Chapter 12

Li Zhuyuan lifted his head, looking at the desk in front of him, the lamp, and the fifth volume of *Chronicles of the Jianghu's Strange Tales*, which he had only just flipped through a few pages.

That was right, he had fallen asleep; but he knew, this was not a dream.

He didn't understand why, at the very last moment, the old lady had chosen to "release" him.

He didn't want to use the word "save," because she was the one who had dragged him into this birthday banquet as well.

Perhaps it was difficult to describe her using simple labels like pure "good" or "evil," just as she herself was a combination of a human and a cat's corpse—a manifestation of complexity and contradiction.

Li Zhuyuan closed his eyes, pressing his fingers against both temples and slowly massaging them.

When he was studying in the capital, he had always felt like he was walking on a one-way street; no matter how dense the traffic or the crowds, he only had to follow that single path.

But after returning to his hometown, he discovered that although the roads here were narrow and often riddled with potholes, and there were few cars or people, these field paths branching out in all directions between the rice paddies often left him lost in a maze of choices.

He could feel it himself—the changes occurring within him since returning home, especially during these past few days since encountering the Little Oriole.

He was observing more diligently, contemplating more seriously, and conversing more cautiously with non-human entities... it was truly not easy, because there was no room for error.

In short, he was increasingly becoming unlike a ten-year-old child.

Being a child used to be so simple.

Suddenly, Li Zhuyuan snapped his eyes open, a look of shock flashing in them.

Why...

Why did he have such a thought?

What did he mean by "being a child used to be so simple"? He clearly *was* a child.

He began to feel a sense of panic and fear, his hands instinctively wrapping around himself in a self-embrace.

In this moment, what surfaced in his mind was a memory from childhood: peeking at his mother every morning after she woke up to look in the mirror.

His mother would take deep breaths in front of the mirror, struggling time and again to suppress something, as if it were about to burst through her skin.

Li Zhuyuan stood up and walked to the wardrobe, where a mirror was set into the center of the doors.

He looked at himself in the mirror and suddenly felt a sense of strangeness.

He raised his hand, touching the glass, and by extension, his own face in the reflection.

He began to wonder: beneath this layer of skin, what kind of person was he really?

He didn't dare think any further. He turned around, breathing deeply, telling himself over and over in his mind: *I am Li Zhuyuan. I am ten years old. My grandfather is Li Weihan, my grandmother is Cui Guiying, and my great-grandfather is Li Sanjiang.*

Finally, he regained his composure, and a child's innocence returned to his face.

Just moments ago, he had felt a terror no less intense than the moment he was discovered by the cat-faced old lady in the kitchen.

Because he had a vague feeling that if he hadn't stopped those thoughts and had let them wander, the next time he looked at himself in the mirror... he might have felt a profound sense of loathing.

Fortunately, he had checked himself in time, just as his mother had once done—taking deep breaths before the mirror and then regaining her gentle smile.

"Whew..."

Li Zhuyuan shrugged and checked the time: 3:30 AM.

Had he actually slept, or not?

He didn't feel the sensation of having slept, yet he wasn't tired; in fact, he felt better than he usually did after a normal night's rest.

Was it because his consciousness had detached from his body, allowing his physical self to fully commit to rest without distraction?

Li Zhuyuan pushed open the door and stepped out. The night breeze at this hour carried a chill, along with the dampness of the morning dew that was about to arrive.

Downstairs was quiet—or rather, it had never been noisy to begin with.

But he didn't dare go downstairs alone to check; rational security could never overcome the fear brought by the unknown.

Just then, the window of his great-grandfather's bedroom began to flicker. Although it wasn't the standard rhythmic pattern for a distress signal, Li Zhuyuan immediately pushed open the bedroom door and rushed in.

On the bed, Li Sanjiang was bleeding; his left hand was clutching the lamp pull-string by the bedside, pulling it repeatedly.

His neck hurt so much he couldn't cry out. He was terrified that no one would see him, and even more terrified that he might pull the string too hard, breaking it or causing the switch to jam.

Thankfully, he saw Li Zhuyuan burst through the door.

"Little Marquis..."

Before Li Sanjiang could call out weakly, he reached out his hand, only to see his great-grandson run out without hesitation.

Well, he knew the boy was going to get help, but how should he put it... the fact that the Little Marquis didn't run to the bedside to ask anxiously or interact with him left him feeling a bit hollow.

The words of comfort—"Great-grandfather, you're okay," or "Little Marquis, don't cry"—that were right on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down, leaving him feeling stifled.

Li Zhuyuan ran downstairs, ignoring the fear of the first floor. The lights were off, but by the moonlight, he could see that the eastern section of the floor was piled high with paper effigies.

Yes, the paper effigies were still there. Li Zhuyuan even spotted the "Fat Master" placed against the wall at a glance.

