Chapter 568
Chapter 568
Chapter 568
When we arrived, the swamp had cleared away; now we return on a smooth road.
Li Zhuiyuan sat on the steps and had just put on his shoes when he saw flowers and greenery growing at a visible speed in the gaps of the altar square.
They seemed to have been impatient for a long time, and soon grew to half a person's height, and their fresh fragrance finally lived up to its name.
After putting on his shoes, Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush to get up. Instead, he leaned forward, and the girl hugged the boy's neck again as he was carried on his back.
It's not that I'm trying to create anything special, I just don't want to disappoint this kind gesture.
When you arrive by taxi, you can feel the cool and clean atmosphere inside the Jinsha Sect. This is because the Jinsha Sect had taken the initiative to do a thorough cleaning before the incident.
All the valuable resources within the sect were scattered throughout the martial world ahead of time.
It's safe to say that, apart from the leaky barrier overhead, you're unlikely to find anything of value here.
However, even if they were actively distributed, those inherited items were mostly destroyed in various accidents. Things are valued for their rarity, and worthless ancient books were not qualified to appear in the basement of the great-grandfather's house.
But they achieved their goal.
This calm acceptance of death with all preparations made beforehand makes the tragedy of slaughtering the entire sect due to demonic possession logically inconsistent.
As the coffin lid of divine punishment crashed down, they scratched marks with their fingernails, leaving a regrettable void in the aesthetics of the heavens.
Fortunately, years later, their carefully laid plans found someone who could fully understand them and scratch their itch.
As they walked, the girl on his back reached out and gently cleared the path for the boy beneath her.
This is an opportunity to observe the failures, but what you gain is not discouragement or despair, but a path filled with success.
The lingering feelings of avoidance, compromise, and wishful thinking that remained in the corners of my heart have all been completely cleared away.
When the boy carried the girl out from the lush flower garden, all the romance faded away.
This three-part journey, initiated by the dragon carriage, is neither a choice nor a test.
The master knows his disciple too well. If you plan to give him a test, you're already at a disadvantage, because he'll definitely be able to give you a perfect answer.
The Emperor's true intention was to tell himself:
If I desire immortality, then I will confront it head-on and fight against it earnestly, striving for true immortality.
If you pursue a century, you must also confront and fight against it head-on, and live a century earnestly.
What do terms like "disciple," "debtor," and "backup plan" mean? They all become obsolete in the face of such seriousness.
A new and more stable community of shared interests has emerged:
Help me achieve immortality, and it will allow you to live for a hundred years!
After leaving the sea of flowers, Ah Li got off the boy and carefully removed the flowers and plants from his clothes.
Li Zhuiyuan looked up, facing west towards Fengdu, and uttered a heartfelt sigh filled with admiration:
"Yin Changsheng, you deserve to live forever."
……
Lin Shuyou is being scolded by Tan Wenbin.
It's really absurd that a barrier, which is right in front of us but leaks air everywhere, can't be found to enter.
Anyone with even a basic understanding of feng shui or formations wouldn't have ended up like this. Most importantly, these are the two things that our team has the deepest knowledge of.
Tan Wenbin: "Ah You, when you get back, read more books."
White Crane Boy: "That's right, that's right."
General Zeng: "I second that."
Lin Shuyou scratched his head sheepishly. There was no danger inside. If there had been, he and Runsheng would have made a big mistake by not being able to go in and protect Xiaoyuan in time.
"Brother Bin, I understand. I'll memorize the feng shui formation diagrams with you from now on."
"Your first priority is your studies; you can't neglect that."
Here's what we'll do: since you're maintaining your spirit mediumship for a long time now, just do it at night when you're sleeping. Have the spirit medium look at the feng shui and the general look at the formations.
Every now and then, I ask Xiao Yuan to check on the three of you's learning progress.
Boy and General Zeng: "..."
Tan Wenbin smiled, exhaled a smoke ring, and looked at Runsheng.
