Chapter 49

Run Sheng swallowed several times in a row. He was hungry.

Little Yuan said it was a dead fish. Did that imply he could eat the fish if he felt hungry?

Run Sheng entered the river.

He ignored the dismembered body parts and the dwarf. He didn't pay attention to the mother and daughter either. He had only one goal—Zhou Yong.

He dragged Zhou Yong closer. Only a portion of Zhou Yong's head was still connected to his neck, seemingly about to break off at any moment.

Things that spoiled in the Town Market couldn't be sold for a good price. The solution was to eat them yourself.

Run Sheng lowered his head and bit down.

Then, he opened his mouth, pushed Zhou Yong away, climbed ashore, knelt on the ground, and began to retch.

Disgusting.

He wondered why this was happening.

Soon, he thought of the reason. He had altered the Feng Shui Pattern here according to Little Yuan's instructions, causing all the malevolent energy on Zhou Yong to boil over completely.

Run Sheng got up and returned to the river.

This time, he wasn't looking for food. Instead, he felt around the dwarf's corpse and found a thorny rope made of a very special material. He then found several damp Talisman Papers and some other miscellaneous small items.

He went back to look for the body parts' clothes, but inside, apart from wet cigarettes and some money, there was nothing else.

After putting the items away, Run Sheng left.

The Village Store was about to close. The door was already half-shut. Run Sheng ran over, shouting, and picked up the telephone to dial.

Tan Wenbin slept through the entire day. When he woke up, he found that what was reducing faster than his swollen face was his stomach.

He was very hungry. Aunt Liu cooked Noodles that evening and served him a basin full.

When he took the first bite, he was still a little apprehensive. He deliberately glanced at the "Scallion" Run Sheng had prepared in the corner.

Only after he managed to swallow the first bite did he finally relax and begin to eat heartily.

He finished the entire basin of Noodles, even feeling a little unsatisfied.

He was surprised himself. When did his appetite become so large?

"Want more?" Aunt Liu asked. "Shall I cook some more for you?"

"No, no need. If I eat any more, my stomach will burst." He was already feeling restless. He stood up, his belly protruding, and strolled on the Terrace. "By the way, where's Little Yuan? Isn't he coming down for dinner?"

"Little Yuan is still sleeping."

"Still sleeping?"

"Mm, he'll probably sleep for a long time. It's uncertain if he'll wake up tomorrow."

"My goodness, he has to sleep that long? That's true, he's really exhausted."

Just then, Aunt Zhang's voice carried over the village road, beyond the rice paddies.

Aunt Zhang's voice was always distinctive and penetrating. She'd often call out "Aiyoh~ Aiyoh~" several times first, and villagers at home nearby would prick up their ears. Only then would Aunt Zhang call out the specific family whose telephone was ringing.

Villagers who heard the call would immediately run to their own terraces and call back "Aiyoh~ Aiyoh~" in Aunt Zhang's direction, adding a few "Coming~ Coming~".

There aren't many mountains in the plains, but folk songs can still be sung.

This time, Aunt Zhang was calling for "Zhuang Zhuang."

Liu Yumei asked with some surprise, "Did she call the wrong name?"

Tan Wenbin then scampered down from the terrace.

Aunt Liu brought over a plate of side dishes and placed it in front of Liu Yumei, saying with a smile, "Zhuang Zhuang is the new name Uncle Sanjiang gave this child."

"Oh," Liu Yumei nodded. "This child isn't bad."

"Good upbringing, upright at heart."

"How is Little Yuan doing?"

"His eyes will be impaired for a month. I think he already knew and accepted it. He even said it's a good thing so it won't delay the start of school."

"This child, he has a sense of proportion in everything he does, even when he's acting out."

"Indeed, he's worry-free. Being his parents is a blessing."

"If you plan to give birth and abandon him without raising him yourself, then yes, it's a blessing. You can wait until he's an adult to reap the rewards."

"Is A Li still with him?"