Most paper effigies were custom-made according to tradition, but on that basis, special ones were also made to meet the diverse needs of various clients.

For instance, if a client was worried their relative wouldn't eat well in the afterlife, they would burn a chef to go with them.

There were also those who passed away young; if an old lady was worried that sending a young maid down would mean losing her own position when she eventually arrived, she would order old women who looked even older than herself.

Reaching the courtyard, Li Zhuyuan went straight to the west room and knocked on the door

"Auntie Liu, Uncle Qin, open up! It's Xiao Yuan. Something happened to Great-grandfather!"

The door opened.

Standing at the door was Uncle Qin. Behind him, Li Zhuyuan saw Auntie Liu sweeping the floor.

"Xiao Yuan, what's wrong?" Uncle Qin asked.

"My great-grandfather is injured. He's bleeding a lot. We need to take him to the clinic."

"I'm coming! I know how to stop bleeding and bandage wounds." Auntie Liu dropped her broom, grabbed a cloth bundle from a cabinet, and rushed out of the house, with Uncle Qin following close behind.

Li Zhuyuan glanced at the paper scraps swept into the dustpan, then at the retreating backs of Uncle Qin and Auntie Liu.

Did they not take off their clothes to sleep at night?

Li Zhuyuan's gaze swept toward the east room. *She* should be awake by now, too.

However, Li Zhuyuan didn't go to the east room to knock. Instead, he ran back. As he passed the pile of paper effigies on the first floor again, he walked up to the Fat Master and reached out to touch it.

With just a slight contact, the Fat Master collapsed, turning into a heap on the floor.

This triggered a chain reaction. In an instant, all the paper effigies began to "collapse," like a game of falling blocks.

Soon, the eastern half of the crowded first floor became incredibly empty, leaving nothing but a floor covered in paper scraps and broken wooden strips.

Li Zhuyuan wasn't afraid; he wasn't even surprised. He calmly stepped over the scraps, ignoring the crisp "crunching" sound beneath his feet, and walked to the stairs to head up to the second floor.

When he returned to the bedroom, he saw Auntie Liu already bandaging his great-grandfather.

The air was filled with a faint herbal scent, somewhat like turtle jelly; they must have applied medicine first.

Uncle Qin had changed the bloodstained bedding and mats, laying out clean ones from the cabinet before lifting the bandaged Li Sanjiang onto the bed.

Seeing Auntie Liu tidying up the cloth bundle, Li Zhuyuan stepped forward and asked, "Auntie Liu, how is my great-grandfather?"

"He lost quite a bit of blood, and the wound isn't light, but they are all external injuries. They've been treated, so there's no need for the clinic. He just needs rest."

Li Zhuyuan looked at Li Sanjiang lying on the bed and noticed that color had returned to the old man's face.

Auntie Liu was also looking at Li Sanjiang. In truth, she was quite surprised. The old man was clearly very old, yet his vitality was immense; he looked aged on the outside, but his core was incredibly robust.

Other old men and women of the same age might be sent to the afterlife from a single stumble, yet despite having so many punctures and losing so much blood, he seemed as if his vital essence had not been harmed.

"Xiao Yuan, call us if you need anything," Uncle Qin said to Li Zhuyuan.

"Okay, thank you, Uncle Qin, Auntie Liu."

As Uncle Qin and Auntie Liu left, Li Zhuyuan picked up a tea mug, poured some hot water, and walked to Li Sanjiang's bedside.

With his head against the pillow and his right arm hanging across his chest, Li Sanjiang took the mug with his left hand and took small sips.

After drinking, Li Sanjiang let out a sigh. "Little Marquis, from today on, let's suspend the luck-transferring rituals for a while."

"Okay, Great-grandfather."

"Once I've recovered, we'll continue."

"Mhm." Li Zhuyuan took the mug and set it aside. "Actually, there's no need to continue, Great-grandfather."

"You're just a kid who doesn't know anything. Don't talk nonsense."

"Fine, I won't say more."

Li Zhuyuan took off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and sat beside Li Sanjiang, leaning his back against the headboard.

"Go to sleep, Little Marquis. Your great-grandfather is fine now."

"Didn't Auntie Liu ask how you ended up like this?"

"I told her I fell and got injured."

*And they believed him?*

Li Zhuyuan had many questions, but he didn't know where to start, and it seemed Li Sanjiang had no intention of speaking.

After a long silence, Li Zhuyuan spoke: "Great-grandfather, how am I supposed to learn?"

If he had been merely bewildered during the incident with the Little Oriole, tonight he felt a true sense of powerlessness.

Hearing this, Li Sanjiang thought the boy had finally come to his senses and intended to study properly.

He felt a secret sense of pride. It seemed the luck-transferring array was working; look, the Little Marquis had even changed his temperament.

Fine, this was good. As long as the child was willing to work hard and learn, his own bleeding was worth it.

