Chapter 128

Li Sanjiang realized only after he had finished calling out that a stranger was following Runsheng, Zhuangzhuang, and Yin Meng.

The boy was fair-skinned and delicate, with a shy and introverted appearance, looking like someone well-suited for steady, quiet work.

"Hey, not bad, you even brought back a new mule."

Lin Shuyou held a brined duck in his hand. He had specially carried it down when they got out of the car. Before, he had been so anxious about whether Brother Xiaoyuan and the others would take him along that he completely forgot about buying gifts.

He regretted not asking Brother Bin to stop the car in Shinan Town earlier so he could buy some milk, biscuits, or similar items.

His hometown valued etiquette, and if his grandfathers and masters found out he had visited empty-handed, he'd be heavily criticized.

Li Sanjiang warmly invited everyone indoors. Li Chuiyuan got off his Grand-Grandpa's back, took his hand, and walked at the very front.

"Zhuangzhuang, did you drive back?"

"Yes, I got my driver's license. Mengmeng got hers too."

"That's great. When you graduate from university and want to buy a car, your Elder Uncle will chip in for you."

"Hahaha, absolutely. Even if you don't offer, I'd shamelessly ask you for it."

"You scoundrel, your family is well-off. At most, your Grand-Grandpa will contribute for just one wheel."

"If I'm missing one of your wheels, my car won't be able to drive!"

Li Sanjiang subconsciously assumed the yellow pickup truck was borrowed or rented by the children.

In those days, a two-wheeled motorcycle was a rarity for a family. Anyone who could drive one around the village or town was considered quite modern and stylish.

As for four-wheeled vehicles, that was even more unimaginable. Most families in the village didn't even dare to dream of parking a car at their home in the future.

"Is this boy your classmate?"

"Yes, a classmate." Tan Wenbin nudged Lin Shuyou.

Lin Shuyou: "Elder Li, my name is Lin Shuyou."

"That accent, from the south?"

"Yes, I'm from Fujian."

"Good, very good. The young man looks proper and seems to have a strong constitution."

As soon as they stepped onto the yard, Li Chuiyuan's expression instantly turned serious.

Behind him, Lin Shuyou stopped abruptly the moment his foot touched the yard steps, and his vertical pupils opened.

Li Sanjiang: "Huh, why does this young man look a bit cross-eyed?"

Runsheng quickly rushed to Li Chuiyuan, simultaneously pulling out a Yellow River Shovel from his bag. With a forceful flick, the newly made large Yellow River Shovel instantly unfolded and positioned itself horizontally in front of him.

Yin Meng drew out her new Demon-Expelling Whip from her waist. The seven-colored whip, signifying it contained seven types of toxins, was held up by Yin Meng as she stood diagonally beside Li Chuiyuan.

Tan Wenbin took several large leaps, spun around in mid-air, and landed behind Xiaoyuan, facing backward.

After Lin Shuyou's vertical pupils opened, he placed his left hand flat, clenched his right fist, and bent his knees, preparing to go into a trance.

Li Sanjiang, pushed to the periphery by this commotion, was momentarily bewildered: "What are they doing?"

Li Chuiyuan's expression returned to normal.

Where there are malevolent spirits, the feng shui is certainly not good.

Li Chuiyuan had first learned about feng shui by reading books on the second floor of his Grand-Grandpa's house, so he was naturally very familiar with the feng shui layout of his Grand-Grandpa's home.

Currently, the feng shui here clearly had an issue, but its impact was not significant. The difference was like a spacious and bright rural self-built house transforming into the gloomy inpatient ward of an old hospital.

Those sensitive to such things might detect a slight abnormality, but it wouldn't have much impact on a person's health or luck.

Especially for his own Grand-Grandpa, his good fortune had long transcended the influence of ordinary environments; he could even change the surrounding environment.

Moreover, this feeling was gradually fading, meaning there should have been something unclean here originally, but it was no longer present.

Li Chuiyuan raised his hand, signaling to lower their guard, and at the same time said to Li Sanjiang:

"Grand-Grandpa, we're planning to take a photo. Brother Binbin brought a camera back."