After Runsheng informed Xiaoyuan about Yinmeng's situation, he stood aside without urging him to proceed.
Li Zhuiyuan took a flower from A Li's hand and placed it on the steering wheel. Liu Changping, after smelling the fragrance, slowly woke up, looked around, and said:
"What a desolate service area..."
The taxi successfully entered Fengdu territory.
Every time I come here, I can see a little change, which is also a microcosm of the current era, as if it is holding its breath and ready to go.
Of course, the biggest change was Li Zhuiyuan's mindset each time he stepped into Ghost Street.
"Runsheng, go pick up Mengmeng. Let her make the trip down the Demon Suppression Tower again. You help her pack her things."
"it is good."
Lin Shuyou: "I'll go help too."
Tan Wenbin looked at Liu Changping, who had parked his car in the alley and gotten out, and asked, "Why don't you go to a hotel and get a room to rest for a while?"
Liu Changping: "No, no, no, I've had enough sleep, I've really had enough sleep."
This was the first time he had ever driven such a long distance with increasing energy.
Li Zhuiyuan had no intention of going up, nor did he intend to go down.
After all, his conversation with the Emperor had already taken place during the journey, and their next meeting would only be in front of the statue. The Emperor clearly didn't feel there was anything else he needed to say to him, otherwise Elder Zhai would have been waiting here.
After picking up Mengmeng, everyone will immediately return home, as there is still a lot of work waiting for them to complete.
The boy took Ah Li's hand and walked to a sugar figurine stall next to them.
The stall owner noticed two young customers and enthusiastically introduced the various styles.
Li Zhuiyuan chose an adorable doll.
"okay!"
Faced with these two adorable little boy and girl figures, the stall owner used all his skills to try and make the sugar figurines look beautiful.
However, the usual praise and amazement were absent today. As the stall owner blew on the drum, he glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye and noticed that she was turning her head and frowning, as if she was not satisfied with his skills.
After the artwork was completed, Li Zhuiyuan paid for it. When the stall owner handed the sugar figurine to the girl, she did not take it.
Stall owner: "Um, the little girl doesn't like this?"
Ah Li reached out and pointed to another picture book image posted on the stall.
Stall owner: "Making this?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "Thank you for making one more, grandpa."
"What are you saying? Hehe, well, when you're doing business, you'd rather work hard."
The stall owner retrieved the materials and made it again.
As the work became more complete, Ah Li's eyes gradually brightened.
After it was finished, Ah Li took the sugar figurine from the stall owner.
Li Zhuiyuan once again paid the bill and bought the book "Pigsy Carrying His Bride".
"Brother Xiaoyuan, Brother Xiaoyuan!"
Lin Shuyou ran over.
“Brother Xiaoyuan, the coffin shop is closed. After Runsheng and I took the door apart, we didn’t see Mengmeng. We asked around the neighborhood, and no one has seen Mengmeng recently.”
Upon hearing this, Tan Wenbin said, "I'll go find it."
With his five senses activated, Tan Wenbin walked from the bottom of Ghost Street all the way to the top, even buying a ticket to enter the scenic area for a while. Upon returning, Tan Wenbin confidently stated:
"Mengmeng is not within the scope of the ghost town."
Lin Shuyou: "So, after Mengmeng returned to life, she found that she could leave the ghost city area, so she went back on her own?"
Tan Wenbin: "Then why didn't she call us?"
Lin Shuyou: "She's on the plane!"
Tan Wenbin: "You mean, knowing that we were coming to pick her up, Mengmeng didn't wait where she was, but instead went to the mountain city to catch a plane, so that she would suddenly jump out and give us a surprise when we returned?"
Lin Shuyou: "It seems... a bit unreasonable."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Binbin, you guys drive around Fengdu County and look for it again; Brother Runsheng, give me the Demon Suppression Pagoda, I'll go down there and take a look."
