Runsheng rode happily ahead on his bicycle, feeling that the blue sky, white clouds, fields, and canals were all exceptionally beautiful at this moment.
Since he could remember, every time his grandfather would say to him:
"Runsheng, Grandpa is off to play cards. If I win money, I'll buy you something delicious to eat tonight!"
At first, Runsheng really looked forward to it. Later, each time he heard that, he would rush to the rice jar to check if there was enough rice to cook a decent porridge for the two of them.
Today, Runsheng finally realized that playing cards… was actually a way to win money.
A long period of “family education” had led him to almost view playing cards as a form of sacrifice, akin to offering tributes to the gods during festivals.
In contrast, sitting at the back, Li Zhuiyuan’s expression was not so beautiful.
At his feet lay a bag of money—some was new, some old, some crumpled, all in varying amounts. Although the sum wasn't overly exaggerated, considering the current rural prices and labor costs, it was enough for him to set up a small workshop behind his great-grandfather’s house.
Winning occasionally at cards was normal; which family doesn’t eat dumplings during the New Year?
In essence, it was merely a matter of probability.
However, when a series of lucky streaks piled up, the situation gradually morphed from a statistical issue into something mysterious.
Recalling the memory loss he experienced after the fortune-altering ritual last night, Li Zhuiyuan could almost confidently say: the ritual had worked.
Though "working" didn’t necessarily mean "successful," it merely indicated that it had taken effect, bringing about change, the nature of which—good or bad—remained to be determined.
Li Zhuiyuan had no idea how much good fortune his great-grandfather had transferred to him, but judging by how the people at the card table had cooperated, it seemed he had received a considerable amount.
Liu Yumei had once told him that one shouldn’t take his great-grandfather’s fortune lightly; it seemed more like a trade.
Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu, earning a meager salary, worked tirelessly at his great-grandfather’s house, seeking what Liu Yumei called a few small coins hidden in a corner.
With so much money suddenly in his hands, what price would he have to pay for it next?
At this moment, instead of feeling joy, he was overwhelmed with fear.
Li Zhuiyuan looked down, feeling that his behavior of spending good fortune on gambling… was very foolish.
Like a short-sighted tomb raider, risking life and limb to finally break into a tomb, yet only seeing the gold and silver while completely ignoring the clothes, bronze items, porcelain, and other artworks.
“Runsheng, don’t let go with both hands.”
“Got it, Little Yuan.”
“Runsheng, ride a bit slower.”
“Okay, Little Yuan.”
“Runsheng, ride a bit to the side, no, ride more toward the middle.”
“……”
“Forget it, Runsheng, just ride normally.”
Just then, a chill ran through Li Zhuiyuan's heart; he worried that an accident might suddenly happen, like a serious car crash.
But after a moment of anxiety, he quickly calmed down.
If the backlash from his great-grandfather's fortune was just like this, it seemed a bit too cheap, even making one feel that they had gained something.
Yet the more he thought this, the more unsettled he felt, for it meant that ahead on the road, something significant awaited him.
The tricycle entered Old Man Shan’s yard. Runsheng scratched his head and asked Li Zhuiyuan:
"Little Yuan, can I borrow some money to buy something for my grandpa? When you get your wages from your great-grandfather, I'll pay you back."
Li Zhuiyuan fell silent.
In the past, he would have casually said: "Take what you need."
But this money, which had been won solely by luck, felt a bit too hot to handle. Passing this hot potato over to Old Man Shan seemed somewhat ungracious.
Li Zhuiyuan rummaged in the bag, taking out a few bills. The amount didn’t exceed his original stake, so it should be fine.
"Not this much, really not this much. I just need to buy some rice and flour for my grandpa. You’re giving too much, Little Yuan."
“It’s okay, just buy a bit more,” Runsheng insisted.
“Don’t buy too much. If I get him too much, he might just offload it and may not even have enough to eat later.”
“You think ahead," Runsheng said with a grin.
“Right?”
“By the way, Runsheng, about this time I won money in cards—let’s keep it a secret. Don’t say anything.”
“But how do I explain this money…”
“Just say you won it.”
“Okay.”
“Runsheng, where’s your toilet?”
“That way, just go around the back of the house, the neighbor's toilet—we share it.”
“Oh, got it.”
As Li Zhuiyuan stepped outside, Old Man Shan rushed back in.
