Chapter 17

Having personally experienced two "dead float" incidents and just finished reading the Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu, Li Zhuiyuan had originally hoped to continue his studies on the subject.

It felt like after reading the concepts, it was time for him to get some formulas and then see if he could find an opportunity to apply them to solve problems.

But after taking out these two books, it felt more like he had just started a course and was immediately given two new ones.

He turned to look at the chest, hesitating whether to put these two sets of books back and pick up something else. But then his grandfather's words from that night resurfaced in his mind:

"Little Yuanhou, you can't aim too high; you must build a solid foundation."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. Forget it. Since he had already taken them out, he might as well read them.

After reading them, maybe next time he could even read the fortunes of the dead float?

But this self-consolation couldn't stand up to scrutiny.

Was he supposed to read the faces of dead float preserved in pigskin jelly?

Or tell Little Yellow Oriole and Cat-faced Old Woman that their destinies were poor and they would die violently?

With a complex and helpless feeling, Li Zhuiyuan carried the two sets of books out of the basement and went upstairs. From below, Liu Yumei's voice could be heard:

"Little Yuan, come down and help Grandma make tea."

Li Zhuiyuan looked down. A light bulb hung at the door of the east room. Under the light bulb, Liu Yumei was sitting there, with a tea set beside her and a Go board.

"Alright, Grandma Liu."

Li Zhuiyuan responded, put the books into his bedroom study, wiped the dust off himself with a towel, and ran downstairs.

Even if Liu Yumei hadn't called him, he would have found a private moment to talk to her about Uncle Qin teaching him martial arts.

Especially after touching these two books, his desire to practice martial arts became even more urgent. Since the textbooks had veered off track, he could only choose to catch up through extracurricular tutoring.

"Grandma, have some tea."

"Mmm."

After making the tea, Li Zhuiyuan sat down opposite Liu Yumei. He didn't rush to talk about his own matters, but waited for Liu Yumei to speak first, so he could then state his conditions.

After all, who would specifically make tea late at night before going to bed for no reason?

However, just as Liu Yumei was about to speak, the door to the east room was opened from the inside. Qin Li stood at the doorway, dressed in a white silk nightgown that shimmered under the light.

"A'Li, you should go back to your room and rest. Grandma and Little Yuan have something to discuss."

Qin Li didn't move.

Liu Yumei could only signal Li Zhuiyuan with her eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Qin Li. "A'Li, you should go to bed first. I'll wake up early tomorrow to read."

Qin Li turned and closed the door.

Liu Yumei sighed. They were still children, so it wasn't a big deal now. But if her daughter remained this close to the boy and listened to him when they grew up, she would have a headache.

However, there was a more pressing issue that needed to be resolved immediately.

"Little Yuan, you'll come into the room tomorrow and pay respects to my family's ancestral tablets."

"Hmm?"

"Just consider it a friendly visit."

"Okay, Grandma Liu."

It was like visiting a friend's house and meeting their elders. If the elder had passed away and become an ancestral tablet, one should still pay their respects.

"Also, tell A'Li to clean up those dirty towels and smelly duck eggs."

"Towels?"

Li Zhuiyuan suddenly remembered. No wonder he had to find a new towel to wash and dry every night for the past few days. He had been wondering where the dirty towels went, only to find out A'Li had taken them.

But what were the smelly duck eggs?

Liu Yumei felt a bit embarrassed but still had to explain: "A'Li has a habit of taking things you give her home. Perhaps I mentioned it to her, or perhaps she thought it herself, believing the ancestral hall is a place to display the most precious items. So, A'Li placed those dirty towels there.

That duck egg, she probably saved it from breakfast that day when you peeled it for her. It's gone bad.

I don't dare to touch anything A'Li places there, for fear she'll throw a tantrum. Only you can help me clean them up.

Also, teach her not to place anything else on the ancestral altar in the future."

Having to rely on an outsider to educate her own granddaughter, Liu Yumei felt deeply frustrated.

But she couldn't avoid bringing it up. Otherwise, every time she spoke to the ancestral tablets, she would have to endure the smell of rotten duck eggs.

It was fine for her, as she only smelled it when talking. But the ancestors of the Qin and Liu families were constantly being subjected to it.