"clear."
Unable to slack off, Li Zhuiyuan still ended up at the coffin shop.
After Ah Li put the dismantled door panel back up, she went to the boy's side to protect him. The boy sat cross-legged in front of the Demon Suppression Tower, closing his eyes and walking in the underworld.
"Rumble..."
The gates of hell opened a crack, and Li Zhuiyuan stepped inside.
If anyone else were to walk this road, it would surely be filled with eerie winds and ghostly wails. But when Li Zhuiyuan walked on it, not only were all the ghosts silent, but even the eerie wind blowing in his face was specially warmed with a gentle temperature.
When the boy's figure appeared, the entire underworld bowed in unison:
"Welcome, young lord!"
"Welcome, young lord!"
Those who were lying prostrate in the lower levels of hell, those who were forced to kneel by the whips of the ghost messengers in the middle levels of hell, and even the Yama Kings and Ghost Emperors of the upper levels of hell, all of whom were given very high-level treatment this time.
You should know that in the past, the upper hell has always been very reserved. Even when the emperor is not paying attention, these guys will think about moving up their positions to occupy more territory and authority. So how could they have much genuine respect for the young ruler who is an extension of the emperor's shadow?
The reason for the change lies in the current Young Master's Mansion... which is full of geniuses.
In the previous wave, Li Zhuiyuan's massacre of the lamplighters on the river was a direct demonstration to them.
If the young man only relied on the emperor's favor, it would naturally not amount to much. But when the young man showed enough brilliance, his treatment would be different.
Even a Dragon King might not be able to conquer Fengdu, which is personally guarded by the Great Emperor.
But if this Dragon King is a young ruler personally appointed by the Great Emperor, then he can easily enter and whip everyone under the Great Emperor.
Li Zhuiyuan arrived at his residence, the residence of the young lord.
The ghost officials of the Zhao clan and Zhao Yi in the mortal world were both busy with the same thing: expanding their mansions and undertaking large-scale construction.
Moreover, their roles and responsibilities are the same. The Zhao clan's ghost officials assign lower-level ghost officials, who then drive evil ghosts to do menial labor, which is also a subcontracting arrangement.
When Li Zhuiyuan appeared, they immediately switched from drinking tea to working, showing that they were working very hard and were exhausted.
Outside the Shaojun Mansion, rows of lamplighters, bound by iron chains, knelt there, their eyes glazed and their expressions blank.
They've just become ghosts and haven't had time to adjust yet, but at the same time, we can't let them adjust too quickly, lest they gather a crowd and rebel.
As for the old man in the town who was in charge of exorcising ghosts, he was placed on a separate shelf, with a group of ghost messengers serving him attentively.
Li Zhuiyuan walked up the steps that connected the Shaojun Mansion to the lowest level of the Underworld.
Midway through the journey, the boy looked down at the bottomless abyss below, released his grip, and tossed the Demon-Suppressing Tower he was carrying down.
In the real-life coffin shop, black mist swirled around the boy, the ground seemed to melt, and the black tower placed in front of him slowly sank until it disappeared completely, after which the ground returned to its original state.
"Buzz!"
A loud noise came from the depths of the underworld.
The eighteen levels of hell undergo subtle changes from bottom to top, which takes time to slowly develop and integrate. Before long, a tower-like structure will appear within the hell framework, which the Great Emperor will use to suppress the underworld even more powerfully.
"Amitabha……"
The Bodhisattva at the deepest level was the first to sense the crisis, but after being stripped of his status by Li Zhuiyuan, the Bodhisattva could no longer release golden Buddha light as before.
In the depths of the tomb owner's helmet in the underworld, two beams of light emanated.
The Yellow Springs that it controlled were rapidly shrinking, seemingly about to slip out of its control. But soon, this slipping not only stopped, but the path of restoration returned.
"Amitabha……"
Similarly, in the Bodhisattva's new chanting, there was no longer any anxiety or panic, but a return to calm.
