Grandma Liu said that her granddaughter is not just an ordinary case of autism. Now, Li Zhuiyuan believed her.
"Uncle Sanjiang, Uncle Sanjiang!"
From behind, Niu Fu's voice and footsteps grew louder. The girl's gaze remained fixed on his movements.
But staring continuously isn’t good...
Li Zhuiyuan walked toward the girl, stopping four meters from the threshold. Then, he shifted sideways by two steps to block the girl’s sight of Niu Fu.
Actually, it would have been easier to cover her eyes with his hands, but he did not dare to do so.
Grandma Liu's earlier warning was not without reason, plus there was also the alarming lesson from Li Sanjiang's blood.
Li Zhuiyuan noticed the girl’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
He couldn't tell if it was because of this strange man moving closer or because of what she "saw."
However, the girl did not try to shift away and look around him. Instead, she turned her neck back to its original position, her gaze level again.
She had frozen in place.
Li Zhuiyuan breathed a sigh of relief. He was genuinely worried that she would suddenly lunge at him to bite.
Nonetheless, this was the closest he had ever been to her.
The girl’s vintage attire suited her well, almost as if the two complemented each other.
She sat there, as if she was the true outsider, intruding into her era, into her own secluded garden.
Just then, Liu Yumei approached, placing a gentle hand on Li Zhuiyuan's shoulder. “Little Yuan, Grandma reminded you not to get too close to Ah Li.”
“I remember, Grandma.” Li Zhuiyuan pointed toward the threshold. “I won’t move closer.”
Perhaps the earlier contact had left a good impression on Liu Yumei about the boy, for she couldn’t help but tease him, “So, how is my Ah Li? Pretty, right?”
“Yeah, she’s pretty, just as you said.”
“Hahaha…”
Liu Yumei burst into laughter, stepping into the house to glance at the six-layer wooden shelf inside, filled with ancestral tablets. The left side bore the Liu surname, while the right side had the Qin surname.
She picked up a small empty plate, selected a few pieces of cake from the offering plate below, and turned around to hand the small plate to Li Zhuiyuan.
“Here, Grandma invites you to have a snack.”
“Thank you, Grandma.” Li Zhuiyuan took it with both hands.
“It’s clean. I took it off the offering plate.”
“Mm.”
Li Zhuiyuan didn’t mind. He picked up a piece of flaky cake. Taking a bite, it melted in his mouth, rich in flavors.
Liu Yumei asked, “Is it sweet?”
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. “It’s tasty, not sweet.”
Liu Yumei sat down on the threshold, looking at Li Zhuiyuan. “When is your mom coming to pick you up to go back to Beijing?”
“Depends on when Mom has time.”
“Do you miss her?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Miss her? How come I can't tell?”
“I think about it in my heart.”
“Quite a steady temperament you have there. Do you have siblings?”
“I’m the only one my parents have.”
“Our Ah Li is the same.” Liu Yumei said, her eyes filled with affection as she glanced at the girl.
She raised her hand as if wanting to pat her granddaughter’s head but withdrew it at the last moment.
“Grandma Liu, where are you from?”
“Grandma’s ancestors were boatmen on the river, with no fixed home. But if we had to say, this Yangtze River is the ancestral home of Grandma and her grandfather.”
Mentioning Qin Li’s grandfather brought a hint of nostalgia to Liu Yumei’s face.
Then, with that expression, she turned her gaze to Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan understood and asked, “Grandma, you and Grandpa had a good relationship, right?”
“In the beginning, not so much. Our two families were sworn enemies. Later, he shamelessly took a liking to me and insisted on marrying me, which angered my father and brothers to the point of wanting to bind him and throw him into the river. The two families nearly clashed again.”
Seeing Liu Yumei getting caught up in her memories, Li Zhuiyuan continued, “And then what happened?”
“Then, he tricked me into marrying him, and I had children with him.”
“Did your family accept Grandpa?”
“Yeah, they accepted him. We even sunk together.”
