Chapter 597
Chapter 597
Chapter 597
"Here you are."
Zhang Li stood under the pavilion with a smile on his face, watching Benben riding a black dog in the distance.
With a sudden stop, the black car skidded to the side, completing the stop and U-turn in one smooth motion, without even forgetting to flash its taillights.
Benben dismounted and took out offerings and today's Yangtze Evening Post from the dog saddle.
The new dog saddle was dark purple, and when they got closer, Zhang Li felt as if he were being burned.
In addition to the saddle, Xiao Hei also wore a black dog coat with a soft, smooth texture that blended seamlessly with its fur, making it indistinguishable to the naked eye.
It's no exaggeration to say that just the outfit on this dog alone would cause a bloodbath if thrown into the martial arts world.
Liu Yumei said she was just a leisurely elder, but she wasn't completely irresponsible. Besides, there were only a few people and a dog in the family right now.
Giving Xiao Hei the special treatment is paving the way for Xiao Hei to become Benben's companion monster in the future. According to the rules, it must have new clothes, a new house, and a new dog bowl for each season.
After Benben arranged Zhang Li's things and lit the brazier, he smiled, waved, mounted the dog, and went back to the peach grove for class.
Since the arrival of three new teachers, Benben's daily schedule has been meticulously planned, and he can only get out for a stroll when he comes to help Xiao Yingying deliver offerings.
Even Xiao Hei, after waking up from swallowing dog hair, was ordered by Aunt Bai to attend class.
In the past, in order to teach the Liu family's children, Bai Gu studied the "Liu Family Qi Observation Technique" on her own. In fact, cultivating demons was her true profession as a great white python demon.
The old man, the lion, and the leopard of Yujia Village made outstanding contributions to the survival of the Yu family, but in front of Bai Gu, they were just two or three little demons.
It is no exaggeration to say that in terms of the completeness of its lineage and the level of education, the Longwangyu lineage is... in Nantong.
Li Zhuiyuan and Yu Dibei had a ten-year agreement. Regardless of whether the boy was still alive at that time, it would have been more appropriate to have Benben, who was leading Xiao Hei, go to the Yu family's ancestral home to keep the agreement.
Zhang Li touched his new clothes with both hands. They were paper clothes made by Xiao Yingying, which Benben had just burned for him. He liked them very much.
Back in the pavilion, I sat down.
A cup of tea, a wisp of smoke, and a newspaper to read all day.
However, just as he was getting into the zone, Zhang Li turned around and saw a woman riding a tricycle towards him on the village road.
He recognized the tricycle; it was often used to transport wine. He recognized the woman riding it even more; one was dead, the other a ghost, both seeking warmth in the shadows.
Today, Xiao Yingying has changed her appearance. She has a young face, dyed hair, a fitted suit, and a charming and capable demeanor.
Something unusual must be going on, so Zhang Li dared not delay and immediately went out of the pavilion to greet him.
After Xiao Yingying got out of the carriage, she shook her head at him, and Zhang Li silently retreated back into the pavilion, ignoring her.
A short while later, a truck drove up from the south. Zhang Li saw Lord Ling and Lord Tao in the truck window and bowed to them from afar.
Xiao Yingying pulled the tricycle sideways, blocking the truck's way into the village.
Ling Wuxing and Tao Zhuming locked eyes.
Zhao Yi spoke from the puddle on the makeshift bed board behind him:
"In broad daylight, under the clear sky, how dare a dead man block our way? Brother Tao, how can you tolerate this?"
The two men turned around and looked at Zhao Yi, silently saying: Brother Zhao, do you think we are stupid?
Zhao Yi sighed.
Isn't that stupid? With such an opportunity right in front of them, they couldn't bear to get a beating.
With the Li family's connections, even if you anger that person, no matter how much they try to appease you, they won't actually kill you. Let him vent his anger, and seeing your bruised and swollen face, they'll give you a little face.
Zhao Yi was determined that once he entered the village, he would have Old Tian carry him into the peach orchard to show off to Qing An: "Look how much I resemble you."
