Chapter 25

A smooth marriage, long life, and peace.

Li Zhuiyuan recalled the physiognomy reading he had given Xue Liangliang.

Everything had multiple sides. As long as one changed perspectives often enough, there was always a good side to be found.

Take this marriage, for example. It really was going quite smoothly.

They fell in love at first sight and pledged themselves for life in a single day.

Even if they only saw each other once every three years, paired with long life and peace, that still counted as some kind of compensation, didn't it?

"Little Yuan, come with me to see Zhao Hequan. Let's see whether he's better now."

"Brother Liangliang, can you get out of bed now?"

"I can."

Xue Liangliang got out of bed, and then his legs started trembling.

Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly supported him, preventing him from falling.

Xue Liangliang looked a little embarrassed.

"Brother Liangliang, you've only just recovered from a serious illness. It's normal to be a little weak."

"Yes, yes."

"Walk slowly. Lean on me."

"Okay, Little Yuan."

The two left the ward, went downstairs, and arrived outside Zhao Hequan's room.

Zhao Hequan's parents had already rushed over from out of town. They were listening to the doctor explain his condition. Both were dressed rather formally and well, so their family circumstances were probably quite good.

When they heard the doctor say that Zhao Hequan's condition had suddenly improved and that he was completely out of mortal danger, the two cried with joy.

But then they heard the doctor say that Zhao Hequan had previously suffered ulceration and suppuration across many parts of his body, that some areas had needed to be removed, including the two eggs down below,

The two cried even louder!

A troubled love life, destined to die alone.

Li Zhuiyuan silently recited the words in his heart. It seemed he had been right again.

However, he had originally thought it would come true after Zhao Hequan went to America with his girlfriend. He had not expected it to happen so soon.

Avoiding the two sobbing old people, Xue Liangliang pushed open the ward door and entered with Li Zhuiyuan.

By then, Zhao Hequan had awakened. He was sitting up against the hospital bed.

He looked utterly haggard and dejected.

Li Zhuiyuan remembered that when he had first returned to the village and played with Pan Zi and Lei Zi, he had seen a listless dog lying on the threshing ground.

He had asked the older boys at the time whether the dog was sick.

Pan Zi had answered, "It was just neutered yesterday. It hasn't recovered yet."

However, although they were both wearing hospital gowns, the moment Zhao Hequan saw Xue Liangliang, fighting spirit flashed in his eyes. He instinctively assumed Xue Liangliang had come specifically to laugh at him!

Li Zhuiyuan knew that was not the case. Brother Liangliang had come to confirm whether the Bai Family Empresses had all returned home and come ashore.

On closer consideration, this should have been part of the negotiation terms too—Brother Liangliang's "hidden bride price."

Therefore, Xue Liangliang should have been Zhao Hequan's lifesaver.

Zhao Hequan said, "Heh heh, don't celebrate too soon. American medicine is advanced. Once I get to America, I'll be cured!"

Xue Liangliang nodded and comforted him. "Relax. It doesn't matter if it can't be cured. If they keep deconstructing the concept of the collective, then people like you should hold increasingly high status in America in the future."

At those words, Zhao Hequan's whole face turned bright red with rage. His body began to shake, as though someone had stepped on eggs that no longer existed—or as though he were suffering phantom limb pain.

"Heh, I'll definitely live happier and better than you in the future.

"I'll live well and wait to see you make a fool of yourself.

"And let me tell you this: Lili has already called me. She said that no matter what happened to me, she wouldn't despise me. Once we go to America, she'll marry me. Then I'll mail you pictures of our church wedding."

"Congratulations." Xue Liangliang sighed. "I'm already married."

"What did you say?" Zhao Hequan froze for a moment, then shouted, "You're making up nonsense just to anger me? You've made it up so badly that you don't even care about logic anymore?"

At that moment, the ward door was pushed open again. Luo Tingrui had arrived.

A student had been injured during a practical class, so the school naturally had to take responsibility. It not only had to cover the treatment costs, but also had to provide compensation. Fortunately, the student was out of danger.

"Zhao Hequan."

"Director Luo." Zhao Hequan immediately smiled at Engineer Luo.

"Focus on recovering. Try to return to school and continue your studies as soon as possible."

"Okay, Director Luo."

"Liangliang, you only just woke up. Why did you run out here? Be good and go back to your ward to rest. How can I feel at ease seeing you like this?"

"I'm already fine, Director Luo."

"Why are you still calling me Director? Call me Uncle from now on."

"Okay, Uncle Luo."