At this point, Liu Yumei suddenly came back to her senses. How did their conversation drift here?
“By the way, Little Yuan, why did your parents get divorced?”
As soon as she asked, Liu Yumei regretted it. Why would she ask a child this?
“Because they couldn’t live together anymore.”
“Was it your father’s fault?”
“My dad loves my mom very much.”
Just then, Niu Fu’s voice echoed from a distance. “Okay, Uncle Sanjiang, it’s settled then. I’m leaving, waiting for you at home.”
Li Zhuiyuan was surprised. That was fast?
He glanced back sneakily and saw Niu Fu still hunched over at the edge of the yard. Relieved, he quickly went to find Li Sanjiang.
“Great-grandpa, great-grandpa.”
“What’s up?”
Li Sanjiang didn’t stop but headed straight for the toilet. He unbuttoned his pants and settled onto the throne.
The short Li Zhuiyuan stood beneath, looking like he was lacking a feather duster.
Actually, Li Sanjiang’s toilet was built quite nicely, in the back of the new house, away from the people.
Many other homes in the village had toilets that appeared right next to the main house, facing the road. Sitting there in the daytime made one feel like they were facing a crowd of officials.
If he encountered familiar faces, they would even stop to exchange greetings.
“Great-grandpa, did you promise him?”
“Yeah, so what?”
“Doesn’t he have that thing on his back?”
“Great-grandpa knows, I wasn’t planning to go, but he doubled the bonus for me and my siblings, so I had no choice but to go. Hehe, it’s just too much.”
“But it’s dangerous…”
“Little Lord Yuan, money can make any ghost push the grindstone. Danger is minor compared to money. Just wait and see, Old Liu probably will go too.”
“Great-grandpa…”
“Little Lord Yuan, I built my life on this work. Besides, it’s fine; I’ve seen my share of storms and never capsized before.”
“When are you going?”
“That depends on when Old Liu picks the date. But it should be soon. Your grandpa, Lord Han, just came to deliver clothes and mentioned that they will soon organize everyone to dig the river.”
“Dig the river?”
“Yeah, it’s the traditional practice of dredging the river. It’s been going on for decades, with able-bodied men from the surrounding areas joining in. They will all be participating in this.”
“So we have to hold the memorial before the river digging.”
...
“Yeah, we have to get the memorial done before the digging, or else there won’t be any peace at home.”
Not far from Li Sanjiang’s house, Niu Fu stood under a tree beside the small river, one hand propped against the tree while the other loosened his belt, preparing to relieve himself.
After he finished, as he tied his belt back, he felt oddly that he might be standing a bit straighter and even did a little bounce.
Turning back to glance at Li Sanjiang’s house, he couldn’t help but sigh:
“It seems Uncle Sanjiang is just as capable as Old Liu!”
...
Li Zhuiyuan stepped back inside and saw Aunt Liu painting paper effigies. Aunt Liu smiled and waved to him.
“Little Yuan, want to come and play?”
“No, Aunt Liu, I have something to do now.”
“Alright, you do your important business.” Aunt Liu chuckled, finding his serious demeanor quite endearing.
Li Zhuiyuan carefully moved a paper house blocking the stairway and went downstairs to find a rusted iron door.
In front of the door were a pair of cloth shoes. Li Zhuiyuan bent down and found a key inside. He inserted the key, unlocked it, and pushed the door open; a musty smell wafted out.
Inside was pitch black. Li Zhuiyuan groped along the wall near the door and finally felt a rope. He pulled downward.
“Drip.”
No response.
He pulled two more times.
“Bang!”
The light didn’t turn on; the rope had snapped.
Inevitably, Li Zhuiyuan had to run back up, where he found a flashlight in the drawer of the cabinet at the door.
After unscrewing the back cover, he found it empty, but fortunately, the batteries were also in the drawer. He popped in two big batteries, screwed the cover back on, and tested it. It worked.