Ever since the last time he made rubbings of the stone tablet in Zhengmen Village, Tan Wenbin had been thinking about getting a camera.

A while ago, he was invited by Lu An'an and Liu Tao, two seniors from the physiognomy club, to attend an inter-school physiognomy exchange meeting. He had expected to learn something and broaden his horizons, but it turned out to be full of bureaucracy.

The speeches by the organizing committee leaders made him feel sleepy and bored, finding them very dry. However, in the lucky draw before the end of the conference, the first prize was a camera, and he was lucky enough to win it.

He was quite happy, feeling that his trip hadn't been in vain.

Now, seeing that Brother Xiaoyuan had lowered his guard, he immediately took out the camera and raised it:

"Alright, come on, let's take a photo! Everyone pose! Look here, give a peace sign, yay!"

"Click!"

The first photo was taken. Tan Wenbin wasn't in it; Yin Meng and Runsheng stood guard beside Xiaoyuan, and a cross-eyed person stood nearby.

For the second photo, Tan Wenbin asked Li Sanjiang to press the shutter while he ran to take his place.

Lin Shuyou's vertical pupils receded. He couldn't find a spot for a moment, but Tan Wenbin finally waved him over and had him squat at the very front.

After the two photos were taken, people inside the house also heard the commotion and came out.

The first to emerge from the kitchen was Cui Guiying, wearing an apron. Wiping her hands on it, she joyfully called out:

"Xiaoyuanhou, my grandson!"

"Grandma."

Cui Guiying hugged Li Chuiyuan tightly, examining him carefully.

"Xiaoyuanhou and the others are back, right?" Li Weihan's voice came from the path. He was pushing a small cart with two jars of wine on it.

"Grandpa."

"Ah, Xiaoyuanhou, haha!"

Li Sanjiang got angry when he saw Li Weihan taking down the wine jars and couldn't help but curse: "It's all that bumpkin's fault, spouting nonsense at a time like this!"

"You old geezer, badmouthing me while I'm on the toilet!"

Grandpa Shan walked out from behind the house, tying his pants' drawstring.

Li Sanjiang: "What's wrong? Was I wrong?"

Grandpa Shan: "It's because those two jars of wine in your house had cracks, letting out a lot of their essence, which is why I said the taste wasn't pure!"

Li Sanjiang retorted crossly: "When you had no money for food and were reduced to gnawing on sweet potatoes, I didn't see you being so picky!"

Grandpa Shan: "You..."

Li Chuiyuan asked: "Grand-Grandpa, is anyone else home?"

"Anyone else? No, everyone's here. Oh, but I did hire a helper. Her paper-crafting skills are excellent, and she's diligent. She also helps me read letters and write replies. Her surname is Xiao, and her name is Yinghou."

"Where is she then?"

"She asked for leave last night, saying she had family matters, and went back this morning. She'll return in a few days after she's sorted things out."

Li Chuiyuan nodded, not asking further. He could probably guess who this Yinghou was.

If the entity under the peach grove wasn't dead, then even if any dead spirits flowed downstream, they'd be scared enough to swim upstream before entering this area.

Who else could be the malevolent spirit capable of acting under the watchful eye of that entity without harming Grand-Grandpa?

Cui Guiying smiled: "Everyone, please sit down. Dinner's ready."

A round table was set up in the yard, and a large group of people sat around it, eating and drinking, making it a lively scene.

Li Sanjiang and Grandpa Shan, joyful, got drunk. Mumbling curses at each other, they lay down in the two coffins prepared for themselves in the living room and fell into a deep sleep.

Li Weihan had also drunk quite a bit. Leaning against the door panel, face flushed, basking in the sun, he was half-asleep.

Cui Guiying, while scolding them, went to the kitchen to prepare hangover soup for them.

After speaking with his grandma, Li Chuiyuan took Runsheng and the others to Big Beard's house.

This peach grove was now a beautiful sight in the village.

Li Chuiyuan stood in Big Beard's yard, gazing out.

Lin Shuyou imitated Brother Xiaoyuan, leaning forward to look. The moment his gaze focused, his vertical pupils instantly opened and then rapidly closed!

