Tan Wenbin bent down and swiftly hoisted Zheng Haiyang onto his back. It was clear that while diligently studying, he had not neglected his training in carrying the injured. This maneuver was standardized for transporting casualties.
He dashed down the stairs to the infirmary, but found the door locked; the school nurse had gone for lunch. Even if it had been open, the nurse wouldn’t have been much help. The infirmary only provided basic services like checking temperatures, signing off on leave requests, or handing out some herbal medicine; even IV drips had to be done at an outside clinic.
Li Zhuiyuan reminded him, "Brother Runsheng's tricycle is outside."
Without hesitation, Tan Wenbin ran with Zheng Haiyang on his back toward the school gate. The clinic was just a straight road from the school, very close. At this moment, calling for a teacher to fetch a vehicle was less efficient than just using Runsheng's tricycle.
A Li got off her bike and walked over to Li Zhuiyuan, holding his hand.
Meanwhile, after placing Zheng Haiyang onto the tricycle, Runsheng sped off toward the clinic.
As Li Zhuiyuan and A Li navigated the crowd slowly, by the time they reached the clinic, Runsheng had already come out.
"A Li, you and Brother Runsheng go home first. I need to deal with something tonight."
A Li nodded in agreement.
"Brother Runsheng, after you take A Li home, bring our things over."
"Understood!"
"What did you see on TV?"
"I think this one has more power."
"A Li, you can find some books and papers in your bag to look at."
A Li sat on the tricycle, hugging the boy's backpack.
After they left, Li Zhuiyuan entered the clinic. Just as he inquired about the specific ward, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from behind. It was their homeroom teacher, Sun Qing, running in with two other teachers.
Tan Wenbin carrying Zheng Haiyang out of the school had been seen by classmates, who then reported it to the teachers.
At this moment, the previously frightening Zheng Haiyang now appeared to be recovering, as he was receiving an IV drip, while Tan Wenbin was feeding him water from a large ceramic container, making “gudu gudu” sounds.
Sun Qing quickly sought out the doctor and after a brief inquiry, she was relieved to learn that Zheng Haiyang’s life was not in danger. After entering the room to glance at the ceramic container, she asked, "Is this tap water?"
Tan Wenbin nodded, "He was very thirsty."
In the hospital, hot water could be easily obtained, but warm water was hard to come by. Zheng Haiyang had been crying out for water, so Tan Wenbin had to go to the faucet to fill it.
"I want to drink more, I want to drink more."
“Just take it easy,” Tan Wenbin pressed, “You’ve already had so much.”
"Brother Bin, I'm really thirsty."
"Alright, I’ll get you more."
After downing two more ceramic jugs, Zheng Haiyang’s complexion finally improved, turning from a ghastly white to a more normal color, although he still looked a bit puffy.
Sun Qing asked, "Have we notified Zheng Haiyang's parents?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Haiyang's face immediately showed signs of panic and worry.
Tan Wenbin replied, "I…"
Li Zhuiyuan added, "Yeah, we notified them. His grandparents should be on the way now."
"That’s good." Sun Qing looked again at Tan Wenbin, "I asked the doctor. Zheng Haiyang is fine now. You should head back to school; there’s an exam tonight."
Tan Wenbin murmured, "What’s an exam compared to a friend?"
“Tan Wenbin, you need to go back to school right now!”
The young homeroom teacher maintained a serious demeanor; without that, the students would not be afraid.
Tan Wenbin stood up reluctantly, clearly not wanting to leave.
“Tan Wenbin, no matter what, you cannot give up on yourself. Your parents have high hopes for you.”
“Yes, teacher.”
It wasn’t that Tan Wenbin didn’t want to go back and take the exam; he just recalled Zheng Haiyang's words while he was unconscious, as well as his initially alarming reactions.
He was aware that if he returned to take the exam, he would likely miss something important.
After all, he studied hard for moments like this, didn’t he?
“Brother Bin, just go take the exam. Once it’s over, come visit me.”
“I…”
Upon hearing this, it became nearly certain for Tan Wenbin that when he returned after the exam, everything would be over.
“Teacher Sun, you should go back to school and keep busy. My family will arrive soon. I’ll stay here with classmate Zheng Haiyang and leave when his grandparents come.”
“Xiao Yuan, can you manage?”
“I can. My family will arrive soon. If anything happens, I’ll call the school.”
