In recent days, Li Zhuiyuan spent most of his time reading. He deliberately ignored the subtle and explicit prompts from Granny Liu, choosing not to disturb Ah Li. He didn't plan to approach her for explanations or to try to reach out.
He understood that persistently bothering her for attention would only lead to meaningless self-satisfaction. Ah Li had retreated to her room, sealing herself off once again. But Li Zhuiyuan knew how to draw her out once more.
The last time she ventured outside was due to the Old Lady with the cat-like face entering their home. Therefore, all he needed to do was recreate that scenario. Li Zhuiyuan wasn't sure if the Old Lady had disappeared or not, but even if the three members of the Niu family weren't dead, they surely had been bedridden by now due to their children's filial care.
The evil aura on the Black Cat had probably dissipated significantly. Its medicinal properties might not be enough, and besides, even if he found it, it probably wouldn't dare to return for fear of encountering a zombie again.
This sort of death is not just like common wild herbs by the roadside; it seems to appear unexpectedly, yet searching for it intentionally proves quite difficult.
After much thought, there was only the Little Yellow Oriole left.
Firstly, she lived nearby. With a bell and an incense burner, he could bring her home in a few steps. It wasn't feasible to capture one outside and have Runsheng transport it back in a tricycle.
Secondly, they'd worked together before.
Most importantly, Li Zhuiyuan clearly remembered that when the Little Yellow Oriole accompanied Big Beard and his son into the pond, she didn't emanate black mist like the Old Lady and the deceased mystical flesh fungus.
Though he didn't know why this was, it suggested the Little Yellow Oriole might still be around and hadn't vanished yet.
The reenactment went smoothly. The arrival of the Little Yellow Oriole successfully piqued Ah Li’s interest, luring her out and into the dream where Li Zhuiyuan finally "saw" her again.
After apologizing, the boy found himself rendered speechless.
He didn't want to explain the impact of Li Lan's phone call on his life, nor the illness he carried, nor did he want to express that he too needed comfort and support, that they could help each other.
Had such words been useful to Ah Li, surely Granny Liu Yumei would've said them countless times.
Excessive explanations served only to weigh things down. He simply needed to state his stance: his balcony remained open, hoping she would step out again to look.
He possessed what she needed, and he too desired to see himself reflected in her eyes once more.
Mutual need was the most stable bond in human relationships.
The boy and girl stood in quiet companionship, each steeped in silence.
Behind them, the Little Yellow Oriole remained in a half-raised arm stance. Her role today, it seemed, was merely to serve as a telephone line.
Additionally, her presence allowed gusty winds to sweep through, adding mournful wails to the environment, breaking its monotonous silence.
After a while, Ah Li turned on her heel, retreating into her room.
Li Zhuiyuan didn’t call after her, nor did he chase her down for a definite resolution. He lifted his head and disdainfully glanced at the night sky, anticipating dawn.
However, before dawn, he still needed to escort their guest back.
Li Zhuiyuan approached the Little Yellow Oriole again, crouched down to pick up the incense burner and bell, then turned around and walked backwards slowly until those cold and damp hands once again rested on his shoulders.
He closed his eyes, imagining himself underwater, allowing his body to float up, up, ever upwards...
As his head broke the surface, Li Zhuiyuan reopened his eyes.
He turned to see Runsheng standing by the dam, seven-star hook in one hand, yellow river shovel in the other, on guard.
Back to reality, the soul-walking ended. Drunk from the night before and sleeping soundly in his room, Uncle Sanjiang had no inkling that his painstakingly arranged fortune-altering rituals, meant to rid Little Lord Yuan of shadows and give him a normal life, actually led the boy to discover rules within his soul-walking practice.
"Jingle... jingle..."
The bell chimed, and Li Zhuiyuan turned, the figure in the qipao still supporting his shoulder as he turned.
Runsheng scratched the back of his head with the shovel.
