Chapter 150: End of this volume

"Are you sure you want me to turn this?"Master Ge held the blueprints with a grim expression.There were two blueprints.

The first one was within a reasonable size.The second, however, was not only exaggerated in size with bulging veins, but its tip was also curved."Yes," Tan Wenbin said, offering Master Ge a cigarette. "Thank you for your hard work."

The first one was for the junior eunuch, and the second for the senior one.Since they would be buried together, the items couldn't be identical; there needed to be a clear distinction, just in case they unearthed them someday and decided to compare.Master Ge asked, "I heard these things are usually made of rubber, aren't they?"

Tan Wenbin pulled an envelope from his pocket, slipped it into Master Ge's work uniform pocket, and patted it."If I wanted rubber, would I still need to come to you?"Master Ge sighed, "If I turn this, and someone sees it, where would I put my old face?"

Tan Wenbin pulled out a second envelope and tucked it into the pocket.Master Ge nodded. "I'll do my best. Two blueprints, two copies each, right?""Yes, exactly. Two of each design."

Of course, it was unlikely that one person would be buried with two, but considering the appeal of such items to eunuch ghosts, it was better to be prepared for similar situations in the future.The remaining set would need to be well hidden, out of sight from outsiders, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain himself."Come pick them up this afternoon."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble."Tan Wenbin left the factory grounds, got into his small pickup truck, and drove north. At a familiar intersection, he turned inward.The familiar village road, the familiar houses, the familiar utility poles, and the familiar sight of his truck backing into a field.

Tan Wenbin got out of the truck, carrying several bags."Oh, Zhuangzhuang?"Li Sanjiang was sitting on a rattan chair on the second-floor terrace, listening to the radio and basking in the sun. Seeing someone approaching, he first stood up, then kept glancing behind Tan Wenbin.

"Uncle Li, please don't look. Xiao Yuan hasn't come back."It was still unknown whether Xiao Yuan had even woken up yet."Oh, hehe." Li Sanjiang chuckled with a hint of disappointment.

Tan Wenbin gestured behind him and said, "So, I'll go?""You rascal! Even if Little Lord Xiao Yuan isn't back, can I be unhappy that you're here?""Hehe."

Tan Wenbin entered the house and placed all the bags on the round table.Then, turning his head, he saw a woman on the other side applying makeup to a paper effigy.The woman noticed Tan Wenbin's gaze, turned sideways, and gave him a faint smile.

Tan Wenbin smiled back at her.He knew who she was, but now, he was no longer afraid.Li Sanjiang came downstairs and took a cigarette pack from his pocket.

Tan Wenbin was quicker, pulling out a cigarette, offering one to Uncle Li, and lighting it for him."What's up, Zhuangzhuang? Is there something important, returning so suddenly?""Yes, there's something I need your help with."

Tan Wenbin opened two of the packages, revealing two ancient-looking urns.Li Sanjiang narrowed his eyes, took a puff of his cigarette, and asked, "Who are these two guests?"Someone who specializes in retrieving bodies and performing funerary rites wouldn't be scared by urns or consider them bad luck.

"A while ago, I went with my supervisor to work on an engineering project in the mountains. I got lost, and exhausted and thirsty, I fell asleep in a rock crevice. I had a dream where two people appeared and showed me the way.I followed their guidance, found my way out, and rejoined my team.Later, I led people back to where I slept, and we dug down, unearthing these two sets of remains."

Li Sanjiang exhaled a smoke ring. "Then they certainly deserve a proper burial. One good turn deserves another.""Exactly, that's what I thought. So, I brought them here. Uncle Li, could you help me arrange something?"Tan Wenbin had initially considered buying plots in a public cemetery, but first, the cemetery's standards weren't high enough, and second, these two had been buried in a mass grave. It felt inappropriate to dig them up only to place them in a crowded communal resting place.