Returning to the basement, he shined the flashlight around. The space wasn’t large; it wasn’t a full basement but it was well-stocked with various items neatly organized.
It seemed that Great-grandpa had indeed tidied this place up, but it had been years since he last visited; a thick layer of dust had already settled over everything.
Walking up to a shelf, a peachwood sword immediately caught his eye. He picked it up, blew on it, sending dust flying.
Cough… cough…
After coughing, Li Zhuiyuan meticulously examined the sword.
It was engraved with various incomprehensible patterns and adorned with some reflective metal pieces, alongside some inscriptions.
In short, it had an ancient appearance and vivid content.
He was deeply engrossed in examining it until he shined the flashlight beneath the handle of the peachwood sword and read aloud the inscription:
“Shandong Linyi Furniture Factory.”
Li Zhuiyuan: “…”
He set the peachwood sword down and picked up a copper coin sword beside it.
This time he took precautions and examined the handle first, then the side of the sword. Confirming there was no manufacturing statement, he carefully inspected the blade.
“Kangxi Tongbao, Qianlong Tongbao, Jiaqing Tongbao…”
Though the copper coins were not very old, they seemed authentic.
However, as Li Zhuiyuan continued examining it with the flashlight, he suddenly noticed other items mixed in, vastly different in size compared to the copper coins.
He scratched at it with his fingers, but it didn’t come off. He searched other parts of the sword's blade and soon discovered similar items. This time, he got a clear view…
There were actually many 1-cent and 5-cent coins!
This sword was wrapped in copper coins, yet filled with coins that weren’t quite coins, with not even one 10-cent coin.
While loose change still counted as currency… it wouldn’t be considered fake, would it? But with such a mix, Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t shake off the strange feeling in his heart.
Setting the copper coin sword back, he continued searching deeper.
He saw two large banners — no, given their elongated shape, they were better described as pennants.
These two banners took up considerable space. One was solid black, while the other was purple.
The black one had many skulls and dragons embroidered on it, radiating an ominous energy; the purple one featured embroidered flowers and gold dragons, exuding an aura of righteousness.
Li Zhuiyuan tried to lift one but found he couldn’t do it with one hand. He leaned against the table and brought the flashlight closer, continuing to inspect.
He didn’t even know what he was searching for, but he felt he would come across something.
Indeed, on the wooden handle of the black banner, Li Zhuiyuan found a row of crooked brush script: “Li Family White Affairs Team.”
It wasn’t even traditional characters but simplified ones.
He recalled that when they held a funeral at Big Beard’s house, the white affairs team that Little Yellow Oriole belonged to had brought out many ritual tools, bundled up and loaded on the truck after the job was done.
Soon, he also found words on the purple banner, but this time they were traditional characters, and there was an added phrase: “Xue Family White Affairs Group, took the wrong living child, no hole to pee.”
“Alas.”
Li Zhuiyuan sighed, pulling back the pennant.
The excitement and thrill from when he first entered had faded; now he felt more at peace.
Great-grandpa didn’t lie; there really was a collection of… junk.
When he was little, his mother often brought him to her workplace. Back then, the protection for artifacts wasn’t as strict as it is now. Many artifacts didn’t even have a glass case, and he could touch them up close.
Thus, Li Zhuiyuan had previously observed many ritual tools closely — the dignity of Buddhism, the antiquity of Daoism, the mystery of Lamaism.
In the past, he saw so much of it all that it almost became too much, but no matter what, nothing compared to the items in front of him, at least… they bore no labels.
Indeed, Li Zhuiyuan saw labels on the upcoming few Taoist robes, each marked with a size.
One bright yellow Taoist robe even had a sticker not torn off, reading: “For crew use only.”
Li Zhuiyuan also found three large baskets of talisman paper. He first picked one up to examine; its texture was smooth, the patterns he couldn’t decipher, but it was evident that it had been written in one stroke, beautifully crafted.
This intrigued him, prompting him to flip through more talismans. He discovered various types within.