"Hiss!"

Lin Shuyou covered his eyes and painfully squatted down.

Tan Wenbin stepped forward, grabbed his shoulder, and helped him turn to a different direction.

The peach grove was completely calm, without a single breath of wind.

"Brother Runsheng, set up the offering table."

"Okay."

Tables and chairs were readily available inside the house. The offerings were simple: biscuits, dried shredded meat. It was somewhat informal, but they assumed the recipient wouldn't mind.

One red and one white candle stood upright, their flames flickering.

Li Chuiyuan held a piece of yellow paper between his fingertips, lit it, waved it three times, and then tossed it into the brazier.

Runsheng and Tan Wenbin stood around the brazier, beginning to burn paper money.

This action held no special meaning; it was simply a way of greeting.

Li Chuiyuan knew that, for now, he was not yet qualified to converse with the entity beneath the peach grove.

However, the entity had indeed been quite considerate, looking after his Grand-Grandpa's family.

Although such care might be an unbearable burden for ordinary people, his Grand-Grandpa clearly was an exception.

When the paper had finished burning, Runsheng lifted the brazier with tongs and poured the ashes onto the ground below the yard.

The simple ritual should have concluded at this point; Tan Wenbin had already blown out the two candles.

But at that moment, though there was still no wind, the ashes swirled upwards, drifted outwards, and then suddenly floated back towards where everyone stood.

Everyone's attention was fixed on these strange ashes, watching them fly past.

The two candles, which had been extinguished, relit themselves.

An emotion gradually enveloped everyone present: remembrance, wistfulness, sighs, and lament.

It was seeing new faces and thinking of old ones, but also a search for their former selves and the people who were once beside them.

He was the one who survived, living to this day, yet also the one left behind by time, isolated until now.

Soon, the ashes settled, and the candles extinguished again.

Except for Li Chuiyuan, everyone else's mood was affected and turned somber.

While everyone else stood frozen, Li Chuiyuan picked up a broom and swept the ashes from the ground.

One by one, they recovered, either dawning on them or as if newly awakened, and joined in the cleanup.

After everything was tidied up, everyone left Big Beard's house.

Tan Wenbin needed to go back to Shigang Town to visit his paternal and maternal grandparents.

Lin Shuyou was going with Tan Wenbin.

Shinan Town had few shops, while Shigang Town was livelier and more populous, so he planned to buy some gifts there.

Runsheng needed to go back to Xiting Town to clean his house and restock on rice, flour, grains, and oil.

At the dinner table, he asked his grandpa when he had arrived at Elder Li's house. Grandpa Shan said he was worried they might return early today and he'd miss seeing them for the first time, so he had arrived last night.

Runsheng understood then that his family had likely run out of food again, and his grandpa had come a day early to "mooch" off them.

Yin Meng, having nothing to do, decided to go back with Runsheng to help him clean.

Li Chuiyuan went to neither place; he wanted to stay home.

With this peach grove here, there wouldn't be much danger in the village, so everyone could indeed boldly go their separate ways at this time.

Thus, Tan Wenbin drove off with Lin Shuyou in the small pickup truck, and Runsheng rode his family's tricycle, carrying Yin Meng.

After watching them leave, Li Chuiyuan planned to turn back, take advantage of the good afternoon sun, and sit on the second-floor terrace of his Grand-Grandpa's house.

However, a joyful voice came from behind him at that moment:

"Brother Yuanhou!"

Li Chuiyuan turned around and saw Cui Cui, her face full of excitement.

Girls generally develop earlier than boys. Cui Cui had grown taller, and her chin was beginning to sharpen. She had inherited Aunt Xianghou's facial features and would become a graceful young woman in a few more years.

"Cui Cui."

"Brother Yuanhou, you're back! Where's Sister A'li?"

"She didn't come back."

"Hehe." After a simple greeting, Cui Cui started to giggle.

She was genuinely happy. For over a year, she had often come here to play with Brother Yuanhou and Sister A'li, because only they didn't dislike her.

