Chapter 41

Pan Zi and Lei Zi had once bragged to Li Zhuiyuan that even if certain celebrities were fully clothed, they could still imagine what they looked like naked.

Now, as Li Zhuiyuan looked at the living, breathing Ding Dalin and Secretary Jin before him, his mind was filled with images of them skinned alive, red and bloody, twitching and jumping.

It was summer, early morning, and the sun shone brightly, yet he suddenly felt cold enough to shiver.

Ding Dalin bent down, a kindly smile on his face, and asked in puzzlement, "What's wrong? You don't recognize me already?"

Li Sanjiang laughed. "How could that be? This kid was just talking about you, saying you..."

Li Zhuiyuan's spine instantly went cold.

But Li Sanjiang's words were already at his lips, and there was no stopping him.

"...said you gave him such a big red envelope last time. He said you were a really good grandpa."

"Oh, is that so? Hahahaha." Ding Dalin let out a hearty laugh.

Li Zhuiyuan felt slightly dizzy, the relief of surviving disaster rushing straight to the top of his head.

Li Sanjiang rubbed Li Zhuiyuan's head. "My kid remembers everyone who treats him well. Unlike those other kids—no matter how good you are to them, they forget the moment they turn around. They wouldn't even know who you are."

Ding Dalin nodded. "That depends on the person."

"Exactly. Some kids are born ungrateful. You can't raise them right."

"Sanjiang Hou." Ding Dalin straightened up, shifting his gaze from the boy to Li Sanjiang. "Come on, come sit at my place. Have lunch there too."

"How could I impose?"

"What's there to impose about? There's plenty of food left over from yesterday's feast. Don't mind it—help me finish it."

There were always leftovers after a banquet. They spoiled easily if left too long, and if there were too few people at home to finish them in time, they would set up another couple of small tables the next day and invite only close relatives to eat.

There was nothing particular about such a meal. Cold dishes were piled together, cooked dishes were reheated, and though they did not look very appealing, the food and liquor were still good.

Li Sanjiang said, "It's only lunch. No need to go so early, is there?"

Li Zhuiyuan had finally gotten his expression under control and was sure his voice would not tremble when he spoke. Just as he was about to make an excuse for Great Grandfather to decline the invitation, he looked up and met Secretary Jin's eyes.

She was looking at him with a smile at the corners of her lips, but an emptiness and chill flowed through her eyes.

Ordinary people would have had trouble noticing it, but Li Zhuiyuan had always been in the habit of observing and imitating others. After reading Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained, his observation of people's microexpressions had become even more subtle and thorough.

The fortress he had just built around his heart began collapsing again.

She had not said anything. Maybe he was imagining it, but he truly seemed to see a silent warning.

Was it directed at him? Or at Great Grandfather?

Or perhaps,

At anyone who might see through their skin.

"It's like this. I want to contract some farmland. I'll pay the rent all at once, but it still has to be registered under your name."

"How much land?"

More than ten mu.

"For how long?"

"Thirty years."

"Then we have to go!"

Ding Dalin laughed and cursed, "Well, Sanjiang Hou, you're so sure I won't live that long, huh?"

"Thirty years? How could we live that long? At our age, if we lived another thirty years, this skin of ours would be cracked to pieces."

"Hehe. We're both old already, not young people worrying about appearances. If the skin cracks, it cracks. Patch it up and it can still be used."

Li Zhuiyuan's heart skipped a beat.

He was truly afraid that Great Grandfather might suddenly misspeak and actually provoke their skin into splitting open.

Although he knew Great Grandfather had good fortune protecting him, Grandma Liu had said that such fortune depended on the place and what one encountered. If they truly ran into something formidable, that good fortune would be useless.

What had happened at Big Beard's house last night was already more horrifying than Li Zhuiyuan could have imagined.

What he was experiencing now pushed last night's events to an even stranger and more terrifying level.

Faced with this, Li Zhuiyuan felt that Great Grandfather's good fortune... definitely would not hold up.

"Fine, let's go." Li Sanjiang rubbed his chin with his palm and looked down at Li Zhuiyuan standing beside him. "While we're at it, I'll make my will too."

