Chapter 37

In recent days, Li Zhuiyuan’s main focus had been reading. He ignored Granny Liu’s repeated subtle hints and overt suggestions. He didn't disturb A-Li, nor did he consider approaching her again to seek contact or an explanation. He knew that persistent pestering would only be a meaningless act of self-pity.

A-Li had retreated to her room, shutting herself off once more. However, Li Zhuiyuan knew how to draw her out again. The last time the girl emerged was when the Cat-faced Old Woman entered their home. Therefore, all he needed to do was recreate that scenario.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn't sure if the Cat-faced Old Woman had dissipated. Even if the three Niu family members were still alive, their children's excessive filial piety would likely have them on the verge of death by now. The malevolent energy on the black cat had probably mostly dispersed, weakening its potency. Besides, even if he were to seek it out, it likely wouldn't dare to come, fearing another encounter with a zombie inside the house. These lingering spirits weren't like common roadside vegetables; they seemed to appear unexpectedly but were quite elusive when actively sought.

After much thought, only Little Yellow Oriole remained as an option. First, she lived close by. He could simply carry the bell and censer a few steps and lead her home. There was no way he could capture one from outside and have Runsheng transport it back on a tricycle. Second, they had a history of cooperation. Finally, and most importantly, Li Zhuiyuan clearly remembered that when Little Yellow Oriole led the bearded man and his son into the pond, she didn't emit black energy like the Cat-faced Old Woman or the deceased Mr. Zhou. While he didn't know why, this also meant that Little Yellow Oriole was highly likely still there and hadn't dissipated.

Now, the scene re-enactment was successful. Little Yellow Oriole’s arrival successfully caught A-Li’s attention. A-Li emerged, entering the dream, and Li Zhuiyuan finally “saw” her again.

However, after apologizing, the boy fell silent. He didn't want to explain the impact of Li Lan’s phone call on him, nor did he want to elaborate on his own illness. He certainly wouldn't say that he also needed comfort and support, and that they could help each other. If those words were useful to A-Li, her own grandmother, Liu Yumei, would have surely said them countless times. Tedious explanations only served to be tedious. He simply needed to convey one attitude: his balcony was open again, and he hoped she would come out and look once more. He had what she needed, and he, in turn, needed to be in her eyes again. Mutual need was the most stable bond in any relationship.

The boy and girl stood there in silence. Behind them, Little Yellow Oriole maintained her pose with arms half-raised. She had been brought here today primarily to serve as a "phone line." Additionally, her presence allowed for gusts of chilling wind and low wails to emanate from the vicinity, ensuring the environment and atmosphere were not monotonous.

After a long while, A-Li turned and walked back into the room. Li Zhuiyuan didn't call out to her or press for a definite answer. He simply looked up, somewhat disdainfully, at the night sky, awaiting dawn. But before dawn, he still had to send the invited spirit back.

Li Zhuiyuan walked back to Little Yellow Oriole, bent down, picked up the censer and bell, then turned and slowly walked backward until those cold, damp hands once again settled on his shoulders. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine himself underwater, constantly floating upward, upward, upward… As his head broke the surface, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes again. He looked back and saw Runsheng standing by the dam, holding a Seven-Star Hook in his left hand and a Yellow River Shovel in his right, ready. Back to reality, the spirit journey had ended.

Li Sanjiang, who was soundly asleep indoors after drinking too much tonight, would never have imagined that he had painstakingly arranged numerous luck-transferring rituals to sever the dark side of Little Yuanhou, hoping he could live a normal life. Yet, in repeated practical attempts, the boy was gradually figuring out the rules of spirit walking.

“Ding-a-ling… ding-a-ling…”The bell jingled. Li Zhuiyuan turned, and the qipao-clad figure behind him, hands on his shoulders, turned with him. Runsheng rubbed the back of his head with the back of his Yellow River Shovel. He didn’t quite understand what Little Yuan was doing, bringing a lingering spirit out of the water and then back in the middle of the night. But he rarely dwelled on things he didn't understand; Little Yuan would tell him what to do anyway.