No one could deceive others while unconscious. Luo Tingrui had already thought highly of Xue Liangliang, and after this incident, he liked the young man even more.

He had already made up his mind to submit an application to the school to join the Southwest development aid project. Then he could bring Xue Liangliang along with him and give the boy a higher starting point from the outset.

"All right, I'll head out first. Go back to your ward and rest early." After saying that, Luo Tingrui went out to comfort Zhao Hequan's parents.

By then, Zhao Hequan was gritting his teeth in fury. Director Luo's tone toward him was completely different from his tone toward Xue Liangliang. He had even told Xue Liangliang to call him Uncle?

He understood now. No wonder Xue Liangliang said his marriage had been arranged. He was going to become related to Director Luo by marriage!

As a student of Haihe University, Zhao Hequan naturally knew that although Luo Tingrui was only a department leader at the school, he was absolutely a grandmaster-level figure in his field nationwide. Moreover, the authorities were now encouraging university specialists to enter public service. If Luo Tingrui were willing to leave the school, his status outside would immediately rise enormously.

"Very good, Xue Liangliang. I really couldn't tell. No wonder you acted so convincingly every day. So you were trying to climb the social ladder!"

"I was under immense psychological pressure too. I had no choice but to do this."

"You..."

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that white smoke was actually rising from Zhao Hequan's head.

At that moment, Zhao Hequan's mother came in while wiping away tears. "Hequan, the Shanghai specialist the school pulled strings to invite will be here soon. Your father and I are going to meet them at the entrance. Don't worry, your illness will be fine."

"Mm..." Zhao Hequan nodded with a dark expression.

After his mother left, Zhao Hequan sneered. "See? This is what it's like in China. You need connections for everything, and there are always favors to exchange. Unlike America, where none of that exists."

Xue Liangliang asked in confusion, "How did you come to think that a country which still has a system of recommendation letters has no exchange of favors?"

"You... Get out. Get out of here, get out!"

"Recover well. Make sure you get some rest."

Supported by Li Zhuiyuan, Xue Liangliang walked out of the ward. After closing the door, Xue Liangliang said:

"Let's not go back to the ward yet. Let's go to the hospital entrance and buy you snacks and toys."

"No need."

"Yes, there is. I don't know exactly what happened, but I know that since you came, it means you helped me a great deal. Besides, I promised you this in the first place.

"Come on. It's only natural for an older brother to buy his little brother food and toys, isn't it? Unless you don't want to acknowledge me as your brother?"

"Okay, Brother."

The two slowly went downstairs. At a corner on the first floor, Zhao Hequan's parents were standing there talking. Since Xue Liangliang moved so slowly, they overheard a rather long stretch of conversation.

"Our son's thing is gone. Can it really be cured?"

"Even if it's cured, that thing is still gone. We should hurry up and try again, have another child. We can't let our family line end."

"I think I can still have children, but if we have a second child, then my job and yours..."

"We can just submit an application explaining the situation. After all, the eldest is already disabled."

"Mm, that's true."

Xue Liangliang and Li Zhuiyuan neither stopped nor greeted them. They went straight out of the inpatient building and into a shop outside the hospital.

"Go pick something out. Take whatever snacks you want, and grab some toys too. Don't be polite with your brother."

Li Zhuiyuan took some snacks and stationery just to go through the motions.

"Only this much?"

"It's enough for me."

"All right." Xue Liangliang paid the bill, then stuffed all the money he had left into Li Zhuiyuan's pocket, patted it, and said, "This is your brother's pocket money for you."

"Thank you, Brother."

When they brought Xue Liangliang back to his ward, they saw Uncle Qin sitting on a bench in the corridor waiting. After Li Zhuiyuan said goodbye to Xue Liangliang, he left the hospital with Uncle Qin.

"Go to sleep. I'll carry you."

"Okay, Uncle."

Li Zhuiyuan climbed onto Uncle Qin's back. He really was tired and sleepy, and before long, he fell asleep there.

He did not know how much time had passed. He only felt his body swaying slightly, and he could hear car horns beside his ears.

Li Zhuiyuan's first reaction was: had Uncle Qin used that paper-carriage trick too?

He opened his eyes excitedly, then felt disappointed.

The vehicle was full of people. It was a bus running from the city to Shigang Town.

This was not a technique Uncle Qin had used. These were tickets purchased with money.

Li Zhuiyuan really wanted to ask Uncle Qin more specifically about the paper carriage from last night, but he ultimately held himself back. The closer they got to home, the less certain things could be discussed.