"Oh? Sanjiang Hou, you old childless bachelor, who are you planning to leave it to?"

"I may have no sons or daughters, but I have a great-grandson, don't I? When I'm gone, whatever I leave behind will naturally go to our Little Yuanhou."

Ding Dalin bent down toward the boy again.

Li Zhuiyuan was deeply repulsed by and resistant to this movement, but he still forced out a shy smile.

That expression was truly useful for a child, whether facing people... or ghosts.

"Little Yuanhou, look at that. Your Great Grandfather really adores you. When you grow up, you must treat your Great Grandfather well."

"Mm, I will."

Ding Dalin straightened up, then paused.

Secretary Jin reached out and supported him.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that Secretary Jin's right hand was at the back of Ding Dalin's neck, while her left was at his lower waist. She was not supporting him with her palms—she was gripping him, all five fingers tensed with force.

As though she were forcibly pinching something that had split apart back together.

"What's wrong, Lin Hou?"

"My old back is giving out."

"Then roll around in bed less at night."

"Sanjiang Hou, you old bastard. Come on, go to my place."

As he spoke, Ding Dalin extended a hand toward Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang took it willingly and supported him instead.

The two old men walked forward side by side, talking as they went.

"Let's go, little brother?" Secretary Jin placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"My summer homework still hasn't..."

"Your Great Grandfather is making a will for you, so you have to go today."

"...I haven't bought an eraser yet. I don't know where I left my old one."

"Come on, Auntie will buy you one."

"No need. I have money."

On the way from here to Big Beard's house, they would pass Aunt Zhang's little shop. As they neared it, Secretary Jin stopped.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the counter, about to ask for an eraser to get through this, when a figure sprang out from behind the shop's awning. It was Tan Wenbin.

He had taken a shortcut rather than the Village Road, cutting across the field ridges.

"Yo, Little Yuan Ge, what are you buying? Come on, I'll pay with you."

"An eraser."

"Auntie, give us an eraser, and a bottle of medicated oil too."

Aunt Zhang handed over the items. Tan Wenbin paid, passed the eraser to Li Zhuiyuan, then impatiently twisted open the bottle and began rubbing the oil over his neck and arms.

"You guys were itching so badly last night that I feel a little itchy myself today. I suspect Run Sheng infected me."

"Bin Bin Ge, go home. Tell Brother Run Sheng and Grandma Liu that Great Grandfather and I are going to Grandpa Ding's house for lunch."

"What? You're still going to the Water... oh, oh, oh!"

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed Tan Wenbin's hand, pinched the flesh of his palm with his fingertips, and twisted hard.

At that moment, Secretary Jin, who had been standing some distance away, walked over.

Tan Wenbin had emerged from behind the shop and had not noticed her nearby. Startled, he kept crying out,

"...oh, oh, oh!"

Secretary Jin continued approaching.

"...You want drinks, right? I'll buy them for you. Auntie, give us two bottles of Jianlibao." As he spoke, Tan Wenbin deliberately looked toward Secretary Jin. "Sis, want one?"

Secretary Jin shook her head.

"Hehe." Tan Wenbin paid again and handed one bottle of Jianlibao to Li Zhuiyuan.

"Thank you, Bin Bin Ge. Go home now, and remember to tell everyone that Great Grandfather and I won't be back for lunch. They don't need to cook for us."

"Okay."

At that moment, Secretary Jin suddenly said, "Come eat with us too."

Tan Wenbin froze for a moment.

Secretary Jin said, "Yesterday, I saw how happily you ate at the feast. There's still food left for lunch. Come with us."

"That wouldn't be right..."

"Come on, let's go together. They're getting farther away."

Secretary Jin reached out and placed a hand on the shoulders of both boys, one older and one younger, urging them forward.

It was an attitude that allowed no refusal.

Li Zhuiyuan had not expected Tan Wenbin's way of eating at yesterday's feast to leave such a deep impression.

If he had been a little more refined at the banquet yesterday, this might not have happened.

Still, from the looks of it, Tan Wenbin only knew the initial information about the Water Monkey.

