Chapter 5

The old man who had been squatting slowly rose to his feet. Once he stood upright, Li Juxiang suddenly felt that his back did not seem as hunched as before.

"Hey?"

The old man patted his own waist as well. Granny Liu really was effective. We hadn't even properly spoken yet, and just entering her house had already made my body feel much lighter.

He did not linger and walked straight inside.

"Cui Hou, take Little Yuanhou to finish eating."

After giving the instruction, she followed them into the inner room. Liu Jinxia's eyesight was poor, so she had to stay nearby and help keep records when they discussed business.

"Brother Yuanhou, shall we go finish eating?"

"Mm."

Li Zhuiyuan answered. Although the discomfort in his body had yet to fade, he still tried to take a step forward.

As he took the first step, Li Zhuiyuan felt the cool sensation stroking his head slow in rhythm, while the feeling of ice pressed against his left cheek gradually faded.

But when his second step landed, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly realized the chill had not disappeared. The coldness returned to his left cheek, and it felt as though a block of ice had been placed on his right shoulder.

By the time he took a third step, the coldness on his left cheek vanished again and shifted to his left shoulder, while his right shoulder remained icy.

Li Zhuiyuan took a fourth step. Before his foot even landed, the coldness in both shoulders abruptly intensified.

"Phew..."

Li Zhuiyuan trembled as he took a deep breath, then slowly withdrew his foot. The coldness in his shoulders returned to its previous level.

He could not see anything, yet he could imagine that an old woman had been half-squatting before him earlier. Her right hand had rested on his left cheek, while her left hand stroked his head as she said:

"This little kid is so adorable."

When he started walking forward, the old woman had changed her posture as well. Both hands gradually slid down onto his shoulders. It was the movement of using him for support as she pushed herself up.

If he kept walking forward, then she would climb onto his back.

She...

Wanted him to carry her!

The room on the shaded side of the first floor was Liu Jinxia's office.

The room was large, yet it felt extremely cramped once one entered.

Wooden crates had been stacked all around, forcibly taking up seventy or eighty percent of the space. Inside them were all sorts of ritual implements, scriptures, and statues.

If a few crates were opened, one could see Lord Lao and Buddha with their arms around each other's shoulders, or Guanyin Bodhisattva seated above not a child attendant but Jesus on a cross.

In her early years, Liu Jinxia had also harbored dreams. Answering the call of the new era, she had wanted to draw on the strengths of a hundred traditions and forge a path uniquely her own.

Unfortunately, the backward market around Shinan Town could not accept such trendy things.

Liu Jinxia could only resign herself to fate and return to the traditional image of a blind fortune-telling old woman.

Thus, the only useful things in this room were a black-lacquered wooden table, several stools, and two white candles.

"Hiss..."

Liu Jinxia wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. The candle smoke stung them badly. It seemed these candles would have to go in the future as well.

At that moment, the old man seated opposite her finished his account. The way he looked at Liu Jinxia was filled with respect.

After coming here, not only had his hunched back eased considerably, but his mind no longer felt muddled either. Even his speech had become much smoother.

The old man's surname was Niu, and his name was Niu Fu. He was from neighboring Shigang Town. He had come today to arrange a Memorial Birthday for his late mother.

Yesterday, his younger brother Niu Rui had also come here for the same matter. Liu Jinxia had only gone to Li Weihan's home after receiving him.

The old Niu family had two brothers and a younger sister. Their father died early, and their mother had raised the Three Siblings alone as a widow.

Now, all of them were past fifty and grandparents themselves.

Half a year ago, their mother passed away.

But ever since the funeral, troubles had never stopped in the homes of the Niu Family's three siblings. One person would fall ill, then another would suffer an accident.

At first, none of them paid much attention. But the incidents grew more frequent and increasingly serious.

Not long ago, Niu Rui's son had fallen into a ditch while cycling home from work, breaking several ribs. If passersby had not found him in time, he would nearly have lost his life. Niu Fu's hunchback had also become more and more severe. Even the seventy- and eighty-year-old hunchbacks in his village were not as bad as he was. Half a year ago, he had not been hunched at all.

Together with the fact that the Three Siblings would occasionally dream of their mother, they began wondering whether her attachment had yet to fade. They planned to hold a Memorial Birthday for her, burn a Blood Scripture, dispel the evil aura, and pray for peace.

