"Xiao Yuan, Run Sheng, I think I must be seeing things. How else could there be two people sitting on the flat ground in front of Zhou Yong's house?"
Tan Wenbin rubbed his eyes vigorously and continued to gaze.
The more he looked, the more his body hunched over, retreating and instinctively protecting Run Sheng behind him. It felt like it wasn't enough, and he wished to shrink further behind the boy. When he glanced down, he discovered the boy was looking at him.
A feeling of being caught in the act made him straighten his back. He took small steps forward, eventually standing beside Run Sheng again, though his legs were still trembling. He had a certain strength when it came to dealing with corpses, after all, he had learned from his family. But his family background wasn't the mystical kind.
Li Zhuiyuan remained silent. After a glance at Tan Wenbin, he picked up a compass again. The compass showed everything was normal, not a hint of disturbance.
Though there was some distance, there should be at least a little reaction. Because when it came to geomancy, while it could change in myriad ways and appear complicated, it could also be simple. Evil spirits would gather where there was negative energy.
The village head approached, dismounting from his cart. He asked, "Run Sheng, have you not found anything yet?"
Run Sheng looked at Li Zhuiyuan. He softly answered, "Almost there."
Run Sheng quickly replied, "I have some clues now, don’t worry, Village Head."
"Really?" The village head sighed in relief, "Then hurry and find it. Don't scare the others anymore. Those who saw it are so frightened they went home and caught fevers. They've been at the clinic for the past two days."
Li Zhuiyuan spoke out, "Zhou Yong."
Run Sheng asked, "Village Head, where did Zhou Yong go?"
"Yong Hou? He should be watching people play cards now, what's up?"
"He’s still playing cards?"
"He likes to stand by and watch others play, but he himself doesn't sit down to play."
"Oh, I see."
“There’s always some work to finish in the fields, and helping others with fishing nets isn’t something done every day. When he has free time, Yong Hou goes to watch people play cards. No matter how tough life gets, people need to find a bit of fun for themselves, right? Who wants to have a long face all day?"
"Yeah, that’s true."
"Yong Hou, how should I put it, is quite a unique character."
"I heard he donated a bridge?"
"Yep, the bridge was his idea. It wasn’t strictly necessary, there aren’t many people crossing there, but he insisted on donating it, saying it was to accumulate virtue and blessings for his wife and kids. I couldn't argue with him, so we gathered some funds from the village and matched it with his, and built that bridge. I reckon that when they fix the road a bit more, more people will start using the bridge."
"I really can't understand his actions."
"That's just how it is. Yong Hou is kind-hearted and has good relations in the village, but since his wife and kids fell ill, he’s become a bit eccentric. Unless he's watching cards, if you talk to him a bit longer, he’ll lead you off into some ghostly nonsense. Don’t even know what kind of mental haze he’s under.
Normally, donating money to build a bridge is a good thing, but I did advise him. I said: 'Yong Hou, with this money, you could either renovate your house into a brick-and-tile one or buy some nice food and clothes for your wife and kids. The village doesn’t need that bridge urgently; your family’s situation needs this money to have a better life.'
But he stubbornly went ahead and found a construction team himself when the village didn’t agree. Run Sheng, what do you want me to do in this situation? I’m facing quite a dilemma over this matter. I previously helped him apply for low-income assistance and some subsidies. Now he’s gone and donated to build a bridge—what a mess for me!
Anyway, Run Sheng, if you find anything, let me know. Once this matter is sorted out, I’ll treat you and your grandfather to a small gathering at my home, and the village will help with the red envelope."
"Okay, Village Head, you can go back to what you were doing."
After the village head left, that pair of mother and daughter were still there at the small flat area.
Li Zhuiyuan stepped forward and walked towards Zhou Yong's house, needing to verify his suspicions.
Seeing this, Run Sheng naturally moved in front of Xiao Yuan.
Tan Wenbin stood there dumbstruck for a few seconds, then hurried to follow, not daring to stand side by side with Run Sheng, but at least heading ahead of Xiao Yuan.