That was what Li Zhuiyuan had told him before he and Run Sheng left for Big Beard's house last night.

After returning last night, Tan Wenbin had wanted to know what exactly had happened, but Li Zhuiyuan had not wanted to recall and recount it all again, so he told him to ask Run Sheng.

Run Sheng probably had not wanted to bring up that terrifying scene either, just like him, and had not gotten around to telling him.

Otherwise, if Tan Wenbin knew, then upon seeing Secretary Jin, he would probably have jumped in fright as though firecrackers had been stuffed down his pants.

As they walked, Secretary Jin said, "Are there still people at home? Tell them to come for lunch too. They won't need to cook."

Li Zhuiyuan quickly refused. "No need. The only ones left at home are the people working for Great Grandfather. They aren't relatives."

"All right, then."

During the rest of the walk, Tan Wenbin gradually relaxed and even began taking the initiative to make conversation.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that Bin Bin was probably rather proud of himself.

He likely thought that, as a policeman's son, he had inherited an instinct for counter-surveillance and could laugh and chat in front of the Water Monkey.

Actually, that was not bad. At least he could put on an act without showing fear.

When they reached Big Beard's house, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze froze the moment they stepped onto the courtyard.

The Fish Pond lay directly in front of the courtyard. At this moment, it was brimming with water, exactly as it had been during the day yesterday.

The Fish Pond that should have been drained and dug open had been restored.

The group of people who should have been skinned to death were all alive again, one by one.

The image in his memories was becoming more and more like a hallucination or nightmare in terms of logic.

When the world presented itself before you in a way that defied common sense, people would usually begin by doubting themselves.

Yet Li Zhuiyuan was certain that it had not been a dream. What happened last night had truly happened.

The Fish Pond must have been filled and reflooded last night. The dead had died, and as for what these people who were now alive actually were... he did not know.

The Village Chief and several village elders had arrived. Everyone sat in a circle on long benches in the courtyard, chatting away.

Secretary Jin brought out a small tea table laden with sunflower seeds, peanuts, and candy.

Li Sanjiang casually grabbed two handfuls, giving one to Li Zhuiyuan and the other to Tan Wenbin.

Ding Dalin told them, "Go upstairs and watch television. There's one in the room. We'll call you down when it's time to eat."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. "We have a television at home. Great Grandfather bought it."

Li Sanjiang puffed out his chest and said proudly,

"That's right. I bought a television for the kid, but he loves studying and hardly watches it. So the mule at home gets to sit in front of the television every day instead."

In truth, Li Zhuiyuan did not want to leave the crowd.

Although entering this place meant danger, and the old men in the courtyard would not be much use even if tied together, at least they offered a little psychological comfort.

His emotions had plunged him into fear from the moment he saw them, but reason told him that there was still a way out.

After all, he and the others, along with the Village Chief and the rest, had not been skinned the moment they arrived in the courtyard.

If they merely wanted to lure people here to kill them, they could have acted already.

The fact that they could sit here and chat—and were genuinely discussing the details of the land contract—proved that they had their own purpose and plans.

Then, as long as they did not violate the rules, he, Great Grandfather, and Bin Bin might still be able to return safely.

The Village Chief spoke with some difficulty. "But contracting it out for thirty years at once—isn't that too long? It would be difficult for the village to explain."

Ding Dalin said, "The contract fee can increase every year. Just give me a final specific figure."

Li Sanjiang was very enthusiastic about this. He believed Ding Dalin would not live that long, and neither would he. Wouldn't the land contract then become Little Yuanhou's in the end?

"I'm telling you, if they want thirty years, give them thirty years. At worst, publish the specific contract for the village to see. Once everyone knows about it, no one will spread gossip later."

Secretary Jin had returned indoors by then, probably to prepare lunch. There were only her and Ding Dalin in the household, so she was the only one who could busy herself with it.

With Ding Dalin's attention shifted away from him as well, Li Zhuiyuan felt much more at ease.

He did not dare leave this place on his own. Any unusual action would seem especially dangerous right now.

If they were truly pushed into a corner, at worst they could change everyone's skin on the spot. Since they could bring that opera troupe back to life, bringing the Village Chief back to life should be easy too. It would not delay the land contract.