However, the brothers now had a dispute. Niu Rui, the younger brother, wanted to hold the Memorial Birthday at his own home, but Niu Fu, the elder brother, refused. It had to be held at his house.

Outsiders might think the two brothers were quite filial. They were even fighting over the tedious and exhausting task of holding a Memorial Birthday. Wasn't that them competing to show filial devotion to their mother?

Liu Jinxia clearly did not believe it. Her eyesight was worsening by the day, but her heart was becoming ever clearer.

Among the people she received, those like Li Weihan were rare. Most had done something shameful. As the old saying went in reverse, those who had done wrong were always afraid of ghosts knocking at their door.

Still, Liu Jinxia would not pry to the bottom of things. She merely said lightly:

"Don't tell me your sister wants to hold one too?"

"Yes, she does."

Liu Jinxia raised her brows.

According to current village customs, once a daughter married, she became a guest. She only needed to make time to visit her parents' home a few times a year, bring her husband over during the New Year, and keep up appearances.

If her parents fell ill and she could tend to them at their bedside for a while before seeing them off, she would already be considered a filial daughter praised by neighbors and relatives alike.

Since daughters did not receive family property, they only needed to show up and lend a little help when it came to caring for their parents in old age and handling their funerals. They did not need to spend money.

Yet Niu family's third daughter actually wanted to hold a Memorial Birthday for her mother as well... It was plainly against the rules. No matter how filial she was, this was not how one showed it. It would be another matter if the family had only daughters and no sons, but she had two older brothers.

Liu Jinxia lowered her eyelids and said:

"This is easy enough. Since all of you want to fight over being the host family, then all of you can be the host family. Borrow a patch of land on your village's public grounds, set up three offering tables, prepare three sets of birthday gifts, and burn three Blood Scriptures."

Niu Fu froze for a moment and asked, "Th-That can be done?"

Liu Jinxia nodded. "It can. Hold it together in one place, and your mother won't have to divide her attention. Your brother Rui Hou already gave me his family's birth dates and eight characters yesterday. Give me yours today, then notify your sister to send hers over within the next couple of days. I'll prepare the opening rites for you."

What had originally been one matter for one payment had now become one matter for three payments. Liu Jinxia stood to profit.

Niu Fu hesitated before finally nodding. "Then let's do that. I'll go back and speak to them. We'll do it together."

"Mm. Once all the eight characters are sent over, I'll set a specific date for you."

"Make it quick." Niu Fu urged, "It needs to be soon."

"I understand." Liu Jinxia nodded, signaling for him not to worry, then rose to see him out.

Niu Fu had barely lifted himself off the stool when he seemed to remember something. He sat back down and said, "There's one more thing. When we hold the Memorial Birthday, we'll need to invite Granny Liu to preside over the ritual."

Zhai Shi was simply a ritual ceremony. As for Ritual Presiding, it meant inviting someone with the right connections to hold the line and prevent little ghosts from causing trouble.

As for how exactly one explained "having connections," that depended entirely on one's interpretation. If there was truly no one available, even a butcher could do the job.

Because Li Sanjiang's family ran a Paper Crafting business, whenever he delivered paper goods to someone's home, he was by default considered to be presiding over their ritual. Not only would he get a free banquet meal, but he would also receive an envelope of money from the host family.

But this default arrangement came cheap, and the money in the envelope was thin. If someone explicitly opened their mouth and said "invite," that was a different price entirely.

Niu Fu quickly added, "The envelope money is negotiable, Granny Liu. We... all three of our families will pay."

"I see..." Liu Jinxia's heart began to pound, and she felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Also, please ask Uncle Sanjiang from your village. We want to invite him too."

Liu Jinxia swallowed. Instead of agreeing directly, she said:

"I'll go speak to Sanjiang Hou, but I don't know whether he has time. Give me the eight characters first, and I'll calculate a date for you. This cannot be delayed."

"Alright, alright, alright."

Next, Niu Fu took a cloth bundle from his pocket and unwrapped it layer by layer, revealing a stack of curled Da Tuanjie notes.

He licked his fingertips and began counting the money.

Liu Jinxia accepted the first payment but pushed away the second. "As for Ritual Presiding, wait until I've discussed it with Sanjiang Hou before we talk further."

"This..." Niu Fu was clearly reluctant. "How about we settle it first?"

Liu Jinxia said firmly, "Before the matter is clear, there's no rush to settle the money. That is the rule."

"Alright then. Sorry to trouble you, Granny Liu. I won't go to Uncle Sanjiang myself. I'll wait for your word."