The reminder from the man surnamed Li was certainly correct, but he was a bit like a well-fed man who didn't understand the hunger of a starving man.
He was so badly injured that he was barely clinging to life, making it the perfect time to trick the court into giving him a flogging!
"Snapped."
The car door opened, and Li Zhuiyuan got out of the car.
Zhang Li: "Welcome, Master of the House."
Li Zhuiyuan nodded to Zhang Li and walked up to Xiao Yingying.
It's been so long since we've seen her like this... Secretary Kim.
The group of tomb raiders were led by Ding Dalin and Secretary Jin. When they were excavating Qing'an's sleeping place, Ding Dalin, who was actually quite skilled, got scared and ordered them to stop. However, Secretary Jin, blinded by greed, took over and gave orders to forcibly wake Qing'an up. In the end, the tomb raiders all turned into a plate of boiled shrimp.
The next morning, when Li Zhuiyuan was taking a walk with his grandfather, he encountered Ding Dalin and Secretary Jin again, but the two of them had now disguised themselves as Qing'an and Xiao Yingying.
After contracting the land in the village in the name of the great-grandfather to grow peach trees, the two men never appeared again.
Li Zhuiyuan did not expect that Xiao Yingying would actually make a new set of shrimp shells using paper crafting materials.
Xiao Yingying pointed to the tarpaulin at the back of the truck, then to her own tricycle, and finally looked in the direction of Taolin.
Clearly, Qing'an had sent her to transport the stone coffin containing Ming Ningshuang's remains to the peach grove.
Li Zhuiyuan: "Go back and tell him that as a relative or friend, he can attend the banquet, but he is not the host; I am."
The host family here isn't vying for status; rather, it's because before any wedding or funeral in the village, a person must be designated as the head of the household to make decisions and allocate expenses.
The promise was made by Li Zhuiyuan, the marriage certificate was burned by him, and most importantly, Wei Zhengdao was buried in his Li family's ancestral graveyard. Logically and emotionally, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't shirk this responsibility.
Secretary Kim: "Yes."
She got on her tricycle and rode back to report. She hadn't spoken before because she didn't know how to phrase it; after all, she was just a messenger, her job was to relay messages.
Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand, signaling Wu Xing to drive the truck into the village first.
After the car drove past, the boy looked towards the pavilion.
Zhang Li immediately floated out and reported: "Master, the lords have not yet returned. However, last night, Lord Yin Meng called the convenience store and said that she, Miss Qin Li, and Lord Mu will be back before nightfall tonight."
"I see."
Zhao Yi's wave of energy only took some time to plan and guide in the early stages; the real explosion of energy was concentrated in those few shivers under the dome of the underworld.
Therefore, Li Zhuiyuan was not surprised at all that his group was the first to return, while A Li, as one of the last to leave among the companions, was the first to return...
This means that without her being a burden that makes the journey across the river more difficult, Ah Li should have had a lot of fun this time.
It's understandable; when Li Zhuiyuan used Zhao Yi's body to fight, he also experienced the joy of the Qin family.
When the boy returned home, Ling Wuxing and the others had already carried the stone coffin onto the dam and placed it in the living room.
Aunt Liu leaned against the kitchen doorway, gazing at the stone coffin bearing the Ming family crest, licking her lips, eager to try it out.
It was no secret that the Ming family was holding a memorial service for Ming Qinyun. The family head happened to go out and bring back a Ming family coffin, which naturally led people to misunderstand who was lying inside.
Everyone in the family is respectable except for Aunt Liu. She is now very grateful to her family for showing leniency towards their subordinates and for giving her the pleasure of whipping her enemies.
Even before the coffin was placed, Aunt Liu had already devised a plan for revenge and desecration. First, she would vent her anger on it, and then use it as a breeding ground for venomous insects, placing it under the porcelain vat in the outhouse behind the house.
Every night before going back to bed, I would admire it for a while. The beautiful mood I felt helped to offset Ali's silly grin that made me feel uneasy.
