Chapter 8

Grandma Liu said her granddaughter did not have ordinary autism. Now, Li Zhuiyuan believed her.

"Uncle Sanjiang, Uncle Sanjiang!"

Behind him, Niu Fu's voice and footsteps were drawing closer and closer. The girl's gaze remained fixed on him as he moved.

She couldn't keep staring like that...

Li Zhuiyuan walked toward the girl, stopped four meters from the door threshold, then shifted two steps sideways, using his body to block her view of Niu Fu.

It would actually have been easier to walk up to the girl and cover her eyes with both hands, but he did not dare.

Grandma Liu's earlier warning was definitely not baseless. Besides, there was also Li Sanjiang's bloody lesson.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the girl's eyelashes were trembling slightly.

He just did not know whether it was because this stranger had approached her, or because of what she had "seen."

However, the girl did not turn aside and try to get around him to continue watching. Instead, she returned her neck to its previous position and looked straight ahead.

She had frozen again.

Li Zhuiyuan let out a breath of relief. He had truly been afraid that she might suddenly leap up and rush over to bite him.

Still, this was his first time standing so close to her.

Her retro attire suited her perfectly. They complemented each other beautifully.

As she sat there, it felt as though he were the outsider who had intruded into her era, her secluded residence.

Liu Yumei walked over then, lightly placing a hand on Li Zhuiyuan's shoulder. She said softly, "Little Yuan, Grandma warned you not to get too close to A Li."

"I remember, Grandma." Li Zhuiyuan pointed at the door threshold ahead. "I won't go any closer."

Perhaps because of their earlier interaction, Liu Yumei had formed a favorable impression of the boy. She could not help teasing him, "Well? Isn't my A Li pretty?"

"Yes, she is. She takes after you."

"Hehehe..."

Li Zhuiyuan's words made Liu Yumei laugh. She walked into the house and glanced at the six-tier wooden rack in the inner room, which was filled with Spirit Tablets. The ones on the left were all surnamed Liu, while those on the right were surnamed Qin.

She picked up an empty small dish, selected a few pastries from the offering tray below, then walked back out and handed the small dish to Li Zhuiyuan.

"Here, Grandma is treating you to some snacks."

"Thank you, Grandma." Li Zhuiyuan reached out and accepted it.

"They came from the offering tray, but they're clean."

"Mm."

Li Zhuiyuan was not bothered by it. He picked up a flaky pastry and took a bite. It was soft and delicate in his mouth, with a rich aftertaste.

Liu Yumei asked, "Is it sweet?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. "It's good, not sweet."

Liu Yumei sat down on the door threshold and looked at Li Zhuiyuan. "When is your mother coming to take you back to the capital?"

"Whenever Mom has time."

"Do you miss your mom?"

"Yes."

"You do? Why can't I hear it?"

"I miss her in my heart."

"You're quite a steady child. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I'm my parents' only child."

"Our A Li is an only child too." As Liu Yumei spoke, she looked at the girl, her eyes filled with affection.

She raised her hand as though she wanted to stroke her granddaughter's head, but then withdrew it.

"Grandma Liu, where are you from?"

"My ancestors all lived on boats on the river. We have no ancestral home. But if we had to name one, then this Yangtze River is the ancestral home of both Grandma and her Grandpa."

At the mention of Qin Li's Grandpa, a trace of longing appeared on Liu Yumei's face.

Then, wearing that expression, she looked at Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan understood and asked, "Grandma, you and Grandpa must have had a very good relationship, right?"

"Not at first. Our families were sworn enemies. Later, that shameless bastard took a liking to me and insisted on marrying me. He angered my father and brothers so badly that they nearly tied him up and sank him in the river. The two families almost started fighting again."

Seeing that Liu Yumei had more to say, Li Zhuiyuan continued asking, "What happened after that?"

"After that? Naturally, I got tricked by him. I married him and bore his children."

"Did your family accept Grandpa?"

"Mm, they accepted him. Then they all sank into the river together."

After saying that, Liu Yumei suddenly came back to herself. How had she ended up talking about this?

"By the way, Little Yuan, why did your parents get divorced?"