"Mm."

Niu Fu opened the door himself and walked out.

Li Juxiang went to support her mother and asked doubtfully, "Mom, what's wrong?"

This one deal was worth an entire season's income. Li Juxiang did not understand why her money-loving mother was hesitating this time. It did not seem like she was putting on airs to raise the price, either.

Liu Jinxia said softly, "They're farming folk, not some rich and powerful family. They agreed to pay so easily and handed over money so readily. There can only be one reason."

"What reason?"

"They're spending money to avert disaster."

"Mom, you mean?"

"Xianghou, tell me, what mother in this world would still bring misfortune upon her own children after she had passed on?"

"That's true."

"What is even harder to understand is this: how many sons and daughters, when their lives become unsettled, would suspect that their mother underground was tormenting them?

Unless they had done something more beastly than beasts."

"Mom, then what about this job?"

"Forget it. We'll talk once we find Sanjiang Hou. If he thinks we can go, then we'll go and earn all this money. Sigh, they're simply offering too much."

"And if Uncle Sanjiang says not to go? Can you bear to give it up?"

"What meaning is there in earning money you won't live to spend?"

"True. Uncle Sanjiang's abilities are reliable. With him there, we can feel at ease too."

"His abilities..." Liu Jinxia frowned, as though she found them difficult to assess. Still, she affirmed, "With him there, we really do have something to rely on."

"Brother Yuanhou?"

Seeing that Li Zhuiyuan had not moved for a long time, Cui Cui reached out to take his hand.

The instant they touched, Li Zhuiyuan felt the chill on his left shoulder vanish. At the same time, he caught Cui Cui shivering, her hand trembling as she held his.

"Cui Cui, move back!"

"Hm?"

"Stay away from me!"

Though she did not know why, Cui Cui obediently let go and backed away several steps.

"Cui Cui, stand there. Don't move. Don't come near me."

"Mm..."

Brother Yuanhou's sudden attitude reminded Cui Cui of times when she had been disliked. A mist of tears rose in her eyes, and her little nose sniffled.

Li Zhuiyuan, however, had a feeling that when Cui Cui touched him, the old woman who had been resting both hands on his shoulders had removed one hand to grab at Cui Cui.

After Cui Cui stepped back, the old woman returned to her previous posture.

"Granny Liu, I'll be leaving first!"

Niu Fu's full, vigorous voice came from inside, with none of the earlier hoarseness audible.

He entered the main hall, swept his gaze over the two children still there without making any gesture, and headed for the door.

"Grandpa..." Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and pointed toward the washbasin on the rack beside him. "Wash your hands."

Cui Cui wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand and smiled. "Grandpa, wash your hands before going out. It'll get rid of bad luck."

After saying that, Cui Cui lowered her head and looked at the tips of her shoes. Did Brother Yuanhou also think her home was unlucky?

She had long since grown used to it and ordinarily would not have thought it was anything serious. Yet for some reason, she was especially sensitive today.

"Oh, alright. Then I'll wash them."

Niu Fu pulled back the foot he had stepped over the door threshold with and instead walked to the washbasin to wash his hands.

As he washed,

Li Zhuiyuan felt the chill in both shoulders gradually fade. His body relaxed, though he also felt somewhat weak.

Meanwhile, Niu Fu's back visibly began to hunch once more.

Li Juxiang came out supporting Liu Jinxia and said, "I'll see you out."

"No need to be so polite. I'm leaving. See you around."

After washing his hands, Niu Fu wanted to take the cloth from the rack to dry them, only to find that he could not quite reach it. He could only shake his hands, clasp them behind his waist, turn sideways, and slowly step over the door threshold.

Li Juxiang looked puzzled. Something seemed off, but she could not say what.

She walked to the washbasin, intending to change the water. But when she saw what was inside, the expression on her face immediately froze:

The banana leaves in the basin had somehow become extremely thin strips. Even if someone had deliberately torn them by hand, it would have been impossible to tear them so finely and neatly.

Most importantly, the entire basin of water had turned black!

Li Juxiang immediately hurried to her mother's side, lowered her head, and quietly told her.

Liu Jinxia looked at her daughter in shock, then looked outside.

By then, Niu Fu had finally managed to cross the door threshold and reach the yard.

Li Zhuiyuan had also recovered from his weakness. He walked up to Liu Jinxia, pointed at Niu Fu's retreating figure, and said to her:

"Grandma, on his back..."