With no one else around in the deep night, Li Zhuiyuan smoothly led Little Yellow Oriole back to the pond in front of the bearded man’s house.

“Hmm?”Earlier, when he led Little Yellow Oriole out of the pond, Li Zhuiyuan had his back to it. Now returning, Little Yellow Oriole was still behind him, not yet having gone back in. This allowed Li Zhuiyuan to re-examine the pond’s original state, temporarily free from Little Yellow Oriole’s influence. He had been here before, but back then, he hadn’t read the “Liu Clan’s Art of Discerning Qi.” He was like an illiterate child visiting ancient ruins, unable to understand the inscriptions.

Now, he sensed something was wrong. Little Yellow Oriole wasn't inside, yet the geomantic energy of the fish pond was even gloomier than when he had arrived. If it had become clearer and more dissipated, it would be understandable. The opposite implied that there was something even more special deep within this pond, and Little Yellow Oriole's presence on the surface had actually concealed it. Could this be why Little Yellow Oriole showed no signs of dissipating even after her revenge was complete?

“Ding-a-ling… ding-a-ling…”Li Zhuiyuan didn’t rush to place candles and send Little Yellow Oriole back. Instead, he led her slowly along the edge of the pond, trying to discern its true secrets. However, as he walked, Li Zhuiyuan gained no further insights. Instead, Little Yellow Oriole behind him began to show signs of restlessness. Li Zhuiyuan knew it was because he had kept her out for too long. The hands that had been resting on his shoulders now gripped him, their force increasing, and their damp cold permeated Li Zhuiyuan’s entire body.

For a moment, Li Zhuiyuan also felt agitated and found it difficult to maintain his qi-discerning state. It became stumbling and disjointed, like when he had picked up reading the scribbled characters of the “Liu Clan’s Art of Discerning Qi” after a previous interruption. However, just then, a flash of inspiration struck Li Zhuiyuan. He raised his hand and tried to observe the geomantic energy of the pond again, using the same feeling he had while reading those chaotic, illegible characters. Under this distorted, irregular fluctuation, several details he hadn't noticed before suddenly became apparent: "Taiyin Angling," "Lonely Pool Reflecting Moon," "Beneficial for Burying Noble Ladies," and "Accumulating Blessings."

This was an excellent water burial site. If a noble female of the family were interred here, it could protect and nourish the fortune of future generations. Ancient people disliked water burials due to the changeable nature of water, which not only made it inconvenient for descendants to offer incense and mourning but also easily disrupted the original feng shui layout. However, water burial customs also existed in ancient times, partly because good burial sites were rare, partly to prevent grave robbery, and partly because some people of special status wished to be interred discreetly.

This pond, though significantly damaged, had largely preserved its fundamental geomantic structure. The reason Li Zhuiyuan hadn't been able to discern it before was precisely its damaged state. It was like a flawed problem, and trying to apply a perfect textbook solution would only lead to a mismatch. But in this world, where could one find a perfectly intact geomantic pattern, unless it had just been constructed? Therefore, this "incorrect" approach, a sort of deliberate confusion, was precisely the right way to solve practical problems.

This meant his earlier guess was wrong. The person hadn't written so poorly out of nervousness or haste while copying; rather, the copyist had intentionally integrated their practical understanding into the script itself. This was truly… an unimaginably sophisticated technique. They had stolen someone else's work, yet understood it more profoundly than the original owner. Why was he still certain it was copied? Because if the Liu family itself had mastered this method of enhancing practical understanding, they wouldn't have deliberately kept the characters neatly written, increasing the difficulty for their descendants to comprehend. And that day, when Liu Yumei glanced at the book in his hand, whose cover he had deliberately torn off, she only saw messy, scribbled handwriting and didn't recognize it as her family’s “Liu Clan’s Art of Discerning Qi” at all. Li Zhuiyuan grew curious: who was this copyist?