Making sure he remained within their line of sight, Li Zhuiyuan walked down from the courtyard and began circling the open ground before the Fish Pond.

He knew he could not keep circling forever, or he would look stupid.

At a time like this, the best thing would be to play a game, but the problem was that he never carried children's toys in his pockets.

Fortunately, while he did not have any, someone else did.

Tan Wenbin seemed to understand what Little Yuan Ge meant. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of colorful marbles.

"Little Yuan, let's play this."

"Okay."

For the first time, Li Zhuiyuan discovered that childishness could become an angel.

A big boy about to enter his senior year of high school actually carried marbles in his pocket. No wonder his father bought him jelly to eat.

The two bent down and began playing marbles.

Li Zhuiyuan had originally only wanted to use the opportunity to inspect the Fish Pond from close up. He believed that no matter how perfect the restoration was, only half a day had passed, so there had to be traces left behind.

But as they played, Tan Wenbin gradually got into it. He flicked with perfect aim every time, clapping and cheering happily for himself after each hit.

The commotion occasionally drew the attention of a group of elderly people on the embankment.

They pointed and chatted, smiles on their faces.

Most children had had similar experiences: when they played with their friends, adults would often stand nearby watching them, sometimes for a long while.

What they were really watching was their own childhood.

But Li Zhuiyuan had no desire to create such a warm atmosphere. Finally, he could not resist flicking a marble straight at Bin Bin's nose.

Bin Bin first winced in pain and covered his nose. Then relief appeared in his eyes, followed by embarrassment. He had gotten too immersed in the act.

Li Zhuiyuan deliberately started shooting his marbles toward the Fish Pond, and Tan Wenbin cooperated by shooting in the same direction. Chasing after the marbles, the two arrived at the pond's edge.

Seizing the moment, Li Zhuiyuan quickly swept his gaze around.

He noticed freshly turned soil along the edge of the Fish Pond.

The pond really had been filled in!

Not daring to linger at such a sensitive spot, Li Zhuiyuan immediately flicked another marble and moved away from the Fish Pond.

"Haha, Bin Bin Ge, I won this round."

"Little Yuan, you're really amazing."

A big-brotherly smile appeared on Bin Bin's face.

As Li Zhuiyuan jumped up in delight, he glanced toward the embankment and happened to see Ding Dalin turn his head back.

Had his earlier approach to the Fish Pond made Ding Dalin suspicious?

After that, Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin gradually played their way closer to the embankment.

"Bin Bin Ge, I'm tired. Let's rest for a bit."

"Okay."

Not caring about the mud and pebbles on the ground, Li Zhuiyuan simply sat down.

His shoe happened to scrape across some pebbles, flipping several over. Beneath them was red—bloodstains.

Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly pulled back his foot and used his sole to turn the pebbles over again.

He quickly recalled the details from last night. Wasn't this exactly where Ding Dalin had been injured by the rooster's peck?

He remembered that Ding Dalin's palm had been pecked clean through by that rooster.

"Little Yuanhou."

"Yes, Great Grandfather."

Li Zhuiyuan ran up onto the embankment and went to Li Sanjiang's side.

The matter of the land contract had more or less been settled. They were now discussing the will, and the Village Chief was writing it out with pen and paper.

An elderly man beside them asked, "Sanjiang Hou, isn't it inappropriate to give it directly to the child? You should leave something to someone who can care for you in your old age."

"I've made arrangements for that."

"Can they be trusted?"

"They can."

They were all elderly, so there was no need to avoid such topics.

Li Sanjiang trusted Li Weihan's character completely. But Li Weihan had many sons and grandchildren. If Li Sanjiang left his estate to Li Weihan, a portion of it would most likely end up divided among those ingrates. That was something he did not want to see.

The Village Chief finished writing and said, "The parties and witnesses are all here. Let's press your fingerprints right away. Is there any ink pad at home?"

Ding Dalin said, "It's in the drawer of the bedside table in the second-floor bedroom. I'll get it."

"Just let the kid do it. Little Yuanhou, go bring it down."