Li Zhuiyuan promptly recited the contact numbers for the principal’s office, the teachers' office where Sun Qing was, and the school’s gate guard.
Sun Qing nodded. She had a supervising duty in the evening and had to grade papers. Since the students were not in serious trouble, she had no reason to stay longer.
“Tan Wenbin, come back to school with me.”
“Okay, teacher.” Tan Wenbin slumped his shoulders and followed their homeroom teacher out.
Before the door closed, he cast a pleading look at Li Zhuiyuan, who turned away.
In the ward, only two people remained.
Zheng Haiyang smiled and said, “Brother Yuan, I’m fine now. You can go home.”
He knew that Li Zhuiyuan rarely attended evening self-study sessions.
“I didn’t inform your grandparents.”
“Ah, really? That’s good. They aren’t well; I was worried they’d be anxious.”
“Did you lose consciousness back then? I mean in the classroom.”
“This… I suddenly felt incredibly tired, then I put my head down. When I woke, I found myself being carried by Brother Bin running to the clinic. I was really thirsty and wanted to drink water. After drinking, I felt better.”
“Did you see anything or dream while unconscious?”
Zheng Haiyang shook his head, “No.”
“Try to think carefully, see if you can recall anything.”
Zheng Haiyang strained to remember but finally shook his head again, “It feels like a blank; I really don’t remember.”
“Mm, then rest well.”
Li Zhuiyuan moved a chair and sat next to the bed.
For now, Zheng Haiyang indeed seemed to have returned to normal, which meant that anything abnormal would be less likely to show up.
Moreover, Runsheng had yet to arrive, prompting Li Zhuiyuan to be more cautious about these matters.
“Brother Yuan, when I lost consciousness, did I have any unusual reactions, or did I say something?”
“An ominous being was buried beneath the sea; who dares to disturb it? Death shall befall his entire family!”
Li Zhuiyuan answered, “Murmuring silly things in a state like that is pretty normal.”
“Brother Yuan, I still feel uneasy. I worry about my parents…”
At this moment, while seamen earn high wages, the risk that came with such jobs was also high.
“Thinking about it now doesn’t do much good; you’re far away from them. Taking care of yourself is what your parents want to see most.”
“Brother, you’re right. I realize you’re really different from us; you give off a kind of elder vibe.”
Li Zhuiyuan shut his eyes, disliking that kind of evaluation.
“Don’t say such things in front of me from now on.”
“Oh, okay. I got it. I’ll remember.”
Runsheng arrived, carrying a set of tools.
“Xiao Yuan, how is he?”
“Currently, he seems okay.”
Li Zhuiyuan pulled out a piece of black canvas, spread it out, and walked to the edge of the bed to cover Zheng Haiyang’s face with it.
Although Zheng Haiyang felt confused, he didn’t resist, nor did he ask what was happening.
The black canvas gave no response.
This proved that there was nothing wrong with Zheng Haiyang.
Li Zhuiyuan then took out a talisman he drew and placed it on Zheng Haiyang’s forehead.
Hmm, it didn’t change color.
It seemed that everything was indeed fine.
“Brother Yuan, what is this?” Zheng Haiyang asked.
Initially, when the canvas was placed, he felt indifferent, but any normal person would naturally feel a pang of fear upon having something stuck on their forehead.
“This is a local custom; it works much like when someone pricks you with a needle.”
“Oh, I see.” Zheng Haiyang sighed in relief.
Li Zhuiyuan returned to his seat, attempting to deduce the worst possible scenarios in his mind.
If Zheng Haiyang’s parents were in an accident, as relatives, their feelings would be affected, but if those feelings were expressed so intensely, it would be rather frightening.
What kind of thing could curses be, that they might reach across the ocean to directly impact someone who shares blood with you?
Tan Wenbin rushed over after finishing his exam. As soon as he entered, he eagerly inquired, “Did I miss anything?”
Runsheng shook his head, “Nothing.”
Tan Wenbin, not convinced, turned to Li Zhuiyuan, “Brother Yuan?”
Li Zhuiyuan also shook his head.
In the end, Tan Wenbin confirmed with Zheng Haiyang before heaved a sigh of relief, still shaken, “Lucky, nothing serious happened.”
Zheng Haiyang, touched, said, “Brother Bin, I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Uh…” Tan Wenbin awkwardly avoided his gaze and patted his arm, “We’re friends, so it’s nothing.”