However, Li Sanjiang had been a rogue in his younger years, and even when he had ventured into the Shanghai underworld, he had dealt with all sorts of shady characters. He had never received a proper education in his life.

He had only learned to read so he could keep up with the gossip in the Shanghai newspapers.

Still, he could manage to explain some common-sense principles.

"Little Marquis, don't aim too high too fast. You must build a solid foundation first, so you can go further in the future."

*In other words, I still have to start reading from the 'Chronicles of the Jianghu's Strange Tales'?*

"I understand, Great-grandfather."

"Good. Once you understand, you must act. Do things steadily, step by step, so you can achieve something later. Don't be like your great-grandfather; in my youth, I did things haphazardly, only to feel regret when I got old."

"Great-grandfather is very impressive, too."

Looking at Li Sanjiang, whose body was covered in bandages, Li Zhuyuan had a suspicion: *Could that zombie be related to Great-grandfather?*

Firstly, Great-grandfather was the only one in the house who was injured. Secondly, the primary areas where Great-grandfather was bandaged overlapped heavily with the areas where the cat-faced old lady had attacked the zombie.

So...

Was this some kind of method used by Great-grandfather?

"Ha! Your great-grandfather has plenty of impressive skills. That's why you must study hard, kid. You'll definitely do better than me in the future."

Li Sanjiang wasn't talking about the "unorthodox" arts. What he took pride in was his ability to manage a business and live a comfortable life. As for the unorthodox side... he didn't even know if he truly belonged to that profession, so he simply ignored it.

"Mhm, I know."

Li Zhuyuan believed that as long as he continued reading the books, he would eventually discover what method his great-grandfather had used today.

At that moment, Li Sanjiang began to snore. He had lost blood, he was tired, and he had fallen asleep.

Li Zhuyuan picked up the thin quilt and gently covered his great-grandfather's stomach, then closed his eyes as well.

It felt like a short nap; when Li Zhuyuan woke up, it was daylight outside.

He bypassed the still-sleeping Li Sanjiang, got out of bed, and went out to wash up.

While brushing his teeth, he habitually looked toward the east room.

In the back of the east room sat a young girl. Today, she was wearing a red dress, her feet resting on the threshold.

Beside her, Grandma Liu was combing her hair.

Li Zhuyuan smiled, feeling a bit of sunshine in his heart, and carried his washbasin back to his room.

As he left the terrace, Qin Li lifted her head and looked over.

"Hmm?"

Liu Yumei put down the comb and asked, "Did Grandma hurt you?"

Qin Li withdrew her gaze and looked straight ahead, saying nothing.

Liu Yumei continued combing her hair, smiling as she said, "You played quite late last night. Can you tell Grandma what was so fun?"

Qin Li did not answer.

In the courtyard, Auntie Liu began setting out wooden stools to prepare breakfast.

Having finished washing up, Li Zhuyuan walked down the stairs to see the empty, cleaned first floor.

When he reached the courtyard, Auntie Liu smiled at him. "Xiao Yuan, time for breakfast."

"Okay, Auntie Liu."

Li Zhuyuan sat down. On the wooden stool sat a bowl of white porridge and a salted duck egg.

"Why aren't you eating? Just staring into space?" Auntie Liu placed a bowl of fish jelly down.

"I was a bit groggy from sleep."

"It's good to be a young man, eating well and sleeping well." Auntie Liu smiled and walked away.

Li Zhuyuan silently picked up his chopsticks. He remembered that during the closing banquet last night, the cat-faced old lady had sent someone to call the host; the Fat Master had gone upstairs, and several paper effigies had run out to the storage room.

Great-grandfather had been injured and bleeding, yet they acted as if nothing had happened.

Li Zhuyuan picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of fish jelly. It melted in his mouth, seasoned with soybeans and chili; it was fragrant and a perfect match for the porridge.

Just then, not far away, Grandma Liu arrived at the wooden stools holding Qin Li's hand. Qin Li sat down, and Grandma Liu crouched beside her to begin the daily pre-meal "prayer."

She hadn't styled her hair into a bun today; her smooth hair flowed over her shoulders, making her look both lively and dignified in her red dress.

Thinking of her silly appearance in his dream last night, Li Zhuyuan couldn't help but chuckle.

Some people truly possessed a unique charm; she could know nothing, she could even remain silent, but as long as she stood there, one glance at her would bring immediate joy.

It was like the exquisite, newly unearthed vase Li Zhuyuan had seen while following his mother through various museum warehouses in the capital.

As if hearing the laughter, Qin Li turned her head and looked at Li Zhuyuan, who was eating across from her.

Liu Yumei, who was still in the middle of her persuasion process, also looked over with some confusion.

Li Zhuyuan was slightly surprised. *What? Can the interactions from last night's dream carry over into the daytime in reality?*

Li Zhuyuan pointed to the bowl of porridge in front of him and called out softly to her, "Eat."

