Chapter 168

Li Zhuiyuan hung up the phone.

Lu Yi on the side asked with concern: "Did something happen to the stronghold leader?"

"His wife won't let him in."

Lu Yi's expression became solemn, and he said: "This can be considered a big deal in our Northeast, especially in this weather. Since I was a child, I have heard of several cases where husbands who were drunk in winter went home and knocked on the door, but their wives were angry and wouldn't open it. The next morning when they opened the door, they found the person had fallen asleep and frozen to death at the door."

"He's not that serious."

Lu Yi: "Still have to persuade him properly."

"Hmm."

Leaving the shop, Li Zhuiyuan walked towards Grandma Liu's house.

Liu Yi is not at home recently. It's too early, and the cafeteria breakfast hasn't been supplied yet. Li Zhuiyuan plans to go to the cafeteria to buy breakfast after walking with Ali on the playground in a while, and buy the old lady's share as well.

As a result, just walking to the gate of the courtyard, before pushing open the courtyard gate, he smelled a fragrance.

In the courtyard, many small stoves were raised. An old man with white hair and beard, with two older women and two young women, was quietly busy inside.

This is preparing food.

The ingredients were all prepared in advance, but in order to ensure the taste, they were specially brought here to be cooked on the spot.

The old man was busy himself while supervising his two daughters-in-law and two granddaughters-in-law. Seeing places where the work wasn't done well, he didn't dare to scold, but he also glared hard.

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan come in, the old man was stunned first, then shook the spoon with his left hand and performed a greeting with his right hand.

"Little brother, who are you?"

"I am from the family."

The old man immediately turned off the fire, put down the tools in his hand, and bowed seriously to Li Zhuiyuan.

He performed the outer gate etiquette of the Liu family, meaning it's a nominal Liu family, not transmitting the art.

The four women on the side saw this and also stopped their work, bowing to Li Zhuiyuan. The two daughters-in-law performed it properly, while the two granddaughters-in-law could only follow and imitate roughly.

Li Zhuiyuan dodged the salute and said: "The old lady said, no need for old etiquette in the family."

"The old lady is considerate of us people below, but we cannot be ignorant of etiquette."

"You've worked hard."

"Don't dare, don't dare. Being able to get the opportunity to serve the old lady is our blessing."

Li Zhuiyuan walked into the house.

The old man immediately urged his children and grandchildren-in-law to hurry up and continue working.

His family opened a restaurant in Jin Ling, which is not famous in the ordinary market, because those who can book his family's table are either rich or noble.

This restaurant was the Liu family's industry in the early years, only entertaining the Liu family's own people and distinguished guests holding the Liu family's invitation.

After the Qin and Liu families declined, the old lady scattered most of the two families' industries. I don't know how many mansions were donated as cultural relic protection units. Some mansions are nominally named after other surnames and leave other people's deeds, but in fact, the original owner was either surnamed Qin or Liu.

This restaurant is also the same, but the old lady is generous and lazy to buy shares and draw profits. Thinking of the past friendship, she really gave it away directly.

No one is a fool, and no one is born to like to be servile and serve people, but there is no way. The old lady gave too much, so much that they felt embarrassed if they didn't continue to treat themselves as servants.

Of course, the old man also knows that profit is secondary. Some characters, being able to curry favor and have incense friendship, is more important.

If he were to choose, he would really wish to continue to be busy in the Liu family's kitchen with his father like when he was a child.

Liu Yumei was combing Ali's hair. Seeing Li Zhuiyuan come, she handed the comb to the teenager very simply:

"You do it. I'll go up and let them quiet down."

"Okay, Grandma."

Li Zhuiyuan took the comb and combed Ali's hair.

In the mirror, Ali showed a smile.

Liu Yumei saw it and just smiled. She no longer felt jealous about this.

She couldn't help but think of that old thing surnamed Li in Nantong, who always likes to mutter that she is a "snobbish old lady."

That guy Li Sanjiang doesn't seem to have muttered wrong.

To put it bluntly, the status and treatment of a son-in-law in the woman's family are fought for by one's own ability and capability.