Though he was getting on in years and not in great health, he still had plenty of vigor.
This seemed contradictory at first glance, but it wasn’t. Such elderly folks rarely linger too long on their sickbeds; once their time has come, they pass away quickly.
As the neighbors often say, “I thought he was still quite fit. Alas, just like that, he disappeared.”
Old Man Shan hurried back for two reasons: first, he had lost all his money.
He had a personal rule: losing at cards was acceptable, but he would never borrow money to gamble again.
The second reason was that he had heard Runsheng had won a large sum at the card table!
The messenger didn’t convey the details well since they didn’t know Li Zhuiyuan. They simply reported that Runsheng had won money playing cards.
“Grandpa, you’re back…”
“Slap!”
Old Man Shan slapped Runsheng hard across the face.
“I told you not to learn bad habits, going to play cards!”
“I’m sorry, Grandpa.”
“Where’s the money?”
“Huh?”
“I’m asking you where’s the winning money?”
“It’s on the tricycle.”
Old Man Shan went over to the tricycle and saw the bag of money, his eyes widening with surprise.
“All this… is all yours?”
“No, ah, no—yes, it’s mine."
“It’s inappropriate for a child like you to hold so much money. I’ll take care of it.”
“No, no way.”
“What, unwilling to give your grandpa the money you won?”
“The original stake—right, the original stake belongs to Little Yuan. It’s his allowance.”
“Oh, like that…” Old Man Shan took half of the money from the bag. “Then I’ll keep your half safe.”
“Grandpa, that… this isn’t right…”
“Enough, don’t waste words. What are you two still doing here?”
“Aren’t we eating together, Grandpa? I’m going to the town later to buy some meat. Let’s have a good meal.”
“What are you talking about? You boys eat; I have work to do.”
After saying this, Old Man Shan rushed back to his ‘battlefield,’ running while feeling the heavy “bullets” in his pocket, excited that he had never fought such a rich battle in his life.
Li Zhuiyuan returned, finding Runsheng standing there, looking awkward.
“Little Yuan, I’m sorry…”
After hearing Runsheng’s explanation, Li Zhuiyuan was momentarily stunned.
“Little Yuan, I was waiting for you to return to clarify things. I’ll go to the big hall and get your money back from my grandpa!”
“No need, Runsheng, it’s really yours and mine to share. Giving Grandpa half is only right.”
“Little Yuan, you’re not angry?”
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. He wasn’t angry at all; in fact, he felt a bit touched.
“Runsheng, weren’t you going to buy something for Grandpa? Hurry up.”
“But my grandpa already took so much money…”
“What needs to be bought must be bought.”
“Little Yuan, you’re really a good friend.”
Runsheng went off to buy supplies while Li Zhuiyuan found a small stool and sat down in the yard.
He lightly tapped his forehead, trying to recall what the books said to do with this money.
He found it—according to the logic in the books, this money was for him to use.
But it had to be based on fairness, or on him gaining an advantage. In other words, he should either buy things at a fair price or negotiate down the price, absolutely not letting the seller feel that he was being kind or that they were gaining an advantage from him.
Otherwise, the other party would effectively share the benefits of karmic retribution as he was also enjoying the extra benefits of that money.
“No wonder there was the saying of ‘guilt by association’ in ancient times…”
Although the actual purpose was to enhance deterrence against violations, from a legal perspective, even a little child at home could benefit from the illegal gains of the family.
Li Zhuiyuan stood up, stretched, just as Runsheng returned.
“Little Yuan, I bought some cooked food. Since Grandpa is not here, we can have lunch together.”
“Okay!”
Runsheng cleaned up the house and yard first, then cooked. Besides the marinated pig liver and cold jellyfish strips he bought, he also fried an egg and made a loofah soup.
Unfortunately, the egg was overcooked and the soup was sticky and not refreshing at all.
“Little Yuan, my cooking skills are like this.”
Runsheng took a bite, savoring the flavor, and then, to test it out, took a bite of the egg and sipped the soup, almost like he was testing for poison.
Li Zhuiyuan understood; one shouldn’t expect a person who hardly gets to eat anything to have excellent cooking skills.
After the meal, Runsheng tidied the place up, then rode his bike to take Li Zhuiyuan home.