However, Li Zhuiyuan soon sensed something off. When he placed two identical talismans before him, he couldn’t distinguish the difference; even the marks at the lower corners were exactly the same.
So… these are printed?
Rubbing his eyes, he felt a bit sore from reading too much. He even suspected that Great-grandpa had hoarded so many items here, possibly planning to set up a white affairs group. Combined with the tables, chairs, bowls, and paper effigies above, it would make a complete funeral industry chain.
Not wanting to look at those objects any longer, Li Zhuiyuan moved toward the innermost area, where a dozen boxes were placed.
He recalled Great-grandpa mentioning that these were someone else's items, stored here, and that they all contained books.
“Hmm?”
Li Zhuiyuan bent down, illuminating the box with his flashlight to examine. The material… closely resembled that which Grandpa Zhou preferred to collect in the family courtyard.
That day, Grandpa Zhou was so thrilled when he received a box that he immediately called his old friends over to show off, and he had been invited to brew tea.
Before him, there were three such boxes.
While other boxes differed in material and color, Li Zhuiyuan observed that the quality of each was considerable.
A sense of anticipation began to rise in his heart; surely the precious boxes contained something more than just regular publishing books?
Moreover, back in the days of state-run publishing houses, they wouldn’t publish books like the “Golden Sands Scripture,” as it was considered feudal superstition.
The box still bore traces of a seal; it should have long been torn away, and it originally had a lock, which had also been pried off.
Li Zhuiyuan guessed that this was done by Great-grandpa. So, were these truly items stored for safety?
Even without locking it, Li Zhuiyuan found it quite a challenge to lift the box cover, but once he managed to open it and aimed the flashlight inside, he took a deep breath.
Books, books, books—filled with books!
And they weren’t printed; he could tell just from the covers that they were handwritten.
Back in school, there would be multiple sets of textbooks every term, but he only found them interesting when he flipped through them the first time.
Now, he finally felt the happiness of being wrapped up in books.
He picked up several volumes, examining the covers, all titled “Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World,” each divided into many volumes.
Here, the term “martial world” did not refer to martial arts but rather the real rivers and lakes.
Li Zhuiyuan opened the first volume, finding not only text but also illustrations, one depicting a person walking upright in flowing water.
This book actually described those who fell dead?
This wasn’t a place for reading, so he closed the book and rummaged around the box for a while before finally gathering the entire set of books.
“Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World,” totaling forty-two volumes.
Though it seemed many volumes, it was understandable, given that it was all handwritten with a larger font.
Li Zhuiyuan decided to finish this set first; it should be an introductory encyclopedia describing bizarre beings in rivers and lakes.
He left the other boxes unopened, wanting to preserve some sense of anticipation.
Next, Li Zhuiyuan began transporting books. After three trips, he finally moved the entire collection of “Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World” to his room on the second floor.
He locked the basement door again, taking the key not to leave in the cloth shoes but on his person instead.
“Little Lord Yuan.” Outside came Li Sanjiang’s voice. “Little Lord Yuan, hurry out.”
Li Zhuiyuan opened the door and walked out.
“Wow… did you just go rolling in the mud?”
“Great-grandpa, I’m going to wash up and change clothes.”
“Don’t rush, first look at this, hehe. Come here, Li, let’s set it right here, side by side.”
“Okay.”
Uncle Qin climbed up with a rattan chair.
Li Zhuiyuan felt warmth in his heart. Just yesterday he told Great-grandpa he wanted a rattan chair, and today, he brought one for him.
“Great-grandpa, I also want a lamp.”
The bulb in the room wasn’t bright enough; it felt difficult to read at night. He saw there were kerosene lamps at home, but there was no need for hardship.
“You want a reading lamp, huh?”
“Mm.”
“Alright, Li, head to town and pick up a lamp for the boy. Get some pens and notebooks too. I saw other kids had that stationery box… just buy whatever you think is good.”
“Okay, I’ll go after lunch.”