Moreover, she was afraid that if A'Li were to place anything new on the altar in the future. Recently, they had been eating fish jelly with congee for breakfast. She was truly afraid that if A'Li wasn't careful, she might bring home a bowl of fish jelly that she and Little Yuan had eaten and place it on the main altar.

"I understand, Grandma Liu. I'll come to pay respects to the ancestral tablets tomorrow."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't ask why she didn't want him to go now. He knew that Grandma Liu didn't want A'Li to feel like she was complaining about her.

"Mmm, that's very good," Liu Yumei nodded with satisfaction. Her gaze fell on the Go board. "Look, do you like this board?"

Li Zhuiyuan examined the Go board carefully. It was an old item, with a faint scent of sandalwood when he smelled it closely.

These chess pieces, when you hold a few in your hand, are smooth and cool. Although their luster is consistent, upon closer inspection, you can still see slight differences, indicating that these pieces are not mass-produced molds but were crafted using ancient methods.

"Grandma Liu, this is a good thing."

Li Zhuiyuan had already grown somewhat immune to the good items Grandma Liu would occasionally produce.

Although the label of "ten-thousand-yuan household" was gradually fading, to be able to display such wealth and heritage so lavishly was truly astonishing.

"Seeing as you and Ah Li play Go, I dug this out for you to play with. You can take it back to your room later."

"Okay, I'll keep it with me for now."

Grandma Liu nodded with satisfaction and was about to see him out when she heard Li Zhuiyuan speak again:

"Grandma Liu, I've been sickly since I was young, so I want to train with Uncle Qin."

Grandma Liu glanced at the boy before her. While he was indeed fair and tender, not at all robust, she couldn't see any sign of him being sickly.

However, she immediately understood what the boy meant. In the past, she would have easily brushed him off with a few words, but now that she had just asked him for a favor...

Never mind, teaching him some martial arts wasn't breaking any rules, it wasn't like she was teaching him anything else.

"Alright, I'll go talk to your Uncle Qin."

"Thank you, Grandma."

"Come, let's play a game."

"Okay."

Being manipulated by a child still made Grandma Liu feel a bit uncomfortable. She hadn't intended to play, but she couldn't resist a game.

Then, she regretted it. By the middle of the game, she felt that her advantage had completely slipped away.

Li Zhuiyuan had initially thought that since he had benefited, he might as well endure being thrashed by Grandma Liu to let off some steam. He had assumed that Qin Li's Go skills were taught by Grandma Liu, and he certainly wouldn't be a match for her.

But as they played, he suddenly realized that Grandma Liu's Go skills were not as good as his own.

He considered himself a semi-professional player based on his mental calculation, while Grandma Liu was, at best, a mid-level amateur.

"Grandma, I'm tired. Maybe we should stop playing?"

"Mm, then you should go to bed."

"Okay!"

Li Zhuiyuan got up, collected the chess pieces, and then carried the board back upstairs.

Grandma Liu, meanwhile, went into the house and into the bedroom. Qin Li was lying with her eyes closed, sleeping obediently as the boy had instructed.

A loving smile appeared on her face.

No matter what, Ah Li was starting to feel more and more like a young girl.

"Ah Li's illness will definitely be cured, definitely."

He went to the second-floor terrace and happened to see Grandpa standing at the edge, just finishing his morning relief and in the final stages of shaking himself dry.

"What are you holding?"

"Grandma Liu's borrowed chessboard."

"You still need to focus more, read more books, and study hard."

"I know, Grandpa."

"Mm, something has happened at Yinghou's house, so he won't be able to come over for a while. You need to hurry up."

"What happened at Yingzi Jie's house?"

"They say her maternal grandfather and grandmother both fell ill and are lying in the clinic. Yinghou and his mother are there taking care of them."

Yingzi Jie's maternal grandfather and grandmother must be her maternal grandparents.

Only then did Li Zhuiyuan understand why Yingzi Jie hadn't come to him for tutoring these past few days. Logically, no matter how poor her comprehension, she should have finished the previous assignment long ago.

"Do we need to visit them?"

"Visit them, my foot! Her mother's family is in Jiuweigang. It takes several transfers by car. Besides, if things get really bad, your grandfather would be the one to go. What reason would I have to go?"

"Oh."

"Go back to your room and get some sleep."

"Grandpa, do you have a magnifying glass here?"