As they got closer, the pair of mother and daughter at the small flat area grew clearer.
The woman sat on the bench, the girl snuggled in her arms, both chatting and laughing, appearing quite warm.
Tan Wenbin’s cold sweat began to trickle down. He would occasionally look up quickly, only to immediately lower his head again.
His mind was filled with images of the girl curled up in a rice jar, and the woman lying in the cotton fluff.
As they neared the door, Li Zhuiyuan halted.
Finally, Li Zhuiyuan stopped.
"Big Brother Bin Bin, you keep going forward."
"Huh? Alright."
Tan Wenbin crossed his arms, continuing forward, and when he reached the flat area, he stopped to look at the house, only to find it empty; the mother and daughter had disappeared.
"There's no one here..." Tan Wenbin turned around, a puzzled expression on his face.
Li Zhuiyuan waved him back, and Tan Wenbin quickly dashed back.
Looking back at the flat area, surprisingly that pair of mother and daughter reappeared there.
"This..."
"Run Sheng, you move ahead."
"Alright."
Run Sheng walked forward, reaching the spot where Tan Wenbin had stopped, then turned to look at the flat area.
Standing behind, Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin saw Run Sheng awkwardly raise a hand and wave at the flat area.
"Run Sheng can see them?"
"Yeah, because Run Sheng is from this village."
"It can work like this?"
"Because he doesn’t want others to know that his wife and kid have already died."
"He is referring to Zhou Yong, right?"
"Yeah."
"But, Xiao Yuan, if his wife and kid are here, then who is swimming in the river?"
"That would be Zhou Yong."
"Huh? But didn’t the village head just say that Zhou Yong is watching people play cards?"
"Yes, but the dead can still move about."
"The dead go ashore to watch the villagers play cards? Isn’t that a bit absurd?"
"Didn’t you just eat food made by the dead? Remember that plate of boiled shrimp? You ate the most."
"I... I just didn’t know."
Run Sheng returned, saying, "Just now, they waved at me."
"Uh-huh."
Run Sheng pulled out the Huanghe shovel from the sack and asked, "Should I smash it?"
"No need. There’s actually nothing there."
Li Zhuiyuan looked towards the flat area where the big straw hat-covered well was, its image hazy and murky.
He could not help but think about how he would arrange things if it were him, and at least he wouldn’t make it so lowbrow; at the very least, he would create a miasma to lure people passing by into the well inside.
Like dumping dumplings, pulling them into the well one after another.
Li Zhuiyuan took a breath and slapped his forehead: Ah, Wei Zhengdao, how can you be like this?
"Let’s go, Run Sheng, we are going to find Zhou Yong."
Run Sheng scratched his head: "But I don’t know which place Zhou Yong is watching cards."
"Just go to the biggest place. Even if he’s not there, it’ll still be easy to ask, um, it’s the place we won money from last time."
The three of them walked along the village path and soon arrived at the gambling house.
The stout Zhou Fabao stood at the edge of the flat area, his back to the road, pulling out a bird while humming a tune, fertilizing his vegetable garden.
He turned around and saw three people approaching, instinctively quickening his pace to prepare for the guests.
But upon closer inspection, he saw Run Sheng and recognized that the boy was the one from last time.
Zhou Fabao trembled and quickly tossed the bird away.
"Ah, what are you all doing?"
By the time they reached the flat area, Zhou Fabao had not welcomed them but was blocking the entrance with his half-bent body.
Last time these two came to gamble here, they ended up smashing his table, and cups and ashtrays were shattered all over the floor.
Although they compensated him for the damages, he was in a line of work that doesn’t see the light of day; afraid of causing further trouble, he dared not let these two back to his establishment.
Run Sheng inquired, "We’re not here to gamble; we’re looking for someone. Is Zhou Yong here?"
"Yong Hou?" Zhou Fabao smiled, "He hasn’t come to my place today; he should be watching cards at someone else’s."
"Oh." Run Sheng turned to Li Zhuiyuan, "Xiao Yuan, Zhou Yong is not here."
"The boss is lying."