Uncle Qin wasn't home; he and Xiong Shan were busy delivering bricks in their tractor.
Liu Yumei didn't play cards today; she sat on the dam drinking tea.
Wang Lian's husband worked as a laborer building houses and broke his leg yesterday. Wang Lian is taking care of him in the hospital.
Liu Jinxia and Granny Hua went to the hospital to visit her today, but Liu Yumei didn't go; she had already paid the medical expenses to Wang Lian in advance.
When playing cards face-to-face, it's incredibly easy to spot potential family troubles. That day, Wang Lian saw that she had won too much and wanted to deliberately lose some back, but ultimately her card skills were no match for hers.
Even if some calamities are foreseen in advance, there's no way to avert them. Even if you manage to mitigate them to a manageable extent in the present, there's no guarantee that an uncontrollable future might emerge.
Furthermore, Wang Lian doesn't need to change her fate herself. She has a destiny of hardship followed by happiness. Before she even met herself, she had already endured great suffering, so what's the point of changing it?
"Greetings, Madam."
"Greetings, Madam."
"Grandma, thank you for bringing my little Yuan back."
The scene of the lotus pond at Qinglong Temple was still vivid in her mind, so Liu Yumei naturally wouldn't put on airs with these two young people.
Ling Wuxing: "I should thank Patriarch Li for giving me this opportunity."
Compared to Ling Wuxing, who was still a bit reserved, Tao Zhuming was much more cheerful and lively, deliberately picking his nose and jokingly saying:
"Grandma, it's my pleasure."
"If your grandfather finds out, you'll be in big trouble."
"My grandfather is still very low-key. He has never mentioned this battle with the Dragon King to the depths of the Netherworld for so many years, and just keeps it to himself."
Liu Yumei waved her hand, saying that as an elder, she couldn't talk about such past disputes with the younger generation.
After Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing finished paying their respects to Liu Yumei, they consciously walked down the dam. When they faced Li Zhuiyuan, who had returned, Tao Zhuming spoke:
"Brother Xiaoyuan, let's stay for a few days to rest before we leave."
"it is good."
Li Zhuiyuan knew that the two of them were staying here not to get any benefits, but to wait for Zhao Yi's people to come and lend money to Zhao Yi.
This is a deal between them and Zhao Yi. Even if it's nine out of 13 transactions, it's their own business. Li Zhuiyuan won't interfere. He should be the one who gains the most merit, but it's just paper wealth.
Li Zhuiyuan walked onto the dam, sat down next to Liu Yumei, and picked up the tea that his grandmother had poured for him.
Aunt Liu hummed a tune as she came over and set out tea and snacks. Then she stood to the side, waiting for the head of the household to give the order, "Please help yourself."
Liu Yumei: "Who in the Ming family's ancestors had a past with you?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, she is an aunt of the Ming family."
Liu Yumei: "Is it the one who laid the foundation for the Ming family's empire in history?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."
Liu Yumei: "It turned out to be a woman."
Qin Liu established his family much earlier than the Ming family, and his ancestral home contains detailed records of the martial arts world. Dragon King Ming's rise was once as fierce as a tiger, but his weakness was that he lacked staying power.
This is a very strange development model. It can either be as stable and continuous as Qin Liu's, or as successful as the Zhao family of Jiujiang who reached their peak right from the start. If all else fails, it is understandable that after a long period of silence, an outstanding descendant will emerge to bring about a revival.
But the Ming family is exactly like this: thin at the beginning and end, and thick in the middle.
Each time a Dragon King is born into a sect, it is equivalent to a self-renewal and a reshaping of its atmosphere. If the Dragon King is absent for too long, it is easy for the sect to have the name and strength, but its internal structure has become rotten and worm-eaten.
After listening to Grandma Liu's story, Li Zhuiyuan guessed:
"It must be because...she died."
An aunt who, though living in immortality, is in a state of self-suppression, even if her original intention was to wait for her lover, her spirit of confining herself with her beliefs without relying on formations is enough to inspire the younger generation of the Ming family.