Still, he remembered Uncle Qin saying last night that "she" had carried them over.

So the paper carriage was only something like dreamwalking or hypnosis. In reality, one of the Bai Family Empresses had carried him and Uncle Qin and run from Siyuan Village into the city?

Looking at it that way, it did not seem particularly remarkable. Wasn't it just a repeat of Brother Run Sheng?

"Not going to sleep a little longer?"

"No, Uncle. Strange, I only slept for such a short while this time, but I feel fully rested."

"Because the road construction caused a traffic jam. It's already four in the afternoon."

"Oh, no wonder."

The bus stopped, and Li Zhuiyuan and Uncle Qin got off. The two walked inward along Village Road.

"Little Yuan, Uncle wants to ask you something."

"Go ahead, Uncle."

"What do you think of your big friend's choice?"

"He didn't know what was happening outside, so it was normal for him to make that choice. It's understandable."

"That's not what I'm asking. Uncle wants to ask: if it were you, would you be willing to marry into the wife's family?"

Li Zhuiyuan stopped walking. He first looked toward Great Grandfather's Home in the distance, then turned to look at Uncle Qin standing beside him.

He did not answer Uncle Qin's question. Instead, he asked, "Uncle, are you leaving?"

Qin Li seemed not to have expected the boy to ask that. A brief look of astonishment appeared on his face. "Why do you say that?"

"A feeling."

Qin Li smiled. He did not press for an answer to his earlier question, nor did he say anything else. He quietly walked home with the boy beside him.

A Li withdrew her feet from the threshold, stood up, and carried her little chess box over to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan looked instead at Liu Yumei, who was sitting on the threshing ground drinking tea. Uncle Qin was standing behind her with his head lowered as he spoke.

Only after Liu Yumei nodded did Uncle Qin follow Aunt Liu back into the west room.

"Little Yuan, your Great Grandfather and Run Sheng went out," Liu Yumei said.

"Grandma Liu, did they get work?"

"Not that. Today, they just received payment for two batches of Paper Figures. Your Great Grandfather had money in his pocket, so he had Run Sheng take him into Shigang Town to buy a television."

Li Zhuiyuan could only sigh inwardly. Great Grandfather truly did not save money. He spent however much he had in his pocket.

Still, he had no real expectations for a television.

He had now finished reading Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained and Destiny Deduction Theory. Although he had not fully digested them—or rather, did not dare fully digest them yet—he could at least put those two books aside for now.

Next, he would have to go to the basement to look for more books.

Although Great Grandfather's earnest teachings still echoed in his ears, and he understood the importance of building a solid foundation, he really... could not hold himself back anymore.

He did not want the next time he went through something similar to be one who could only stand around as dead weight.

This kind of impatient, short-sighted thinking was definitely wrong and deserved criticism, but who told him he was still a child?

Mm, he could not always be too mature and rational. This was also part of controlling his condition.

Li Zhuiyuan first assembled the flashlight by the drawer, then entered the basement. This time, however, he brought A Li with him.

"A Li, come help me pick a trunk."

This time, Li Zhuiyuan no longer insisted on completely clearing out the first trunk.

A Li walked to the trunk in the middle.

"This one?"

Li Zhuiyuan motioned for A Li to hold the flashlight, then used all his strength to open the trunk lid.

"A Li, shine the light for me."

Li Zhuiyuan began searching through it for books. The books in this trunk were all thick sets, much like the Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu he had read the first time. They all had at least twenty volumes, and they were arranged very neatly.

But they were generally foundational or conceptual works. Mm, the most numerous were health-preservation books.

Li Zhuiyuan even spotted a copy of the Taixuan Dual Cultivation Scripture.

He pulled out one volume and flipped through several pages. There were illustrations and text, showing all kinds of movements and poses.

Before A Li could lean her head over, as she usually did, to read along with him, Li Zhuiyuan quickly shut the book.

He frowned. These were not the books he wanted to find. Though he admitted they would be useful in the future, for now they were nothing but a tasteless burden.

Li Zhuiyuan leaned into the trunk, intending to pull out the two sets pressed beneath everything else. After great effort and much sweat, he finally got them out.

If these two were still health-preservation books, then this trunk could gather dust forever.

His gaze fell on the book cover, and Li Zhuiyuan immediately perked up.

The Righteous Path Demon Subjugation Record Part 1!

Although the title sounded somewhat like the Hong Kong and Taiwanese martial arts novels popular on the mainland these days,

It was still far better than those health-preservation scriptures he had flipped through earlier, and it filled him with powerful anticipation.