As they turned off the main road into the village path, they saw Panzi and Leizi, dirty and pushing a cart of bricks.
Currently, summer jobs were hard to find, even in the city, let alone in the countryside.
Faraway places were inconvenient for daily commutes, so the nearby kiln was one of the better options; it might be tough work, but at least they could earn cash daily.
That suited young ones like Panzi and Leizi well, allowing them to earn some money to play during their summer break.
“Brother Panzi, Brother Leizi!”
“Hey, Little Yuan.”
“Hey, Little Yuan.”
Panzi had a scab at the corner of his mouth, while Leizi had a bruise around his eye—marks of fatherly love.
“Lucky for you that day you left early, haha.”
“Indeed, if you hadn’t left, we’d have to stay at the police station too, and even give blood.”
“Bro, thank you for not exposing me.”
“Why would we? We’re brothers; how could we betray a brother?”
“Exactly, you’re our little brother. How could we not protect you?”
In fact, they didn’t feel so noble; they understood that if they let this slip and their dad or grandpa knew they dared to take Little Yuan to watch adult films, they would get an even worse beating.
“Bro, are you two going back to the kiln?”
“Yes. We’re delivering bricks today,” Leizi replied, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket—he didn’t know where it came from—lighting it with a match and taking a drag before passing it to Panzi.
Panzi took a puff, then passed it to Runsheng.
It was common at this time for buddies to take turns smoking. The little store sold cigarettes by the stick.
Runsheng shook his head, took out a stick of incense instead, lit it with a match, and took a drag, blowing out smoke rings.
Panzi and Leizi looked dumbfounded and asked, “What are you smoking?”
Runsheng replied, “Authentic incense.”
Then Runsheng offered the lit stick to them, intending to share.
Panzi and Leizi quickly shook their heads, refusing the kind gesture.
Afterward, Panzi looked at Li Zhuiyuan: “Little Yuan, tomorrow at the Sihai family, they’re going to start a fish pond. We’re going to help. Want to come? You’ll get a meal and can take home some fish.”
“I can’t go, my great-grandfather has been forbidding me from going out lately. Today was an exception to accompany Runsheng to deliver things to his grandpa.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
“Then we’ll bring you a fish tomorrow night.”
“No need, you two take it home to eat. Bro, you’re busy, I’ll head back now.”
“Alright, we’ll come to find you to play another day, Yuanzi.”
After the tricycle had driven a distance, Runsheng curiously asked, “Little Yuan, don’t you want to hang out with your brothers?”
“No, they treat me well.”
“Then you…”
“Runsheng, I just don’t plan to go out for a while.”
Before he had resolved his own issue with good fortune, Li Zhuiyuan decided not to go out unless necessary, especially not anywhere near water.
When Panzi and Leizi invited him to go see the fish pond, he felt that it was highly inappropriate. He feared that if he went now, who knows what might emerge besides fish.
Upon returning home, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t see Ah Li sitting on the threshold of the east room. He guessed she must be in her own room.
She had indeed changed a lot; she was no longer just sitting there in a daze but even took some initiative when he wasn’t around.
Liu Yumei sat on a chair by the door of the east room, her hands folded in front of her, eyes closed as if taking a nap.
Once she sensed someone had returned, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the boy with an air of nonchalance while beginning to use her fingers to count in her left hand, which was placed over her right hand.
Then she suddenly had to stop.
Because the boy had turned his head, giving her just the back of his head while asking Aunt Liu in the west room what they would be having for dinner tonight and how the fragrance turned out, maintaining that pose as he walked into the house.
Liu Yumei felt a strange sense of doubt arising in her heart: was it a coincidence or intentional?
It should be a coincidence; if it was intentional, then that would be too ridiculous.
If one wished to notice her calculations, they would have to have the same level of skill as her. How could that be possible?
She knew this child was reading and that he had designed and made a series of practical tools based on the books, and with each encounter, she understood how clever he was.
In her heart, she had already pulled him up very high, reluctantly admitting that he was on this path, but no matter how one looked at it, it wouldn’t reach that outrageous level.
Liu Yumei had been in this house for a long time, so she was certain that the boy didn’t have a teacher; Qin Li had only taught him a bit about stance. If just reading could reach such heights, wouldn’t she have lived her life like a dog?
What baffled her newly was that Li Sanjiang's fortune had suddenly gone so low.
