Trifles and Weight

This still did not count as an especially conspicuous change, certainly not enough for anyone to directly connect it to some "miracle medicine." They mostly assumed the promising younger son had returned and made the Li couple exceedingly happy.

But that afternoon, several relatives arrived together—an uncle from his father's side, an uncle from his mother's side, and children brought along with them. A swaddled infant in a tiger-head outfit joined the crowd, and even Second Uncle from the neighboring house found an excuse to enter the courtyard with them!

They clearly did not interact much normally, usually exchanging only a few words and sharing a simple meal during the New Year, yet now they acted as though they truly were one close family.

The adults and children all appeared to be catching up, talking about everything under the sun. Even the little bean sprout in the tiger-head hat, with his especially chubby baby face, was passed from one person to another to be held.

One said he looked blessed; another praised him, saying he would surely achieve great things in the future. Only the child's own aunt smiled somewhat unnaturally. She hurriedly took back the little fellow, who was nearly crying from being teased, and said, "All I ask is that the Bodhisattva bless him so that he can be even a little as successful as his brother Anshan in the future—"

Well, naturally, the topic soon turned to Li Anshan's "new identity." Their words were full of pride that "the Li family had produced someone capable."

Then, just as naturally, came all manner of complaints and requests. Someone's child wanted a respectable job; someone's family had run into financial difficulties; someone wanted to ask whether there was a way to obtain a "qualification" too—just as though this college