But why was it only Part 1?

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the other set he had taken out. The cover read The Righteous Path Demon Subjugation Record Part 2.

So these two sets, more than a hundred volumes combined, were actually one book? Then why split them into upper and lower parts?

The books in the boxes were basically all handwritten copies, not published works. It wasn't as though the upper part had sold well and the lower part had been released afterward.

Li Zhuiyuan pulled out the first volume from each set.

He quickly flipped through them, scanning the format. The text and illustrations were detailed, depicting all kinds of Death Collapse in different environments, as well as the tools used to deal with them.

But why did it all feel so familiar?

With that feeling in mind, Li Zhuiyuan took out the first volume of the "lower" part and flipped through it. The text and illustrations were just as detailed, but every picture had bubbles drawn in it, indicating that it took place underwater. There were fewer tools involved, and more close-quarters combat with Death Collapse.

So, the upper part covered shore environments and methods of dealing with Death Collapse using various tools; the lower part covered underwater methods.

Still, the two should not be completely incompatible. It wasn't as though methods used on land could not be used underwater at all.

The author had probably divided them this way for convenience in recording them. They couldn't be applied rigidly.

But this comfortable handwriting and this familiar illustration style... Li Zhuiyuan immediately pulled out the final volume of the lower part and turned to the last page.

Sure enough, the final line read:

"—Written by Wei Zhengdao."

Seeing that name, Li Zhuiyuan felt a deep sense of familiarity.

Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu had been his introductory reading, but he truly hadn't expected Wei Zhengdao to have written a sequel.

If the former established the concepts, then these upper and lower parts before him were the formulas.

Li Zhuiyuan liked this feeling of rigor and order.

He looked around at the dozen or so boxes. Could there be more books by Wei Zhengdao inside?

A thought rose in Li Zhuiyuan's heart. If this person had truly started with introductory popular science books and written his way upward step by step... then the endings in Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu, where every Death Collapse was "vanquished by Zhengdao," might not simply have been the author's self-amusement.

Perhaps they really had been... vanquished by Wei Zhengdao.

Before, Li Zhuiyuan had only thought the author was interesting, and that the idea was absurd. How could one person visit so many places in a lifetime, encounter so many Death Collapse, and eliminate so many of them?

But after witnessing Uncle Qin's methods firsthand last night, he realized that perhaps it wasn't impossible.

Just as Great Grandfather had always refused to believe he attended classes at university, people really did easily make empiricist mistakes in fields unfamiliar to them.

"If I finish reading every book you've written, would that make you my teacher?"

Then if he wrote a diary in the future, how should he write beneath it?

Such-and-such Death Collapse,

vanquished by a successor of Zhengdao?

Liu Yumei was eating pastries and sipping tea when she saw Li Zhuiyuan carrying a stack of books up the stairs, followed by her granddaughter, who was carrying a stack herself.

The two children carried the books upstairs and put them in the bedroom, then ran back down and each carried another stack up from the basement. They made several trips back and forth.

Liu Yumei felt both helpless and amused. Ah, this was the precious granddaughter she had raised and cherished since childhood.

Still, this was good too. So long as he didn't let her continue sitting behind the threshold indoors, staring blankly into space, Liu Yumei wouldn't stop the boy even if he carried a hoe and took her out to work the fields.

After moving the books, Li Zhuiyuan took out a towel, wet it and scrubbed it clean, then helped A Li wipe her face and hands before folding the towel and wiping away his own sweat.

Then Li Zhuiyuan took out three cans of Jianlibao, opening one for A Li and setting one aside for her.

Next, the boy and girl sat together on the terrace, drinking their beverages in the evening breeze.

The girl's hair was occasionally lifted by the wind, brushing across his face and making it itch.

Every now and then, the boy glanced sideways at the girl's profile. She sat to the west, framed perfectly against the warm orange sunset.

"We're back!"

Run Sheng pushed the cart, with Great Grandfather sitting on it and holding a yellow cardboard box in his arms.

"Little Yuanhou, Great Grandfather bought your television and brought it back!"

"I'm coming, Great Grandfather."

Li Zhuiyuan ran downstairs to greet him, looking highly excited and delighted.

They unpacked it, plugged it in, raised the two antennas on top, turned the dial, and received the CCTV channel, the Nantong local station, and the county station.

The county station was airing a new Qiong Yao drama. Back then, as long as a small local TV station could get hold of a source, it would air whatever it could, without caring about copyright issues. After all, only locals watched it, and the broadcast range wasn't large.