Zhou Fabao: "..."
Last time he played with them, Li Zhuiyuan remembered every detail of everyone’s faces at the table, as the boss would bring tea and collect tips, also part of the table's participants. So, Zhou Fabao’s face was also "recorded" by Li Zhuiyuan.
Although he wasn't at the table now, Li Zhuiyuan could still see that the boss was "deceiving" him; his micro-expressions didn't match the "hand."
Run Sheng turned back to Zhou Fabao and asked again with more emphasis, "Is Zhou Yong really not here?"
Zhou Fabao quickly waved his hands while looking extremely aggrieved, "Really not! Why would I lie to you guys? What’s in it for me?"
Li Zhuiyuan was about to remind Run Sheng to recall the threatening scenes from movies but was overtaken by Tan Wenbin.
He had a synthetic leather wallet, took it out and opened it, revealing a family photo where all the males except for him were in police uniforms.
He held up the photo in front of Zhou Fabao, demanding, "Say, is Zhou Yong here or not!"
Zhou Fabao swallowed hard, shaky reply, "He’s here."
"We’re looking for him for something."
With that, Tan Wenbin marched straight inside, bumping shoulders with Zhou Fabao, who immediately dodged out of the way.
Run Sheng sighed inwardly: As expected, Xiao Yuan was right, there’s no future in the underworld.
Inside were seven or eight gambling tables in progress, the place was lively.
Tan Wenbin entered, hands on his hips, his gaze sharp, making him appear as if his father had entered his body.
His eyes surveyed the crowd, over and over...
Finally, he couldn't hold on anymore.
He didn’t know what Zhou Yong looked like.
When Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng came in, half of the people stopped their games and looked over. Some unknowing individuals immediately inquired among those nearby, and upon learning their identities, turned to look as well.
Everyone had heard of the strange gambling incident that had occurred here; nobody had made up their minds to leave the table when they saw the little boy sitting there.
Li Zhuiyuan asked Zhou Fabao: "Where is Zhou Yong?"
"Yong Hou... was just here, but where did he go? He might have gone to the back to eat. He’s practically family to me; when he finds time, he comes to watch cards and helps with boiling water and making tea. I also provide him a meal."
Zhou Fabao led the three to the back, where a few elderly folks sat drinking tea and chatting.
Zhou Fabao asked, "Auntie, where is Yong Hou?"
"Yong Hou? I just saw him here, but now I don’t know where he went."
Zhou Fabao turned back helplessly to the trio, “I’m not lying to you; I seriously don’t know where he went. What are you looking for him for? Did he owe money?"
"No, we just want to ask him something."
"Sorry, Boss, for disturbing your business. We’ll be leaving now."
Li Zhuiyuan stepped outside onto the road.
Run Sheng rubbed his nose, saying, "Xiao Yuan, it’s strange. I didn’t smell the dead’s scent inside."
"That’s not unusual. Some dead possess special abilities that allow them to separate their spirit from their body. Remember that cat-faced old lady from before?"
"Cat-faced old lady?" Tan Wenbin appeared surprised, "Did I arrive late and miss an important event?"
Run Sheng looked serious and said, "If that’s the case, Xiao Yuan, Zhou Yong will be more difficult to handle."
Tan Wenbin excitedly rubbed his hands together, nodding in agreement: "Yeah, it’ll be rather tricky."
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "It doesn’t necessarily have to lead to conflict. Currently, he hasn’t harmed the villagers. If he just enjoys swimming in the river and going home to be with his deceased wife and kids, then we have no reason to clash with him. We just need to remind him to avoid being spotted by the villagers and to find out who taught him these methods. Essentially, we can coexist peacefully."
"Ah? We can coexist peacefully?" Tan Wenbin questioned, confused, "Isn’t it usually good versus evil, humans and ghosts can't coexist, mustn't we suppress and kill him?"
"Brother Bin Bin, that would be quite exhausting."
"Um..."
Just like that little yellow oriole, she didn’t harm anyone after seeking revenge, so her great-grandfather treated it as if nothing happened, and never thought of dealing with her again.