He was baffled by Little Yuan's behavior of bringing the dead from the water only to return them again at night, yet he refrained from pondering too deeply since Little Yuan would eventually tell him what needed doing.
With little risk of encountering anyone during this late hour, Li Zhuiyuan seamlessly led the Little Yellow Oriole back to the pond at Big Beard's house.
"Hmm?"
Previously, when drawing the Little Yellow Oriole from the water, Li Zhuiyuan had his back to the pond. Now, she was still behind him, yet hadn't reentered the water.
Thus, Li Zhuiyuan had the opportunity to reassess the pond's original state without the Oriole’s influence.
He'd been here before, but at that time he hadn't studied the "Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique." It was much like a child visiting historical sites before learning to read — he couldn't understand any of the inscriptions.
Now he sensed something amiss.
The Little Yellow Oriole wasn't in the pond, but its feng shui climate seemed even gloomier.
One could understand if it had cleared and brightened, yet the stark increase in gloom meant there was something else hidden within the pond’s depths — something that the Oriole, instead of revealing, had actually obscured.
Could this be why the Little Yellow Oriole remained so present even after exacting revenge?
"Jingle... jingle..."
Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush to light candles and send the Little Yellow Oriole back. Instead, he walked her slowly along the pond's edge, attempting to discern the secrets within.
Yet, despite his efforts, new revelations eluded him. Instead, unease began to stir within the Oriole.
Li Zhuiyuan knew he’d kept her for too long.
The arms once resting on his shoulders had turned to gripping him, the pressure building, the damp chill soaking into his being.
The strain frayed Li Zhuiyuan’s nerves, disrupting his ability to observe, reducing him to fumbling through the "Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique" like a man piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.
But then, inspiration struck.
He lifted his hand, channeling the feeling he’d had when interpreting the text's scrawling script, reexamining the pond's feng shui.
Under these distorted and unwieldy fluctuations, unexpected details unveiled themselves.
[Taiyin Fishers, the Lonely Pond Reflects the Moon, Benefit the Burial of Noble Women, Draw and Gather Fortune.]
This was an exceptional site for water burial; a noble woman interred here could bestow prosperity upon her progeny.
The ancients disliked water burials due to their volatile nature — it was inconvenient for descendants to commemorate and could disrupt the feng shui arrangement.
Yet water burials persisted through history for several reasons: a prime location, difficulty in grave-robbing, and some individuals sought anonymity in death.
Despite notable damage, the fundamental feng shui pattern had endured here.
What Li Zhuiyuan previously failed to recognize resulted from this ruin — like an incorrect equation misaligned with a correct solution method.
In reality, no feng shui pattern is perfectly preserved unless recently constructed.
Thus, this haphazard exchange of errors served as the true solution for practical issues.
It seemed his hypothesis was wrong. The texts weren't hurriedly and poorly transcribed; instead, the scribe intentionally embedded their personal insights into the text's form.
This was... unimaginably intricate.
Though it was clearly borrowed knowledge, the insights delved deeper than the original author's.
How could he be certain it was borrowed?
Had the Liu family acquired such understanding themselves, they wouldn't intentionally make the text’s decipherment arduous for future generations by maintaining tidy script.
On that day, when Granny Liu Yumei scanned the deliberately coverless book in his hands, she noticed only the messy handwriting without recognizing it as the Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique.
Who on earth was the scribe responsible for copying these texts?
At least, one thing was clear: the main burial chamber sought by the water monkeys ought to be here.
Unfortunately, incompetence led them astray by the decoy chamber at the Four Seas Family's pond, which unleashed earthly dark red evil and cost them two members.
Police were waiting in the hospital room, awaiting their associates for a complete sweep.
But, what was happening now?
Li Zhuiyuan initially mistook the sticky liquid dripping from him for the Little Yellow Oriole's doing. But how could her fluids be warm against his skin?
Lowering his gaze, he touched his chest, then his chin, ultimately his nose.
No need to continue; he realized blood was gushing from his nostrils.
Why was this happening?