That evening, Sun Qing came again to confirm everything was fine.
When she inquired about Zheng Haiyang’s grandparents, Li Zhuiyuan replied that they had gone home to prepare food to bring back.
Seeing that there were still so many people in the ward, Sun Qing didn’t raise any suspicions and left.
Zheng Haiyang wanted to be discharged. To prove he was indeed fine, he even stood up and jumped around.
Tan Wenbin went to take care of the discharge paperwork, and not long later, he called Li Zhuiyuan outside.
“What’s going on, Brother Bin?”
“I just saw Zheng Haiyang’s grandparents downstairs; they are also handling discharge papers. They refused the doctor’s suggestion to stay, saying they were worried their grandson would panic if he couldn’t see them when he returned. Xiao Yuan, this whole matter feels too odd. If something happened to the whole family, then what about Haiyang’s parents…”
“Such words shouldn’t be uttered by us.”
“Oh, right. What’s the plan? Continue handling Haiyang's paperwork?”
“Mm, let Brother Runsheng take him home.”
That evening, Li Zhuiyuan sat in the back seat of the tricycle heading home. After Runsheng returned, he briefly described how both Zheng Haiyang and his grandparents were unaware of one another's hospital visits.
The next day, Zheng Haiyang returned to class with his usual demeanor. The results from the monthly exams began to be released gradually. Since yesterday afternoon, each group of teachers was both supervising and grading, with the more laborious task being the tallying of scores. However, they could send the scores to junior grades for the younger students to help calculate.
In Sun Qing's Chinese class, they started distributing the test papers, calling out names to report scores and asking students to come up and collect their sheets.
Chinese was a peculiar subject in which even a student who hadn't attended for months might do just as well; yet, it was also difficult to improve quickly through sheer effort. Absent any special circumstances, students' Chinese scores typically remained stable within their score ranges.
Tan Wenbin appeared joyful when he received his paper because he broke the curse, and his scores jumped ahead.
Originally, his Chinese scores were on the lower end, but now they had turned average. He had gotten every question correct in the classical Chinese section.
This was all thanks to Wei Zhengdao.
He was reading “Strange Tales from the Jianghu,” but he was reading it slowly.
When Li Zhuiyuan had read it, he found enjoyment in the book largely due to its aesthetically pleasing characters, allowing him to easily get through several volumes in a day.
Tan Wenbin, on the other hand, had to slowly dig through it page by page since there were too many unfamiliar characters and terms he didn't understand; he could only consult his dictionary constantly, taking notes along the way.
Finally, when Li Zhuiyuan's score was announced, the entire class gasped because his scores were just a few points shy of the perfect score.
This wasn't elementary school Chinese; high school Chinese included questions that were naturally subject to score deductions, such as essays, wherein receiving a few deductions could still earn you an excellent rating.
Achieving this score practically proved that he had gotten every objective question right.
Sun Qing smiled and said, “Actually, we few grading teachers have also had quite a headache. Giving full points is hardly appropriate, yet finding other points to deduct is rather difficult. Although Li Zhuiyuan didn’t score a full mark, he answered perfectly, and his handwriting is immensely beautiful.”
“Alright, let’s start reviewing the questions on the test paper.”
Sun Qing didn’t hand the paper to Li Zhuiyuan but directly began explaining using his test sheet.
Tan Wenbin nudged his Chinese paper toward the center, suggesting they review together.
After making that motion, Tan Wenbin suddenly felt rather redundant.
Moreover, there was a great sense of shame in letting Xiao Yuan see his paper.
“Brother, how did you do on your exam?”
“Just apply the formulas accordingly,” Li Zhuiyuan pointed at the reading comprehension section, “You don’t need to care much about the original author’s opinion; just try to understand the intentions of the test-maker.”
After all, even if the original author were to write the reading comprehension questions for his own work, he would likely struggle to attain full marks.
Tan Wenbin scratched his head, “I think I understand a bit more. It feels completely different from what I thought before.”
“You need to learn how to take exams.”
On this end, while Li Zhuiyuan whispered with Tan Wenbin, Sun Qing stood before them, yet she didn’t reprimand or stop them.
However, soon enough, Tan Wenbin noticed something was off with Xiao Yuan's expression.