"Mm, of course. One moment she's washing a towel, the next she's feeding him water with a spoon. You should make some soup later, remember to let it cool to a suitable temperature, and take it to A Li to feed him.

This brat, going blind in a fit of madness, can actually help A Li recover."

Liu Yumei said these words with a smile.

Aunt Liu chimed in, "These two children truly have a connection. It's just that seeing Little Yuan like this, A Li must be very sad."

"Not at all. A Li is very happy. You should have seen her, she even smiled with dimples today."

"I don't understand anymore."

"We're old. Young people have their own ways of having fun."

"Do you need me to inquire about it?"

Hearing this, Liu Yumei's chopsticks paused.

Aunt Liu explained, "I'm just afraid this child didn't finish his work cleanly and left some fish behind."

Liu Yumei picked up the vinegar and said, "Since he hasn't said anything, we'll pretend we don't know and won't ask further."

"Understood."

Just then, a figure emerged from the second-floor balcony, holding a towel, and went to the water vat to wash up.

"I never even got that kind of treatment."

Liu Yumei put the vinegar she had just picked up back down. Her face was already sour enough.

Tan Wenbin received a call from Run Sheng and learned about the developments.

To be honest, he was also startled. No wonder Little Yuan desperately wanted to finish everything last night. And sure enough, the fish took the bait the next day.

It's just that there were too many fish, and it was a bit difficult to handle. He needed to call his father.

However, before calling his father, Tan Wenbin hesitated. According to his father's habits, if he saw his son calling him and was busy, he would probably just ignore it. Even if he wasn't busy, he'd probably be too lazy to call back immediately.

So, the message he sent was: Uncle Tan, this is Little Yuan. Please call back.

After hanging up, he took out a cigarette and was still striking a match when the telephone rang.

"Damn it!"

Tan Wenbin stuffed the cigarette back in and answered the phone.

On the other end, his father's warm and kind voice came through: "Little Yuan, is something wrong? Don't worry, tell Uncle, and Uncle will help you solve it."

"Dad."

"Beast."

Tan Wenbin: "..."

Tan Wenbin felt that the only thing that had been maintaining the father-son relationship with such difficulty was this blood tie.

If he hadn't seen his father's young photos, he would have looked exactly like him.

He would even doubt if he was adopted, or if his parents had a past filled with love and hate, like those tragic dramas on TV.

"Dad, I need to tell you something. I'm gambling in Xiting Town."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Or, do you want to come catch me?"

The silence continued.

"Dad, pick me up in Shinan first, then we can go to Xiting together to catch me gambling."

"Did Little Yuan tell you to say that?"

"Ah, yes."

"Click..." The call ended.

Tan Wenbin took out money, paid the phone bill, and grabbed a handful of bubble gum.

Not long after, he saw a motorcycle approaching.

Tan Wenbin waved and walked towards it.

The motorcycle stopped sideways, kicking up a cloud of dust towards his face.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

"Get on."

"Oh, okay."

As soon as he got on, the motorcycle sped up, and Tan Wenbin had to grip his father's waist tightly.

"Dad, slow down. If something happens to us, Father and Son, won't that free Mom?"

After saying that, Tan Wenbin regretted it. How could he dare to tease his own father to his face?

Perhaps it was because yesterday, he had truly seen the world with Little Yuan. No matter how scary his father was, he couldn't compare to that den of Death Collapse.

To Tan Wenbin's surprise, his dad didn't seem angry. Through the motorcycle's rearview mirror, he could even see the corner of his dad's mouth curve up, as if he were smiling.

After entering Xiting Town, Tan Wenbin gave directions, and they entered a village. He got off first and went into a hall. Run Sheng had mentioned that his grandfather liked to lose money here.

After Tan Wenbin went in, Tan Yunlong also got off the motorcycle and walked in, carrying his helmet.

He flipped the gambling table and kicked his son out. He didn't even need to show his ID or reveal his identity; the gamblers in the hall didn't dare to do anything to him.