Had rapidly learning the "Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique" strained his body, or did using the new observation method place immense pressure on him?
Regardless, if he didn't stop the bleeding soon, the situation would worsen.
Most concerning, his blood seemed to agitate the Little Yellow Oriole.
No longer content with merely gripping him, she drew near his face, resembling a beast inching closer to its prey.
Li Zhuiyuan dared not delay further. Having achieved his goal, he quickly signaled Runsheng, who stood afar, to light candles at designated spots.
Runsheng, previously trailing behind oblivious to Li Zhuiyuan’s plight, turned to see the latter now facing him. Under the moonlight, blood covered Little Yuan's face and clothes, leading Runsheng to suspect the Little Yellow Oriole was strangling and biting him.
Instantly, Runsheng readied his yellow river shovel for combat, but Li Zhuiyuan shouted:
"Those two places — light the candles!"
His mind clashed with his body's momentum, causing him to twirl atop one leg.
But without swiftly planting the shovel for stability, he'd likely tumble into the pond.
He scampered to his feet, arranging the candles and striking a match to light them.
Li Zhuiyuan shook the bell, deftly guiding the Little Yellow Oriole to the right spot. Facing away from the pond, he broke and extinguished the incense in the burner.
Yet the Little Yellow Oriole did not let go, continuing to clutch his arm.
She didn't want to leave.
This scene epitomized the saying: inviting divinities is easy, sending them away is tough.
Runsheng already had the soul-returning basket in hand, prepared to cover and fall into the water with the body.
Li Zhuiyuan ran the bell across his bleeding face, then flung it behind him. Its chiming resonated before it sank into the pond.
The Little Yellow Oriole released him, turned, and waded into the pond.
The water rose over her body, and her hand grasped the floating bell.
Li Zhuiyuan then drew two pieces of yellow paper, igniting them with the candle flame. Arms spread, he slapped the flaming papers together.
"Snap!"
Sparks flew, yet they extinguished promptly.
Meanwhile, the candle flames turned green.
Li Zhuiyuan stomped them out completely.
Only then did he gaze toward the pond, where the Little Yellow Oriole now turned her back, submerged up to her chest, her gaze fixed upon him.
"The gates are closed, spirits sent, please return."
Finally, the Little Yellow Oriole descended slowly beneath the water, her long hair remaining visible until it slipped beneath the surface.
With a thud, Li Zhuiyuan collapsed onto the ground, staring upward, as blood continued pouring from his nose.
"Runsheng, could you roll some paper balls for me?"
"Of course!"
Runsheng hurriedly twisted two balls of yellow paper, but the first attempt proved too large to fit the nostrils. He redid them until they finally worked.
Even then, the bleeding seeped through, requiring replacements until it finally subsided.
Li Zhuiyuan took deep breaths, aware of profound fatigue and weakness — symptoms of excessive blood loss.
Runsheng cared for him attentively, fetching pond water to cool his brow and wash away the blood stains.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
After a good rest, Li Zhuiyuan felt recovered.
Runsheng, relieved, patted his chest and said nervously, "Little Yuan, she was fierce!"
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, "It was my fault."
The Little Yellow Oriole showed restraint. Truly, it was his oversight; who would've thought observing feng shui could sap one's vitality?
Even the tamest of beasts will turn deadly if provoked with open wounds. Instinctively, he knew this cost of learning through practice.
Thankfully, the Little Yellow Oriole was involved. Too many other spirits meant an ensuing battle even if Runsheng managed to save him.
"Little Yuan, what were you trying to do tonight?"
Li Zhuiyuan motioned to the pond. "Runsheng, there's a tomb below."
Runsheng lit up with excitement, clutching the yellow river shovel.
"Little Yuan, let me dig it up!"
"Runsheng, what movies have you been watching recently?"
"Indiana Jones, all three – shown by the county channel."
"Runsheng, grave robbery is illegal."
"Uh..."
"Also, I suggest you watch ‘News Broadcast’ after dinner."