This truth, even in the Long Wang family, cannot be an exception.

Liu Yumei went upstairs, and when she came down again, Li Zhuiyuan had already combed Ali's hair.

Afterwards, the teenager held Ali's hand and went for a walk on the playground.

When they came back, breakfast also started.

They were all simple side dishes and breakfast. The staple food was nothing more than porridge, noodles, and wontons, but each one was made with exquisite materials and was extremely attentive.

It is no exaggeration to say that the cooking skills are much better than Liu Yi's. After all, Liu Yi is just one person, and it is impossible to be busy with only cooking all day long.

The children and grandchildren-in-law came in one by one with small dishes and plates and put them down, which was considered the old man deliberately letting them show their faces.

In the end, the old man stood with his hands tied and bent, standing quietly on the side, waiting for the instructions of the people at the table.

The old lady is really different from before. She unloaded the heavy burden on her shoulders, and the family's life has more hope than in the past. People have also become more easygoing.

She picked up the chopsticks, picked up a soup dumpling and sent it to Li Zhuiyuan's bowl: "The Ma family's noodle skills are the best in all of Jin Ling. You taste it."

After Li Zhuiyuan bit open one side and sucked the soup, he nodded after eating one:

"Hmm, very delicious."

The old man on the side was relieved and also showed a smile.

Liu Yumei smiled: "Not bad, the craftsmanship hasn't fallen behind."

The old man replied: "Don't dare to fall behind. If the old lady suddenly thinks of this taste one day, and you can't taste the taste of the past, it would be my sin."

Liu Yumei grabbed a handful of gold melon seeds from her pocket and placed them on the table.

"Distribute them to the daughters-in-law."

The old man hurriedly waved his hand: "Old lady, this can't be done, can't be done."

Liu Yumei: "It seems that the family is big and the business is big, and you look down on this little bit."

"How dare I forget my roots, how dare I forget my roots, it would be struck by lightning." The old man immediately carefully scraped the gold melon seeds into his hands.

Purely by weight, these gold melon seeds don't count as anything, but each one is exquisitely shaped, and the craftsmanship value even exceeds the gold price itself.

"We will wait outside, you can give instructions at any time."

The old man knows etiquette, holding the gold melon seeds with both hands, and backed out of the restaurant.

Liu Yumei drank a mouthful of porridge and said: "I know you don't like this set of things, but I think Auntie Ting must have reminded him. He is already low-key enough, but the battle is still a bit high."

Li Zhuiyuan smiled slightly: "I can understand."

"If you like it, let him continue to send meals in the future, how about it?"

"I still prefer what Liu Yi makes. It has the feeling of home."

"Hehe, actually, Auntie Ting's cooking skills were also learned from others. This lineage of theirs used to be the ones who specialized in the kitchen in my hometown. Their family's craftsmanship is the taste of my Liu family."

"So that's how it is."

"Sigh, not only the kitchen, but also the opera troupe, the tailor troupe, the gardener and horticulture, etc., used to be raised by the family and specially supplied for their own use.

In the past, this was a common practice, but now, it is really not needed."

When the old lady said these things, there was no loneliness in her tone, only reminiscence, as if she was telling stories of the past to the younger generation.

Li Zhuiyuan asked: "The third floor there..."

The old lady spoke frankly: "It was prepared for you. After Ali and Ting plow the land and come back, let Ali send those things back to the old house."

"I have kept your care in mind."

"Is there a second sentence?"

"No."

"You kid." Liu Yumei shook her head, "Sometimes I think, why did they leave me alone, and they all went to die themselves."

"Grandma..."

"Later, I gradually figured out the taste. It turns out they felt I hadn't detached from low-level interests, so they left me behind to better guard the house.

Some things, they couldn't do themselves, but they knew I could do them. I was never a person who liked to reason.

If I was really forced into a corner, at worst, I would drag everyone to die together. I don't want to guard those bullshit rules, morality, and reputation.

Perhaps it is because of this that those family sects are really a bit wary of our fallen family and dare not really hit the door to eat the family's extinction, because they know that there is an old lady in this family who will go crazy if forced into a corner."