"Magnifying glass?" Li Sanjiang pondered for a moment. "Check the groove by the stove, see if there is one. I thought about using it to start fires before, but then I found it wasn't as good as matches. What do you need that thing for?"

"To read."

The characters in those two sets of books were simply too small.

"Is my child studying so hard that he needs a magnifying glass? How about this, Grandpa will take you to the town's optician to get you a pair of glasses?

Never mind, the town's optician is probably not skilled enough. Grandpa will take you to the city's People's Hospital to get them fitted."

"No need, Grandfather. I'll just take it to look at the diagrams. My eyesight is fine."

Li Zhuiyuan first went into the bedroom to put down the chessboard, then ran downstairs to the kitchen. As expected, he found the dust-covered magnifying glass in a groove by the stove. After cleaning it, he returned to the bedroom and turned on the desk lamp.

The first book he took out was "Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained," which had a total of eight volumes.

He flipped through the pages; there was no preface or foreword, not even a chapter marker for the first section, just the content directly.

Li Zhuiyuan held the magnifying glass and read intently.

After reading three densely packed pages, front and back, Li Zhuiyuan realized something was off.

These three pages actually contained a vast amount of text, all discussing the same thing—eyebrows.

From the direction of the eyebrows, their thickness, length, and color… a total of nearly a thousand variations were described.

Starting from the fourth page, it began discussing eye bags.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't continue reading. Instead, he flipped two pages forward and confirmed that it dedicated two large sections to eye bags.

After that, it started discussing eyelids.

A suspicion began to form in Li Zhuiyuan's mind… although there was no marker for the first section, the early parts were likely all about the "eyes," right?

But after all this time spent, it was still only a part of the "eyes."

Li Zhuiyuan flipped the book to the very last page and found it discussing crow's feet… still about the eyes.

Then, he took out the second book. He looked at the beginning and then flipped through the pages. Yes, the first three pages were entirely about earlobes.

Flipping to the very last page, it was discussing the back of the ear.

He picked up the third volume and used the same method to quickly confirm. That's right, it was discussing the philtrum, the area between the lips and the nose.

So, the first four books respectively discussed: eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

Logically, the five facial features are eyebrows, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. This book combined eyebrows and eyes into one volume and didn't dedicate a separate volume to eyebrows.

How considerate of it.

Skipping the basic concepts, Li Zhuiyuan took out the fifth volume and carefully read the first page… he didn't understand it.

But he vaguely grasped the feeling. It seemed to be about permutations and combinations, with a brief textual explanation corresponding to each combination. Moreover, the explanations were extremely concise.

The general idea was that due to limited space, much was omitted, and the reader was expected to understand it themselves.

Li Zhuiyuan rubbed his eyes. So, this was physiognomy?

It wasn't like those fortune tellers who would walk up to you and say, "Your indang is dark; you're likely to face disaster soon."

According to the logic of this book, it should be: Do you know how many permutation and combination options there are for the expressions of the indang?

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't comprehend it. It was a physiognomy book that delved into feudal superstition, yet it exuded a profound scientific rigor.

How much energy did the author of this book possess? How many people's faces did they meticulously observe?

No, one person's strength couldn't achieve this, not even a whole school of thought.

Unless this book was written blindly with closed eyes, the author must have collected and researched countless previous related works and notes to be able to summarize and conclude.

Li Zhuiyuan opened the sixth book and began to read the first page seriously.

Fine sweat beaded on his forehead, and his earlobes turned red. This was a typical sign of his brain working rapidly when tackling a difficult problem.

After finishing the first page, he still didn't understand the content, but he grasped the rules.

If the fifth book was about the permutations and combinations based on the foundation of the first four books (eyes, ears, mouth, nose), then the sixth book was about the permutations and combinations of those permutations and combinations.

If one could get by with rote memorization up to the fifth book, then by the sixth book, it already involved mathematical calculations, and the computational load was immense.

Li Zhuiyuan took a deep breath and opened the seventh book.

This time, he read the first page very quickly because he was just confirming his guess.

As expected, the seventh book was a further escalation based on the sixth book. The difficulty of understanding and calculation had not just doubled; it had increased exponentially.

"Hoo..."

Li Zhuiyuan really wanted to wash his face now, but after a moment of hesitation, he still opened the eighth book.