"Sure, I will. So what do we do about this place?"
"If the water monkeys haven’t found it, leave it. It's buried beneath."
Due to Li Lan's work, Li Zhuiyuan knew some about archaeology.
Nowadays, large-scale construction, grave robbing, or natural deterioration requiring protection prompts excavation. For water burials, the chambers lie significantly deeper, complicating the dig. Considering the Little Yellow Oriole remained, the main burial chamber is likely well-preserved, so preservation continues.
"Runsheng, tonight stays between us."
"Understood."
Li Zhuiyuan gradually stood, gazing deeply at the pond before him. Here lay an exceptional corpse-preserving ground.
If residual water monkeys escaped capture and still eyed the main chamber, he actually anticipated their arrival since awaiting them here was far worse than the earthly dark red evil.
Upon returning home, Li Zhuiyuan washed thoroughly, realizing the clothes were beyond salvageable, effectively stained in blood. Carelessly discarding them might scare someone.
He only managed to fold them, delaying their incineration until daylight.
After tidying himself, Li Zhuiyuan lay down, hoping to nap before dawn broke.
Apparently, exhaustion mixed with blood loss overtook him. That “nap” lasted until noon.
Awakening, he hadn’t opened his eyes before sensing the bright midday sunlight heat.
When he finally opened them, he examined the carvings overhead, scrutinizing each depicted scene in detail.
Inescapable, he confronted reality, turning his head toward the door.
There she sat, the girl in the chair.
Today, she wore a pale green ruqun, exuding elegance and vibrancy.
Starting each day with her in view felt wonderful.
No need for excessive words or gestures; her presence brought genuine joy to his being.
Li Zhuiyuan rose from bed, retrieved three cans of Jianlibao from the snack cabinet as per tradition, handing her two and opening one for her.
Though he disliked sugary fizzy drinks in the morning, the girl enjoyed clinking cans with him.
After a sip, she set her drink aside, reaching for his right hand and opening it once more.
The wound had scabbed over. After taking a bath last night, Li Zhuiyuan was too lazy to bandage it again. By now, the burn mark in his palm had faded, but the five nail marks around it were still clearly visible.
The girl ignored the wound she caused and rubbed the burn mark in Li Zhuiyuan's palm with her index finger.
"Don't worry, I won't do it again."
After that phone call, in his heart, he no longer used the word "mom" to refer to her.
He didn't want to dwell on whether that night was Li Lan's final fit of hysteria or the last distorted warmth of her illness. He was tired.
She said he wasn't the son she wanted, but she was never the mother he desired.
Indeed, when two people with troubled minds both seek genuine love and reliance from each other, isn't it just mutual torment?
The boy had decided to take off the mask he wore in front of Li Lan.
When you truly have nothing, you instinctively cherish everything you can grasp. But now, he was willing to let go.
The girl looked at the boy and spread out her right hand.
In her palm were five clear nail marks too; the wound had also scabbed.
This meant that after she pinched him that night, she also pinched herself.
Li Zhuiyuan lowered his gaze, held the girl's hand, and said deeply, "There will be no next time for you either."
The girl nodded.
Li Zhuiyuan's fingers gently traced the wound in the girl's palm. He knew that no matter how you called it—childhood sweethearts or companions—it was inappropriate to describe their relationship because they were both gamblers.
It's because they had experienced the thrill of winning that they were unwilling to give up after losing. They chose to get back on the gambling table.
Ultimately, they couldn't afford to lose.
Both wanted to be normal people, and neither gave up easily. That's why he sought her out, and that's why she came back.
Li Zhuiyuan felt that Li Lan would probably hate his way of thinking, but it didn't matter, because Ah Li didn't mind either.
Sometimes, when you habitually simplify things, it can seem cold and heartless. But many relationships break down because people overthink things.
The two of them held hands and walked down the stairs.