Li Zhuiyuan smiled frankly and said: "I don't think there is anything wrong with you doing this."

Liu Yumei said playfully: "This doesn't sound like something they would say."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Because I believe you can control the scope well and won't hurt the innocent when taking revenge."

Liu Yumei sighed: "Heh, this taste is right again. Boring."

"Grandma, I want to go back to Nantong today."

"The school winter vacation is so fast?"

"There is a bit of conflict in a friend's family, please go and deal with it."

"Husband and wife conflict?"

"Hmm."

"Interesting." Liu Yumei's eyes revealed playfulness, "Ask you to mediate husband and wife conflict?"

The old lady really couldn't imagine this picture.

If it were the child before, with a heart like seven orifices and exquisite heart, it would be fine.

But she had long seen that since when, this child no longer maintained a cheerful and bright attitude towards anyone.

"It's the Bai family's business."

"Oh, is it that kid's business?"

"Hmm."

"Does this need you to run a trip? It's almost New Year. Let that kid pass a word over there, and let Ali bring gifts during the New Year to take a trip to their town."

"He is afraid he is not willing."

"Yo, is this really having feelings?"

"Should be."

"That kid is also an interesting stubborn guy."

"Mainly he can't get in now, and he can't pass the word even if he wants to."

"Then send someone to run a trip."

"Most of my people are lying down now."

Liu Yumei looked at the family. The two people in the family are not at home now.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Anyway, I'm free now, so I'll run a trip myself."

"I know what you mean. You really treat that kid as a friend, but someone you can look up to won't be an ordinary person. That kid should also have vitality."

"I didn't think so much."

"Unintentional planting of willows can form shade."

After the meal, Li Zhuiyuan and Ali entered the study. He told Ali about his experience and also said his guess about Wei Zhengdao.

After listening, Ali picked up the paintbrush and drew casually on a blank piece of paper. This is a draft.

On the draft, a teenager is standing there, with an adult's shadow behind him.

"I think it's very good, just choose this design."

Ali nodded, her gaze looking around the draft. The difficulty of this painting lies in how to deal with this large area of blank space.

It is not impossible to highlight the artistic conception, but if it is used for recording, it still needs enough details to fill it.

"I will come back after dealing with the Nantong matter. If it is delayed for a long time, I might not come back. At that time, I will beg the old lady to take you back to Nantong, and we will spend the New Year together?"

Although Li Zhuiyuan didn't attend classes according to the class schedule of this class, he still took quite a few university courses.

However, it is approaching the final exam, and many courses have ended, especially the courses of those professors he likes to attend, basically there are no class hours.

Since this is the case, staying in school is not very meaningful, and he doesn't need to take the final exam.

Because of Brother Luo, the school is very tolerant of him in this regard, but it may not be excluded that he will have to represent the school in some competitions next semester.

Ali smiled. She agreed.

Over the past period of time, she had long been accustomed to where the boy is, her home is where.

When Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the courtyard, he saw the old man leading the children and grandchildren-in-law moving the ingredients for lunch. The ingredients should have been sent by his sons or grandsons, but except for him, it is not suitable for men to enter the courtyard.

"Brother, what do you want to eat at noon?"

"You don't need to worry about me, just prepare according to the old lady's preferences. I have to go out, and I won't eat at home recently."

"Brother is a person who does big things, you are busy."

After Li Zhuiyuan passed him and left, the old man turned around, bent over and said to the teenager's back:

"Qinhuai Songxiang Building, brother, whenever you have leisure, please give me the face to come in for tea. I will take the cubs to show filial piety to you."

"I have kept it in mind."

After Li Zhuiyuan walked far away, the old man straightened his waist.

The children and grandchildren-in-law looked at each other. The old man is the person in charge of the family, with craftsmanship and status, and the restaurant is still in his hands, so he usually has a very high status in the family and looks unsmiling.

Ever since he came here today, the old man has become like a different person. If it were just being respectful to that old lady, it would be fine. After all, it is the master-servant relationship before liberation, but is it worth being so servile to this teenager?

The old man touched his beard. He naturally saw the confusion revealed in the eyes of the children and grandchildren-in-law, but he was too lazy to explain.