"So... Where should we look for Zhou Yong now? Should we go to his house or head back to the riverside?"
Li Zhuiyuan smiled, glancing at the rice fields ahead, "Perhaps he’s right there, watching us."
Even if he was deliberately hiding from them, Li Zhuiyuan was unperturbed; he had ways to coax him out for a conversation.
But before that, there was another matter to attend to—the nearing nightfall.
Li Zhuiyuan reached into his pocket and took out some money, handing it to Run Sheng: "Run Sheng, go buy some strong liquor and cooked dishes. It’s time for dinner."
Upon arriving back at Old Shan’s home, the two elderly individuals were sitting shoulder to shoulder in the courtyard, smoking and chatting.
"San Jiang Hou, the hardest part of my life has been meeting you."
"Shan Pao, your gambling habits are your own fault, don’t blame me."
"Heh, I didn’t blame you."
"Yes, yes, you filled yourself up."
"I heard that in Beijing..."
"Shan Pao, if you mention that again, I’ll carry you and toss you into your neighbor’s pottery jar for some pickling."
"Bah, you old fool, you’re not the least bit shameless."
When Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin returned, the two elders immediately inquired about the situation.
"Old one, we found the approximate location, and we’ve got a net to trap it, but it’s getting late. Run Sheng plans to wait until sunrise to fish it out."
"Look at that, you found it. Run Sheng, following me is better than following you, isn’t it?"
Then, Li Sanjiang nodded at Xiao Yuan, "Right, it’s like that. It's best not to do work at night; it’s easy to run into problems. Sometimes, ordinary corpses may actually move at night."
Run Sheng returned with liquor and dishes, and the two elders were more than happy to indulge.
For the first five cups, Li Sanjiang still insisted it was getting late and would take Xiao Yuan home, but after the last five cups went down, both he and Old Shan were sprawled over the table, utterly drunk.
Run Sheng got his grandfather and Old Li settled into bed, covering their bellies with quilts, and even set up a spittoon beside the bed for their convenience later.
After all this was done, the three regrouped and made their way back to the riverbank.
The atmosphere at night felt very different from the daytime, and Li Zhuiyuan knew his great-grandfather was right, but it didn’t matter now, as Zhou Yong not only could swim but had also taken the opportunity to go ashore and watch cards.
Arriving at that bridge, Run Sheng waded into the water, released the seven-star hook, and with a flick, hooked onto a nail and began pulling it down with force.
After pulling up three nails one after another, Run Sheng stopped. He withdrew the seven-star hook and pulled out the Huanghe shovel, gripping it firmly. Soon, the water temperature started to drop.
Even standing by the river, Li Zhuiyuan felt the cold breeze carry a shiver.
Run Sheng began regulating his breath, on guard and alert.
Finally, movement emerged.
Ten meters ahead, the surface of the river slowly revealed a person's back.
Tan Wenbin gripped Li Zhuiyuan’s Huanghe shovel with his right hand, and with his left, continually poked at Li Zhuiyuan’s back.
Dead, dead, dead!
Heaven, Dad, look at me, I’ve achieved so much! I finally see the dead!
Li Zhuiyuan turned back, a look of exasperation crossing his face. Tan Wenbin’s excitement mingled with nervousness, as if he were on the verge of fainting.
This reminded Li Zhuiyuan of wildly ecstatic fans at a concert, overwhelmed just by seeing the singer.
The river’s surface began to heave.
Soon, a face emerged—a pale, waxy visage, like a thick layer of paste, dripping white from the chin.
As the person opened their eyes, thick white liquid oozed from the corners, completely obscuring their gaze.
Li Zhuiyuan took out two pieces of yellow paper and folded them into bundles.
But beside him, Tan Wenbin was frozen stiff.
"Zhuang Zhuang!"
"Yeah!"
Almost as a reflex, Tan Wenbin quickly struck a match and lit the yellow paper for Li Zhuiyuan.
Waving the burning yellow paper in his hand, Li Zhuiyuan silently chanted, then stuffed the half-burned paper into the bowl containing yellow wine at his feet.
