Chapter 359: The Dang Kang's Gift

The amusement park Qin Huai invited everyone to visit was a new one that had opened in Shancheng two years ago.

It wasn't a theme park like Universal Studios or Disney; it was a very conventional amusement park featuring roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, a haunted house, and a series of traditional attractions, with no merchandise for sale. The only difference was that the food and water inside were priced higher than outside; it had no distinctive features, nor any obvious flaws, just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill amusement park.

If one had to name a feature of this amusement park, it would be that it boasted four types of roller coasters and two drop towers, focusing on thrill and excitement. It was decidedly not child-friendly. University students could get a 50% discount on admission with their student IDs, making it deeply popular among the university student demographic.

Qin Huai had originally planned to drive Luo Jun's car to take everyone together; with Seeing Seeing Ouyang joining, that would make exactly five people, fitting perfectly into one vehicle.

However, plans changed due to a slight issue, resulting in everyone traveling separately and agreeing to meet at the amusement park entrance at 11 o'clock.

In fact, Qin Huai and Qin Luo didn't even depart together; Seeing Seeing Ouyang drove a separate car to pick up Qin Luo, while Qin Huai drove another car himself.

This "slight issue" was specifically...

While waiting at a red light, Qin Huai glanced at Chen Chen Huihong in the passenger seat, then looked back at Qu Jing, Shi Dadan, and Luo Jun sitting in the rear. Seeing Qin Huai looking at them, Shi Dadan cheerfully smiled at him.

After smiling, Shi Dadan shifted his buttocks, perhaps having squeezed Luo Jun a bit; Luo Jun gave him a look of extreme disdain, didn't roll his eyes, but merely snorted coldly and turned his head to continue gazing out the window.

Qin Huai desperately wanted to smash the question marks hovering above his head onto these four people, but he didn't dare, so he could only hesitate, words stuck in his throat.

It wasn't until the red light ended, the green light turned on, and he had driven a distance following the navigation that Qin Huai finally couldn't hold back and said:

"I understand the logic: Old Shi, you saw our chat in the group, noticed my recent progress on the Double Crab Buns was poor, and were very concerned. Coincidentally, you caught some good haul while fishing at sea two days ago, so you specially flew all this way, air-freighting the seafood to bring to me, just in time for today's amusement park trip. I can understand that."

"Sister Hong, you... well, you work whenever you want and skip whenever you want; I can also understand your desire to come to the amusement park."

"Qu Jing, you rarely get time off; hearing about this amusement park itinerary, you specially took annual leave to come with us. I suppose I can understand that too."

"But you, Mr. Luo! Whether by actual age or physical age, you must be at least over ninety, right? You hardly ever go out these days; even when you rarely venture out to the Clouds Canteen, Zhang Zhang Shumei has to push a wheelchair beside you just in case. Qu Jing asked you to go to the rehabilitation department for physiotherapy, and you refused. So why are you coming to an amusement park?"

"You probably can't even climb onto the carousel, the gentlest ride in this entire park, can you?"

Why did Qin Huai insist on saying this while driving? Because if Luo Jun cared even a little about the safety of everyone in the car, he wouldn't suddenly explode, attack him, or curse him furiously while Qin Huai was driving.

Qin Huai was simply gambling.

And he won the gamble!

As expected, Luo Jun did not explode, nor did he curse furiously. He merely looked out the window with even greater disdain, shifting his buttocks to the side to avoid sitting next to Shi Dadan, snorted coldly, and said:

"This is my car; I can go wherever I want."

Qin Huai:...

"I'm about to die anyway; what's wrong with wanting to visit an amusement park once before I go? I've never been to one."

Qin Huai felt that Luo Jun was somewhat giving up on himself in a fit of pique.

Last time, when Qu Jing held a tea party at Luo Jun's home, she discovered that Luo Jun's health was truly failing and that he might not have much time left. Back then, Luo Jun would still fly into a shame-filled rage and chase the three of them out. But once Qu Jing and Chen Chen Huihong started contacting the funeral home, asking Luo Jun what material he preferred for his tombstone and whether he wanted a custom-made one, Luo Jun realized he could no longer hide the truth, so he stopped hiding it.

He was now even willing to say things like, "Before I die, I just want to go to an amusement park once."