"Quiet!"

Liu Jinxia immediately covered the child's mouth with both hands.

Her hands smelled so overpowering that Li Zhuiyuan's eyes watered from the fumes.

Outside, Niu Fu paused, turned half sideways, and cast a meaningful glance back before continuing onward.

Only after he had left the yard and gone far away did Liu Jinxia release the hand covering the child's mouth.

"Child, now tell me."

Li Zhuiyuan took several deep breaths before saying, "Grandma, was that Grandpa carrying something on his back?"

Liu Jinxia brought her face close to Li Zhuiyuan's and asked in a lowered voice, "Little Yuanhou, did you see something?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

He truly had not seen anything. He had only felt it.

Liu Jinxia frowned and asked, "Little Yuanhou, Sanjiang Hou went to your house last night, right?"

"Grandma, I was asleep. I don't know."

"Hehe."

Liu Jinxia smiled and nodded. She did not continue questioning him. Instead, she said earnestly, "Little Yuanhou, remember something Grandma tells you."

"Grandma, tell me."

"There are some things that, even if you see them, you must never show it in front of them. If it realizes you can see it, then maybe... it'll latch onto you."

Was that why?

Li Zhuiyuan nodded hard. "Grandma, I'll remember."

"Alright, go eat with Little Cui Hou."

"Okay, Grandma."

Li Zhuiyuan walked over to Cui Cui, who looked at him somewhat doubtfully.

"Cui Cui, come on, let's eat."

"Okay, hehe."

A smile returned to the little girl's face.

After the two children entered the kitchen, Liu Jinxia sat in the hall chair, her expression grave.

"Mom?" Li Juxiang was still holding that basin. "That Little Yuanhou... he really saw it?"

"Sometimes, seeing something doesn't necessarily require using your eyes."

"How could this happen?"

"You'd probably have to ask Sanjiang Hou. Heaven knows what methods he used to mess around."

"Sigh, I just hope the child will be alright. I really do like him."

"Oh?" Liu Jinxia looked at her daughter with a half-smile. "What, taken a liking to him? Want him as your son-in-law?"

"Mom, don't joke about that. I could never think that way. He's Lanhou's son."

For once, Liu Jinxia did not scold her daughter for "degrading herself." Instead, she comforted her. "That girl Lanhou was quick-witted from childhood, and her son is even more precocious. So he really isn't suitable as a son-in-law."

Li Juxiang laughed despite herself and asked, "Mom, listen to yourself. What nonsense are you talking about? Being smart is a flaw now?"

"Girl, you don't understand.

Have you ever seen a child get haunted by something filthy and fall unconscious one day, then come out the next day holding hands and playing as though nothing had happened?

Do you think he knew about what happened at Big Beard's home? Do you believe him when he says he fell asleep last night and knew nothing?

Heh, just now, he saw something unclean here again, yet he can sit down and keep eating peacefully.

That child isn't merely smart anymore. He can quickly figure out exactly what situation he's in and regulate himself.

Even when it comes to something like... seeing ghosts.

It's only because he's still young that he still carries a bit of a little kid's innocence.

Once he grows up, living with someone like that would be pretty boring, really. He only needs to look at you once to see right through you. You'd have no secrets at all in front of him.

You wouldn't even be able to act cute or throw a tantrum at him, because he simply stands higher than you. He lowers his head and looks down on you from every angle.

Cold and icy, without a trace of human warmth."

"Mom, how can you say that about a child? I think Little Yuanhou is really quite nice, polite and well-behaved."

"That's because he treats everyone that way. Just like his mother did as a child."

"Mom..."

"Right, didn't his mother get divorced too?"

"You..." Li Juxiang got angry.

Liu Jinxia was still not satisfied. She exhaled a puff of smoke and continued, "People like that mother and son are suited to someone with no sense of self at all, someone whose whole world revolves around them."

"Mom, I'd better go find Elder Uncle Sanjiang."

"Go on, go on." Liu Jinxia waved her hand. "If Sanjiang Hou drags his feet, ask him whether he still wants Hanhou to provide for him in his old age and bury him, if he's really messed up Hanhou's beloved grandson."

Li Juxiang quickly dumped out the dirty water from the basin, climbed onto her tricycle, and set off. She truly did not want to hear her mother keep talking about this.

Liu Jinxia stubbed out the cigarette in her hand, yawned, and slowly headed toward the kitchen.