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to refuse, but Ding Dalin, who had just risen, sat back down. If Li Zhuiyuan resisted now, it would seem too unnatural.

"Sure, Great Grandfather."

Li Zhuiyuan ran inside and headed up the stairs. Tan Wenbin wanted to follow, but Li Sanjiang stopped him.

"Zhuang Zhuang."

"Grandpa Li, my name is Bin Bin."

"Go help carry the bowls out of the kitchen. The little secretary can't manage by herself."

Tan Wenbin did not want to be alone with that Water Monkey either, but he faced the same predicament Li Zhuiyuan had earlier. He could only smile, nod in agreement, and head toward the kitchen.

Li Zhuiyuan reached the second floor and found it had been cleaned and tidied up. The balcony corridor was spotless.

He did not hurry into the room. Instead, he went beneath the cover of the Little Courtyard, where a ladder leaned against the wall beside him.

His Formation Flag and Run Sheng's set of Corpse Retrieval Tools should still be on the roof.

But even if he moved the ladder over, climbed onto the roof, and retrieved those things, he could not take them away. They were too heavy.

Leaving them behind the house was not safe either. It would cause too much commotion and be easily noticed.

In the end, Li Zhuiyuan turned around, pushed open the door, and entered the bedroom.

The bedroom was richly furnished. When Ding Dalin had bought the house, he had probably purchased it together with all the furniture to save time.

He walked to the bedside table and opened the drawer.

There really was a box of ink pad inside, along with something else Li Zhuiyuan had not expected... a compass.

A purple compass, with Five Small Sub-rings around its main ring.

Li Zhuiyuan held the compass in his hand and gently turned it. He quickly figured out what the five sub-rings represented.

The Righteous Path to Subdue Demons actually recorded similar styles of compass, but the crafting process was extremely complicated and required many special materials. That was why it had never even been within Li Zhuiyuan's consideration before.

Now that he held it, Li Zhuiyuan truly loved it.

With this, reading a Feng Shui Pattern would be like being allowed to bring a calculator into a math exam.

He was increasingly realizing that he could not keep relying excessively on forced mental calculations as he had in the past. His body would not be able to endure it.

With this thing, combined with Liu Clan's Qi Gazing Art, he would not have to overdraw himself until he got a nosebleed when examining the Fish Pond's feng shui like last time.

The real Ding Dalin was already dead, so this was ownerless property. Taking it would not count as stealing.

But... it was still too risky.

The other belongings of those Water Monkeys had all been packed up, cleared out, and taken away, yet this item alone had been left behind. That proved how much they valued it.

It should know who had entered the house. If the item went missing, it would definitely narrow the suspect down to him.

Forget it. The thing was good, but his life mattered more. Just as Li Zhuiyuan was about to put the compass back in the drawer—

"Did you find it?"

Secretary Jin's voice came from the bedroom doorway.

Li Zhuiyuan was startled again, but his ability to withstand pressure had improved. He continued holding the compass in his left hand while picking up the ink pad box with his right.

"I found it."

"I thought you might not be able to find it, so I came up to take a look."

"What is this, Aunt Jin?" Li Zhuiyuan held up the compass and asked. "It looks so pretty."

"A toy. If you like it, I'll give it to you."

Li Zhuiyuan's first reaction was not delight, but rather: Was this a test?

"Take everything and come downstairs."

After saying that, Secretary Jin turned and left.

Li Zhuiyuan hesitated, but he still took both the compass and the ink pad downstairs.

After handing the ink pad to the Village Chief, the Village Chief gestured for everyone to press their fingerprints.

Li Sanjiang saw the compass and asked, "Little Yuanhou, what's that?"

Ding Dalin said, "Just a little thing from the house. The child likes it, so I'll give it to him as a toy."

Li Sanjiang took it first and examined it from top to bottom. Puzzled, he said, "Why's it got so many circles? What kind of junk is this?"

After disparaging it, Li Sanjiang casually tossed the compass back to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan really wanted to remind his Great Grandfather that this was the professional kind, while the compass he usually used was just a glorified pointer.

"Little Yuanhou, thank your Grandpa Ding."