When Li Chuiyuan went to university in Jinling, and A'li also left, Cui Cui once again found herself without friends.

However, she didn't feel lonely or sad because of this, for she had once had them.

Whenever she saw other children in groups of three or five, the thought that she had once spent time with Brother Yuanhou and Sister A'li made her lift her chin and walk past proudly.

"Brother Yuanhou, come play at my house! My mom and grandma are both home."

Li Chuiyuan nodded: "Okay."

He had lived in the village for a long time, but there weren't many people he felt compelled to visit when he returned.

His grandparents were currently helping out at his Grand-Grandpa's house and had already eaten lunch together. As for his uncles, there was no need to specially call on them; if he did, his Grand-Grandpa would be displeased.

Liu Jinxia and Li Juxiang had helped him break a curse before, providing concrete assistance, so he had to visit them.

Seeing Li Chuiyuan agree, Cui Cui tentatively reached out her hand.

Li Chuiyuan extended his hand and held hers.

The little girl immediately became so happy, as if she couldn't wait to turn into a butterfly.

She still remembered when Li Chuiyuan first came here, walking with her by the stream and even treating her to chocolate.

Later, her mother bought her many types of chocolate, but even if the brands and wrappers were identical, she could never taste the same sweetness as before.

Li Chuiyuan knew she was very happy.

He had been sensible from a very young age and had learned to read people's expressions early on. Through imitation and observation, inference and analysis, he could make most people around him satisfied and happy with his "identity" – except, of course, for Li Lan.

This was a habit, not something he was born with, but in terms of time, it wasn't far off.

Even though he now deliberately refrained from "performing," this inertia still remained.

For example, he wanted to see Binbin become class monitor, and he wanted to see Binbin and Zhou Yunyun together.

For example, when Runsheng expressed his longing for Grandpa Shan, he said he would go home at the end of the month.

For example, he also knew that if he went back, his Grand-Grandpa would be very happy to see him.

Li Chuiyuan felt he was a dull person.

For some joys and emotions, he was still an awkward beginner, so he hoped to have more examples around him, so he could observe, understand, and imitate.

Not just formally, but genuinely.

There was no problem when he was with A'li, but as A'li's "balcony window," he had to step out earlier and more boldly than A'li to lead her further out.

However, as he passed Aunt Zhang's small shop and Aunt Zhang greeted him enthusiastically, Li Chuiyuan's polite "smile" involuntarily faded when his eyes landed on the telephone.

Cui Cui pulled him, continuing forward. Before they even reached home, from a distance, she shouted: "Mom! Mom! Brother Yuanhou is here! Brother Yuanhou is here!"

Li Juxiang was washing clothes. Hearing the shout, she was so delighted she stopped washing and went back inside to get snacks.

The weather was getting a bit cool, so drinking citric acid beverages wasn't suitable. She opened two bottles of milk drinks instead.

Li Chuiyuan took it, sipped through the straw, and tasted a strong saccharine flavor with just a hint of milk.

He still didn't like sweet drinks. Usually, he either sponged tea off Liu Yumei or drank boiled water in his dorm.

After Tan Wenbin frequently drank tea at Grandma Liu's, he couldn't even drink the tea his father gave him anymore.

Li Chuiyuan only used drinks as a quick supplement after physical exertion.

However, when Aunt Xianghou asked again, "Is it good? Do you want to try a different flavor?", he still lowered his head and took two more sips:

"It's good."

Liu Jinxia didn't play mahjong this afternoon. She had taken on a job and was holding a calligraphy brush, trying to write "fenglian" (seal couplets) while consulting a book.

This was a traditional folk custom. These "fenglian" could be hung in temples, used for funerals, or placed atop offerings and burned together.

The fact that Liu Jinxia could now take on this job proved that her status had risen compared to the past.

Indeed, in their line of work, status often correlated with age; the older they were, the more popular and trusted they became.

However, Liu Jinxia hesitated to put pen to white cloth, instead practicing repeatedly on yellow paper.

Her handwriting was barely passable, but she had put effort into practicing it.

Six months ago, she secretly went to the city for cataract surgery, and her eyesight was much better than before, but in front of outsiders, she still habitually pretended to be "blind."