To create a more elaborate and exquisite "underworld residence," one could only do so in a rural area. Rural areas in Jinling could also accommodate this, provided one was willing to pay, but it also involved future maintenance.People would take your money, but would they truly treat them as family members to be honored?These days, demolition and development were frequent. If the area were developed in a few years, and the two eunuchs, as "unclaimed graves," were dug up and exposed again, it would truly be better to leave them buried where they were.

After much thought, Tan Wenbin still felt it was more appropriate to bring the two eunuchs back to his hometown for burial.His Tan family had an ancestral grave, but his grandfather's and maternal grandfather's generations would no longer be buried there. As public servants, they had to respond to the national call for simpler funerals, and it was even less likely that they would help him build an elaborate "underworld residence."Therefore, he ultimately had to ask Uncle Li for help.

Li Sanjiang asked, "Do you want them to be decorated?""Yes, and the standards must be different. This one needs to be high, as he is an elder, and this one lower, as he is his son's generation.""Understood. Leave it to me, your Uncle. They saved our Zhuangzhuang, after all, so we can't treat them poorly. I guarantee I'll make sure they're beautifully built."

Tan Wenbin was very touched. Everyone knew that Uncle Li doted on Xiao Yuan the most, but he was truly kind to him too, agreeing immediately without even mentioning money."Thank you, Uncle.""No need for thanks. I just hope you encounter more helpful people when you go out in the future."

"Indeed.""Besides, if we give them a proper burial, won't there be two more people looking out for us from above? When you have connections in high places, things are always easier to handle.""What you say is truly wise, Uncle."

He didn't know what it felt like to have connections in heaven, but he had certainly experienced the benefits of having connections in the underworld."I already picked an auspicious burial spot for myself and Uncle Shan, so let's not make it complicated. We'll bury them in that spot too.Two more people mean two more bits of liveliness. I was just worried it would be boring always talking to your Uncle Shan after a hundred years. You know, that blockhead can't even fart out a single word for half a day."

"Don't worry, Uncle, these two will definitely talk and keep things lively.""Is there anything else you need to do? Since you're back, you should visit your paternal and maternal grandparents. Oh, and you should also visit Zhou Xiaoyun's house.""Uncle, her name is Zhou Yunyun."

"Yunyun doesn't sound very good; Little Lord Xiaoyun rolls off the tongue better.""Then I'll discuss it with her and have her change her name.""Pfft, your Uncle just said that offhand. You little rascal, you're playing games with your Uncle."

"No, Uncle, you have great fortune. Names you pick will bring good luck.""Ha, that's hilarious. Where did you get such nonsense? If I had such great fortune, why wouldn't I know?"Beside them, the woman who had been quietly applying makeup to the paper effigy also smiled.

Li Sanjiang said, "Yinghou, isn't that right? Hahaha."The woman nodded, her body starting to tremble with laughter."Uncle, there's one more thing. When I unearthed them, they had some gold and silver ingots with them. I exchanged them for cash."

Tan Wenbin opened another bag and laid out stacks of "Great Unity" banknotes.Seeing so much money, Li Sanjiang's hand, holding the cigarette, began to tremble."Whoa, tsk tsk tsk... that much?"

"Yes."The eunuchs loved wealth, and their hurried burial meant they only had time to bring gold, silver, and jewels.Tan Wenbin asked Yin Meng for the location where she last sold books and went to that same shop to exchange these gold and silver treasures.

The shop owner was quite reliable; he inspected the goods, quoted a price, and paid promptly.It seemed he had been scared by Yin Meng before.Tan Wenbin pushed the stacks of money forward with both hands, towards Li Sanjiang.

"What do you mean, all for me?""Yes.""How can I accept their money? They helped save you; it's only right that we build them an underworld residence."

"But this money can't be returned.""Then donate it.""That's what I thought too, but I still have to study. So, I need you to help me spend this money: fix bridges and roads in the village, give some to struggling elderly or widowed families, and help children who have difficulty with school."

It would certainly be simpler to just find an account and donate it.However, where they were buried, the money should be spent there. The two eunuchs had no descendants and were outsiders, so this money could be used to gain some local goodwill."That's a good idea. I'll go talk to the village chief about it."