“Don’t wait till afternoon. There’s still a bit of time before lunch, so go now.”
“Alright.”
Li Sanjiang then turned to Li Zhuiyuan with a serious expression, “When your grandpa came earlier, I told him to tell Yingzi to come over in the afternoon to tutor you.”
After saying that, Li Sanjiang revealed a playful smirk, like he was saying, “Ha, didn’t see this coming, did you?”
“Ah?”
Li Zhuiyuan’s face showed disappointment. He wanted to concentrate on reading, not on tutoring his sister.
Previously, when his sister was doing her summer assignments in her first year of high school, she didn’t have too many unclear questions. Now, she was already previewing her second year lessons, and there weren’t many queries either.
Li Sanjiang ruffled Li Zhuiyuan's hair and earnestly said, “You kid, so smart like your mom, shouldn’t you be using that brain for studying?”
“But, Great-grandpa…”
“There’s no ‘but.’ Study well, and you’ll be like your mom, entering a good university, that’s the rightful path. Understood?”
“But Great-grandpa, I’m already attending classes at the university.”
“Hey, don’t try to fool me. I may not have eaten pig meat, but I’ve seen pigs run! Listen, this is settled!
“Oh, right, Li, while you’re in town later, get some snacks for the kids, buy whatever looks good, and get your girl a portion too.”
“Sure, Uncle.”
Li Zhuiyuan looked at Uncle Qin, motioning toward the southeast corner of the terrace. “Uncle, could you help me move the rattan chair over there?”
“Sure.”
“Why over there?” Seeing Li Zhuiyuan not wanting to set his chair side by side with his, Li Sanjiang curiously approached the southeast corner. To his surprise, he saw the girl sitting in the threshold of the east room.
“Hey, Little Lord Yuan, why set it here?”
Li Zhuiyuan replied, “Great-grandpa, I think the Feng Shui is better here.”
“Pah!” Li Sanjiang smiled and joked, “You think I don’t know your intentions? You just want to look at that pretty girl.”
Qin Li was indeed beautiful. Otherwise, Li Sanjiang wouldn’t have handed her candy so readily. But that girl truly had a fierce nature.
Uncle Qin moved the rattan chair over, then waved to Li Sanjiang, as he needed to go to town to buy things.
After Uncle Qin left, Li Sanjiang pulled at Li Zhuiyuan and warned him, “I’ll tell you, Little Lord Yuan, just look but don’t get too close or play with her. If not, she might claw your pretty face—look how tender and flawless it is. Ruining your looks would be such a shame; how would you find a wife later?”
“Alright, Great-grandpa, I understand.”
“Besides, it’s fine to like a girl. Just don’t fall for a mentally unstable one. No matter how pretty she is, it won’t help. You really want to take care of her for a lifetime?”
He hadn’t been able to say those words earlier when Qin Li was present.
“I understand, Great-grandpa.”
“Forget it, you’re still young. Why say this now? You’re far from the age of marrying a wife. Alright, I’m going out now. You eat your lunch alone.”
“Mm.”
Li Sanjiang walked down with his hands behind his back, humming a little tune. When he reached the yard, he turned to glance at the terrace above, smiling.
Little Lord Yuan was asking for things. He didn’t mind spending money; he had money!
He suddenly felt that spending money on children also brought a kind of happiness.
Previously, he thought Lord Han being a son of a servant was a sign of lowly worth, especially since those sons weren’t particularly filial. But now, he suddenly saw things differently.
What if raising children wasn’t just about relying on them for support in old age but merely to add some meaning to life, making it feel fuller?
We raise you without expecting gratitude; after all, it’s about finding satisfaction in our own lives.
Hey, that feels pretty good.
Li Sanjiang shook his head. Anyway, what was the use of thinking about this now? He was already of a certain age, resigned to the fate of having no children.
After Great-grandpa left, Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t wait to pick up the first volume of “Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World” after washing up and changing clothes, plopping into the rattan chair and opening the book.
