Chapter 71: Some Affection

Chen Ping'an walked out of the house in a daze, entered the small courtyard, and looked up. The sun was scorching, and his vision was exceptionally clear. The sky was like a porcelain embryo, layer by layer stripped of its glaze, smooth and lovely.

Chen Ping'an inadvertently noticed that his breathing was somewhat stagnant. He sat on the threshold, calmed his mind, and formed the sword furnace fist stance with his fingers interlaced.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Chen Ping'an finally felt his breath return to a smooth and steady rhythm. Just as he was about to stand up, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye and sat back down on the threshold, his eyes wide. He didn't know when, but a black stone was lying quietly in the corner of the courtyard - the best sword-sharpening stone in the world, the Dragon Slaying Platform!

Chen Ping'an quickly got up, walked over, and squatted down to examine it carefully. Compared to the collapsed pedestal of the Heavenly Official statue, it seemed to have been cut in half with a knife, clean and decisive. Chen Ping'an rubbed his chin, shifting his position little by little, squatting in different directions, completing a full circle. Returning to his original position, he became even more certain that it was indeed the pedestal beneath the statue that had received the "Bodhisattva's Nod."

This made him shudder. Although Miss Ning liked to say grandiose things, all her cold-eyed, hands-off words were absolutely genuine. If she said that the Dragon Slaying Platform was exceptionally sturdy and could only be split open by a Great Sword Immortal at a great cost, Chen Ping'an had no doubt. So, did this Dragon Slaying Platform grow legs and run all the way to his Chen Ping'an's house?

Chen Ping'an now knew that there were indeed gods, immortals, ghosts, and countless mountain spirits and goblins in the world. But a stone becoming a spirit seemed unlikely, right? Besides, it could run to anyone's house and enjoy some good fortune, so why run to his house where it would only suffer? Was it really such a stupid stone spirit?

Chen Ping'an tentatively asked, "Hey, can you talk? Or can you understand me?"

Of course, it couldn't.

The suspicious young man shook his head, unable to take his eyes off it.

Perhaps the previous dream was too vivid, Chen Ping'an hadn't fully recovered from it yet, causing everything he saw to appear strange.

Many small things he hadn't pondered deeply in the past, when strung together now, seemed to suddenly make sense.

Master Qi had said that such things existed in the world, and Ning Yao had even spoken of the bizarre and wondrous sights of the world outside.

Even Old Yao had actually said many things in bits and pieces. A simple matter like entering the mountains had many intricacies. Old Yao had mentioned many times, for example, that those inconspicuous old tree stumps might be the seats of mountain gods and were not to be sat upon. He also said that all the mountains under the sky, regardless of size, were actually related, like ancestors and descendants.

At that moment, Chen Ping'an suddenly felt curious. He really wanted to know how to see the entire panorama of the Carp Leaping Spring Grotto-Heaven where his town was located. Would he only be able to see it all if he climbed to a mountain peak higher than Cape Cloud Mountain?

Chen Ping'an gathered his thoughts and looked down at the black stone, thinking about taking it to the blacksmith shop. Miss Ning would definitely need this sword-sharpening stone. As for how Miss Ning would deal with the stone, whether she would choose to sharpen her sword herself or give it to Master Ruan as a thank-you gift for helping to forge the sword, Chen Ping'an didn't care. He was just curious about how a sword-sharpening stone actually sharpened swords. Would it be similar to how he sharpened his firewood knife?

Chen Ping'an never procrastinated. Once he made a decision, he immediately took action. He reached out and lifted the sword-sharpening stone. He could lift it an inch or so off the ground. It was a bit heavy, but not to the point where he couldn't move it. That made things easier. Chen Ping'an went into the house to find a bamboo basket.

Soon, the young man was walking along Mud Bottle Lane with the basket on his back. A piece of clothing covered the sword-sharpening stone.

After exiting Mud Bottle Lane, Chen Ping'an discovered that there were many people on the streets. He guessed that the sudden darkness had spooked people, and now that they had finally seen the bright sun, they all wanted to get some fresh air. Therefore, the vast majority of the townspeople had left their homes, walked out of the alleys, and come to the streets, discussing the matter. From time to time, people would rush past, shouting that the Iron Lock Well had completely dried up, and even the iron chain that had been hanging in the well for thousands of years had been secretly taken away and hidden at home by some scoundrel. Even more mischievous children, in twos and threes, were jumping and skipping, their faces filled with joy, talking nonsense about the changes in the old locust tree.

