Chapter 9

Was it because what he thought of by day appeared in his dreams at night?

After all, he had spent no small amount of time these past two days looking at her pleasing face, practically treating her as a brush washer.

However,

The next moment,

Qin Li, standing in the courtyard, raised her head and looked at Li Zhuiyuan on the balcony.

For the first time, their eyes met.

Li Zhuiyuan understood. She had not been dreamed up by him; she had entered his dream. Dreams were projections of reality. He had nearly formed a habit of freezing her in place, so she should not have been making any unnecessary movements in the dream either.

No...

Li Zhuiyuan frowned slightly.

This time,

Was it really his own dream?

Was it possible that, like Qin Li below, he too was merely a participant?

Perhaps he had dreamed too few times to draw any real patterns or conclusions. He had only just started reading books, and the ones he read were beginner-level popular science.

It was like having a problem laid out before him while he could not even understand what the question meant.

Maybe,

Qin Li knew something?

She had already taken the initiative to look at him. Could he hope that she might speak as well?

But the first floor was currently bustling and noisy. If he went down the Stairs, he would have to pass through the middle of the first floor, which was not feasible.

The Second Floor Balcony was not especially high, but jumping straight down was not realistic for someone with his small build.

Because this very likely was not his dream, he no longer had the right to take risks and make mistakes as he pleased.

Li Zhuiyuan crouched down and waved at Qin Li below, signaling for her to come closer so they could see whether they could whisper to each other.

But before Qin Li could react, Li Zhuiyuan heard footsteps coming from the stairway behind him.

He turned around and saw four elderly women walking toward him. They wore brightly colored clothes, their faces caked in thick powder and rouge.

They saw Li Zhuiyuan too. In fact, they could be said to have come specifically for him.

"Little Kid, why are you here? The banquet is about to begin!"

"Come on, the banquet's starting. Hurry and get a seat in the first seating. You'll have to wait a long time for the second!"

"Yes, yes, yes. After the first seating is done, hurry home and sleep so you won't delay school tomorrow."

At funerals and weddings, when there were too many guests and not enough capacity, people ate in batches. Once the first batch finished, the tables would be cleared and reset with bowls, plates, and cold dishes before the second batch sat down.

"I don't..."

Before he could finish refusing, an old woman reached out and grabbed Li Zhuiyuan's hand.

In an instant, Li Zhuiyuan discovered that his original clothes had vanished, replaced by a blue child's long gown. It looked old-fashioned, though the color was fresh and new.

The old woman's grip was incredibly strong. She dragged Li Zhuiyuan along until he stumbled several times, and even as they went down the Stairs, he tried to pry her hand open.

Her hand was white, a deathly sort of white, and there were no lines on it at all.

Seemingly sensing his struggle, the old woman suddenly stopped and slowly turned her head.

"Little Kid, you're being naughty. You don't want to go?"

Her voice became slow and sinister. The light in the stairwell dimmed, and what little light remained shone entirely upon the old woman's face.

Li Zhuiyuan took a deep breath and forced a smile onto his face.

"I'll go. I'll eat at the banquet. I want to eat at the banquet."

"Good boy."

The moment she finished speaking, the light in the stairwell instantly returned.

The old woman continued pulling Li Zhuiyuan downstairs until they reached the first floor.

The first floor of Great Grandfather's Home had originally been used purely as a storeroom. No one had even bothered painting the walls, which were all bare cement.

But now, the entire first floor had been festooned and decorated in a festive manner.

Tables had been set up one after another, each covered with red plastic tablecloths and laden with bowls, plates, and cold dishes.

Many people came and went, men and women, young and old. All wore excessively bright new clothes, their faces covered in thick powder and obvious rouge.

Li Zhuiyuan roughly knew what they were.

Because all the tables, chairs, benches, and dinnerware on the first floor had been laid out, yet the Paper People that had once filled the storage area were nowhere to be seen.

After dragging Li Zhuiyuan to the first floor, the old woman released his hand and went off to busy herself. Li Zhuiyuan turned around, only to find that the Stairs he had just descended... were gone.

