Chapter 226

"Yes, Uncle."

"What?"

Li Sanjiang looked at the old man with some surprise. What had he just said?

The old man: "The characters in the book are the same."

Li Sanjiang laughed: "Oh, is that so? Well, of course, just like what's told in the storytelling."

Li Sanjiang loved listening to storytelling. The various heroes in them would always have their handsome, dashing, and elegant appearances described first thing. Whenever Li Sanjiang heard these words, what came to his mind was what his own Little Yuan Hou would look like when he grew up.

Thinking of his own Little Yuan Hou upholding justice in the jianghu and eliminating demons to defend the Dao, Li Sanjiang felt a sense of full immersion.

In the old man's eyes, however, a trace of longing appeared. Seeing the youth, he thought of his own youngest son.

Half a year ago, the family had received a photo forwarded by his youngest son's unit. The photo was a group shot taken by the geological exploration team to celebrate the success of an exploration mission.

He and his wife had searched that photo a full three times before they found which one was their youngest son; the change was truly too great.

Li Zhuiyuan saw the old man.

Beijing was so big; the youth hadn't expected to meet his Northern Grandfather here, and it seemed the Northern Grandfather was on very familiar terms with his own Great-Grandfather.

At the same time, the youth also heard the Northern Grandfather's form of address for Li Sanjiang: Uncle.

The Northern Grandfather and Li Weihan were former in-laws, of the same generation. Li Sanjiang was one generation higher than Li Weihan, so the Northern Grandfather calling Li Sanjiang "Uncle" was correct.

However, the Northern Grandfather only called out once, then covered it up and changed the subject.

Li Zhuiyuan knew this was because Li Lan had once made an agreement with the Northern Grandfather, asking them not to come into contact with or disturb them, the "mother and son."

The Northern Grandfather was a man of great principle; what he promised, he would never go back on or fail to abide by.

This was also the reason why, for such a long time, the family in the North had never formally contacted him.

Regarding this, Li Zhuiyuan felt no disappointment.

Because for such a long time, he had also never taken the initiative to contact the family in the North.

After all, deep in the youth's bones, he inherited the same indifference as Li Lan; he didn't really need "family warmth" in the broad sense, nor did he intend to borrow any "family benefits."

A relationship without needs naturally wouldn't have any initiative.

Li Zhuiyuan walked in front of Li Sanjiang with the report in his hand and said with a smile: "Great-Grandfather, the physical examination report is out. You have no problems with your body; you're very healthy."

Li Sanjiang took the report, looked at it with a feigned air, and said: "I said it long ago, didn't I? My body is just fine; there was absolutely no need to waste money here."

As he spoke, Li Sanjiang patted the report with his hand and said to the old man beside him:

"Brother, you take a look. Am I right or not?"

Li Sanjiang's original intention was to hear this brother cooperate with him and say a few words about "the child being filial" or "the child's good intentions," but who knew this brother would actually be stunned.

"Brother, Brother?"

"Brother, let's have a meal together."

"This..." Li Sanjiang was just about to organize his words to refuse. He knew this "brother's" status was not ordinary, and the more so it was, the less he liked having any involvement with the other party that went beyond a chance encounter.

He knew clearly that if the environment were different, he probably wouldn't have the nerve to call out "Brother" again.

However, before Li Sanjiang could organize his words, the old man said again:

"There's a noodle shop on the street ahead. Let's go there and have a bowl of noodles. You came to the hospital for a check-up early in the morning; you shouldn't have eaten anything on an empty stomach. If you aren't hungry, the child is."

The old man fixed his gaze on Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan just stood there, his expression calm, not taking the initiative to echo that he was hungry to push for this meal.

Li Sanjiang frowned. Going to a noodle shop to eat noodles was something he could accept, but...

"Brother, I really can't get used to the fried sauce noodles here in Beijing."

The old man: "That's a Henan braised noodle shop."

Li Sanjiang's brow relaxed, and he said: "Alright, let's go, let's go eat noodles, but I have to treat you."

The old man nodded: "Good."

Li Sanjiang turned his head to look at Li Zhuiyuan: "Little Yuan Hou, want to go eat noodles?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Sure."

Li Sanjiang said to the old man: "Brother, why don't you go first? We'll walk over slowly."

Li Sanjiang remembered that this brother traveled by car.

The old man: "Let's walk together; it's not far."

"That works, let's just walk then. Come, Little Yuan Hou, get on!"

"Great-Grandfather, I can walk myself."

"Didn't the doctor's report say Great-Grandfather has no problems? Besides, you were running around the hospital for Great-Grandfather just now; you must be tired. Come!"

Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to climb onto his Great-Grandfather's back.

Li Sanjiang supported the youth from behind with both hands and smiled at the old man beside him: "While the body is still sturdy, I should carry the child as much as I can. The older he gets, the older I get. Even if I want to carry him later, I won't be able to."

The old man looked at the youth being carried by Li Sanjiang, an undisguised envy appearing on his face, and he echoed: "Yes, that's the truth."

The three of them walked toward the hospital entrance together.

"By the way, Brother, you have quite a few children, so you must have quite a few grandchildren, right?"

"Hmm, quite a few."

"Are they rowdy?"

"Not rowdy. They only find time to gather during holidays; usually, everyone is busy with their own things. Didn't I tell you, Brother, my children aren't very close to me."

Li Zhuiyuan knew that what the Northern Grandfather said was all true.

He was too strict, and the atmosphere at home was too oppressive. He would frequently offer harsh criticisms regarding the work and personal conduct of his older brothers and sisters, and he would never tolerate the laziness and excessive behavior of the younger generation.

The older brothers and sisters had already been working for a long time and were prominent figures outside, but every time they went home, they had to undergo psychological preparation to welcome the old man's reprimands.

As soon as the younger generation heard they were going to their grandparents' house, they could be burdened with worries and unhappy for a week in advance. Once they arrived, they would sit upright, fearing to attract attention.

Runsheng bought a sweet potato and, seeing Grandpa Li and Little Yuan coming out, carried the sweet potato and walked over proactively.

Midway, he encountered a young man. The young man's gaze was very sharp; he not only blocked him but also began to size him up.

Runsheng prepared to reach out and push him away. Seeing this, the young man also took half a step back, as if ready to strike.

"Runsheng Hou, come here."

Li Sanjiang's shout made the young man put away his stance and clear the path.

Runsheng looked at him with some confusion, then quickly chased after them.

"Grandpa Li, sweet potato."

"Why did you only buy one?"

"Grandpa Li, you don't know how expensive the sweet potatoes are here."

Runsheng made a gesture to Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang's eyes widened: "So expensive? Is this robbery? Then why did you buy it, damn it!"

Runsheng: "..."

Li Sanjiang took out the sweet potato, broke it into three pieces, kept one for himself, then handed them to Little Yuan and Runsheng, and turned to say to the old man beside him:

"Brother, save your appetite for the noodles."

The old man nodded with a smile.

Li Sanjiang said to Little Yuan and Runsheng again: "Let's taste it and see what's so different about such expensive sweet potatoes."

He took a bite, savored it carefully in his mouth, and asked with confusion: "It seems no different from what we grow in our fields?"

Runsheng: "It's not even as tasty as what we grow."

Li Sanjiang: "Runsheng, why are you peeling it? It's so expensive; the skin is worth quite a bit of weight too."

Runsheng scratched his head: "My grandfather taught me that when you eat sweet potatoes, you have to spit out the skin, otherwise it looks like the family has no grain and can only gnaw on sweet potatoes."

Li Sanjiang licked his finger and smacked his lips: "You didn't starve to death following that old fool; you're lucky."

The noodle shop arrived.

Li Zhuiyuan, Li Sanjiang, and the Northern Grandfather sat at one table.

Runsheng proactively went to sit at a table with the young man who had followed behind.

Li Sanjiang beckoned to the young man who had been seen handing over a lighter that day:

"Nephew, what noodles do you want to eat? Don't be polite!"

The young man: "Thank you, Grandpa. I'm not hungry; I ate at home before coming out. I'm really not being polite to you; you guys eat."

"Oh, is that so? Runsheng Hou, then you hurry up and order. Why are you sitting there stupidly? Why don't you ask the boss to bring you ten bowls of noodles first to fill your stomach?"

Runsheng shook his head: "I'm not hungry either, Grandpa Li."

Since the one opposite him wasn't eating, he wouldn't eat either; he had to keep an eye on the other party at all times.

Li Sanjiang touched his head with great surprise: "Not hungry? Did the sun rise from the west today?"

Seeing that the two of them really weren't eating, Li Sanjiang ordered three bowls of braised noodles and two small cold dishes.

"Brother, do you drink alcohol?"

"I can accompany you, Brother, and have a little."

"Alright, then the two of us brothers will have some. Little Yuan Hou, go help Great-Grandfather pick out some wine."

Li Zhuiyuan left the table and went to the counter to get two bottles of beer.

Seeing it was beer, Li Sanjiang felt a bit resentful.

"Great-Grandfather, there's still an itinerary for the afternoon."