"The wheelchair is in the trunk; Qu Jing will be the one pushing it then, not you, so why are you worrying?" Luo Jun rolled his eyes irritably. "Didn't you tell Qu Jing that you wanted to provide end-of-life care? Is this how you provide end-of-life care?"

Qin Huai: Taking a ninety-something-year-old You You Bifang to an amusement park known for thrills and excitement, featuring drop towers and roller coasters—is this right?

Qin Huai could only shut his mouth and keep driving.

Although Shi Dadan had joined the group chat for some time, this was his first time interacting with so many spirits, so he wasn't very familiar with Luo Jun's temper.

Seeing Qin Huai fall silent, Shi Dadan thought Qin Huai was angry, so he quickly smiled cheerfully to smooth things over: "Aiya, actually, today's idea was secretly proposed by me; you can't blame them, mainly blame me."

"I just happened to arrive and thought that since Assistant Xiao Qin was going to the amusement park to relax, and I quite enjoy amusement parks myself, I quietly messaged everyone last night to ask if they wanted to go. Only after seeing that everyone was interested did I mention it in the group. It's my fault, all my fault."

Luo Jun slightly turned his head to glance at Shi Dadan: "Truly worthy of being a Dang Kang; you've managed to play the good guy in all this."

Shi Dadan scratched his head: "That's not what I meant; what I meant was..."

Seeing that Shi Dadan was about to make the explanation even more confusing, Qu Jing quickly spoke up, gently soothing him and explaining: "Mr. Shi, please don't misunderstand. Mr. Luo isn't angry, and Master Qin isn't angry either. Mr. Luo always speaks like this; his temper today has actually been quite good. He's just being sarcastic; there were no personal attacks, no pure insults, and certainly no baseless cursing."

"We are all used to it; Mr. Luo always speaks this way. What just happened was normal communication, not an argument."

Luo Jun:...

Shi Dadan was greatly surprised: "The You You Bifang has such a bad temper?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Luo Jun made a sharp turn, staring straight at Shi Dadan: "Mr. Shi of the Dang Kang clan, I've tolerated you for a long time. So what if you're an auspicious beast? So what if you successfully underwent tribulation on your own? Why are you auspicious beasts so annoying, one worse than the next?"

"Ever since you stayed at my house last night, first you used my kitchen to make soup, then you used my TV to watch those brainless, nonsensical sitcoms that make people laugh foolishly. Most importantly, it's my habit not to sleep at night; I stay up late to watch TV, not specifically to chat with you."

"You kept dragging me into conversation, chat, chat, chat. Did we know each other before? What was there to talk about? Have we chatted many days in the group?"

"Most importantly, I don't need you to tell me any tribulation techniques. Do you think your tribulation experience has any reference value? What annoys me most about you Dang Kangs is how you pretend to be simple and honest all day long. Previously, a Dang Kang lived right next door to me; he didn't raise anything himself, just picked up the feathers I shed and those from the Pixiu next door to trade for goods. Not a single one of you Dang Kangs is any good!"

Hearing that last sentence, Chen Chen Huihong, who had been playing on her phone, instantly perked up, making a sharp turn herself until she nearly leaned into the back row: "There was such a thing? I always wondered why you, Luo Jun, hated Dang Kangs so much. Did you used to shed feathers frequently?"

Luo Jun:...

Shi Dadan could only offer a simple, honest smile: "Well, you can't entirely blame him; your You You Bifang feathers are indeed quite beautiful; many spirits like them. If I lived next door to you, I'd pick them up too."

Luo Jun:???

Silently driving, Qin Huai felt that Luo Jun might be about to die of anger. To ease the atmosphere, Qin Huai proactively changed the subject: "Alright, Mr. Luo, let's not dwell on such details; let's discuss something more pressing. Have you decided on the material for your tombstone yet?"

Luo Jun said expressionlessly: "I've chosen it; I've already transferred the money to Chen Chen Huihong for her to place the order. It takes about ten months to customize a tombstone; I'll strive to die only after those ten months are up."

"Customizing a tombstone takes that long?" Qin Huai was shocked; this truly touched upon a blind spot in his knowledge.