"How is it, Little Yuanhou? Pretty clear, right?" Li Sanjiang rubbed the top of the television, showing it off to Li Zhuiyuan.

"Yes, it's clear."

"Your Great Grandfather bought the newest model. All right, Runsheng Hou, carry the television into Little Yuanhou's room."

"No need, Great Grandfather. Let's leave it on the first floor so everyone can watch."

"How could that do? I bought it for you. How could it not go in your room?"

"If it's in my room, I'll get addicted to watching TV and it will affect my studies."

"Oh, then all right. We'll leave it on the first floor."

"Great!"

Run Sheng happily carried the television inside. He spread out his bedding on the first-floor table every night, which meant he could watch television all night long.

Aunt Liu spoke up then. "Dinner's ready."

Four small dining tables had already been set out. Run Sheng held a thick stick of incense in his hand, with a bundle of thinner incense beside him, looking just like green onions and scallions.

Ever since Little Yuan had opened the door to a new world for him that day, he could no longer do without eating this way. But before eating incense each time, he had to light it first, then start gnawing from the other end.

Li Sanjiang took a sip of liquor and called out to Uncle Qin, who was eating with Liu Yumei and Liu Ting.

"Lihou, Old Zhao's family in Shijia Village is holding a funeral the day after tomorrow. I ran into them on my way back, and they ordered sixteen sets of banquet supplies from me. Tomorrow afternoon, take the tables, chairs, bowls, plates, and all that over to them.

"Oh, and Tinghou, take inventory again and see whether we have enough stock for one batch. If not, hurry and make up the difference, then have Lihou deliver it to Old Zhao's family when he goes there the day after tomorrow."

Aunt Liu nodded. "I'll make up the Paper Figures in time, but A Li..."

"What's wrong with Lihou?"

Qin Li got up from the table, walked over to Li Sanjiang, and said, "Uncle Sanjiang, my eldest uncle back home is ill. I'm afraid he may not make it. He has no children, so I need to go back and look after him."

"Then when will you be back, Lihou?"

"I don't know yet. At the very least, I'll have to see the old man off."

"Then you'll be gone quite a while." Li Sanjiang scratched the back of his head with the end of his chopsticks. "Are you going back alone? What about Tinghou?"

"Uncle Sanjiang, I'll be going alone. A Ting, my mother, and A Li will stay here."

"All right, then. Go ahead."

"Uncle Sanjiang, don't wait for me to return. There are a lot of things to do here, and you need a strong laborer. You should hire someone else."

"It's fine, it's fine. No need to hire anyone." Li Sanjiang pointed at Run Sheng, who sat in the corner gnawing incense and shoveling rice into his mouth, his face covered in grains of rice. "We've got Run Sheng!"

"Mm, you've got me. It'll be fine!" Not only did Run Sheng not refuse, he nodded vigorously and eagerly.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you aren't working for nothing. I'll pay you wages."

"Sir, saying that makes us sound like strangers. I get to live here, eat meat, chew incense, and now watch television. It's only right that I work for you."

"Bullshit! Do you think I can't afford to pay you? If your grandfather found out you were really working for me for free, wouldn't he be furious?

"Besides, save up some wages here, then after a while, go back and buy your grandfather some rice, flour, grain, cooking oil, and such. Don't let that old bastard actually starve to death."

"My grandfather has money. He earned quite a bit from the Niu Family last time. Since I'm not there, he'll have enough to eat and drink for a long time by himself."

"Heh." Li Sanjiang snorted disdainfully. "That old bastard has never had gambling luck in his life, yet he loves playing cards. Who knows how long he can keep that money in his pocket."

Then Li Sanjiang looked at Qin Li again. "A Li, when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'm going to the station."

"So soon? Have you packed everything?"

"A Ting already helped me pack. There isn't much, just a few changes of clothes to take home."

Li Sanjiang reached into his pocket, took out some money, and handed it to Qin Li.

"Here. Most of it went toward the television, and this is what's left. You might need to see a doctor for your eldest uncle back home, so take this with you for now. Oh, and don't forget to bring back some Nantong specialties, like Xiting crispy cakes and Baipu dried tea."

"Uncle Sanjiang, I can't take your money. Please put it away."

Li Sanjiang's expression hardened. "You brat, if I tell you to take it, then take it!"

"I really can't. I can't keep taking your money. Look, my whole family is eating and drinking here, and you've already paid me wages."