Qin Li lowered her head, picked up her chopsticks, and began to categorize the various pickles and the sliced duck egg, then began her meal alongside the porridge.

Liu Yumei's eyes widened, looking as if she had seen a ghost.

Qin Li ate even faster than Li Zhuyuan. By the time he put down his chopsticks, Qin Li had already sat back on the threshold.

Auntie Liu's figure appeared quickly; this time, she beat Li Zhuyuan to the task of clearing the dishes.

"Thank you, Auntie Liu."

"Next time, just leave them here when you're done and I'll collect them. You wouldn't want to cause your Auntie Liu to lose her job, would you?"

"I understand, Auntie Liu."

"Xiao Yuan, come over and brew some tea for Grandma." Liu Yumei called out.

She was sitting in a bamboo armchair, with a tea set on the side table.

Li Zhuyuan walked over. During this process, Qin Li, sitting on the threshold, followed him with her eyes.

Liu Yumei noticed this. She raised her hand, signaling Li Zhuyuan to stop.

Li Zhuyuan stopped and also looked toward Qin Li. He began to step backward, and Qin Li's gaze continued to follow him.

Liu Yumei stared at Li Zhuyuan with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Grandma, should I still brew the tea?"

"Yes."

Li Zhuyuan walked over and began brewing the tea.

Liu Yumei kept her attention on her granddaughter. The girl was looking this way—*ha*, it had been a long time since she had been watched by her granddaughter, and she even had to credit this little boy for it.

"Xiao Yuan..."

"Grandma..."

Both spoke at the same time and paused. Just as Liu Yumei was about to yield and continue, she heard Li Zhuyuan speak even faster

"Grandma, why are you all living here with my great-grandfather?"

Liu Yumei smiled. "Just making a living."

"But you aren't lacking for a living; you are very wealthy. This tea set and the jade ring you said you'd give me yesterday could buy a house in the capital."

Then, Li Zhuyuan added, "However, the antique market hasn't reached its peak yet. It would be more profitable to sell them ten years from now."

The grandfathers and grandmothers in the residential compound who loved collecting had been inquiring about and gathering old items from the alleys for ten years, but they only collected and never sold, saying that antiques belong in a prosperous age and should be sold later or left to their descendants.

"Xiao Yuan, you even understand antiques?" Liu Yumei sat up slightly, her expression turning serious. "Did your great-grandfather tell you?"

The antique trade relied on the accumulation of experience and insight; how old was this child? Liu Yumei didn't believe he could figure it out on his own.

Li Zhuyuan shook his head.

Setting aside the collections the elders in the compound liked to show off, he had seen more antiques while following his mother through various museums and institutions in the capital than anyone—many of them were true treasures that were never put on public display.

"Xiao Yuan, Grandma lives here because the air is good and the climate is pleasant, which is beneficial for A-Li's condition."

"Oh, I see. Grandma, what were you about to ask?"

Liu Yumei was somewhat surprised. *The child just believed that?*

She asked, "Why is A-Li looking at you?"

Li Zhuyuan said somewhat shyly, "Maybe because I watched her too many times the other day, and she feels she needs to return the favor."

Liu Yumei: "..."

*As expected, the child didn't believe a word of what I just said.*

"Grandma, have some tea."

"Mhm."

The elder and the youth each drank their tea, the luster swirling in the tea liquid being nothing more than their own hidden intentions.

After finishing the tea, Li Zhuyuan wanted to go read. He first went to the toilet behind the house. On his way back, passing the east room, he greeted Qin Li, and Qin Li gave him a steady gaze.

Before he even entered the main house, he heard his great-grandfather's hoarse, angry shout from the first floor

"What happened? What happened? Where are my paper offerings? Where did they go?"

Li Zhuyuan saw his great-grandfather so angry he nearly jumped up, stomping his feet incessantly after landing.

Auntie Liu walked over and said, "There was a light rain last night, and it leaked in. They're all ruined."

Li Sanjiang frowned. "What?"

Li Zhuyuan said, "Great-grandfather, you can even get out of bed now?"

"Of course, I'm in great health... No, I'm talking about the paper offerings. How did this happen?"

Li Zhuyuan: "Auntie Liu is right. The rain leaked in."

"This..." Li Sanjiang's mouth hung open. "This, this, this..."

Auntie Liu said, "Uncle, it's fine. Ali and I will stay up late and make them again. It won't affect the delivery."

"Is this about delivery? The materials..." Li Sanjiang felt a surge of frustration, feeling that the loss of the paper offerings hurt more than his own wounds.

He was wealthy—this house, the furniture, the dishes, the paper workshop... but he didn't save money; he lived a carefree life. Suddenly, a whole warehouse of goods was gone, and his cash flow would be tight.