The characters on this book were written in a neat, slender style, which made reading much more comfortable compared to the chaotic handwriting in the “Golden Sands Scripture.”
Silently wishing: hope all the other books in the box are written with good calligraphy.
Li Zhuiyuan soon immersed himself in the reading atmosphere. Yet every time he flipped a page, he would glance underneath at the girl sitting there with her feet resting on the threshold.
He had no distractions in his heart; he simply thought that beautiful things were pleasing to the eye, boosting one’s mood.
However, other than turning her gaze to look at Niu Fu’s back this morning, the girl showed no other movements.
Time slipped by quickly while reading, and midway, Uncle Qin returned, bringing him a desk lamp, stationery set, and lots of snacks.
After looking a little more, he heard Aunt Liu calling from the downstairs, “Little Lord Yuan, time to eat!”
“Okay, I’m coming down.”
Placing down the book, Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs for lunch, sitting at a table by himself.
On the wooden stool was a plate of chicken pieces with fava beans, a plate of stir-fried chives with eggs, and a bowl of crucian carp soup.
Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but marvel at how good life was at Great-grandpa’s house.
At his grandfather's place, Brother Pan and Brother Lei must still be drinking porridge.
However, he didn’t consider taking leftovers back to share, knowing it wouldn’t be appropriate.
In the yard, Grandma Liu squatted beside Qin Li, softly persuading her.
Eventually, Qin Li lowered her head and began to eat.
Just like breakfast, her eating pattern was rhythmic, perfectly in sync.
After Li Zhuiyuan finished eating, he quickly tidied his bowl and utensils and sent them to the kitchen before washing his hands and returning to the second floor to continue reading.
The first volume began with tales of the dead who had fallen. The varieties of dead souls were indeed numerous, with those like Little Yellow Oriole being able to walk upright only classified as mid-level threats, barely even on the lower side.
Yet, the more vicious the dead soul, the vaguer the recorded time and place, with the illustrations becoming increasingly abstract, giving the sensation of reading “Shan Hai Jing.”
Li Zhuiyuan thought that made sense; for such fierce entities, the witnesses who lived to tell the tale must have been few, naturally leading to vague recordings.
“Yuanzi.”
Yingzi came over, carrying a wooden stool and a small bench.
Li Zhuiyuan looked up at Yingzi. “Sister.”
“I’m here, hehe, here, have some candy.” Yingzi retrieved some candy from her pocket and handed it out.
“Thank you, Sister.” Li Zhuiyuan unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth before stepping into his bedroom.
Yingzi opened her cloth bag, laying out her books and homework. She curiously flipped through the book Li Zhuiyuan had left on the rattan chair, frowning slightly; she couldn’t understand the characters.
At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan came out holding snacks and placed them beside Yingzi. “Sister, eat.”
“That’s too much; how can I eat all this?”
“Take it back for everyone. Don’t let Grandma and Grandpa see.”
The snacks were those Li Weihan had sent over in the morning, which Great-grandpa bought; he hadn't touched them.
“You’re the younger brother; I feel bad taking your things.”
Seeing Li Zhuiyuan had already picked up his book to continue reading, Yingzi had to continue, “Yuanzi, when I start working and earn money, I’ll buy you more good snacks.”
Li Zhuiyuan looked up, smiling, “Okay, sister.”
Then he lowered his head to continue reading.
Noticing that he was engrossed, Yingzi also bowed her head to review her work, but this time, she didn’t immediately ask Li Zhuiyuan when she encountered something she didn’t understand. Instead, she took notes to ask later, ensuring not to disturb him.
After finishing the first volume, Li Zhuiyuan stood up and went to a clear space, seriously doing a set of national student broadcast calisthenics.
Much of the content in the book was the tricky and obscure sort, requiring him to digest it slowly. This was the first time he found reading so exhausting.
But it felt fulfilling, and he gained a sense of achievement.