"This beer has no flavor..."

"The wine here is expensive."

"Fine, beer is refreshing."

Li Zhuiyuan opened the bottle caps and poured wine for his Great-Grandfather and the Northern Grandfather.

"Come, Brother, let's have one."

"Good, let's have one."

After the two old men clinked glasses, they drank it all in one gulp.

The young man at the next table stood up immediately, and Runsheng's gaze froze.

The old man waved his hand, and only then did the young man sit back down.

Li Zhuiyuan took a head of garlic from the jar on the table and began to peel it.

After the noodles arrived, the youth divided the peeled garlic into two portions, one for his Great-Grandfather and the other for the Northern Grandfather.

Li Sanjiang took a bite of garlic, immediately took a bite of noodles, and then opened his mouth; the garlic was so spicy his cheeks went numb.

The old man said with a smile: "Brother, you don't have the habit of eating noodles with garlic at home, do you?"

Li Sanjiang hurriedly took a sip of wine to suppress it and said: "We don't have that habit where we are. Do you eat it?"

"I do."

"Then, can I give you all of mine here?"

"Good."

The old man gathered the peeled garlic in front of Li Sanjiang to his own side and said: "When I was young, I didn't have this habit either. Heh, where could one get white flour back then?"

Li Zhuiyuan's garlic was originally peeled in portions for two people. The old man ate it alone, unwilling to leave any behind; he really had one clove of garlic for every bite of noodles. He was old, and his body wasn't what it used to be, so he ate until sweat flowed down his forehead and his eyes were slightly red.

"Brother, have another bowl."

"No, no, I can't eat anymore. My appetite isn't what it used to be. In the past, if I could eat to my heart's content, I could eat five big bowls!"

Li Sanjiang: "Haha, back then people lacked oil in their stomachs, so everyone had a huge appetite, but no matter how much you ate, you'd get hungry quickly."

The two old men began the standard mealtime scene: recalling bitterness and thinking of sweetness.

Li Zhuiyuan had no feelings about this. When he was young, he never lacked food or clothing. After returning to Nantong, he only ate thin gruel for a few days at Li Weihan's house before being taken back by his Great-Grandfather to have meat at every meal.

Runsheng, however, listened with great emotion, though Runsheng not having enough to eat in the past... really couldn't be blamed on the era.

The old man said: "Let's go, I'll accompany you to visit the Military Museum."

Li Sanjiang waved his hand: "No need, no need, you must be busy."

The old man: "You treated me to noodles, and I'll be your guide. This is fair."

Li Sanjiang blinked: "Alright then, let's go together. Little Yuan Hou, go hail a taxi."

"Sure."

Li Sanjiang couldn't bear to drink white liquor, but he couldn't bear even more to have Little Yuan Hou walk, and the buses here in Beijing... were truly too crowded.

He operated on the principle of being frugal himself but spending freely on his great-grandson.

After hailing a taxi, Li Sanjiang sat in the back seat, and the Northern Grandfather also sat in. Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to sit in the front passenger seat.

Runsheng originally wanted to squeeze in too, but was blocked by the young man. Then a car drove over, and Runsheng sat in the leader's special car.

During the drive, they passed many scenic spots and famous buildings. Li Sanjiang showed off on purpose, pointing at them and asking questions, and Li Zhuiyuan immediately began to introduce them.

Li Sanjiang listened with great comfort. Seeing the old man sitting beside him also smiling while listening, he asked:

"How about it? My great-grandson has a sharp mind, right?"

"Hmm, sharp."

"That's right. At first, I even thought about pulling strings to get him into a better primary school in the town, but he ended up running off to attend the third year of high school himself.

I thought I'd encountered some swindler. Later, I took him and his grandparents from the South to the high school, and we were personally received and explained to by the principal.

Only then did I truly believe that my Li family's ancestral grave had caught fire again!"

The last time it caught fire was when Li Lan was admitted to a university in Beijing.

The old man asked: "Grandparents from the South, that would be his maternal grandparents, right?"

"Yes, where we are, we don't use the term 'maternal grandparents'; we just call them Grandpa and Grandma. We don't want the child to call them and feel distant."

"Oh, then why didn't his grandparents from the South come to Beijing together this time?"

"We don't live together."

"Don't live together?"

"Hmm, our Little Yuan Hou lives with me."

"Then you've really worked hard."

"What hard work? The child had a hard time with his grandfather from the South; he drank thin gruel every day."

"Conditions were that poor?"

"No choice. He raised four sons and still had to raise a large group of grandchildren. Good heavens, back then, when it was time to eat, it was like calling piglets to their nest. A whole bunch of people, how could they afford to eat solid food?

