Chapter 22

As Li Zhuiyuan read, he felt hungry. However, Aunt Liu hadn't called for mealtime yet, and she was still busy in the kitchen preparing dishes again.

Breakfast had been moved up due to Xue Liangliang's shout, and lunch was delayed because of Run Sheng's arrival.

He figured everyone must be hungry by now.

Li Zhuiyuan went to his room and picked out some snacks, placing them between himself and A'Li. At the same time, he mentally noted to remind Uncle Qin to buy snacks in pairs next time he went shopping, otherwise, it would be difficult for him to choose since A'Li liked to eat the same snacks as him.

When they returned by tractor last night, Grandpa had brought him a case of Jianlibao, so Li Zhuiyuan took out two bottles and placed them in front of A'Li after opening them.

A'Li held the Jianlibao with both hands, her head bowed as she carefully examined it.

Li Zhuiyuan immediately said, "Drink it, don't collect it."

A'Li lowered her head even further.

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

Anyway, the shelf life of this item was long, and it was sealed. Li Zhuiyuan thought that since Grandma Liu had experienced the ordeal of rotten duck eggs, she should easily accept a can.

A'Li immediately picked up the drink, imitated Li Zhuiyuan, and took a sip. Then, she stuck out her tongue and licked her lips.

"Is this the first time you're drinking it?"

A'Li looked at him. Her expression wasn't very animated, but Li Zhuiyuan could always understand her.

"If you like it, I have another case at my place. You can have one bottle each time and take one bottle with you. After you finish them, I'll ask Grandpa to buy me more."

A'Li quickly took another sip. Although she didn't make any other gestures, Li Zhuiyuan seemed to envision:

A cute little girl holding a Jianlibao, with smiling eyes, happily swinging her legs.

"Shall we play chess?"

Upon hearing this, A'Li immediately took out the small chess box she had kept beside her.

After setting up the chessboard, Li Zhuiyuan and A'Li began to play. They had always played fast games by default, but this time, in the middle game, the two sides were evenly matched. It wasn't until the end of the game that Li Zhuiyuan was narrowly defeated.

This was the most difficult game A'Li had won since they started playing chess. The girl looked up at Li Zhuiyuan. She wasn't unhappy; instead, she looked even brighter.

Li Zhuiyuan, who had lost the game, smiled. He had a sudden idea to apply part of the algorithm from "Destiny Deduction Theory" to Go, which produced unexpected results.

The chessboard was still the same chessboard, but in Li Zhuiyuan's eyes, it had become vibrant. This also made his chess moves more flexible and varied.

However, when the second game began, Li Zhuiyuan noticed that A'Li's style had also changed.

After he had reminded her not to let him win, she indeed stopped intentionally trying to lose to him. But each time, she didn't mind playing with him longer. She cared about the experience of the process, and winning was just an inevitable outcome for her.

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

He lost, defeated by the girl's chess skill.

Yes, whether it was physiognomy or fortune-telling, they only provided another perspective to view the world. You were still yourself.

Having an extra perspective was a good thing, like gaining an extra pair of eyes or ears. But becoming too engrossed in it, thinking that mastering it would allow you to do as you pleased, was like a tiny ant standing on an elephant's head and looking out, truly believing it was that tall. That would be too ridiculous.

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan fall silent, A'Li reached out and gently tugged his sleeve.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled warmly. "I was just thinking about something in the book. It's not because I lost the game. How could I be unhappy losing to A'Li?"

Just as he had comforted the girl, Aunt Liu finally called them for dinner downstairs.

The dining tables were still separate, but with Run Sheng's arrival, Li Sanjiang finally had a companion in his solitude.

Li Zhuiyuan first served A'Li a small dish. After picking up his chopsticks and taking a couple of bites, he heard a "gurgling" sound from behind him, like muffled thunder on dry land.

He turned his head and saw that it was Run Sheng's stomach rumbling from where he sat in the corner.