Li Zhuiyuan felt happy; he finally empathized with the classmates in his class who struggled academically. It turned out they had been living such fulfilling lives all along.
After finishing his exercises, Li Zhuiyuan went to the bathroom. He didn’t need the spittoon during the day. When he came downstairs, he dashed to the back of the house and, on his way, saw the girl sitting on the threshold. He paused to greet her.
“Good afternoon.”
Of course, the girl didn’t respond, not even a glance in his direction.
Upon returning to the second floor, he placed the first volume back, retrieved the second volume, and continued reading.
With the foundational knowledge from the first volume, Li Zhuiyuan gradually began to understand the author’s writing habits and could even resonate with some of their mindset. Thus, he finished the second volume in half the time it took for the first.
Immediately, he moved on to the third volume. By the time he finished the third volume, it was already nearing dusk.
Li Zhuiyuan set down the book and looked over at Sister Yingzi.
“Sister, is there anything you don’t understand?”
“There are; this, this, this, this, and these…”
Li Zhuiyuan took Yingzi’s pen, starting to write out the solution to her problems. He wrote it in detail to make it easier for her to understand the process, far more efficient than verbally explaining.
Watching her younger brother write so quickly on the page, Yingzi felt a pang of envy.
Truly, if you looked at the Li family without the aunt and younger brother, none of the rest could gather a sharp mind.
She believed she was fortunate. While her parents provided money for supplementary materials, the coaching materials of that era were rough. Many real exam questions and explanations were only available in prestigious schools, and even spending money might not allow access.
Not to mention the role her brother played; he had surpassed any supplementary material—it was simply like having a personal tutor. Her parents, no matter how open-minded, wouldn’t hire a teacher for one-on-one tutoring, nor could they afford it.
Once Li Zhuiyuan finished writing, he breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed his sore wrist, and said, “Sister, I recommend you focus on grasping the concepts first, then combine them with simple problems to solidify your understanding. This way, your study efficiency will significantly improve.”
Yingzi: But I am doing just that.
Yingzi lowered her head, starting to look at the solution process her brother provided. While it was detailed, she felt slightly strained as she progressed, like trying to forcibly pry open her brain to pour in knowledge bit by bit, which was also exhausting.
At that moment, Li Sanjiang returned. He walked into the yard, looked up, and saw Li Zhuiyuan and Yingzi sitting in the southeast corner of the second floor.
He saw Li Zhuiyuan, who sported a relaxed smile, juxtaposed with a Yingzi looking burdened and despondent.
“Humph! This brat isn’t studying seriously; it’s giving his sister a headache!”
...
At dinner, Yingzi didn’t stay to eat. Li Weihan had already instructed her as she arrived.
Li Sanjiang had genuinely tried to keep her around this time, but when she insisted on declining, he relented.
In the past, Li Sanjiang had consistently looked down upon Li Weihan’s four sons and paid little attention to their children, but today he had called Yingzi to tutor Little Lord Yuan.
“Little Lord Yuan, tomorrow, save some snacks to share with your sister.”
While eating, Li Zhuiyuan responded, “Great-grandpa, I’ve already shared.”
“Mm.”
Only then did Li Sanjiang feel a bit of relief; he mustn’t upset the girl, or else she might refuse to come for tutoring the next day.
After dinner, Li Zhuiyuan went to take his bath first, and upon coming out, he saw Li Sanjiang standing at the edge of the terrace, holding a cigarette in his left hand and a tool in his right. Before him was a column of water spraying in a parabolic arc, illuminated by the moonlight.
“Little Lord Yuan, are you done bathing?”
“Finished, Great-grandpa, you can wash now.”
“Mm, go wait in the room for me.”
Li Sanjiang shrugged his shoulders, puffed out his chest, and then swayed his thighs.
Li Zhuiyuan realized he actually didn’t need it at night anymore.
Entering Great-grandpa’s bedroom, the formation remained, though it had been redrawn.