Ah Li was very happy. Li Zhuiyuan could feel the little hand in his palm swaying, especially when they turned on the stairs. She seemed like she wanted to tiptoe and spin around, even though she didn't do it, the idea popped up in his head.
In the yard, Liu Yumei was wiping the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
Last night, she had secretly watched through the window and was anxious when the boy spoke those words, especially when her granddaughter had no reaction and just turned and went back indoors... She opened her eyes and woke up.
But soon, her granddaughter closed her eyes and fell asleep again.
Liu Yumei increasingly felt she was old and couldn't understand young people anymore. Back when her grandfather was chasing her, it was dramatic enough that the Qin and Liu families almost clashed.
Who would have thought that today's young generation would be so reserved?
But no matter what, her granddaughter was better now and she hoped nothing would go wrong this time. She prayed her illness wouldn't recur until her granddaughter fully recovered.
Well, wasn't he interested in carving runes? This afternoon, she'd personally take an axe to chop all the ancestral tablets at home and give them wood for carving.
Perhaps her joy was too overwhelming, so Liu Yumei didn't delve too deeply into questioning how the boy managed to guide the departed away.
Of course, it's also possible she had her suspicions but didn't want to acknowledge them. To put it bluntly, if it weren't for fearing a backlash from fortunes, even if the boy was committing crimes, she'd secretly help him cover them up.
Because she'd realized that the key to her granddaughter's recovery was with the boy.
This wasn't to say Li Sanjiang's luck was useless. It was precisely because they lived in Li Sanjiang's house that they met the boy.
Li Sanjiang came down for breakfast and upon seeing the two kids sitting together again, he immediately remarked:
"Indeed, the feelings between children are pure."
Then he glanced at Liu Yumei wiping her tears in the distance and couldn't help but mutter softly:
"You keep stopping them, you worldly old woman."
Li Sanjiang always held a poor opinion of Liu Yumei because he disliked her faded wealthy air. After all, he, Li Sanjiang, had also contributed to liberation!
After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan went to check his newly built workshop. All the tools and materials had been arranged inside, and Aunt Liu as a caretaker was truly superb.
Li Zhuiyuan left Runsheng in the workshop, assigning him the task of preparing and handling initial materials. It wasn't too challenging, just time-consuming.
Runsheng worked enthusiastically because he was crafting a set of new tools for himself.
Considering Runsheng's strength, Li Zhuiyuan planned to adjust the materials and dimensions of the tools. This meant Runsheng had to handle even more raw materials.
All day long, except for lunch breaks, Runsheng didn't leave the workshop, not even to watch television.
Li Zhuiyuan finished adjusting the new set of diagrams early and sat on the terrace reading.
He no longer needed to rush progress forcefully. He had grown afraid of the feeling of exhaustion. If things continued this way, he worried he'd end up lifeless just as he'd been confronting the dead spirit.
So rather than reading, he was really just relaxing.
Beside him, Qin Li sat, holding the book "Qin Family's Dragon Observation Method," while Granny Liu smiled as she watched from below, sipping tea.
Li Zhuiyuan considered sharing the new insights from the Qin and Liu families' "ghostly drawings" with Granny Liu but decided against it. Not yet, at least. He needed to go through all the worthy books in the basement first, just in case there were more inheritances from the Qin and Liu families.
In the afternoon, Li Zhuiyuan put down his book and played several rounds of chess with Qin Li, then went with her to the first floor. They snacked and watched TV.
Even the usual TV tyrant wasn't around, so they could watch for as long as they wanted.
But just watching TV could become dull quickly. Li Zhuiyuan thought about taking Qin Li to a movie theater. Nowadays, cinemas were mostly empty except during holidays, so there was no worry about Qin Li encountering strangers.
After lunch, Li Sanjiang went out for a while. When he returned and saw Li Zhuiyuan not studying, instead of getting angry, he was pleased. He felt it was nice; Little Lord Yuan gradually recovering from the blow of losing his household registration was comforting.