At the very bottom of the underworld, the fusion accelerates, and the Yellow Springs, hanging upside down, actively converge.
The brief distribution of new benefits has been completed. Instead of using the Demon-Suppressing Tower to strip the Bodhisattva and the tomb owner of the privileges they had obtained from him, the Emperor invited them to build a new tower together and, in the future, to suppress the newly imprisoned "prisoners" and expand the pie.
The steps were long, but fortunately the boy had a strong spirit; if he were to climb this path with his physical body, he would have to rest several times along the way.
Reaching the highest level of hell, I saw the Palace of the Emperor of Fengdu.
Yin Meng used to live here.
On the platform, Li Zhuiyuan did not see Yin Meng. After walking in, apart from the endless offering table, he still could not find any trace of Yin Meng.
Near the entrance of the main hall, on the offering table, there is a separate area where the offerings have been removed and many books have been placed.
This is Yinmeng's desk.
Li Zhuiyuan looked at the statue of the Fengdu Emperor in the center of the main hall: How desperate must you be to make Mengmeng read and study?
The boy suspected that if Yin Meng hadn't been kept around to keep him in check, the Great Emperor would have sent her away long ago.
This perspective is like that of parents of high-achieving students, who spend all their time and nights helping their less intelligent children with their homework—a form of torture.
Under the offering table, there was a brazier, with calligraphy brushes and paper discarded beside it.
This means that after Yin Meng sent the message "I'm back to life," she left this place and is no longer in the underworld.
Where is she now?
people?
Li Zhuiyuan thought of a possibility.
Under these circumstances, Mengmeng is in great danger!
Inside the coffin shop, the boy opened his eyes and stood up: "Ah Li, tell Brother Binbin and the others to come back and assemble."
The girl took out her mobile phone and dialed a number.
"Hey, Brother Yuan."
silence……
"Ayou, drive the car back to the assembly point right away."
……
The yellow pickup truck was parked on a riverbank, where Li Zhuiyuan had buried Yin Meng's grandfather.
After everyone got out of the car, Runsheng set up the offering table, Lin Shuyou tidied up the ropes, and Tan Wenbin stood on top of the pickup truck and looked out.
Liu Changping originally wanted to come to Yinmeng's "rural hometown" to pick up the person, but Li Zhuiyuan refused. This was mainly because he considered that his role as the dragon chariot had been completed, and he probably wouldn't fall into a coma again. The family was happy and harmonious, and there was no need for them to witness things they shouldn't see.
Li Zhuiyuan first lit incense and candles, then lured the evil dragon to draw its blood, and wrote down Yin Meng's birthday and death anniversary.
The anniversary of death refers to the time during which Yin Meng was forcibly kept in the underworld by the Great Emperor during the Bodhisattva's wave.
Li Zhuiyuan reversed the usual funeral procession of the Yin family. After the yellow paper was lit, the boy held it in his hand, walked around the offering table, went to the riverbank, squatted down, and slapped his palm into the water.
In an instant, a shadow stretched forward from the boy's palm.
As time passed, Tan Wenbin and others were able to walk through the shadows and see that the shadows were still in motion, indicating that the extension had not stopped. Runsheng could see beads of sweat constantly seeping from Xiaoyuan's forehead.
"Pfft!"
Ah Li opened a can of drink, inserted a straw, and brought it to the boy's lips.
This is tiring.
It's like how it's easy for you to take a taxi from the city center to a remote rural area, but if you want to wait for a taxi back to the city at a rural intersection, you have to go out and check the almanac.
Just like when sending someone to their funeral, one hand can be used to "lift the sedan chair with four ghosts". Right now, the boy wants to send the magic to the deepest part to take shape so that he can bring the coffin inside back.
Li Zhuiyuan: "Found it."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt relieved.