Li Chuiyuan walked to the table.

Blind Liu smiled: "Xiaoyuanhou, you're here."

"Yes, Grandma Liu." Li Chuiyuan didn't stand on ceremony, directly saying, "Grandma Liu, let me help you write."

"You can write them?" Her tone held a hint of surprise, though she was inclined to believe it, as the child had gotten into university at such a young age.

"Yes."

Li Chuiyuan picked up the calligraphy brush and began writing directly on the white cloth.

Initially, Liu Jinxia was a little worried, but after seeing the characters the young man wrote, her mind was completely at ease.

The "fenglian" written by the young man didn't seem to be in the book she had on hand, but it didn't matter. The characters were beautifully written, grand, and solemn, so the main family would be satisfied.

Li Chuiyuan finished writing all the "fenglian" on the table, put down the brush, and rubbed his wrist.

Liu Jinxia chuckled as she spread them out to dry, saying: "Stay for dinner."

"No, thank you. I have friends and classmates, and I need to go back to my Grand-Grandpa's house for dinner tonight."

"Oh, I see. Is school on holiday? How many days will you stay?"

"Three days."

"Mm." Liu Jinxia looked at her granddaughter Cui Cui, "Study hard, and strive to go to university in Jinling with your Brother Yuanhou in the future."

Cui Cui stuck out her tongue; Brother Yuanhou would have already graduated by the time she went to university.

"Brother Yuanhou, come play in my room."

Just like his first visit to Cui Cui's house, Li Chuiyuan was led upstairs by Cui Cui, and he still took off his shoes at the stairwell mid-way.

The layout of Cui Cui's room hadn't changed, but there were many more dolls. She had also collected many picture books, posters, and storybooks, which she brought out like treasures to share with Li Chuiyuan.

Li Chuiyuan's attention, however, was more focused on the furniture in the room.

First, he noticed a thin, horizontal crack on the mirror of the dressing table.

Next, there were similar cracks on the wardrobe, chairs, and bed frame.

In the eyes of ordinary people, it was perfectly normal for furniture to crack after long use.

But Li Chuiyuan could see that this was the influence of the girl's own destiny on her surroundings.

People are a part of their environment and can naturally cause specific changes to it.

Cui Cui's destiny had become "harder" again.

From Liu Jinxia, to Li Juxiang, and then to Cui Cui—three generations, becoming increasingly extreme.

Although Li Chuiyuan excelled in physiognomy and numerology, he was not superstitious about them. But even by probability, Cui Cui's current problem was already very serious.

When she grew up, unless they were special individuals, ordinary people in intimate relationships with her would likely find it difficult to bear.

In this world, there truly are a very few types of people: men who marry one wife after another, only for them to either run away or die; and women who, before even getting married, have their fiancés either go mad or die of illness.

Seeing many young male celebrities in the posters Cui Cui had unfurled, Li Chuiyuan asked: "Cui Cui, do you like them?"

The little girl smiled and replied: "They're good-looking, just like you, Brother Yuanhou."

Li Chuiyuan silently pondered in his mind: perhaps he could ask A'li to make a longevity lock or a bracelet-like item to help suppress Cui Cui's destiny.

However, the materials would be difficult to find. Jade was unsuitable; it would break if she wore it for too long. Only metal would work, and not just ordinary metal, but special gold artifacts.

But he was currently traveling the river, and unilaterally altering someone's destiny might trigger certain karmic consequences.

Fortunately, Cui Cui was still young, so waiting a bit longer was fine.

As long as she didn't fall in love prematurely before his River Journey ended.

From an ordinary person's perspective, early relationships usually disadvantaged the girl. In Cui Cui's case, the boy might suffer serious consequences.

After his visit to Cui Cui's house ended, Li Chuiyuan returned to his Grand-Grandpa's house.

Grand-Grandpa and Grandpa Shan were still lying in their respective coffins, snoring, occasionally muttering in their sleep, which even then sounded like arguments.

He remembered Grand-Grandpa saying that after he passed away, he would be buried with that bumpkin.

