The Eighteenth Chapter

At five in the morning, Li Zhuiyuan lifted his head, sat up, and leaned back in his chair, his eyes half-open.

He maintained this posture until 5:30 AM. As his senses gradually returned, his head began to ache and spin. His pupils refocused, and his consciousness slowly returned.

Li Zhuiyuan pressed his hands to his forehead, massaging it slowly.

He had no idea how he had fallen asleep, or even when he had woken up.

After another fifteen minutes, Li Zhuiyuan took a deep breath and looked at his desk, finding a pool of blood that had also stained his calculation notebook.

As his gaze swept over the scribbled lines, Li Zhuiyuan felt a sharp pain in his head and immediately closed the notebook.

He vaguely recalled that before he lost consciousness, he seemed to have been calculating his own destiny.

It seemed he wasn't supposed to calculate his own.

Glancing at the time, Li Zhuiyuan got up and started cleaning his desk. He then picked up a washbasin and took a bath, washing his blood-stained clothes and hanging them up to dry.

After tidying up, he didn't go back inside. Instead, he sat down on the rattan chair on the balcony, where he usually read.

The cool morning breeze brushed against his face, making him feel more alive, though his head still felt a little uncomfortable.

The light in the east bedroom turned on. Through the window's reflection, a small figure could be seen sitting, with a taller figure beside her, combing her hair.

So, A Li woke up this early every day.

As he watched, the figures in the window disappeared, and the sky was in its final stage of gray darkness.

The main door of the east house opened, and the girl walked out, holding a small wooden box of Go pieces.

She looked up and saw Li Zhuiyuan, who was already sitting outside the second-floor bedroom. Their eyes met.

Soon, Qin Li arrived beside Li Zhuiyuan and sat down on a small stool.

Instead of unfolding the oil-paper Go board as usual, she looked at the boy.

A moment later, Li Zhuiyuan felt a warm, soft little hand take his.

Perhaps, in the girl's understanding, every time he held her small hand, she felt peace and comfort. So this time, she took his hand, hoping to offer the same.

The boy and girl sat there, holding hands, gazing at the waves of rice gently swaying in the morning breeze ahead, watching the gray on the horizon gradually replaced by the dawn.

Time passed slowly, yet it also passed quickly.

"Achoo!"

Li Sanjiang walked out of the bedroom, sneezing.

He turned and looked at the boy and girl sitting side-by-side, and suddenly thought of the boy and girl under the Guanyin Bodhisattva in the New Year paintings.

It wasn't that they looked alike, but the delicate features of the two children were exactly like the rounded lines of the boy and girl in the paintings.

Li Sanjiang sniffled and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. He had noticed changes in himself recently. He used to think living and leaving freely was good enough, but he never expected that in his old age, with the appearance of Little Yuanhou, he would truly find the joy of enjoying his grandchildren.

Aunt Liu called that breakfast was ready.

Breakfast was unusually early today because both Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuiyuan had to go out.

Breakfast wasn't porridge, but instant noodles – Sanxian Yi noodles.

Aunt Liu had also placed a cooked egg at the bottom of each noodle bowl.

The noodles were delicious. Li Zhuiyuan hadn't felt hungry at first, but after a few bites, it was as if his body's senses had completely thawed from ice. He finished his bowl quickly.

Aunt Liu went and made another bowl for Li Zhuiyuan and brought it over.

After finishing the second bowl of noodles, Li Zhuiyuan felt that he had completely recovered from the aftereffects of calculating his own fortune last night.

"Want more?" Aunt Liu asked.

"I'm full, Aunt Liu."

Beside him, Qin Li also put down her chopsticks. She ate her noodles slowly, always slurping a strand of the same length, then biting it off, chewing and swallowing before taking the next bite.

Li Sanjiang also finished eating. Smacking his lips, he said:

"Honestly, these instant noodles aren't as good as the plain noodles at our town's noodle shop. A bit of lard, soy sauce, pepper, and some chopped scallions, and they're much better than this."

Aunt Liu agreed, "That's true."

If any other adult said this, they would likely be trying to save money by devaluing instant noodles so they wouldn't buy them in the future.

But this was not the case with Li Sanjiang. The destruction of a batch of funeral paper crafts had almost depleted his cash flow, showing that he truly didn't save money and spent whatever he earned on living, especially food and drink.

In fact, in many rural towns and villages today, having instant noodles for breakfast was considered a luxurious act that would make neighboring children cry with envy.