The fact that the funeral procession was carried out in reverse order can be traced back to Yin Meng, indicating that Yin Meng is indeed currently in the Yin family mausoleum.
But soon, everyone's hearts were in their throats again.
The Yin Meng that people saw in the Ghost City before was not in its true physical form, but a ghost body. Therefore, such Yin Meng could easily enter and leave the underworld.
But if Yin Meng were to be resurrected and her physical body were to come back to life, wouldn't she suffocate inside the coffin?
Although this place is very close to Fengdu, making it convenient to report deaths, the big guys aren't here to take Yin Meng's corpse or soul back.
Lin Shuyou: "Why...why is this happening?"
Tan Wenbin: "It's unexpected, isn't it? I think even the Emperor probably didn't expect that Yin Meng would be so eager to return to life, and that she might not be able to come out after returning to life."
Lin Shuyou: "Would the Great Emperor be so careless?"
Tan Wenbin: "I didn't expect that you couldn't even get into that kind of barrier."
Lin Shuyou: "I understand."
In the distance, at the end of the illusory river, four ghostly figures emerged, each carrying a heavy stone coffin on its shoulder.
Li Zhuiyuan: "Runsheng, let's go!"
Runsheng, holding a Yellow River shovel, jumped into the river and plunged underwater.
Throughout the entire ordeal, he had never urged anyone on, only revealing his true feelings at this moment. This was probably the fastest Runsheng had ever swum in his entire life. Breaking through the water's surface, Runsheng emerged from beside the coffin, the nine black shadows on his body surging, dispelling the four ghostly figures summoned by Li Zhuiyuan.
The coffin sank, but Runsheng caught it with one hand, then used a Yellow River shovel to pry open the gap.
"boom!"
The coffin lid was overturned, and Runsheng looked down to see Yinmeng lying inside.
Yin Meng was dressed in gorgeous clothes and wore a crown, as if she were being prepared for burial.
However, her face exuded a cold and sinister aura. In Runsheng's eyes, it was the most standard dead face, the face of the deceased lying in the ice coffin at funerals.
Without hesitation, Runsheng quickly pushed the coffin towards them. Lin Shuyou and Tan Wenbin originally planned to go down and help, but seeing Runsheng's aggressive posture, they had no choice but to stay on the shore, fearing that Runsheng would knock them over if they went down.
"boom!"
The coffin was pushed to the shore, and Runsheng, soaking wet, stood beside it, looking at Xiaoyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan approached and, after confirming that Yin Menghua's robes were wrinkle-free, said:
"It's okay, let her bask in the sun a little longer."
The most extreme and ridiculous situation did not occur. If Yin Meng were fully awake, the air in this sealed stone coffin would not be enough for her to breathe for long. Fortunately, she had just returned to life and her body was still in a state of tortoise-like breathing, with low oxygen consumption.
Tan Wenbin laughed and said, "Mengmeng must be hungry when she wakes up. Let's start cooking first. We can't wait for Mengmeng to wake up and cook for herself."
Lin Shuyou was pulled by Tan Wenbin to start a fire and cook, Li Zhuiyuan and A Li sat by the river to enjoy the scenery, while Liu Runsheng stood quietly by the coffin.
The meal is ready.
To save time, Tan Wenbin put hot pot broth into the noodles and asked Ayou to pick some wild vegetables and mushrooms from nearby to garnish the dish. Ayou had tasted all of them and they were non-toxic.
Lin Shuyou: "Mengmeng, time to eat!"
no response.
Tan Wenbin: "This trick only works on Miss Chen."
Everyone ate their meal first.
Even though Runsheng had no appetite, he still took the bowl of noodles and filled his stomach, and even asked Ayou to serve him more noodles several times.
The sun is about to set, and there won't be enough sunlight.
Yin Meng's eyelids finally trembled at this moment, and she opened her eyes.
"Runsheng..."
"Ah."
"Runsheng!"