Stuck in his food basin was a large incense stick, handmade by Aunt Liu, which had been lit and was burning. He was sitting there, waiting for the incense to finish burning.

Once a person has gone past the point of hunger, the feeling of hunger often diminishes. But when delicious food is placed before them again, the dormant hunger returns with double the intensity.

This feeling of having it right in front of you but still having to endure the wait for a timer was indeed a torment for Run Sheng.

Li Zhuiyuan asked curiously, "Brother Run Sheng, do you have to wait for the incense to finish burning before you can eat?"

"Yes, that's right." Run Sheng swallowed hard and then made a stirring motion with his hand. "I have to mix it with the incense ash to be able to eat it."

Li Zhuiyuan remembered this habit; Run Sheng had told him about it before. But this time, he wanted to ask, "Brother Run Sheng, is there a big difference between eating it after mixing it with ash and eating it directly?"

"Huh?" Run Sheng was stunned for a moment. "I've never really thought about that. Don't normal people usually wait for the incense to finish burning?"

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

"Then... should I try?"

Run Sheng pulled the incense out of his food basin and bit into the unlit end. As he chewed, his face didn't show any signs of pain; instead, his brows relaxed, as if he found it particularly refreshing.

Immediately after, he grabbed his chopsticks and eagerly shoveled several large mouthfuls of rice into his mouth. After swallowing, he looked at the incense in his hand with surprise and exclaimed:

"Little Yuan, I really ate it! It didn't make me feel sick or nauseous!"

Aunt Liu made incense using ancient methods. Although this thing wasn't meant to be eaten, it wouldn't cause any major issues if eaten. Well, considering Run Sheng's constitution, even minor issues would have almost no impact on him.

Run Sheng happily took a bite of the incense, then shoveled rice into his mouth with gusto. He ate with such delight, as if he were holding a large scallion to go with his rice, not an incense stick.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Brother Run Sheng, would you like some soy sauce?"

"Soy sauce?" Run Sheng pondered for a moment, then nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes."

Aunt Liu got up and went into the kitchen to get Run Sheng a bowl of salty sauce for his breakfast congee, placing it on his small table.

Run Sheng picked up a large chopstick, dipped it in the sauce, and took a bite. It was so delicious his eyebrows felt like they were about to fly upwards.

"Little Yuan, you're amazing. This is so much tastier than waiting for the congee to finish cooking before eating it."

Run Sheng felt like he had opened the door to a new world, eating with immense satisfaction.

Li Sanjiang took a swig of white wine and, looking at Run Sheng's way of eating, couldn't help but laugh and curse, "Damn it, I'll have to find a way to get you some authentic Northeast fermented bean paste later. That stuff makes anything taste good."

Li Zhuiyuan took a sip of soup and looked at Li Sanjiang. "Great-grandpa, have you been to the Northeast?"

Li Sanjiang wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, sat with his legs spread apart in a posture like the mountain bandit Zuo Shan Diao, and said, "Of course I have! Back in the day, your Great-grandpa was conscripted and sent straight to the Northeast. Luckily, I was nimble-footed and managed to escape all the way from the Northeast into Shanhaiguan Pass."

Once this floodgate of stories was opened, it was hard to stop. Li Sanjiang took another sip of wine and continued, "After entering the pass, I thought I'd follow the railway south. But before I'd gone far, I was conscripted again. They put me in uniform and pushed me to the front lines to fight.

But this time I had experience. While the officers were drunk, I spotted an opening and, under the cover of night, took a whole squad of men and slipped away. By the time we were nearing Xuzhou, and my hometown was just around the corner, wouldn't you know it, I got caught again.

This time, it was quick. On the third day, the unit I was in was scattered. The platoon leader wanted to reorganize us, so I started stirring things up from below, and the whole platoon, which was almost reassembled, fell apart again. After that, I became more cautious. I didn't dare to follow the railway or main roads anymore. I went wherever the roads were small and the people were few. That's how I finally made it home.

