Chapter 28

At weddings, it's common for the busy couple, after entertaining all their relatives and friends, to finally sit down and grab a quick bite at the end of the reception, utterly ravenous.

However, I've never heard of the primary host of a funeral personally joining the banquet.

It was only then that Li Zhuiyuan recalled Runsheng calling out from a distance as they approached earlier: "Grandpa, they're clearing up, let's go home!"

Back then, he simply felt something was amiss but didn't ponder it further; only now did it click.

Normally, if you saw an elder drinking with others at a table, you'd approach, greet everyone present, and then lead your elder home. Shouting from a distance, however, implies a certain disregard for the people at the table.

Though a bit guileless, Brother Runsheng is well-mannered and understands etiquette. So, would he have acted that way because, in his eyes, Li Sanjiang was the only one at the table drinking?

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Runsheng, who had already turned his back to Li Sanjiang, squatted down, and was prepared to carry Li Sanjiang home.

Yes, it was confirmed: Runsheng couldn't see the other two.

Following his usual instinct, Li Zhuiyuan subconsciously wanted to pretend he couldn't see them, but he quickly dismissed this ingrained habit.

While he hadn't directly spoken to them, his posture as he walked to the table and how he turned to face the two individuals seated there after stopping by his great-grandfather... all silently conveyed that he "saw" them.

To feign ignorance now would only make him look truly foolish.

Li Sanjiang then spontaneously took Li Zhuiyuan's hand and, smiling, addressed the two people at the table:

"Look how fair and clean-cut my great-grandson is. You can tell at a glance he's a bright child who will study well and have a promising future."

Runsheng was already quite accustomed to it; his Grandpa Li praised Xiaoyuan countless times a day, and now, after drinking, the praise was endless.

Brother Bao nodded, remarking meaningfully, "This child certainly looks very intelligent."

Zhao Xing, the host of the day and the deceased, echoed, "Anyway, he looks much sharper than I did as a child. I was never good at my studies."

Li Sanjiang was delighted by the compliments and chuckled, "Ha, did you hear that, Xiaoyuan Hou? They're praising you!"

Li Zhuiyuan felt a surge of helplessness. He had just been contemplating how to extricate himself from the current predicament, only for his great-grandfather to abruptly pull him into the drinking circle.

At that moment, Li Zhuiyuan could only lower his head shyly, a bashful expression on his face.

"Come, Xiaoyuan Hou, sit down and have something more to eat."

Although Li Sanjiang was elderly, he still possessed considerable strength—otherwise, he wouldn't be able to retrieve or carry bodies ashore. Furthermore, he was now quite drunk, and Li Zhuiyuan, unable to resist his powerful grip, was forcibly pulled into a seat.

"Come, Xiaoyuan Hou, Great-Grandpa will get you some ribs; these are your favorite."

Li Sanjiang promptly placed several pieces of sweet and sour pork ribs onto Li Zhuiyuan's plate.

Runsheng, waiting nearby, turned around in confusion and scratched his head. Didn't Xiaoyuan say he was going to carry Grandpa home? Why was Xiaoyuan now sitting at the table eating?

If he wanted a late-night snack, he should have said so earlier. I could have brought some incense from home and had a few bites at the table too.

"Xiaoyuan..."

"Brother Runsheng, please wait for us for a bit."

"Alright, Xiaoyuan."

Grandpa Shan had told him that Xiaoyuan was smart and to listen to him. Runsheng felt the same, so he simply turned his back to Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuiyuan, squatted on the ground, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

Li Zhuiyuan also breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there was still room for a smooth resolution, he wasn't willing to risk a direct confrontation.

If they were actual deceased entities, that would be one thing; with Brother Runsheng's brute strength and experience, they could certainly confront them.

But the current situation was complex. These two weren't deceased entities; at the very least, they had no physical bodies present, and Runsheng couldn't see them at all.

So how would they fight? Fight ghosts?

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of sweet and sour pork rib, and put it into his mouth.

After all, this was a genuine banquet, unlike the paper-figure feast hosted by the Cat-Face Old Woman. Li Zhuiyuan dared to eat, chewing thoughtfully.

Still, in such an environment, even the most delicious food tasted like chewing wax.

At that moment, he was worried that Brother Bao might still remember him.

"Xiaoyuan, right? Have we met somewhere before?"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Brother Bao, slightly puzzled. "Have we?"

Li Sanjiang interjected, "I doubt it. This is the boy's first time back in his hometown, and he hasn't been here long enough to recognize many people."

Brother Bao continued, "Really? You look somewhat familiar upon closer inspection. You went to the town market yesterday, didn't you?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. "Yes, I went to the convenience store to buy snacks and stationery."

"Oh, which convenience store?"

"The one next to the firecracker shop. I sat there drinking soda and watching people play billiards for a long time."

To the west of that convenience store was the firecracker shop, and to its east was Sister Mei's video hall.

Li Zhuiyuan deliberately avoided mentioning the video hall. Firstly, he feared upsetting Li Sanjiang, who knew what had occurred there yesterday and, being drunk, might inadvertently open up about it.

Secondly, Li Zhuiyuan was betting that when Brother Bao possessed that woman yesterday, he could only control her actions and not access her memories. He was also betting that the convenience store owner, when rushing into the video hall to give a warning, didn't have time to explain the situation clearly before getting high.

Li Zhuiyuan felt confident in his gamble, reasoning that if Brother Bao knew he was the one who called the police yesterday, his demeanor wouldn't be so calm now.