After reading the first page of the eighth book, Li Zhuiyuan closed the book.

He leaned back in his chair.

He realized he had been mistaken. He had previously wondered why a book on feudal superstition could exude such scientific rigor.

After flipping to the eighth book, He encountered metaphysics.

The classification of eyes, ears, mouth, and nose in the first four books was like raw data, or raw numbers. The fifth to seventh books were the application of these raw numbers.

To use a more intuitive analogy, it could be compared to painting. You start by learning the most basic points, lines, and planes, then you draw a complete object, then composition and structure, then the integration of light and shadow for three-dimensional perception…

When you can perfectly copy a master's painting and create excellent works, you are roughly at the level of the seventh book.

This eighth book… requires you to comprehend your own style, create a school of thought, and become a master.

Therefore, even if this book is genuine, most people can only look at it; they simply cannot learn it. Let alone reaching the eighth book, you'd first have to memorize over a thousand types of eyebrows.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze swept over the set of "Destiny Deduction Theory" beside him. Forget it, might as well go all in.

He sat up straight again and opened the first volume. Huh, there's a preface.

As expected, these two sets of books are by the same author, because the first line, the first sentence, is: "After reading the previous work, 'Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained'."

Is this a prerequisite?

Continuing to read, Li Zhuiyuan discovered it wasn't. Rather, destiny deduction required several conditions: physiognomy, astrology, and luckology.

"Could it be that there are two more sets by the same author in the box that I haven't found?"

Soon, Li Zhuiyuan realized he was mistaken. In the preface, the author expressed regret, stating that he had only mastered physiognomy and was no longer capable of delving into astrology and luckology.

Or rather, astrology and luckology were mutually inclusive and not separate classifications. Physiognomy and destiny deduction also incorporated concepts of astrology and luckology.

According to the author's view, the true method of destiny deduction should integrate these four major academic fields to achieve true mastery.

"In other words, even after learning all four, it only improves the accuracy rate, not a hundred percent."

The previous work, physiognomy, was one of the aids to improve the accuracy rate of destiny deduction.

The preface ended, and Li Zhuiyuan formally turned to the first page.

The first thing that appeared was a corner of a diagram. To be precise, the entire page was just a corner of a diagram, with the text written within the diagram.

Li Zhuiyuan quickly flipped through the pages, memorizing each diagram in his mind. After finishing the entire book, he began assembling the puzzle in his mind. It was assembled, but still incomplete. However, he could tell what it was.

It was the Bagua.

So, these eight books, when all assembled, formed a complete Bagua.

And this set of books was, in essence... a complete new algorithm.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan had a fleeting illusion that he wasn't living in the country squire's house, but had returned to a classroom in the capital.

The old professors and their group of child students, after tormenting each other, revealing their ghastly smiles.

"It really feels like attending a class."

Li Zhuiyuan checked the time and found it was already one in the morning. He got up and left the room to scoop water from the washbasin to wash his face.

After feeling refreshed, he rekindled his fighting spirit:

"Learn, learn diligently!"

In the morning, just as dawn broke, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes and turned his head, seeing the light that entered his bedroom before the sun.

Qin Li was sitting on a chair, facing away from him.

She was likely afraid of startling him as she had the last time, by facing him directly when he woke up.

Today, she was wearing an aoqun, which meant a lined top and a skirt.

The top had a dark green base with white patterns, and the skirt was light green with embroidered landscapes and flowers.

This made Li Zhuiyuan, who had spent half the night studying with a magnifying glass, feel a great comfort for his eyes.

After washing up, before breakfast began, Li Zhuiyuan brought out the chessboard Grandma Liu had given him last night, intending to play chess with Qin Li.

However, Qin Li looked at the normal-sized, valuable chessboard but hesitated to pick up the chess pieces.

"Does she not like it?"

Qin Li didn't speak.

Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to put the chessboard away and take out the simple plastic chessboard paper that Uncle Qin had bought for him in town.

After laying it out, Qin Li immediately picked up the pieces and made a move.

After losing three games in a row, Li Zhuiyuan began to miss his spar with Grandma Liu last night.

However, he could also feel his own improvement in chess skills. Being constantly outplayed by the girl made it easy for him to identify and improve his weaknesses.