It turned out that the old locust tree had been uprooted "overnight" and had fallen onto the street, with broken locust branches and withered yellow leaves scattered all over the ground. At first, many nearby residents thought it would be a waste, so they casually picked up branches and leaves to take home for firewood. Some lazy young men, unwillingly urged by their wives, carried firewood knives to chop up the thicker locust branches. It wasn't that no one tried to stop them. Most of the old people in the town who had lived around the old locust tree for generations were heartbroken and cursed at those shameless men and women who were taking advantage of the situation. Some old people tried to patiently explain the history of the old locust tree and the town, saying that the tree had a spirit. Over the years, even when withered branches fell, it only chose the quiet of night, unwilling to fall on people's heads. Not to mention that whenever the harvest was bad, the locust flowers from the old tree were like rice, filling the bellies of many people.

It was no use.

Those young men either ignored them, only caring about chopping down the tree, or, if they had a worse temper, they would get into conflicts with the old people, pushing and shoving. In short, it was a bit chaotic.

After hearing the commotion from the old locust tree, Chen Ping'an, with the basket on his back, hesitated and slowed his pace, turning his head back every few steps to look towards the locust tree. His intuition told him that he should go over to the locust tree to take a look, but there was also a voice in his heart telling him to hurry to the blacksmith shop.

He suddenly saw a swift and nimble figure flash past him. It was a little girl wearing a bright red padded jacket. What was both funny and admirable was that the little girl was carrying a locust branch as thick as a young man's arm on her shoulder. The locust branch was as tall as she was, but the little girl's feet moved quickly, like cartwheels, very lively and cute.

Chen Ping'an recognized her at a glance. It was that independent little girl who came and went like the wind, and liked to wander around the town. She and Gu Can were accidental acquaintances. He had seen her again on the Green Ox's back not long ago. She seemed to have a particularly good relationship with that young Taoist nun among those immortal figures. Chen Ping'an had also given her a small snake gallstone.

Chen Ping'an quickly called out to her. The little girl in the red padded jacket turned her head. After seeing that it was Chen Ping'an, she grinned. Her pair of expressive autumn water eyes seemed to be saying, "If you have something to say, say it quickly. I'm listening. I'm still busy like an ant moving house!"

Chen Ping'an held back a smile and waved his hand, saying, "I want to discuss something with you. It will only take a moment of your time."A little girl in a bright red padded jacket, hefting a tree branch, hurried over with a gust of energy. She tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Chen Pingan asked, "You brought that branch from the old locust tree, didn't you?"

The little girl nodded vigorously, regret in her voice. "If I don't hurry, they'll all be snatched up. I'm not strong enough to carry anything bigger. I'll try to make more trips."

Chen Pingan's mind raced. He tentatively asked, "If your home is near Fortune Street, that's quite a distance. If you trust me, you can leave the locust branches in my courtyard first. That way, you can make more trips back and forth."

The little girl silently weighed the pros and cons, carefully observing Chen Pingan's eyes and expression. Perhaps deciding he meant no harm, she nodded. "What do you want me to do? I have to know beforehand. I can't carry too big of a branch. They're heavy. My shoulders already feel like they're on fire."

Chen Pingan pulled out a ring of keys, detached one, and handed it to the little girl. "This is the key to my courtyard gate. Take it. I don't want you to do much, just keep an eye out for any green leaves that haven't turned yellow when you're grabbing branches. If you see any, remember to pick them up for me."

She didn't take the key, her eyes wide. "That's it?"

Chen Pingan smiled. "Yes, that's it. You know where my house is, right?"

She hummed in agreement. "Twelfth house on the left from Mud Bottle Lane."

In the end, she still didn't take the key. "The wall around your yard isn't high. I can gently place the locust branches inside without opening the gate."

Chen Pingan put the key away. The girl in the red padded jacket had already turned and dashed away.

Chen Pingan felt she was like himself when he ventured into the mountains, except she was walking through the streets while he was traversing the mountains.

Chen Pingan walked out of town, heading south. As he approached the "Covered Bridge," he was shocked to discover it was gone.

It had reverted to the old stone arch bridge he remembered.

For some reason, even though the Covered Bridge was new and grand, adorned with eye-catching golden plaques, Chen Pingan preferred the old bridge before him.