The reason was that the teacher had decided to use Li Zhuiyuan’s essay as an example, reading it aloud to the class.
Had it not been for noticing Xiao Yuan's change in expression, Tan Wenbin would have sincerely exclaimed, “Your mom is amazing!”
Still, he asked, “Brother, how does one write an essay?”
“Make sure the format is neat, use elaborate language for the introduction and conclusion, and divide the middle into well-structured paragraphs. Also, try to write neatly.”
“That’s it? What about expressing emotions?”
“If the grading teacher spends ten seconds reading your essay, you can consider that diligent.”
“Damn!”
Sun Qing shot him an annoyed glance.
Tan Wenbin quickly waved his hands and bowed his head to apologize and then leaned closer to Li Zhuiyuan, excitedly exclaiming, “Brother, I feel like I’ve had an epiphany.”
After class, students began to gather around them.
Previously, everyone had only heard rumors about the prodigy, but now they finally witnessed it for themselves.
Tan Wenbin spread his arms to signal for everyone to keep their distance. “Everyone, clear out! Don’t disrupt my Xiao Yuan from breathing fresh air!”
He successfully pulled off his role as the class clown and - along with his image - dispersed the crowd.
The next class was math. As soon as Mr. Yan entered, he announced scores and passed out papers. Li Zhuiyuan got a perfect score.
Once again, the class offered him full attention.
This math exam was actually somewhat challenging, and high school had just begun a month ago; many students had already forgotten old knowledge points.
Mr. Yan remarked, “Tan Wenbin, you did well this time; keep it up.”
Tan Wenbin beamed with joy. He had scored well above the average this time in math.
To an average student, that wasn’t particularly noteworthy, but for a struggling student, it felt like knocking down the Berlin Wall.
Because for lower-tier students, the challenge wasn’t only whether they could solve the problems but also the struggle in understanding the problems at all.
“I thought these questions seemed familiar. Tsk, they really were too familiar, but at least they showed some mercy.”
In the next class, they continued distributing test papers.
When it was time for English class, the previously stupefied expressions on everyone’s faces transformed into astonishment upon hearing the English scores.
Teacher Su smiled and explained, “Due to special circumstances, Li Zhuiyuan did not complete the listening section. He got full marks on the rest of the questions. Furthermore, the ranking has been announced, and Li Zhuiyuan is the clear first in the entire school for this monthly exam.”
“Okay, let’s move on to reviewing the paper.”
Li Zhuiyuan silently took out Wei Zhengdao's materials.
In a foreign language atmosphere, it seemed more conducive for focusing and reading, like having suitable background music playing.
During the break after the third period that afternoon, Li Zhuiyuan went to the restroom with Tan Wenbin accompanying him.
“Haha, brother, I’m going back to the Binbin’s house tonight.”
This time, with the results out, his overall rank was above average in the entire grade.
“Alright, Brother Bin.”
Tan Wenbin sang hoarsely, “Riches and glory don’t return home; it’s just like wearing fine clothes under the night sky~”
He had already planned that when he returned, he would wear a forlorn expression to induce his mother to comfort him.
At the same time, before his father loosened his belt and was prepared to strike, he would harshly slam the exam paper and report card on his father Tan Yunlong’s face!
Wait,
Should he first take a beating to deepen his father's guilt?
Overall, his pocket money needed to increase!
Back at his seat, Li Zhuiyuan rested his head on the desk.
He still needed to study painting and research about the gnome after returning home tonight; he couldn’t afford to concentrate all his energy on reading.
Class monitor Zhou Yunyun approached their desk, looking at Tan Wenbin.
Tan Wenbin was lounging back with his arms behind his head, leaning against the rear seat, comfortably daydreaming.
Zhou Yunyun walked to the door, waiting a while, but seeing no one come out, she had to walk back and keep looking at Tan Wenbin.
This time, Tan Wenbin took notice and asked, “What’s up?”
“Can you come out for a moment?”
Since Xiao Yuan was asleep, sitting inside, Tan Wenbin simply used one hand to prop up the desk and rolled over.
Once they stepped outside, quite a few classmates began to whisper amongst themselves.
Out in the hallway, they stood against the wall, and those passing by looked at them with curious glances.
Zhou Yunyun felt a bit awkward, “I want to ask you for a favor.”
“A favor? Sure, come, smile for me, and I’ll help you.”