The girl no longer let him win intentionally. By the third game, although he was still decisively defeated, there was already an atmosphere of a formal chess match between them.

But Li Zhuiyuan also knew that his limits were approaching quickly. Unless he threw away the two sets of books in his bedroom and replaced them with chess manuals to study, he would never be able to surpass the girl in chess.

However, what was the point of doing that? Being competitive in unnecessary matters would only seem childish.

"A'Li, you play so well."

The girl seemed to be smiling. Although her expression was subtle, the slight tremor of her lips seemed to indicate an action she was about to take.

Aunt Liu called them for breakfast.

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the girl was once again holding the salted duck egg he had opened for her, tucking it into her sleeve.

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed her hand and took out the salted duck egg: "A'Li, eat the food you're given. Don't hide it. If you want to collect things, I can give you some gifts specifically later."

The girl's eyes lit up.

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan, keeping his promise, went to the east room. Liu Yumei was not in the room, nor was she drinking tea outside as was her usual habit. She had deliberately stayed far away.

This was Li Zhuiyuan's first time entering the east room. Looking at the spirit tablets on the altar, bearing the surnames of both the Qin and Liu families, he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.

It felt as if he had been to a similar place and had the same feeling, but he couldn't recall exactly where it was or who had taken him there.

Li Zhuiyuan bowed before the memorial tablet. After completing the ritual, he reached out and removed the dirty towels and the stinky duck egg from it.

At this moment, Qin Li grabbed Li Zhuiyuan's arm. Her eyelashes didn't flutter, and her body didn't tremble, but she still conveyed her unwillingness.

It was fortunate that Li Zhuiyuan was the one cleaning it up; if it were anyone else, even Liu Yumei herself, the girl would have already exploded.

"A'li, be good. If you want to collect things, don't put them here. We can find a better place specifically for them. This place is for the memorial tablets of our ancestors. Do you understand?"

A'li lowered her head, feeling very dejected.

Li Zhuiyuan, meanwhile, was thinking about what he should give her.

Giving her food was definitely out of the question; she would surely hide it away and let it mold again.

"A'li, how about I give you that set of chess pieces? They're not new; they're the ones we used when we played chess this morning, and they come in a small wooden box.

You can keep them safe. From now on, you can bring them out in the morning to find me, and we can play chess with them together."

Qin Li looked up. Although her expression was still neutral, he could feel that her entire demeanor had brightened.

Outside the door, Liu Yumei, who had deliberately avoided them earlier but had now quietly approached to eavesdrop, couldn't help but roll her eyes.

She could already imagine her granddaughter cherishing that worthless toy with great care.

As he walked out the door, he saw Liu Yumei.

"Grandma Liu."

"Ah."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush off. Instead, he continued, "Grandma Liu, the weather is very nice today. You should go out for a walk more often and breathe in the fresh air; it's good for your health."

"I've told A'li to teach you after he's done with his work tonight. Don't be afraid of hard work."

"How could I be? Thank you, Grandma Liu."

As Li Zhuiyuan led Qin Li upstairs, he happened to see Li Sanjiang coming down. When he had no work, his great-grandfather usually woke up late.

"How's your studying going lately?"

Li Sanjiang had forgotten that he had already asked this last night. He simply enjoyed the feeling of a senior caring about a child's studies.

After all, if he were to investigate closely, he would probably discover what kind of books Li Zhuiyuan had been reading recently.

Well, and because Qin Li had been accompanying Li Zhuiyuan while he read, he felt a bit intimidated by the young girl and was still reluctant to get too close.

"It's a bit difficult, but I'll work hard."

"Good. As long as you work hard."

Returning to the northeast corner of the second-floor terrace, Li Zhuiyuan took out his book, set up the magnifying glass, and took out a blank notebook from the side.

Within "Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained," there were many terms and descriptions related to "dimensions" and "cutting." In addition, there were many abstract classical Chinese phrases, likely common in old medical texts.

Li Zhuiyuan could understand the words, but he lacked concrete conceptual understanding, so he could only write them down.

Fortunately, he could ask Liu Yumei about the former. He could tell that although Qin Li's clothes were custom-made, they had definitely been altered by Liu Yumei. As for the latter, he could ask Aunt Liu, who clearly understood medicine.