Standing at the foot of the stone bridge, Chen Pingan inexplicably recalled that unexplainable dream. Taking a deep breath, he slowly walked up the slope.

The closer he got to the center of the bridge, the more nervous he became. Already drenched in sweat, he perspired even more heavily. But when he reached the other side of the arched bridge, nothing happened. Chen Pingan gave a self-deprecating smile and quickened his pace toward the blacksmith shop.

Over on Green Ox Back, Old Man Yang sat on the edge of the green stone cliff, puffing heavily on his dry tobacco pipe.

The water in the pool at the old man's feet rippled, shimmering. Beneath the surface, large clumps of seaweed seemed to sway, an unspeakable sense of eerie strangeness pervading even under the bright sun.

A blurred old woman's face gradually emerged on the water's surface, but she possessed a head of raven-black hair that blossomed in the water. At this moment, the old woman, looking as if she had lost her parents, said in a trembling voice, "Great Immortal, I truly dared not approach that place last night. I tried several times, but every time I went near, it felt like I was plunging into a pot of boiling oil, more painful than being sliced into a thousand pieces! Great Immortal, please spare me. I truly can't do it."

Old Man Yang said coldly, "I'm not here to reprimand you. From now on, you only need to do what you can, without any ambiguity. However, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before you now. It all depends on whether you dare to seize it."

The old woman's ghostly green face swayed in the water, exuding an indescribable air of the supernatural. Hearing that the Great Immortal intended to point out a clear path for her, she quickly assumed an attitude of attentive listening.

The old man slowly said, "Now that the Small Paradise is slowly returning to the human world, connecting with the earth, it is at a crucial stage of taking root. Before long, it will be connected to the territory of the Great Li Dynasty. The reason you can only be called a River Hag and not a River God is like being in a secular dynasty. You are still just a minor official without rank, you have not truly obtained an official position. A step away, a world apart."

He pointed towards the stone arch bridge with his old tobacco pipe. "The root cause of this is not that your territory is small, but that your domain has been cut in half. See that bridge? It has severed your future incense offerings. You only need to swim under the bridge now, and you will have a great future. This small stream you are in will become the source of many important rivers in the future. Not to mention a lower-class River God with black hair extending only a few hundred miles, even being officially appointed as a River God by the Great Li, with hair stretching thousands of miles, will not be difficult."

The old woman's eyes twitched slightly.

Old Man Yang did not urge her, smiling. "It's actually quite comfortable lying in the mud, isn't it? Why should you let others help you up, right?"

The old woman had previously hesitated to agree immediately out of fear, but now, hearing the Great Immortal's sarcasm, she knew something was wrong and immediately begged for forgiveness, causing the deep pool's water to churn.

The old man remained unmoved, saying indifferently, "Whether to continue being a mudfish begging for scraps, or to transform into a River Dragon guarding a region's water transport, depends on this one move. Also, don't forget what I told you at the beginning. There is no turning back on this path. You can only go down it to the end. There is no such thing as a one-time solution in this world. To put it bluntly, everyone in town can receive good fortune, but it will never be your turn."

The more calm and collected the mighty Great Immortal was, the more apprehensive the River Hag felt. Finally, she gritted her teeth and plunged into the water.

A moment later, the old woman's figure disappeared, but in the stream between Green Ox Back and the stone arch bridge, there seemed to be a faint green shadow, twisting and turning downstream.

As this shadow approached the stone arch bridge, its speed slowed, eventually becoming as slow as a turtle paddling.

Ten or so yards away from the deep pool of the stone arch bridge, the River Hag's figure suddenly accelerated. Clearly, she was seeking wealth and taking the risk, staking everything on this final attempt.

She swam across.

Unimpeded.

After rushing out several dozen yards, the old woman's underwater figure spun around. To celebrate surviving the ordeal, she couldn't help but twirl in circles, a mass of black hair coiling around her emaciated, fleshless body.

The River Hag stood suspended in the stream, looking up at the stone arch bridge, finally clearly seeing that old sword strip.

It was still covered in rust, no different from what she had seen when she was a child, a young woman, a young wife.

But in the next moment, the River Hag, who had only glanced at the old sword strip, had her eyeballs explode on the spot.

A mournful cry.