In some provinces and regions, instant noodles have even gradually developed into local specialty dishes, such as instant noodles with meatballs and a poached egg.

Li Sanjiang picked up his travel bag and stamped his foot, preparing to leave.

His bag was unusually long because he had packed the Peachwood Sword inside. Ever since this Peachwood Sword had helped him slay a Corpse Demon last time, he cherished it even more.

He had even specifically called the manufacturer from the village committee. He had intended to order another batch, but they informed him that the furniture factory had undergone privatization and had long since stopped the production line for Peachwood Swords.

Now, the one he had in his hand had become a rare, discontinued item.

Li Weihan and the others arrived, each pushing a small cart with baskets and tools on top.

"Uncle Sanjiang."

"Grandpa."

"Great Grandpa."

The four uncles seemed very well-behaved in front of Li Sanjiang, because Li Sanjiang usually didn't indulge them. He would directly call them ungrateful wretches whenever he saw them, making them quickly detour whenever they spotted Li Sanjiang from a distance in the village.

Pan Zi and Lei Zi happily ran up to Li Zhuiyuan immediately. Li Zhuiyuan hadn't been staying at his grandparents' house lately, so they had fewer opportunities to get together.

"Let's go!"

Li Sanjiang patted his pant legs, then took Li Zhuiyuan's hand and walked out with Li Weihan and the others.

Qin Li watched Li Zhuiyuan leave. She had known that Li Zhuiyuan was going out today, but after he left, she slowly lowered her head, her gaze falling on the noodle bowl Li Zhuiyuan had just finished.

Liu Yi immediately winked at Aunt Liu. Aunt Liu darted forward and collected the bowls and chopsticks to wash them.

Immediately after, Uncle Qin returned, carrying a large bundle of bamboo. He threw it onto the threshing ground and clapped his hands.

Liu Yumei sat down next to Qin Li and smiled, "A Li, I'll have A Li make you a rattan chair just like Little Yuanhou's. What do you think?"

Qin Li didn't respond.

Liu Yumei pursed her lips and said to Qin Li, "You hurry up these two days and make two brand new rattan chairs, exactly the same, suitable for children to sit and lean on."

Qin Li nodded.

Qin Li raised her head.

It wasn't obvious, but she was indeed happy.

By the roadside at the village entrance, without waiting long, an old-fashioned bus drove over.

At this time, township buses didn't have platforms or fixed stops. Although there were regulations, they were generally privately contracted. They would stop when they saw someone waiting by the road, and passengers could ask to get off at any time.

Li Sanjiang wanted to say a few more words to Little Yuanhou, but the bus came too quickly. He could only get on first. After the bus drove away, Li Weihan picked up Li Zhuiyuan and placed him in his eldest uncle Li Sheng's cart, letting him sit.

Then, everyone walked along the roadside together. In a short while, they caught up with the Siyuan Village contingent.

It was basically composed of the able-bodied male laborers in the village who met the age requirements. There were very few women. This was also because the current vigorous river dredging project was nearing its end, and the required labor and work hours had been greatly reduced.

Decades ago, at specific times each year, almost all rural areas in Jiangsu, men, women, old, and young, would be organized to carry tools. Those near rivers would repair riverbanks, and those without rivers would build reservoirs.

Sometimes, during major project campaigns, they would be organized to go to more distant places to work together.

In the middle of winter, the biting wind was bone-chilling. There were not many construction machines back then; it was basically all done by human labor.

Everyone within the eligible age range had to participate. The construction period was long back then, requiring a long time to live and eat at the construction site, bringing their own food and building their own shelters.

Who knows how many elderly people developed chronic illnesses because of the hardships of river dredging back then.

Eldest Uncle Li Sheng laughed, "I still remember when we went to dredge the river with Mom and Dad when we were kids. Dad used to say something to us back then, didn't he? If you don't study hard, you'll have to dredge rivers forever, haha."

The three uncles beside him also laughed.

Second Uncle Li Zheng said, "In the end, Dad's words were all in vain. None of us brothers had the brains to study, and in the end, only our little sister got out."

Third Uncle Li Xiong nodded, "Exactly, exactly. Mom was biased when she gave birth. She kept all the good brains for our sister."

Li Weihan pretended to be angry and laughed, scolding, "What nonsense are you kids spouting? If you could have studied, would I have gritted my teeth and not supported you?"

Everyone burst into laughter again, exchanging playful banter.

Everything seemed to have returned to a long time ago.