The two children had already finished eating. Liu Jinxia saw her usually pampered granddaughter, who never did housework, taking the initiative to clear the bowls and chopsticks and wipe the table.

She kept saying, "Brother Yuanhou, put it down already. I do these chores every day."

It made Liu Jinxia laugh.

Perhaps because it concerned who would provide for him and bury him in old age, Li Sanjiang did not dawdle at all this time. He arrived early, riding over on Li Juxiang's tricycle.

After Liu Jinxia had Li Juxiang take the two children upstairs to watch television, she led Li Sanjiang into her office.

"Whoa, Blind Liu, you've really packed this place tight." Li Sanjiang patted the tall stacks of wooden crates around him. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd just brought in a shipment from Guangdong and were about to switch to wholesale."

"I don't have time for your nonsense."

Liu Jinxia told him everything that had happened today, including the Niu Family's memorial birthday.

Li Sanjiang's eyes widened. "How could that Little Yuanhou see it?"

Liu Jinxia took a deep breath and clenched her fists. In the end, she forcibly suppressed her anger and shot back, "Why the hell are you asking me?"

Li Sanjiang took out cigarettes, tossed one to Liu Jinxia, and held another beneath his nose as he sniffed it and pondered.

Liu Jinxia picked up the cigarette, tapped its filter end against the tabletop, and asked, "What good deed did you do last night?"

"A virtuous deed."

"You..." Liu Jinxia licked her lips and asked, "Big Beard and his son were floating in the Fish Pond today. Did you bring that Death Collapse over there?"

Li Sanjiang said nothing.

"How did you bring it there?" Liu Jinxia continued fishing for information. Then, as if she had thought of a terrifying possibility, her voice rose as she cursed, "You old bastard, don't tell me you made Little Yuanhou lure the corpse?"

"Cough, cough..." Li Sanjiang cleared his throat. "Blind Liu, lend me a light."

Liu Jinxia hurled the matchbox straight at him. "You really did it!"

"Scratch..."

Li Sanjiang looked away and began smoking.

Liu Jinxia rose from her chair, went around the desk, walked up to Li Sanjiang, and practically sprayed spittle all over the old man's face.

"The living walk the mortal path, and the dead walk the nether path. Making Little Yuanhou lure a corpse was making that child walk the nether path. He got tainted with ghostly energy. Do you know that you may have already made him capable of Yin Walking?"

"Yin Walking?" Li Sanjiang froze, then seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. "Hahaha, bullshit! How could someone start Yin Walking just from doing that once?"

"Heh... hehehe." Blind Liu let out a cold laugh.

Li Sanjiang became anxious instead and sprang to his feet. "If Yin Walking were really that easy, then after all your decades in this line of work, Blind Liu, you wouldn't still be pulling this con artist routine!"

Yin Walking was called Blind Groping or Spirit Descent in some places. It referred to the ability to travel from the Mortal Realm to the Netherworld. Put simply, it meant being able to see things not of the Mortal Realm.

People sought out "spirit mediums" like Blind Liu because they were drawn to the image such people cultivated of being able to commune with gods and ghosts. Yet ninety-nine percent of people like them lacked that ability. Blind Liu certainly did not have it.

Liu Jinxia steadied her breathing and said, "That child is smart and meticulous."

Hearing that, Li Sanjiang swallowed. The scene from last night suddenly surfaced in his mind: Little Yuanhou pointing at the river and saying, "Aren't we waiting for her?"

Smack!

Li Sanjiang slumped back into his chair, his expression uncertain and alarmed. He suddenly realized that Liu Jinxia seemed to be right.

"His biological father and mother are both in the capital, and he has a capital household registration. The child's smart too, and he'll excel at studying or anything else he does. His bright future is practically guaranteed, yet you went and pulled this on him.

Never mind how constantly seeing filthy things will affect his life. Just look at you, all alone, needing to scout out a dependable Hanhou in advance just to see you through your final years.

As for me, heh, don't even mention it.

Anyone who gets involved in this path ends up touched by some of the Five Misfortunes and Three Deficiencies. You're committing a sin here. Tell me, was your brain full of water at the time?"

Li Sanjiang did not argue back. His brows furrowed into a deep crease.

Seeing that, Liu Jinxia stopped mocking him and comforted him instead. "Fortunately, the child's condition isn't serious yet. From what I can see, he can only vaguely sense some filthy things. He hasn't truly learned Yin Walking. It can still be remedied. He can still be pulled back."