Tan Wenbin proceeded to light the small candles they had prearranged in the vicinity.
Each candle's placement was calculated, including the arrangement of the ritual space, which shouldn’t be altered. Three nails were pulled, but not all were completely removed; thus, there was still room for negotiation.
This action sought to slap with one hand and reward with a sweet date in return.
If you can discuss, then let’s talk; if not, you’ll only become a source of trouble by lingering here—then we might have to resort to a hard confrontation.
Li Zhuiyuan raised the wine bowl, pouring it onto the surface of the river.
Then, extending his left arm for Tan Wenbin to support him as he closed his eyes, he sought that half-awake, half-asleep state to walk the shadows.
Many incantations are truly effective, including his great-grandfather's mutterings and rhymes, but the purpose of these incantations is to "communicate."
But what method could possibly achieve better results than directly walking the shadows?
When you can directly use the formula, there’s no need to struggle through the derivation process.
"We mean no harm; we just want to chat. Firstly, please don’t disturb the living; secondly, please tell us who taught you these arrangements.
If you cooperate, we can drive the nails back in for you; we each go our own way—if not, starting tonight, one side will have no way left to go."
As Li Zhuiyuan extended his arm out to himself, Tan Wenbin internally counted down, finally reaching a count and immediately shook the boy with strength.
Li Zhuiyuan was forcibly woken, shattering the shallow state of walking shadows he had entered—this was a precaution he had taken for himself.
Although he had learned to control the dead, he was still a beginner, not yet confident enough to apply it immediately.
His head felt dizzied and slightly painful; this was a symptom of forcibly breaking through the state, but fortunately, having endured the throbbing headache from Ah Li before, he found this was nothing.
The communication had been made; next, it was up to Zhou Yong’s choices.
Zhou Yong slowly turned around, his back to them all, then steadily walked forward in the river.
"Big Brother Bin Bin, why don't you go back?"
"No, no way! I must protect you."
"Oh, you chose this; don’t regret it."
“Regret? It’s impossible!”
Li Zhuiyuan pointed at the arrangements on the ground, signaling for Tan Wenbin to clear up, before walking alongside him on the riverbank, while Run Sheng continued in the river.
Tan Wenbin hurriedly snuffed out all the candles with hand and foot, then grabbed a sack to toss in bowls and various items, quickly running to catch up. He certainly didn’t want to miss out again.
Fortunately, with Run Sheng in the river, Xiao Yuan couldn’t throw himself into the reed marsh.
After walking some distance, Zhou Yong reached the shore.
It became apparent he was heading home.
Li Zhuiyuan grabbed Run Sheng’s shirt, signaling for him to slow down. When the three of them matched pace, Zhou Yong up ahead also slowed, seeming to wait.
He was leading them home.
Understanding this intention, Li Zhuiyuan patted Run Sheng on the back, and the three resumed normal speed.
Arriving again at Zhou Yong’s flat area, they stopped, and Zhou Yong stood at the door of his house.
“Dum... Dum... Dum...”
He gently knocked with his head.
Before long, a light illuminated from within.
Through the large door crack, they could see someone appear inside, followed by the sound of a lock being turned.
“Creeeak…”
The door opened.
Standing inside was Zhou Yong’s wife.
The woman stood quietly at the entrance.
When they saw her during the day, she lay amid the cotton fluff on the mat.
Now, though it was nighttime, under the house’s light, they realized that not just her eyes, but her nostrils, ears, and even the cracks in her nails were all bursting forth with cotton fluff, like weeds taking root.
It seemed these tufts of cotton weren't simply resting on her; they had actually grown from her body.
She stepped aside, and Zhou Yong walked inside.
The woman continued standing at the door, leaving it open, seemingly waiting for the guests to enter.
Run Sheng glanced at Li Zhuiyuan, who nodded.
They had come to engage in conversation; since someone had guided them to the doorstep, it was reasonable to go inside.
As Run Sheng entered, he looked to the right, then froze, visibly startled.