The stream churned, waves crashing.After a long while, the stream finally calmed. The old crone regrew her eyes, but her aura was weak. The great immortal's voice echoed in her ears, "They don't care about you; it's just your ancestors burning incense. Don't push your luck. Remember, when you pass the stone bridge, don't look up."

The old crone stammered, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare again."

Old Yang's voice came faintly, "Just go downstream and see how far you can swim. When you pass that blacksmith's shop, don't be too arrogant. But don't worry too much; your presence will make this stream particularly 'gloomy,' which is conducive to creating water essence, which is beneficial for forging swords. So that Master Ruan won't make things difficult for you. If you work diligently, he might even give you some opportunities. Although the Li Zhu Grotto-heaven has shattered and its spiritual energy is rapidly dissipating, it can probably last for another thirty or forty years. Master Ruan's position as a sage is very stable; it's actually a good thing for him."

The old crone breathed a sigh of relief and said flatteringly, "I will obey the immortal's decree."

On the back of the green ox, someone said with admiration, "Senior has great supernatural powers, able to independently appoint a river spirit without alarming the Heavenly Dao."

Old Yang remained in his original seated position, without turning his head, and sneered, "River spirit and river god are different by one character, but they are as different as clouds and mud. You scholars don't understand this?"

The visitor was Cui Minghuang, the most promising scholar from Guanhu Academy, and likely to be the last outsider to leave this place.

This handsome scholar, with his jade-like appearance, smiled and said, "It's already shocking. To force a small path out of a dead end, such a feat is worthy of junior's admiration."

Old Yang asked indifferently, "Boy, do you know my identity?"

Cui Minghuang shook his head and smiled, "The mountain master didn't tell me in advance, but I can barely guess a little."

Old Yang said impatiently, "Go, go, go. You're not qualified to talk to me. It would be more or less the same, if your mountain master came."

Cui Minghuang not only didn't leave, but sat down cross-legged on the back of the green ox. Before sitting, he carefully held onto the jade pendant at his waist to prevent it from hitting the stone cliff. He looked up at the unobstructed blue sky and said softly, "Having such a high level of cultivation, but in order to protect this Li Zhu Grotto-heaven, without letting the Heavenly Dao penetrate even a little, you're unwilling to use any of it, and in the end, you can only rely on two natal characters, truly holding on to the end. Old Yang, what exactly is our Mr. Qi trying to achieve?"

The old man just smoked his pipe, his expression gloomy.

Cui Minghuang murmured, "If it's to 'establish a life for the people,' that's too much of a loss. He's Qi Jingchun, the mountain master of Cliff Academy, the proud disciple of the fourth sage of Confucianism. Is it worth it to exchange his life for the afterlife of five or six thousand ordinary people? I don't think it's worth it. I definitely couldn't do it."

Old Yang exhaled a puff of smoke, "You can only say these things to me. If it spreads out, you can forget about becoming a mountain master of the academy for the rest of your life. Since you said a few words from your heart, shall we chat casually?"

The scholar smiled, "That would be great. Junior couldn't ask for more."

The old man looked at the water, "But before that, I want to ask you a question."

Cui Minghuang nodded, "Senior, please ask."

The old man said slowly, "Was it your doing that step by step pushed Qi Jingchun to that state where he could only seek death?"

Cui Minghuang was stunned at first, then smiled bitterly, and finally mocked himself, "Senior, are you overestimating me too much?"

Old Yang didn't turn his head, clouds of smoke rising around him, "I don't have any other abilities, but I'm decent at reading people's hearts. So you shouldn't have come here."

Cui Minghuang smiled and explained, "Even if we start from the time when our fourth sage of Confucianism's position in the Confucian Temple dropped for the first time, that was eighty years ago. I'm only thirty years old now, how does that make sense?"

The old man turned his head and smiled, "You mean you just happened to come here to take the jade seal of the kingdom, and happened to encounter this tragic case, just like yellow mud falling into your pants, it's not shit, but it looks like it?"

Cui Minghuang's expression remained calm, and he smiled, "The world is unpredictable, there's no story without coincidence."

Old Yang chuckled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Cui Minghuang didn't want to waste any more time, and got straight to the point, "Junior has a special liking for that Pi Yun Mountain, and hopes to use it as the site for a new academy. Junior is a guest here, and when in Rome, do as the Romans do, so it's only right to say hello to Senior Yang. I wonder if Senior has any requirements?"

