Lin County

With a goal in mind, my actions became much faster. I started searching all over the county for a kiln. Only with a dedicated electric kiln for firing pottery could I bake good soul urns.

Yu Xiao Xue didn't know what I was looking for, but since she wasn't in school, she had plenty of free time. As long as she could be with me, she treated sitting in the car as a trip.

To my disappointment, the entire county had no high-temperature sintering furnaces like the one I needed. Even if they did, they cost thousands each, which was far beyond my budget.

Recalling that my mother's residence in Lin County had many brick factories, I figured there might be such a thing there, so I took out my phone.

"Mom, I'm looking for a high-temperature sintering furnace for firing ceramics. Do we have one at home?" I called my mother. She had used her savings to open a shop selling agricultural machinery, so maybe she had one.

"What high-temperature sintering furnace? Those things cost over ten thousand, don't they? Are you starting a factory?" My mother sounded very confused on the phone.

"No, it's just a hobby. I'm firing some small bottles and jars, just palm-sized."

"Oh, if it's a kiln, we do have one at home. It's been sitting there for ages, unsold," my mother replied.

I immediately got excited. I went to the bank and withdrew the remaining thousand yuan.

At the gas station, I spent over four hundred yuan to fill up the car's tank and then drove towards Lin County. I estimated the round trip via highway would take about three to four hours.

Upon arriving in Lin County, I parked the car at the entrance. My mother thought a boss from an engineering company had come to buy something. When she came out, she was stunned to see me.

"This car..." Seeing the luxurious Audi SUV, my mother was very surprised. She looked inside but saw no one else.

Only Yu Xiao Xue, that little rascal, got out from the passenger seat. "Auntie! I'm here!"

"Oh, Xiao Xue, why are you here with your Tian Ge? Where's your dad?" My mother was very surprised; she thought everyone in Xiao Yi Hamlet had died.

"Tian Ge brought me out of Xiao Yi Hamlet. My dad is missing, we couldn't find him, but Tian Ge said he'll help me look for him later," Yu Xiao Xue explained sadly, holding her mother's hand and crying.

My mother had a good relationship with the people in the hamlet and treated Yu Xiao Xue like her own daughter. She immediately hugged her and comforted her. "Don't cry. If we can't find him, we'll look slowly. No rush."

Xiao Xue nodded.

"Mom, where's the kiln?" I asked impatiently.

"It's inside. I've tied it up for you. You can carry it yourself; my back isn't good, and Ah Fei just returned to the village yesterday." My mother pointed to the kiln by the door.

Ah Fei was a worker my mother had hired. In this line of work, you needed someone strong.

Without delay, I went to carry the kiln. I found it quite heavy and could only drag it to the back of the car. With the help of Yu Xiao Xue and my mother, I finally managed to get it into the car.

"This car is quite nice. Whose is it?" My mother eyed the luxurious interior with some suspicion, afraid I had stolen it.

"Oh, it's your future daughter-in-law's. What do you think, Mom? Reliable?" I grinned, baring my teeth. The eldest daughter-in-law would definitely be Sister Wife, so this "future daughter-in-law" title could only refer to her.

Yu Xiao Xue immediately became unhappy, pouting and looking at me.

"You talk too much, calling her your future daughter-in-law at every turn." My mother saw Yu Xiao Xue's unhappiness and chided me. She knew about Sister Wife and, like Grandma, dared not show any disrespect, as she had saved her son.

Seeing my mother siding with her, Yu Xiao Xue started to reciprocate. "Hmph, Auntie, the car belongs to Zhao Qian. Tian Ge saved her, so she invited us to stay at her villa. She's definitely not Tian Ge's future daughter-in-law!"

"Then who is his future daughter-in-law? Is it our little Xue?" My mother teased Yu Xiao Xue like a child. She didn't know who Zhao Qian was, but she had always liked Yu Xiao Xue since she was little.

Yu Xiao Xue's face turned red, and she couldn't utter a single word. She desperately wanted to nod, but looking at me, she felt too embarrassed.

"Mom, where's Grandma's book? You helped me put it away before, and I need it now." Closing the car door, I asked my mother. After all, since I managed to get out of Xiao Yi Hamlet, my mother must have guessed what happened.

With Grandma's death, Xiao Yi Hamlet was bound to cease to exist. Surviving wasn't just a matter of luck.

"It's in the hidden compartment behind the wall tiles in your room. Have you eaten?" My mother looked at me and just asked if I had eaten.

"Not yet. Xiao Xue and I just had some snacks on the street." After saying that, I entered the house. The house was also poor; the goods in the storefront were taken from distributors and paid for only after they were sold.

"I've cooked rice. You can eat before you leave," my mother said. She didn't intend to keep me. Since I was raised by Grandma from a young age, she knew I couldn't stay put at home. Staying for ten days to half a month used to be a long time.

Nodding, I took Yu Xiao Xue to the kitchen. After hastily eating a few bites of rice, I went to my bedroom.

The bedroom wasn't large, with just a bed and a cabinet. It was also very tidy, indicating my mother had maintained it, which warmed my heart.