"Those wages are still me taking advantage of you. Take it when I give it to you. If you don't, I'll get angry."

Liu Yumei spoke up then. "Take it. Remember Uncle Sanjiang's kindness."

Only then did Qin Li accept the money and solemnly bow to Li Sanjiang.

Li Zhuiyuan silently lowered his head and ate. He didn't believe Uncle Qin's story about returning home to care for an eldest uncle. He had been to the East Room and paid respects to the spirit tablets. It was clearly the sort of situation where the entire family—no, the entire clan—was gone.

Uncle Qin was leaving only because of what had happened last night.

Li Zhuiyuan could tell that while they had been living with Great Grandfather, they had been doing everything possible to avoid some taboo. Uncle Qin's departure was likely a precaution as well.

Sigh, the price of helping pick up a soy sauce bottle was truly steep.

He secretly looked at Liu Yumei and found that she was looking right back at him. Their eyes met briefly.

Liu Yumei's gaze was meaningful, with a smile at the corner of her lips.

Li Zhuiyuan knew this was a silent warning.

He could no longer be like before, coming back to ask the Qin family for help whenever he ran into something difficult. Every time he asked one of them for help, one of them had to leave. This duster really didn't have many feathers left for him to pluck.

After dinner, Run Sheng impatiently turned on the television and started changing channels.

Li Sanjiang didn't go upstairs to lie down and listen to storytelling either. He sat there smoking.

Soon, an impassioned melody came from the television. It was the county station, airing Ultraman Leo.

Run Sheng sat back down, grabbed several sticks of incense, lit them with a match, and gnawed on them while watching intently, as though he were eating spicy strips.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't hurry back to his room to read Wei Zhengdao's new book. Instead, he brought over a small stool and watched television with A Li.

Li Sanjiang asked Run Sheng curiously, "What's that fellow in the red Leather Coat?"

"Sir, that's Ultraman."

"And that round thing flying around?"

"That's a Saucer Creature. A monster. A bad one."

"Oh, I see."

Run Sheng had watched plenty of television by mooching off others before, sometimes in the village, sometimes at an employer's home, and sometimes even in shops, though always only in bits and pieces.

Still, in those days, most children who had the chance to watch television found it hard to follow this kind of show from beginning to end in one go. Something would inevitably come up and make them miss episodes, or the station would change programs before the series had finished airing.

Although home video cassette players already existed, the machines were expensive, and videotapes were inconvenient to circulate. This gave rise to video halls everywhere, where people paid admission to watch together in one room. At fixed times in the evening, the owners would also play stimulating adult films.

After one episode ended, an advertisement for ointment treating psoriasis began.

Run Sheng continued staring intently at the advertisement, hoping the next episode would air after it ended. Though there probably wouldn't be one. Once he spent more time around television, even without a program guide, he would remember exactly what each channel aired at every hour.

And, incidentally, he would be able to recite all those advertisement slogans too.

After waiting a long time, Run Sheng turned to Li Zhuiyuan and asked, "Little Yuan, have you watched this before?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

"How many episodes are there?"

"Forty or fifty, maybe."

"Wow, that's great."

Back when he lived in the Family Courtyard, several older boys had dragged Li Zhuiyuan to their homes to watch videotapes. They had collected complete sets of many series, though their version of this one was called Superman Neo.

At the time, localized works were still mainly based on Hong Kong and Taiwan versions, so differences in translation habits often appeared.

Liu Yumei walked over then and said, "A Li should rest now."

She was speaking to Li Zhuiyuan.

"A Li, go back to your room and rest with your grandmother. See you tomorrow morning."

A Li obediently stood up and returned to her room with Liu Yumei.

Li Zhuiyuan left his small stool. As he walked up the stairs, he looked back through the Paper Figures on the first floor and saw Brother Run Sheng and Great Grandfather still sitting before the television, watching advertisements with great interest.

Then he thought of Uncle Qin racing through the night on a motorcycle with him behind him.

The violent collision between tradition and modernity, the friction and tearing between backwardness and advancement—it was truly hard to imagine that so many things could be stacked together, out of place, within the same era.

Yet those living in that era, himself included, were unable to notice it most of the time, even when the raging waves were right beside them.

Perhaps only years later, after everything had settled, would they look back in astonishment and realize what a bizarre and fantastical period they had once lived through.

"Little Yuan." Uncle Qin broke Li Zhuiyuan's train of thought. He stood at the second-floor stairway, as though he had been waiting for him all along.

Li Zhuiyuan ran upstairs.