Yin Meng sat up from the coffin, excitedly hugging Runsheng and pressing her face against his, letting her fair and smooth skin feel the roughness and calluses on the man's face, and greedily inhaling the scent that was clearer and more real than when they had met before.
Hold me.
Runsheng didn't move.
"Hold me!"
Others might be grumpy when they wake up, but she's full of energy.
Runsheng still didn't move.
"Now that I'm not a ghost, you can't understand human speech anymore?"
Runsheng reached out and hugged Yinmeng.
Feeling Runsheng's large, rough hand on her back, Yin Meng felt a deep sense of satisfaction. She had never described the feeling of "after death" to her companions before, but now that she was alive, she felt that everything was so wonderful, especially since she had regained her freedom and taken control of her life again.
Overwhelmed by emotion, she did something she had never done to Runsheng before: she kissed him on the face.
After the kiss, the perspective shifted, and Yin Meng saw her companions standing next to her.
Her face, which had just returned to life and still looked deathly pale, instantly turned bright red.
"Ah, let me go! What are you doing? Let me go!"
Tan Wenbin removed his fingers from between his eyebrows and said, "I've taken pictures of them all. We'll print them out as a wedding gift for you two."
Lin Shuyou: "But wouldn't it be unlucky to display this at a wedding?"
Tan Wenbin: "It's quite fitting; marriage is the tomb of love."
I made a joke to defuse the awkward situation.
When Yin Meng came out of the coffin, her legs were still a little stiff, and she had to rely on Runsheng's support to walk.
After approaching Li Zhuiyuan, Yin Meng bit her lip and said:
"Brother Xiaoyuan, thank you..."
Li Zhuiyuan interrupted her, saying, "You were essentially serving time for us. I'm sorry it took us so long to get you out."
Yin Meng: "No, no, no, I'm actually doing quite well down there, Brother Xiao Yuan, please don't think like that."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Then you don't need to say thank you anymore."
Yin Meng: "Understood!"
Lin Shuyou whispered, "I know~"
Yin Meng turned to look at Lin Shuyou, her gaze revealing a hidden meaning.
Lin Shuyou smiled: "Mengmeng, it's so good to see you back!"
Yin Meng: "I understand, I understand. You've had a hard time while I was away."
Lin Shuyou's sense of crisis has returned; why does Mengmeng seem smarter now?
Tan Wenbin: "If you spent all your time reading books and watching videos of torture in hell, you would also mature."
Yin Meng: "I'm hungry."
Tan Wenbin: "The noodles have gotten cold and clumped together. I'll reheat them for you."
Yin Meng: "No need, no need, just give me a bowl first, I'll eat first."
Tan Wenbin ladled out a bowl and handed it over.
Yin Meng picked up her chopsticks, put a bite in her mouth, and then...
"vomit!"
Not only did he vomit up what he had eaten, but he also kept gagging.
Lin Shuyou: "The hot pot oil is cold and disgusting. Why don't you eat some compressed biscuits?"
Yin Meng took it and took a bite.
"vomit!"
I threw up again.
Everyone turned to look at Li Zhuiyuan.
"Yin Meng is essentially in a state of wandering in the underworld. Her body has been in the mausoleum for too long and has become tainted by the aura of death. Secondly, her soul strength is currently too high and is incompatible with her body. These issues will require time to gradually resolve."
Yin Meng: "But Brother Xiao Yuan... I'm so hungry."
Runsheng took out a thick incense stick, lit it, and handed it to Yinmeng.
Yin Meng took the incense, took a bite, and found that it was not bitter at all, but rather fragrant and crispy with a sweet taste.
When I ate compressed biscuits and noodles again, the nausea completely disappeared, and I was able to swallow normally.
Yin Meng sat there, stunned, staring at the smoky incense stick in her hand.
Tan Wenbin: "Don't worry, Mengmeng. You didn't look down on Runsheng when he was popular, so he won't look down on you now that you're popular."
