[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner":3,"chapter-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-35":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm Not Crazy—This Is the Emperor's Banner",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2291375,4480,"Chapter 35","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>The old Daoist Qingyun and Uncle Youcai stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Youcai bowed to the old Daoist and prepared to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you coming back with me?” asked the old Daoist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Youcai shook his head. “I’ll take a walk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Going to see Qiaozhen again?” asked the old Daoist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Youcai said nothing, which counted as confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist sighed in frustration: “You had no courage when alive, yet now you’re so foolishly devoted—what a pitiful man. Back then, Master Yu San was such a remarkable figure… alas…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master Yu San the old Daoist spoke of was Youcai’s grandfather—and Shen Siyuan’s great-great-grandfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was once a great man, but time spares no one; all has faded with the wind, and now few remember him, leaving not a trace behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Youcai said nothing in reply, only bowed to the old Daoist, then drifted away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist watched his back, then turned his gaze to the second floor behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never expected the one who most resembled Master Yu San would be an outsider’s descendant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist paused briefly, then drifted away as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Siyuan, wake up—it’s already late, still sleeping?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a daze, Shen Siyuan heard his mother knocking on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his eyes; daylight had fully come, sunlight streaming through the curtain’s gaps, casting vertical beams across the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up his phone—already nine in the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m up, stop knocking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan called out, got out of bed, hastily pulled on his clothes, then went to open the door—his mother had already left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom, why didn’t you wake me earlier?” Shen Siyuan called out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There was nothing to do this morning—why wake you early? I wanted you to sleep longer,” came his mother’s voice from downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s just… she didn’t say that when she was knocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, all mothers are like this: they want you to sleep longer, yet don’t want you to sleep too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you say I had a blind date this morning? Are you planning to wait until afternoon? I’ve got plans this afternoon.” Shen Siyuan came downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What plans could you possibly have this afternoon?” his mother said dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Personal matter—I’m meeting a friend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mother, who had been peeling beans, looked up at him. “Who is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you—you wouldn’t know them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan sighed helplessly—this was one reason he didn’t want to return home to help his father run the chicken farm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked about everything, probed into every detail, controlled everything, left no room for privacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My classmate—you don’t know them,” Shen Siyuan gave her a random excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mother then said: “Porridge’s on the table—it’s cold, perfect to drink. Hurry up and eat. Aunt Qi will come soon to take you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing it wasn’t afternoon, Shen Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mother sized him up again. “Go to the bathroom and fix your hair—you look a mess, no dignity at all. And can’t you change your clothes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan ignored her nagging and went straight to the bathroom to wash up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he finished half his breakfast, Aunt Qi arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aunt Qi” was merely a village term—she had no blood relation to Shen Siyuan’s family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qi was slightly younger than his mother, a plump middle-aged woman with a loud voice who always laughed twice before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Huang, you home? Had breakfast yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m here, just waiting for you,” his mother hurriedly put down her work and went out to greet her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan quickly gulped down the rest of his porridge, then cleared the bowl and chopsticks into the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he came out of the kitchen, his mother had already led Aunt Qi inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good morning, Aunt Qi,” Shen Siyuan greeted quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he hesitated even a moment, his mother would start lecturing again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shen Siyuan, Aunt Qi smiled warmly: “Siyuan, you’re such a fine-looking young man—this time, make sure you seize the chance. Get married this year, let your mom hold a grandchild next year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan glanced at his mother—her eyes met his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately looked away, embarrassed. His mother gave him two light punches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give your old mom some pride.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the two punches, she shifted to smoothing out his collar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your dad isn’t home?” Aunt Qi asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s at the chicken farm,” his mother replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go, don’t waste time—go early, come back early.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was just the next village, it still took a while to walk there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once outside, Shen Siyuan asked: “Aunt Qi, you haven’t told me who this girl is yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The daughter of Zhang Laowai from Shiqiao Village—two years younger than you. Don’t let Zhang Laowai’s looks fool you—his daughter’s absolutely lovely…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Laowai?” Shen Siyuan nearly stumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew exactly who Zhang Laowai was—his son, Zhang Haibo, was his classmate. Because Zhang Laowai had a crooked mouth, they nicknamed Zhang Haibo “Little Crooked Mouth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that nickname, Zhang Haibo got into plenty of fights—today, he’d be called Crooked Mouth Dragon King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their villages were close, both under Qingshui Town, so they attended the same school from elementary through junior high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they not only knew each other, but got along well—Shen Siyuan had definitely met his sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In memory, she was a skinny, dark-skinned snot-nose girl—was that what Aunt Qi meant by “lovely”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were already halfway there—he couldn’t back out now. He’d just have to meet her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Aunt Qi, sitting behind him, added: “I’ve introduced her to three guys—you’re the last one she’s meeting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan thought: If she’s already met two, what if she likes one of them? Then I’m just wasting my time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then Aunt Qi continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The first two were uglier and less qualified than you. I did it on purpose—let her see two ugly, misshapen ones first, then when she sees you, her chances of saying yes go way up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wow—blind dating with strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Aunt Qi, for going to so much trouble,” Shen Siyuan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem—what’s my relationship with your mom?” Aunt Qi chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sounded suspiciously like an insult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they arrived at Shiqiao Village, Shen Siyuan walked confidently toward Zhang Laowai’s house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qi noticed and asked: “You know Zhang Laowai’s place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His son’s my classmate,” Shen Siyuan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that’s perfect—if you like the girl, it’ll be double kinship!” Aunt Qi said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan looked dumbfounded—what kind of “double kinship” was that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zhang Haibo found out, he’d pull the “I thought you were my brother, but you’re dating my sister” routine and beat him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, truthfully, he hadn’t seen Zhang Haibo in years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the villages were close, since high school, they’d barely met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Zhang Haibo, Zhang Laowai’s son, home today?” Shen Siyuan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, but I heard his son’s done well—he made money in Yei City,” Aunt Qi said, glancing at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qi, what’s that look for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan felt himself being looked down upon.\u003C\u002Fp>",1162,"2026-06-20T03:53:08.657Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b708f5cbf4ce130a41f85fd5795d16696223776452adbdc834c0a7e41594275e","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-36","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-34",623,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-cover.jpg"]