"Little Marquis, go to Blind Liu's place for me. Ask her if she's calculated the date for Niu Fu's death anniversary. If she hasn't, tell her to hurry."

"Huh?" Li Zhuyuan was stunned. Seeing that Auntie Liu had already left to get raw materials, he walked up to Li Sanjiang. "Great-grandfather, you're in this state, and you still want to hold a death anniversary ceremony?"

Li Sanjiang said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "It's precisely because I'm in this state that I must go!"

"With your current health, what if you encounter danger at the Niu house..."

"If I have no money to spend, what use is this body?"

Li Zhuyuan didn't know how to respond.

"Little Marquis, this is the kind of life I live. I've lived long enough on this ragged life, but I don't want to be short on cash. Now, be a good boy and deliver the message for me. Also, let me tell you, this time it's not just me and Blind Liu going. I've also invited a colleague. Hehe, I reckon he'll be arriving tomorrow. That old fellow and his kid are quite formidable. Remember, don't tell Blind Liu about how I am now. She's a coward; if she knows, she'll hide away!"

Li Zhuyuan nodded and could only make the trip to Liu Jinxia's house.

Cuicui's North Grandma was sick in the hospital—that is, Cuicui's father's mother. Li Juxiang had taken Cuicui to the health center to visit, so she wasn't home.

Liu Jinxia had already set up her bridge table by the morning; when Li Zhuyuan arrived, she was playing happily.

After hearing Li Zhuyuan's message, Liu Jinxia flicked her cigarette ash and said, "The day after tomorrow. It'll be the day after tomorrow. We'll go to Niu Fu's house in Shigang together in the morning."

Li Zhuyuan: "Grandma Liu, won't that be too soon?"

"What's so fast about it? The sooner we get it done, the sooner we get the money, hehehe. Besides, with your great-grandfather there, what is there to worry about?"

*If you knew what Great-grandfather looked like right now, you wouldn't think that.*

Li Zhuyuan returned home and reported the date to Li Sanjiang.

"Good, good, good."

Lying on the rattan chair on the second-floor terrace, Li Sanjiang slapped his leg happily. He reached out and pulled a string on the wall; at the end of the string was a black wooden box nailed to the wall.

After some static, he pulled it again, and the sound of storytelling emerged.

Li Sanjiang closed his eyes, lit a cigarette, and listened to the story while smoking. Even though he was covered in wounds, he still exuded a carefree, uninhibited spirit.

As if sensing that Li Zhuyuan was still standing beside him, Li Sanjiang said

"Little Marquis, this is the life your great-grandfather has chosen. I do whatever work is dangerous. Why? Because that kind of work isn't tiring and the profit is good. This is my fate."

Li Zhuyuan nodded. He took out the fifth volume of *Chronicles of the Jianghu's Strange Tales*, walked to the southeast corner of the terrace, sat down, and began to study.

As before, every time he turned a page, he would look up at the girl below.

He found that the girl was also looking up at him.

*Very good. The feeling of eye contact is even more pleasing to the eye.*

However, as he continued, Li Zhuyuan realized that every time he looked up, he would encounter her gaze.

Even Grandma Liu downstairs was following her granddaughter's line of sight upward.

This meant that every time Li Zhuyuan wanted to enjoy the view, he also had to glance at Grandma Liu, making the "viewing" feel quite strange.

Therefore, for the rest of the time until he finished the fifth volume, Li Zhuyuan did not look down again.

Entering the room, he took out the sixth volume. After sitting down, he looked up; Grandma Liu was already sitting in a nearby chair reading the newspaper, but Qin Li was still maintaining her posture of looking up at him.

*She won't keep her head tilted up like that forever, will she?*

This gave Li Zhuyuan a sense of guilt, and he felt a bit restless, unable to fully settle into his reading.

Downstairs, Grandma Liu was actually watching the terrace out of the corner of her eye. Seeing the child occasionally poking his head out with increasing irregularity, she couldn't help but chuckle inwardly

*That's men for you. They feel at peace when they come and go as they please, but once they are bound by responsibility, they become restless.*

But soon, Liu Yumei put down her newspaper in surprise, because she saw Li Zhuyuan running down from upstairs. He smiled as he passed her and walked straight toward her granddaughter.

"You..."

Before Liu Yumei could speak, she saw the boy actually bending down, attempting to take her granddaughter's hand.

"It's dangerous..."

Liu Yumei knew what kind of terrifying reaction her granddaughter would have when touched by an outsider. This boy would be scratched until he was bleeding; even she, as the grandmother, didn't dare to be overly intimate.

Then, with a sudden movement, Liu Yumei stood up. She actually saw that after the boy took her granddaughter's hand, her granddaughter stood up as well.

What... what was happening?

This morning, when her granddaughter was staring at the boy, she had even used the opportunity of brewing tea to take a closer look, checking if there was anything "dirty" clinging to the boy that might be attracting her granddaughter's attention.