Once I got home, I couldn't settle down. I was caught again later, but I'd gotten so good at slipping away that they'd catch me during the day, and I'd be back by night. After that, I just stayed hidden at home, too scared to wander around carelessly, and stayed put until I was settled."

Li Zhuiyuan sighed, "Great-grandpa, you're truly amazing." The three major campaigns, and Great-grandpa had participated in all of them. Even though he was on the opposing side, he was still contributing to the main battlefield.

Li Sanjiang rubbed his rough chin, humbly saying, "Not bad, not bad. Heh heh."

Run Sheng had already finished half a basin of rice and was taking a short break. He interjected, "On the way here this morning, I saw they were setting up for a movie screening. They said they're showing a film tonight in the open space at the town market. The movie is called 'Crossing the River Reconnaissance.' Little Yuan, are you going to watch it tonight?"

"Run Sheng Ge, after we eat, we're going to the Niu family's place in Shigang."

"No problem, no problem," Li Sanjiang waved his hand. "We can just give them a quick visit there. We should be back early enough to make it."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at A'li in front of him. He knew the girl couldn't stand scenes with so many people packed closely together. "I won't go then. I'll stay home and read. Run Sheng Ge, you and Great-grandpa can go."

Just then, Liu Yumei suddenly spoke up, "A'li is going. Even if she has to sit further away, she needs to see this movie."

Li Zhuiyuan noticed the slight tremor in Liu Yumei's voice. He turned to look and saw that she was still eating her meal normally, but her eyes seemed a little red. This was the first time he had ever seen Liu Yumei lose her composure like this.

After the meal, Run Sheng brought out the family's handcart, and Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuiyuan sat on it. Run Sheng pushed the cart steadily, and they barely felt any bumps, though the speed was a bit slow.

"Runsheng Hou, over the next few days, you should learn to ride a tricycle. Those are faster."

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

"Do I look like a tractor to you?"

Run Sheng fell silent.

Li Sanjiang lit a cigarette and looked at Li Zhuiyuan. "Little Yuanhou, do you think our family should buy a television?"

"If Great-grandpa wants to watch, then we should buy one."

"Great-grandpa is asking you."

"Oh, I don't have much time to watch TV." In the basement, there were so many boxes of books waiting for him to read. Where would he find time for television?

"You little sprout."

Li Sanjiang had wanted to use the television to cheer up his great-grandson, but he found that the boy didn't seem very interested. He had given him pocket money, but he only took what he bought himself, and he never even went to the small shop.

Run Sheng, pushing the cart, said excitedly, "Buying a TV would be great, great!"

"Great your head! Push faster, do you want to watch the movie tonight or not?"

"Oh, oh!"

Arriving at the intersection in front of Niu Fu's house, Li Sanjiang got off early. He tidied his clothes and then solemnly raised his peachwood sword, carefully wiping it with a cloth. After making these preparations, he walked into Niu Fu's house. Niu Fu's two sons and two daughters-in-law came to greet him. As soon as Li Sanjiang entered, they eagerly offered him tea and snacks, showing great hospitality.

Li Sanjiang sat down first and started talking with them.

These kinds of employers are the easiest to deal with because they'll spill everything to you like a string of beans, and then you just have to act according to the narrative they want.

Meanwhile, Li Zhuiyuan searched the house for Niu Fu. He checked several rooms but couldn't find him, which made him suspect that Niu Fu didn't live there.

When he came out of the main house and went to the woodshed next door, Li Zhuiyuan finally found Niu Fu.

In his original plan, Niu Fu should have been lying on a bed, unable to move, and neglected by everyone.

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

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

The pile of dry grass beneath him was his bed. To his left was a stack of dry firewood, and to his right were towering piles of miscellaneous items.

