Chapter 2793

Because it was dark and hard to see clearly, he could only make out a vague shadow. Gu Bing hesitated and said: "Little Fish, I feel like that's a temple."

Little Fish stepped forward toward it: "Not a temple, it's a Daoist temple."

Zhou Andong called out and quickly followed. Wang Wentian and Yu Zhan hurriedly found a flashlight in the car and ran to catch up with Little Fish to light her way.

Everyone stumbled forward, one step deep, one step shallow, and arrived at Little Fish's home. It was indeed a Daoist temple, but already in ruins—the main hall had completely collapsed, the left side hall had half collapsed, and the right side hall's roof had fallen in.

Little Fish stood before the half-collapsed left side hall, silent.

Jian Qiu came to her side, crouched down, and spoke softly: "What's wrong? Are you missing your grandfather?"

Little Fish lifted her small face, and by the faint glow of the flashlight, tears could clearly be seen streaking her face: "I miss my grandfather!"

Jian Qiu pitifully held Little Fish in her arms and gently patted her back: "Don't cry. Your grandfather is watching you from heaven. Seeing you cry would sadden him too."

Little Fish lifted her head to gaze at the night sky, her tear-filled eyes revealing a glint: "Man Laoyezi, will you really see me?"

"Yes!" Jian Qiu also looked up at the night sky: "Look for the brightest star—that's your grandfather."

No one spoke. They all stood silently there, even this brat Jian Mingfan fell silent. And upon closer look, there were tears in the corners of his eyes.

After ten or more minutes had passed, Jian Qiu finally spoke softly: "Little Fish, we should go now. We need to visit your grandfather's grave."

"Okay!" Little Fish obediently nodded, then pointed southeast: "That's the graveyard over there."

Everyone followed the direction Little Fish indicated, but it was pitch black—nothing could be seen.

Zhou Andong waved his hand: "Come on, let's go take a look."

Everyone returned to the roadside, got in the car, drove three or four hundred meters, then got off again onto a dirt road. After driving a bit further, even the road disappeared—before them was a high earthen slope covered in wild grass, with a forest in the distance. Not dense, but the area was not small.

Everyone got out of the car, and Little Fish pointed to the grove: "It's right ahead."

Looking at the weeds underfoot, some places were knee-high. Gu Bing hesitated and said: "There won't be snakes in here, will there?"

"There are snakes!" Little Fish, being young, felt her grief for her grandfather come quickly and fade fast. Hearing Gu Bing's words, she actually giggled mischievously: "No worries. We won't be that unlucky to run into one."

"We'll lead the way ahead!" Wang Wentian and Yu Zhan stepped onto the dirt bank with flashlights in hand.

"Let's go!" Zhou Andong bent down, picked up Little Fish, and caught up with Wang Wentian: "I was born and raised in the countryside. As a child, I spent all day with a slingshot shooting birds in the woods—and I've hardly ever seen a snake."

Wang Wentian and Yu Zhan led the way, left hand holding the flashlight, right hand still carrying a large black plastic bag. Zhou Andong held Little Fish, Jian Qiu hooked her arm through his, and they walked forward carefully, clearly afraid of stepping on some wriggling creature.

Then came Tie Qian and Shen Weiming with their shovels and hoes, followed last by Jian Mingfan and Gu Bing, who also held flashlights to light the way for those ahead.

After walking a few more minutes, finally, without encountering any living thing, they entered this grove. And ahead lay a graveyard. With the rustling of leaves blown by the wind overhead, if few people came here, one would truly need courage to enter.

Zhou Andong set Little Fish down on the ground and asked: "Little Fish, which one is your grandfather's grave?"

Wang Wentian handed the flashlight to Little Fish: "Little Fish, you hold the flashlight and see which one it is."

The flashlight was a high-beam police model, a bit heavy. Little Fish held it with both hands and swept it back and forth. Ahead was a new grave, filled high, and surrounded by a red brick wall—one could tell this family was well-off.

Little Fish walked forward with the flashlight for more than ten steps, then swept it back and forth again, then walked a few steps to the right and stopped before a small mound: "This is my grandfather."

Everyone came over. Yu Zhan shone the flashlight on the tombstone—there was no birth date, no death date, only the five characters: "Grave of Gao Chang."

Zhou Andong whispered: "Little Fish, are you sure this is your grandfather's grave?"

"Mm!" Little Fish nodded vigorously: "My grandfather's name is Gao Chang. I can read the characters."

"Good!" Zhou Andong said to Wang Wentian: "Wentian, take everything out—first, let's offer incense to the old man."

Wang Wentian and Yu Zhan opened the black bag. Inside, besides spirit money, there were incense, candles, and offerings of wine and food.

Gu Bing watched Wang Wentian and Yu Zhan laying out the offerings, lighting incense and candles, then looked at Lian Qian and Shen Weiming weeding around the grave mound, his face blank. When the Tang Dynasty barbecue came out, Zhou Andong had bought incense and candles and offerings too—he really thought they were here to rob a grave.

Because he himself was driving a car and didn't know anything along the way, he'd been excited the whole trip. Until just now, when he got out of the car for the second time and heard Little Fish shout that this was her home, did he feel something was off. Now seeing this scene before him, he cursed inwardly, damn it, Zhou Andong this bastard had dragged him into this.

Soon, Wang Wentian lit the incense and candles, then inserted them into the soil before the tombstone. But today there was wind—not strong, yet the candles were quickly blown out.

Zhou Andong said: "Since there's wind, we don't need to light the candles."

At this moment, Yu Zhan had also arranged the offerings—chickens, ducks, fish, meat, all prepared and packed from a restaurant. The incense, candles, and spirit money were also specially bought from a funeral supply store.

Seeing everything set up, Zhou Andong called to Jian Mingfan and Little Fish: "Come over, kowtow to your grandfather."

Since the Jian family had adopted Little Fish, and Jian Mingfan had also acknowledged her as his sister, this time they came, they must properly kowtow three times to the old man. Of course, as her brother-in-law, he naturally had to kowtow too.

Zhou Andong led the big and small one down to kneel. Jian Qiu hurriedly said: "Should I also kowtow?"

"No!" Zhou Andong waved his hand: "Later, you just bow—it'll be enough."

Gu Bing saw this and thought: Fine, I'll kneel too. Whether Zhou Andong this bastard tricked me or not, in this situation, kowtowing to the old man can't hurt. Besides, the night they picked up Little Fish, he was there too—this counts as fate.

"Old sir, I've brought Little Fish to see you. Rest assured, we will raise her to adulthood, give her clothes to wear, food to eat, books to study, and no one will dare bully her again."

Zhou Andong kowtowed three times leading the way, then continued: "When you were leaving, you told Little Fish you'd left something for her—something life-saving. In a moment we'll dig it up. You must bear with it."

"Rest assured, no matter what you left for her, we will preserve it well. When Little Fish turns eighteen and comes of age, we will return it to her complete and intact—we will never go back on our word."

Zhou Andong stood up, took a deep breath, and said: "Old sir, get ready—we're starting now."

At this moment, Gu Bing's eyes suddenly lit up. He grabbed Zhou Andong's arm: "Dongzi, this really is grave robbing."

Zhou Andong replied unhappily: "This is Little Fish's grandfather. He left something for her. We're here to take it—what's so wrong about that?"

Gu Bing rubbed his hands, then snatched the iron shovel from Lian Qian's grasp: "Let me do it—I'll do it."

This brat was thrilled—his curiosity had peaked. He really wanted to know what good things the person buried in this grave had left for his granddaughter, hidden right beside him.