Yin Meng shook her head:
"I used to feel sorry for him whenever I saw him eating so heartily, but today I realized that this silly kid is actually enjoying his food so much!"
……
Jiang Xiuzhi is leaving.
She spent the New Year here, leaving the old man at home.
Anyway, the old man can only sit in a wheelchair now, and can no longer go out drinking or shark fishing like he used to. He can stay obediently with me.
Therefore, she wanted to take some time to spend more time with her granddaughter and also with Sister Liu.
But the New Year has passed so long, and they should have returned to Qiongya by now. The reason for the delay is that Xiaoyuan and Ali are not here. If she leaves again, Sister Liu will inevitably feel disappointed.
Fortunately, Zhuangzhuang, whose real name is Binbin, called and said he would be back before lunch, so she could go home.
Liu Yumei: "It's fine to stay a few more days."
Jiang Xiuzhi: "But the Lantern Festival is just two days away."
Liu Yumei: "Missing him?"
Jiang Xiuzhi: "Yeah."
Liu Yumei: "Then let's go back."
Jiang Xiuzhi: "I'll go back and coax him. I'll come back in a while. Anyway, my son-in-law takes care of everything at home. Just like you, sister, I'm an elder too."
Knowing that Jiang Xiuzhi was leaving, Liu Jinxia and the other two sent her gifts.
I heard that Jiang Xiuzhi's husband was so badly injured that he couldn't walk, so Granny Hua brought over the rheumatism medicine that she had received during the visit.
Wang Lian delivered a large bag of peanuts and water chestnuts, all of which she had roasted herself.
Liu Jinxia gave a talisman, which she had carefully drawn; it was said that sticking it on the door would protect the home and ensure its safety.
Jiang Xiuzhi: "I came in a hurry and didn't bring much. I'll send you some Hainan specialties when I get back."
Li Sanjiang valued Jiang Xiuzhi highly because she was Chen Yatou's grandmother, and he gave her some Nantong specialties before she left.
Jiang Xiuzhi said gratefully, "My old man loves eating these crispy biscuits."
Li Sanjiang: "Really? I have a few more boxes here, you can take some more with you."
When Chen Xiyuan returned from Nantong, she brought these with her. However, they were left at home for a long time without anyone eating them. After the old man was put in a wheelchair, Jiang Xiuzhi would feed him a few bites whenever she had free time, and that's how they were slowly consumed.
Chen Xiyuan rode a tricycle to see her grandmother off.
"Xi Yuan, be good here, remember to keep warm, and eat on time."
“I know, Grandma.”
Jiang Xiuzhi didn't bother with any further instructions; she could see that her granddaughter was well-liked here.
"Alright, just leave it here for Grandma, she can go back by herself."
"Grandma, let me give you another piece."
"If we keep sending them, we'll have to go all the way to Qiongya."
Chen Xiyuan then stopped the tricycle.
Jiang Xiuzhi got out of the car and waved to Chen Xiyuan.
Chen Xiyuan: "Grandma, please tell my grandpa to eat well and drink less alcohol. I'll go see him next time I go back."
Jiang Xiuzhi: "While I was away, your uncles and aunts definitely couldn't keep him in check. They secretly gave him alcohol, and he wished I would stay here forever."
Chen Xiyuan smiled, waved, and turned to leave.
After her granddaughter disappeared, the kind expression on Jiang Xiuzhi's face faded, replaced by a stern look.
One by one, figures appeared around her, kneeling and bowing in respect:
"Mistress".
"Mistress".
Jiang Xiuzhi waved her hand and said:
"Return to Qiongya."
……
As soon as Jiang Xiuzhi left, Liu Yumei sat on the dam drinking tea and waiting for Xiao Yuan and the others to return.
Aunt Liu was setting out tea and snacks, while Uncle Qin was tidying up the flowerbeds below the dam.
