway, where three characters were written.

Reading from right to left

"Baijia Town."