Some people's auras were innate.

After smashing the hall, the Father and Son walked out. Tan Wenbin led his Father to the front of Zhou Yong's house. Run Sheng was also standing there at this time.

"Dad, we've been inside, so, should we go in again now to handle fingerprints and stuff? After all, you're a professional."

"You've been inside."

"Uh, it was last night, we went inside."

"You've been inside."

"Yeah, we went inside. Although we tidied up, it definitely wasn't completely clean..."

Tan Yunlong felt that if Little Yuan were here, this kind of pointless chatter wouldn't have happened.

He turned his head and looked at Run Sheng. "Where to next?"

Run Sheng replied, "The riverbank."

Tan Wenbin pondered for a long time before finally understanding. Since his father said they had been inside, then they had been inside. Even if they left any traces, it was normal.

Moreover, as long as he said they had been inside, there was no need to go in again now.

The three of them arrived at the riverbank.

Run Sheng cast a net in the river. The corpse hadn't floated away and was still there.

Even Tan Yunlong, who had seen many Criminal Investigation scenes, couldn't help but frown deeply and show a look of shock at this scene:

"What exactly did you do?"

Li Zhuiyuan woke up.

He opened his eyes and habitually turned his head to look at the door. He didn't see the girl's figure.

Because he was blind now.

Soon, his hand was held by a warm little hand.

"A Li, how long have I slept?"

Three Fingers were lifted.

Slept for three days? That's quite a long time.

"Has Great Grandfather returned?"

His hand was shaken.

"Where are Run Sheng and Bin Bin?"

His hand was shaken again.

"I want to take a bath."

As he spoke, Li Zhuiyuan brought his face close to the girl's side and sniffed.

Liu Yumei always perfumed A Li's clothes, using different scents for different styles of clothing.

This scent now was faint.

It proved the girl had been by his side the whole time.

"A Li, you should go take a bath too, and then get some sleep."

A Li reached out to help him off the bed. Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand, "It's fine, I can manage. At home, it doesn't matter if I can see or not."

A Li got up and left.

Li Zhuiyuan sat by the bed for a while, then got up. When he first lost his sight, he was a bit unaccustomed to it, but now he felt he had adapted. He even started to worry about how he would cope if he regained his sight.

The layout of his room flashed in his mind. He calculated the distance for each step. As he walked, he reached out, pushed open the door, turned right, passed Great Grandfather's room, and turned right again.

Finally, he pushed open the bathroom door and walked in.

Clean clothes would be neatly folded and placed on the shelf by the bathroom door. Pouring hot water into the bucket and mixing it with cold water was a bit difficult, but he managed it with care.

After his bath and changing into fresh clothes, he went out for a bit to feel the breeze. Li Zhuiyuan felt as if he had come back to life.

He returned to his room door and sat down on the rattan chair.

Downstairs, Liu Yumei, who was combing her granddaughter's hair after her bath, watched the boy calmly walk back and sit down.

The rattan chair was at the edge of the terrace, which was very dangerous. She wanted to call out a warning but held back.

Her granddaughter, sitting below, wanted to get up. Liu Yumei gently pressed her down and said, "A Li, even if he can't see, we should still look beautiful in front of him, right?"

A Li sat back down.

Unable to enjoy the scenery or read, Li Zhuiyuan began to space out.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before he sensed the girl sitting down beside him.

He sniffed. Osmanthus scent. This scent should go with a bright yellow ruqun.

"A Li, let's play chess."

The girl held his hand and squeezed it firmly.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, drew a frame in front of him, and then pointed at a spot in the middle.

The girl held his hand and also pointed at another spot.

The two of them, facing the empty space in front of them, began to play Go.

As they played, the sound of a tricycle came from downstairs. Great Grandfather was back.

Aunt Liu asked, "Where are Bin Bin and Run Sheng? Why didn't they come back with you?"

"Oh, them. They're at the Police Station assisting with the investigation. They fished out five bodies this time, hehe, quite a lucrative job."