But at least one thing was certain now: the main burial chamber the water ghouls were looking for should be here. It was just that those water ghouls were unskilled and were misled by the decoy burial spot at the Sihai family's fish pond, disturbing the earth-bound malevolent energy and losing two men. The police had now set up a watch at the hospital ward, waiting for their accomplices to visit so they could be caught in one swoop.

No, what was this? Li Zhuiyuan initially thought the sticky substance dripping on him was from Little Yellow Oriole behind him, but how could something dripping from Little Yellow Oriole be warm? He lowered his head, touched his chest, then his chin, and finally his nose… Alright, no need to touch any further, he could already feel a violent gush of blood from his nose.

What was happening? Was it a result of the physical exhaustion from his accelerated study of the “Liu Clan’s Art of Discerning Qi” these past few days that hadn't recovered yet, or was it that using this newly understood method of discerning qi itself placed a huge burden on him? Regardless, if he didn't stop the bleeding, he would be in serious trouble. Most importantly, it seemed that due to the continuous flow of his blood, Little Yellow Oriole, who was already restless behind him, became even more agitated! She was no longer content with just gripping his shoulders; her head had moved closer to his face, and though she didn't breathe, she was like a wild beast drawing near, sniffing its prey.

Li Zhuiyuan dared not delay any longer. Besides, his objective was achieved. He immediately turned to face Runsheng in the distance and pointed to where the candles should be placed. Runsheng had been following behind, not too close, so he wasn't clear about Li Zhuiyuan's situation. Now that Little Yuan had turned to face him, Runsheng saw Little Yuan's face and clothes covered in blood in the moonlight. Combined with Little Yellow Oriole's violent swaying, he immediately misinterpreted it as Little Yellow Oriole strangling Li Zhuiyuan's neck and biting him!

Immediately, Runsheng grabbed his Yellow River Shovel, ready to come to Little Yuan’s rescue, but then he heard Little Yuan shout:“Place candles at those two spots, and light them!”

Runsheng's brain and body suffered a conflict of inertia. Holding the Yellow River Shovel, he performed a single-leg pivot. Had he not quickly stabilized himself by thrusting the shovel into the ground, he might have stumbled and rolled into the fish pond. Getting up quickly, Runsheng swiftly placed the candles, then took out matches and lit them. Li Zhuiyuan, meanwhile, shook the bell, leading Little Yellow Oriole precisely to the spot. He stood with his back to the pond and extinguished the incense in the censer he held. But Little Yellow Oriole didn't let go; she still gripped his arm. She didn't want to leave.

The situation now perfectly illustrated the saying, "It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send one away." Runsheng had already picked up the soul-retrieving basket, ready to cover the lingering spirit and then throw them both into the water. Li Zhuiyuan rubbed the bell against his face, coating it with his blood, then swung it back. The crisp jingle echoed in the air before the bell fell into the fish pond. Little Yellow Oriole released her grip, turned, and walked toward the pond. The water gradually rose over her body. Her hand grasped the bell floating on the surface.

Li Zhuiyuan quickly pulled out two yellow paper talismans, lit them with a candle, spread his arms, and then clapped his hands forcefully, holding the burning paper!

"Clap!"

Sparks flew from the yellow paper, but the flames immediately extinguished. The wicks of the two candles on the ground turned green. Li Zhuiyuan stamped his foot, completely extinguishing the candles. After doing all this, he looked at Little Yellow Oriole in the pond. She had turned around; the water was up to her chest, but her neck and head were visible, staring at him.

“The door of life is closed. With three offerings, I send you back. Please return!”

Finally, Little Yellow Oriole slowly submerged, and once her dark hair spread out and she was completely immersed, her figure was no longer visible. Li Zhuiyuan collapsed onto the ground with a "thud." He looked up, but his nosebleed continued.