The moment she asked, Liu Yumei regretted it. How could she ask a child something like that?

"Because they couldn't keep living together."

"Was it your father's fault?"

"Dad loved Mom very much."

At that moment, Niu Fu's voice came from behind them in the distance. "All right, Uncle Sanjiang, it's settled then. I'm leaving. I'll wait for you at home."

Li Zhuiyuan was somewhat surprised. That fast?

He secretly looked back and saw that Niu Fu, who had reached the edge of the yard, was still severely hunched over. Li Zhuiyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately went to find Li Sanjiang.

"Great Grandfather, Great Grandfather."

"What is it?"

Li Sanjiang did not stop when he heard him calling. Instead, he walked straight to the toilet, untied his waistband, and sat on the Dragon Throne.

Short Li Zhuiyuan stood below him. All he lacked was a whisk.

In truth, the toilet at Li Sanjiang's Home was built rather carefully. It stood behind the new house, out of sight.

Many other village homes had their toilets right beside the Main House, facing the Village Road. When someone sat there, with people constantly passing by during the day, it was like receiving an audience from a hundred officials.

When they encountered someone they knew, they would even greet them proactively and stop for a chat.

"Great Grandfather, you agreed to help him?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Isn't there... that thing on his back?"

"Great Grandfather knows. I wasn't planning to go, but he doubled the sealed payment, and all three siblings doubled theirs. I have to go now, hehe. They're offering too much."

"But it's dangerous..."

"Little Yuanhou, money can make ghosts turn millstones. Danger is only dangerous when the money isn't enough. Just watch, Blind Liu will definitely go too."

"Great Grandfather..."

"Little Yuanhou, this is how your Great Grandfather makes his living. Besides, it'll be fine. Your Great Grandfather has seen plenty of storms and never capsized yet."

"When are you going?"

"That depends on when Blind Liu sets the date, but it will probably be soon. We have to do it early. When your Grandpa Hanhou came to bring you clothes, he said they were about to organize everyone to dredge the river."

"Dredge the river?"

"Mm, dig the river. It's a tradition that has lasted for decades. The able-bodied men from all the villages for miles around... no, from basically all of rural Jiangsu, have to go.

"So, we have to hold the Memorial Birthday before the river dredging begins."

"We have to hold the Memorial Birthday before the river dredging begins, or the family won't have peace."

Not far after leaving Li Sanjiang's Home, Niu Fu stopped under a tree beside the small river. He braced one hand against the trunk, untied his waistband with the other, and prepared to relieve himself.

After finishing and tying his waistband back up, he inexplicably felt as though his back had straightened a little. He even gave a small hop in place.

Turning back to glance at Li Sanjiang's Home in the distance, Niu Fu could not help sighing to himself.

"Looks like Uncle Sanjiang is as effective as Granny Liu!"

Li Zhuiyuan entered the house and saw Aunt Liu painting a Paper Person. Aunt Liu smiled and beckoned to him.

"Little Yuan, want to come play?"

"No, Aunt Liu. I have something to do."

"All right, go take care of your business first." Aunt Liu smiled. She found the child's earnest manner truly adorable.

Li Zhuiyuan carefully moved aside a paper house blocking the Stairs, walked down, and saw a rusty iron door.

A pair of cloth shoes lay on the ground before the door. Li Zhuiyuan bent down and found a key inside one of them. He inserted it into the lock, opened it, and pushed the door inward. A stale, moldy smell immediately rushed out.

The inside was pitch-black. Li Zhuiyuan reached out and felt along the wall near the door until he finally found a string, which he pulled down.

"Click."

Nothing happened.

He pulled it twice more.

Snap!

The light did not turn on. The string broke.

With no other choice, Li Zhuiyuan ran back upstairs and found a flashlight in the drawer of the cabinet by the entrance.

He unscrewed the back cover and found it empty. Fortunately, the batteries were also in the drawer. He put in two large batteries, screwed the cover back on, and tested it. It lit up.

He returned to the basement and shone the light inside. The space was not large; it had not been dug out to match the full footprint of the first floor. But there were a great many things inside, all sorted into categories and arranged neatly.