Li Sanjiang went upstairs, intending to take a shower first, and also to check on Little Yuanhou.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't dodge. After all, they lived under the same roof, and his eye condition couldn't be hidden from Great Grandfather.

Seeing his great-grandson's eyes bandaged, Li Sanjiang was so scared he almost lost his soul. He rushed forward and hugged the boy, disregarding the fearsome A Li standing nearby.

Li Zhuiyuan, however, kept holding A Li's hand, ensuring she wouldn't lash out.

Yet, he also sensed that the girl's repulsion towards outsiders approaching her had significantly decreased this time.

Aunt Liu also hurried over, explaining to Li Sanjiang that Little Yuan had an eye illness, had already applied medicine, and would fully recover within a month without any aftereffects.

But Li Sanjiang directly cursed:

"Bullshit! How can a child's eyes be a small matter? Why didn't you tell me sooner!"

After scolding, he directly carried the boy downstairs and went to the village clinic.

Zheng Datong examined him and shook his head.

Li Sanjiang then rode the tricycle, taking Li Zhuiyuan to the Health Center.

After a long examination at the Health Center, the doctor couldn't come to any conclusion, not even identifying the specific cause of the illness.

Li Sanjiang immediately took Li Zhuiyuan out of the clinic, took a bus to the City Hospital, and underwent another day of examinations, still finding nothing.

Li Zhuiyuan comforted Li Sanjiang and urged him to give up, repeatedly saying his eyes would heal soon.

He thought Great Grandfather would drop the matter by now.

But unexpectedly, Great Grandfather took him from Nantong to Shanghai.

This was Li Zhuiyuan's first time on a Car Ferry, and also his first time in the most prosperous city on the mainland.

Unfortunately, he couldn't see anything. Most of the time, all he heard was the roar of the engine and the blare of horns.

Li Sanjiang had lived in Old Shanghai before, but that was before the founding of the PRC. Now, he was no different from a Rural Old Farmer entering the city.

However, Great Grandfather was neither shy nor dull-witted. He would actively ask people for directions, and his inquiries were always accurate.

Along the way, it was likely a white-haired elder leading a cute-looking boy whose eyes were covered. This pairing was too classic and too pitiable.

So, the motorcycle taxi drivers who had given them rides voluntarily refused payment, the small inn owner where they stayed secretly returned their room fee, and the Shaanxi boss at the breakfast shop gave them breakfast.

Even when the grandfather and grandson arrived at the hospital at noon and were sitting on the stairs sharing a yellow steamed bun while waiting for the doctors to start work in the afternoon, they encountered an old professor who happened to be coming down the stairs.

The old professor let them cut the line and invited several other departments for a consultation. In the end, they concluded that the child's problem was with his nervous system, which affected his eyes, and he needed rest without overexertion.

He also comforted Li Sanjiang, saying that the child's eyes might slowly begin to see in a month or two and gradually recover.

This type of nervous system disease was currently a difficult problem worldwide, and there was no surgery available in the hospital. They could only prescribe some medicine.

The old professor also left his private contact information, instructing them to come back and find him directly in two months if the child's eyes had not improved.

Li Sanjiang thanked the doctor profusely. After leading Li Zhuiyuan out of the hospital and into the small alley next door, Li Sanjiang hugged the boy and burst into tears.

"Little Yuanhou, it's all my fault for being useless, for being incapable, Great Grandfather! I don't have the means to take you abroad for treatment!"

All the pent-up emotions from the journey erupted at this moment. Li Sanjiang knelt on the ground, crying like a child.

Hearing the sound, Li Zhuiyuan also felt like crying, but he searched his heart and couldn't find any sadness.

He could cry, but he didn't want to act now.

He could only hug his Great Grandfather's head, press his face against it, and begin to hate himself.

From then on, Li Sanjiang finally stopped his quest for medical treatment and began the journey home with Li Zhuiyuan.