Old Yang frowned and remained silent.

Cui Minghuang seemed afraid to urge the old man, slowly stood up, and said softly, "Senior, please rest assured that as long as Senior doesn't nod, Junior's academy won't dare to start construction. If Senior thinks this is feasible someday, you can have the Kiln Works Supervisory Office send a message to Cui Minghuang of Guanhu Academy."

Old Yang hummed, not rejecting him outright.

Cui Minghuang cupped his hands and took his leave.

Compared to small pawns like the old river crone, whether they can truly achieve godhood, or whether Guanhu Academy wants to seek a feoff on the board in the Great Li Dynasty, choosing that Pi Yun Mountain, the old man didn't really care much about these things, because they were of little importance.

The only thing the old man cared about was what Qi Jingchun said to Ruan Qiong that night at the covered bridge. In the end, he sat alone on the covered bridge all night and only got up to return to the town after dawn. During that time, what exactly did Qi Jingchun say and do?

The old man stood up, carrying his old pipe, and cursed in a low voice, "There's not one of them who's not a worry."

Inside the school, the four children looked at each other in confusion.

The children didn't see Mr. Qi. Instead, the old man who seemed to be sweeping the floor all year round had changed into a Confucian robe similar to Mr. Qi's, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. His frost-white hair was neatly arranged, and he wore a tall hat. The old man sat in Mr. Qi's original position and told the four children that Mr. Qi had resigned from his position as a teacher and mountain master of the academy, so he would lead the study tour from now on.

The matter of traveling far away was something Mr. Qi had already discussed with the children, and their elders had also agreed.

The old man no longer had his usual kind and gentle expression, and instead possessed a dignified aura. He asked, "Where's Li Bao Ping? Why didn't she come to school?"The mischievous Li Huai, who always clashed with the girl in the red padded jacket, immediately tattled, "Li Bao Ping heard that the old locust tree had fallen on the way here, and she insisted on going to see the commotion. I couldn't stop her. She has such a bad temper; no matter how I tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen. She was even about to hit someone!"

The other three children secretly rolled their eyes. Li Huai was just like his mother, a master of blatant lies.

The old man turned to a little girl with pigtails and said, "Go and call Li Bao Ping back. We're leaving this town today."

The little girl reluctantly mumbled "Okay" and trotted out of the school.

Li Huai, despite his young age, was sharp-tongued and couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. He adopted a pompous tone, "Old Ma, you must discipline wayward students like Li Bao Ping properly, or she'll never amount to anything. Now that Mr. Qi is gone, you have to take on the responsibility..."

The old man glared at him sternly, and Li Huai, frightened, fell silent, but in his heart, he cursed the old man, thinking that the monkey was king since the tiger was away.

Li Huai used to resent Mr. Qi's rules, but now he missed the good old days.

Next to the schoolroom, in Mr. Qi Jingchun's old room, Cui Minghuang from Guanhai Academy sat behind the desk, surveying the surroundings. The scholarly interloper wore a gentle smile and whispered with a hint of disappointment, "There aren't many books here."

Chen Ping An was stunned when he heard the news at the blacksmith shop.

Ning Yao had left the town before dawn. Ruan Xiu said that she had received a flying sword message from Daoshan and had left the shop in a hurry.

Chen Ping An realized then that Ning Yao's previous visit to Ni Ping Lane had been a farewell.

Chen Ping An stood under the eaves of the house where Ning Yao had been staying, a bamboo basket on his back, and pursed his lips.

Ruan Xiu said softly, "Ning Yao asked me to tell you that she'll borrow the scabbard for a while and return it to you later."

Chen Ping An shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter."

Ruan Xiu hesitated, and Chen Ping An realized that his words were meaningless to Ruan Xiu. He scratched his head and said, "Then I'll go back to Ni Ping Lane first."

Ruan Xiu nodded.

Chen Ping An started walking away.

Ruan Xiu suddenly remembered something and called out, "Chen Ping An, my father said that you should focus on working in the shop for now. He might need you to help with the blacksmithing later."

Chen Ping An turned around and smiled. "Thanks."

The girl in green smiled beautifully.

Chen Ping An walked alone along the creek. After crossing the stone arch bridge, he suddenly stopped, took off the basket, and sat on the edge of the bridge, his feet dangling in the air, the basket containing the heavy Dragon Slaying Platform resting beside him.