"Thank you, Grandpa Ding."

"Hehe, good boy." Ding Dalin reached out and patted Li Zhuiyuan on the head.

Li Zhuiyuan felt every hair on his body stand on end, yet he could only endure it and did not dare dodge.

The will was completed in duplicate. The Village Chief took one copy to store in the village office, while Li Sanjiang carefully folded the other, solemnly placed it in his shirt pocket, and even patted it.

Lunch was ready, and everyone took their seats.

The dishes were lavish. A large plate of boiled shrimp sat before Li Zhuiyuan.

The sight of those shrimp made Li Zhuiyuan feel slightly nauseated.

"Everyone, dig in. Please excuse the poor spread; there's nothing special here." Ding Dalin raised his chopsticks and invited everyone to eat.

Everyone else picked up their chopsticks as well.

"Come, Zhuang Zhuang, have some shrimp. This was your favorite yesterday."

Using his chopsticks, Li Sanjiang moved a third of the shrimp from the plate in front of Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin, then reached out and turned the dining table.

Tan Wenbin did not stand on ceremony. He picked up a shrimp, first pulled off its head, peeled it open, dipped it in vinegar, and sucked on it. Then he deftly peeled the body, revealing the intact shrimp meat.

After removing the vein, Tan Wenbin dipped it in vinegar and placed it in Li Zhuiyuan's bowl.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up his chopsticks and lifted the shrimp meat. It was tender and reddish.

As he put it into his mouth and chewed, the scenes he had witnessed last night kept surfacing in his mind.

This was the first time Li Zhuiyuan had ever eaten food that was both delicious and so difficult to swallow.

In the end, he forced himself to swallow it. It felt even more painful than eating the "dishes" at Cat-faced Old Woman's birthday banquet.

Seeing Tan Wenbin about to peel more for him, Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly said, "Bin Bin Ge, eat some yourself. I don't really like shrimp."

"Really?" Tan Wenbin found that strange. "Then I'll eat them myself."

"Mm."

Secretary Jin brought over a large bowl containing a stewed chicken.

Ding Dalin poked at it twice with his chopsticks and asked, "Not an old hen?"

"There aren't any old hens left."

"Ah, how can that do?"

Ding Dalin shook his head in dissatisfaction.

Li Sanjiang smoothed things over. "Lin Hou, look at how spoiled you are. You're eating chicken and still distinguishing between male and female? Before liberation, getting a bite of meat wasn't easy."

As he spoke, Li Sanjiang personally tore off a plump drumstick and placed it in Li Zhuiyuan's bowl.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and stared at it without immediately reaching for his chopsticks. It was not that he was being picky; rather, this chicken seemed strangely familiar.

After all, even if a rooster was stewed into soup, how could it have no chicken skin left at all?

"What, you don't like it?" Ding Dalin asked.

"I do." Li Zhuiyuan picked up the drumstick and took a huge bite. It was a little tough.

"How does it taste?"

"It's good."

Ding Dalin nodded in satisfaction. When he rose to pick up some food, Li Zhuiyuan noticed a strip of black gauze tied around the web between his right thumb and forefinger.

The meal was lively and peaceful, so normal that Li Zhuiyuan felt as though he were the most abnormal person at the table.

But no matter what, for once Li Zhuiyuan did not leave the table early just because he was a child. He sat properly until the meal was over.

After the meal, everyone began smoking and chatting, making the final preparations before leaving.

The Village Chief was the first to rise. He lightly patted his trousers and said, "Then that's it for today. The village still needs to discuss your land contract. Don't worry, we'll give you an answer soon."

"Alright. Sorry for the trouble, and please put some thought into it." Ding Dalin stood and shook hands with the Village Chief.

Everyone left the table and walked out of the hall onto the embankment. They shared cigarettes and exchanged a few more words before the Village Chief and several village elders headed down from the embankment.

Li Zhuiyuan was anxious because Li Sanjiang had not left. He was still standing beside Ding Dalin, both of them with cigarettes in their mouths.

"I didn't feel comfortable asking while the Village Chief was here. You're contracting this land but not growing grain—you actually plan to plant peach trees?"