"You'll need to come up with a reason, like Ding Dalin sent money back from overseas again and asked you to help benefit the villagers."Although Ding Dalin was dead, his identity as an "overseas Chinese" was still very useful.Li Sanjiang rubbed his forehead and said, "So, Zhuangzhuang, did you commit a crime by selling these items?"

"I didn't keep any for myself."Tan Wenbin didn't even intend to keep the agreed-upon ten percent for himself."Zhuangzhuang, when it comes to illegal matters, we should..."

"Don't worry, I won't do it again.""...we must do things cleanly and leave no traces."Tan Wenbin was speechless.

"Pop!" Li Sanjiang slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot what your family does, kid. You're a professional."Tan Wenbin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If his father heard that, he'd probably unbuckle his belt and start spanking him out of anger."Zhuangzhuang, staying for dinner?"

"No, I need to go to Zhou Xiaoyun's house.""Huh?" Li Sanjiang pointed at the gifts on the table. "So, you didn't bring all of this for me?""You have half, and I need to take the other half to her house. She didn't come back for the last holiday, so this time I gave her a ride back. She's home now, and we agreed I'd have lunch at her place."

"Then wait a moment. Yinghou brought me a few jars of homemade wine last time; it tastes really good. Take one jar... no, make it two. Take two jars.Yinghou, please bring them.""Alright, sure."

The woman put down her paintbrush, went into the inner room, and soon emerged with two jars of wine.They were small jars, meticulously sealed.Li Sanjiang introduced, "This wine is delicious. It doesn't give you a headache, and you sleep so comfortably at night."

Tan Wenbin reached out to take the wine jars, then quietly asked the woman, "Can we drink this?"This was wine brought by a dead body.Uncle Li had great luck and a long life; even if his mouth lost its taste, he could probably drink rat poison mixed with water as an appetizer and be fine.

But an ordinary person... they'd likely be dead already.The woman nodded at Tan Wenbin.Tan Wenbin felt relieved and said, "Thank you."

Then, he turned to Li Sanjiang and said, "Thank you, Uncle.""You rascal, what are you thanking me for? Oh, by the way, since you're back, you can take this money to Little Lord Xiao Yuan. It'll save me a trip to the post office."Li Sanjiang ignored the stacks of money on the table. He pulled out some from his own pocket, moistened his fingertips with saliva, counted out the large denominations, and put the smaller ones back into his pocket.

"Here, this half is for Little Lord Xiao Yuan, and this half is for you.""Uh, Xiao Yuan and I splitting it equally, isn't that... not right?""It's mainly because you're standing right in front of me; I'd feel awkward giving Little Lord Xiao Yuan too much."

"Alright then, I'll split it myself. Xiao Yuan will get the larger share.""Your Uncle treats everyone equally, everyone equally.""Understood, understood."

Tan Wenbin accepted the money.Li Sanjiang felt his other pocket, which was actually empty, and asked, "When you visit, you'll need to take more money, right?""I'm not going to propose or gather a bride price; taking a few gifts is enough."

Li Sanjiang continued to search his empty pockets, saying, "How can that be? How can you keep up appearances without money in your pocket? The first visit, you need to establish yourself."Li Sanjiang wanted to take out money, but his recent accounts hadn't been settled, and this batch of paper effigies hadn't shipped yet; the money he just gave out was all he had."Hey, don't I still have my paternal and maternal grandparents? They have plenty of retirement money they can't spend. I'll go freeload off them.

When it's actually time for the wedding, I'll come back to you for a big red packet.""Well... alright then."Li Sanjiang finally withdrew his hand, which had been rubbing his pocket so much it was almost warm.

"Uncle, I'll leave these matters to you.""Doing good deeds accumulates merit for yourself; what's the trouble?""Oh, right, Uncle Li, these two are quite ancient. Their underworld residence..."

"Do I need you to tell me about this? I know. I'll build them a small siheyuan.""As expected, you're a professional."These days, people in rural areas save money to build two- or three-story houses, and the deceased are no longer simply buried under mounds; they also have exquisite, miniature two- or three-story houses, complete with doors, windows, and glass.