But this kind of interaction was beyond Liu Yumei's understanding.

Li Zhuyuan held Qin Li's hand; it was warm and soft.

"Your neck will get tired if you keep looking up like that. Why don't you come up and read with me?"

Qin Li looked at Li Zhuyuan but said nothing.

"If you don't speak, I'll take it as a yes."

Li Zhuyuan bent down, picked up the stool Qin Li was sitting on, and led her toward the house.

Liu Yumei did not make a sound to stop them. On the contrary, after the initial shock, as she watched the silhouettes of the young boy and girl walking hand-in-hand, her eyes were immediately filled with tears.

She covered her mouth with her hand, fearing her sobs might break through.

She even bit the back of her hand to confirm she wasn't dreaming.

"Bang!"

On the first floor, Auntie Liu, who was busy making paper effigies, dropped a basin of paste directly onto the floor, splashing it everywhere. Fortunately, Li Sanjiang was on the second floor, otherwise, he would have been jumping in heartache.

"Creak..."

Uncle Qin, who was assembling a house frame, accidentally snapped a beam of the paper house.

The two looked at each other, both thinking they were seeing things. What had they just seen? A-Li being led up the stairs by an outsider, hand-in-hand?

The two immediately dropped their work and ran out to the courtyard. Not seeing Liu Yumei, they went to the east room and saw her standing before the ancestral tablets, weeping with joy.

"Did you see it? Did you see it? Our A-Li, our A-Li..."

...

Li Sanjiang was listening to the radio storyteller, humming a little tune. He turned to take a sip of water from his mug, only to see Li Zhuyuan walking out of the stairs, hand-in-hand with Qin Li.

"Pfft!"

Li Sanjiang sprayed the water directly out of his mouth.

"Great-grandfather, do you want me to refill your water?"

Seeing Li Zhuyuan leading Qin Li toward him, Li Sanjiang immediately waved his hands.

"No, no, no! No need! Take her away, keep her away from me! No, wait, you too..."

Li Zhuyuan led Qin Li to the southeast corner and set the stool down.

"Sit down."

Qin Li sat.

Li Zhuyuan sat back in the rattan chair and picked up his book. After turning a page, he felt something was wrong and stood up again. "Stand up for a moment."

Qin Li stood up. Li Zhuyuan moved her small stool aside and replaced it with a slightly taller one that Yingzi had brought yesterday, placing it beside him.

"Sit."

Qin Li looked at the new stool but did not sit.

Li Zhuyuan was puzzled, but then he seemed to think of something and wiped the stool with his sleeve.

"Sit. It's clean now."

Qin Li sat down.

Li Zhuyuan placed the book on the wooden stool instead of holding it while lying down.

The two were very close, their heads nearly touching.

Qin Li's gaze remained fixed on him, and he, in turn, could include the girl's face in his field of vision while reading.

Her hair would occasionally be blown by the wind, brushing against his face; her scent lingered at the tip of his nose.

It was a very peculiar feeling.

Reading and "eye-nourishing" at the same time.

Li Zhuyuan felt he had found the most efficient way to read.

In the distance, Li Sanjiang went from initial terror to fear, then to worry, and finally to utter disbelief...

After watching for a long time and confirming that the girl was simply sitting there obediently, staring at his great-grandson without causing any danger, his eyes... showed admiration!

*This Little Marquis is truly different from his mother when she was young.*

When Li Lan was in school, she often received love letters, but her method was to take all of them and deliver them directly to the principal's office.

On those days, countless boys were called in with their parents, and the principal's office was filled with the sounds of canes and slaps.

"Good, very good. It seems our Little Marquis is even smarter and more clever than his mother was. Hehe."

Li Sanjiang closed his eyes and continued listening to the story.

As noon approached, Li Zhuyuan felt the urge to urinate, likely from the tea he had with Grandma Liu. He asked Qin Li

"Do you need to use the toilet?"

Qin Li said nothing.

"Then sit here. I'll go to the toilet and come right back."

Qin Li gave no reaction.

Li Zhuyuan stood up and ran downstairs, circling to the back of the house. The large vegetable garden behind the house was a place where he could easily mark his territory. Just as he stood still, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to find Qin Li.

She had followed him.

"Uh..."

Li Zhuyuan could only betray the teachings of his older brothers, Panzi and Leizi, by turning around, lifting the curtain, and entering the toilet.

When he stood still again, the curtain was lifted, and she entered.

Li Zhuyuan had no choice but to lead her out of the toilet and say, "I'm here to relieve myself. If you come in, it's inconvenient for me. Just stand here and wait for me to come out, okay?"

Qin Li gave no reaction.

Li Zhuyuan entered the toilet again. After waiting a while without hearing the curtain being lifted, he finally unbuckled his belt.