“Brother Runsheng, roll two paper balls for me.”“Oh, alright!” Runsheng immediately took some yellow paper and rolled two balls, but the first ones were a bit too big to fit his nostrils, so he had to roll them again. Even after inserting them, the nosebleed didn't stop. It soaked through the paper balls and continued to flow. Only after he replaced them with two new paper balls did the nosebleed finally subside.

Li Zhuiyuan breathed deeply. He felt a distinct tightness in his chest and weakness, symptoms of significant blood loss. Runsheng carefully attended to him, disregarding the lingering spirit in the pond. He fetched water from the pond to cool Little Yuan's forehead and wipe the bloodstains from his face.

“Huff… huff… huff…”It took a while for Li Zhuiyuan to recover. Runsheng exhaled, patting his chest, and said with lingering fear, “Little Yuan, she was so fierce.”

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. “She was fine, it was my fault.” Little Yellow Oriole had been very restrained; it really was his problem this time. Who would have thought that discerning geomantic energy could lead to physical exhaustion? Even the most docile lion, if provoked while bleeding from the head, would be justified in devouring you. But this was the cost of exploring when connecting theory with practice. He could only say he was lucky it was Little Yellow Oriole. If it had been another type of lingering spirit, even if Runsheng could have saved him, a major battle with the spirit would have been unavoidable.

“Little Yuan, what exactly were you doing tonight?”Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the pond in front of them. “Brother Runsheng, there’s a tomb beneath.” Runsheng’s eyes immediately lit up with excitement, and he gripped his Yellow River Shovel again. “Little Yuan, I’ll dig it up!”

“Brother Runsheng, what movie have you watched recently?”“’Indiana Jones,’ all three parts. They were shown on the county TV channel.”“Brother Runsheng, grave robbery is illegal.”“Uh…”“Also, I suggest you start watching ‘Xinwen Lianbo’ after dinner from now on.”“Okay, I will. So, what about this place?”“Since the water ghouls didn’t find it, let it be. It’s buried deep anyway.”

Due to Li Lan's work, Li Zhuiyuan had some understanding of archaeology. Nowadays, unless it's for a major construction project, or a tomb has been robbed or naturally damaged requiring protective excavation, archaeologists don't actively unearth tombs. Water burials, due to their unique nature, have chambers much deeper than earth burials, making excavation more difficult. Since Little Yellow Oriole remained here without dissipating, it indicated the main burial chamber was well-preserved. If so, it was best to leave it undisturbed.

“Brother Runsheng, tonight’s events must be kept secret.”“Understood.”

Li Zhuiyuan slowly stood up, casting a deep gaze at the pond before him. This indeed was a good place for nurturing corpses. If that group of water ghouls hadn't been fully apprehended and still harbored desires for this main burial chamber, he would genuinely look forward to them finding it. Because what awaited them here wouldn’t be simple earth-bound malevolent energy.

Back home, Li Zhuiyuan took another shower. He then realized his clothes were beyond cleaning; it was a blood-soaked garment, and leaving it around might scare someone. He could only fold it up for now and burn it in the stove tomorrow. After taking care of himself, Li Zhuiyuan lay on his bed, trying to catch some sleep before dawn. But his body must have been severely exhausted, and he had lost a lot of blood. That quick nap turned into sleeping until noon. When he woke up, before even opening his eyes, he could feel the strong midday sunlight.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes and looked at the carvings above his bed, even carefully distinguishing the various patterns on them. Finally, unable to avoid it, he chose to face reality. He turned his head to look at the doorway. The girl was sitting in a chair. Today she wore a light green ruqun, conveying a sense of grace combined with new beginnings. It felt truly wonderful to wake up every day and see her. No need for many words, no need for excessive expressions; just this one glance could make his mind and body joyful.