There were two bowls nearby. One contained water and was relatively clean, while the other was dirty, its layers of grime accumulated over an unknown period; it was likely used for food.

As for Niu Fu's clothes, his upper body was bare, and he wore dirty shorts on his lower body. They were so grimy they almost seemed to be caked onto his skin, reeking of filth.

It made sense; if his children wouldn't even let him sleep in a bed, they certainly wouldn't bother washing him or changing his clothes.

Li Zhuiyuan covered his nose with his hand and leaned in slightly.

The last time he saw Niu Fu, although he was hunched over, he was otherwise quite robust. After all, he was only fifty, an age that in the countryside still qualified as "able-bodied labor."

But now, Niu Fu was extremely thin. His mouth was open, and he was mumbling incessantly, it was unclear if he was speaking or if it was an involuntary reaction.

When Li Zhuiyuan entered, Niu Fu did turn his head slightly to look, then shifted his gaze back, his eyes unfocused as he stared at the ceiling.

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

"Meow."

A cat's meow was heard. On the wall nearby, a disabled and ugly black cat stepped out.

It looked at Li Zhuiyuan and even lifted a paw to lick it.

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

The black cat's paw-licking motion froze.

"Everyone is pretending the others don't exist, lacking interaction. Tonight, you create some commotion to escalate the conflict."

"Meow..."

This time, the meow had a hint of a tremor.

Li Sanjiang began performing a ritual in the courtyard. His two sons, who didn't even have time to wash their own father's bowls, were now kneeling before the offerings with their wives, looking extremely devout.

After the ritual, Li Sanjiang patted their shoulders one by one with the peachwood sword and said to comfort them:

"Don't worry, you know what bad deeds your own fathers have committed. Some debts are incurred by the elders, and they will be settled by the elders, without implicating you. Put your minds at ease.

If you feel that your bad luck hasn't completely left, it's not impossible to deal with. You can transfer the remaining bad luck to other close relatives, but you must keep your mouths shut. Absolutely do not say a word, otherwise, you won't even be able to be relatives anymore."

"Transfer, transfer, we'll transfer, sir, please help us transfer it!"

"Forget it, let's not do it. It's too malicious and would ruin my cultivation."

Li Sanjiang began to play hard to get. When another red envelope was presented, he sighed and said, "Alas, since that's the case, I will help you transfer the bad luck, but you must keep this matter strictly confidential. Never let it leak out."

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

Li Sanjiang performed another ritual for them. After finishing, he said, "Alright, the remaining bad luck has been transferred to the second and third sons' families."

Amidst the profuse thanks from everyone in Old Woman Niu's family, Li Sanjiang, along with Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng, walked out.

As they rode in the cart towards Niu Rui's house, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Grandpa, I originally thought you would lecture them."

"Lecture them? Heh, my brain isn't waterlogged. People who need lecturing even for taking care of their parents, is there any point in lecturing them?

It's better to ask for more money. That way, Grandpa can buy more pig's head meat and wine.

I just hope the Niu family doesn't have any more incidents. If another incident occurs, it'll be hard for Grandpa to smooth things over, and I'm really afraid it will tarnish my reputation."

"Didn't you resolve that 'dead float'?"

"Right, that's true."

Li Zhuiyuan knew that there would indeed be no more incidents. After the three children were tormented to their ends, the Cat-faced Old Woman would also dissipate on her own.

As they neared Niu Rui's house, they saw Niu Rui squatting on the threshing ground, using a small stove to decoct medicine. Beside him, his children were mocking him, saying that his medicine was useless and only wasted money, and that no matter how he treated it, he wouldn't get better.

Niu Rui had killed someone in his youth. Although his mother, Old Woman Niu, had cleaned up his mess, he still had a fiery temper deep down.

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

His son roared and rushed forward to attack Niu Rui, and Niu Rui began fighting with his son.

Although he had contracted a strange illness, it was currently in a phase where his condition had just been brought under control. He ended up grappling with his son on the ground, locked in a fierce struggle.