It now seemed that if the two old men were indeed buried together, the graveyard might not have peace at night.

In the living room, Li Chuiyuan admired the paper figures that had been made in advance. Yinghou's craftsmanship was indeed excellent; each figure was so lifelike, and they presented a creepy, orderly appearance.

It was the kind that, if you shone a flashlight on them at night, the row of paper figures would give you the feeling they were about to turn their heads in unison.

Since she made them herself, such an effect was normal.

Li Chuiyuan went up the stairs to the terrace. His and A'li's two wicker chairs were still in their original positions.

They couldn't have been left out in the wind and sun all the time. Judging by the marks on the ground, Grand-Grandpa must have specially moved them out from inside the house this morning.

His past was also someone else's memory.

On many afternoons, Grand-Grandpa would lie on his distant long chair, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan and smoking, smiling as he watched the two wicker chairs placed together in front, and the boy and girl sitting together.

Li Chuiyuan sat down in a wicker chair, his gaze habitually falling downwards. The door to the east room was closed.

Li Weihan and Cui Guiying always went home to sleep every night. Yinghou would stay here, but she slept in the west room, which was Aunt Liu and Uncle Qin's former room.

And the east room, where A'li and Grandma Liu once lived, still had a lock on its door.

Time seemed to rewind at that moment, going back through another cycle of winter, autumn, summer, spring, returning to that day when he sat there, holding "The Records of Rivers and Lakes," and between turning pages, glanced at the girl sitting downstairs with her feet on the threshold:

A page of Jianghu, a fleeting glimpse.

Memories are not exclusive to the old; rather, they depend on whether you have had enough beautiful experiences.

Just then, Li Chuiyuan sensed a gust of cold wind flowing out from the room behind him, rustling his hair.

The young man pressed the red button on his wrist with his right thumb, while his left hand quickly formed a hand seal.

A sharp aura emanated from the young man.

This was an instinct, a momentum accumulated from trampling over dead spirits and malevolent beings along the way, from stepping through layers of river waves.

Especially now, when Runsheng and the others were not by his side, the young man's sensitivity was infinitely magnified.

But soon, his thumb released, and the hand seal was undone.

Li Chuiyuan suppressed this instinct of his.

Yet, ultimately, he still startled that wind.

With a "bang!", the cold wind rapidly receded, closing all the front doors and windows.

Li Chuiyuan stood up, raising and spreading his hands, indicating an apology.

But after pushing open the door, except for the back window which was still open, the room appeared very desolate and empty.

After standing in the room for a while, he heard voices from the yard, so Li Chuiyuan came out.

Runsheng returned, riding the tricycle with Yin Meng.

As per old custom, Runsheng simply restocked supplies this time, not leaving money. Moreover, he couldn't restock too much, otherwise, Grandpa Shan would easily sell it for gambling money.

The good thing was that Grandpa Shan didn't borrow external debts; when he ran out of money, he would stop gambling and just eat sweet potatoes at home.

Otherwise, encountering such an elder would indeed be quite vexing.

Yin Meng, however, thought of a method: simply transfer money to Elder Li's house in the future, and tell Grandpa Shan to eat at Elder Li's house when he runs out of food.

This way, Grandpa Shan's embarrassment would be resolved, and Li Sanjiang could control Grandpa Shan, ensuring he only provided food, not money.

Just then, Li Sanjiang and Grandpa Shan also woke up, both old men still bleary-eyed from drink. After Runsheng relayed the plan, Grandpa Shan hesitated to speak, but Li Sanjiang immediately agreed.

Afterward, Grandpa Shan pulled Runsheng to the side of the wall and asked: "Didn't you go to university with Xiaoyuanhou? How can you still earn money?"

"Xiaoyuan gives me pocket money."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So you won't go hungry?"

"I work in the cafeteria."

"No salary?"

"No, but I get free meals."

Grandpa Shan nodded: "Then it really would be impolite to ask for wages."

"Mm."

"But Xiaoyuanhou's money also comes from Old Li. If you give it to him, and then I go to his house to eat, won't I still be shamelessly eating at his place?"

"