The four of them, led by their parents, went to work dredging the river together. Along the way, it was just like this.

This was probably why Li Weihan was so invested in this river dredging. His sons had all started their own families and were fathers of several children. They usually focused on their own small families, and friction and disagreements were inevitable.

Only at times like this, when they all carried their tools, pushed their carts, and were alone, could they find those old feelings and memories.

However, this warmth was destined not to last long. Families with many children and limited financial resources would basically face the same problems. It would only be when life got better and they were all older that they might be able to let go of those calculations and grudges and truly regain their familial affection.

Of course, it was also possible that they would never let go and that brothers would become estranged and never speak to each other again.

The procession continued forward, and the uncles kept introducing the sights along the way to Li Zhuiyuan, Pan Zi, and Lei Zi.

"This embankment was built by us back then. We were still young then and could only help transport soil from behind."

"This reservoir was also built by us. It was so cold back then, it was frozen."

"This ditch was also dug by us. Pan Zi and Lei Zi were still little then, hahaha."

Following their introductions, Li Zhuiyuan, sitting in the cart, kept gazing out. He felt a sense of emotion. He had always thought that many facilities that seemed to exist naturally weren't actually naturally existing.

Now, these water conservancy facilities, which almost every village had, were the best imprints of that era's engineering project that was coming to an end. They were the crystallization of sweat and effort poured out by the vast number of laborers through their own labor.

As the Siyuan Village contingent marched, they continuously merged with other village contingents. The scale of the procession began to grow larger and larger, gradually becoming endless.

The village leader would carry a flag with the village name written on it, and the township leader would carry a larger flag and hold a megaphone.

The flag was old, and the words on it had long since faded. Even the megaphone, which didn't have electricity, was already rusty. However, nowadays, they only served a symbolic purpose. The habits and consciousness cultivated over decades had long been ingrained in the hearts of several generations.

Li Weihan's tools were shared by his sons, allowing him to leisurely light his water pipe. The smoke he exhaled gradually made his gaze a little hazy, perhaps from the smoke, or perhaps because this steady man was suddenly moved.

He said, "I remember when we were rushing the work, the cultural troupe came to the construction site to perform and boost everyone's morale. I only remember that line, and I don't know who said it on stage, but it was:

If this embankment isn't built now, if this river isn't dredged now, if this reservoir isn't built now, then it will be left for our future children to build. We'll eat all this bitterness, and then our children won't have to suffer anymore."

It really seems like they were right.

"After Panhou and Leihou, they won't have to dredge the river anymore."

The uncles chimed in, agreeing that life was indeed much better now than it used to be.

The construction site was quite far, so the teams from several towns had gathered and set off early, only arriving around noon.

Moreover, there were many temporary sheds along the construction site, and nearby civilian houses were also requisitioned to provide hot water and rations.

Hot water was available anytime, and rations were distributed in village teams and sub-teams.

The Li family members sat together, eating scallion rolls. The four uncles each took out salted bean paste and pickles they had brought from home.

"Little Yuanhou, can you eat this?" asked the eldest uncle, Li Sheng.

"Mmm, it's delicious," Li Zhuiyuan replied, breaking off a piece of scallion roll and putting it in his mouth. The fragrance of the scallions mixed with the aroma of the dough, making it truly tasty.

"Now they provide food. Back when you and Grandpa were dredging the river, we had to bring our own dry rations. We couldn't even get hot water, we had to boil it ourselves."

After eating, there was no time for a lunch break. Cadres from the brigade came down to assign everyone their work sections.

Soon, Li Zhuiyuan saw a dense crowd of people, carrying tools and pushing carts, descending into the un-drained, muddy river ditch from both sides. They looked like a swarm of ants.

Yet, they didn't appear humble or insignificant; instead, they exuded a sense of awe.

Organized into small collective units, they started working enthusiastically, shouting slogans.

Li Zhuiyuan was just there to tag along and wasn't considered labor, so he wasn't assigned any tasks. Nearby, many children of similar age to him were playing with their parents, some still eating their scallion rolls.

However, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't really play with them. He joined Pan Zi and Lei Zi in pushing carts to move earth.

At this moment, a group of young people, who appeared to be university students, walked over and asked Pan Zi and the others to help set up ropes and markers for measurement. Li Zhuiyuan was also assigned a task: holding a wooden awl and standing at a designated spot.

Beside him were two university students. One was taking measurements, and the other was holding a pen to record. Since they addressed each other by name, Li Zhuiyuan learned that the one measuring was Xue Liangliang, and the one recording was Zhao Hequan.