Around 5:30 in the afternoon, a motorbike drove up. The driver removed the helmet—it was Tan Yunlong. After greeting Li Sanjiang, he easily took Li Zhuiyuan on his bike and rode smoothly down the yard.
Tan Yunlong's bike was wilder than Uncle Qin's, but luckily, this time Li Zhuiyuan had a helmet.
They arrived at the police station's family apartments. Tan Yunlong led the boy up to the third floor and opened the door. A middle-aged woman in an apron greeted them from the kitchen. She dressed simply yet elegantly and seemed very kind.
"This must be Little Yuan, right?"
"Hello, Auntie."
"Good boy, you can call me Aunt Zheng."
"Where's Binbin?" Tan Yunlong asked.
"Binbin is doing homework in his room."
Tan Yunlong opened his son's room door. A tall high schooler, wearing a uniform, sat at a desk, buried in his homework.
Tan Yunlong approached the desk, placing his hand on it—a slight shift occurred in Tan Wenbin's posture.
Then, Tan Yunlong opened his son's pencil case and took out a game device with a paused Tetris screen.
Tan Wenbin bowed his head, avoiding his father's eyes.
Maybe because there was an outsider, Tan Yunlong didn't lose his temper. Instead, he pulled out some jelly candies from his pocket and placed them on his son's desk. He then added two for Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan quietly unwrapped one and ate it. He knew the relationship between this father-son pair was probably typical. Maybe Tan Wenbin liked jelly candies when younger, but no dad gives jelly to a senior high schooler.
Even though Tan Wenbin graciously ate one too, it seemed more like they were acting out a scene of father-son affection.
Watching this, Li Zhuiyuan sighed inwardly. Even if they were acting, there was still genuine warmth beneath. Unlike his and Li Lan's relationship, filled only with performances and no emotions.
"This is Little Yuan, Li Zhuiyuan. Little Yuan, this is my son, Tan Wenbin. You can call him Binbin."
"Hi, Little Yuan."
"Hello, Binbin Brother."
"You find a blank test paper for Little Yuan to try out."
"What, let him do it?"
"Yes."
"Oh, alright then." Tan Wenbin pulled out a math paper from a stack of blank sheets.
In high school, they usually finished learning all the key courses in the second year, spending the third year revising and practicing repeatedly.
"Okay, now, come with me."
"Dad..."
"Out." Tan Yunlong untied his belt as he walked out.
Tan Wenbin grimaced, following suit.
Then the door to the adjacent room closed. Li Zhuiyuan heard several screams intertwined with Tan Yunlong’s scolding:
"I won’t hold your fighting against you, but how dare you secretly take your mom's money to buy games? What have I taught you about life and values? Poor grades I can overlook, but you can’t go astray. Are you planning to let me arrest you someday?"
But Tan Yunlong only gave a few hits before it became another lengthy lecture.
Midway, Aunt Zheng knocked on the door a few times, all to no avail.
Two hours later, the father and son returned.
Scolding them, Aunt Zheng said, "We have guests, you know! Are you going to let Little Yuan starve?"
"Forgot," Tan Yunlong glanced at his son. "Blame this useless kid."
Li Zhuiyuan had long since left the study desk, sitting on the bed with a comic book retrieved from the book pile. Before father and son came back, he tucked the comic into the mattress, unnoticed by Tan Yunlong.
Tan Wenbin wasn’t crying anymore, but his shoulders still shook, looking quite pitiful.
Tan Yunlong smacked the back of his son's head, "Go see how Little Yuan did on the paper."
Tan Wenbin walked to the desk, flipped through the math paper, noticed it was fully answered, and shouted in surprise, "He even completed it all!"
That stack was filled with various subjects, pre-given by teachers for students to work on at home.
Tan Wenbin tried some easy questions he knew, finding that the boy's answers were correct too.
For now, difficult questions aside, it ruled out the possibility of random guessing.
"How about it?
Is everything correct?" Tan Yunlong urged. "I'm asking you."
"Without an answer key... I don't know."