Li Zhuiyuan got out of bed, walked to the snack cabinet, and took out three bottles of Jianlibao. Following their usual custom, he handed two bottles to the girl, opening one for her. In truth, the boy didn't like drinking sweet soda in the morning, but the girl enjoyed clinking bottles with him. After taking a sip, the girl set down her Jianlibao, reached out, took Li Zhuiyuan's right hand, and gently peeled back his fingers again. The wound had scabbed over. Li Zhuiyuan hadn’t bothered to re-bandage it after showering last night. The burn mark on his palm had faded, but the five nail marks around it were still distinct. The girl ignored the wounds she had caused, her index finger tracing the burn mark on his palm.

“Don’t worry, there won won’t be a next time for me.” After that phone call, he no longer used the term "mom" in his mind. He didn't want to ponder whether that night was Li Lan's final hysteria or a distorted tenderness during a psychotic episode; he was tired. She said he wasn't the son she wanted, but then again, she wasn't the mother he wanted. Indeed, two mentally ill people, both seeking genuine affection and reliance from each other, would only end up tormenting each other. The boy had decided to shed the mask he wore when facing Li Lan. When you truly have nothing, you instinctively cling to everything you can grasp. Now, he was willing to let go.

The girl looked at the boy and held out her right hand. On her palm were five clear nail marks, and the wounds had also scabbed. This meant that after she had choked him that night, she had also choked herself. Li Zhuiyuan lowered his eyes, took the girl’s hand, and said in a deep voice, “There won’t be a next time for you either.” The girl nodded.

Li Zhuiyuan’s fingers brushed over the girl’s palm wounds. He knew that describing them with terms like “childhood sweethearts,” “playmates,” “companions,” or even the more adult concepts of romantic affection, would be inappropriate. Because he and she were both gamblers. Precisely because they had experienced the feeling of winning, they would be unwilling to accept defeat and choose to sit back at the gambling table. Essentially, neither of them could afford to lose. They both wanted to be normal people, and neither was resigned to their fate. That’s why he sought her out, and that’s why she returned. Li Zhuiyuan felt that Li Lan would probably despise his way of thinking, but it didn’t matter, because A-Li didn’t care either. Sometimes, habitually thinking too simply and directly could seem cold and heartless, but often, two people struggling in a relationship overthink things.

The two held hands and walked downstairs. A-Li was very happy; Li Zhuiyuan could feel her small hand fluttering in his palm, especially when they turned at the landing. She seemed to want to tiptoe and twirl, and although she didn't make the movement, Li Zhuiyuan had already imagined it.

In the courtyard, Liu Yumei wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. Last night, she had secretly watched from behind the window. She was anxious that the boy had only said that one sentence, and even more worried that her granddaughter had shown no reaction, just turning and returning to the room… only to wake up. However, her granddaughter quickly closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Liu Yumei increasingly felt she was getting old and couldn't understand young people's thoughts. She remembered how her grandfather pursued her with such a grand spectacle that the Qin and Liu families almost fought. Who would have thought that this generation of young people would become so reserved?

But no matter what, her granddaughter was getting better again. This time, she didn't want any more setbacks. She hoped the illness wouldn't recur until her granddaughter was fully recovered. Hmm, wasn't he going to carve talismans? This afternoon, she would personally take an axe and split all the ancestral tablets at home, sending them to the woodworking shop. Perhaps due to the overwhelming joy, Liu Yumei didn't delve deeper into how the boy managed to summon lingering spirits. Of course, it was also possible she had suspected it long ago but simply chose to ignore it. To put it bluntly, if she weren't concerned about the backlash of fortune, even if the boy were to commit murder and arson, she would choose to secretly help him destroy the evidence. Because she had finally realized that the key to her granddaughter’s recovery lay with the boy. This didn’t mean Li Sanjiang’s fortune was useless; it was precisely because they lived in Li Sanjiang’s home that they met this boy.