This was the first time Li Zhuiyuan had seen Run Sheng react this way under such circumstances. He too stepped inside, glancing right.
The girl had emerged from the rice jar, poised to greet her father’s return.
Her eyes were wide, filled to the brim with rice grains.
Additionally, her exposed arms, legs, hands, and feet were all embedded with rice grains.
These pure white grains fell continuously, yet the amount that had already fallen did not decrease, as if grains were sprouting one by one from the pores of her skin.
This sight nearly stopped Li Zhuiyuan’s breath.
The last to enter was Tan Wenbin, who had lingered behind while cleaning up. It was nighttime, so he consciously positioned himself behind Run Sheng and to Xiao Yuan’s side.
Once inside, Tan Wenbin also looked to the right, and before he could scream, he stuffed his hand into his mouth and bit down hard.
He bit down so hard he drew blood, but the spiking terror rendered him numb to any pain.
Zhou Yong approached the dining table and took a seat.
The table was old, repaired with numerous panels nailed on; the chair was rough and uneven.
However, with the floor being dirt, naturally uneven too, it wouldn’t matter even if the chair were smoother.
Li Zhuiyuan sat opposite Zhou Yong. Run Sheng took the left, while Tan Wenbin sat on the right.
The woman and girl headed towards the kitchen.
Before long, sounds of the bellows being pulled and scraping of spatulas echoed from the kitchen.
Yet from the kitchen door, there were no visible flames or heat from cooking.
Zhou Yong sat in the chair with his head bowed.
“Drip, drip, drip...”
It was the sound of pus drooling continuously from the corners of his eyes.
Due to the uneven and muddy ground, small puddles quickly formed, leading to an increasingly clear “plop, plop” sound beneath.
Li Zhuiyuan extended his hand towards Run Sheng, who understood and grasped it.
Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, attempting to walk the shadows once more.
Liu Yumei had reminded him that frequent walking of shadows wasn’t good for a person, making it easy to get lost; he knew this well, but could not avoid it, much like trying to persuade a smoker to quit or a drunk to stop drinking.
He had successfully entered the state of walking the shadows because when he raised his head again, he found the previously seated Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin were nowhere to be seen.
Yet Zhou Yong remained, head bowed stationary, not speaking, not responding, nor showing any signs of acknowledgment.
The only change was that the kitchen now had visible flames and heat, and one could hear the sizzling of oil cooking.
The lively atmosphere of the underworld was most tormenting to the hearts of mortals.
Li Zhuiyuan vaguely suspected a terrible event was likely to unfold next.
After waiting for a while, Zhou Yong still did not speak, meaning he was not intending to communicate.
He appeared to be adhering to a process, a simple, hospitable custom:
To negotiate, one must eat first.
Severe pain surged through his palm as Li Zhuiyuan realized it was Run Sheng pinching him; he closed his eyes, searching for that floating sensation—upon opening them again, he returned to reality.
Withdrawing his hand from Run Sheng’s grip, he gently rubbed to alleviate the pain, signaling that he was back.
Looking once more at Tan Wenbin beside him, he saw him sitting stiffly, more straight than he had ever been in class.
At that moment, the anticipated development arrived.
The woman entered carrying two plates of food.
Both plates were meaty, though it was unclear what type of meat they contained; from above, Li Zhuiyuan noticed skin and tails.
The woman returned and brought two plates of vegetarian dishes. Yet these didn’t appear green; they looked somewhat like stir-fried tender bamboo shoots, with noticeable forks and splits upon inspection.
Most people had experiences of finding their mother’s hair entwined in food at home.
But here, cotton fleeces that sprouted from the woman’s body had drifted into the dishes, transformed into such shapes.
Li Zhuiyuan felt a swell of nostalgia for the cat-faced old lady's birthday banquet; though the dishes were indeed unappetizing, they at least looked presentable.
The four plates of dishes in front of him were terrifying just from their appearance.
Even Run Sheng frowned at this sight, knowing that he held the lowest expectations for food—yet even he had at least some minimal requirements.
Tan Wenbin’s eyes were wide, darting between the four terrifying plates of food.