It seemed Great Grandfather had truly put effort into organizing it all back then, but he also clearly had not come down for years. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to a shelf. His attention was first drawn to a Peachwood Sword. He picked it up and blew on it, sending dust flying.

"Cough... cough cough..."

After coughing, Li Zhuiyuan carefully examined the sword with the flashlight.

It was carved with all kinds of patterns he could not understand, and had several reflective metal pieces attached to it. There were also some seal-script characters.

In short, it looked antique and was packed with detail.

Li Zhuiyuan admired it closely and attentively until he shone the flashlight on the lower end of the Peachwood Sword's hilt and read the words there.

"Shandong Linyi Furniture Factory."

Li Zhuiyuan: "..."

Putting down the Peachwood Sword, Li Zhuiyuan picked up the Coin Sword beside it.

This time, he learned his lesson. He first checked the hilt, then the side of the sword. Once he confirmed there was no manufacturer's label, he carefully examined the blade.

"Kangxi Tongbao, Qianlong Tongbao, Jiaqing Tongbao..."

Though the coins were not especially old, they should have been genuine.

But when Li Zhuiyuan continued inspecting it with the flashlight, he suddenly noticed other things mixed in among them, things very different in size from the copper coins.

He tried prying one out with his fingernail, but could not. He could only search elsewhere on the blade. Soon, he found another of the same size, and this time he saw it clearly...

They were actually one-cent and five-cent coins!

The outside of the sword was made of copper coins, but the inside was entirely filled with regular coins. There were not even any ten-cent coins.

Small-denomination coins were still coins... so it could not exactly be called fake, but mixed together like this, Li Zhuiyuan could not help feeling strange.

He put the Coin Sword back and continued searching.

He saw two very large flags. No, judging from their long, narrow shape, banners was probably the more fitting name.

The two banners occupied a large amount of tabletop space. One was entirely black, while the other was purple.

The black one was embroidered with many skulls and flood dragons, giving off an evil aura.

The purple one was embroidered with many flowers, birds, and golden dragons, making it seem imposing and righteous.

Li Zhuiyuan tried to take one down, but found that he could not lift it with one hand at all. He could only lean closer to the table, bring the flashlight near, and continue inspecting it.

He did not know what he was looking for, but he felt that he should be able to find something.

Sure enough, on the wooden handle of the Black Banner, Li Zhuiyuan found a line of crooked brush-written characters: Li Family Funeral Team.

It was not even written in traditional characters, but simplified ones.

Li Zhuiyuan recalled that when Big Beard's family had held a funeral, the White Cloth Band led by Little Yellow Oriole had also brought out many ritual implements and props. Those things were counted by the bundle, then packed up and tossed into a truck afterward.

Soon, Li Zhuiyuan found writing on the Purple Banner as well. This time it was in traditional characters, but with an additional sentence.

"Xue Family Funeral Class. Whoever takes it by mistake will have a son without an asshole."

"Ugh."

Li Zhuiyuan sighed and pulled the banner cloth back into place.

The anticipation and excitement he had felt when first entering had gradually faded. Now, he felt increasingly calm.

Great Grandfather had not lied to him. He really had collected a pile of... junk.

When he was little, his mother often took him to her workplace. Back then, cultural relic protection was not as strict as it was now. Many artifacts did not even have glass covers, and some could even be touched up close.

Thus, Li Zhuiyuan had examined many ritual implements from close range: the solemnity of Buddhism, the simplicity of Taoism, the mystery of Lamaism.

Because he had seen so many back then, he had even gotten a little tired of them. But no matter what, none of them could be compared with the things before him. At the very least... they did not come with labels.

Yes, Li Zhuiyuan saw labels on the next several Taoist robes, complete with size markings.

Yes, on the next few Taoist robes, Li Zhuiyuan saw labels with the sizes marked on them.

Li Zhuiyuan also found three large baskets of Talisman Papers. He picked one up for a close look first. It felt smooth, and though he could not understand the lines on it, he could tell they had been drawn in one fluid stroke and written beautifully.

That made him interested again, and he began flipping through the other talismans. There were truly quite a few types.