"The material and style Mr. Luo favored must be customized abroad; shipping them back is quite troublesome, so it requires some time," Qu Jing explained. "The style is quite nice, but we don't know if Mr. Luo will be able to see the finished product before he passes. If he passes away within these ten months, I'm afraid it might take many years before he can see the finished product."

Shi Dadan's focus was entirely different: "Old Luo, you have less than ten months left, so you must remember and follow the precautions I told you about last night. The second life is truly different from the first; you think you remember many things, but in reality, some parts are vague to you, and those vague parts will increase the difficulty of your tribulation."

"Most importantly, do not indulge in memories of the past, nor be too different from ordinary people, or you'll easily be fed talisman water. You also need to change this explosive temper of yours; what child has a temper as fiery as yours?"

"Reincarnation is hard to predict; if you're born into a good family, it's fine, but if you're not reborn well, you'll have to endure for several years before you can contact us again." It was evident that Shi Dadan had poured his heart out to Luo Jun. He was deeply concerned about this You You Bifang whose situation was basically identical to his own: having failed the tribulation in the first life and now about to restart, beginning a second life.

Luo Jun couldn't even be bothered to roll his eyes; he silently turned his head away from Shi Dadan, continuing to look out the window as if he hadn't heard a word.

Qin Huai barely managed to suppress his laughter, realizing that although Luo Jun had a fiery temper, he was truly helpless against the Dang Kang, because the Dang Kang was indeed a little bit not very bright.

Qin Huai asked Chen Chen Huihong in a low voice: "Sister Hong, tell me the truth, why did you decide to come to the amusement park with me today?"

"Team building," Chen Chen Huihong blurted out. "We've known each other for so long, yet we've never gone out to play together. Assistant Xiao Qin, every day you're either making dim sum, or making dim sum, or lying at home resting; you're even less human than we are."

"It's rare to see you go out to play once, so of course we wanted to join in the fun; coming out to play with you counts as team building."

"Where we go doesn't matter; the main point is that we rarely go out together. If necessary, we can just treat it as an outing. Anyway, we have no interest in amusement parks; at my age, what would I even play at an amusement park?"

Qu Jing silently raised her hand from the back row: "But I really want to go to the amusement park; I've never been to one. I really want to ride the roller coaster."

Shi Dadan also said cheerfully: "I quite like riding roller coasters too; they're thrilling."

Qin Huai smiled without speaking and continued driving.

Although today's event had inexplicably transformed from a relaxation activity for the Double Crab Bun Research Subcommittee into the first team-building event for the "Loving Family" group chat, which was quite sudden, it was still quite nice.

After all, in a certain sense, Luo Jun wasn't wrong; with his time running out, if he didn't come out for team building with everyone now, he would have to wait until his next life.

At 11 o'clock noon, Qin Huai led everyone to arrive punctually at the amusement park entrance.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang's group had arrived a few minutes earlier than Qin Huai's. Compared to Qin Huai's group arriving empty-handed, Seeing Seeing Ouyang and his companions were much better prepared; basically, everyone was carrying a backpack or a bag, and Qin Luo was even carrying a large bag of snacks without seeming tired.

Zang Mu was seeing Luo Jun and Shi Dadan for the first time; he curiously glanced at the two a few more times, then sidled up to Qin Huai, covering his mouth to whisper: "Qin Huai, how did your neighborhood committee's activity for caring for lonely elderly people turn into bringing a lonely elderly person to an amusement park? This is too strange; this grandfather looks to be at least eighty-something, and Doctor Qu is even pushing a wheelchair. What can he possibly play?"

Regarding the uninvited arrival of Chen Chen Huihong and the others, Qin Huai's explanation was that today, the neighborhood committee had specially organized a "Care for Lonely Elderly" activity for Luo Jun, this stubborn household of a lonely old man. As a super VIP of Qu Jing's hospital, Luo Jun had Qu Jing accompanying him for full nursing care, while Shi Dadan was a friend of Chen Chen Huihong's who had been called over to help.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang overheard Zang Mu's muttering and directly helped Qin Huai explain: "You don't understand Mr. Luo; this kind of activity sounds absurd, but when it comes to him, it's not absurd at all. As long as he is willing to come, it's better than anything else."

Zang Mu nodded with a look of half-understanding. Tan Tan Weian kept munching on a fresh meat mooncake without speaking, while Zheng Zheng Zheng Siyuan, carrying a backpack, silently chatted on his phone, likely talking with Zheng Da.