Liu Yumei lightly scraped the surface of the tea and said, "You two are really capable. The students you've taught have indeed surpassed their teachers."
Uncle Qin, perhaps not understanding, began to focus on picking out the cyan and blue flowers.
Aunt Liu seemed preoccupied and, unusually, didn't retort.
Liu Yumei asked with some doubt, "A-Ting, are you better or not?"
Uncle Qin answered in his place, "He hasn't had any more hysteria lately."
Liu Yumei: "How was it treated?"
Uncle Qin: "It was treated by the head of the household."
Liu Yumei: "Oh, what prescription?"
Uncle Qin: "I don't know. She won't tell me, and she won't let me ask."
As he spoke, with a shovel strike, Uncle Qin saw a large swarm of insects crawling out from under his feet.
Uncle Qin: "I'm going to the brickyard to check; they're about to start production."
After Uncle Qin left, Liu Yumei said again:
"Why is it so difficult for you two? Is it really just a case of being destined to be apart? But those two disciples have already gone through life and death. Don't let them have their babies too early, and then you'll have to help your disciples take care of the children first."
"It's...it's pretty good too."
Aunt Liu thought it wouldn't be bad to train one first and let them practice.
The main problem is that Ah Li is not an ordinary child, and the experience of taking care of Ah Li is not applicable.
Grandpa Shan and Li Sanjiang walked back together. Grandpa Shan had a cigarette in his mouth and looked particularly smug today.
Li Sanjiang: "You rascal, someone just told you it was windy, and sure enough, it blew your granddaughter-in-law back."
Grandpa Shan: "What's wrong, Marquis of Sanjiang? You're not convinced? You're jealous, aren't you? Ha, you're just jealous of me!"
Li Sanjiang: "You old man, how come you're getting more and more like a little kid as you get older?"
Grandpa Shan: "I have no regrets. To be honest, Marquis of Sanjiang, even if I die now, I can close my eyes in peace."
Li Sanjiang: "Has the house been renovated? Have you prepared money for the two kids' weddings?"
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Shan's eyes widened even further.
Li Sanjiang: "And when the kids have kids in the future, you'll be a great-grandfather too. You have to show your support, don't just leave a portrait for your great-grandchildren to see, right?"
Grandpa Shan: "How could it be so fast..."
Li Sanjiang: "Who can say for sure about this?"
Grandpa Shan: "Hey, do you think it's because Marquis Runsheng used to visit Mengmeng in Fengdu all the time? Could it be that Mengmeng is back this time because of...?"
Li Sanjiang kicked Uncle Shan and cursed:
"You're dreaming! It's not that fast!"
Grandpa Shan was kicked and stumbled, but instead of getting angry, he laughed and said, "Haha, you're just jealous of me!"
The two elderly people chatted and joked as they went upstairs together. They sat on the second-floor terrace, drinking tea and smoking, while looking forward to their children's return.
During this time, every time Li Sanjiang secretly moved the stool to the side, Grandpa Shan would follow suit and move it even further than him.
As they moved along, the two of them almost touched the edge of the terrace, competing to see who could see the children return first.
Li Sanjiang conceded first, saying, "Shanpao, move back a bit. Both of your bench legs are sticking out. Be careful not to fall."
Grandpa Shan: "You can't fall down. I'm better than you old geezer."
"Di Di!"
A yellow pickup truck came into view, and I stepped on the gas and drove onto the dam.
The car door opened, and Yin Meng, who was going home, was the first to step out.
Yin Meng saw Aunt Liu at first glance, tears welled up in her eyes, and she hugged Aunt Liu tightly.
"Auntie... I miss you so much, I really miss you!"
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. Don't cry. Here, have a snack."
Aunt Liu fed a piece of pastry to Yin Meng.
"vomit!"
Yin Meng ran to the edge of the dam, leaned her upper body out, and vomited.
"boom!"
Grandpa Shan fell off the balcony.
(End of this chapter)