But Li Zhuiyuan soon discovered something was wrong. When he placed two talismans of the same type side by side, he could not tell them apart. Even the missing stroke at the bottom corner was exactly the same.

So... were these printed?

Li Zhuiyuan rubbed his eyes. His eyes were beginning to sting from all the staring. He even suspected that Great Grandfather had stockpiled so many things here because he had originally intended to form a White Cloth Band. Together with the tables, chairs, bowls, basins, and Paper People upstairs, it would make a complete funeral industry chain.

No longer looking at those objects, Li Zhuiyuan walked to the very back, where more than a dozen boxes had been placed.

He remembered Great Grandfather saying that other people had left them here for storage, and that they were all filled with books.

"Hmm?"

Li Zhuiyuan bent down and carefully examined the boxes under the flashlight. The material... was almost exactly the same as the one Grandpa Zhou from the Family Courtyard, who loved collecting things, had at home.

That time, Grandpa Zhou had been so thrilled after acquiring a box that he immediately called his old friends over to show it off, and Li Zhuiyuan had been called over as well to make tea.

Before him stood three boxes like this.

Though the other boxes differed in material and color, Li Zhuiyuan examined them and found that they were all of fine quality.

A flicker of anticipation rose in Li Zhuiyuan's heart. Surely boxes this valuable did not contain books from a publishing house?

Besides, state-run publishing houses in the past could not possibly have published books like the Golden Sand Luo Text Scripture. After all, it was feudal superstition.

There were traces of seals left on the boxes, though they had clearly been torn off long ago. They had originally been locked as well, but the locks had been pried off.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that Great Grandfather must have done it. So had these really been left in Great Grandfather's care by someone else?

Even without a lock, Li Zhuiyuan had to exert considerable effort to push open the lid. Once it opened, he shone his flashlight inside and immediately drew a sharp breath.

Books, books, books—nothing but books!

And they were not printed. He could tell from the covers alone that they had been handwritten.

Back in school, the class would go through several new sets of textbooks every semester, but he had only found them interesting the first time he flipped through them.

Now, he finally understood the happiness of being surrounded by books.

He picked up several in succession and looked at their covers, only to discover that they were all Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu, divided into many volumes.

The "Jianghu" here was not the martial arts world. It meant actual rivers and lakes.

Holding the flashlight between his arm and side, Li Zhuiyuan opened the first volume. He found that it contained not only text but illustrations, including one depicting a person standing and walking through flowing water.

This book actually described Death Collapses?

This was not the place to read. After closing the book, Li Zhuiyuan searched through the box for quite a while before finally finding the complete set.

Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu, forty-two volumes in total.

There were rather a lot of volumes, but that was understandable. They had been handwritten with brushes, and the characters were fairly large.

Li Zhuiyuan decided to finish this set first. It seemed like an encyclopedia specifically describing strange entities in rivers and lakes, something of an introductory read.

He did not open the other boxes. He wanted to save a little anticipation for later.

Next, Li Zhuiyuan became a book porter. It took him three trips to finally carry the complete set of Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu up to his room on the second floor.

He locked the basement door again. Instead of putting the key in his cloth shoes, he kept it on him.

"Little Yuanhou." Li Sanjiang's voice came from outside. "Little Yuanhou, come out quickly."

Li Zhuiyuan opened the door and stepped out.

Li Zhuiyuan opened the door and walked out.

"Great Grandfather, I'll go bathe and change clothes right away."

"No rush. Look at this first, hehe. Come on, Lihou, put it here. Let Grandfather and Grandson sit side by side."

"Got it."

Uncle Qin came upstairs carrying a Rattan Chair.

Warmth surged through Li Zhuiyuan's heart. Only yesterday, he had told Great Grandfather that he wanted a rattan chair, and today Great Grandfather had really bought him one.

"Great Grandfather, I also want a Desk Lamp."

The light bulb in the room was not bright enough. It was fine for lighting up the room at night, but reading was difficult. Li Zhuiyuan had seen kerosene lamps in the house, but there was no need to make himself suffer for no reason.

"A Desk Lamp? For reading?"

"Yes."

"Good. Lihou, make another trip to town and buy the Child a Desk Lamp. Get some more pens and notebooks too. I think the other children also have those... what were they called, stationery cases? Forget it. Just buy whatever you think he might need."