And his daughter, that is, Little Yuan Hou's biological mother, sent money, but the two of them were stubbornly insistent on not using it, saying it was to be saved for the daughter later. They lived such a tight life.

As for me, I was originally one person eating and the whole family not hungry. Bringing a child along, I could still let the child have a good meal with me."

The Northern Grandfather nodded. He understood; the old man beside him was not the biological parent of his former in-laws, but should be a senior of the same surname.

Because of this, being able to do this much, the old man was truly not easy.

"Then the child has truly enjoyed blessings living with you."

Li Sanjiang: "What blessings? Brother, we are people who have come from the old era. In this day and age, as long as people in the family have sound hands and feet, they won't go hungry. But I also know things; if this child wants a good path and a good life in the future, just being full won't cut it."

"Yes, the competitive pressure on young people will only get greater in the future."

"It's just that the child is competitive himself; there's no need to worry about his schooling. If the child's mind weren't this sharp, I, bringing him up, might have really delayed him.

His grandparents on the Northern side really have the nerve. The child only had his surname changed by his mother; isn't the bloodline still the same bloodline?

Heh, you can understand distinguishing between close and distant relatives because of this, but how could you be so heartless as to directly ignore him?"

"They probably have their own difficulties too."

"Difficulties my foot. Isn't it just that they value their own face more than heaven? Putting on airs.

I'm a country person, I don't have that ability, but if there's a path that's good for the child, I'd kneel to get it for him."

The old man adjusted his sitting posture and fixed his gaze on the youth sitting in front.

Li Sanjiang continued: "The child's mother is also someone who can't see clearly. Knowing the man's family has good conditions, even if you look at it for the child's sake, you should have coaxed your parents-in-law well.

When the time comes for the parents-in-law to kick the bucket, wouldn't everything left in the family be yours and the child's?"

"She has her own difficulties too."

Thinking of his former daughter-in-law, the old man also felt a headache.

His family had no tradition of marriage alliances, and he didn't allow it either. The conditions of the families of his children's partners were all quite ordinary. Li Lan's identity as someone from the countryside didn't exist as any prejudice for him.

But later he discovered that his former daughter-in-law had prejudices against them.

When they first got married, they could still interact normally, but later the contact became less and less, and the relationship gradually became distant. For a long time, even his youngest son rarely came back, fearing his wife wouldn't be happy.

This made his wife reflect on herself to this day, feeling that she had been a wicked mother-in-law.

The old man felt that if this former daughter-in-law were truly as Li Sanjiang said, willing to take the initiative to be close, even if she were just coaxing them, he and his wife wouldn't have to wait until they kicked the bucket; they would have given what they could before then.

He very much appreciated this former daughter-in-law's ability. She carried out her work without ever borrowing the family's light, unlike his other children and their partners. Although he had never sought or arranged anything for them, because of their relationship with him, they would inevitably be specially cared for at work; this was unavoidable.

Moreover, the youngest son was also the one they both favored most. They were busy with work before and didn't have the energy to look after the child. When the youngest son was born, they had completely settled down, so they poured more of their feelings into him.

Not to mention... there was also this grandson who had attended the gifted class very early.

When his grandson attended the gifted class, he was considered the youngest in that class.

Li Sanjiang shook his head: "I don't understand. Some things, I really don't understand. Leaving a good life right in front of one's eyes, one has to make a mess of things.

Look, my Little Yuan Hou's original Beijing household registration suddenly became the same Nantong rural household registration as mine."

The old man: "He is a university student now; the household registration issue shouldn't be hard to solve."

Li Sanjiang's face revealed surprise: "Brother, you have a way to handle it?"

The old man: "He should be able to go through the process that meets the conditions."

Li Sanjiang immediately shouted to Li Zhuiyuan sitting in the front: "Little Yuan Hou, hurry, come and ask how to handle it."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Nantong household registration is quite good."

Li Sanjiang slapped his thigh and said: "Are you stupid? Can that be the same?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Great-Grandfather, for me, there's really no difference."

Even if he hadn't entered the gate and hadn't walked the river, living like a normal person, the hidden benefits brought by the household registration had no impact on him either.

When Li Lan moved his household registration back, it was mainly because she wanted to sever the mother-son relationship, not because she wanted to use this means to suppress him. This was too childish; there was still that bit of mutual trust in ability between mother and son.

Li Sanjiang sighed and said to the old man beside him: "Look, my great-grandson is also stubborn."

The old man: "This is self-confidence. If one has ability, one really doesn't need these things."