The hidden compartment was behind the wall tiles. After removing them, there was a layer inside, containing Grandma's book, which had lost its cover.

I took it out and, after flipping through a few pages, chuckled in amusement. Many pages were scribbled on, filled with messy cartoons, which looked quite comical.

However, no matter how messy it was, its importance to me was undeniable. The success of the soul urn depended entirely on this book. It was my treasure back then.

Of course, I had memorized everything in the book. But for some intricate details, having it with me while making the soul urn would save a lot of effort if I could refer to it for drawing.

I went downstairs. Yu Xiao Xue had also finished eating. I pulled my mother aside and said, "Mom, Grandma was murdered. When I went back to Xiao Yi Hamlet this time, I almost didn't make it out. But I wasn't the most miserable. Xiao Xue's father, Zhang Yi Dan, and Zhou Xuan are dead. Zhou Xuan was... sigh, they are more miserable than me. I can't swallow this. I have to get revenge."

I wanted to mention that Zhou Xuan was refined into a Walking Corpse, but considering how gruesome it was, I swallowed the words.

"Mom knew this day would come. Your life has been precarious since birth, yet you carry a heavier burden than anyone. Whoever died because of you, you seek revenge for them. It's only right!" My mother sighed heavily, her gaze towards me unwavering.

"Mom, I understand. You be careful when I'm not here." I nodded. Actually, my only real concern was my mother.

"You don't need to worry about me. If you have something you can't handle, call me, and I'll help you carry it," my mother said resolutely. Then she handed me a stack of money. "Take this three thousand yuan for now. Call me if it's not enough."

"I'll keep it for now. This little bit isn't even enough for my late-night snacks. Your son can afford luxury cars; I have plenty of money. I'm heading back to the county now; I still have a lot to do there." Although I was so poor I only had a few hundred yuan left, I couldn't ask my mother for money. I had to put on a brave face.

After a few casual goodbyes, I took Yu Xiao Xue back to the county.

It was past five o'clock when we reached the county. On the way, I bought a set of pottery tools and then returned to the apartment complex.

I checked the time. The two little princesses had probably slept for about four to five hours. Judging by the situation, they would need a bit more sleep. However, it was dinnertime, so I asked Yu Xiao Xue to call them down.

I heated up some pre-cooked dishes myself and started cooking a pot of rice while waiting.

Women are always difficult to please. After being called down, Zhao Qian and Han Shanshan took turns doing their hair and makeup in the bathroom. They finally arrived late just as the rice was cooked and served.

Someone woke her up, and hot food was waiting for her. Zhao Qian was deeply touched by the care; she usually lived alone and had never experienced such family warmth. Looking at the situation before her, she almost cried.

I handed Zhao Qian a pair of chopsticks. She took them, her face flushing slightly. She had rested well today because she knew someone was home while she slept.

Compared to Zhao Qian, Han Shanshan looked much better. Seeing I didn't offer her chopsticks, she immediately snatched the bowl and chopsticks from my hand and shamelessly started eating. "Heh heh, I didn't realize you were so good at taking care of people. No wonder Zhao Qian has been more interested in her appearance since she started following you. She spent ages in the restroom."

The small mouthful of rice Zhao Qian had just swallowed immediately sprayed out, sticking to my face. I was so embarrassed, wondering how to explain.

Yu Xiao Xue was unhappy. Why were Tian Ge and Zhao Qian being linked together? Why couldn't she be included?

"Can you just eat and not talk?" I glared at Han Shanshan, reaching for a napkin to wipe my face.

Han Shanshan stuck out her tongue. How could she have known Zhao Qian would react so strongly?

"I'm sorry, Tian Ge, I didn't mean to. Please don't be angry with me," Zhao Qian said guiltily, handing me the napkin.

"It's not your fault." How could I possibly be angry with you? You're such a pitiful baby right now.

"Hmph hmph," Han Shanshan snorted, looking as if the two of us definitely had something going on.

"Han Shanshan, come out with me after you finish eating," I said, feeling speechless. Han Shanshan was a bit slow on the uptake; if I said too much, she might even get more pleased. It was better to just ignore her and let her snort.

"What? You want to challenge me, someone from the Criminal Investigation Team? Let me tell you, I'm really strong." Han Shanshan waved her small fists.

I chuckled in amusement. "You're strong, huh? Then, later, help me move the electric kiln from behind the car to the small courtyard."

"Heh heh, it's just an electric kiln. If you can't even move a kiln, you're like a little bunny. You're too frail. Fine, considering you worked hard for our team today, I'll reluctantly help you out." Han Shanshan said dismissively, probably thinking it was just a regular barbecue oven.

"Yeah, it's an electric oven. Be careful with it; I still rely on this thing to eat. If you can't move it, you're not even as good as me, this little bunny," I said with a cold laugh.

Han Shanshan snorted again, then took the key and went out to move the oven.

As a result, when we went out to check on her after we finished eating, she hadn't moved the oven yet and was covered in sweat from exhaustion.

Seeing me come out, Han Shanshan yelled, "Xia Yitian! You lied to me! This isn't an oven at all!"

"Doesn't it say it right here? Haven't you read it?" I pointed to the words "electric oven" on the packaging.