"Alright. I'll go after lunch."

"Don't wait until the afternoon. There's still some time before lunch. Go now."

"Alright."

Li Sanjiang turned to Li Zhuiyuan again and said sternly, "When your Grandpa came earlier, I told him to have Yinghou come over this afternoon to tutor you."

After saying that, Li Sanjiang's old face actually showed a teasing expression that seemed to say, "Ha, didn't expect that, did you?"

"Huh?"

Disappointment appeared on Li Zhuiyuan's face. He had planned to focus on reading and did not want to tutor his sister.

When his sister had been doing her first-year high school summer homework, there had not actually been that many problems she did not understand. Now that she was previewing second-year courses ahead of time, there were not many problems she did understand.

Li Sanjiang reached out and rubbed Li Zhuiyuan's head, saying earnestly, "You take after your mother. With a brain as smart as yours, wouldn't it be a pity not to use it for studying?"

"But, Great Grandfather..."

"No buts. Study hard. In the future, get into a good university like your mother did. That's the proper path, understand?"

"But Great Grandfather, I'm already attending university classes."

"Heh, you dare fool your Great Grandfather? Even if I've never eaten pork, haven't I seen pigs run? Be good. That's settled!

"Oh, right, Lihou. When you go to town later, buy the Child some snacks too. Buy whatever they have, and get a share for your daughter as well."

"Yes, Uncle."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Uncle Qin, pointed toward the southeast corner of the terrace, and said, "Uncle, can you put the Rattan Chair over there for me?"

Uncle Qin said, "Sure."

"What do you want to put it there for?" Seeing that Li Zhuiyuan did not want to place his chair beside his own, Li Sanjiang curiously walked over to the southeast corner. Good heavens—when he looked down, he saw the little girl sitting just inside the East Room's Door Threshold.

"Hey, Little Yuanhou, what are you putting it here for?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Great Grandfather, I think the feng shui is good here."

"Pah!" Li Sanjiang scolded with a laugh. "You think I don't know what's on your mind? You just want to look at that pretty girl."

That girl Qin Li really was pretty. Otherwise, Li Sanjiang would not have taken the initiative to offer her candy back then. But that girl was truly fierce.

That girl Qin Li really was beautiful. Otherwise, Li Sanjiang would not have offered her candy back then. But that girl was truly fierce.

After Uncle Qin left, Li Sanjiang pulled Li Zhuiyuan over and pointed a finger at him in warning.

"I'm telling you, Little Yuanhou. Looking at that girl is fine, but don't even think about getting close to her or playing with her. Otherwise, she'll scratch your face to pieces. Look at your face—so fair and tender. What a shame it would be if you got disfigured. How would you find a wife later?"

"Alright, Great Grandfather. I understand."

"Besides, why like any girl at all? You're liking a girl with something wrong in her head. No matter how pretty she is, what's the use? Do you really want to take care of her for the rest of your life?"

Li Sanjiang had not been able to say these things while Qin Li was present.

"I understand, Great Grandfather."

"Forget it. You're still young. Why am I even telling you this? You're still far from the age to marry. Alright, Great Grandfather is going out. I won't be back for lunch, so eat by yourself."

"Okay."

Li Sanjiang went downstairs with his hands behind his back, humming a little tune. When he reached the yard, he turned around and looked up at the terrace, a smile appearing on his face.

Little Yuanhou had asked him for things, and he had not begrudged the money. He had money!

All of a sudden, he felt that earning money to spend on one's children was also a kind of happiness.

He had once thought Hanhou was hopelessly devoted to his sons, especially since those sons were not particularly filial. But now, he suddenly understood something.

What if raising children was not for them to support one in old age, but simply because it made life a little more interesting and made one's life feel more complete?

We gave birth to and raised you, not asking for your gratitude. After all, Laozi did it for the sake of making his own life complete.

Heh, that actually felt pretty good.

Li Sanjiang shook his head. Forget it. What was the use of thinking about such things now? He was already nearing the age of burial. This life of his was destined to be childless.