After examining the formation, he noticed some differences compared to last night’s setup; he blinked in confusion. It was clear that tonight’s and last night’s were the same formation, but still deviated from the one in the “Golden Sands Scripture.”
It made sense that it differed from the book; after all, last night was similar.
“However, why does it seem a bit different from last night’s?”
Li Zhuiyuan could only surmise that Great-grandpa made some adjustments based on the effects of last night’s formation.
One reason was that he was still reading entry-level books and hadn’t seen the formation diagrams yet; the other was that his world was filled with rigorous thought, making it difficult to break away from strict cognitive patterns to consider other possibilities.
Li Zhuiyuan settled into his position.
Before long, Li Sanjiang washed up and entered, dressed in white shorts that had a hole.
Like yesterday, he first tied himself and Li Zhuiyuan together with a black rope, securing himself in the original position before lighting candles, then sitting in the circle with him.
This time, Li Zhuiyuan observed closely, realizing that Great-grandpa’s talismans were pulled out from his shorts in which there were no pockets.
After lighting it, he recited a prayer until the flame neared his hand.
“Bang!”
He clapped it on the ground.
The candle didn’t extinguish, nor did the bulb flicker.
“Is it done, Great-grandpa?”
“Not yet. Wait a bit longer.”
After saying this, Li Sanjiang took out another talisman, lit it, and repeated the action, but this time he struck it down with greater force.
“Bang!!!”
The crisp sound made Li Sanjiang’s lips quiver in pain.
Though his heavy-handedness yielded results.
With a swish, the candle snuffed out, and the bulb above flickered twice in acknowledgment.
“Done!”
Li Sanjiang exhaled, saying casually, “Little Lord Yuan, you should go to bed now. Remember not to untie the rope.”
“I know, Great-grandpa.”
Once Li Zhuiyuan left, Li Sanjiang immediately blew on his palm, “Hoo, hoo… oww, it hurts.”
Having finished blowing, he turned back to the bed and grimaced.
“Damn it, tonight, it wouldn’t be a zombie meeting, right?”
...
After returning to his bedroom, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t lie down but turned on the lamp, taking out the fourth volume to continue reading.
After he finished the fourth volume, he took out the fifth volume. However, only a few pages in, he rested his forehead on the desk and fell asleep.
...
In the rice fields, the silhouette of an elderly woman appeared. If Li Zhuiyuan had seen her at this moment, he would have recognized her as the one who Niu Fu carried on his back.
She hunched over, her eyes glowing green, and a fine fuzz gradually sprouted across her wrinkled face.
Her form disappeared from one spot, and in the next moment, she reappeared in the yard, then vanished again, only to materialize inside the house.
She stopped amidst the stacks of paper, gazing at the many paper effigies, paper horses, paper houses… tilting her head with an eerie smile.
...
Li Zhuiyuan rubbed his eyes and lifted his head. He had actually fallen asleep while reading.
Planning to take a small break before going to bed, he followed Great-grandpa’s demonstration.
He stood up, walked to the bedroom door, opened it, and stepped outside. He didn’t notice that behind the little desk, he was still sound asleep, resting his head on the desk.
Going outside, the cool evening breeze rushed over him, and he felt so refreshed.
But soon, he heard a clamoring noise coming from downstairs.
At this late hour, who could be making such a ruckus?
No, wait… Great-grandpa’s house was usually quite quiet even during the day.
Li Zhuiyuan went to the edge of the terrace, listening intently.
He heard a mix of male and female voices talking and singing, along with the whinnies of horses and the barks and meows of cats and dogs — a cacophony of sounds that made the first floor feel like some wild party.
Yet, there was only a pile of paper offerings downstairs, could it be?
Li Zhuiyuan was startled at first, then suddenly realized: Oh, I must be dreaming.
Just then, his eyes swept downwards, and he was astonished to see, in the yard, a figure dressed in a purple qipao — Qin Li!
Eh, how did you walk out from the threshold on your own?
No,
No,
Why are you appearing in my dreams!
(End of chapter)