The woman served rice bowls—four large and four small, along with four pairs of chopsticks.
The large bowls brimmed with raw rice, likely scooped directly from the rice jar.
The small bowls were filled with dark liquor, with worm-like creatures writhing within each bowl.
After dishing out the large bowl and chopsticks to everyone, the woman returned to the kitchen, evidently to prepare additional dishes.
The girl stayed here, fingers in her mouth.
Zhou Yong lowered his head, watching his daughter.
The girl lifted her head, looking at her father.
Run Sheng was confused; Tan Wenbin wore a puzzled expression, not understanding what the father and daughter were communicating about.
Li Zhuiyuan understood.
He stood up, smiling, saying: "Let the child join us at the table; it’s fine."
Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin immediately understood.
Run Sheng: “Yes, let’s all eat together.”
Tan Wenbin: “Right, let’s all eat together.”
The girl wandered over, sucking her fingers and approaching the table's edge.
The boy sensed she might come towards him.
Li Zhuiyuan promptly pointed to the side of Tan Wenbin: "Come here, little sister, sit with this charming older brother."
Tan Wenbin: "..."
The girl paused for an instant before sitting down on the bench beside Tan Wenbin.
Tan Wenbin felt a chilling sensation from the back of his head to his tailbone.
Zhou Yong raised his chopsticks, pointed to a plate of food.
Li Zhuiyuan, Run Sheng, and Tan Wenbin all lifted their chopsticks too, pointing at the food together.
The silent performance resembled a pantomime; yet, they could all fill in the dialogue for each action in their minds.
Zhou Yong picked up a piece with his chopsticks and ate it, chewing before pointing at another dish.
Li Zhuiyuan picked a piece and dropped it into Tan Wenbin’s bowl.
Tan Wenbin, using his chopsticks, raised food from his bowl to the girl sitting beside him; she opened her mouth and ate.
He felt he was quite clever, handling the situation with such wit.
However, Zhou Yong personally took another piece and placed it into Tan Wenbin’s bowl, then stared at the girl, who lowered her head as if scolded for being ignorant.
Tan Wenbin’s pleading gaze searched for Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng, only to find both had deliberately turned away.
Faced with Zhou Yong’s pressing "gaze," he felt immense pressure.
Tan Wenbin could only pick up his chopsticks, grasp some food from his bowl, and as he brought it closer to his mouth, he suddenly realized he had previously fed the girl with those same chopsticks, now covered in her saliva.
If this were during a normal mealtime, he wouldn't be bothered by it—he wasn't that squeamish.
But the issue was... he would have to share with her using the same pair of chopsticks?
Zhou Yong extended his hand, raising it slightly.
Tan Wenbin forced a smile, looking more like he was crying than smiling, and, with tears, placed the food into his mouth, chewing it down.
Zhou Yong appeared satisfied.
Four wine bowls already sat in front of him; he took one and offered it to the guests, first handing it to Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan stood, pointed to himself, and indicated his height, saying, "Uncle, I’m still just a kid; I can't drink."
Zhou Yong nodded and moved the cup to Tan Wenbin.
Tan Wenbin had no choice but to accept it, placing it before him. There was no way he would drink this!
But the very next moment,
Zhou Yong clinked his cup against Tan Wenbin’s.
Then he raised his cup and drank it all in one go, flipping the bowl upside down to show the bottom.
Tan Wenbin sucked in a breath, when he reached for the wine bowl, he pinched with his pinky and thumb, quickly flicking the wriggling worm from the cup.
Alright, let’s drink then! All or nothing!
As he lifted the bowl for a gulp, Zhou Yong snatched it from him.
Tan Wenbin was overjoyed—yes, I'm a kid too! I'm a high school student; my brain is important. I can't drink!
Who knew, Zhou Yong overturned his hand over the wine bowl, shook it, and when he lifted his palm, about a dozen worms wriggled in the bowl.
Zhou Yong pushed the cup toward Tan Wenbin, extending his hand and slapping his own chest.
Tan Wenbin: "..."
(End of Chapter)