On the bus ride back, Li Sanjiang held a notebook and was writing and drawing in it.

"Little Yuanhou, when your eyes are better, we'll go to Shanghai again. We must at least send some specialty products to visit these people."

For everyone who had helped them, Great Grandfather had insisted on getting their contact information and recording it in the notebook.

Before going to Shanghai, Li Zhuiyuan had tried to dissuade his Great Grandfather by saying they didn't have money to go to Shanghai for medical treatment.

But Li Sanjiang patted the passbook in his pocket and said there was enough money. Ding Dalin had already paid the village for the land he leased, but only the deposit had been paid for planting the trees.

This startled Li Zhuiyuan. He knew that the person buried under the fish pond had not completely dissipated yet. If the peach trees were not planted soon, that person might dig up the soil again to demand an explanation.

However, Li Sanjiang added that this money would be used for emergencies first, and he would mortgage his house for the peach tree planting funds when they returned.

Fortunately, because everything went smoothly and they didn't have to stay in the hospital in Shanghai, they didn't spend much money apart from some travel and accommodation expenses.

Li Sanjiang muttered, "I really can't get used to those yellow steamed buns."

Before the grandfather and grandson entered the hospital at noon, they had each eaten a bowl of noodles outside the hospital. While complaining about the exorbitant prices in Shanghai, Great Grandfather did not forget to add extra meat for Li Zhuiyuan.

This Yellow Steamed Bun was a kind gesture from the owner of the breakfast shop next to the inn. It wasn't for sale; he had made it for his own family.

Neither the grandfather nor the grandson could quite get used to the millet flour. After eating the steamed buns and soy milk, they saved the Yellow Steamed Buns. While sitting on the hospital stairs, with nothing else to do, Li Sanjiang took out a Yellow Steamed Bun, took a bite himself, and then fed a bite to Li Zhuiyuan.

It was like eating a snack, and also a way to avoid wasting food.

But this scene, in the eyes of the Old Professor, was as tragic as it could possibly be.

He later learned that the Old Professor's hometown was in Shaanbei.

The township bus stopped at the village entrance, and Li Sanjiang got off, holding Li Zhuiyuan's hand.

Both grandfather and grandson breathed a sigh of relief. They were finally home.

Li Zhuiyuan himself hadn't expected that his first "trip" with his Great Grandfather would be spent entirely in darkness.

However, he tried to do as much as he could himself, so as not to tire Li Sanjiang.

But because he couldn't see, he didn't know that every time Li Sanjiang watched him try to adapt to his new life as a blind person, his eyes would well up with tears, and the more he watched, the sadder he became.

The more sensible Little Yuanhou acted, the deeper Li Sanjiang's self-blame became.

He felt he hadn't taken good care of the child. Just after he had the child's household registration transferred to his name, the child fell ill. He was starting to wonder if he was some kind of jinx, a bringer of ruin.

"Great Grandfather, it's okay. Didn't the doctor say my eyes will get better in a while? Then I can go to school."

As soon as he heard the word "school," Li Sanjiang paused, and his tears broke through the dam again.

However, he was also trying hard to calm his emotions, doing his best to only cry without sobbing, so as not to let the child hear.

"Yes, my Little Yuanhou's eyes will definitely get better, and he'll definitely be able to go to school, haha."

On the way to seek medical treatment, every time Li Zhuiyuan said he would get better soon, Li Sanjiang would scold him, calling him Xina Kangzi, saying he didn't understand the importance of his eyes and thought it was a small matter.

After the medical treatment was over and they returned, whenever Li Zhuiyuan said such things, Li Sanjiang would agree, and he himself would repeat such words.

The village road of their old home, the fragrance of flowers in the fields.

Back home, they arrived at the terrace.

Li Zhuiyuan's hands were soon held by another pair of small hands.

This time, Li Zhuiyuan sensed the trembling in those hands, because Li Sanjiang was standing nearby, very close.

It was obvious that the girl's rejection of Li Sanjiang had significantly increased.