Li Sanjiang came down for breakfast. Seeing the two children sitting together again, he immediately sighed, "Indeed, the feelings between children are pure." Then he looked up at Liu Yumei, who was wiping tears in the distance, and couldn't help but quietly scoff, "Go on, stop them, you worldly old woman." Li Sanjiang had always had a poor impression of Liu Yumei, as he disliked her air of a dignified, albeit fallen, landlord's young mistress. After all, he, Li Sanjiang, had also contributed to the liberation!

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan went to the workshop he had built and saw that all the tools and materials were already in place. Aunt Liu, as housekeeper, was indeed beyond reproach. Li Zhuiyuan left Runsheng in the workshop and set him to work. It was mostly initial material processing and preparation, not difficult, but somewhat time-consuming and laborious. Runsheng worked with great enthusiasm because he was crafting a new set of tools for him. Li Zhuiyuan would be modifying the materials and dimensions of the tools based on Runsheng's great strength, which meant Runsheng would need to process even larger quantities of raw materials. In short, all day, except for coming out for lunch, Runsheng didn't leave the workshop, not even watching TV.

Li Zhuiyuan finished modifying the new set of blueprints early, then sat on the terrace and read. This time, he didn't need to force himself to rush through the material. He was already afraid of that feeling of exhaustion. If he did it a few more times, forget facing lingering spirits; he himself would look like one. So, rather than reading, he was more accurately relaxing and unwinding. Qin Li sat beside him, holding “Qin Clan’s Dragon Observation Art,” and Granny Liu sat downstairs, drinking tea and smiling up at them.

Li Zhuiyuan had considered whether to tell Granny Liu about his new insights into the "scribbled characters" of the Qin and Liu families, but after thinking it over, he decided it wasn't the right time. At the very least, he needed to first go through all the valuable books in the basement, just in case there were other inheritances from the Qin and Liu families inside.

In the afternoon, Li Zhuiyuan put down his book and played several rounds of chess with Qin Li. Then he went to the first floor with her, opening paired snacks and drinks while watching TV. Since the TV boss wasn't there, they could watch for as long as they liked. Just watching TV could get boring, so Li Zhuiyuan wondered if he should take Qin Li to see a movie at the cinema. Nowadays, cinemas were usually empty except on holidays, so there was no need to worry about Qin Li encountering strangers.

Li Sanjiang went out after lunch and was pleased, not angry, to see Li Zhuiyuan not studying when he returned. He thought it was good; Little Yuanhou was gradually recovering from the blow of losing his household registration.

Around 5:30 PM, a motorcycle pulled up. The driver took off his helmet; it was Tan Yunlong. After greeting Li Sanjiang, he easily picked up Li Zhuiyuan, restarted the motorcycle, and smoothly turned down the slope. Tan Yunlong drove his motorcycle even wilder than Uncle Qin. Fortunately, Li Zhuiyuan had a helmet this time.

When they arrived at the police station's family quarters, Tan Yunlong led the boy to the third floor. He opened the door, and a middle-aged woman wearing an apron walked out of the kitchen. She was dressed simply and tastefully, with a very approachable demeanor.

“This must be Little Yuan?”“Hello, Auntie.”“Hello, you’re a good boy. You can call me Aunt Zheng.”Tan Yunlong asked, “Where’s Binbin?”“Binbin’s in his room doing homework.”Tan Yunlong opened his son's room door. At the desk, a tall high school student in a school uniform was engrossed in his homework. Tan Yunlong walked to the desk and placed his hand on it. Tan Wenbin’s posture became slightly distorted. Then, Tan Yunlong opened his son’s pencil case and took out a Tetris game console. The game was even paused. Tan Wenbin lowered his head, not daring to meet his father’s gaze.