Zhou Yunyun’s chest heaved with anger as she found it amusing, the corners of her mouth rising involuntarily.
“Go on, what is it?”
“Just this, these questions, could you please ask Li Zhuiyuan to help me with them?”
Zhou Yunyun handed over a notebook, which Tan Wenbin flipped through. The questions were few – only seven in total, four math problems and three physics problems. “These types of problems are all in the question book Xiao Yuan gave me, and they are way more complex.”
“How many?”
“Quite a few books, covering math, physics, and chemistry.”
“Can I… borrow some from you?”
Students who excelled in studying understood very well just how useful specialized practice questions were, especially in this age where teaching materials were scarce.
Most importantly, Tan Wenbin’s progress proved just how valuable these questions were.
Tan Wenbin frowned.
“Can’t I borrow them?”
Zhou Yunyun asked nervously, as class monitor, she was accustomed to keeping a stern face, rarely showing such expressions.
"I’ll have to ask Xiao Yuan about this. I think he wouldn’t mind lending them to you, but you must agree to one thing…”
“What’s that?” Zhou Yunyun took a deep breath, seeming to make some sort of decision as she looked determined.
Her demeanor left Tan Wenbin feeling somewhat at a loss.
“Uh, it’s nothing major. Just that you can only view them yourself; you can’t lend them to anyone else or spread them around.”
“Of course, that’s fine. Anything else?”
“Just that.”
“Oh, fine, I promise.” Zhou Yunyun’s tone was tinged with disappointment.
Once like-minded student couples at this age would inevitably harbor some sweet expectations.
Especially someone like Tan Wenbin, who was expressive and cheerful and thus attracted attention.
On top of that, he was pretty good looking, reminiscent of a charming lead from a Hong Kong movie, and his family was comparatively well-off in their village.
As for the aspect of academic performance, it wasn’t the focal point; after all, boys who excelled in both academics and looks often only existed in romance novels.
In reality, most top-performing male students tended to be hard to swallow.
It was a pity because, under his father’s strict educational style, Tan Wenbin would only do the most outrageous things to protect his classmates and sneakily take money from his mother to buy a Tetris game console.
He had the potential to charm girls but lacked any intention to do so.
And unknowingly, he had been led astray by someone, now viewing early relationships as utterly bland because, after all, girls weren’t necessarily as intriguing as boys.
“I’ll organize the questions and bring them to you tomorrow.”
“Mm, okay, thank you.”
They both returned to class together.
As they walked into the classroom, their classmates collectively uttered, “Oh yo~.”
Zhou Yunyun’s face turned slightly red as she quickly dashed back to her seat, took out her pen, and began her homework.
Tan Wenbin cast a disdainful glance across the classroom, pointing at the sleeping Li Zhuiyuan and signaling for quiet.
Then, he propped himself up on the table and jumped back into his own seat.
Relying on pocket money was minuscule. He knew that Xiao Yuan had spent quite a bit developing the tools, hence he had just been inspired to think of a brilliant idea, even coming up with a catchy advertisement:
“Do you want your exam scores to soar like mine?
Do you wish to get your hands on the prodigy's exclusive study secrets?
Want to change your fate in one fell swoop?
Then come to me and purchase my study guide!”
In the next class, Li Zhuiyuan continued to sleep.
Tan Wenbin also finally took a chance to daydream. He picked up a blank sheet of paper and started planning how much to charge for each book. Should he sell the whole set or in batches?
Perhaps selling in batches was better; after all, Xiao Yuan would continue to give him questions in the future.
For the students struggling financially, he wouldn’t charge. He’d give the books away to them.
Maybe they could get a share of the profits and help sell them to the other classes.
Could they sell to other schools?
Right now, it seemed tough, but in the future, who knows?
Tan Wenbin glanced over at the sleeping Li Zhuiyuan, encouraging himself within, “Brother, let’s work hard! Let’s win awards in mathematical competitions and build our brand!”
That night, Tan Wenbin didn’t head back to Zhuangzhuang’s house.
However, the next day at school, Li Zhuiyuan noticed that Tan Wenbin was often absent from his seat during breaks, dragging a group of students into a corner like they were in a meeting.
During classes, Tan Wenbin began passing notes, seeming to continue discussing something.
After school, Tan Wenbin followed Li Sanjiang home, explaining his plans in the workshop.
“Can we make money?”