Li Zhuiyuan spoke, "A Li, be sensible. Great Grandfather took me to see the doctor."

The girl's hands stopped trembling. She listened and was suppressing it.

Li Zhuiyuan's face broke into a smile. He felt a little regretful that he couldn't see A Li's appearance now, but thankfully, he had many memories stored. This was thanks to A Li changing her clothes every day.

The next moment, the girl wrapped her arms around her own neck.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and gently patted her head. It was a bit embarrassing to say those words now, with everyone watching.

The girl's body swayed slightly, seemingly dissatisfied that the ritual couldn't be completed sooner.

Never mind, he couldn't see anyway, so what was there to be embarrassed about?

"Tell me whatever A Li wants, I have money, plenty of money."

The girl was satisfied. She moved away, then grabbed Li Zhuiyuan's hand and gently guided it to her eyes.

This scene, to the onlookers, would undoubtedly be incredibly heartwarming. Having a blind person touch their own eyes, a normal person's interpretation would surely be: "I am your eyes."

"No, I don't want to play this..."

But Li Zhuiyuan panicked because he knew A Li meant she wanted to play games with him, like Yin Walking from before.

He had gone blind from overexertion, and he didn't dare to do such things again before his eyes recovered, or he might go completely blind.

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan disagree, the girl held the boy's hand and drew a square, meaning chess.

"In a little while, A Li. I want to take a bath and eat first. We can play together this afternoon."

Most importantly, Great Grandfather had taken him to see a doctor as soon as he returned, and he hadn't had a chance to find out the follow-up developments from Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin.

"Come, Little Yuan, I'll take you upstairs to bathe." Tan Wenbin proactively extended his hand and led Li Zhuiyuan upstairs.

"Bin Bin Ge, why are you still here?"

"Little Yuan Ge, what are you saying? Where else would I be if not here?"

"I thought you went home."

"They're short-handed here. While you were gone, I stayed to help with Paper Crafting and deliveries. Let me tell you, my Paper Crafting skills are amazing now. Aunt Liu even praised the paper figures I made."

"Bin Bin Ge, you're amazing."

"Heh heh, Aunt Liu said your eyes are fine, right?"

"Yeah, it's nothing, don't worry. Tell me about the follow-up to that incident."

"Oh, Run Sheng called me that night, and then I called my Dad. My Dad went to the scene. There were five bodies in the river. Besides Zhou Yong's family, there were also that father and son pair we saw at Cui Cui's birthday party last time, the ones where the father and son were reversed."

"It was them?"

Li Zhuiyuan found the dwarf, who was pretending to be young, very repulsive.

Honestly, if they had been Death Collapses back then, he would have dealt with them long ago and wouldn't have left such a hidden danger. It was a shame they were human.

From what he had experienced since returning to his hometown, Death Collapses were truly less terrifying than humans.

"Mm, the tall man was dismembered. It was probably Zhou Yong. The dwarf is also dead, apparently bitten to death by that mother and daughter."

"What did the police say?"

"They found quite a few skeletons in the dwarf's yard, arranged in special poses. There were also many strange, superstitious items in the house. Furthermore, the dwarf and his son's true father-son relationship was uncovered. They've now determined they were followers of that Chaos Cult. They killed Zhou Yong's family and then performed a ritual in the river, sacrificing themselves."

"Your dad worked hard."

"Isn't that the truth?"

"Mm, indeed."

"Oh, right. Run Sheng collected some things. They're all wrapped up and stored in the workshop. Little Yuan Ge, do you want to see them?"

"What can I possibly use to see them with right now?"

"Pfft... Ugh, sorry, Ge, I couldn't help it."

"Bin Bin Ge, can you run me a bath? I'm going to shower first."

"Ge, I can scrub your back for you."

"No need, I'm not used to that."

"Okay, I'll get the water ready for you and wait for you by the door."

After showering, the fatigue from the long journey finally dissipated.

Tan Wenbin asked impatiently, "Little Yuan Ge, that thing you promised me..."