Niu Rui's wife, seeing this, screamed and clawed at Niu Rui's face, berating him for being worthless, not only spending the family's money on medicine in his old age but also daring to lay hands on her precious son.

The child's cries, the sounds of fighting, and the shouting converged, as if a symphony was being performed on the threshing ground.

When Li Sanjiang arrived, they finally quieted down, and then the bruised and swollen faces of the entire family were replaced with fawning, ingratiating smiles.

Niu Rui had been personally rescued by Li Sanjiang, and the Niu family had also heard the voice of the long-deceased Old Woman Niu from the old house, so they were very convinced of Li Sanjiang.

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

After Li Sanjiang comforted them, he began performing the ritual again.

After the first ritual was completed, Li Sanjiang uttered the same words to lead away bad luck. Niu Rui's son immediately handed him a red envelope, and Li Sanjiang performed another ritual.

But before leaving, Niu Rui secretly slipped him another red envelope, begging Li Sanjiang to exorcise evil spirits and cure his illness.

Li Sanjiang accepted it and said he would set up an everlasting lamp for him when he got back. However, he also instructed Niu Rui to take his medicine on time and not to stop, no matter what.

This could be considered a professional ethic for those in fringe professions. You take my money for blessings, which serve as psychological comfort, but you must continue taking your medicine and seeing a doctor for your illness.

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

Because Li Zhuiyuan knew clearly that Niu Rui's illness was incurable. It would be a bottomless pit that would continuously bring him hope, only to plunge him into deeper despair.

Niu Fu had completely lost his ability to care for himself after being paralyzed, so his status plummeted. Niu Rui, on the other hand, was still in the midst of struggling.

Although Niu Rui wasn't in such a dire state yet, if the current conflicts continued to accumulate, it would definitely ignite more brilliant fireworks in the near future.

Just look at the hateful glances his family was already casting at him; the outcome would not be disappointing.

Therefore, when the black cat passed by him this time, Li Zhuiyuan just nodded calmly.

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

Li Zhuiyuan didn't see Niu Lian in the main house and went to check the woodshed, but she wasn't there either.

Finally, next to the pigsty, he saw Niu Lian, bound there with an iron chain. On the other side was the family toilet.

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

It was quite considerate of the elders, fearing she might be lonely.

Her food basin was right next to the pig trough, and leaning against the basin was the scoop used to ladle feed for the pigs. It looked as if they would feed her along with the pigs when feeding them.

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

She was conscious now and not numb. Seeing an outsider approach, she covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her shame.

Li Zhuiyuan saw her grandson and granddaughter. One had a bandaged head, and the other had a bandaged arm. They were likely injured by Niu Lian when she had an episode.

The two children were spitting at her and throwing pebbles at her, not playfully, but deliberately aiming at her body.

The children's parents saw this but didn't intervene. Instead, their eyes were filled with hatred.

The black cat emerged from under the eaves above the pigsty.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't speak. He walked a little further away, and then, from beside the pigsty, Niu Lian's pleas could be heard again. She said her illness was cured and begged her children to release her, saying she was already well.

What greeted her were curses from her children, and a few fierce kicks from her son when he lost his temper.

Niu Lian curled up in the corner, yelping like a dog as she was kicked.

Clearly, they had believed her before and had been "deceived."

The black cat jumped down step by step from the higher and lower objects, finally reaching Li Zhuiyuan's feet and rubbing against his trouser leg with its cat face.

Li Zhuiyuan bent down and stroked its head.

The black cat enjoyed it, leaning almost against him and exposing its belly.

The old master began performing the ritual. As usual, he accepted an extra red envelope to help lead the bad luck to those two families.

As they left Niu Lian's house and headed home, Run Sheng, pushing the cart, steadied it with one arm and began counting on his fingers with the other:

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

Li Zhuiyuan corrected him, "Brother Run Sheng, it's different."