Only Qin Luo seemed somewhat anxious; since everyone had arrived, why weren't they going in yet? It was already 11 o'clock; any further delay would mean less time to play.

Holding the snack bag, Qin Luo urged loudly: "Brother, can we go in now? I heard the most thrilling roller coaster inside doesn't require queuing; let's go ride that one first later. I want to ride it several times!"

"I didn't even dare to eat the fresh meat mooncakes Brother Zheng Zheng Siyuan made, fearing I'd vomit after playing. We need to hurry up and play; after riding the roller coaster, I still want to eat something!"

Seeing Qin Luo's urgency, Qin Huai didn't delay, nodding repeatedly: "Alright, did you bring the cards and tickets? Let's go in."

Qin Luo let out a cheer and was about to sprint toward the entrance.

"Wait." Shi Dadan called out to stop Qin Luo, pulling out his phone. "Let me take a photo of everyone first, right here at the amusement park entrance."

Seeing Seeing Ouyang instantly understood, whispering to Qin Luo: "Did Luo Luo, cooperate a bit; photos from this kind of activity are very important; having more people makes it look more grand."

Qin Luo nodded with a look of half-understanding and responded actively; when posing for the photo, she stood directly beside Luo Jun, smiling brilliantly.

Shi Dadan was quite skilled at taking photos of people; although he was using a mobile phone, his posture was very professional and neat, and his hands were very steady.

"Come on, three, two... Mr. Luo, smile a little; your expression is too serious. Yes, smile a bit."

Luo Jun was forced to squeeze out a perfunctory, business-like smile.

Qin Huai was standing right beside Luo Jun; seeing this forced smile, he couldn't help but burst out laughing with a "pfft."

Shi Dadan captured the moment at light speed.

Seeing that Qin Huai actually dared to laugh at him, Luo Jun angrily turned his head, glaring at Qin Huai; Shi Dadan clicked and captured this scene as well. Feeling that Shi Dadan seemed to be photographing his moment of anger, Luo Jun glared at Shi Dadan, and then this scene was also captured by Shi Dadan.

Luo Jun:???

"Pfft." Qin Huai, who had been suppressing his laughter the entire way, finally couldn't hold it back and laughed out loud.

Qin Huai rarely saw Luo Jun look so defeated; no wonder Luo Jun hated Shi Dadan so much; perhaps the You You Bifang and the Dang Kang were truly incompatible.

Qin Luo had no idea what was happening; she grabbed Qin Huai and ran toward the entrance, saying as she ran: "Brother, I've already checked the strategy Complete Guide! In a moment, let's go ride that super thrilling roller coaster three times first; ordinary people vomit after three rides. We'll ride it three times, recover a bit, and then go ride the other roller coasters!"

"Just now I asked Brother Yang, Brother Zheng Zheng Siyuan, and the others; I asked around, and none of them wanted to ride. I don't dare to ride alone, so Brother, you accompany me, okay!"

"Ah??!"

"After the roller coaster, we'll ride the drop tower. Brother Yang said he'll stay below to film videos for us."

"Ah???! "

"Hahahahaha." Seeing Seeing Ouyang burst into loud laughter from behind.

Just as Qin Huai was about to open his mouth to say that his dear sister, today he suddenly felt somewhat unwell and perhaps couldn't accompany her to ride the drop tower and roller coaster, a game notification sound rang in his mind.

"Ding, congratulations player, you have triggered the special reward 【The Dang Kang's Gift】, obtaining 【A Segment of Shi Dadan's Memory】."

Qin Huai:?

Eh?

Didn't the author say they couldn't make up any more memories? How did they make one up again?

But what exactly is a special reward? Does this thing rely on triggering? How do you trigger it? By accompanying his sister to ride the drop tower and roller coaster?

The words on the tip of Qin Huai's tongue instantly turned into:

"Don't worry, Did Luo Luo. Today, you can play as many times as you want; your big brother will definitely play with you to the very end!"

Of course, if after playing we go home and your dear big brother discovers you haven't finished your homework, he will also sit with you and see that homework through to the very end.

Qin Huai smiled as he looked at Qin Luo.

After all, how could he not be a considerate and good big brother?

(End of Chapter)