Perhaps, when Ming Ningshuang was alive, she would do things similar to Bai Gu, offering guidance to outstanding juniors to relieve their boredom. This also explains why the Ming family's dragon kings respected her so much.
Liu Yumei: "Does Grandma need any preparations?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "No need, we don't need to observe the formalities of family relations."
Liu Yumei nodded, picked up a pastry, and put it into Aunt Liu's open mouth.
On the village road opposite the field, the figure of the great-grandfather appeared, and in front of the great-grandfather stood an old man... Ding Dalin.
Even though he had already sent the little oriole back to tell him that he was the master of the house and that he would take charge of the arrangements, Qing'an still couldn't wait.
When he transformed the little oriole back into Secretary Kim, he decided to leave the forest himself.
Li Zhuiyuan stood up and said, "Grandma, I'll go and take care of this first."
Liu Yumei: "You go ahead with your work. Respect for the deceased is paramount."
Li Zhuiyuan: "I had no intention of holding a funeral."
Liu Yumei was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Ali and the others should be back before dinner."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, I will go pick her up."
Liu Yumei took a sip of tea and smiled, "In the past, it was always A-Li who waited for you to come home. It's rare that you two can switch roles like this."
Li Zhuiyuan: "That's fine too."
Liu Yumei: "Yes, it's great."
After Li Zhuiyuan left, Aunt Liu swallowed the pastry in her mouth and said with some disappointment:
"Alas, it wasn't Ming Qinyun after all."
“One thing at a time, and we shouldn’t blame our ancestors. The spirit of the Ming family’s Dragon King has already set a good example. Go and clean the coffin, light incense, and offer our own heartfelt wishes.”
"Grandma, why don't you even know much about such an important figure in the martial arts world?"
“When I was a child, I looked at the family genealogy and found that there was a missing section. It seemed that my Liu family had no ancestors who lit lamps to cross the river in that generation. Later, when I married into the Qin family, I also looked through the Qin family's ancestral home and found that the Qin family's records were the same.”
This martial arts world has a history that was forcibly erased; even the identity of the Dragon King of that era is unknown.
"Wasn't that generation very chaotic?"
"On the contrary, it's not chaotic at all, it's very clean, and while we don't know who the real Dragon King is, several people have appeared who seem to be the Dragon King. They haven't even issued any Dragon King's decree to this martial world."
"Grandma, you suspect..."
Liu Yumei sat facing south, gazing at the peach grove belonging to the bearded man:
"Without relying on formations or needing a story, after suppressing himself for a thousand years, he can still drink wine and play the zither."
Ah Ting,
Even if we don't live here, this place can still be considered the domain of the Dragon King.
……
Ding Dalin, who had been out of contact for several years, suddenly appeared and stood alive in front of Li Sanjiang, giving him a real fright.
He had always believed that Ding Dalin had died abroad long ago.
Upon meeting, Li Sanjiang frankly told Ding Dalin what he "thought." He also mentioned that he had made a will, which stipulated that the land of the bearded man's house and the peach orchard were contracted to Xiao Yuanhou.
There's nothing to hide. It was a gentleman's agreement from the beginning. The house and land were registered under Li Sanjiang's name. Ding Dalin, you can live here while you're alive, and after you die, they'll either go to Xiao Yuanhou or belong to the village collective.
When Li Zhuiyuan walked over, he saw his grandfather holding Ding Dalin's hand, speaking frankly and openly.
While maintaining his identity and responding, Ding Dalin glanced at Li Zhuiyuan out of the corner of his eye, signaling the young man to hurry up and get to the point. He had no time to listen to anything about land rights confirmation or village collectives.
"Grandpa."
"Hey, Little Marquis, you're back?"
"Yeah, I just got back."
"Did you have a good time at Marquis Yi's place?"
"You had a great time."
"Come, come, your Grandpa Ding is back, come and call everyone."
Li Zhuiyuan looked at Ding Dalin: "Grandpa Ding."