There was a water vat next to the toilet. After scooping water with a ladle to wash his hands, Li Zhuyuan walked out to find Qin Li standing obediently where he had left her.

"Do you need to use the toilet? Why don't you go ahead and use it too?"

Qin Li walked toward the toilet and lifted the curtain, but her hand was caught. She stopped and looked back at Li Zhuyuan with a look of confusion.

This confusion was the same as when they were at the dining table last night, when Li Zhuyuan told her to eat but wouldn't let her.

Li Zhuyuan was a bit worried about whether she could use the toilet by herself, considering how much Grandma Liu looked after her...

In short, he knew very little about Qin Li, except... she was beautiful.

Li Zhuyuan was about to go ask Grandma Liu, but as he looked toward the hallway, he saw Liu Yumei's head peeking out.

"Grandma Liu..."

"Our A-Li can eat, use the toilet, and bathe all by herself. Our A-Li is just like a normal person."

"Okay." Li Zhuyuan nodded and let go of her hand.

Qin Li walked into the toilet.

Li Zhuyuan stayed where he was, feeling Liu Yumei's intense gaze sweeping over him.

"Xiao Yuan."

"Grandma Liu."

"Just play with our A-Li. Keep her company."

"Okay, Grandma Liu."

The sound of washing hands came from the toilet, and then Qin Li walked out, holding her hands out in front of her.

Grandma Liu hurriedly reminded her, "Dry your hands, dry your hands."

"Oh."

Li Zhuyuan stepped forward, took Qin Li's hands, and wiped them on his shirt.

"There, all clean."

Qin Li withdrew her hands.

On the way back to the second floor, Li Zhuyuan picked up a clean towel and draped it over his shoulder.

Returning to the northeast corner of the terrace, Li Zhuyuan sat down to read. Once Qin Li sat down, her beautiful face entered his field of vision again.

He finished the sixth volume.

Li Zhuyuan stretched, stood up, walked to an open area, and began performing the national middle school radio gymnastics with great seriousness.

Just as he finished, he took out the seventh volume, only to hear Auntie Liu calling from downstairs that lunch was ready.

Li Zhuyuan and Qin Li went down.

Li Sanjiang ate separately from them, as usual; Qin Li was led to the other side by Grandma Liu.

After sitting down, Li Sanjiang took out a bottle of white liquor.

"Great-grandfather, you're injured. You shouldn't drink."

"Bah! I'm half-way in the grave already. Every extra drink is a profit."

Ignoring his great-grandson's advice, Li Sanjiang poured himself a full cup. Just as he took a sip and picked up his chopsticks to grab some food, a figure suddenly approached: it was Qin Li.

Behind her were Liu Yumei and Auntie Liu.

"Sorry, we were all ready to eat, but A-Li ran away from the table."

"Come, A-Li, go back and eat with Grandma first. You can play with Xiao Yuan after you've eaten."

Qin Li did not move. She just stood there, looking at Li Zhuyuan.

As Liu Yumei tried to pull her, her eyelashes began to flutter slightly, and her body started to tremble.

Liu Yumei had no choice but to let go, not daring to pull her again.

Aside from his grievances against Li Weihan's four ungrateful children, Li Sanjiang was not a stingy man. He waved his hand and said, "Let the girl eat here. Just add a pair of chopsticks."

"Then thank you," Liu Yumei said hurriedly. "We've caused you trouble."

Li Sanjiang waved it off. "Not at all. It's good that the two youngsters can play together. It gives them a companion so they aren't lonely."

Auntie Liu brought over a bowl, chopsticks, and a small stool.

Li Zhuyuan picked up the towel from his shoulder and wiped the stool for her. "Sit down and eat with us."

Qin Li did not move.

Liu Yumei: "A-Li, come sit and eat."

Qin Li still didn't sit, but she turned her body toward Li Sanjiang. Although she didn't look at him, her intention was clear.

She did not want to eat with Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang, who was holding his wine cup ready to drink, looked bewildered by the situation.

"Then... should I leave?"

Liu Yumei said nothing, but her heart was filled with joy that her granddaughter was actually expressing emotions, and not through a violent outburst.

Li Zhuyuan also didn't say anything; he silently wiped the small stool once more.

Li Sanjiang smacked his lips. "Hehe, hehehe. Fine, Tinghou, portion the food for me. I'll sit over there."

"Oh, alright, alright. Sorry for the trouble, Uncle."

Auntie Liu immediately portioned the food and set up a separate table for Li Sanjiang elsewhere.

Qin Li finally sat down.

With great anticipation, Liu Yumei said to Li Zhuyuan, "Xiao Yuan, make A-Li eat."

It had been the same this morning; she usually had to spend a long time earnestly persuading her, but with one word from this boy, her A-Li would eat.

"Just a moment." Li Zhuyuan stood up and ran to the kitchen.

Qin Li also moved to stand up, but saw Li Zhuyuan returning with four small plates and a small bowl.