Zhao Hequan said with a smile, "There are fewer and fewer projects like this. Our juniors won't have to be assigned to construction sites to do this anymore. I really envy them."

After Xue Liangliang announced a data point, he lowered his head to continue measuring and retorted:

"No, there will only be more large-scale projects like this in the future. But our country will no longer have to mobilize the masses for volunteer labor like in the past. The most difficult period is almost over; things will only get better from now on."

"Xue Liangliang, what are you talking about?"

"What, you don't believe me?" Xue Liangliang asked with a smile. "Then just wait and see. Believe me, projects like this will be considered trivial, even insignificant, in the future."

"If it's insignificant, then what are we doing here?"

"I'm saying it will be insignificant in the future, not in the past or present. Nantong is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River. In the past, so many water conservancy projects were built. First, for shipping and transportation; second, for agricultural irrigation; and third, most importantly, for flood control.

Without these infrastructure facilities, there would be no future development."

"Hehehehe." Zhao Hequan chuckled. He thought his classmate, who was in the same group as him, was a bit silly.

After the data was measured, Xue Liangliang stood up straight, announced the last set of data, and stretched his arms. He looked at the bustling yet orderly construction scene before him and couldn't help but sigh:

"The great people are creating a great history."

"Wake up, Xue Liangliang. You almost made me think I was in a political class. Are you secretly memorizing for your final exam?"

Xue Liangliang smiled and didn't respond. He looked down and saw Li Zhuiyuan, holding the wooden awl, also looking at him and smiling. He reached out and patted Li Zhuiyuan's head, asking, "Little friend, you came with your family at such a young age?"

"Mm-hmm," Li Zhuiyuan replied. "Being small is also being part of the people."

"Hahaha!"

Xue Liangliang burst into laughter at this remark, bending over to hug Li Zhuiyuan. Then, he took out a few White Rabbit candies from his pocket and put them in Li Zhuiyuan's pocket.

He found the child very interesting, and Li Zhuiyuan also found the young man very engaging.

Especially the expression and tone when he said those words reminded Li Zhuiyuan of his Paternal Grandfather.

Just then, there was a commotion from the construction site in the distance. Someone was running towards them, shouting:

"They dug something up! They dug something up!"

It was common to unearth things during construction work. Although everyone found it novel, not many people went to see, as they had to hurry to complete their own tasks.

However, the university students assigned to the construction site had more freedom after completing their tasks. Zhao Hequan immediately pulled Xue Liangliang, urging him, "Let's go, Liangliang, let's go see what they dug up."

Gradually, news started to spread. Everyone learned that a small temple had been unearthed, about the size of an ordinary family's toilet.

Normally, this wouldn't be much. As a region of alluvial plains, the density of ancient tombs and buildings was certainly far less than in the Central Plains. However, during construction, they occasionally unearthed small tombs of ancient local gentry or sacrificial temples.

But in this special era, archaeological excavation and protection had to yield to construction. Anything blocking the construction route would be dug up and removed.

Of course, it was also because these local gentry didn't have enough status to warrant serious attention from relevant authorities; at least a minor noble would be needed.

However, if something like this were encountered during construction in places like Xi'an or Luoyang, even a minor noble would have to step aside, as they weren't rare.

But the temple unearthed this time was somewhat unusual. Someone reported that the temple enshrined a female Bodhisattva, who was bound by chains. The other ends of the iron chains were nailed to the corners of the small temple.

The onlookers found the arrangement somewhat sinister and were hesitant to approach and handle it.

The statue of the Bodhisattva was still pushed over by two college students from Haihe University, who broke the chains with hammers.

This allowed the construction to continue.

By dusk, most of the major teams and squads had already exceeded their daily quotas. Everyone was experienced now; finishing early meant getting inspected and going home sooner, and also having more time to arrange a place to sleep for the night.

This was where the advantage of Li's four sons became apparent.

They didn't have to pitch tents by the river works or sleep on straw mats. Instead, they occupied a civilian house's courtyard that had been requisitioned near the construction site.

Although the courtyard lacked walls, it had a flat area to sleep on, and a well and toilet nearby, which were already very good camping conditions.

The four uncles were responsible for heating water, collecting rations, and finding straw to make beds. Li Weihan, meanwhile, sat with Li Zhuiyuan, Pan Zi, and Lei Zi, resting.