The old lady had breakfast, and there were three people at the table. One was the old lady's own granddaughter, and the other was this young man.

For such a family, let alone the incense friendship that existed before, even if there is no relationship, one must strive to serve well.

How many people in the world are busy all their lives, just for those few taels of broken silver, but for such characters, even if they only flow out a little from their fingers, as long as you catch it, I'm afraid you can immediately get peace for your family.

"Keep the brother's appearance in your heart. One day when the brother really comes, even if I am no longer there, you must accompany your men and serve the people well for me."

The daughters-in-law immediately said yes.

The old man looked at the old lady's courtyard in front. It is not convenient to have an attack here, and even less can he make a loud noise, but he has made up his mind that after returning, he must let his children and grandchildren take their respective daughters-in-law to kneel in front of him, and he will give them a severe warning.

One by one, they usually offer incense in the temple diligently, sparing no cost to fight for the first incense, thinking about their children and grandchildren's future, thinking about their own illness and disaster, but worshiping those clay statues is not as useful as worshiping the true dragon in this world?

"Remember, it's the same as the morning, just work and don't talk, control your mouths, don't pull those rights and wrongs. Whoever makes a mistake for me these few days, I will remove you from the will!"

He knows how restless the mouths of these daughters-in-law are on weekdays, and they can chatter endlessly. Don't really talk about anything in the family, let the old lady hear it and think they are using the feeling of cooking to seek reward.

Some things, the superior can give you, but you cannot take the initiative to ask for them.

Hearing the will, the daughters-in-law nodded immediately, this time nodding much harder than before.

However, what the old man didn't expect was that just after they entered the courtyard, they saw the old lady walking out of the room, sitting on a stone stool in the courtyard, and pointing to the inner room:

"Go, take some melon seeds and fruit plates, and accompany me to talk about rights and wrongs."

The daughters-in-law looked at each other first, and then collectively looked at the old man.

The old man hurriedly waved his hand: "Why don't you go quickly, accompany the old lady to chat and relieve boredom. Don't your mouths chatter quite a bit on weekdays? This is not coming in handy."

The melon seeds and fruit plates were taken out. Seeing that the daughters-in-law couldn't let go, Liu Yumei said while cracking melon seeds:

"Let go and talk. Talk about the twists and turns of the family. I love to listen. Whoever says more and whoever says better, I will let little Ma add weight to your will."

Hearing this, the old man laughed first, and then quickly waved his hand to urge:

"Quick, take out your housekeeping skills and chew your tongues for me."

Inside the house.

Ali went upstairs to the second floor and came to the room where Liu Yumei often stayed.

She opened the cabinet, took out an envelope from inside, and then walked downstairs and returned to her study.

In front of the desk, there was a blank piece of drawing paper.

After the girl sat down, she opened the envelope. Inside was a stack of thick photos, all of them tragic exterminations of families, bloody and terrifying.

Ali looked at them one by one, occasionally taking out photos and gesturing in the corner of the scroll.

Of course, she is not afraid of the tragic scenes on this. After all, what she has experienced and witnessed since she was a child are scenes countless times more terrifying than those on the photos.

But she is serious about her picture book frame creation.

She feels that the scenes in these photos are very suitable for drawing on this painting, just to fill that large area of blank space.

However, it is not very appropriate to just draw according to the photos.

It is necessary to dig these families out of the photos and let them reappear in the painting more harmoniously and neatly, so that the overall composition looks good.

When the girl was thinking about the layout photo by photo, the thick fog in her "dream" began to become more and more intense and retreated more and more.

Shop basement.

Just after hearing Brother Xiaoyuan say he was going back to Nantong, Tan Wenbin couldn't help but laugh:

"Haha, my Brother Liang has tasted the marrow and knows the taste!"

After a pause, Tan Wenbin teased again:

"Still remember the treaty made at the beginning, saying how many years to go once? It turns out this treaty protects the Bai family lady."

Yin Meng glared at Tan Wenbin and said: "How can you be so mean to others."