He remembered once, while walking on the road, Run Sheng asked how Ultraman was filmed to be so big.Xiao Yuan pointed to the densely packed modern, exquisite mini-houses on the side of the road and said, "You'd be Ultraman if you stood inside one."After leaving Uncle Li's house, Tan Wenbin drove to Shigang.

Zhou Yunyun's house wasn't in Shigang Town, but in a village below. After driving into the village, just as he was about to ask someone for directions, he heard shouts from a distance:"Over here, over here!"Having learned that their daughter was bringing her boyfriend home for dinner, Zhou Yunyun's parents had taken the day off from the textile factory. Along with her grandparents and a group of close relatives, they were waiting early on the dam.

The houses in the village were sparse, offering a good view. When they saw the small pickup truck approaching, they immediately recognized that the future son-in-law had arrived.Actually, Tan Wenbin was a bit late; who arrives right at mealtime for a first visit? But he couldn't help it; he had to deal with some urgent matters first.Mainly, he took advantage of the weekend to drive home, and he couldn't delay. If Xiao Yuan woke up, he needed to be by his side.

Tan Wenbin drove over, intending to park below the dam, but Zhou Yunyun's father enthusiastically acted as a guide in front.There was no choice but to drive onto the dam and park the car.Zhou Yunyun, wearing a white sweater and jeans, stood among the crowd. Her figure was highlighted, and she looked very fresh and lovely.

After getting out of the car, Tan Wenbin smiled at her, then immediately began distributing cigarettes to the men present. At the same time, he reached out and patted Zhou Yunyun's father, who was inexperienced in such situations for the first time:"Uncle, quickly tell me how to address everyone."Zhou Yunyun's father was momentarily stunned, then immediately began introductions.

Each time Tan Wenbin addressed someone, he would then ask about their workplace or factory. Even if they were just temporary bricklayers, he would chat with them about the current state of construction sites.It was all empty talk, but some people felt valued, as if no one was being ignored.Zhou Yunyun's father stood by, a contrast, looking as if he were the future son-in-law visiting for the first time today.

Everyone took their seats and dinner began.Zhou Yunyun was arranged to sit next to Tan Wenbin. While chatting with others at the large round table, Tan Wenbin also made sure to serve food to Zhou Yunyun.Zhou Yunyun, being shy, mostly remained quiet, just sitting there and eating small bites.

This scene made it seem as if she was visiting the groom's family."Drink, drink well, come on."Tan Wenbin not only accepted every toast but also proactively offered his own.

By the end of the meal, he had drunk under the table all the adult men present: Zhou Yunyun's father, grandfather, uncles (both paternal and maternal), everyone except for her primary school-aged cousin.He himself remained completely unfazed, even asking Zhou Yunyun's mother for two more servings of rice, once mixed with meat broth and once with chicken broth, eating a hearty meal.Actually, Tan Wenbin's alcohol tolerance wasn't that good before, but now with two "children" on his shoulders, it was like having two extra brains, so even if he drank to alcohol poisoning, he could still stay clear-headed.

After dinner, the women helped their men indoors to sleep.Tan Wenbin walked alone onto the dam, enjoying the breeze.A small black dog passed by on the dam, glanced at Tan Wenbin, and Tan Wenbin glanced back at it. They passed each other.

The primary school-aged cousin was going home to do homework. He shyly waved at Tan Wenbin, who smiled back.Clearly, Tan Wenbin didn't need the little black dog or the young cousin to divert attention or alleviate awkwardness.Zhou Yunyun walked out, unwrapping a pack of cigarettes. She pulled one out and placed it in Tan Wenbin's mouth.

"You should smoke less.""Mhm, mhm, mhm."Tan Wenbin mumbled his agreement while flicking the cigarette in his mouth towards Zhou Yunyun, noticing she still held a matchbox.

Zhou Yunyun struck a match, lit his cigarette, and playfully glared at him."Your mom's cooking is good; the dishes were really delicious.""Your mom's cooking is also very good."