Li Sanjiang's gaze turned firm. "Then I'll cut it off for him!"

"How?"

"I'll go talk to Hanhou and have him send Little Yuanhou away from home to stay with me for a while. I'll perform a Living Fasting Rite for him."

Liu Jinxia opened her mouth. "A Living Fasting Rite?"

Normally, there was no such thing as a Living Fasting Rite. Performing a fasting rite for the dead at a funeral was meant to prevent filthy things from causing trouble, while doing one for the living meant transferring the misfortune on that person onto oneself. No one was willing to do that.

As for being "sent away from home," it meant temporarily cutting oneself off from one's family and severing karmic ties. After some time had passed, one could still return to secular life.

In remote areas of the country and in Southeast Asia, there was still a tradition of sending children from the family to live in a temple for a period before taking them home to resume their lives. Having children recognize "godfathers" and "godmothers" inland was a simplified version of this custom.

Li Sanjiang looked at Liu Jinxia and asked, "Do you think it'll work?"

Liu Jinxia nodded. "If you're willing to pay such a price, then it will definitely work."

She had entered this line of work midway through life and had mostly figured things out on her own, but in her early years, she had considered learning some genuine skills from Li Sanjiang.

The reason it never happened was because she discovered that Li Sanjiang was somewhat unreliable.

If you said he had no ability, then whenever trouble arose, he could always pull out some trick. But if you said he had ability, he often left things a complete mess and a muddle, just like this time.

Still, there was one thing Liu Jinxia was certain of: the old man possessed an indescribable quality.

When she had first married into the family, she had heard her father-in-law say that Li Sanjiang had been forcibly conscripted three times during the Republic of China. Everyone taken with him had vanished without a trace, yet Li Sanjiang had slipped back every time, whole and unharmed.

He clearly made a living doing taboo work, yet he had remained free of illness and disaster. Calling him alone and without family was even somewhat of a stretch, because unlike her, he had never married at all. He had always lived an extraordinarily carefree and comfortable life.

There were countless reasons why he should have died long ago, but he had lived a long life, rosy-cheeked and vigorous. Liu Jinxia was a full generation younger than him, yet she felt that she would most likely die before he did.

For a Living Fasting Rite that transferred misfortune, the prerequisite was whether one possessed the fortune to bear it. Without question, Li Sanjiang truly did. Not only did he have it, he had more than enough.

Li Sanjiang stood up, tossed his cigarette butt to the floor, and crushed it beneath his shoe. Just as he was about to leave, Liu Jinxia called after him.

"Say, Uncle Sanjiang."

"Hmm?"

"Uncle Sanjiang, I was too worried about the child just now. My tone was harsh. Sorry."

Li Sanjiang glanced at Liu Jinxia. "What is it you want?"

Liu Jinxia smiled ingratiatingly. "Since you're already planning to do this, performing a fasting rite for one child is no different from doing it for two, right? Why not send my Little Cui Hou to your home too? She can keep Little Yuanhou company. What do you think?"

"Just as I thought. You don't have anything good to say."

Li Sanjiang walked out without looking back. Performing a fasting rite for Little Yuanhou was, first, because he bore responsibility for this matter, and second, for Hanhou's support and burial in his old age.

He had lived freely and easily his whole life. Suffering a little loss in his old age to secure that was not a bad deal at all, far more worthwhile than those old people who spent most of their lives laboring for their children.

But performing a fasting rite for Blind Liu's family? Li Sanjiang felt that if he dared do it today, he would have to prepare to drop dead tomorrow!

"Little Yuanhou, come on. Great Grandfather will take you home!"

"Coming, Great Grandfather."

Li Sanjiang took Li Zhuiyuan's hand and left Liu Jinxia's home. Along the way, he asked, "Little Yuanhou, Great Grandfather wants to discuss something with you."

"Great Grandfather, go ahead."

"There are a lot of children in your home now, and it's crowded when you sleep. Great Grandfather's house has plenty of room, and it gets lonely living there alone. How about you come stay at Great Grandfather's Home for a while and keep Great Grandfather company?"

"Great Grandfather..."

"Hmm?"

"Did something happen to me?"

"Uh..." Li Sanjiang finally felt today that a child being too smart was not necessarily a good thing. "Don't worry, Little Yuanhou. Great Grandfather will help you resolve whatever's happening to you. Don't be afraid."