He did not stand there foolishly. Instead, he walked toward the entrance. Great Grandfather's Home had many front door panels for ease of moving goods, and they had now been removed, leaving the entrance completely open.

Thus, the first floor was almost connected directly to the courtyard outside.

As soon as he reached the doorway, Li Zhuiyuan saw two young women dragging a little girl inside. It was Qin Li.

Unlike him, her clothes had not changed. Presumably, it was because she had already been dressed suitably for this place.

At that moment, Qin Li's eyelashes began to twitch, and her body started trembling faintly.

Li Zhuiyuan guessed that she might be about to lunge up and bite someone.

The two young women holding her seemed to notice that something was wrong with Qin Li as well. They lowered their heads to look at her. At the same time, the light where the three of them stood began to dim, and the darkness gradually spread outward. The others swallowed up by it ended their conversations and turned cold faces toward them.

Li Zhuiyuan was now certain that this was not his dream.

Nor was it Qin Li's dream.

He had never heard of someone acting out of line in their own dream and suffering backlash from the surrounding environment.

This was clearly someone else's dream. Though he did not know whose it was, its owner was immersed in it. Any illogical, out-of-place behavior within the dream would disturb it and wake it up.

After waking up, it might throw a fit; or it might strangle the two little shrimps who should not have existed and had disturbed its pleasant dream, then go back to sleep and resume dreaming.

But regardless of which happened, Li Zhuiyuan felt neither outcome would be good for him.

So he took the initiative to step forward, stood in front of Qin Li, and said with a smile,

"Little sister, I finally found you. You have no idea how long your big brother has been looking for you."

Li Zhuiyuan then looked at the two women holding Qin Li's hands and said,

"Thank you for helping me find my little sister. She tends to run around by herself. There's something wrong with her head."

As he spoke, Li Zhuiyuan pointed at his forehead.

"Oh, so that's how it is."

"Your little sister is here."

The two women wore looks of sudden understanding.

The spreading shadow stopped expanding, but it did not recede.

Those outside the shadow resumed what they had been doing, but the people within it continued staring in their direction.

Not enough!

Li Zhuiyuan pressed his lips together. He reached out and grabbed Qin Li's hand, then brought his other hand around behind her and gently patted her head.

"Little sister, be good. Don't be afraid. Big brother is here. Big brother will take good care of you."

After saying and doing that, Li Zhuiyuan waited for the scratching and biting that would very likely come next.

But he had to gamble. Since Qin Li had proactively looked up at him downstairs earlier, he would gamble that she could continue enduring it this time!

Their bodies were very close, and Li Zhuiyuan could feel the girl's hand trembling.

From his one-sided observations over the past two days in reality, Li Zhuiyuan knew that the girl in front of him rejected all contact from the outside world.

Only her grandmother could sit beside her and gently coax her into eating. Even Grandma Liu did not dare make any intimate gestures toward her.

But to Li Zhuiyuan's delight, the girl's trembling gradually weakened, and her breathing became steady. Not only did she not push him away, she did not even try to pull free from the hand he was holding.

Once the girl finally calmed down, the shadow beneath their feet began to shrink as well. In the end, it disappeared.

Everyone who had been staring motionlessly in their direction turned back to their own business, including the two women.

Whew... temporarily safe.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Qin Li and asked quietly, "Do you know what we should do next?"

Qin Li did not react. She merely looked at him.

All right, she probably did not know either.

If it were daytime, and he could hold her hand while she looked at him, Li Zhuiyuan felt he would have been quite happy.

It felt like a perfect work of art responding and interacting with him.

But in this environment, Li Zhuiyuan found it difficult to feel that way.

"Take your seats, take your seats! Everyone, hurry and take your seats!"

"All right, sit down, sit down, hurry and sit!"

Someone was calling for everyone to sit.

At a time like this, the safest choice was to blend in.

"Let's find somewhere to sit," Li Zhuiyuan said to Qin Li, then took her hand and led her toward a table occupied by only one little boy.

But just as they were about to sit, the little boy immediately bent over, covered the long bench, and shouted,

"I saved these seats! I saved these seats! My Dad, Mom, Grandparents, eldest uncle, second uncle, and the others are coming over soon. You can't sit here!"