Tan Wenbin said indifferently: "I didn't say it to his face. What's wrong with gossiping behind his back."

Lin Shu You, who was sitting by the bed, said: "I'll accompany Brother Xiaoyuan back together."

Tan Wenbin held up three fingers to Lin Shu You and asked: "What is this."

Lin Shu You: "Three."

Tan Wenbin: "Give you another chance."

Lin Shu You: "Four!"

Tan Wenbin: "You go for a fart. Your eyes haven't recovered yet. You want to let Brother Xiaoyuan use you as a blind cane?"

Runsheng is still in a coma, and even if he wakes up, he will have to be paralyzed for a long time and can't get out of bed.

Yin Meng said: "Actually, only I can accompany Brother Xiaoyuan now, but Brother Xiaoyuan asked me to stay and take care of you wounded and sick. Or, I'll talk to Brother Xiaoyuan again?"

When talking about this here earlier, Li Zhuiyuan said bluntly that he would go home alone this time.

One is that this wave has just passed, and it was extremely advanced twice in a row. Unless he takes the initiative to catch evil spirits again, otherwise the next wave will not be able to come quickly no matter what.

Furthermore, there is that one under the peach tree in Nantong, which is also relatively safe.

Tan Wenbin shook his head: "If you don't stay, Brother Xiaoyuan won't be too relieved about us wounded and sick."

Lin Shu You: "But it's not very appropriate for Brother Xiaoyuan to have no one by his side."

Tan Wenbin: "Indeed it's not appropriate, but who told us to have no..."

"Beep... beep... beep..."

The pager rang.

Tan Wenbin looked at the pager and smiled: "Get it, coming early is not as good as coming coincidentally. Manpower has sent itself to the door."

Xiong Shan has lost a lot of weight, still wearing his previous clothes. When the wind blows, it swings a bit.

Lihua has gained a lot of weight, not only is her face round, but her chest has also become more bulging than in the past.

Both of them are dressed very plainly, squatting by the flower bed at the school gate.

Lihua turned sideways, using her husband's body to block, and breastfed the child.

Those entering and leaving are all college students. Everyone very quality-consciously moved their eyes away and didn't look here.

Xiong Shan took out a pipe from his pocket and started stuffing tobacco into it.

Lihua bumped him gently and reminded: "Endure it, don't have a smell later."

Xiong Shan nodded and put away the pipe.

He is old.

This was Li Zhuiyuan's first feeling when he walked to the school gate and saw Xiong Shan.

When they first met, Xiong Shan was still full of grass-roots aura, with a kind of arrogance that I am the second in the world.

This aura was actually scattered in the Peach Blossom Village incident, and now, it is even more completely untraceable.

This means he has lit the lamp for the second time.

Admitting defeat, and also admitting fate.

Once a person admits fate, he naturally withers.

Things he would take seriously before, he now sees through. Things he would be angry about before, he has now learned to be indifferent.

Li Zhuiyuan can also see a little bit of similar feeling in Qin Shu.

When Qin Shu walked the river back then, he shouldered the hope of the Qin family's revival, and he must have been sharp and enterprising, with his momentum in full swing.

Because of this, many river walkers cannot accept failure. They would rather die than take off that breath.

The duels between river walkers of the Long Wang family through the ages are even more so, which caused generations of blood debts.

Moreover, looking at the completely let-go mental state of the Xiong Shan couple, I think the revenge against those three families should have been carried out very thoroughly.

The three families of the Old Heaven Gate, who lost their core family members, simply couldn't stop the revenge of this grass-roots couple.

They couple contacted Tan Wenbin only after taking revenge according to the agreement.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the school gate. Xiong Shan and Lihua saw him and immediately got up to greet him. Just as they were about to salute, they were stopped by Li Zhuiyuan:

"Don't be constrained by these, I will take you back to Nantong."

"Good, good, good." Xiong Shan hurriedly nodded.

Lihua was a bit flattered, not expecting that Li Zhuiyuan would personally receive and settle them.

The taxi Tan Wenbin called for him was already waiting in front. It was a taxi.

The driver is named Liu Changping, who knows Tan Wenbin. It is said that because Tan Wenbin took his car, he met his little nurse partner.