"…" retorted Tan Yunlong.
Tan Wenbin flipped through, surprised to see everything was done.
"Then get an old test paper, find the hardest questions from various subjects, write them down, and let Little Yuan try."
"Okay."
Tan Yunlong needed to confirm if the boy truly matched a high school level before approaching the school for advancement. Any mistake could prove embarrassing.
Tan Wenbin copied a question on a booklet, placed it aside, and told the boy, "Little Yuan, do this first."
"Alright."
Li Zhuiyuan stood at the table and took the pen.
While Tan Wenbin copied a second question, turning back, he found the boy had already finished and was waiting.
"That quick?"
Tan Wenbin checked the booklet—correct answer.
Then, watching the boy solve the second question effortlessly, comparing answers, found them correct too.
This question had been beyond the syllabus, with only two classmates solving it during the exam.
Li Zhuiyuan suggested, "Binbin Brother, why not read the questions aloud? It'll be quicker."
Tan Yunlong nodded, "Read."
Tan Wenbin picked up a math paper and read from the multiple-choice questions. As soon as he finished a question, Li Zhuiyuan would give an answer.
Quickly, except for geometry questions requiring diagrams, Tan Wenbin read through the sheet, each time the boy promptly gave answers.
Setting the paper down, Tan Wenbin was dumbfounded.
He usually admired the top students in his class, feeling the stress and disparity when discussing studies with them. But next to this boy, he didn’t feel pressure—he felt crushed.
"All correct?" Tan Yunlong asked.
"Yes, everything's right, Little Yuan Brother got them all correct."
Tan Yunlong felt like he had discovered a treasure, grabbing Li Zhuiyuan’s arm excitedly and spinning him in circles:
"Ha-ha-ha! Truly a child prodigy! Indeed, a prodigy!"
Parents always see stellar academics with awe, and those with students often exaggerate. Right now, in Tan Yunlong's eyes, it truly felt like the God of Learning graced his house.
Finally, he put Li Zhuiyuan down.
Li Zhuiyuan held his forehead, slightly dizzy from the spinning.
"Little Yuan, I inquired. Official enrollment procedures must wait until the start of the term, involving the education bureau with the school. Yet, even with summer classes at high schools, after passing a test at the school, you can join classes before formalities. How do you feel about that?"
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, "Uncle Tan, I’d like to enjoy the summer break."
"Alright, it's only late July, so there's still a month. When the time comes, I'll take you for enrollment."
"Thank you, Uncle Tan."
"No need." Said Tan Yunlong, giving a final smack on his son's head, "Look at someone else, then look at yourself!"
Tan Wenbin, not yet over his earlier awe, instinctively responded:
"Why not ask what his parents’ qualifications are?"
"Smack!"
This time, the smack landed heavier.
"I tell you, you and Little Yuan are now classmates. Learn from him, remember, though he's younger, you must take care of him daily."
"Alright."
Tan Yunlong nodded. His son's not entirely foolish.
Taking care of each other: you help with life, he helps with studies. Although he repeatedly insists grades aren’t everything, what parent doesn't wish good grades for their kids?
The boy answering questions precisely had even shocked an old police officer. His son sticking around means he'd pick some wisdom too, right?
"Zheng Fang, Zheng Fang!"
Tan Yunlong exited, eager to share his sights with his wife, believing her reaction would be even more animated, also reminding her to prepare more dishes. Plenty to be fancy.
Inside, Li Zhuiyuan sat on the bed, Tan Wenbin on a chair—two kids facing each other.
"Little Yuan Brother?"
"Binbin Brother, don’t do that, just call me Little Yuan or Yuanz."
"Little Yuan Brother, what do you usually do at home?"
"Read."
"Just always read?" This answer deflated Tan Wenbin slightly, but he wasn’t discouraged yet. He continued asking, "Besides reading, what else do you like doing?"
"Salvaging the dead."
(This chapter ends)
L2 retranslation is up to here.