They had run into someone saving seats in advance.

If not for the thick rouge on the little boy's face making it obvious at a glance that he was a Paper Person child, Li Zhuiyuan might have suspected he was Huzi or Shitou.

The last time they ate at Big Beard's house, Huzi and Shitou had also gone ahead to save seats for their older brothers. Their expressions, tone, and posture had been almost exactly the same.

"Child, Child, there are two empty seats here. Sit here, and our table will be full," an old man in funeral clothes at the neighboring table called out.

"Okay, Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan immediately brought Qin Li over. After he sat down, he saw that Qin Li was still standing and could only remind her quietly, "Sit down."

Qin Li did not move and remained standing.

Li Zhuiyuan could only reach out, grab her by the waist, and press downward. She sat down.

However, when he touched her waist, Li Zhuiyuan felt her begin trembling again.

Once he let go, she calmed down again.

Looking down at the hand he was still holding... Li Zhuiyuan roughly understood. This was likely the maximum level of contact she could currently accept.

"Child, where are the adults in your family?" the old man in funeral clothes asked.

His tone was quite kind, but with that makeup... even the kindest person would look eerie.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "My Grandparents are helping in the kitchen. They told me to bring my little sister over to eat first."

"Oh, I see. Hehe." The old man in funeral clothes then looked at Qin Li. "This girl is so well-behaved. How old is she?"

Qin Li ignored him.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that even if she wanted to respond, she could not, because she probably did not understand the Nantong Dialect.

Grandma Liu's family lived at Great Grandfather's Home, while Aunt Liu and Uncle Qin worked for Great Grandfather, yet they barely interacted with anyone in the village. Even when speaking with him, they used Mandarin, let alone Qin Li, who liked to sit motionlessly behind the Door Threshold all day.

Fortunately, it was good that she did not speak. If she opened her mouth and spoke Mandarin, it would only invite more curious questions. At a moment like this, the more said, the more mistakes could be made.

"Grandpa, my little sister is ten. When she was little, she had a fever and was not taken to the Health Center in time. The fever damaged her brain, and now she cannot hear well or speak."

Li Zhuiyuan deliberately spoke loudly so the entire table could hear him. No matter what, he needed to shut down any questions about Qin Li first.

"Oh, I see. Sigh, poor Child. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Sigh, there's one in our village too. He had a fever as a child, and the adults in his family did not take it seriously. In the end, the fever damaged his brain."

"Exactly. You have to be more attentive when raising a Child. Otherwise, the child suffers, and the adults will suffer caring for her in the future too."

The people at the table began chatting among themselves.

At that moment, the old man in funeral clothes asked Li Zhuiyuan again, "How old are you?"

"I'm eleven."

Li Zhuiyuan added an extra year to his age. Qin Li was actually only a month younger than him, but he definitely could not say he was ten. The two of them did not look remotely like twins, and their "mother" could not have given birth twice in one month.

Otherwise, someone might start saying one had been brought by a widowed Dad and the other by a widowed mother, forming a remarried family.

Then the whole table would surely discuss it even more enthusiastically. People from neighboring tables might even join in.

"Do you go to school?"

"Yes, fourth grade."

"Oh, then what about your little sister?"

"My little sister does not go to school. She just sits at home all day. We only brought her out today because of the banquet."

"Mm."

The old man in funeral clothes did not ask any more questions and turned to chat with the others at the table.

Li Zhuiyuan finally gained a moment of peace. He looked at Qin Li beside him, leaned closer, and whispered,

"Don't be afraid. I'm here."

This was not an attempt to curry favor with her, but reassurance. What he really meant was, Stay calm. Don't snap.

Qin Li turned her head and looked at Li Zhuiyuan too.

Li Zhuiyuan could see no emotion in her eyes.

Then Qin Li turned back and resumed staring blankly ahead.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that she should be able to understand. After all, she could feed herself... it was not as though she lacked the ability to care for herself, and she was also a germaphobe.

After every meal, Grandma Liu would help wipe her clean.