A pair of straw sandals swayed gently.

The boy didn't feel too much sadness about Ning Yao's departure, because he had known from the beginning that she would leave.

It was just that there were some words he hadn't had time to say.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ping An was suddenly jolted awake by a huge splash of water from under the bridge. Chen Ping An quickly turned his head and realized that the basket was gone!

Without hesitation, Chen Ping An pushed off with his hands and plunged into the creek.

After entering the water, he quickly adjusted his posture, head down, and plunged towards the bottom of the creek.

When Chen Ping An widened his eyes and vaguely saw a glimmer of light, he lost consciousness in that instant.

The next moment, Chen Ping An found himself standing on a mirror-like surface of water. He gently stomped his foot, creating ripples, but the surface did not collapse.

Chen Ping An suddenly raised his arm to shield his eyes.

There was a dazzling light in front of him, illuminating the world.

When the light faded, Chen Ping An lowered his arm and saw a person sitting in the air in the distance, one leg bent and the other hanging down, as if sitting on the edge of a cliff, in a lazy posture.

The whole person was bathed in a pure white light, with strands of light constantly flickering.

Chen Ping An couldn't make out the person's face.

It was similar to the figure standing in the middle of the bridge in the dream he had in his home in Ni Ping Lane.

But Chen Ping An couldn't be sure if it was the same person.

That person raised his head, yawned, and slowly said, "That scholar named Qi Jingchun said he was very disappointed in this world. What about you?"

After that person spoke, Chen Ping An found it difficult to breathe and gritted his teeth.

Soon, he heard his own heartbeat again, as if someone were beating a drum, shaking the sky. The boy's face flushed, and he reached out to hold his heart.

A divine being was drumming the Spring Announcement Drum, telling the world that spring was coming.

If the drum doesn't sound, spring won't come.

That person waved his hand, and his sleeves billowed like a silver river.

On the stone arch bridge, the boy, nodding off like a chick pecking at rice, woke up dazed and turned to look. The basket was obediently sitting beside him.

The boy clutched his head and said, "Again?!"

Chen Ping An slapped himself hard, and it hurt.

He hurriedly stood up, put the basket on his back, and ran.

Chen Ping An ran all the way back to Ni Ping Lane, opened the courtyard door, and found locust branches lying scattered near the door.

He thought to himself that the girl was really good at running and carrying things.

Chen Ping An put down the basket and sat down at the courtyard gate, wiping his sweat.

A flash of red ran quickly from one end of Ni Ping Lane.

The little girl, covered in sweat, grinned when she saw Chen Ping An.

She used a locust branch as a crutch, panting heavily, and took out a handful of vibrant, verdant locust leaves from her embroidered pouch.

Chen Ping An took them and looked down. Compared to the locust leaves that Mr. Qi had helped him get, these leaves were also green, but the veins were already yellowed. Even after staring at them for a long time, he couldn't see any green light flickering within.

Chen Ping An looked at the girl in the red padded jacket, who was looking around, and smiled, holding out his hand.

The little girl looked blank.

Chen Ping An didn't retract his hand.

After a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly took out the last leaf from her embroidered pouch and slapped it heavily into Chen Ping An's palm.

Chen Ping An continued to hold out his hand.

She puffed out her cheeks and turned to take out another locust leaf from who knows where, handing it to Chen Ping An with a mournful expression.

Chen Ping An suppressed his laughter, put the eight locust leaves together, took out three of them, and handed them to the little girl in the red padded jacket, saying softly, "These are for you."

The little girl didn't take the leaves, her large, watery eyes filled with confusion.

Chen Ping An ruffled the little girl's head and explained gently, "It's different if you hide them yourself beforehand and if I give them to you afterwards. Don't forget in the future, you must fulfill the promises you make to others."

Chen Ping An looked at her innocent and naive face and smiled. "If you try your best but still can't do it, remember to let me know."Although the little girl felt there was some truth in what he said, she was losing face. So, she mustered all her strength, wrinkling her small face and puffing out her cheeks, saying angrily, "You're just like that old scholar Qi at the school! I don't like you anymore!"

Chen Pingan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He said, "I'll help you move the locust branch to your house. I'm strong, one trip will be enough."

The little girl in the red padded jacket, who was utterly exhausted, instantly brightened up, her eyes squinting into crescent moons. "Then I can like you a little longer!"