"How is it different?"

"Because Grandfather accepted three extra payments."

"That's right, Little Yuan, you're right!"

Upon returning home, it was dusk, the time for dinner. After eating, Li Sanjiang yawned and waved his hand, "I'm not going to the movie. I'm going to take a bath and go to sleep. I'm exhausted."

He had performed many rituals today. Even a young person would find it hard to endure six dances in an afternoon, but the old master had persevered through it. His physical fitness was truly remarkable.

Uncle Qin was waiting with many stools, and Aunt Liu, too busy to tidy up the bowls and chopsticks as usual, temporarily set aside her housework and waited with them.

Liu Yumei had changed into a qipao, put on jewelry, and applied rouge.

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

The movie was being shown on an open space next to the town market. Before it even started, people had already come to occupy seats.

Uncle Qin and Run Sheng squeezed their way in, placed their stools, and forcefully created an opening.

Given their build, the people around them could only glare in silence and move their own stools away.

However, Uncle Qin then took out many candies from his pocket and distributed them to the children, and also handed out cigarettes to the adults. The surrounding people happily accepted them and no longer felt any dissatisfaction.

Liu Yumei and Aunt Liu sat between the two men. Although she was old, she still carried herself gracefully. From the back, she seemed out of place among the crowd.

As for Li Zhuiyuan, he sat with Qin Li in a deserted corner far away, quite a distance from the screen and in a rather obscure spot. The viewing experience wasn't great, but it had the advantage of being quiet and undisturbed. In fact, crowded places like this weren't very suitable for Qin Li.

A few small vendors with carts set up stalls behind them, selling cheap snacks and toys. These vendors could also be seen at celebrations, heading wherever there were people.

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

Li Zhuiyuan felt his pocket. When he was living with Li Weihan, Cui Guiying would regularly give him pocket money. However, as soon as the money was in his hands, his siblings would flock around him, and they'd go to Aunt Zhang's small shop to buy snacks to share with everyone.

The day after he was sent to Grandfather's house to "become a monk," Li Weihan and Cui Guiying came to bring him clothes and gave him some money again. This time, they gave him quite a bit more.

Furthermore, Li Sanjiang also gave him pocket money. Since Li Zhuiyuan didn't have many expenses, all this money was saved.

At least among the children, he was considered quite wealthy.

"A'Li, wait for me here."

Then, Li Zhuiyuan walked up to a vendor and bought two bubble-blowing toys.

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

As the movie played, the two of them blew bubbles incessantly from the back.

A'Li had a lot of fun, and the small bottle was quickly emptied. Considering the girl's habit of collecting things, Li Zhuiyuan bought her three more.

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

Actually, there were many small accessories on the stalls, like butterfly hair clips and colorful headbands, but Li Zhuiyuan, considering how Grandma Liu personally styled A'Li's outfits every day, felt that adding these would not have a good effect.

Most importantly, he knew that if he gave them to her, she would definitely wear them. In the end, he decided not to deprive Liu Yumei of the joy of changing her granddaughter's outfit every morning.

A'Li looked at the red bracelet on her wrist. She must have liked it very much, as she had stopped blowing bubbles.

However, she soon looked at Li Zhuiyuan's wrist again.

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

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

Run Sheng was very excited, constantly reciting lines from the movie and lamenting that there were no wars nowadays, otherwise he could also become a reconnaissance soldier crossing the river.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled and agreed with him, thinking to himself that Run Sheng was indeed quite suitable, and his professional skills were somewhat aligned.

Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu were very quiet, giving the impression that they had just attended a relative's funeral.

Grandma Liu, holding a handkerchief, walked along wiping her tears.

Li Zhuiyuan politely greeted them. Seeing that Grandma Liu was unwilling to talk, he let it go.