With some free time now, Li Zhuiyuan began examining the dishes on the table.

Only cold dishes had been served so far: cold spinach molded into cylinders, century egg tofu, fried peanuts, sliced salted duck eggs...

There were only two meat dishes, salted pork slices and braised pork ribs. The portions were both small, though fortunately the pieces had been cut small too, enough for everyone at the table to take two bites with their Chopsticks.

The braised ribs happened to be set right in front of him. They were served cold, sweet but not greasy. Li Zhuiyuan had been deeply impressed by this dish at the last banquet.

But seeing it now, he had no appetite at all. Heaven knew what this stuff really was.

At that moment, singing drifted over.

People at the nearby tables all looked in that direction, and quite a few even stood up.

Li Zhuiyuan turned to look as well. In a small open area at the center of the banquet stood a Man and a Woman, with an old man beside them holding an instrument.

The Man and Woman wore opera costumes, and their facial makeup was even more elaborate. On top of the thick powder and rouge were further extensions and exaggerations.

Accompanied by the old man's instrument, the Man began to sing first. After some accompanying movements, the Woman continued singing.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that this was Nantong's local opera form—the Child's Opera.

Li Weihan and Cui Guiying had once taken him to watch it on the village grounds. Its singing was bizarre and strange, shrill and mournful, carrying a powerful impact.

To outsiders, though... it was simply unbearably awful.

Back then, Li Zhuiyuan had only just arrived in Nantong and was still learning to understand the local dialect. Li Weihan and Cui Guiying had listened with rapt fascination, while Li Zhuiyuan had felt as though demonic sounds were drilling into his ears, leaving him in unbearable agony.

This time was the same. Everyone at the table and nearby was deeply engrossed, while Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Qin Li again. Luckily, she showed no reaction.

As the performance continued, someone carried a basket around and handed out chopsticks to each table. Others came with vinegar and soy sauce, pouring them into small dishes. Each table had six dishes, usually shared between two people.

"Come, Little Kid, eat."

Grandpa in a Shroud picked up a piece of rib and placed it in Li Zhuiyuan's bowl.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

"Eat. Don't just stare at it."

"Okay. You eat too, Grandpa."

"Mm."

"Woof!" "Meow!"

At that moment, Li Zhuiyuan noticed quite a few cats and dogs running beneath the tables. One was not far from his feet.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the rib and, while no one was paying attention, flicked it down under the table. The dog beneath him immediately snatched it up and began eating.

After that, whenever the enthusiastic Grandpa in a Shroud placed food in his bowl, Li Zhuiyuan did the same thing, tossing it beneath the table. Before long, a whole pack of cats and dogs had gathered around him.

Li Zhuiyuan actually found these cats and dogs rather familiar. He had seen them among the paper crafts during the day, but they had not been nearly this lively back then. Nor had they seemed so fond of food.

Grandpa in a Shroud said, "Child, tell your little sister to eat. She's just sitting there without touching anything."

Li Zhuiyuan could only turn his head and make a token effort. "Little sister, eat."

Who would have thought that the moment he said it, Qin Li picked up her chopsticks and began taking food. She took three chopstickfuls and placed them in her bowl, then lowered her head and opened her mouth.

Wait, she was really going to eat it?

Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly tugged at her hand.

Qin Li turned to look at him. This time, there was actually emotion in her eyes. It was faint, but it was real—confusion.

Li Zhuiyuan could only lean close to her ear. Well, it was perfectly normal for siblings to whisper to each other.

"Don't eat it. Feed it to the animals underneath."

Qin Li lowered her head and looked at the cats and dogs below, then stood up and directly picked up a platter from the table.

From the look of it, she intended to dump the entire platter down there to feed them.

Her act of directly lifting the platter immediately drew displeased frowns from the others at the table.

Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to stand, snatch the platter from her, and set it back down. Smiling, he lectured her, "Little sister, everyone is eating this together. You can't be greedy. It's not all yours."

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan say that, the adults at the table looked much more pleased. Quite a few people spoke up.

"If she likes it, just let her eat. It's fine."

"Just put the platter in front of her."