Perhaps because there was an outsider present, Tan Yunlong didn't get angry. Instead, he took out a handful of jellies from his pocket and placed them on his son’s desk, then separated two and handed them to Li Zhuiyuan. Li Zhuiyuan silently tore open a jelly and put it in his mouth. He knew that the relationship between these father and son must be very ordinary. Perhaps Tan Wenbin liked eating jellies when he was little, but what father would continue to give jellies to his high school senior son? Although Tan Wenbin was cooperative and ate one too, it looked more like a performance of father-son affection. Li Zhuiyuan sighed when he saw this scene. Even if they were performing, there was still genuine warmth underneath, unlike himself and Li Lan, where there was no emotion, only acting.

“This is Little Yuan, Li Zhuiyuan. Little Yuan, this is my son I told you about, Tan Wenbin. You can call him Binbin.”“Hello, Little Yuan.”“Hello, Brother Binbin.”“Come, find a blank test paper and let Little Yuan do it.”“What, for him?”“Yes.”“Oh, then this one.” Tan Wenbin pulled out a math paper from a stack of blank ones. High school courses were usually completed by the end of the second year, so the entire third year was essentially review, revision, and practice problems.

“Okay, now, come out with me for a moment.”“Dad…”“Out.” Tan Yunlong began unbuckling his belt as he walked out. Tan Wenbin’s face twisted into a pained expression, and he followed. Then, the door to the next room closed, and Li Zhuiyuan heard several screams mixed with Tan Yunlong’s reprimands: “I won’t fuss about the fighting, but you dared to steal your mom’s money to buy a game console! How have I been teaching you? It’s okay to have slightly worse grades, but you can’t go astray as a person. Do you want me to personally put you in jail later?!” However, Tan Yunlong only lashed out a few times, then transitioned to verbal admonishment. Aunt Zheng knocked on the door several times during this time, but to no avail.

Two hours later, the father and son emerged. Aunt Zheng complained, “We have a guest! Are you not eating, or do you want Little Yuan to starve?”“Forgot.” Tan Yunlong glanced at his son. “It’s still this good-for-nothing’s fault.” Li Zhuiyuan had long since left the desk and was sitting on the bed, looking at a comic book he had pulled out from a stack of books. Before the father and son entered, he had hidden the comic book under the covers, so Tan Yunlong hadn’t seen it. Tan Wenbin had stopped crying, but his shoulders were still hunched, looking very pitiful. Tan Yunlong slapped his son on the back of the head. “Go see how Little Yuan did on the paper.”

Tan Wenbin walked to the desk, flipped the math paper up and down, and saw that it was fully answered. “How is it? Are they all correct?” Tan Yunlong urged, “I’m asking you.”“I don’t have the answers… I don’t know.”Tan Yunlong: “…”Tan Wenbin flipped through the papers underneath and exclaimed, “They’re all done!” This stack of papers had been distributed by teachers in advance, requiring students to complete them at home according to schedule. It included not only math but also several other subjects. Tan Wenbin discovered that, except for the essay on the Chinese test, all other questions on all papers were answered. He tried some simple problems he knew how to do and found that his answers matched those written by the boy. Regardless of the other difficult problems, at least it ruled out the possibility that the boy had simply written random answers.

“Well, what is it? I’m here wasting time and embarrassing myself with you.”“Dad, these, these are all correct.”“What about the others?”“I’ll have to do them slowly to find out, but based on the problem-solving methods and processes, he should know them. If you want to check the answers, I can ask the teacher tomorrow.”“Do this: find the test papers you’ve written and taken before, pick some of the most difficult questions from a few subjects, copy them down, and have Little Yuan do them.”“Oh, okay.”

Tan Yunlong now needed to confirm whether the boy truly had a high school level of understanding. Otherwise, if he went to the school to suggest skipping grades and something went wrong, he would be in a difficult situation. Tan Wenbin copied one problem into a notebook, then set it aside and said to the boy, “Little Yuan, do this one first.”“Okay.” Li Zhuiyuan stood by the desk and picked up a pen. Tan Wenbin then took out another notebook and started copying the second problem. When he finished copying the second problem, he turned to look and found that the boy had already put down his pen and was waiting for him.