As the group walked back quickly from the town market, they saw Aunt Zhang from the small shop running from the village road opposite:

"There's a phone call! There's a phone call! It's for you, Little Yuanhou!"

The on-site seminar on the boat on the river lasted much longer than expected. The local comrades would certainly seize every opportunity to push this project with all their might. Luo Tingrui also leveraged his professional expertise, beginning to explain some of the key challenges and difficulties of the project to the leaders around him.

In fact, most of the comrades on the boat didn't understand water conservancy and engineering, but this didn't stop them from listening with great interest.

This was because the construction of this bridge considered much more than just professional aspects; it also needed to integrate shipping demands, urban planning, highway construction, and even military factors.

The most important factor was the speed of social development. They had suffered similar lessons before. At that time, they thought the early planning was bold and aggressive, but not long after the construction was completed, they realized it was still too conservative.

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

The boat began to head towards the shore, and everyone took out cigarettes to share with each other.

Xue Liangliang didn't smoke and stood alone by the ship's railing. Upon learning that Bai Family Town might be located beneath his feet, his mind had been somewhat unsettled.

Suddenly, he heard a movement from beneath the river.

He looked down, and in the water, a figure seemed to appear.

At this moment, a hand patted his shoulder, startling Xue Liangliang.

He turned around and saw Luo Tingrui.

"What's wrong, Liangliang? I've noticed you've been distracted."

"I'm fine, Director."

"What is it, you don't like attending these meetings?"

"No, Director, I might not have rested well. I know how important these meetings are."

"Well, since you plan to dedicate yourself to this field in the future, you must learn to adapt. We professionals can easily develop a disdain for administrative work, but without efficient and stable organization, many things cannot be implemented. Sometimes, the more specialized one is in certain areas, the more amateurish they become in others."

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

"Let's go, we're docking. Get a good night's sleep on the way back, don't be late for tomorrow's class."

"Yes, Director."

Back on shore, they got into the bus. Xue Liangliang sat in the back row, and shortly after the bus started moving, he fell into a daze and fell asleep.

As he slept, Xue Liangliang suddenly felt a coolness in his lower body. He opened his eyes and was immediately stunned. He was sitting on the bus seat, but he didn't know how water had gotten into the vehicle, and the water level had already reached his waist.

He looked ahead. The interior lights of the bus were on, allowing him to see the people sitting in front and even hear their hushed conversations.

"The bus is flooding! Driver, sir, the bus is flooding!"

Xue Liangliang shouted, but no one paid him any mind. It was as if everyone else was oblivious.

"Driver, stop! The car is flooding! Driver! Director, Director!"

Still, there was no response.

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

Just then, a figure seemed to flash past the darkness in front of him, so fast that Xue Liangliang thought he was hallucinating.

But soon, the figure appeared again, its face pressed against the car window.

In the dim light inside the car, a blurry face was illuminated, making it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman.

"Crack..."

However, at that moment, the car window suddenly opened, sliding all the way up.

The next moment, the water inside the car seemed to find its only escape route and surged towards him.

Xue Liangliang felt as if he was being squeezed out of the car window by the current. He was washed out and plunged into darkness, his body drifting uncontrollably.

"Splash..."

He didn't know how long he had been drifting. It felt like being washed ashore by the river's current. A sharp pain shot through him, and he regained consciousness.

He looked down and found himself lying on the riverbank, on top of jagged stones. The palms of his hands, his arms, chest, and thighs were all scraped bloody.

There were no major wounds, but the widespread abrasions were agonizing.

Suppressing the pain, Xue Liangliang struggled to stand up. He scanned his surroundings. The moonlight overhead was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, casting a hazy gloom over the area below.

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

But hadn't he already left Nantong by car? How had he ended up back here?

Xue Liangliang felt lost. Suddenly, he saw a woman appear in front of him.

The woman was wearing a blue dress and had her hair in a ponytail. She held a porcelain vase in her left hand and a black umbrella in her right.