“Of course! I did market research. Everyone in our class wants to buy it, even those sitting at the back are interested!”
“Well then.”
“Do you agree, Xiao Yuan?”
“Mm.”
Li Zhuiyuan picked up a spiked whip on the table.
This whip appeared in “The Right Path to Subduing Demons,” called the Demon-Subduing Whip.
Li Zhuiyuan was doubtful if this was a name Wei Zhengdao leisurely concocted.
Firstly, the materials for making it were expensive, and many were simply unavailable in normal markets; secondly, the method of creating it was written too briefly by Wei Zhengdao.
Maybe, in Wei Zhengdao’s eyes, those reading his book were all supposed to have some kind of apprenticeship.
Regarding tools like the Yellow River spade, Li Zhuiyuan could recreate the designs through the diagrams; this demon-subduing whip, however, was beyond him since the illustration showed merely a black whip.
Fortunately, through reverse engineering the gnome tools, he figured out the manufacturing process.
It was akin to using black canvas shaped like a whip, greatly enhancing its practical value. He could procure one for both himself and Runsheng. Plus, if Binbin made money, he could get one too.
“Brother Bin, do you have initial funds? I mean for photocopying fees?”
“Of course.” Tan Wenbin produced a black plastic bag filled with coins. “I’ve already collected the first batch of deposits; didn’t you see?”
“I did.”
“Uh, wait, brother, you surely don’t think I’m collecting protection fees, right?”
The next morning, Tan Wenbin didn’t wait for Li Zhuiyuan, even skipping breakfast, he hurriedly rode his bicycle to the printing shop outside school, negotiating prices with the owner before confirming the printing costs.
Once the first batch was bound, he returned to school just as self-study was ending, so he hadn’t actually skipped any classes.
Upon entering the classroom, he didn’t rush to hand out the books but placed them at his feet, seizing the moment the teacher wasn’t looking to open one and insert a talisman inside.
Li Zhuiyuan recognized the talisman as one he had drawn.
Aside from its sensing capabilities, it held no other use. Initially, he thought the failure was due to his poor drawing skills and he had ended up practicing enough to create quite a few.
“Brother, in the future when you give me questions, remember to control the frequency, don’t make them too comprehensively; just give one point at a time, or according to difficulty—beginner, intermediate, advanced. You know, once it’s sold, people will definitely be copying or stealthily photocopying, and we need to increase our frequency of questions to ensure continuous revenue.”
“Then the talisman…”
“This is the peace talisman you drew. To pass every exam, only purchasers who buy through our legitimate channels can get it.”
“Brother Bin, you really think this through.”
“Of course! I can’t let you work hard for nothing.”
The class’s supply quickly ran out, and by the afternoon, Tan Wenbin sold out the remaining batch for another class as well, but he didn’t sell them himself; he had classmates help sell them.
By the evening after school, he pushed his bicycle to the printing shop to restock, handed the items over to the classmates who acted as "distributors," and then headed home with Li Zhuiyuan.
The first study guide sold extraordinarily well. However, while Tan Wenbin had enough of Li Zhuiyuan’s question sets to produce four to five volumes, he wasn’t in a hurry to release the second volume, intending to allow the first batch to circulate first before releasing more.
Teachers became aware of this because the first volume was math, and Tan Wenbin had given a copy to each math teacher in the grade level.
When Li Zhuiyuan next returned to the school office to rest, Principal Wu proactively brought up the subject of scholarships, repeatedly reflecting on how the school hadn’t considered the students' family situations properly.
But soon, their peaceful learning environment was disrupted.
During English class, homeroom teacher Sun Qing stepped to the doorway, calling out Zheng Haiyang.
Li Zhuiyuan, seated at the entrance, could see the exchange between the teacher and student.
He saw Sun Qing resting her hand on Zheng Haiyang's shoulder. After a while, Zheng Haiyang broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably.
Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head in silence; what had to come had arrived.
Zheng Haiyang’s father had suffered an accident at sea, and his body had not been recovered.
The incident had occurred rather early, probably around the time Zheng Haiyang fell ill, but the news had been delayed in reaching them.
Even without a body to bury, funeral arrangements had to be made. Zheng Haiyang's grandparents were immensely affected by the news, lacking the energy to manage the arrangements. Instead, Zheng Haiyang seemed to have grown strong but lacked the experience in handling such matters, ultimately leading to Tan Wenbin requesting help from Li Sanjiang.