Several large light bulbs were connected to the courtyard, providing illumination below and serving as a landmark. This was also a hot water supply point, and a barefoot doctor was stationed here.

Li Zhuiyuan saw Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan again. Their group, consisting of over twenty college students led by a teacher, was also staying here tonight.

However, their conditions were better; they could sleep indoors.

The uncles sat on the prepared beds and lectured Li Zhuiyuan, Pan Zi, and Lei Zi:

"You kids should really pay attention. This is the benefit of studying. You need to study hard."

Li Weihan, who was smoking water pipe nearby, coughed from the smoke. Weren't these the same words he used to say to these four brats?

It was almost the same scene, the same situation, the same earnest advice.

But alas, it was useless.

Li Weihan finally understood and accepted it: teaching people doesn't work; experiences teach people, and one time is enough.

No matter how much others lectured about the pitfalls ahead, it was useless. They had to fall into them themselves to understand the principle, but what was the point then?

Lei Zi and Pan Zi listened patiently to their father and uncles' lectures for a while before they couldn't help but get up, calling out to some other kids their age nearby to play the paper-folding game.

They each folded their own paper packets, gathered them together, and took turns. Whoever could flip the opponent's packet over would win it.

The older kids were engrossed in the game, with continuous crisp "pap pap pap!" sounds. A group of younger children gathered around, watching intently and learning the techniques.

Li Weihan turned his head and noticed that his grandson, Little Yuanhou, wasn't joining the game. Instead, he was sitting there with a book on his lap, reading intently.

Li Weihan leaned his head over and took a look. The words on the page seemed like dense little tadpoles, and he couldn't help but ask worriedly:

"Little Yuanhou, can you see clearly?"

"Grandpa, I couldn't see clearly at first, but now I can."

Li Zhuiyuan hadn't brought a magnifying glass because he had already adapted to the small font. To be precise, after getting used to it, he no longer needed to precisely distinguish the strokes of each character. He could recognize the words by their general feel.

He realized it later. It was only after quickly memorizing the text with a magnifying glass that he gradually understood the author's original intention for writing the characters so small.

This was deliberately training the reader's "eyesight," not visual eyesight, but the ability to perceive things, to visualize detailed elements.

Li Zhuiyuan vaguely found a breakthrough. The key to the eighth volume of "Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained" was the transition from concrete to abstract. First, one had to thoroughly grasp the concepts and their applications through rote memorization and extensive calculation, then refine them collectively. The accumulation of quantitative change would lead to qualitative change, completing the sublimation from science to metaphysics.

He could now feel the eyebrows, eyes, mouths, noses, and ears he had memorized, and the various faces formed by them, beginning to distort and merge in his mind.

Although the extent was still shallow, he had found his direction. Ultimately, only one face would remain in his mind. Then, when he needed to read a person's face in reality, he could directly imprint their facial features into his mind for comparison.

"Mmm, be careful not to strain your eyes," Li Weihan cautioned and then stopped disturbing his grandson's reading.

Looking at his grandson engrossed in his book on one side, and then at Lei Zi and Pan Zi shouting and playing the paper-folding game on the other.

Li Weihan felt that life was a cycle. Wasn't this the same feeling he had when he saw his studious daughter and his four unpromising sons in the past?

He used to wonder how, from the same litter, there could be a phoenix and four common chickens.

Now, he had a premonition that this story would repeat itself with his grandchildren.

Uncle Sanjiang had once said while drinking that their old Li family's ancestral grave caught fire, which was why he was blessed with Lanhou. Well, in a few years, when Little Yuanhou grew up and went to college, it might catch fire again.

The college students over there had been assigned tasks and were considered to be doing an internship. The energy of young people was always unimaginable. They didn't rush back to their rooms to sleep but gathered under a light bulb in the courtyard, took out some snacks they had brought, and started a tea party.

Xue Liangliang noticed Li Zhuiyuan. He had a deep impression of this little boy and walked over with a piece of shredded meat floss bread wrapped in oil paper, placing it in front of Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up, saw him, and smiled, "Thank you, brother."

"Little friend, are you from around here?"

Although he was also working on the river project and was dirty, this child's attire and demeanor didn't seem like that of a rural kid. The main thing was the uninhibited and generous demeanor that emanated from his bones.

"Uh-huh, yes. I'm Li Zhuiyuan, and this is my grandpa. Those behind me are my uncles."

"Heh heh, my name is Xue Liangliang. Are you in elementary school? What grade?"