She would have to observe a bit more tomorrow; if Li Sanjiang’s fortune could slowly recover, then everything could return to normal. But if it continued to deplete like this, then things might become troublesome.
Feeling anxious, Liu Yumei stood up, wanting to go back inside to chat with the “others.”
Sitting in front of the offering table, she picked up a pastry, preparing to say something when she suddenly looked at the ancestral tablets on the offering table with confusion:
“Why does it feel a bit sparse?”
……
Li Zhuiyuan went upstairs and saw Li Sanjiang washing his hair by the water tank with laundry detergent.
“Great-grandpa, didn’t you wash this morning?”
“I just laid down to nap. I don’t know where that sick bird came from; it pooped on my head again. Today has been unlucky—I’ve had bird droppings twice in a day!”
Li Zhuiyuan could roughly guess why.
“Little Yuan, why are you back so early? Didn’t Old Shan keep you for dinner?”
“Old Shan is busy playing cards.”
“Ha, that old man always acts this way. By the way, did you buy everything?”
“I did, stocked up on rice, flour, and oil. Great-grandpa, you do care about Old Shan.”
“Of course! If he starves to death, then when there’s big work to do, I won’t find any helpers. Although that Shan brat has a foul temper, he’s capable and helpful every time.”
Li Zhuiyuan nodded; that was indeed the case.
“Little Yuan, what’s in the black bag you’re carrying?”
Li Zhuiyuan held up a bag of money: “I bought some candy for Ah Li. Want to try a piece, Great-grandpa?”
Like last time, Li Zhuiyuan intended to ask Aunt Liu to help him with the shopping and negotiating prices. With her expertise, she would ensure the money was spent wisely.
If he were to go himself, without knowing the trade and rarely shopping, he’d easily get taken advantage of.
Business depended on bargaining, and Li Zhuiyuan understood. He wasn't a bringer of misfortune, and the small vendors didn’t deserve that either.
In fact, when he was downstairs just now, Li Zhuiyuan had planned to hand the money to Aunt Liu, but suddenly, he felt that Liu Yumei had been watching him.
Really, first in the morning, then again in the afternoon—didn’t she get tired?
“I don’t want any, bring me another cloth.”
“Hmm.”
After bringing Li Sanjiang a cloth, Li Zhuiyuan made his way to his own room.
On his way, he pushed open Li Sanjiang's bedroom door, intending to check the formation on the tiles again, but found it had been wiped away.
He still couldn’t understand; he had clearly tampered with it yesterday, yet how had that formation continued to take effect?
Stepping back a few paces, he turned and looked at his great-grandfather, who was still washing his hair.
The most helpless part was that he couldn't discuss such matters with his great-grandfather, even though he was the most important involved party.
Li Zhuiyuan knew that even if he asked his great-grandfather to recreate the formation he had drawn last night, his great-grandfather would surely draw something entirely new.
Arriving at his own door, Li Zhuiyuan pushed it open and saw Ah Li sitting on a small stool, carving a wooden flour shape with a carving knife.
He hadn't mentioned that the black tarpaulin was ruined, yet the girl had discovered it herself and was proactively helping him replace the wooden shapes.
Li Zhuiyuan walked up to the girl’s side, watching her carefully carve.
This scene resembled how the girl would gaze intently at him while he read in the past.
As she carved, she occasionally looked up at him, reminiscent of how he would respond to her while he was absorbed in a book.
Li Zhuiyuan felt that this was likely the most comfortable way for friends to spend time.
No bending over backwards, just pure enjoyment.
After quietly watching for a while, Li Zhuiyuan’s anxious heart seemed to finally calm down.
He stood up, walked over to his desk, intending to put the money he won earlier into a safe place first.
Opening the drawer, he found not only four stacks of brand new bills but also six small yellow fish.
Without guessing, he knew who had put them there.
Though he would definitely not keep that money and gold bars, planning to return them to Liu Yumei later, it nonetheless corroded a little of his heart, especially after glancing at the black bag in his hand…
It turned out he didn’t have to struggle so hard.
Li Zhuiyuan found an empty box, placed the cash and gold bars from the drawer inside, then returned to sit down in front of the girl, speaking very earnestly:
“Ah Li, thank you. Seeing what you brought me really makes me happy, but I can’t accept it.”