At this moment, Uncle Qin had already brought back the raw materials for making incense, and Aunt Liu was preparing to make incense using ancient methods.

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking about A'li's family... what kind of existence were they?

Shaking his head and clearing his thoughts, Li Zhuiyuan officially began memorizing the book.

There were two classmates in his class who possessed the ability of photographic memory.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that he was far inferior to them in this regard, the gap being immense, as he needed to look twice or even three times.

Midway through, his neck became sore from maintaining the bent-over posture while holding the magnifying glass.

Li Zhuiyuan continued to read and recite with his left hand holding the magnifying glass, while his right hand massaged his neck.

A moment later, another warm and soft little hand began massaging the other side of his neck.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled; what a cute case of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The entire morning, aside from taking Qin Li to the restroom once and giving her water once, Li Zhuiyuan was engrossed in memorizing the book.

He felt as if his mind was already filled with all sorts of "eyes."

Once he finished memorizing the "ears, mouths, and noses" that followed, his mind should be filled with countless densely packed human faces of all kinds.

Even the hairstyles offered to customers at the largest barbershop in the capital would seem excessively plain and shabby compared to what he would have.

After lunch, Li Weihan and Cui Guiying arrived.

Li Zhuiyuan was immersed in memorizing the book and didn't notice what was happening in the courtyard. Qin Li, who was beside him, certainly wouldn't remind him.

It wasn't until he noticed Qin Li's body starting to tremble that Li Zhuiyuan looked up in surprise and saw Cui Guiying, who had intentionally lightened her footsteps as she approached.

He quickly grabbed Qin Li's hand, afraid that the girl would lash out at his grandmother.

Seeing her grandson diligently studying, Cui Guiying had no intention of disturbing him. Now, she simply smiled and said, "Little Yuanhou, are you reading?"

"Yes, Grandma. Where's Grandpa?"

"Your Grandpa is talking with your great-grandfather."

"Is something the matter?"

"Nothing much, it has nothing to do with you."

"Is it about your third aunt's family?"

"Uh... yes. They said they want to invite your great-grandfather to take a look."

"Oh."

When encountering illnesses that are difficult to treat in formal hospitals, many families try to find unconventional methods. Moreover, it's not very common for an elderly couple to fall ill at the same time; it is indeed strange.

"This little girl is so pretty."

Cui Guiying made a move to reach out and pat Qin Li's head, but Li Zhuiyuan quickly stepped in front of Qin Li.

"Uh..."

Cui Guiying was taken aback and could only pat her grandson's head.

"Grandma, she's shy."

"Oh, really? But she seemed to get along well with your play."

After talking with Cui Guiying for a while, Li Weihan also came to see his grandson.

However, Li Weihan only asked a couple of pleasantries about whether he ate well and slept well, then fell silent, just looking.

When the time was about right, he prepared to leave.

Before leaving, Li Weihan said, "Oh, right, Little Yuanhou, the day after tomorrow your great-grandfather is going on a trip and won't be back at night. Coincidentally, the villagers are going to dredge the river that day. I'll take you with me."

Cui Guiying heard this and complained, "What are you doing? Taking the child to dredge the river? What were you thinking?"

Li Weihan dismissed her concern, "It's just for two days. We'll sleep out, it's no big deal. It's not like before; the dredging period is shorter now, and it's not as hard. Our four sons, including Leihou and Panhou, will also be going with me."

Cui Guiying: "Even if Uncle Sanjiang is going to Jiuxu Port and won't be home, Little Yuanhou can still sleep at our house, right?"

"Uncle said it's inconvenient for him to go home and sleep, after all, Little Yuanhou hasn't returned to secular life after leaving home."

Actually, Li Weihan's original intention was to bring his grandson along. Furthermore, this time all the strong laborers in the family were going to dredge the river, so he wanted to take Li Zhuiyuan along for some fun.

"Little Yuanhou, do you want to go with Grandpa?"

"Okay, Grandpa."

"See? The child has agreed."

Li Weihan left with Cui Guiying. His main purpose today was to relay a message to his in-laws in Jiuxu Port to invite Uncle Sanjiang.

It was said that a patient in the same ward had relatives visiting, and that relative was from Shigang Town. They spoke so marvelously about the corpse salvagers of the Li family in Siyuan Village, Shinan Town.

