"Don't, really don't. I'm not just being polite with you. I don't believe in this stuff, no need to burn incense or kowtow on my behalf."
The rain kept falling all the way till dinnerti, with no sign of stopping.
Aunt Liu called everyone to eat. On rainy days you keep people for als; nobody stood on ceremony and they all stayed to eat.
After dinner, the rain finally eased off and everyone went ho.
Mr. Tian also pushed his own wheelchair toward Big Beard's house. After pushing it a bit and getting onto the village road, he stood up and hoisted the wheelchair onto his shoulder to walk.
Humming a little tune, he had just stepped into Big Beard's courtyard when he saw wind whipping up in the Peach Forest, petals falling in a flurry, branches creaking—yet outside, the wind and rain had clearly long stopped.
He didn't dare look more, let alone think more. Old Tian started tidying up the herb garden that had been battered by wind and rain.
What made his face burn was that the area he had planted needed so adjustnt and care, while the part the boy had planted that day was completely unaffected.
He had once felt on his own young master what a truly smart person was like, but back then what the young master was good at wasn't what he knew. Only when you're crushed in your own area of expertise do you feel what a real blow is.
While working, Old Tian didn't dare look around. He only heard the wind in the Peach Forest next door intermittently kicking up again and again.
Late at night, music from a zither drifted out from deep in the Peach Forest, its lingering notes carrying a killing chill.
Before going to bed, Li Sanjiang habitually went to the small room on the first floor used for offerings to have a look.
Inside, a long-lasting lamp was lit, with "Corpse Recovery Li" written above it. Below were the nas of himself, Little Yuanhou, and a bunch of others. His own Little Yuanhou had said this was for blessings. Whatever his great-grandson said, Li Sanjiang believed.
So morning and night he would co wipe and straighten things. He'd also bow to the "Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism" plaques he'd hung on the wall earlier—no harm in paying respect.
But today, just as he pushed the door open and went in, he heard a series of cracking sounds, and all the "gods and buddhas filling the sky" on the wall ca crashing down.
It scared Li Sanjiang so bad he thought an earthquake had hit.
By the ti he finally finished cleaning everything up, the sound of a car ca from outside.
Li Sanjiang walked out, a smile appearing on his face. The mules were back.
"Zhuangzhuang, have you all eaten yet?"
"We have, Mr. Li. You go rest. We're going to wash up and sleep too."
"Alright, okay."
Li Sanjiang went upstairs to rest.
Not long after, Zhao Yi hunched over and ca up to the second floor.
The light was on in Li Zhiyuan's room. Zhao Yi slowed his steps. Just as he got close, the boy ca out.
Seeing him, the stone hanging in Zhao Yi's heart finally settled halfway.
Li Zhiyuan glanced at him.
Zhao Yi said, "I can't help being nervous. My whole family up and down is in the public notice period right now."
Li Zhiyuan: "I didn't say anything."
Zhao Yi: "I'm trying to comfort myself."
Li Zhiyuan nodded and headed downstairs.
"Brother Xiao Yuan."
"Brother Xiao Yuan."
Among the voices calling him were also the Liang Sisters.
Under pressure, all living beings are equal.
Yin ng sat on a bench against the wall, her back pressed to it, expression a bit numb.
She was like a kid who'd had a blast playing wild outside and now had to take a stack of failed tests ho for her parents to sign.
When Li Zhiyuan and Zhao Yi walked down into the courtyard, Yin ng said blankly, "Run Sheng, what do we do?"
Run Sheng: "It's just going ho, what's the big deal."
Yin ng: "The ancestors will be angry."
Run Sheng: "No matter how angry It gets, It's still your ancestor. Worst case It just kills you directly."
Liang Yan: "Who comforts people like that?"
Liang Li: "Exactly."
Tan Wenbin: "Once your heart's dead, you can finally relax."
Yin ng let out a breath, and her face really did look much better.
The night was deep. Li Zhiyuan and Zhao Yi walked along the country path.
Zhao Yi: "Is there any other way?"
Li Zhiyuan: "There is, but it's not suitable."
Zhao Yi: "So?"
Li Zhiyuan: "We've decided to go to Fengdu."
Zhao Yi: "Okay."
Li Zhiyuan: "Was the trip smooth?"
Zhao Yi: "The Lu Family isn't qualified to make things go badly for us yet."
Li Zhiyuan: "I ant the way back."
Zhao Yi: "Very smooth. What's wrong?"
Li Zhiyuan fell silent.
Zhao Yi asked again, "Give a hint—how is that one doing?"
Li Zhiyuan: "It's very pleased you didn't open that book."
Zhao Yi: "Then I've got to keep posing a bit longer? Keep acting like I'm detached from worldly desires and at peace with everything?"
Li Zhiyuan: "You can."
Zhao Yi: "It should be able to see through it."
Li Zhiyuan: "That doesn't matter."
Zhao Yi: "True, flattering soone openly feels even better."
The two arrived at Big Beard's house. Old Tian had laid out a straw mat and was sleeping in the herb garden.
Hearing movent, the old man lifted his head. When he saw that familiar figure, he happily scrambled up and ca over in a little hop-and-skip.
Old Tian wanted to show his young master how fully he'd recovered, but in Li Zhiyuan and Zhao Yi's eyes, the old man was walking with the sa gait popular with young girls these days.
"Young master!"
A smile appeared on Zhao Yi's face. He stepped forward, bent down, and lifted Old Tian up in a hug.
"This is all backwards, backwards. Young master, I should be the one holding you, carrying you on my back!"
"Old Tian, I've grown up, and my health is fine now. I don't need you to carry anymore."
More than the action, those words were downright heartless.
Old Tian's mood imdiately took a dive.
Zhao Yi twisted the knife: "You're getting old. You can't handle the rough stuff anymore."
Old Tian said aggrievedly, "Young master…"
Most people can accept getting old, but it's hard to accept becoming useless.
Zhao Yi: "You've taken good care of this herb garden. The Li guy really lucked out."
Old Tian: "Young Master Yuan's skill in this area is no worse than mine."
Zhao Yi: "You get along pretty well with Mr. Li too?"
Old Tian: "Brother Li is a good man, very interesting."
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