Li Zhuiyuan kept waving his hands and shaking his head. "That won't do. It doesn't follow the rules."

Bang... crack!

The sound of double-bangers going off came from outside, and the children at the nearby tables covered their ears and cried out.

More than a dozen double-bangers went off in succession. When the last one ended, the entire venue's colors suddenly dimmed, and everyone at the table froze. The neighboring tables froze too.

Everyone sat ramrod straight, staring ahead.

Though he had no idea what was happening, Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly copied them. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Qin Li beside him. Mm... she did not need to imitate anyone. She was a professional.

Outside the Door, an old woman entered, surrounded by a group of boys and girls.

The instant she appeared, the atmosphere of the entire venue became stagnant.

Through the gaps between people's heads, Li Zhuiyuan recognized her. She was the old woman he had seen in his dream at Liu Jinxia's house that day, the one Niu Fu had carried on his back.

Why was she here?

Li Zhuiyuan clearly remembered that when Niu Fu had left Great Grandfather's Home, he had been carrying her on his back.

The old woman was somewhat hunched, but her spirits were excellent—unnaturally so. Green light glimmered in her eyes, while clumps of fine fur had appeared on her face.

There also seemed to be several black threads on her face... or perhaps black whiskers growing out of nowhere.

It looked like... a cat's face.

The old woman walked to the main table beneath the opera stage and smiled at everyone around her.

"Today is my birthday. Since everyone was kind enough to come, make sure you eat and drink your fill, hehe."

The moment she finished speaking, the colors that had dimmed suddenly returned to their previous brightness.

Everyone who had been sitting stiffly began naturally picking up food, eating, and chatting again.

Li Zhuiyuan felt fortunate that he and Qin Li were seated half-facing away from the old woman. Several tables stood between them, and they were children, small in stature. She probably would not notice them.

But just as he was congratulating himself, he saw the old woman pick up a wine cup and begin making toasts table by table!

He recognized her, so she would definitely recognize him too.

This should have been her dream... no, Li Zhuiyuan now felt that this place could no longer simply be described as a "dream." He and Qin Li were probably in some other special kind of environment.

But no matter what, she could not see him.

The old woman moved quickly as she toasted. She would say a few words, then raise a cup to an entire table. At this pace, she would reach their table soon.

Li Zhuiyuan immediately shouted at Qin Li, "What? You miss Grandma?"

Qin Li turned to stare at him, confusion appearing in her eyes again.

Li Zhuiyuan deliberately slapped upward beneath the table. The entire table immediately shook several times, and food that many people had just picked up fell back down.

"Hey, little sister, stop messing around! We're eating here. If you don't want to eat, don't disturb everyone else!"

The confusion in Qin Li's eyes deepened.

Li Zhuiyuan faced the others at the table and apologized. "Sorry about that. My little sister, she's..."

He pointed at his forehead.

Everyone showed understanding. Her brain had been damaged by a fever, after all. It was normal for her to do things that made no sense.

Li Zhuiyuan pulled Qin Li up and left the table. "Fine, I'll take you to find Grandma. Sigh, you really are impossible. I'm not even full yet!"

He then led Qin Li toward the door, but as soon as they approached, he saw a row of men outside wearing old-fashioned servant uniforms.

Some were chatting, while others were tearing apart the fuses of double-bangers. Though each was busy with something, they had completely controlled the exit.

There was no way they could leave through there. Moreover, Li Zhuiyuan observed that the old woman did not seem to be planning to toast only one round. If they stayed here, even if they kept playing hide-and-seek, she would easily notice them.

He swept his gaze around. The Stairs to the second floor were gone. The only place left where they could hide was the northwest corner, which led to the kitchen.

At that moment, the sound of cooking came from there as well.

Li Zhuiyuan led Qin Li toward the kitchen. Along the way, to avoid attracting attention, he kept scolding her.

"Look at you, insisting on making a fuss about finding Grandma."

"It's not often we get to attend a feast, and I haven't even gotten to eat all these good dishes."

"Ah, chicken soup is being served! You made me miss out on a drumstick!"