When the in-laws heard this, they realized it was the village where their daughter was married, and immediately contacted them, wanting to invite someone to take a look.

After dinner, Li Zhuiyuan went to the embankment to wait. Liu Yumei kept her word, and Uncle Qin took Li Zhuiyuan behind the house to start teaching him martial arts:

Squatting horse stance.

Following Uncle Qin's instructions, Li Zhuiyuan began to squat. Then Uncle Qin's hands corrected each point of exertion, while he simultaneously explained the details to pay attention to.

After an hour of adjustments, Uncle Qin finally stopped talking.

Li Zhuiyuan was already covered in sweat, his legs trembling.

But Uncle Qin only let him rest for a while before making him squat for another hour.

When Li Zhuiyuan went upstairs to return to the room, he was holding onto the wall.

In the evening, Liu Yumei sat by the doorway enjoying the cool breeze, and Uncle Qin walked over and stood beside her.

"How is he?"

"His mind is truly sharp."

"His limbs are not good?"

"No, it's not that. I mean, his mind is good, he learns everything quickly, much faster than I did when I was practicing martial arts as a child. He can already grasp the rhythm of having roots in his feet. It's just that practicing martial arts requires suffering, it depends on whether he can persevere."

"What, you want to take a disciple?"

"No, I don't have that intention."

"Teach him well, and remember, only teach him martial arts."

"Okay, I understand."

Liu Yumei returned to the house and sat before the memorial tablet. She picked up a piece of pastry from the offering table and took a small bite, chewing it slowly.

The foul smell in the mourning hall was gone now, and she could feel much more relaxed and at ease.

"Ah Li likes that Li family boy, and he's started learning martial arts from Ah Li. I'll have to see if he can stick with it. If his mind is good and he can endure hardship... Good heavens, I'm really curious how his mother gave birth to such a child."

Liu Yumei prepared to go to bed. She was about to let down her hair and reached for the bronze mirror on the dressing table, but her hand met empty air. Upon closer inspection, there was no bronze mirror on the table. But it was impossible for a thief to enter the room, and no one would touch her things, unless...

Liu Yumei walked into the bedroom and looked at her sleeping granddaughter, who was holding a small wooden box in her arms.

"Could that girl A'Li have used my bronze mirror as a return gift?"

For the next two days, Li Zhuiyuan's routine was very regular: reading and practicing horse stance.

The first day of practicing the horse stance was very painful; his legs were still sore when he woke up in the morning. The second day felt much more normal. By the third day, he didn't even feel pain or fatigue.

He just felt that when he practiced the horse stance, imagining himself as a tree rooted in the ground, following Qin Shu's instructions to synchronize with his breathing and heart rate, his body swayed slightly and dynamically. Even his brain, which felt dull after reading all day, became much clearer.

However, for these three nights, Qin Shu had not taught him anything else besides the horse stance.

Li Zhuiyuan was not in a hurry because his progress in reading was even faster.

For him, simply memorizing and stacking calculations was not difficult. After three full days and nights of studying under the bedroom lamp after practicing the horse stance, he had already finished the seventh book of "Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained."

In addition, he had also read three books of "Destiny Deduction Theory," barely mastering the basic algorithms for deducing one's destiny.

However, he also knew that this was an early advantage gained from his strong learning ability.

To progress further, he would need to spend time and effort to overcome it bit by bit.

Especially the eighth book of "Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained," which he hadn't started yet, but in his heart, he already knew its difficulty. Yet, this eighth book was the most important one!

However, even without achieving mastery, learning these things made him feel a bit eager and itching to try them out and see the practical results.

On the second-floor balcony, Li Sanjiang was lying on a rattan chair, smoking, drinking tea, and leisurely listening to "Zha Mei An" being sung on the radio.

Li Zhuiyuan walked over and asked, "Great-grandpa, when is your birthday?"

"What's up?"

"I want to remember it in advance so I can celebrate your birthday."

"Heh, it's just unfortunate, it already passed before you returned home. The next one will be next year."

"Then tell me first, so I can remember it."

"Alright, alright, alright."

Li Sanjiang told him his birthday. He didn't think much of his great-grandson asking so meticulously, even asking for the exact time, and told him everything.

Afterward, Li Sanjiang noticed his great-grandson looking at him intently for a moment, then writing and drawing in a notebook.