"Mmm, third grade."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. In fact, he himself sometimes found it difficult to explain to outsiders what grade he was in. He just knew that once students reached a certain age, they would automatically be promoted.

For a while, the old professors were driven to the brink of collapse by each other. Then, a few very young teachers came to teach them, and the effect of mutual torment increased rapidly. Everyone enjoyed the intense "torment" immensely.

Later, he found out that these exceptionally young teachers were senior students in their class.

"Study hard, and strive to get into college in the future."

"I will, brother."

Just then, someone from the tea party over there called out, "Xue Liangliang, hurry up and get ready. You're next to speak."

"Here, here."

Xue Liangliang turned and walked back to his seat.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at the group of university students sitting together. The scene was familiar; he often saw similar sights on campus.

Those older brothers and sisters, like himself, were all students. They liked to sit on the campus lawn, playing guitars and reciting poetry. The boys often grew their hair long enough to cover their eyes.

Tonight's tea party topic was about future aspirations, a topic assigned by the intern teacher, which was quite fitting for his identity.

The speaker was Zhao Hequan, the guy who had been in the same measurement group as Xue Liangliang during the day. He was now in the final stages of his presentation:

"America is a country where even the air is exceptionally sweet.

And my future lies in America!

My girlfriend and I are already applying to study abroad in the US. We plan to stay in America, in the land of freedom and dreams, to enjoy our freedom and realize our life ideals!"

As he spoke, his eyes gleamed, reflecting the light from the bulb overhead.

His face was full of intoxication and a kind of devout reverence.

When his speech ended, the surrounding students applauded and cheered.

Currently, the West, especially the American Dream, was sweeping through the nation's intellectuals, particularly young university students, like a storm.

After the reform and opening-up, the gap in material living standards and the impact of Western popular culture were destroying this generation's confidence with terrifying force.

Going to America, staying in America, was no longer something to be ashamed of. Instead, it was considered a normal form of political correctness.

Even the intern teacher didn't find anything wrong with it. After all, many students taught by the school's teachers had gone abroad, and quite a few who were sent on public assignment had simply disappeared from their groups and stayed.

"I also hope that everyone will have the opportunity to find their life's meaning in America in the future. My girlfriend and I look forward to reuniting with you all on the other side of the ocean."

Li Zhuiyuan looked up at Zhao Hequan. He didn't use the "Destiny Deduction Theory" to calculate anything, merely using the "Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained" to briefly analyze his facial features.

The results obtained this way would be fewer and less precise, but Zhao Hequan's face was quite standard:

[Marital fortune will be rough, destined for a lonely life.]

Li Zhuiyuan fell into thought. But he seems to have a very good relationship with his girlfriend, so did I miscalculate again?

After Zhao Hequan finished, he stepped down, and Xue Liangliang was the next to speak.

Li Zhuiyuan handed a shredded pork floss bun to Lei Zi, who had just returned from finishing his paper-burning ashes, looking dejected and sulky.

Then, he closed his book, propped his chin on his hand, and decided to seriously listen to what this older brother had to say about his future.

Xue Liangliang walked to the center of the students. He didn't look up, his expression calm, not excited. The light from the bulb overhead cast a halo on his back, like the rising sun.

"My future is in the Great Southwest.

I majored in Hydraulic Engineering. I believe that the Great Southwest, with its abundant water resources, is where I can best apply my knowledge in the future.

The geology there is special and not very suitable for the construction of nuclear power plants, but it holds rich prospects for hydroelectric power generation. The country will definitely invest heavily in building hydropower stations there in the future, and energy is an important cornerstone of the country's industrial development.

I believe that in the future, the hydroelectric power in the Great Southwest will not only meet the production and living needs of the local people but also support the entire country.

This is a great undertaking, and I feel it is my honor to integrate my future into it."

After he finished speaking, the students below exchanged glances, feeling as if an anomaly had suddenly appeared among them.

Some familiar classmates lowered their heads and chuckled softly, clearly accustomed to Xue Liangliang's behavior.

However, many villagers who had made their beds nearby were also listening to the students' conversation. When Xue Liangliang finished, many of them shouted, "Good!"

At this moment, Zhao Hequan felt the most embarrassed. Although his classmates and teacher didn't show much, he felt that Xue Liangliang was deliberately targeting him. He couldn't help but interject with a hint of sarcasm:

"Oh, stop pretending. I don't believe you wouldn't go to America if you had the chance. Let alone America, you'd go to Japan or Korea if you had the chance."