Ah Li stopped her carving, looking up at him.
Confusion filled her eyes; she didn’t understand why, seeing that he was smiling while holding money in the morning, he wouldn’t take it now that she offered it to him.
Moreover, every time Li Sanjiang gave him pocket money, he accepted it happily.
Clearly, they had plenty of that stuff at home.
“Ah Li, gifts should be appropriate and meaningful. Next time before you give me something, can you ask me first? If it’s suitable, I'll accept it, how does that sound?”
Ah Li seemed to ponder, then nodded.
Li Zhuiyuan was taken aback; he had just seen her nodding vigorously, not the slight nod she’d given in the past.
“Ah Li, did you really understand?”
Ah Li nodded again, indicating that she did comprehend.
“What if you hadn’t understood? How would you show that?”
Ah Li shook her head, nodding to a normal degree.
Li Zhuiyuan smiled; this meant that the girl's condition had improved significantly today.
Though he didn’t know the reason why.
Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan’s smile froze. Could it be because of him today?
Pushing aside his worries, Li Zhuiyuan decided to bring up something cheerful:
“Aunt Liu said she bought some wood smoked ham today, looks like it’s from Jinhua, Zhejiang, we can try it tonight. Ah Li, have you ever had anything smoked like that?”
Ah Li shook her head.
“It’s made by burning this wood and smoking it to create a special flavor… huh?”
Li Zhuiyuan casually picked up a piece of wooden flour he had earlier.
The last time he prepared the black tarpaulin, the wooden flour was from a block he had fetched from the woodshed and pushed out using a small roller.
This time, since Ah Li was making it herself, that meant the wooden flour had been shaped by her.
But, why was this batch not the usual yellowish-white color? Instead, it was dark, shiny black with a unique pleasant aroma—a nice smell.
“Ah Li, what kind of wood did you use?”
Ah Li pointed under the small table.
Li Zhuiyuan glanced down and his eyes widened because underneath the table were three ancestral tablets!
……
“Liu Grandma, I’m returning this to you.”
Inside the east room, Li Zhuiyuan placed the box containing money and gold bars on the table beside Liu Yumei.
Liu Yumei opened the box, took a quick look, then shut it again.
“Grandma, aren’t you going to count it?”
“Since it’s all come back, there’s no point in counting.”
“Then that’s good.”
Li Zhuiyuan put a fertilizer bag on the table as well.
Liu Yumei opened the bag and looked inside, then immediately stood up, taking out the three ancestral tablets, wiping them off before placing them on the offering table.
“Ah Li, you can take anything you want to play with. But what’s fun about the ancestral tablets? Don’t touch them again next time.”
Liu Yumei still spoke gently, not scolding her granddaughter.
Then, she started counting the tablets with her fingers.
She seemed to forget her earlier words about everything being returned, and what was the point in counting.
“Ah, why are there still a few missing?”
Li Zhuiyuan kept silent because those missing ones had already turned into wooden flour.
He couldn’t just carry a bag of wooden flour over; moreover, half of it had already been engraved by Ah Li.
“Little Yuan, could you check around? Ah Li might have taken them out and left them somewhere else.”
“Grandma, I’ve searched already; there are only these three.”
Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t deliberately shifting responsibility; he just felt that Liu Yumei would likely prefer to accept that ancestral tablets had been lost rather than the notion of them being split apart.
“Alas.”
Liu Yumei sighed, casting a somewhat resentful gaze at Qin Li.
The good news was that her granddaughter, who used to show no interest in anything, had clearly become more lively and would now use family money to give to a boy outside.
But what was the need to give away money or gold bars? Why play with the ancestral tablets?
“Liu Grandma, I told Ah Li that next time she won’t touch the ancestral tablets again. Isn’t that right, Ah Li?”
Ah Li nodded.
Liu Yumei could only helplessly rub her forehead, then suddenly, her entire being trembled in disbelief, looking at Ah Li.
“Ah Li, your grandma wants to confirm if you understood. Quickly tell grandma if you understood,” Li Zhuiyuan urged.
Ah Li nodded again.
Liu Yumei immediately burst into tears, turning to look at the offering table and tearfully exclaimed:
“Ancestors are manifesting their powers; ancestors are protecting us!”
……
Stepping out of the east room, helping to close the door behind him, Li Zhuiyuan noticed Liu Yumei was thanking the ancestors on the offering table alongside Ah Li.