Sure enough, as they walked along, the people at the nearby tables continued eating and drinking. No shadows appeared beneath their feet, and everyone thought nothing was amiss.

At last, Li Zhuiyuan led Qin Li into the kitchen. The moment they entered, he saw a huge plastic basin surrounded by piles of filthy dishes.

Seven or eight elderly women were squatting beside the basin, holding rags and washing dishes.

But the basin was not filled with water. It was filled with sand, and they were washing the dishes with sand.

Beside a massive stove, a fat cook wearing an apron was stir-frying dishes. His movements were skillful. He was clearly an experienced master.

Yet the ingredients in the baskets around him were all stacks of white paper.

The seasoning jars beside him did not contain oil, salt, soy sauce, or vinegar either, but all kinds of pigments.

There was also a large bucket nearby, filled with paste.

Li Zhuiyuan watched as the cook first heated the paste in the wok, then poured in a stack of white paper. While stir-frying, he continuously added different pigments. Finally, he reduced the liquid over high heat. When he lifted the wok and plated the food, out came dish after dish of food that looked, smelled, and tasted delicious.

Even the flames rising from the stove were not ordinary in color. They glowed a dim green, like ghost fire.

"Little Kid, if you want to play, go outside. Don't get in the way here!" the cook impatiently urged.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Wow, you're amazing! The food you make is so delicious too. When I grow up, I want to be a cook too. I want to learn from you!"

"Hehe." Fat Master put away his earlier impatience and smiled. "Study hard. Why the hell would you want to be a cook? In this summer heat, it's miserable."

"No, I want to be a cook. Being a cook is great. You get to eat so much delicious food. Besides, I'm stupid. My grades are bad, and I can't learn anything."

"Bad at studying? Then you'd better hurry up and learn a trade, or you'll starve to death later."

"You're really amazing. Wow, so that's how it's done? You're incredible. I'll just watch from the side. I won't cause you any trouble."

Fat Master did not agree, but he did not chase him away again.

Li Zhuiyuan stood nearby, praising him every so often and helping pass over plates or refill the pigments.

In truth, the praise was incredibly insincere. No matter what dish this cook made, he just threw paste, white paper, and pigments into the wok together.

But watching finished dishes come out one after another like that... it really was strange.

After standing there for a long while, someone outside came to announce, "The first seating is over! The second seating, take your places!"

After that, even more dirty dishes were sent over. Following their sand treatment from the elderly women, they were brought to the cook again to be filled with food.

The first dishes served were still cold dishes. There was a chef responsible for those, so Fat Master was able to rest for a while. He first used the towel hanging around his neck to wipe away sweat, then picked up two pieces of tiger-skin pork from beside him. After eating one himself, he handed the other to Li Zhuiyuan.

"Here, eat."

"No, no."

"Eat. Don't be polite."

"I'm already full."

Li Zhuiyuan felt that he might have praised him too excessively earlier, making Fat Master overly enthusiastic now.

However, the moment he refused for the second time, Fat Master's expression suddenly turned cold.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed a shadow appearing beneath his feet, slowly spreading outward.

The chef arranging the cold dishes and the elderly women washing dishes all turned their heads to look at him.

Clearly... what child would refuse such a huge chunk of meat these days?

Helpless, Li Zhuiyuan could only take the meat from Fat Master and put it into his mouth. As he chewed, he gave a bashful smile, as though his earlier refusal had merely been due to shyness.

"Delicious. It smells so good."

A smile appeared on Fat Master's face. The shadow below began to shrink back, while everyone around them returned to work.

"Ah, little sister, what happened to your shoe? How could you be so careless? Those are your new shoes. I don't even get to wear new ones. Just wait until we get home—Mom will definitely beat you!"

As he spoke, Li Zhuiyuan squatted down and pretended to fix Qin Li's shoe. In reality, he secretly spat out the meat in his mouth and quietly placed it on the ground. Then he grabbed Qin Li's left ankle, lifted her foot, and made her step on the meat.

It was not that he had not considered simply swallowing it and treating it as eating paper. It was not much, anyway. But the moment the meat entered his mouth, a special, indescribable revulsion surged up, rushing straight to his head as his stomach began cramping.