The price of chartered vehicles naturally won't be low, but whether the money is more or less is secondary. Mainly, the driver must be steady and reliable.

As the Long Wang boat leader shouting, arranging and deploying these things is Tan Wenbin's duty.

The taxi driver can chat, and Xiong Shan is well-informed and has traveled all over the world. The two chatted very enthusiastically very quickly.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't interject much, most of the time just quietly watching the scenery, thinking about the Bai family town in his heart.

Returning to his hometown this time is not only out of the personal relationship between himself and Xue Liangliang, but also because he is worried that if something really happens to Bai family town, it might lead to a rotten situation.

As the Nantong corpse-fishing Li, both emotionally and rationally, he has to go back and take a look.

Liu Changping: "This child is really well-behaved, doesn't cry or make trouble."

Lihua: "That's for sure, my son has been well-behaved since he was a child."

As if hearing someone mention himself, the child made a "giggle" laugh.

In the car, except for Li Zhuiyuan, everyone else laughed.

It is hard for anyone to refuse such a child who knows how to match the scene and cooperate.

Li Zhuiyuan also noticed that there was a seal aura on the child. Xiong Shan followed his suggestion and sealed the child's spiritual sense.

The car arrived at the Nantong boundary and came to Shinan Town.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand to signal Liu Changping to continue north to Shigang Town, where there are many shops.

Walking into the clothing store, Li Zhuiyuan started picking clothes. He bought them very quickly because he remembered the size of his great-grandfather's figure and could directly set it according to the clothing style in the shop in his mind. Whether it fits or is suitable is clear at a glance.

It is not the first time returning to his hometown from Jin Ling, and Tan Wenbin had brought Zhou Yunyun back alone last time, so there is no need to bring Jin Ling specialties.

He chose two sets of formal wear for his great-grandfather and two pairs of shoes.

Thanks to Yin Meng not being here, otherwise she could witness with her own eyes what is called real bargaining.

Li Zhuiyuan doesn't care about this little money, but it doesn't mean he likes being treated as a sucker and taken advantage of, and then the boss scolds him as a tiger-headed fool while reminiscing about him in the shop.

Mainly, the clothing market in this era has a flamboyant atmosphere, and the price tags are like playing around.

Only inexperienced greenhorns cut in half. Experienced ones first erase the last "0" and then cut in half.

The shop owner also knows you want to bargain, so he deliberately writes the price tag very high, which not only raises his profit margin but also satisfies the customer's emotional value needs for bargaining.

It's just that Li Zhuiyuan, based on physiognomy, could see the wholesale price after a few conversations, and then directly stated the wholesale price and added a little hard-earned money.

Because he said it too accurately, so accurately that the shop owner was stunned and embarrassed to perform "Oh, this price is too low, it can't even catch up with my wholesale price." He just treated this child as if his family was also doing clothing trade business, and even wanted to pull a relationship.

Xiong Shan and Lihua followed the teenager to buy clothes the whole time. The impact of this scene on them was huge.

The future Long Wang, buying clothes himself, and bargaining?

If this is said, people in the Jianghu will absolutely not believe it.

Li Zhuiyuan believes that Li Lan will not believe it either.

Actually, he still rejects doing these things in his bones, but it is in the stage of being able to overcome.

After experiencing the dream ghost incident, Li Zhuiyuan felt that his illness had been further stabilized.

After buying clothes and shoes, Li Zhuiyuan went to buy some cigarettes and alcohol that his great-grandfather usually likes.

He didn't let Xiong Shan help carry them. When Li Zhuiyuan carried the things and walked out of the department store gate, standing on the steps, facing the sunlight outside, he couldn't help but feel a little dizzy in his mind.

He is still not suitable for doing this kind of thing, but he just has to do it.

Li Zhuiyuan thought about whether to buy a set of clothes for Li Weihan and Cui Guiying. The result of the thinking is that he cannot buy them.

Although it sounds a bit heartless to say so, the fact is that he can overcome the pain when buying things for his great-grandfather.