Xue Liangliang retorted, "If it's for study, why wouldn't I go?"

"Pfft." Zhao Hequan pointed at him. "See? You've spoken your true feelings. If you go, you won't think of coming back. You have no idea how big the gap is between us and them. A gap that can never be closed."

Xue Liangliang shook his head. "It will be closed. Under its leadership, we have already achieved tremendous development. The future will definitely get better and better."

"But while you're developing, aren't they also developing? With such a huge gap, even if they stood still, you wouldn't catch up in a hundred years!"

Xue Liangliang shook his head again. "It's impossible. This world is materialistic. Unless nuclear fusion can achieve a breakthrough and be commercialized, the world's market cake is destined to be limited. As long as we continue to develop, this will no longer be a game of catch-up."

Zhao Hequan frowned. He didn't understand, nor did the other students, and even the intern teacher looked puzzled.

"Xue Liangliang, what are you talking about? Aren't we lagging behind and trying to catch up?"

"We are catching up, but not chasing. The better we develop, the more advanced our industry becomes, the more cake and market share we can grab. In the future, they won't just stand still waiting for us; they will actively regress and... move towards us.

I believe that in fifty years, our total economic output will definitely surpass Japan and South Korea."

The students looked at Xue Liangliang as if he were an idiot. The supervising teacher couldn't help but cover his mouth and smile.

Xue Liangliang continued:

"Is this so strange?

In the future, there will come a day when our shipbuilding industry's output will exceed South Korea's, and our automobile manufacturing industry's output will exceed Japan's. When they lose these industrial advantages, won't they regress?

As for staying abroad, perhaps the living conditions there are indeed very good now, but staying abroad is not suitable for me. I hope my studies can have a platform for application.

And I don't believe that if people speaking different dialects within the same country can face discrimination, then going abroad to different races and skin colors will somehow prevent discrimination and provide a free platform for development."

"That's unreasonable, because it's too anti-human."

"Good!" "Good!" "Good!"

The surrounding villagers' cheers grew louder, including Li Weihan and his four uncles, who joined in the applause. Although they didn't understand many of the words, a simple, heartfelt sentiment and expectation from the bottom of their hearts made them feel that what this student was saying was refreshing.

Zhao Hequan was somewhat ashamed and angry: "You don't understand, it's you who doesn't understand, you don't understand America at all, nor the true meaning of freedom."

A student next to him chimed in: "Xue Liangliang, since you're so sure, then you must know what will make a lot of money in the future. Tell us, hehe."

"Yeah, tell us."

"We'll follow you and learn how to see the future and make money together."

Xue Liangliang pondered for a moment and replied seriously: "According to the development laws of early-stage economies, when an economy is in a period of rapid ascent and development, its real estate industry is bound to experience tremendous growth.

Therefore, if you want to invest for stable appreciation, everyone can buy houses in the core areas of big cities, even if you have to take out bank loans to do so."

The crowd was stunned at first, then erupted into even louder laughter, many laughing until tears streamed down their faces.

Xue Liangliang sat down, and the next student went up to give their speech.

However, many classmates still whispered to their neighbors while looking at him with mocking and teasing eyes.

Xue Liangliang, however, was unfazed and continued to sit in his seat, applauding the student who was speaking.

Li Zhuiyuan still didn't use his destiny calculation, but he silently observed Xue Liangliang's physiognomy.

Marriage smooth, long life and peace.

Li Zhuiyuan blinked. If the result was the opposite again this time, he would truly be angry.

It was late at night, and the tea party had long since ended.

The villagers on the open ground had fallen asleep, and the group of college students had also retired for the night. However, due to insufficient housing and female students avoiding impropriety, some of the male students had to sleep on the ground outside.

Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan were among them.

Snoring filled the air on the open ground, like a symphony.

However, everyone was tired from the day's activities, so there were no issues with insomnia, and they all slept soundly.

Li Zhuiyuan lay beside Li Weihan, using a book as a pillow.

As he drifted off to sleep, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly felt a chill. Logically, even sleeping outside during this season shouldn't be cold enough to make one shiver. He was lying on straw prepared by his uncles and covered with a quilt brought from home by his grandfather.

But soon, Li Zhuiyuan realized what was happening.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't performed the luck-transferring ritual with himself since Great Grandfather's injury, he hadn't had that kind of dream for a long time.

This familiar feeling now told Li Zhuiyuan... he was dreaming again.