After Great Grandfather left, Li Zhuiyuan bathed and changed into clean clothes. Then he eagerly picked up the first volume of Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu, sat down in the Rattan Chair, and began reading.

The characters in this book were written in Slender Gold Script, making them much more pleasant to read. Compared to them, the writing in the Golden Sand Luo Text Scripture looked like a dog's scrawl.

He silently made a wish: I hope the other books in those boxes have good handwriting too.

Li Zhuiyuan quickly immersed himself in the atmosphere of reading. Yet whenever he turned a page, he would glance down at the girl sitting there with her feet resting on the Door Threshold.

There were no improper thoughts in his mind. He simply felt that looking at beautiful things was pleasing to the eye and could put one in a better mood.

However, aside from turning her gaze toward Niu Fu's back that morning, the girl made no other movements.

Time passed quickly as he read. Uncle Qin returned midway through and brought him a Desk Lamp, a set of stationery, and plenty of snacks.

After he read for a while longer, Aunt Liu called from below, "Little Yuanhou, time to eat!"

"Alright, I'm coming down."

Putting down the book, Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs. Lunch was still served in the yard, but he had a table to himself.

On the square wooden stool sat a plate of chicken chunks braised with soybeans, a plate of scrambled eggs with chives, and a bowl of crucian carp soup.

Li Zhuiyuan could not help but sigh. The living conditions at Great Grandfather's Home were truly good.

At Grandpa's home, Panzi Ge and Leizi Ge were probably still drinking porridge right now.

Still, he had no intention of bringing food back to share. He knew that would not be appropriate.

In the yard, Grandma Liu squatted beside Qin Li and gently coaxed her.

At last, Qin Li lowered her head and began to eat.

She ate the same way she had at breakfast, alternating dishes and rice at a steady rhythm that never faltered.

After Li Zhuiyuan finished eating, he cleared away his bowl and chopsticks and took them to the kitchen before Aunt Liu could appear. Then he washed his hands, returned to the second floor, and continued reading.

The first volume began with Death Collapses. There were truly many kinds of Death Collapse. Ones like Little Yellow Oriole, which could walk upright, only counted as moderately dangerous in this book, perhaps even slightly below that.

But the more vicious the Death Collapse, the vaguer the dates and locations in the records became, and the more abstract the illustrations were. It gradually began to feel like reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Li Zhuiyuan thought that was normal. There could not have been many people who encountered such vicious Death Collapses and still made it back alive, so naturally the records would be vague.

"Yuanzi."

Yingzi came over carrying a wooden stool and a small stool.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his head and looked at Yingzi. "Sister."

"I'm here, hehe. Here, have some candy." Yingzi took candy from her pocket and handed it to him.

"Thank you, Jie." Li Zhuiyuan unwrapped a piece of candy, put it into his mouth, then walked into his bedroom.

"Thank you, sis." Li Zhuiyuan unwrapped a piece of candy, put it into his mouth, and then walked into his bedroom.

Yingzi opened the cloth bundle and laid out the books and exercises. Curious, she reached over and flipped through the book Li Zhuiyuan had left on the rattan chair. She frowned slightly; she couldn't understand this character.

"This is too much. How could I possibly eat all of it?"

"Take it back for everyone. Don't let Grandpa and Grandma see."

Li Zhuiyuan had taken out the snacks Li Weihan had brought that morning. He had not touched the ones Great Grandfather had bought.

"You're the younger brother. It feels rather embarrassing to eat your things."

Seeing that Li Zhuiyuan had already picked up his book and resumed reading, Yingzi could only continue.

"Yuanzi, when Jie starts working and earns money later, I'll buy you even more delicious food."

Li Zhuiyuan looked up and replied with a smile, "Alright, Jie."

Then he lowered his head and continued reading.

Seeing how absorbed he was, Yingzi lowered her head and previewed her lessons too. This time, however, she did not ask Li Zhuiyuan whenever she encountered something she did not understand. Instead, she wrote it down and waited to ask everything at the end so she would not disturb him.

After finishing the first volume, Li Zhuiyuan stood up, walked to the open space in front, and seriously performed a full set of National Middle School Broadcast Exercises.