But when buying things for his grandparents, the happy expression on their faces when he handed the gifts to them appeared in his mind, and he started to break out in cold sweat.

If it were acting the whole time, it really wouldn't matter. The problem is, he is trying his best not to act now.

Actually, he can also try to overcome this kind of pain.

It's just that in his great-grandfather's eyes, all his money was given by him. He took his money to buy things for others, and even if his great-grandfather didn't say it, he would feel uncomfortable in his heart.

However, since he thought of this layer, it is not appropriate not to buy them.

Otherwise, what he did is not even as good as Li Lan. Li Lan knows to pay fixed living expenses every month and send gifts during festivals, although it must be arranged by her secretary.

Li Zhuiyuan pursed his lips. Then go back to his great-grandfather's house first, and then seek his great-grandfather's consent before going to buy clothes for his grandparents.

Once the order is changed, his great-grandfather won't have any grudges in his heart, and will only feel that he is sensible and filial.

Anyway, things must pass through his own hands. He must experience this kind of pain and cannot hide.

Sitting in the car, Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and reached out to rub his eyebrows.

He found that thinking about these gift-giving relationships between relatives is more exhausting than pondering how to deal with the waves of the Jiang Shui.

Liu Changping started the car and drove back to Shinan Town, entering Siyuan Village.

The road in the village was widened. The original gravel road has now become a two-way cement road, and the road from the village road to his great-grandfather's house has also been rebuilt. Now there is no need to park the car in the field, and it can be driven directly onto the dam at the entrance of his great-grandfather's house.

Xiong Shan and Lihua came with an extremely excited and uneasy pilgrimage mood.

Seeing that the car really drove into a residential house in the village, astonishment appeared in the eyes of the two, and after the astonishment, it was even more solemn.

This is the true foundation. It is not hidden, but calm and natural.

If it were really some ancestral home secret realm, it would be losing the inferior.

Li Zhuiyuan got out of the car and was a bit strange. He couldn't hear the shouting from his great-grandfather.

Before he came back, Tan Wenbin had called Auntie Zhang's shop. His great-grandfather knew he was coming back today and would definitely be waiting for him at home.

On the first floor, Xiao Yingying was sitting inside coloring paper figures.

Ever since she came, Li Sanjiang's paper-craft business has been exceptionally prosperous, because the paper figures here are made more realistically and delicately.

Xiao Yingying put down the brush, turned her head, and looked over.

Her attention was immediately attracted by Xiong Shan and Lihua.

The couple recognized at a glance that this was a dead-fall!

Even though they had already exited the Jianghu after lighting the lamp for the second time, they were once Jianghu walkers, and their instincts were still there.

Xiao Yingying also paused, her body stood up, quickly retreated to the corner of the wall, and then flashed, climbing up, and came to the corner above.

Li Zhuiyuan asked: "Where is my great-grandfather?"

Xiong Shan and Lihua immediately restrained their aura, showing embarrassment.

Xiao Yingying also came down from the beam, returned to the stool earlier, picked up the brush, and answered while continuing to color the paper figures:

"Drunk, asleep."

Li Zhuiyuan went to the second floor. Xiong Shan and Lihua stayed downstairs, and Liu Changping squatted on the dam smoking.

Pushing open the bedroom door, Li Zhuiyuan saw Li Sanjiang lying on the bed with thunderous snoring.

Although snoring while sleeping is not a good thing, listening to this vigorous snoring, his great-grandfather's body is still very strong.

Walking to the bed, he helped his great-grandfather cover the quilt.

His great-grandfather opened his drunk and blurry eyes and smiled at Li Zhuiyuan: "Little Yuan Hou~"

Then, he tilted his head and fell asleep again, probably thinking he was drunk and had a dream.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of his great-grandfather's bedroom and came to the next room, which was his own bedroom.

The door was open. Li Zhuiyuan saw Xue Liangliang sitting on a chair, holding white wine in his left hand and a wine glass in his right, still drinking here.

"Xiaoyuan? Xiaoyuan! Xiaoyuan..."

From confusion to surprise to sadness.

When Xue Liangliang put down the wine bottle and wine glass and wanted to rush over, Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and made a gesture to stop.