Tan Wenbin exhaled a smoke ring. "How can you say something like that against your own conscience?"His mother's cooking could only be described as edible.He used to be accustomed to it and didn't think much of it, but when he stayed at Uncle Li's house during his senior year of high school, Aunt Liu's cooking made him realize, "This is what real food tastes like!"

Unfortunately, Aunt Liu's apprentice, Mengmeng, hadn't inherited Aunt Liu's cooking skills. Of course, one could argue she had, surpassing her master but in a deadly way."Do you have anything else to do this afternoon?" Zhou Yunyun asked."I need to go out again this afternoon, but it's still early; the factory hasn't finished the order yet."

"Then for dinner...""Your family isn't preparing dinner?""My mom asked me to check, in case you had to leave this afternoon."

Tan Wenbin immediately turned his head and shouted towards the kitchen, "Auntie, I'll be here for dinner tonight! I want more of that braised fish and steamed pork with preserved vegetables!""Alright, alright!"Zhou Yunyun looked a bit exasperated and amused.

"Come on, walk with me. Let's digest; I ate too much.""Who told you to eat so much?""I'm not like you, too shy to eat when you're home."

Zhou Yunyun playfully hit Tan Wenbin's shoulder a few times.Then, the two walked side-by-side, strolling through the village.They needed to walk around and make their presence known, to prevent the village aunties from starting to worry about arranging blind dates for them.

During their walk, Zhou Yunyun took a red envelope from her pocket and handed it to Tan Wenbin. "This is from my parents."This amused Tan Wenbin, who chuckled, "Wait, I get a red envelope too?""I don't know, my parents gave it to me."

Tan Wenbin didn't take it. "You keep it then.""Your mom already gave me one. If you don't accept it, how will I explain it to my parents?""Just show them you received it. That's your explanation."

Zhou Yunyun reached out and linked her arm through Tan Wenbin's. "You know, I still feel a bit unreal. Are we really in a relationship?""You're dreaming. Wake up quickly, class is about to start, Class Monitor."Zhou Yunyun looked up, kissed Tan Wenbin on the cheek, then embraced him and continued walking forward.

After digesting their food, it was afternoon. Because he had been drinking, Tan Wenbin chose not to drive, even though drunk driving wasn't strictly checked at the time. Instead, he borrowed Zhou Yunyun's father's bicycle and rode to the factory.Unpacking, inspection.They were remarkably lifelike, exuding the vigor of a dragon and a tiger!

"Master Ge, you're amazing! Why don't you change careers and open your own factory just to make these? You'd definitely make a fortune!""What nonsense are you talking about? Even if I made these, who besides you would buy them?""Master Ge, as people's lives improve, the demand for these things will definitely increase. I heard someone in Lianyungang is already making them."

"Ha, I don't believe it.""Well, nothing to be done then. I'm off, Master, see you around."Tan Wenbin rode his bicycle to Uncle Li's house once more.

Uncle Li had gone to speak with the village chief, so only Xiao Yingying was at home.Tan Wenbin found the two urns, opened them, and placed the standard-sized one inside the "Little Eunuch" effigy, and the extra-large one inside the "Godfather" effigy.He turned around and saw the woman watching him, or more precisely, watching the remaining set of items in his hand.

Tan Wenbin offered no explanation but instead asked, "Where are Xiao Yuan's grandparents? Are they not here?""The in-laws have left. They've gone to help out there for a few days.""Oh, I see. Well, perhaps in a while, a couple with a child might come over. They're excellent workers."

"Hmm?""But their identities are a bit special. You can... never mind, I'll come back again then and arrange it myself."The woman returned to her workstation and resumed making paper effigies.

Tan Wenbin shrugged, then rode his bicycle back to Zhou Yunyun's house.By this time, the group of men who had been drunk were just barely waking up, all feeling groggy.Seeing Tan Wenbin still full of energy, everyone was a little intimidated.