The date for the funeral was set for the weekend.
Li Zhuiyuan arrived at the funeral venue, seeing two elderly individuals sitting in front of the wake, their expressions blank from tears.
Under Li Sanjiang’s guidance, Zheng Haiyang followed through the funeral procedures, while Li Sanjiang kept receiving guests who came to pay their respects, saying, “The young filial son is here; please don’t mind the lack of hospitality.”
“What about his mother?” Li Zhuiyuan inquired.
Tan Wenbin scratched his head, “His mother is fine, but she couldn’t make it back in time for the funeral.”
Li Zhuiyuan wondered, “A burial mound, is there even a discussion about arriving on time?”
“Li Uncle asked the same, but his grandparents insisted it was unnecessary to wait and told them to hurry up.”
“Has she not returned at all?”
Tan Wenbin shrugged, “If she were back, there’s no way she wouldn’t come to the funeral.”
Tan Yunlong had also come; that day was a holiday, and he had nothing going on at work, plus, since Zheng Haiyang had previously dined at their home, he came to see if he could assist in any way.
As a result, not only was he unable to help in any way, but when he tried to contribute a token gift, the person in charge notified him that Tan Yunlong had already sent gifts.
Moreover, even the pack of cigarettes typically given was taken away.
After the lunchtime gathering, Tan Wenbin was called outside by Tan Yunlong.
“Where did you get the money?”
“I’ve been selling study guides for Xiao Yuan, and I’ve made quite a bit.”
“I sent you to school to…”
Tan Yunlong was about to raise his voice, but upon seeing his son shrink his head, he couldn’t help but soften his tone, asking, “Is Xiao Yuan in urgent need of money?”
“Xiao Yuan enjoys playing with model-making and handicrafts, which costs quite a bit.”
“Oh, then help him more, but don’t let it affect his studies and rest.”
“I will.”
“You need to maintain your own studies as well.”
“How can that be maintained? I still need to keep advancing; I have to take the entrance exams with Xiao Yuan for the Hahe University.”
“Your grandpa wants you to attend police academy.”
“Dad…”
“I told him, even without going to a police academy, you can still be a policeman.”
“Only you can hoodwink my grandpa.”
“Ha.”
Tan Wenbin took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and placed it in his father's.
“Go keep your friend company, spend more time with him.”
“Okay.”
After Tan Wenbin left, Tan Yunlong approached Li Zhuiyuan, who had been standing a distance away.
“Xiao Yuan, Binbin has troubled you; thank you.”
“It’s brother Bin who has been looking after me.”
“Ha ha, if anything comes up in the future, just come to me; I’ll…”
“Tan Uncle, did Zheng Haiyang's mother really not come back?”
Tan Yunlong swallowed hard and asked, “Who told you this? His grandparents?”
“You did, just now.”
Tan Yunlong lit a cigarette and quietly said, “His mother did come back; his grandparents have also seen her.”
“What happened to his mother?”
“She went mad. Right now, she’s in the psychiatric hospital at Jiuhua Mountain. His grandparents feared that he might not take such a big blow well, so they decided to keep it from him for now.”
“How long can they keep such a secret? The college entrance exams are still quite far off.”
“Let’s respect the thoughts of the elderly.”
“Tan Uncle, I want to meet Zheng Haiyang's mother. Can you help me arrange that?”
“Tell me, why?”
“Out of curiosity.”
“You could come up with a better reason, like you’re close to Zheng Haiyang, and as a friend, you want to check on her.”
“Zheng Haiyang and brother Bin are close, but I’m more just an average classmate.”
Tan Yunlong blew out a puff of smoke, bemused, “The mind of a prodigy truly is different from that of ordinary people.”
“Tan Uncle, did you agree?”
“I’ll arrange it. When are you planning to go?”
“Would this afternoon work?”
“No, that place needs prior application.”
“Then how about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is Monday, and you have to go to school.”
“I can skip it.”
“Okay, stay home tomorrow; I'll come pick you up.”
“Thanks, Uncle.”
The following morning, Li Zhuiyuan remained indoors, drawing with A Li.
After Tan Wenbin finished his porridge, he curiously asked Runsheng, “Why hasn’t Xiao Yuan come down yet? We’re going to be late.”