"Horse stance."

"Okay."

Li Zhuiyuan knew this was probably his final lesson.

Following Uncle Qin's previous instruction, Li Zhuiyuan assumed a horse stance and began regulating his breathing, quickly entering the proper state.

Uncle Qin's hands moved constantly over Li Zhuiyuan's muscles and joints, carefully adjusting every point of exertion.

After some time, Uncle Qin said, "All right."

Li Zhuiyuan stood up. He didn't feel tired; instead, his body felt relaxed. By now, whenever he had spent too long reading, he had gradually started using horse stances in place of calisthenics.

"Practice well. Don't let it slip."

"I'll remember, Uncle Qin."

"Mm." Uncle Qin went downstairs.

Li Zhuiyuan felt somewhat melancholy. Uncle Qin had so many skills, yet it seemed he had only learned a horse stance from him.

Still, it was fine. Wei Zhengdao's The Righteous Path Demon Subjugation Record Part 2 described methods of fighting Death Collapse. He could practice those himself.

Back in the bedroom, he turned on the desk lamp. Li Zhuiyuan didn't hurry to read the lower part. After all, he was still a child. Before practicing close-quarters fighting, he should first learn how to use tools.

He opened the first volume of the upper part and began reading from the first chapter.

Next,

Li Zhuiyuan cast aside every distracting thought and began seriously studying—how to properly raise a virgin black dog.

Early in the morning, Li Zhuiyuan woke and turned his head toward A Li, who sat on a chair. Today, she wasn't wearing a dress, but a fitted white-and-green outfit.

If she had a sword to go with it, she could play a young swordswoman in a martial arts drama.

A smile appeared at the corner of Li Zhuiyuan's lips. It seemed Grandma Liu had just developed a new taste, so A Li had changed into a new style as well.

"Good morning."

After walking up to the girl and greeting her, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze unconsciously fell on her belt. It gleamed silver, covered in intricate carvings.

Uh, could it be...

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and touched it. The girl neither dodged nor became embarrassed or angry, simply standing there calmly.

Feeling the texture transmitted through his fingertips, Li Zhuiyuan could not help but feel surprised. The girl's belt really was a flexible sword!

He could not help but marvel at Grandma Liu's compulsive pursuit of perfection.

Perhaps part of A Li's obsessive behavior had also been inherited from Liu Yumei.

Seeing that Li Zhuiyuan was interested in her belt, A Li lowered her hand as though to take it off and give it to him.

"No, no, no, there's no need to take it off." Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly grabbed the girl's hand to stop her, then praised it, "It's beautiful."

A Li's eyelashes fluttered slightly, but this time it was not a sign of anger. It was an expression of happiness.

Li Zhuiyuan was delighted to discover that this was the first time A Li had used such an obvious gesture to show an emotion other than going berserk.

She really was changing.

At breakfast, Uncle Qin slung his pack over his back, said goodbye to everyone, then walked down from the raised ground.

Everyone was fairly calm, except Li Sanjiang.

He was probably the one most reluctant to see Qin Li leave. It was not entirely because they were losing a helper who took little pay and did plenty of work. After all, when people spent a long time together, feelings naturally formed.

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan walked over to Aunt Liu and took out a list and some money. "Aunt Liu, you're going to the Town Market to buy groceries today, right? Could you help me buy these things?"

"Sure, it's no trouble." Aunt Liu took the list and glanced over it. Her eyes first widened in shock, then shifted into the traditional confusion of an elder. "Little Yuan, what are you buying all this for?"

"The school assigned summer vacation extracurricular practical homework. These are the materials I need to finish it."

It was a terrible excuse, but that did not matter. He only needed an excuse.

"All right, I'll buy it all for you when I go."

"Thank you, Aunt Liu."

He felt at ease letting Aunt Liu buy the things for him. He did not need to explain or instruct her further, because she would probably be far more professional than he was.

That morning, Li Zhuiyuan continued reading. The book itself was fairly simple; the difficult part lay in the practical experiments. Without considering the actual practice, this upper volume was more like a textbook for handicraft activities.

At the same time, Li Zhuiyuan noticed that Great Grandfather also had quite a few of the things discussed in it.

Whenever Great Grandfather retrieved a corpse from the water or performed Ritual Presiding, he brought many items with him. But after closely examining and comparing them, Li Zhuiyuan discovered that Great Grandfather's items merely looked similar or shared similar names. In essence, they were not the same things.

Li Zhuiyuan could not help wondering: had Great Grandfather really been retrieving corpses all this time using a set of fakes?