"The smell of alcohol is heavy, it's smelly."

Xue Liangliang smiled awkwardly, then opened the doors and windows in the room to let it ventilate and disperse the smell.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the room and sat on the rattan chair on the terrace.

Xue Liangliang walked out of the room with a basin, humming a song while going to take a bath.

Communication between smart people is very simple. Xiaoyuan came back late at night, and as soon as he came back, he disliked the smell of alcohol on him, which means things were handled well.

After the bath, Xue Liangliang came out in clean clothes, looking refreshed, just a bit bearded.

And looking closely, for the past half year, he has been running around on various projects with Brother Luo, coming through the wind and rain, and the immature scholarly aura of the past has been replaced by vicissitudes and edges.

The only thing that hasn't changed is that there is still light in his eyes.

"Brother Liangliang, your drinking capacity is good."

"Hey, practiced on the construction site. I heard people say that drinking can relieve fatigue before, but I didn't understand it. Now I understand. I'm still considered good. The first-line construction personnel are even harder."

"Not easy."

"Don't rush to sympathize with me. You kid are almost there too. After the New Year, a big project is about to officially start, and immigration work is being prepared one after another."

"Are many people going to be moved?"

"Hmm, many people will leave their homes because of this. Their homes will be submerged at the bottom of the water and can no longer be seen."

Li Zhuiyuan raised his head and looked at the bright moon in the sky.

Xue Liangliang took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled one out, lit it, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly:

"Therefore, our responsibility is very heavy. If we don't do this project well, we are sorry for the huge payment and sacrifice up and down.

Those planning drawings are the burden on our shoulders. This is a sense of mission that can be touched."

Xue Liangliang shook off the cigarette ash, immersed in his own emotions.

When talking about this, he seemed to have forgotten his original purpose, or he was embarrassed to mention personal private matters in such a serious topic.

"After school starts next semester, you won't have much time in school. Brother Luo will definitely grab you as a strong man."

"Oh."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. He had expected this long ago, otherwise why report to this university.

Xue Liangliang smoked three cigarettes in a row. When he extinguished the third cigarette, the emotion that filled the air finally faded.

"That, Xiaoyuan..."

"You were actually able to endure for so long."

"Not contradictory. Personal happiness is integrated into the construction and development of the motherland."

"You can continue to jump into the river tomorrow."

"Did something happen?"

"Good thing."

"Good thing?"

"You are going to be a father."

Xue Liangliang froze there for a long time, and then suddenly covered his mouth, fearing that he would disturb others, he could only suppress his laughter and started jumping on the spot.

Li Zhuiyuan leaned his head on the rattan chair, and the night wind brought coldness, blowing his hair.

Xue Liangliang reached out and grabbed Li Zhuiyuan's arm, shook it, and said: "Xiaoyuan, do you know? I'm going to be a father!"

"Ah, really? Congratulations."

"Hahaha!"

Xue Liangliang covered his mouth again, laughing until his shoulders twitched.

Finally, he completely calmed down and started to breathe deeply.

"Xiaoyuan, then why?"

"No need to care about these. Anyway, the matter has been solved."

"Good, I know." Xue Liangliang nodded.

The two sat quietly on the rattan chair, watching the moon together.

After a while, Xue Liangliang asked:

"Xiaoyuan, what do you think my child should be named in the future."

"Ask Brother Runsheng."

"Let Runsheng name it? That, my meaning is, you help me name it first. You kid remember many ancient books. Help me name it with meaning. Take one for both boys and girls.

Oh, right, the first child is surnamed Xue."

Xue Liangliang cares about this point very much, because this means he is not a son-in-law, although the woman never comes out, and he takes the initiative to go to the door every time.

"Brother, name it yourself. I'm not suitable for this."

"Ah, good." Xue Liangliang sighed, "So dreamy. I'm actually going to be a father. You say if my parents knew about this, would they..."

"Be scared to death."

Xue Liangliang smiled and nodded helplessly.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up: "I'm going to rest."

"Hmm, you go rest. I'll sit for a while longer."

Li Zhuiyuan walked into the house.