He let out a long breath; he had managed to get through this situation.
Hurrying upstairs, he brought down the bag of money and handed it to Aunt Liu, who was busy in the kitchen.
“Little Yuan, where did you get so much money?”
At that moment, Runsheng happened to be in the kitchen, eating while eagerly waiting for the food to finish cooking. He answered directly:
“I won it playing cards!”
Aunt Liu looked skeptically at Runsheng, clearly not believing him.
Li Zhuiyuan interjected: “Aunt Liu, here’s the list. Please help me get another batch of supplies, and also hire two tile workers to build a small workshop against the back wall of the house. It doesn’t need to be too big, about the same size as the shed.”
Runsheng added, “No need to hire anyone. I can do it myself; I can lay bricks. I built the fence at home.”
Li Zhuiyuan ignored Runsheng’s offer; he’d seen the crumbling state of the fence at Old Man Shan’s house today.
He didn’t want to be buried under the workshop when it collapsed while he was working in it.
“Alright, I’ll take care of it,” Aunt Liu confirmed.
“Also, Aunt, you need to be careful.”
“Careful of what?”
“This money isn’t clean; don’t get your hands dirty.”
“Hmm?” Aunt Liu touched the bag as if understanding, and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”
Runsheng looked puzzled: “What’s the big deal about dirty money?”
“Yeah, Runsheng, paper money passes through many hands, it definitely has a lot of germs on it.”
“Oh, so that’s why.”
With some time until dinner, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t return to the second floor but went down to the basement.
In the "Records of the Righteous Path Subduing Demons," both the instruments and techniques required a great deal of time and effort, making it nearly impossible to achieve everything all at once. So, Li Zhuiyuan decided to select another set of books to read during any spare moments.
“Clap!”
The flashlight flicked on as Li Zhuiyuan walked towards the boxes.
Suddenly, at the edge of the flashlight’s beam, he noticed something black wriggling.
Li Zhuiyuan was startled, instinctively aiming the flashlight at it; the long black shadow seemed startled too and began moving rapidly away.
It was a small snake!
“Phew…”
Li Zhuiyuan bit his lip, almost worried something terrifying had entered the basement.
However, the small snake first moved left and then right before turning back, heading straight toward Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t particularly afraid of snakes; he had visited some dig sites with his mother, where snakes were plentiful.
Still, he wasn’t bold enough to ignore it, even if it was tiny, so he stepped back until his back bumped into a box, causing a crisp sound from the brass lock on the box.
The noise seemed to startle the snake, and it quickly changed direction, with Li Zhuiyuan’s flashlight beam fixed on it until it slithered into a crack in the wall.
After the snake left, Li Zhuiyuan turned back to the box he had bumped into.
This box had been at the edge of the group and had quickly been overlooked by him until now.
“Alright, let’s see what’s inside you.”
Placing the flashlight on the ground, Li Zhuiyuan pressed down on the box lid, grounding his feet, using force.
“Creak!”
The lid popped open and flipped back.
Li Zhuiyuan dusted off his hands, feeling that since he had consistently practiced the stances Uncle Qin taught him, his strength had greatly increased. This was different from the growth that came from physical development; it was more related to how he used and controlled his strength.
Picking up the flashlight, Li Zhuiyuan shined it in the box and found that it was filled with dust, not covered from neglect but filled with dust since it had been packed away.
Tilting his head, he blew several times in a row before the titles of the books on the top row were barely discernible.
Based on past experience, the books on the top of each box were generally not impressive; for better ones, one had to dig deeper down.
Li Zhuiyuan originally intended to do just that until he saw the titles of the two sets of books positioned in the middle of the top row.
“Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique” and “Qin Family’s Dragon Observation Method.”
Liu Family, Qin Family?
Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but recall the ancestral tablets on the offering table in the east room, all bearing the surnames Qin and Liu.
“Could it be such a coincidence?”
He took out the two sets of books; they were simple, without covers.
“Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique” had three thick volumes, while “Qin Family’s Dragon Observation Method” contained four as well, and neither set was divided by volume.
“Could it be that Liu Grandma placed these at Great-grandpa’s?”
He quickly shook his head; that didn’t make sense. Great-grandpa had said these books had been stored here for years, while the Liu family hadn't been here for long.