Dinner was merely a light tasting; everyone tacitly "raised fish" in their wine glasses, avoiding heavy drinking.However, even without competitive drinking, with Tan Wenbin present, there was no chance of an awkward silence.Of course, even if Tan Wenbin didn't have such a personality, he wouldn't be neglected because his family was better off.

Logically, blood relatives should be more likely to avoid such vulgarity, but within the normal social circles, the vulgar side often only manifests among relatives.Therefore, someone like Tan Wenbin, who came from a good family and could actively mingle with everyone, was doubly popular.After dinner, Tan Wenbin didn't stay the night there. He drove to his old home, as he hadn't had any alcohol that evening.

His parents were both in Jinling, so he reminisced alone about the place where he used to live, then took a shower and went to bed.The next morning, he drove to Zhou Yunyun's house. After having breakfast there, he drove Zhou Yunyun to his paternal and maternal grandparents' house for an introduction, receiving two thick red envelopes."That's too much..."

"Just keep it. You can lend me some if the bride price isn't enough.""There won't be any bride price."Both were only children; after marriage, they would have to manage both families, so there was indeed no concept of a bride price. Part of the reason for the local term "paternal and maternal grandparents" was that no one wanted to be called "maternal grandparents."

"You can sleep for a bit. I'll wake you when we reach Jinling...""Beep, beep... beep, beep... beep, beep..."His pager went off. Tan Wenbin pulled over. How novel, his own father was paging him!

He recalled his father rarely paged him; instead, he would suddenly appear at the most inconvenient times.He drove a little further, found a public telephone in town, and called back."Hello, this is Tan Yunlong."

"Hello, Officer Tan, this is Tan Wenbin.""How did it go? Smoothly?""Smoothly." Tan Wenbin leaned against the counter. Zhou Yunyun was in the car and hadn't followed him in. "Thanks to your hard work, your son is very popular at his future in-laws' house."

"There's something I need to tell you.""Dad, we're father and son; there's no need to be so polite.""Do you know a girl named Chen Xiaojuan?"

"Dad, you've got it all wrong! I haven't messed around outside; I don't know any 'Huahua,' 'Meimei,' or 'Juanjuan.'""She's only four years old.""Don't know her."

"She said she knows me.""Dad, so you're the one who made a mistake?"Heavy breathing came from the other end of the phone, as if regretting that the telephone cord wasn't a belt.

"She said I look a lot like a big brother, and she's from Zhangjiajie. Didn't you go there a while ago and bring back some local specialties for your mom?""Huh?""Did you buy a lot of cherries from her?"

"Ah, yes, I remember now. But I didn't know her name.""She remembered you very vividly; she even told me about you."Chen Xiaojuan and her brother sold cherries at the train station. Competition was fierce, and they often had to sell for a long time. Then one day, a big brother generously spent many "Great Unity" banknotes, buying all their cherries in one go, allowing the siblings to go home early to play.

In Chen Xiaojuan's eyes, Tan Wenbin was practically glowing that day.Although her brother said they were doing business, not begging, and threw the extra money and change back to him, it didn't affect Tan Wenbin's image in the little girl's heart one bit."She was abducted."

"What?" Tan Wenbin's expression immediately turned serious.Next, as Tan Yunlong recounted the story, the entire incident unfolded.Chen Xiaojuan and Chen Xiaolei came from an average family. Their father died young from an illness, and their mother supported the family by working. The siblings supplemented the household income by selling cherries at the train station.

Their family had a room they rented out to a woman. The woman didn't work and rarely went out, but she ate and drank quite well and often gave the siblings treats.Originally, it was because she was a female tenant that the children's mother agreed to rent her a room in their home, even though a rural house wouldn't fetch much rent.However, that day, when her brother Chen Xiaolei returned with freshly picked cherries, he didn't see his sister Chen Xiaojuan, who should have been at home. The woman renting the room was also gone, and her luggage had been taken.

He knew something bad had happened. He immediately found his mother and then reported it to the police.The female tenant had left without notice and abducted a child from the family.Such cases were very difficult for the police to investigate, as there were no leads.