"Did Brother Run Sheng teach you how to use those tools?"

"Huh? No, he only taught me Paper Crafting!"

"Have Brother Run Sheng teach you how to use those tools first. Then, I'll try to teach you some other things, the more difficult ones."

"Haha, no matter how difficult, is it harder than taking an exam?" Tan Wenbin suddenly realized, "Ge, I misspoke. Stop, please don't say anything more!"

"Bin Bin Ge, you should learn the basics first. You can use my set of tools."

"Really, Little Yuan Ge? That's great!" He had been coveting that set of equipment for a long time. Run Sheng's set was too big and too heavy. Little Yuan's set was just right for him.

The reason Li Zhuiyuan intended to temporarily give his set of tools to Tan Wenbin was that his current body found it somewhat strenuous to wield them. Moreover, he now possessed the knowledge from the Black Book and had a powerful method to confront Death Collapses.

What if he lacked the necessary tools?

That wasn't a problem, because he wouldn't face Death Collapse alone without Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin.

The Boy returned to his familiar rattan chair and sat down. A Li was already waiting. He extended his hand, and A Li's hand came to meet it.

The two began to play chess against the air.

Since both were accustomed to playing fast games, to outsiders, it looked like two children holding hands and constantly pointing at the empty air.

Tan Wenbin, back downstairs, was puzzled. "What are they doing? It's not even dark yet, are they counting stars?"

Run Sheng looked up and said, "Playing chess."

Tan Wenbin retorted, "Are you trying to fool me?"

Run Sheng couldn't be bothered to explain.

"Little Yuan Ge said you have to teach me how to use those things."

"Mm, alright."

"So, when will you teach me?"

"Finish this batch of paper figures first. They're in a hurry."

"Why do we need to make so many all at once?"

"The Niu Family Three Households all placed orders."

"One family, three Zhai Shi ceremonies?"

"No, three households all had deaths. The Three Siblings."

"To leave together, that's truly deep sibling affection."

Run Sheng smiled at that.

Tan Wenbin immediately sensed something was off and asked, "Did I miss something again?"

"Work first. I'll tell you when I teach you how to use the things tonight."

"Okay!"

Aunt Liu prepared a very lavish dinner to welcome the Grandfather and Grandson.

After Li Zhuiyuan sat down, Tan Wenbin tried to move closer. "Xiao Yuan, let me serve you food. Hey, hey, hey!"

A Li's indifferent gaze swept over.

Tan Wenbin was so scared he retreated repeatedly, sitting back in his seat. He had already felt the girl was difficult to deal with, but after witnessing the Death Collapse, he should have become bolder. Yet, he felt even more afraid of the girl.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up his chopsticks. During his recent trip to seek medical treatment with Great Grandfather, he had learned to eat while blind. He only needed to locate the dishes and their positions beforehand and be more sensitive when using his chopsticks.

However, when Li Zhuiyuan picked up his bowl, he felt food had been placed on it.

After Li Zhuiyuan took a couple of bites, more food was placed on top. It was the girl, picking food for him.

"Hehehe, hehehe."

Li Sanjiang took a sip of wine, watching the scene unfold with a simple, honest smile on his face.

When he looked towards Liu Yumei, who was sitting at a small round table in the distance, he lowered his head, a rare look of appeasement on his face.

Before, when he had taken the house and the land, he naturally stood tall. Now that his grandson was blind and it was uncertain if he would recover, he had to be humble towards that mercenary old woman.

Even the best conditions couldn't compare to a disability, especially blindness. In this day and age, it basically meant a loss of labor capacity.

According to the village customs, those with poor eyesight would likely only find spouses with similarly poor eyesight.

Alas, although this girl had a strange temper and didn't speak well, at least her eyes were normal.

And she was truly beautiful. It was a pity that his Little Yuanhou couldn't see.

Li Zhuiyuan was solely focused on eating and had no idea his Great Grandfather was already worrying himself sick over his future marriage.