Moreover, it was impossible for Liu Yumei to know about these books in Great-grandpa’s basement, so she secretly placed her family’s secrets here.
Firstly, she had no reason to do so; secondly, the dust on these books spoke volumes about their age.
Opening the first volume of “Liu Family’s Qi Observation Technique,” he frowned upon turning the pages; the writing was messy and hard to read.
It wasn't a cursive style or connected handwriting. It looked more like someone in a rush had scribbled it down, lacking any real calligraphy skill, making it simply ugly, akin to scribbled symbols.
There were many characters that Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t decipher without context.
Flipping through over ten pages, he noted that setiap literary piece’s format was inconsistent; the titles and chapter names weren’t at the start of the pages but woven within the content.
In his mind, he pictured someone, one hand holding an exquisite book, flipping through it endlessly, while their other hand scribbled quickly on an empty piece of paper before them, continuously looking around, fearful someone might approach.
So, this should be a pirated manuscript.
He hastily flipped through “Qin Family’s Dragon Observation Method,” and it was apparent, following the same lineage, it was also a pirated book.
That almost confirmed that these two sets of books had nothing to do with Liu Yumei.
Li Zhuiyuan recalled that Liu Yumei had said she knew what kind of books he was reading, but implied she only thought he was reading some metaphysical texts, not realizing that he was focused on valuable, hand-copied manuscripts.
Additionally, Liu Yumei probably had never been down to this basement. Both she and Uncle Qin, Aunt Liu, were very aware of the gravity of the situation and would avoid exploring Great-grandpa’s possessions.
Had Liu Yumei been down to the basement and gone through these boxes, she would never have allowed these two sets of books to remain here, as it would have been a severe taboo to pilfer the legacies of their families.
“Alright, these two sets it is.”
Li Zhuiyuan himself didn’t know whether it was the contents of these books that piqued his curiosity or the matters regarding the Qin and Liu families that intrigued him.
He closed the box, cradling the two sets of books as he left the basement. Once back on the second floor, he placed the books on his desk, tore the covers off each one, rolled them up, ignited them, and then placed each piece into his cup of water.
Some things still needed to be concealed.
These two sets of seven books had the clearest and most readable text on the covers.
Li Zhuiyuan enjoyed reading on the second-floor balcony, but he didn’t want to risk Liu Yumei seeing the book titles by chance.
As for Ah Li, who liked to sit next to him and read, he had no issues with this; after all, she wouldn't spill the beans.
Aunt Liu’s voice floated up from the yard:
“Dinner's ready!”
Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs and took a seat at his small table, with Ah Li already seated and waiting for him.
“Are you hungry?”
Ah Li nodded.
A smile returned to Li Zhuiyuan’s face. He felt that if things continued to improve, she wouldn’t be far from speaking.
However, if things continued this way…
“Ah-choo! Ah-choo! Ah-choo!”
Li Sanjiang sneezed three times in succession; he had washed his hair before dawn, so now he was coming down with a cold.
“Great-grandpa, after dinner, I’ll accompany you to see Dr. Zheng to get some medicine or a shot.”
“No need. This little thing, just a good nap will fix it.”
Aunt Liu came in with the soup, placing it down, saying, “There’s a type of person in this world; they urge others to see a doctor but refuse to go themselves when they are sick.”
Li Zhuiyuan insisted, “Great-grandpa, let’s go afterward. I’m concerned about your health; you might not handle getting sick well.”
“Okay, okay, we’ll go, we’ll go!”
Li Sanjiang waved his hand and began eating.
Aunt Liu laughed, “In the end, it’s still the great-grandson’s words that matter, haha.”
Just as Li Zhuiyuan was dividing up food for Ah Li, he heard Aunt Zhang’s shouts from afar, across a rice field:
“Little Yuan, Little Yuan! Phone call! From Beijing!”
Li Sanjiang hurriedly urged, “Quickly, Little Yuan! It must be your mother calling!”
“Then, Great-grandpa, I’ll go. Runsheng, come with me.”
“Ah? Oh, sure.”
Runsheng had just been about to start filling the incense but, since Little Yuan asked, he immediately nodded, standing up and walking outside with Li Zhuiyuan.
From a distance, Li Zhuiyuan saw Li Weihan and Cui Guiying standing outside the little store.