“Xiao Yuan said he’s tired and isn’t going to school today. You should help him ask for a leave from the teacher.”
“Oh, okay.”
Tan Wenbin rode away on his bicycle.
Half an hour later, a small pickup truck parked on the village road ahead.
Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng walked out together, opened the door, and got in.
A strong smell of seafood filled the vehicle; it must have been lent by Tan Yunlong.
“Sorry if it smells; just bear with it,” Tan Yunlong said as he turned the car around.
Just as he adjusted the vehicle, a bicycle cut across its path. The rider flicked their hair and lifted their chin in youthful arrogance, revealing a carefree demeanor.
“Aha! I guessed you all were sneaking off to have fun without me. You thought you could hide it from me, but I’ve seen right through it!”
After parking his bike, Tan Wenbin casually strolled over to the pickup, even stylishly pulling out a cigarette. Just as he was about to place it in his mouth, he caught sight of Tan Yunlong in the driver's seat.
“Dad…”
Who would have thought that the driver of this vehicle would actually be his own father, and there were several rows of blue plastic barrels tied to the back.
Tan Wenbin awkwardly offered his father the cigarette.
Then he produced a matchbox, “Click!” he lit the cigarette for his father.
“Dad, you know, I’m worried Xiao Yuan won’t be safe without me around. Since you’re here to keep him company, I won’t worry anymore.”
“Scram.”
“Sure thing!”
Tan Wenbin immediately turned and returned to his bike, but didn’t hurry off, instead wearing a pleading expression and glancing back repeatedly.
Li Zhuiyuan spoke up, “Tan Uncle, this is Brother Bin's motivation for studying.”
Tan Yunlong leaned his arm out of the window, honking the horn twice while hollering, “Get in.”
“Alright! Wait for me; let me park my bike at home.”
Tan Wenbin dashed back, opened the door, and squeezed in.
Runsheng asked, “Did you manage to get Xiao Yuan’s leave?”
Tan Wenbin nodded, “I got it. I called Aunt Zhang to inform her.”
Then Tan Wenbin began to complain, “Dad, really, why choose this car? It stinks!”
“Wait until you earn money; you’ll buy me a car.”
“That’s no problem; we’re family!”
“Ha.”
Tan Yunlong started the vehicle, and an hour later, they arrived at the gates of the psychiatric hospital.
This place was relatively secluded yet well-known, as it was included in the local children's rhymes. To curse someone for losing their mind, you’d say “Tomorrow I’ll go to Jiuhua Mountain to see you.”
The guards were strict. Upon entering, there were two more rounds of checks, and ultimately, the four were led to a long bench in the visiting area.
The doctor who guided them said, “Zhang Yingai is currently having someone visiting; please wait a moment.”
Tan Wenbin speculated, “Could it be Zheng Haiyang's grandparents who brought him to visit?”
As he spoke, Tan Wenbin leaned against the door, which had a glass panel, allowing them to observe the inside.
“Eh, it’s not Zheng Haiyang. It’s a man and a woman; I don’t recognize them.”
Li Zhuiyuan also stepped over to look inside.
Because the visiting table was arranged vertically, they could see the complete profile of the woman sitting on the outer side.
Li Zhuiyuan recognized her; it was Aunt Xu, secretary to Li Lan.
Previously, when Li Lan called, she had chatted with Zheng Haiyang’s grandparents, both being from Nantong.
But why was she here?
In her last call, Li Lan had said she was going to undertake a very dangerous mission; now, was she back?
On the other side of Aunt Xu sat Zheng Haiyang’s mother, Zhang Yingai.
She was wearing a very tight outfit, forcing her arms to press closely to her body, indicating she still had considerable aggression.
However, she appeared entirely normal during their conversation.
That changed when Aunt Xu laid a series of photographs in front of her; Zhang Yingai’s expression began to shift noticeably.
She grew tense, her eyes reddened, and her body started to tremble.
The man beside Aunt Xu was trying to shake her arm, likely wanting to remind her to stop, yet Aunt Xu seemed to have asked a crucial question, and she quickly appeared to be on the verge of receiving an answer, so she continued to press her.
Then, Zhang Yingai erupted in screams, her voice sharp and ear-piercing, sounding nothing resembling a normal person, frightening Li Zhuiyuan and the others outside who heard it clearly.
“When it awakens, we will all die! We will all die! Hahaha!”
(End of the chapter)