"It's alright, Great Grandfather. I can get used to it."

"Hurry up and spit that out! That's not something you should get used to!"

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey."

When Li Sanjiang brought Li Zhuiyuan back, Yingzi was playing rubber band with her two younger sisters in the yard.

Two long benches stood four meters apart, placed horizontally at either end, with the rubber band looped around their legs.

"Little leather ball, banana pear, Malan blooms twenty-one. Two-five-six, two-five-seven, two-eight, two-nine, thirty-one..."

"Yinghou, are your grandparents back?" Li Sanjiang called out.

"Oh! Great Grandfather, Yuanzi." Yingzi and the others spotted them. "Grandfather and Grandma just got back."

"Alright."

Li Sanjiang let go of Li Zhuiyuan's hand and walked inside, where he found Li Weihan and Cui Guiying.

The elderly couple thought Li Sanjiang had come over regarding the "testimony," so they hurriedly volunteered a report of the situation.

After listening, Li Sanjiang nodded and reassured them, "Alright, Big Beard's family's matter is settled now. There shouldn't be any further entanglements."

Li Weihan asked worriedly, "Uncle, has Little Yellow Oriole already been dealt with?"

Li Sanjiang's eyelids twitched. Dealt with? How was he supposed to deal with her? Grab a shovel, dig around at the bottom of Big Beard's Fish Pond, and shout to ask whether she was still there?

Logically speaking, a newly dead Death Collapse should not have been that vicious. The fact that she could come ashore and chase someone all the way home was already unbelievable.

But whether Little Yellow Oriole had dissipated after taking her revenge or was still hiding in the Fish Pond, watching Big Beard's old house as an evil presence, Li Sanjiang had no intention of looking into it further.

"She won't come after your family again. Remember the date, and make another offering to her next year. Just make a token gesture."

"Alright, Uncle. We'll remember."

"Mm. But there's another matter I need to tell you about."

Li Sanjiang explained the issue with Li Zhuiyuan, though he concealed his own mistake in the process. Nothing else—he had to save some face.

Cui Guiying's lips turned pale again in fright. "Heavens, why isn't this over yet?"

Li Weihan was much calmer. He told his wife, "The most dangerous hurdle has passed. This isn't much now. Doesn't Uncle have a solution? We'll do as Uncle says. Go pack some clothes and luggage for Little Yuanhou."

Li Sanjiang waved his hand. "Going to stay at my place isn't the same as going to prison. You can come visit him. Just bring his things over yourselves tomorrow. It won't take long, half a month at most. Think of it as me raising a child for a while too, getting to enjoy the happiness of being a grandfather. Hehe."

Li Sanjiang's relaxed tone calmed Cui Guiying considerably. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "Then we'll really have to trouble you, Uncle Sanjiang."

"Ah, don't say that. We're family, family. Alright, set up a table, light a pair of candles, pour three bowls of Yellow Wine, and we'll go through the formalities for the Leaving-Home Rite."

The Leaving-Home Rite was simple. A table with candles was placed in the yard, and Li Sanjiang muttered under his breath while leading Li Zhuiyuan around the table three times.

Finally, Li Zhuiyuan was told to pick up the three bowls of Yellow Wine in turn. He scattered one bowl toward the sky, poured one over himself, and splashed the final bowl toward his family standing inside the doorway.

The most important rule was that while the rite was being performed, Li Weihan, Cui Guiying, and all the brothers and sisters could only stand inside the door threshold. They could not come out or make a sound to disturb it.

The rite was complete.

"Alright, Hanhou. See you tomorrow." Li Sanjiang waved. "I'll take the child home first."

With that, Li Sanjiang carried Li Zhuiyuan on his back and headed out of the yard.

Carried on his back, Li Zhuiyuan twisted around, kept smiling, and waved goodbye to his family, as though he were merely visiting relatives.

Inside the door threshold, Li Weihan held Cui Guiying by the shoulders, his gaze fixed on him. Though Pan Zi, Lei Zi, Huzi, Shitou, and the others had been told to stay quiet, they all covered their mouths and squeezed their heads out from beside their grandparents to look at him.

Just then, the sun was setting, and warm orange light spilled across everything in sight, bathing it all in a soft halo.

Li Zhuiyuan suddenly felt dazed. He vaguely sensed that this scene would remain forever in the depths of his heart, something he would often remember and recall in the future.

Like opening that...

Old, yellowed photograph.