But with his experience and theoretical knowledge, he wasn't as flustered as before. He lay still, quietly opening a sliver of his eyes.

He saw that he was still lying in the same spot, with his grandfather's sleeping breaths beside him, and his uncles and Pan Zi and Lei Zi diagonally in front of him.

But he knew this wasn't reality; it was a dream, because that eerie coldness was growing stronger.

If he hadn't been desperately holding back, he would have involuntarily curled up and shivered.

Just then, he saw a woman walking up from the steps of the open ground.

The woman was wearing white clothes, her skirt trailing long on the ground, and she was wrapped in chains.

But the skin exposed on her body was a charred, reddish-brown. As she walked, pieces of flesh kept falling off, making a sticky sound.

After reaching the center of the open ground, the woman stopped. Her head began to look around, as if searching for someone.

Everyone else was sound asleep and couldn't see the woman.

As the woman was about to look in his direction, Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes completely.

After a while, feeling that enough time had passed, Li Zhuiyuan stealthily opened his eyes again.

But with this glance, he discovered that whether the woman had looked around several times or had been staring in this direction all along, from Li Zhuiyuan's perspective, He and the woman made eye contact!

In an instant, Li Zhuiyuan's blood felt like it had frozen, and his heart pounded wildly.

The woman's face was a bloody mess, as if burned or scraped, presenting a horrifying scene like churning mud and blood when the earth is tilled in early spring.

The only prominent feature was her mouth. Her lips were unclear, and only two rows of white teeth were visible, which only enhanced the horror!

The woman was still staring here. Li Zhuiyuan, however, dared not close his eyes again or make any further movements.

But the woman took a step, then another, walking towards him.

It's over.

Did she realize I could see her?

Even though his heart was churning like stormy seas, Li Zhuiyuan forced himself to remain still, controlling his breathing to be the same as before.

As the woman drew closer, a smell of burnt meat, mixed with a hint of mold and sourness, wafted to his nose, making him feel sick and nauseated.

However, Li Zhuiyuan continued to breathe normally, as if he were still sound asleep.

The woman reached him and slowly crouched down.

Her terrifying face was almost pressed against Li Zhuiyuan's nose.

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't close his eyes at this moment and was forced to stare back at her.

He watched the rotten flesh on her face fall off piece by piece. Two pieces of flesh landed on his own face, sliding slowly down his cheek.

It was sticky, with disgusting juice.

At this moment, time seemed to pass extremely slowly, with every second feeling like a year.

After staring for a while, the woman finally stood up, turned around, and walked step by step towards the central area.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't bother with the remnants of flesh still on his face. He remained motionless, his eyes still half-open in a narrow slit.

Suddenly, as the woman walked, her body continued to move forward, but her head rotated 180 degrees on her neck, turning backward to look at Li Zhuiyuan again.

This sight sent a cold sweat down Li Zhuiyuan's back. A bone-chilling coldness swept from the back of his head all the way down to his tailbone, then swept back up again.

Fortunately, he hadn't closed his eyes.

The woman seemed to confirm that this child just habitually slept with his eyes slightly open.

Her head turned another 180 degrees, returning to its original position.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Li Zhuiyuan repeatedly exhaled in his mind, feeling his head go numb and dizzy.

The woman seemed to have found who she was looking for. She walked step by step towards the group of university students sleeping on the straw mats outside the threshold.

Finally, she stopped between Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan.

Both were fast asleep, completely unaware of the terrifying creature so close to them.

The woman opened her hands, her sleeves retracting to reveal arms with exposed bone, where not only rotten flesh but also countless maggots wriggled in and out.

Li Zhuiyuan maintained his half-open-eyed posture. He wouldn't change this until he woke up.

Seeing this, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but wonder:

Could the two university students who smashed the Buddha statue's chains with hammers, as mentioned during the day, be Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan?

The woman slowly squatted down and reached her hands towards Xue Liangliang's neck on the right.

However, just as she was about to grab him, the light bulbs hanging from the eaves above suddenly flickered due to a poor connection.

The woman's head immediately snapped back, turning to her rear, staring at the flickering light bulbs.

After a few flickers, the light bulbs returned to normal.

The woman's head then followed the direction it had turned to her back, rotating forward again.

But this time, her rotation was not quite enough. Her face, which had been turned towards Xue Liangliang on the right, ended up facing Zhao Hequan after the clockwise turn.

Her hands naturally followed the direction her head was facing.

Then, towards Zhao Hequan's neck, she choked!