Much of the book's content was obscure, unfamiliar, and vague. He had to think things through as he read. This was the first time he had ever found reading so exhausting.

But it was truly fulfilling. He felt a sense of accomplishment.

Li Zhuiyuan was very happy, because he could finally empathize with the classmates who were poor at studying. So this was how happy and fulfilled they had been all along.

Li Zhuiyuan was delighted, because he could finally empathize with the poorly performing students in his class. So this was how happily and fulfillingly they had been living all along.

"Good afternoon."

Naturally, the girl did not respond. She did not even spare him a glance from the corner of her eye.

After returning to the second floor, he put back the first volume, took out the second, and continued reading.

With the adaptation from the first volume, Li Zhuiyuan gradually came to understand the author's writing habits. He could even resonate with some of the author's mindset. As a result, he finished the second volume in only half the time it had taken him to read the first.

He immediately switched to the third volume. By the time he finished it, dusk was approaching.

Li Zhuiyuan put down the book and looked at Yingzi Jie beside him.

"Jie, is there anything you don't understand?"

"Yes. This, this, this, this, this, and these..."

Li Zhuiyuan took his sister's pen and began writing out the solution process. He wrote as detailedly as he could, so she could study it slowly herself. At the very least, it was far more efficient than explaining everything verbally.

Watching her younger brother rapidly write across the notebook with a swish-swish-swish, Yingzi felt nothing but envy.

Sure enough, if Little Aunt and her younger brother were excluded, the entire Li family, with all its members combined, probably could not scrape together a single brain.

She truly felt lucky too. Although her parents gave her money to buy study guides, tutoring books in this era were crude to begin with. Many real exam questions and explanations remained available only within certain elite schools, and even if one was willing to spend money, they were difficult to obtain.

Not to mention that her younger brother's usefulness had long surpassed that of study guides. He was practically her private tutor. No matter how open-minded her parents were, they could not possibly hire a schoolteacher to tutor her alone, and they could not afford it either.

After Li Zhuiyuan finished writing, he let out a long breath, rubbed his aching wrist, and said, "Sister, I suggest you first thoroughly understand the concepts, then use simple problems to deepen your understanding. That way, your learning efficiency will improve."

But Yingzi thought, Isn't that exactly what I've been doing?

Yingzi lowered her head and began studying the solution process her younger brother had given her. She could tell it was very detailed, but as she went through it step by step, she still found it somewhat difficult.

It was as though her brain had been forcibly pried open and knowledge was being poured into it bit by bit with great difficulty—and for every bit poured in, half spilled out.

At that moment, Li Sanjiang returned. As soon as he entered the yard and looked up, he saw Li Zhuiyuan and Yingzi sitting in the southeast corner of the second floor.

He saw Li Zhuiyuan, smiling and looking relaxed, then saw Yingzi, her face full of sorrow and utter despair.

"Hmph, that brat isn't studying seriously. He's giving his sister a headache!"

For dinner, Yingzi did not stay to eat. Li Weihan had already instructed her to leave when she came.

This time, Li Sanjiang actually asked her to stay. Only when she firmly refused did he let it go.

Normally, Li Sanjiang had always looked down on Li Weihan's four sons, and he did not pay much attention to their children either. But he had been the one to call Yingzi over to tutor Little Yuanhou today.

"Little Yuanhou, give some snacks to your sister tomorrow."

Li Zhuiyuan, who was eating, answered, "Great Grandfather, I already gave her some."

"Mm."

Only then did Li Sanjiang feel at ease. He could not let the girl get upset, or she might not come tutor him tomorrow.

After dinner, as usual, Li Zhuiyuan went to bathe first. When he came out afterward, he saw Li Sanjiang standing at the north edge of the terrace, a cigarette between the fingers of his left hand and his member in his right. Before him, under the moonlight, arced a stream of water.

"Little Yuanhou, finished bathing?"

"I'm done, Great Grandfather. You should go bathe."

"Mm. Go wait for me in the room."

Li Sanjiang shook his shoulders, straightened his chest, then swung his thighs back and forth.

Li Zhuiyuan finally understood that he actually did not need the chamber pot at night.