Ding Dalin reached out and patted Li Zhuiyuan's head, gesturing to show the height difference, and remarked:
"This child has grown so much in the past few years."
"Is that so? Kids these days eat well, so they're bound to grow fast."
Li Zhuiyuan said to Ding Dalin, "Grandpa Ding, are you here to pay for the peach trees?"
The houses in the village are not worth much, and the land is not expensive, but that peach orchard is not cheap, from buying saplings to planting them manually. The peach blossoms above Qing'an's head have always been bought on credit.
Li Sanjiang: "Hey, Little Marquis Yuan, I won't talk about it!"
Ding Dalin: "The child is right. I was in a hurry when I left and I was careless."
Actually, what Li Zhuiyuan meant by those words was to tell Ding Dalin that he hadn't had a chance to explain the stone coffin to his grandfather yet, and that Ding could make it up himself.
Ding Dalin: "What a pity, the business failed, and I'm really broke."
Li Sanjiang: "I'll give you the money for the house and the contracted land. You can continue living in that house. I'll have them make room for you."
Ding Dalin: "I can't accept this."
Li Sanjiang: "You trusted me first, so now that you're in trouble, I'll definitely lend a hand. Besides, I'm doing pretty well in business now, I have plenty of money. If you don't believe me, ask Xiao Yuanhou."
Ding Dalin: "Sanjiang, please do me a favor, and we'll be even."
Li Sanjiang: "What help do you need? Tell me!"
Ding Dalin: "I came back this time to move the remains of my deceased wife here. I want to bury her in our village."
Li Sanjiang: "That's easy, you have a good reputation in our village."
Previously, after Tan Wenbin took out the burial items of his godfather and godbrother and handed them over to Li Sanjiang, Li Sanjiang used Ding Dalin's overseas Chinese name to build bridges and roads in the village. Since the person wanted to return to his roots and have a grave, the villagers certainly wouldn't have any objections.
Ding Dalin: "But I want to bury her in... your Li family's ancestral cemetery."
At this point, Ding Dalin should have been brewing up all sorts of excuses, but Li Sanjiang only paused for a moment, then laughed:
"Hey, I thought it was something serious. Have you forgotten? Your grandparents were buried there during the plague back then."
Qing'an didn't forget; it was Ding Dalin, the tomb raider, who forgot. However, in that case, things were indeed easier to resolve.
Ding Dalin: "Could you help me with this?"
Li Sanjiang: "It's possible, but let's make it clear beforehand that the place is too crowded. I didn't even choose that place for my own and Shanpao's graves. If you want to be buried there, we can't build cement, and we can't even put the coffin down. We'll have to use an urn."
As he spoke, Li Sanjiang gestured with his hands to indicate the size of a basketball.
Ding Dalin looked at Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan nodded slightly. Things will work themselves out in the end. Even if you don't know how to straighten things out, your great-grandfather's good fortune can help you.
Ding Dalin: "Okay, of course."
Li Sanjiang reached out and patted Ding Dalin on the shoulder: "Old brother, you have no children, so it's not appropriate to move the grave without a filial son. Anyway, it was agreed that your house and land would be left to Xiao Yuanhou, so let Xiao Yuanhou be the head of the household. Don't worry, I don't mind."
Ding Dalin: "..."
Li Zhuiyuan put his hands in his pockets.
After all the effort Qing'an had put in, the title of "master of the house" still ended up in his hands.
Li Sanjiang: "Young Marquis Yuan, we can't forget the kindness people showed you back then just because things are better now."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, Grandpa, I'm willing."
Li Sanjiang then looked at Ding Dalin and asked, "Are you in a hurry? If not, I'll calculate a date for you."
"It's urgent, very urgent. I still have a lot of things to take care of, and I can't wait to leave tomorrow morning."
"That's perfect timing, tonight is an auspicious night."
Li Sanjiang realized that Ding Dalin was not doing well these days, so he wouldn't hold a large banquet like he did when he went home last time. He would just do whatever was cheap and convenient.