Still, the things in this book were truly difficult to obtain. For some implements, he had to draw design plans according to the book's descriptions, then hire a carpenter and blacksmith to make them.

There were carpenters in the village, but where could he find a blacksmith now?

He could no longer find the kind of clanging forge described in the book. Or perhaps he could find a factory workshop and ask a master to machine the parts for him on a lathe?

That afternoon, Run Sheng had to deliver tables, chairs, bowls, and dishes to the Zhao family. He did not know the way, but Li Zhuiyuan knew where the Zhao family lived, so he accompanied him.

The Zhao family lived on the east side of Shijia Bridge, not far from where Li Zhuiyuan had waited for the bus last night.

Run Sheng pushed the large flatbed cart up onto the Zhao family's raised ground by himself and helped the Zhao family unload it.

The mourning hall had already been arranged. Li Zhuiyuan saw the deceased lying motionless on a bed in the center of the main room. He was quite a young lad, perhaps only seventeen or eighteen, not much older than Pan Zi and the others.

Two old women beside him huddled together, whispering softly:

"Such a fine young man. How could he just be gone like that?"

"They said he was coming back after having fun in town at night, took a tumble into a field on the road, and that was it."

"What a tragedy. What did Zheng Datong say it was again? A sudden heart attack?"

"What a pity, tsk tsk. The Zhao family runs a small business, so they're quite well-off, but this was their only son."

Just then, someone began applying makeup to the body, and the white cloth covering it was lifted. Li Zhuiyuan saw the deceased's true features: sunken eye sockets, slack brows, a smooth philtrum, and thin, sharp lower lips...

In physiognomy, this was known as a shallow fortune pool and a flawed foundation pond.

It was considered the worst possible sign in physiognomy. It meant one's own blessings and fate were already meager, while a flaw continuously let them drain away.

If one cherished one's blessings, behaved prudently, and kept one's heart simple and pure, one could still barely live a stable life. But if one indulged excessively in pleasures—food, drink, entertainment, and the like—and enjoyed them too fiercely and too soon, it would be easy to drain oneself dry.

Combined with what those two old women had said, the Zhao family was quite well-off. A life better than that of the ordinary people around them was instead unsuitable for someone with such features.

After delivering the goods, Li Zhuiyuan headed home with Run Sheng.

Up ahead, they ran into Pan Zi and Lei Zi walking side by side. Whether they had smeared water or hair gel on their heads, their hair was all slicked straight back, with a very obvious part down the middle. It gleamed with oil under the sunlight.

"Ha, Yuanzi, we were just going to Great Grandfather's Home to find you. Didn't expect to run into you here."

"Panzi Ge, Leizi Ge."

Pan Zi came up and took Li Zhuiyuan's hand. "Come on, Yuanzi. Your big brothers are taking you to the video hall in town to watch a movie. They're showing Brother Fa's A Better Tomorrow this afternoon."

Lei Zi, standing beside them, formed finger guns with both hands and kept jerking them as he supplied the sound effects. "Bang bang bang!"

"Great, I want to go too!" Run Sheng shouted.

Li Zhuiyuan did not want to go. He wanted to return home and continue reading, so he said, "I'll go home and get some money. I'll treat you guys to the movie, but I won't be going. I still have homework to do."

He had given Aunt Liu all the money in his pocket that morning. The rest was in the drawer in his bedroom.

"Come on, come on. How can we let you pay every time? We're your big brothers—we have our pride, you know. We really didn't have any pocket money before; it wasn't like we wanted to take advantage of you, our little brother."

"Exactly, exactly. We've got money now. We spent all day yesterday moving bricks at the West Village brick kiln."

As he spoke, Pan Zi and Lei Zi each pulled the loose change from their pockets. They counted it together, counted heads, and even included Run Sheng.

After tallying it all up, Pan Zi laughed. "Perfect. Four tickets, and we can still buy four bottles of soda!"

Run Sheng was overjoyed. "I'll take the cart back first."

Seeing how enthusiastic they were, and knowing they had specially earned this money by moving bricks just to treat their little brother to some fun, Li Zhuiyuan no longer felt comfortable refusing. He could only agree to go with them.

However, when they took the cart back home, Li Zhuiyuan still made a quick trip to his bedroom and slipped some money into his pocket. He also let A Li know before heading into town with them.

In the end, the four of them arrived in front of a video hall. Its storefront was tiny, with only a simple sign hanging above it:

"Sister Mei's Video Hall."