"Mm. Peach trees bear peaches."

"You won't be able to sell the peaches, will you? Who's buying? Back when people planted these, there were canneries to take them. Now I hear the canneries themselves are struggling."

"Even if they can't be sold, it'll still be nice to look at the peach blossoms."

"I'm saying, Lin Hou, what's wrong with you?" Li Sanjiang reached out and touched Ding Dalin's forehead. "Why do you feel like a completely different person today?"

Li Zhuiyuan's heart clenched again.

Tan Wenbin began adding to the act on his own initiative. "Grandpa Li, you don't understand. Our Grandpa Ding is pursuing a beautiful artistic vision. Just think about it—when this whole place is planted with peach trees and the blossoms bloom, how beautiful will that be?"

"What about this Fish Pond?" Li Sanjiang asked.

"Fill it in and plant trees there too."

"I'm saying, Lin Hou, just how much money did you make abroad to be able to waste it like this?"

"Isn't making money just for the sake of wasting it?"

"I can't figure you out. Forget it, do whatever makes you happy."

"Oh, right. The opera troupe said one of their sound systems was broken and wanted me to pay repair fees. I couldn't be bothered to argue, so I just paid for it as secondhand equipment."

"Are you stupid? What kind of opera troupe was that? Their own equipment broke, and they had the nerve to ask the host to compensate them?"

"It was pretty cheap. I fiddled with it last night, and it wasn't actually broken. The plug just had poor contact. It's fixed now.

It's useless for me to keep it. Aren't you in that business? You can use it to rent out and make money later.

Come on, come take a look. If it's good, drag it away."

"Alright, let's go see it."

Li Sanjiang followed Ding Dalin toward the inner room on the shaded side of the first floor. Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin exchanged a look, wondering whether they should follow.

"Little friend, you forgot to take this." Secretary Jin's voice came from behind them, and the purple compass was held out before the boy.

Earlier, he had deliberately left it on the chair beside the dining table, unwilling to appear too eager.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and took it, asking in delight, "You're really giving it to me?"

"Do you know how to use this thing?"

"Of course I do."

Holding the compass, Li Zhuiyuan kept spinning its rings, grinning foolishly at the needle turning inside.

"Secretary Jin, come over here and adjust it again," Grandpa Ding's voice called from inside.

Secretary Jin placed both hands on Li Zhuiyuan's shoulders. "Come on, let's go take a look."

The instant the woman's hands landed on his shoulders, Li Zhuiyuan froze.

He did not hurry forward. Instead, he slowly raised his head.

Secretary Jin lowered her head as well, and their eyes met.

After a long while, Ding Dalin's urging voice came from inside again. "Why aren't you here yet? We're waiting for you to fix it."

"Let's go."

"Mm."

Li Zhuiyuan walked in front while Secretary Jin followed behind, her hands gripping his shoulders.

The distance was clearly short, yet Li Zhuiyuan felt as though it stretched on forever.

At last, the two entered the inner room one after the other.

Secretary Jin let go, adjusted the sound system, then picked up the microphone.

"Phew, phew... Hello, hello... Hello, hello..."

There was a little distortion, but the overall effect was quite good.

Ding Dalin glanced at Li Sanjiang, then said to Secretary Jin, "Come on, sing a song and let's hear it."

Secretary Jin nodded. "What should I sing?"

"Anything. Sanjiang Hou, what song do you want to hear? My secretary knows loads of songs. Pick whatever you like."

"Heh, I'm not as thick-skinned as you, asking some young girl to sing for me. Little Yuanhou, what do you want to hear? You pick."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. "Anything is fine with me."

Secretary Jin looked at Li Zhuiyuan. "Little friend, pick one."

"I don't have anything in particular I want to hear. Auntie, sing something you want to sing."

Secretary Jin nodded, picked up the microphone, and began singing a cappella without accompaniment:

"Looking back slowly, at the nights that once belonged to us.

You, still so radiant, are the blazing sun you gifted to my heart..."

Her singing was gentle and lingering. Her Cantonese was inaccurate, yet it was extraordinarily beautiful.

It was "The Song of the Thousand Folds."