Why was she holding an umbrella?

The moment Xue Liangliang thought this, he realized it was raining, and heavily. The large raindrops struck his body, causing pain.

Had it been raining all along?

"Hey, who are you!"

Xue Liangliang shouted at the woman.

The woman seemed not to hear him. She continued to walk towards the river, holding her umbrella.

As he got closer, Xue Liangliang got a clear look at the woman's face. Her makeup and features had a slightly worldly air, but she was very young.

If Xue Liangliang had had the chance to check the police bulletin board after leaving Siyuan Village, visiting the hospital, and then coming to the river, he would have seen her photo. The police had issued a warrant for her arrest.

Seeing the woman still walking towards the river, Xue Liangliang reached out and grabbed her arm holding the umbrella.

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

The woman ignored him and continued forward.

"Plop..."

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

Then, he realized his hand was stuck to her arm as if glued, and he couldn't break free. She was dragging him into the river.

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

When the woman stepped into the river, Xue Liangliang was able to regain his balance with the help of the water's buoyancy. But next came the intense sensation of choking and suffocation, which was even more terrifying.

He struggled desperately but to no avail.

The woman continued to move forward. She walked on the riverbed, surrounded by darkness. Xue Liangliang floated up, one hand still stuck to the woman's arm, but his entire body was now above her.

He wanted to shout, but every time he opened his mouth, water rushed in, completely preventing him from making a sound.

He had no choice but to grab the woman's hair with his other hand. Wrapping the hair around his hand, he began to exert force.

The woman's body didn't change at all; she continued to move forward on the riverbed. Xue Liangliang's upward force turned into a downward pull, pressing him against the woman's back.

Her hair began to grow, growing incredibly long. It was also extremely tough. Even a few strands clinging to him were enough for Xue Liangliang to be unable to break free. Instead, the more he tried to escape, the tighter he became bound.

In the end, he was practically hugging the woman from behind as she carried him forward.

The despairing sense of suffocation continued. Xue Liangliang could no longer keep track of how long he had gone without breathing. He was in immense pain and suffering, but for some reason, he remained conscious.

This was no luck at all, as it allowed him to experience his torment more clearly and vividly.

Now, he was praying to drown quickly, to be freed sooner.

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

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

And in the light, he could vaguely see the shadows of houses.

There was not only light at the bottom of the river, but there was actually a village.

Suddenly, Xue Liangliang felt all the hair that had been binding him loosen, and even the hand that had been stuck was freed.

He didn't float upwards but instead landed on the ground.

The woman continued to advance, following the guidance of the light, steadily heading towards the vaguely visible village.

To Xue Liangliang's immense terror, he realized it wasn't just the woman who had brought him down; in the darkness of the riverbed within his line of sight, there seemed to be many other figures. All were women in long dresses, wearing clothing of different styles and even different eras.

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

The water around him seemed to have a fixed current. Xue Liangliang, slumped on the ground, felt his body being pulled uncontrollably in that direction.

He instinctively tried to grab onto anything beneath him that he could hold onto for stability, but failed at everything. Grabbing stones only upended them, and grabbing mud only stirred up a cloud of silt that quickly dispersed.

No matter how much he resisted or how unwilling he was at that moment, he couldn't change the reality that he was being forcibly pulled away.

Finally, He was closer to the light. From a distance, it had looked like a single source of light, but up close, he saw it was a convergence of red and white lantern lights.

The village also became more three-dimensional and clearer. Houses were neatly arranged, and at each doorway, there was a niche with an ever-burning lamp, emitting a faint, eerie green glow.

Directly in front of him, a memorial archway appeared. It was grand and ancient, covered in a thick layer of moss.

Two rows of hanging lanterns were suspended on either side, from top to bottom, large to small.

The left side had red lanterns, symbolizing celebration; the right side had white lanterns, signifying deathly silence.

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

Reading from right to left, "Bai Family Town."