It made sense; since Aunt Zhang informed him, she wouldn’t forget to notify his grandparents. From his mother’s perspective, he should currently be living at his grandparents’ house, not Great-grandpa’s.
Behind his grandparents, a group of children from the Li family were happily sharing snacks. Upon seeing Li Zhuiyuan, Shitou and Huzi immediately held out their snacks:
“Yuanzi, come eat! Grandma bought it for us, hehe.”
Li Zhuiyuan knew that Cui Guiying wouldn’t normally buy snacks for the children in the family, especially not now with so many kids around. Snacks were quite an expense.
The reason she was willing to buy today was that she was overjoyed since her daughter had finally called home.
You have to understand that her daughter had last returned home with her ex-husband, back when they weren’t even married, and there was no Little Yuan. Since then, she hadn’t returned for so many years.
A few years ago, her daughter would occasionally send a telegram or write a letter to check in, but as time passed, those too had dwindled.
Although she still faithfully sent gifts during holidays or forwarded quarterly living expenses, there had never been a lapse; however, her parents sometimes merely wanted to hear their daughter's voice and talk to her.
That wish had been piling up for too long and had slowly turned into a kind of luxury.
“Little Yuan, hurry! It’s your mother’s phone call. Grandma just finished talking to her.” Cui Guiying had a radiant smile, clapping Li Weihan’s back, “Quickly, Little Yuan’s here, give him the phone.”
Although Li Weihan was reluctant, he still called out to the phone, “Okay, okay, Lan, I’ll let Little Yuan take it. When he’s done, don’t hang up; I’ll continue chatting with you afterward.”
Li Zhuiyuan was perplexed; his mother had actually called voluntarily, which was even harder to believe. His mother had conversed with his grandparents for so long?
Li Weihan solemnly passed the receiver to his grandson: “Quickly, your mom misses you! Lan, let your son take the phone.”
Li Zhuiyuan still couldn’t believe it was real. Even though he longed for his mother to call, he was aware that longing wasn’t the same as wishing.
Pressing the receiver to his ear, he heard a woman’s voice coming from the other end: “Hello, is this Little Yuan?”
Li Zhuiyuan’s lips twitched. The voice wasn’t his mother, but her secretary, Aunt Xu. He remembered that Aunt Xu was also from Nantong.
So, it was Aunt Xu who talked at length with Grandma and Grandpa before.
Because it had been years since they had last seen their daughter and hadn’t spoken with her directly for so long, they could hardly remember what she sounded like now. Moreover, since Aunt Xu could understand the Nantong dialect, it wouldn’t be easy for them to distinguish that it wasn’t their daughter herself.
At this moment, seeing his grandparents as happy as they were during the New Year, Li Zhuiyuan felt a strong sense of aversion toward his mother’s actions.
“Little Yuan, call out to your mom! Quickly! Your mom says she misses you very much! Hurry and tell your mom you miss her too,” Li Weihan urged.
Cui Guiying chimed in, "Little Yuan, don’t be shy. Just because you hear Mommy’s voice doesn’t mean you should cry; otherwise, later tonight, you’ll be crying out for Mommy, making Uncle Sanjiang headachy, hehe.”
From their expressions, it was clear that Grandma and Grandpa eagerly anticipated him shouting “Mommy” for the phone to hear, as they had never witnessed an interaction between their daughter and grandson. The surrounding siblings laughed and teased.
Although he knew it was Aunt Xu on the other side, Li Zhuiyuan’s face flushed, holding the receiver tightly as he spoke with emotion, “Mommy, I miss you so much!”
On the other end, presumably on speaker, two sets of footsteps appeared, approaching then retreating.
Li Zhuiyuan imagined that earlier, as Grandpa and Grandma spoke to Aunt Xu, their footsteps likely drifted away, trying to get a clearer sound, moving to a position where they couldn’t hear.
Now, the one coming closer was probably his mother, while Aunt Xu stepped away.
So, the next to speak would be his mom.
Li Zhuiyuan felt an overwhelming anticipation rising within him. Although this thought was quite inappropriate and incorrect, he couldn’t help but think: it seemed that his mother treated him differently from how she treated Grandma and Grandpa.
Finally, his mother’s voice came through the receiver:
“Li Zhuiyuan, you’ve become even more disgusting now.”
(End of this chapter)