Meanwhile, Tan Yunlong's team was conducting joint drills across several systems in preparation for the Spring Festival travel rush. Tan Yunlong led a team to inspect and investigate on a train.As he passed a seat, a little girl happily sipping soda in her "mother's" arms suddenly looked up at him and said:"Huh, Big Brother, why have you gotten old?"

It was a simple sentence, yet it made Tan Yunlong look at the girl twice and, incidentally, glance at the mother holding her.The girl's mother had her head lowered, originally burying her face in the girl's shoulder, a perfectly normal gesture.But since the girl had spoken to him, and her mother wasn't asleep, it was a bit strange that she didn't look up at him.

An experienced detective's sixth sense could sometimes be that sharp."Little sister, have you seen me somewhere before?"During their brief chat, the girl's mother finally looked up, smiled, and motioned for the girl not to disturb the uncle at work.

Tan Yunlong immediately recognized her: it was the fugitive Tian Meihong!She was a fugitive who had once organized a robbery gang targeting taxi drivers in Jinling and was still at large, with a life on her hands!Actually, the photo on the wanted poster was blurry and an old picture of the fugitive. Tian Meihong had also disguised herself, and her appearance had changed somewhat from before.

Normally, she would just need to use a fake ID, and that wanted poster would have very little effect on her, especially since so many years had passed.However, the problem was that his son had recently waved that wanted poster in front of him, making him very familiar with the facial details of that particular face.Moreover, Tan Yunlong had always had a premonition that once his son inexplicably started getting involved with that wanted poster, he might soon be able to catch her.

In short, through a series of coincidences, Tian Meihong was apprehended.Having been on the run for years, she thought the heat had died down. Most importantly, her money had run out, so she decided to "re-emerge," choosing Jinling, the old stomping ground where she had once made her "glory."As for kidnapping Chen Xiaojuan, it was merely an opportunistic act; she planned to abduct the child and sell her for money to serve as seed funding for forming a new gang.

Tan Wenbin: "That's great news, Dad."Hearing that the girl had been rescued, Tan Wenbin also breathed a sigh of relief.Tan Yunlong: "I just find it a bit coincidental."

Tan Wenbin: "That's your sharp eyesight, like a hawk's."Tan Yunlong: "Heh."Tan Wenbin: "Ha."

"Her brother came out looking for her and also managed to get on a train to Jinling. He's already at the police station. Their mother fainted from worry at home, but thankfully she's awake now, and we've already informed her.""That's wonderful, everything's resolved.""Are the cherries from Zhangjiajie really delicious?"

"They're quite delicious.""I didn't see you bring any home.""I bought a lot intending to bring them back, but Ah You ate them all."

"When are you coming back?""I'm already on my way. I just pulled over specifically to call you back, didn't I?""Drive carefully."

Li Zhuiyuan was completely awake now. This time, it wasn't in the form of spirit walking, and his vision had returned to normal, though his mind still felt a bit foggy.The first person he saw when he opened his eyes was A Li.A Li stood up, left the room, and soon returned, carrying a bowl of very thick herbal soup.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't let the girl feed him. He picked up the spoon himself and obediently began to drink the medicine.This bowl looked very similar to hot and sour soup.However, the rarity of the ingredients inside was far greater than that of hot and sour soup.

Just a few sips in, he felt a warmth spread through his body; it was a restorative tonic.After finishing the bowl, his stomach felt full; he wasn't hungry at all.Li Zhuiyuan first went to the second floor to find Grandma Liu.

"You're awake?""Yes, I'm awake."Liu Yumei no longer blamed the young man for not valuing his body, because she knew very well that merely over-exerting himself while navigating the river wasn't a big deal, and could even be considered fortunate.

"Next time, tell Mengmeng to carry some medicinal herbs with her and have her brew them for you directly.""Okay."She could carry the herbs, but brewing the medicine herself might not be a good idea.

Given Yin Meng's current muddled understanding of poisons, Li Zhuiyuan was worried that if he drank the medicine she brewed after losing consciousness, he might never wake up again."Get some good rest.""Yes, Grandma."