"Okay, whatever you say."
"Let's go to Big Beard's house and ask Old Tian to cook a couple of dishes to go with our drinks. The three of us will have a good drink together."
"Won't drinking cause problems?"
Just come out wearing Ding Dalin's skin and get things settled; Qing'an really has no interest in drinking with those two youngsters, Li Sanjiang and Lao Tian.
"What are you afraid of? The master is Marquis Xiaoyuan. At night, you only need to send one person to stand by and watch."
"Young Marquis Yuan has accompanied me on many vegetarian meals; he knows the procedures inside and out, doesn't he, Young Marquis Yuan?"
"Yes, Grandpa, Grandpa Ding is in a bad mood. Please keep him company."
Li Sanjiang put his arm around Ding Dalin's shoulder and, while supporting him as they walked towards the bearded man's house, comforted him:
"Lord Dalin, relax. In business, losses and gains are normal. What's there to be afraid of if you lose? Look at me, we're both at the age where we should be taking risks!"
At the bearded man's house, Old Tian laid his young master on the bed.
She sniffled, her eyes reddened, and she couldn't hold back her tears.
"Oh, Lao Tian, please stop crying. Your young master is quite tired right now, and I still have to go to the trouble of comforting you."
"Young Master, I really can't help it. When I was a child, you were such a puddle. I never thought you would grow up to be such a puddle again."
"I already told you, I've made a fortune this time. It's a good thing. Once this injury heals, your young master will be completely different."
"Young Master, what would you like to eat? I'll go and make it for you right away... No, Young Master, you can't eat anything right now. You might choke if you eat the wrong thing."
Old Tian was experienced in taking care of the delicate young master. He went downstairs to the kitchen to prepare some porridge for him.
At the kitchen doorway, he saw Secretary Kim frying peanuts.
"you……"
Old Tian recognized Xiao Yingying as the person in front of him, but he didn't understand why she would wear a new leather jacket when it wasn't a holiday.
"Old Tian, Old Tian, hey!"
"I'm here, Brother Li."
"Come on, let's have a drink. We're just waiting for you."
"Hey, I'm here!"
Old Tian walked into the living room and saw Li Sanjiang and Ding Dalin sitting around the square table.
Li Sanjiang had already poured wine for the three of them and gestured for Lao Tian to sit down.
"Old Tian, let me introduce you. This is Marquis Dalin..."
After Lao Tian sat down, he picked up his wine glass and, as was his habit, wanted to clink glasses with Ding Dalin as a way of getting acquainted.
Ding Dalin didn't move, he just held the cup.
Old Tian handed over his wine glass, and when they clinked glasses, he proactively lowered his glass, but the other person didn't even bother to follow suit.
Hey yo!
Look at you, so capable. Brother Li helped me treat my leg, and he's also someone's great-grandfather. I respect and acknowledge him. Who the hell do you think you are, putting on airs with me?
Secretary Jin brought out a plate of peanuts and three pairs of chopsticks. He placed the plate of peanuts on the table and handed the chopsticks to Li Sanjiang and Old Tian, who both reached out to take them.
Ding Dalin sat there without moving, and Secretary Jin neatly placed the chopsticks in front of him.
In an instant, Old Tian's usually rusty mind suddenly understood. The main reason was that he had never expected that this person would actually come out of the peach grove and sit at the living room table to drink with him.
"rub!"
Old Tian jumped up immediately.
Li Sanjiang: "Hey, Lao Tian, what's with the springs under your butt? What are you doing bouncing around like that? Come on, sit down, let's have a drink together, the three of us."
Old Tian's facial muscles were twitching, and his trouser legs were swaying.
This time, Ding Dalin took the initiative to place his wine glass in the center for the three of them to clink glasses, and said:
"Sit down and have a drink."
With a "bang," Lao Tian quickly sat down, cracking the bench, and maintained his squatting stance to clink glasses.
Fortunately, Secretary Kim noticed. After all, they had been neighbors for so long, so she went and got a good stool for Old Tian.