It was as if he were eating food that absolutely did not belong to him.

After standing back up, Li Zhuiyuan took several deep breaths, trying to rid himself of the intense discomfort as quickly as possible.

Qin Li lowered her head to look at her foot. Her body began to tremble.

Li Zhuiyuan guessed that she probably felt her shoe had been dirtied.

Still holding her hand, Li Zhuiyuan leaned closer to her and whispered in a weary tone, "Please, just endure it for now. Be good."

Qin Li raised her head. Gradually, she stopped trembling, and she did not move her shoe away from the filthy thing beneath it.

Seeing her like that, Li Zhuiyuan actually felt a little touched.

But the feeling did not last long. Perhaps because his praises had genuinely pleased Fat Master so much, the cook took out another large drumstick and held it out.

"Here, Child, eat a drumstick!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "..."

Without hesitation, Li Zhuiyuan took it, bit off a huge mouthful, and smiled. "Drumstick. So fragrant, so delicious."

Fat Master burst into laughter. "Hahahaha!"

"Ah, little sister, where did you get that grease stain on your skirt? Honestly, you don't know how to cherish new clothes at all. No wonder Mom says you're a money-losing burden!"

Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly squatted down again, pretending to clean the stain from his sister's clothes. He grabbed Qin Li's right ankle, lifted it, spat out what remained of the drumstick in his hand and in his mouth, and made her right shoe step on it.

"Ah..."

His mouth turned bitter, his head spun, and his stomach cramped. The revulsion and rejection rising from the depths of his body and mind nearly kept Li Zhuiyuan from standing. If he had not quickly braced himself with one hand, he might really have collapsed onto the floor.

But in the end, he still managed to stand through sheer willpower.

He truly could not touch this food at all. It was not meant for the living.

Fortunately, Fat Master did not offer him anything else after that. He began working on the hot dishes for the second seating.

Once the second seating ended, the feast would disperse. Li Zhuiyuan felt that if he and Qin Li could endure until then, they would be able to escape this place.

Finally, he saw Fat Master pour sweet rice ball soup from the wok.

This was the dessert served at local feasts, the final dish. Once it was served, the banquet was over.

Li Zhuiyuan's spirits lifted. He squeezed Qin Li's hand. Good. It's almost over.

But just then, the old woman's voice came from the kitchen entrance.

"You chefs have worked so hard. I've made you suffer such exhaustion. I truly feel terrible about it."

Li Zhuiyuan's heart tightened. He immediately pulled Qin Li behind the stove and squatted down, using the stove and Fat Master's bulk to block the kitchen doorway's line of sight.

Fat Master said, "Old madam, may you live to a hundred and enjoy a long life as Mount Nan! Hahaha!"

"Hehe, no need to live that long. Living too long only makes the younger generations resent you."

"What are you saying? An elder in the family is like a treasure in the home. I wish my own mother could live to a hundred."

"Your mother is blessed to have a son like you. Mine think that if I live too long, I'll suck away the fortune of my children and grandchildren and bring disaster upon the family."

"What kind of bullshit is that? How can anyone talk about their own mother that way? They're truly no good."

"Sigh, let's not talk about them. They might not necessarily be wrong. I'm old now, useless. Staying at home only wastes food and makes them uncomfortable to look at me."

"No wonder I didn't see your two sons today. Didn't your daughter come either?"

"Mm, she didn't."

"Honestly, their own mother's birthday, and they don't come? That's outrageous."

"It's all right, it's all right. In a few days, I'll go find them, hehe... hehe... hehehehehe."

The old woman's laughter suddenly changed from normal into a high-pitched shriek. The sound also drifted from outside the stove, becoming increasingly vague at first, then closer and clearer until it finally seemed to settle directly above his head.

Li Zhuiyuan, crouching on the floor, slowly raised his head.

Only a few centimeters from his face was the Cat-faced Old Woman's face.

He could clearly see the dense fur on her face and count every whisker. Her teeth were so long and sharp that her lips could barely contain them, while her green eyes brimmed with mockery.

"Little Kid, you're here?"