Li Zhuiyuan paused, then continued, "Hehe, yesterday, there was also an auntie who wanted to invite me to sit next door, but I preferred watching billiards. Plus, Brother Runsheng had taken the shop owner next door to the clinic then and told me to wait there for him to come back and take me home. I had to be a good boy and listen to my brother."

"Right, Brother Runsheng?"

"Huh?" Runsheng was cleaning his left fingernails with his right. "Uh, yeah, that's right."

He vaguely felt that something about those words sounded odd. When he and Xiaoyuan were together, even though he was older, Xiaoyuan was always the one who called the shots. Why did Xiaoyuan's words make it sound like *he* was the influential older brother?

"Hey, wait, who exactly is Xiaoyuan talking to?"

"Xiaoyuan, you..."

"Brother Runsheng, please be quiet for a bit. We'll go home after we sit here for a little longer. Don't make noise or talk."

"Oh, okay."

Obediently, Runsheng continued picking at his fingernails, saying nothing more.

Brother Bao said, "That makes sense. I bought a pack of cigarettes at that convenience store yesterday, so I must have seen you then. But you probably don't remember me."

"Hmm..." Li Zhuiyuan slightly lowered his head and said apologetically, "I must have been engrossed in watching the billiards game."

It seemed Brother Bao truly didn't know he was the one who called the police, and judging by his demeanor, he didn't seem to remember Runsheng, who had taken him to the clinic.

Was it because he was still unconscious and not yet dead at that time?

But Brother Bao's spirit should have emerged from the clinic after his death there and gone to the video hall. Did he not see Runsheng at the clinic at all?

Li Zhuiyuan recalled Runsheng mentioning that he had tried to leave at the time but was stopped by clinic staff demanding payment for medical expenses. With no other option, he had then waited outside Sister Mei's ward for her to wake up. So, that's when they missed each other?

Brother Bao then asked, "I just heard you say you took someone to the clinic. How is she?"

"The doctor said she's fine. She just needs some rest."

"Oh."

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that Brother Bao's gaze towards him had softened somewhat.

This was also why he had intentionally brought up Runsheng taking Sister Mei to the hospital earlier.

Actually, there was still another problem: his ability to see them was a huge vulnerability.

At the same time, this vulnerability seemed to be masked by Li Sanjiang's presence, as Li Sanjiang was the first to see and drink with them.

Li Sanjiang's identity was also somewhat unique. As someone who "ferries yin and yang," he possessed inherent special abilities; not only the living but also the deceased would seek his help.

Similar accounts were recorded in the *Chronicles of Rivers and Lakes*.

At least, so far, neither Brother Bao nor Zhao Xing had expressed surprise that he could see them.

Even Runsheng, under his subtle influence, appeared to be in a state of "seeing" them.

"Hiss... Tsk!"

Li Sanjiang gulped down another cup of wine, wiped his mouth, then used his chopsticks to pick up a bite of food to settle his stomach.

Li Zhuiyuan silently sighed. He was carefully mending the situation, racking his brains, while his great-grandfather was enthusiastically eating and drinking.

Zhao Xing asked, "How are the dishes today? Are you satisfied?"

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and continued eating ribs. "Delicious."

Li Sanjiang nodded and said, "Your Zhao family are truly decent people. The dishes at this banquet are really excellent."

Li Zhuiyuan guessed that his great-grandfather must have taken Zhao Xing for one of the Zhao family's nephews.

"That's good. As long as everyone enjoys the food and drink, that's all that matters. I just worry about not doing things well and offending everyone."

Zhao Xing smiled, but his already pale complexion, combined with the smile, made him appear even more unsettling.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up another piece of cured meat, dipped it in the sauce on his plate, and put it into his mouth.

Only the cold dishes on the table were still edible; the other dishes had gone cold.

However, this host really seemed to care about the banquet's reception.

In truth, at a funeral banquet, if the very host who was supposed to be lying in state were to personally get up and inquire, it's doubtful anyone would dare to say the food wasn't good.

Brother Bao spoke up, "If I didn't know your banquet was good, would I have rushed over to eat?"

Zhao Xing chuckled, "Alright, in a couple of days, won't I have to come eat at your place anyway?"

Brother Bao acknowledged, "Hmm, my banquet certainly won't be as good as yours. Your Zhao family runs a large business, while mine is just a small one; after daily expenses, there's not much left over. But when you come, I'll definitely keep you good company, just as you did today."

Zhao Xing waved his hand. "Food and drink are secondary. The main thing is the atmosphere. Given our relationship, there's no need for formalities."

Li Zhuiyuan picked up a chopstickful of cold spinach. This exchange, where deceased individuals invited each other to their own post-mortem banquets, was truly novel.

But how could he naturally bring this drinking party to an end?

Also, did they appear to drink with his great-grandfather simply because they were lonely, or was there something else?

Li Sanjiang looked at Brother Bao. "What's wrong? Is your family holding a ceremony soon too?"

"Yes, soon. We'll start organizing it once my wife's health improves."

"Well, that's not right. Your wife is sick, and you're still here drinking so late. Shouldn't you go back and take care of her? That's truly irresponsible."

"Besides, organizing a banquet is a lot of trouble. Since your wife is ill, you'll certainly have to take charge; you won't be able to just avoid it."

Li Zhuiyuan immediately nodded in agreement. "When I'm sick, I always want someone to be with me."

Brother Bao shook his head helplessly. "I did something to wrong my wife, and her illness was caused by my actions. So, it's not appropriate for me to go home now. Including today, I'll stay hidden outside for six more days, returning on the seventh. By then, she should have cooled down."

"Heh." Li Sanjiang pointed at Brother Bao with his chopsticks. "You young people