Afterwards, Secretary Jin went outside the dam and placed the wine jar on the offering table.
Deep in the peach grove.
Su Luo was pouring wine for the three evil spirits of the Liu family.
"Why was he drinking outside today?"
"Shall we stay here and drink, or go out together?"
"Drinking is more fun with more people, let's go together!"
Su Luo, holding the wine jug, stared blankly as the three great evil spirits walked out of the peach grove.
After a moment, he jogged to catch up:
"Wait for me, count me in!"
On the second floor, Zhao Yi, who was lying in bed preparing to take a nap to relieve the fatigue of the journey and to trick Ting Guang, opened his eyes in confusion after only dozing off for a short while.
Despite his severe injuries, the gate between life and death was closed, yet Zhao Yi's sixth sense remained intact. At this moment, he felt as if he were lying on the crater of a volcano about to erupt:
"No, where did such a strong ominous sign come from?"
……
Grandpa didn't come back for lunch. Benben rode his little black bike over to tell him, saying and gesturing: Grandpa's having a great time drinking over there, lots of people, it's very lively.
After the meal, a light rain began to fall. Li Zhuiyuan took a new notebook, filled his fountain pen with ink, opened his umbrella, walked to the entrance of the village road, sat down in the pavilion, and began to record his reflections on the previous wave.
Zhang Li was no longer at ease and was restless. Who would have thought that a high-ranking leader would be working in the guardhouse?
As Li Zhuiyuan was writing, he looked up and saw three figures appearing and disappearing in the rain and mist on the south side of the road. It was only a little past two o'clock, and they had returned much earlier than the phone call had indicated.
Just like I was back then, I was eager to go home as soon as each wave ended.
The boy opened his umbrella, stepped out of the pavilion, and came to the roadside.
Of the three figures, the two on the outer edges stopped, while the one in the middle quickened his pace.
Li Zhuiyuan's aura was contained, and even from this distance, Yin Meng and Mu Qiuying could not detect him. The reason they stopped was that, originally, because of Miss Qin Li, the rain would naturally separate above their heads, and their clothes would not get wet.
Suddenly, the rain was no longer blocked and began to fall.
Mu Qiuying: "Should we...stop?"
Yin Meng: "Hey, do you want some sunflower seeds?"
Mu Qiuying: "Haven't you finished eating your sunflower seeds yet?"
Yin Meng patted her backpack: "Half of my bag contains poison, and the other half contains snacks."
Mu Qiuying: "Really... extravagant."
Yin Meng: "Even snacks can turn into poison once they're cooked."
The distance wasn't too long, just enough to make the girl's red dress slightly damp, so she didn't look disheveled, and she didn't let down the umbrella waiting for her ahead.
Li Zhuiyuan stood still, watching A Li get closer and closer, stepping under his umbrella.
The boy was just watching intently, too preoccupied to greet her or do anything else, just like in the past, whenever he returned from walking across the river, Ah Li would stare at him carefully for a long time, checking if he was injured.
There were no obvious external injuries, but there was a faint smell of wound medicine on his body. This outfit was the last thing in his backpack, which meant that the original clothes were already torn, and you could tell how fierce the battle was.
Li Zhuiyuan held A Li's hand and took her pulse.
He has internal injuries, and they're quite severe.
Under the boy's gaze, the girl silently lowered her head. The injury could have been avoided, or at least wouldn't have been so serious. She acted impulsively. She could have taken it one step at a time, but instead, she went straight to the bottom of the lake.
Li Zhuiyuan tilted the umbrella slightly closer to the girl, gently squeezed her hand, and said:
"As long as you're happy, getting hurt is nothing, it's worth it."
The girl looked up and smiled.
Their eyes met, and they saw their former selves reflected in each other's eyes.
Li Zhuiyuan held the girl's hand and walked home along the village road, the boy's voice carrying through the drizzle:
"You're back just in time. I'll take you to the wedding tonight."
(End of this chapter)