He went downstairs to greet Aunt Liu in the kitchen.Aunt Liu was washing the medicine pot, and Uncle Qin was sitting there sharpening a cleaver."Are you hungry?" Aunt Liu asked with a mischievous grin.

"Not anymore."Uncle Qin put down his knife, reached out, and squeezed Li Zhuiyuan's arms and legs, saying with some regret, "It's not time yet, but..."Li Zhuiyuan: "Then we'll wait until it is."

Training martial arts too early could lead to incomplete physical development, especially with the Qin family's training methods that focused on extracting the body's full potential.Li Zhuiyuan didn't want a quick fix that caused long-term harm. Since the river had pulled him into the fray early, implying an attempt to suppress his growth, he would choose to grow in the most complete way possible.Leaving the kitchen, he walked to A Li's study.

Inside, there were a few more musical instruments: a guzheng and a guqin.The instruments had been delivered long ago, but A Li hadn't played them, fearing she would disturb the young man's rest.Even now, a red and a white cloth covered the zither and guqin.

"A Li, I need to go back for a bit; there are still some loose ends to tie up. I'll come back tomorrow to chat with you, and you can teach me to play this."The girl nodded.Li Zhuiyuan rubbed his temples, turned to leave, but then suddenly remembered something and turned back, saying:

"I almost forgot, I should say hello to them first."Li Zhuiyuan walked up to the girl and took her hand.The girl didn't close her eyes; she thought the young man had just woken up and wasn't suitable for spirit walking, needing to rest instead.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and gently stroked the girl's eyes, causing them to close.The next moment, Li Zhuiyuan appeared in that bungalow.He was still facing the row of cracked ancestral tablets.

Only now, looking at these tablets, he had a completely different understanding than before.Grandma Liu told him to treat himself as their own child.Grandma Liu had said similar things before, but after all, his surname was Li, not Qin or Liu.

Although he had performed the initiation ritual, this "door" had not truly entered his heart; there had always been a barrier.When he looked at these tablets before, the main connection was A Li.His experience at the General's Tomb this time had broken that barrier.

He was still Li Zhuiyuan, with no blood relation to the Qin or Liu families, but tradition, sometimes, ran deeper than blood.The same path, the same road, the same river.Before, they were like portraits hanging in a school's hall of fame. Now, Li Zhuiyuan felt they were his elders.

He turned and faced the threshold.The young man was still very tired. When stepping over the threshold, he still needed to steady himself by holding the door frame.Then, he sat down on the threshold.

Far ahead, there was an extremely dense fog.The young man leaned his head against the doorframe and weakly scanned the mist. After a few glances, he closed his eyes; he was still tired. He could manage in reality, but he felt drowsy while spirit walking.With his eyes closed, the young man faced the dense fog.

Within the thick fog, there was absolute silence, as if it dared not disturb him at this moment.The active appearance of the corpse-driving Taoist wasn't a significant feature in itself.The main thing was that everyone sensed it: that time, the young man had actively seized control.

The dynamic had, in fact, changed.It was no longer them harassing him; instead, the young man was proactively calling them to account.Although Li Zhuiyuan's purpose for doing so last time was to conduct an experiment.

However, this action gave off a domineering aura, like that of a Dragon King.A similar temperament occasionally appeared in Liu Yumei, and now, it was also present in the young man.Drowsily opening his eyes again, Li Zhuiyuan stood up.

The great fog ahead began to recede with the young man's movement.The young man cast one last glance at them, turned, and walked back inside the threshold.Those outside,

They were the mud splashed by his predecessors as they walked their paths, and also a guide for Li Zhuiyuan's future journey.But ultimately, they were unsavory elements.When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the real-world study.

A Li had her eyes open, watching him.He felt that the girl's eyes had gained some liveliness, especially her eyelashes, which seemed much more cheerful than before.Perhaps this was also why she was willing to reclaim her instruments, because music requires a certain mood. Simply playing out her fear, dread, and sorrow repeatedly wasn't meaningful and would only make her family grieve with her.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I did learn to play the piano."When he was little, Li Lan had indeed