He walked into Great Grandfather's bedroom. The formation was still there, though it had been redrawn.

After examining the formation, Li Zhuiyuan blinked in confusion. It was clear that tonight's formation was the same one as last night's, yet it still differed from the one depicted in the Golden Sand Luo Text Scripture.

It was understandable that it differed from the book, since it had been different last night as well.

"But why is it also a little different from the one drawn last night?"

Li Zhuiyuan could only suspect that Great Grandfather had made minor adjustments based on the formation's effects last night.

First, because he was still reading beginner-level books and had not yet reached the formation diagrams;

Second, because his world was filled with rigor, and for the time being, he could not break free of that rigid habit of thought to consider another possibility.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down in his spot.

Before long, Li Sanjiang came in after finishing his bath. Today, he was wearing a pair of white underpants with a hole in them.

Just as yesterday, he first tied himself and Li Zhuiyuan together with a black rope, still in the same positions. Then he lit the candle and sat down inside the circle as well.

This time, Li Zhuiyuan watched carefully and discovered that Great Grandfather's Talisman Papers had been pulled out from his underpants.

And those underpants had no pockets.

He lit it, chanted a scripture, then, before the flame could burn his hand—

Smack!

He slapped it onto the floor.

The candle did not go out, and the lightbulb did not flicker.

"Is it done, Great Grandfather?"

"No, wait a little longer."

After saying that, Li Sanjiang pulled out another talisman, lit it, and repeated the motion, but this time he used much more force when slapping it onto the floor.

SMACK!!!

The sharp smack of flesh made Li Sanjiang's mouth twitch in pain.

But force produced results.

With a whoosh, all the candles went out, and the lightbulb overhead obligingly flickered twice.

"Done!"

Li Sanjiang let out a breath and said calmly, "Little Yuanhou, go to sleep. Remember, don't untie the rope."

"I understand, Great Grandfather."

Once Li Zhuiyuan had left, Li Sanjiang immediately blew on his palm.

"Whew, whew... hiss, hiss... it hurts so much."

After blowing on it, he looked toward the bed, and his face immediately twisted into misery.

"Damn it, it won't be a Zombie meeting again tonight, will it?"

After returning to his bedroom, Li Zhuiyuan did not get into bed. Instead, he turned on the desk lamp, took out the fourth volume, and continued reading.

After finishing the fourth volume, he took out the fifth. But before he had read more than a few pages, his forehead came down against the desk, and he fell asleep.

A figure of an old woman appeared in the rice fields. If Li Zhuiyuan had seen her now, he would have recognized her as the one Niu Fu carried on his hunched back.

She was bent over, green light gleaming in her eyes. Fine, dense fur slowly began to grow over her face, once creased with countless wrinkles.

Her figure vanished from where she stood. The next moment, she appeared in the yard, then vanished again. This time, she appeared inside the first-floor room.

She stopped amid the piles of Paper Crafting and looked at all the Paper People, paper horses, paper houses... She tilted her head, and a strange smile appeared on her face.

Li Zhuiyuan rubbed his eyes and raised his head. He had actually fallen asleep while reading.

He planned to go pee before getting into bed, doing it the way Great Grandfather had demonstrated.

He got up, walked to the bedroom door, opened it, and went outside. Li Zhuiyuan did not notice that behind the small desk, another him was still lying with his head on the desk, sleeping soundly.

Once outside, the cool night breeze washed over him, and Li Zhuiyuan felt a wave of comfort.

But soon, he heard noisy commotion coming from downstairs.

Who was making such a racket so late at night?

No... Great Grandfather's Home was quiet even during the day.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the edge of the terrace and leaned over to listen.

He heard men and women talking and singing, horses neighing, cats and dogs crying out—every kind of sound. It was as if the first floor were hosting a wild dance party.

But the first floor only had a huge pile of Paper Crafting. Could it be...?

Li Zhuiyuan was startled at first, then understood. Oh, he must be dreaming.

Just then, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze swept downward, and he stared in astonishment at a figure standing in the yard, dressed in a purple qipao—Qin Li!

Huh, how did you walk out of the door threshold by yourself?

No,

That wasn't it.

Why had you appeared in my dream!