"Little Yuanhou, what are you writing?"

"Calculating."

"Math problems?"

"Mmm, sort of."

"Let Great-grandpa see." Li Sanjiang reached out and took the notebook, only to find that it wasn't filled with numbers, but with lines of horizontal and vertical strokes, some dense and some sparse.

"What is this?"

"Calculation steps."

"Do teachers teach this nowadays?"

"Mmm, it's faster to calculate this way."

"Oh, then you calculate and study well."

"Mmm." Li Zhuiyuan continued to observe his great-grandpa's facial features while continuing his calculations.

"Little Yuanhou, Great-grandpa is going to Jiuweigang tomorrow and won't be back tonight. Hanhou said he'd take you to pick the river, right?"

"Mmm, I've already agreed with Grandpa."

"Alright then, go out with him for some fresh air. Your Grandpa misses you. I'm telling you, back then, your Grandpa liked your mother the most. Now, he likes you the most. Your Grandpa is extremely partial."

Finally, Li Zhuiyuan finished his calculations. His brows furrowed, and he exuded an air of dejection.

"Hey, Little Yuanhou, what's wrong?"

"Great-grandpa, I made a mistake in my calculation."

"It's okay if you made a mistake. As long as you know you made a mistake, just recalculate. It's not a big deal."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

Based on his calculations of his great-grandpa's facial features and destiny deduction, the summary of his great-grandpa's destiny was:

[Innate premature death, plagued by illness, short lifespan, depleted wealth, aversion to water in destiny, forbidden from unconventional paths.]

Looking at his calculated results, and then at his great-grandpa lying there listening to opera.

If only one or two were wrong, or vague, it would be understandable. After all, he hadn't learned everything yet, so some errors or inaccuracies were normal.

But how did he manage to get everything wrong?

No, it wasn't just a simple miscalculation; it was the complete opposite!

A strong sense of frustration surged in his heart, an experience he had almost never encountered in his past studies and life.

Before, he had felt a bit smug about how quickly he was learning, but now, that was all gone.

"Grandpa, I'm going back to my room to sleep."

"Alright, go on, go on. Sleep early. Your grandpa will come pick you up in the morning."

"Grandpa, you should sleep early too."

Watching Li Zhuiyuan's lonely retreating figure, Li Sanjiang scratched his chin in surprise, thinking to himself:

This kid just got one problem wrong, is that really worth it?

Returning to his bedroom, he sat down at his desk.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the two sets of books in front of him, suddenly feeling an urge to throw his pen away and push all the books onto the floor.

He didn't want to study anymore; he'd developed a reluctance to learn.

He propped his face up with his left hand and picked up the bronze mirror on the desk with his right, playing with it.

He'd discovered it that night: his small Go box was gone, and in its place was a very ancient-looking bronze mirror.

He knew that A'li must have taken his gift and given him one in return.

In the bronze mirror, his reflection showed a face full of dejection.

As he looked, he suddenly felt that this was the normal expression someone his age should have.

This time, when he faced this inexplicable emotion, he didn't panic or feel fear. He didn't need to repeatedly hypnotize himself or persuade himself of his identity.

He hadn't expected that making a mistake in his calculations could have this effect.

Li Zhuiyuan slowly put away his sense of frustration. He took the mirror with his left hand, continuing to look at his face in it. Then, he picked up his pen with his right hand and began to calculate.

I'll calculate myself.

There's a saying, "doctors don't cure themselves."

But far more taboo than that saying is… "diviners don't divine themselves."

However, Li Zhuiyuan had learned physiognomy and divination from the two books he'd moved out of the basement. He had no teacher, and the author of the books clearly hadn't considered that someone who could read and understand the book would also be ignorant of such basic things. It was like the first page of a calculus textbook wouldn't give you a multiplication table.

As he continued calculating, Li Zhuiyuan felt his head growing heavy and groggy.

I must be tired. Yeah, I'll sleep after I finish calculating.

Continuing to calculate, He felt like he was getting a runny nose. Did he have a cold?

He reached out to touch his nose and looked down.

Thankfully, he wasn't sick.

It wasn't a runny nose.

It was blood.

Crack!

Li Zhuiyuan's small face slammed onto the desk, and he fainted.