“That fast?”Tan Wenbin took the notebook, checked it, and the answer was correct. Then he watched as Li Zhuiyuan swiftly solved the problem he had just copied. He checked the answer, and it was correct again. These were over-level difficult problems; during the exam, only two students in his class had solved them. Li Zhuiyuan suggested, “Brother Binbin, why don’t you just read the problems aloud? It’ll be faster.” Tan Yunlong nodded and said, “You read!”

Tan Wenbin picked up a math paper and began reading the multiple-choice questions. Each time he finished reading a question, Li Zhuiyuan immediately gave the answer. Soon, except for geometry problems that required looking at diagrams, Tan Wenbin had read through the entire paper’s questions, and the boy consistently provided the answers directly. Putting down the paper, Tan Wenbin was dumbfounded. He usually admired the top students in his class, and when discussing academics with them, he always felt pressure and a gap. But in front of this boy, he felt no pressure because he had been utterly crushed.

“All correct?” Tan Yunlong asked.“Yes, Little Yuan Gege, all correct.”Tan Yunlong, as if he had found a treasure, grabbed Li Zhuiyuan’s arm and spun him around. “Hahaha, he really is a prodigy, a true prodigy!” Parents always view intelligent children with good grades through rose-tinted glasses, and parents with children preparing for exams are even more exaggerated. At that moment, in Tan Yunlong’s eyes, it truly felt as if a star of literature had descended upon his home. Finally, after his excitement, he put Li Zhuiyuan down. Li Zhuiyuan put a hand to his forehead, feeling a bit dizzy from being spun.

“Little Yuan, I’ve inquired. The formal enrollment procedures can only be handled when school starts, and people from the Education Bureau will also need to go to the school. However, Binbin’s high school has summer classes, so we can go to the school for a test first, and handle the procedures later. This way, you can enter the classroom and attend classes immediately. What do you think?”Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. “Uncle Tan, I want to enjoy my summer vacation.”“Alright then, it’s only the end of July now, so there’s still a month of summer vacation. When it’s time to enroll, I’ll come pick you up again.”“Thank you, Uncle Tan.”“No problem.” Saying that, Tan Yunlong slapped his son’s head again. “Look at him, and then look at you!” Tan Wenbin hadn’t fully recovered from the previous shock and instinctively asked in return, “Why don’t you ask what his parents’ educational background is or what they do?”

“Slap!”

This slap was heavier than the last. “Let me tell you, you and Little Yuan will be classmates from now on. You should learn more from Little Yuan. Also, since he’s still young, you’re responsible for taking good care of him in daily life.”“Okay.” Tan Yunlong nodded. His son wasn’t completely idiotic. If you take care of someone in life, won’t they also take care of you in studies? Although parents always say that grades aren’t the most important thing, what parent would be so foolish as to not hope their child excels academically? The boy’s performance of directly stating the correct answers after hearing the questions had indeed stunned even him, an old police officer. With a child like this, if his own son could just spend time with him every day, even a pig would gain some divine aura, right?

“Zheng Fang, Zheng Fang!” Tan Yunlong walked out of the room, eager to share what he had just witnessed with his wife in the kitchen. He believed his wife would be even more excited than he was, and he also had to remind her to quickly add a few more dishes, regardless of whether they could finish them. The important thing was the grand gesture.

In the room, Li Zhuiyuan sat on the bed, and Tan Wenbin sat on the chair, the older and younger boys facing each other.

“Little Yuan Ge?”“Brother Binbin, please don’t call me that. Just call me Little Yuan or Yuanzi.”“Little Yuan Ge, what do you usually do at home?”“Read books.”“Just read all the time?” This answer somewhat disheartened Tan Wenbin, but he persisted, asking, “Besides reading, what else do you like to do?”“Fish for lingering spirits.”