Not only that, but Li Sanjiang was already preparing gifts to visit Liu Jinxia after dinner, intending to pave the way for his great-grandson's future employment.

After finishing his meal and putting down his chopsticks, Li Zhuiyuan sat there. The girl picked up a handkerchief and carefully wiped his mouth.

This time, before he could urge the girl to go back to her room to sleep, she pulled him upstairs first. Only after he entered his room did she leave.

Li Sanjiang, carrying some chicken cake, cloud slices, and candy, prepared to head out to Blind Liu's house. Before leaving, he looked at Liu Yumei, who was still slowly chewing her food, and bowed his head, asking:

"Oh, you have a good appetite today. That's good, good health."

With that, he left.

Aunt Liu, while serving soup to Liu Yumei, asked doubtfully, "What's wrong with Uncle Sanjiang? He seems a bit strange."

Liu Yumei snorted, spat out a fish bone, and cursed:

"That old geezer is worried his great-grandson won't be able to find a wife."

"Hehehe." Aunt Liu covered her mouth, unable to help but laugh.

Liu Yumei's expression was initially cold, but eventually, she was also drawn into smiling.

"You know, Uncle Sanjiang is quite an interesting person."

At this moment, A Li came downstairs and walked into the east room by herself.

Liu Yumei took a sip of yellow wine and said with relief, "Our A Li is really getting better and better."

Night fell, and Li Zhuiyuan sat at his desk and turned on the desk lamp.

Then, he turned off the desk lamp again.

He spread out the notebook, picked up his pen. He had promised Tan Wenbin that he would teach him, so he would definitely teach him.

Even though he couldn't see, it didn't affect writing.

Having read Yingzi Jie's high school textbooks and done Tan Wenbin's practice papers, Li Zhuiyuan wrote a notebook full of math problems for Tan Wenbin based on high school knowledge points and exam points.

After finishing the problems, he stretched and rubbed his slightly sore shoulders.

This notebook would be given to Tan Wenbin tomorrow.

Li Zhuiyuan did not deliberately make things difficult for him, because based on his own experience learning to salvage bodies, the application of mathematics was a necessary foundation.

The use of tools required physics.

The production of materials required chemistry.

Even the books he read himself, Tan Wenbin would need Chinese to understand.

Run Sheng was a genius with extraordinary talent, something to be envied.

He and Bin Bin could only follow the path of ordinary underachievers.

However, if Tan Wenbin could really learn it, it would also solve the problem of his college entrance examination scores, and it would be considered that he had fulfilled his promise to Tan Yunlong.

"Meow... meow... meow..."

A cat's meow came from outside.

It was a bit far, not on the terrace, but Li Zhuiyuan's hearing had improved a lot since he went blind.

Li Zhuiyuan recognized who had come. He habitually picked up his pen, ready to tap the cup beside him, but stopped himself.

He got up from the desk and walked downstairs slowly. Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin were sleeping soundly at the two round tables on the first floor.

Li Zhuiyuan walked down to the terrace and came to the edge of the field, squatting down and extending his hand.

Soon, he felt a furry touch in his palm. The black cat was deliberately rubbing its head against him.

Li Zhuiyuan simply sat on the ground. The black cat jumped into his arms. He held it with one hand and gently stroked it with the other.

Unlike previous encounters, it felt warm now.

"Are they all dead?"

"Meow..."

"That's good. You can finally be free too."

"Meow..."

The Black Cat began to gently paw at its own face.

"There's something wrong with my eyes. It'll take a while to heal. I can't do Yin Walking right now, so let's say goodbye like this."

"Meow..."

"If you're a cat again in the next life, find a good owner."

"Meow?"

"Oh, sorry. You already have the best owner in the world."

The Black Cat's body began to dissipate. The resentment it carried was gone, so what broke apart was no longer black mist, but shimmering fragments.

Under the moonlight, The Boy sat on the ridge of the field, holding a ball of starlight in his arms.