Li Zhuyuan portioned the food into each small plate and ladled soup into the small bowl.

A certain brightness seemed to appear in Qin Li's eyes.

Watching this, Liu Yumei felt a sense of curiosity.

Li Zhuyuan: "Alright, let's eat."

Qin Li picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

She would take a piece of food from a plate, take a bite of rice, and continue this way. After finishing a row of plates, she would take a sip of soup and repeat the process.

Liu Yumei was surprised to find that her granddaughter seemed to be eating very easily this time, even with a hint of girlish joy.

"It can be done like this?"

Li Zhuyuan smiled. The remaining food on the plates was his, and he began to eat as well.

Benefiting from having a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder sufferer as his tablemate, he naturally knew how to interact with his kind.

Qin Li ate very quickly. By the final round, all the food in the plates was gone, the soup was finished with the last sip, and the rice was eaten clean.

She put down her chopsticks.

Li Zhuyuan picked up the towel, folded it, and helped her wipe the corners of her mouth and her hands. The towel was large and could be divided into many functional areas.

After eating, Li Zhuyuan took Qin Li back to the terrace to read.

He was reading *Chronicles of the Jianghu's Strange Tales* faster and faster. By dusk, he had reached the twelfth volume.

He felt he could increase his speed even more tomorrow. In a few days, he would finish the introductory encyclopedia and could then go back to searching for treasures in the basement boxes.

During this time, when he drank water, he gave some to Qin Li; when he went to the toilet, he took Qin Li with him.

Since he didn't eat many snacks, he was afraid she might get hungry, so he opened a few bags of snacks to share with her.

Every time after eating, he had to wipe her hands. Because he used the towel himself, it was becoming increasingly dirty.

Li Sanjiang grumbled somewhat dissatisfiedly, asking why Yingzi hadn't come to tutor him today.

Li Zhuyuan thought his sister was likely at home digesting the problems he had helped her solve yesterday.

But Li Sanjiang believed that Yingzi thought Li Zhuyuan was too difficult to tutor and didn't want to come anymore.

For dinner, Li Sanjiang again ate at a separate table.

This time, Liu Yumei had prepared the plates and portioned the food for her granddaughter in advance, but when Qin Li sat down, she did not pick up her chopsticks.

Li Zhuyuan picked up his own chopsticks and slightly adjusted the amount of food in each plate.

Qin Li picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

Liu Yumei: "A-Li, it was Grandma's oversight; I didn't control the portions well."

In reality, the old woman thought: *Hmph, do you think I don't remember how much you eat in one bite? This girl is doing it on purpose!*

But the old woman felt no resentment, only happiness, because these were all good signs. She wasn't afraid of her granddaughter throwing a tantrum; she was only afraid of her being like before—completely closed off like a piece of wood. That would be true despair.

Liu Yumei turned to look at Li Sanjiang, who was sitting alone drinking his wine, and then at Li Zhuyuan in front of her, feeling deeply moved

*After living here for so long, have we finally encountered our good fortune?*

After dinner, Li Zhuyuan didn't plan to read by the lamp tonight. He had read quite a lot today and felt tired; he planned to go back, wash up, and sleep.

Seeing that Qin Li still wanted to follow him, he said seriously

"A-Li, you go back to wash up and sleep. I need to sleep too. We'll read together again tomorrow, okay?"

Qin Li said nothing.

Li Zhuyuan turned and walked toward the stairs, then paused and looked back. Seeing that she hadn't followed him but had instead obediently followed Liu Yumei to the east room, he felt relieved and went upstairs to bathe.

After bathing, Li Zhuyuan thought about taking that dirty towel out to wash it thoroughly, only to find that the towel he had been wearing on his shoulder was gone.

"Did I drop it somewhere?"

...

In the east room, watching her granddaughter, who had washed up, lie down to sleep, Liu Yumei felt a profound sense of satisfaction.

With a smile, she walked out of the inner bedroom and came to the place where the ancestral tablets were kept.

She had many things she wanted to say to A-Li's grandfather, her maternal grandparents, and her parents.

She had guarded her for so long, and now there was finally hope for her recovery. She believed they, and the ancestors, would all be happy.

After all, A-Li was the only remaining bloodline of the Qin and Liu families.

As she sat before the tablets, Liu Yumei was about to begin her talk when she suddenly noticed something was wrong with the six-tiered tablet rack.

Logically, no one should have touched anything here. There were only a few people in the house, and Qin Li and Liu Ting would never dare touch this area while cleaning.

But what exactly was wrong?

Liu Yumei examined it carefully from top to bottom several times before finally discovering the "blind spot" under the lamp.

Right in the middle of the third tier of the tablets, the tablet that originally belonged to A-Li's grandfather—her husband—was gone!

In its place,

was a... dirty towel, folded into a small square and placed there.