Li Sanjiang: "If one has ability, and then has the family push and support, couldn't one fly higher?"

The old man: "That is true."

Li Sanjiang: "So, it's still his Northern Grandfather's side playing dead that's to blame."

The old man: "..."

When the taxi driver was driving, he would look from time to time through the rearview mirror at the car that had been following him. Even though a Beijing taxi driver had seen more of the world, looking at the license plate of the car behind, he couldn't help but feel terrified.

Several times he deliberately gave way to let the other party pass, but the other party just wouldn't pass and only followed him.

Seeing this, the driver had no choice but to size up the two old men in the back seat through the rearview mirror, focusing on the one with the extraordinary bearing.

After arriving at the destination, the old man wanted to reach into his pocket but pulled out an awkward situation.

Li Zhuiyuan paid the money.

Li Sanjiang stood on the side of the road, looking at the museum, and let out an exclamation: "Good heavens, the flavor here is still the most authentic!"

"Brother, let's go through security..."

Before the old man could finish speaking, he saw this "brother" of his run to the pillar on the other side of the entrance, stretch out both hands, and hug the plaque.

This appearance looked a bit comical.

Then, he saw his grandson, after the "brother" finished hugging, also go over and hug it together.

"Little Yuan Hou, hug this a bit longer; it's more effective than the police station!"

"Hey, Great-Grandfather."

Li Zhuiyuan thought of how he had learned this trick from his Great-Grandfather before. Once, before going out, he didn't have time to go to the police station to hug it, so he simply went to hug Tan Wenbin together with Runsheng.

The old man walked over and wanted to join in, but in the end, he was still too embarrassed to open his arms to hug it, so he just reached out and touched it on top.

When he withdrew his hand, he saw the tall and sturdy young man who had bought the sweet potato earlier step forward and tightly embrace the plaque, even deliberately wiping the dust on it onto his body.

Security personnel noticed the situation here and walked over to inquire.

Li Sanjiang said with a smile: "This is a custom where we are, hehe, a custom."

Seeing that the other party was only hugging the plaque and had no other actions, the security personnel also guided them: "Comrade, go through security over there."

After entering the museum, the old man really acted as a guide.

Other guides told historical stories; he told personal experiences.

Hmm, Li Sanjiang was also a witness to history, and he played the role of enriching the historical perspective.

Runsheng leaned over and whispered: "Grandpa, is there any equipment you left behind back then?"

Li Sanjiang kicked Runsheng: "Would the conscript captured by your family know how to drive a tank?"

When they reached the exhibition area for Aid-Korea, Li Sanjiang's interest suddenly became high. While listening to the explanation, he looked here and touched there.

From the previous exhibition area, there were visiting tourists approaching to listen to the explanation together. By the time they reached the exhibition area below, there were even more people gathered around, and there were staff members coming over to maintain order.

After the explanation was finished, a staff member handed over tea. She didn't know the identity of the old man in front of her, and the tourists around who had also listened to the explanation also gave applause.

If one just went in to take a look, it was easy to just skim the surface. What was placed here were exhibits, but what was actually displayed was the history behind them.

When walking out, Li Sanjiang saw that the old man was truly tired and advised: "Let's sit for a while and rest. Brother, you just had surgery, and your body is still weak."

The old man shook his head, insisted on waiting until they walked out of the museum, then stubbornly took a turn, and only then found a place to sit down and bend over.

The young man who had been walking side-by-side with Runsheng stepped forward, took out medicine, and fed it to the old man.

The old man let out a breath, looked back at the museum in the distance, and turned to say to Li Zhuiyuan:

"What's placed inside is history, but the future is too big to fit. What they have, we will have in the future, and it will be better than theirs."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "Hmm."

The old man turned his head and said to Li Sanjiang: "Brother, would you do me the honor of having dinner together?"

Li Sanjiang: "Haven't we already settled our debts?"

The old man: "I haven't been this happy and talked this much in a long time. I owe you a lot; it's not easy to repay."

Li Sanjiang: "Heh, are all the people in Beijing this warm and hospitable?"

The old man: "This proves we have a connection. Brother, you said earlier that you're going back tomorrow, right?"

"Hmm."

"At our age, every time we meet, we should treat it as the last time."

When the old man said this, he looked at Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Sanjiang reached out and touched Little Yuan Hou's head and said: "Alright then, let's have another meal together. It's a connection, after all, but we should be the ones to treat. By the way, Little Yuan Hou, what did you originally say you wanted to eat tonight?"

After entering Fengzeyuan and getting a private room, Li Zhuiyuan finished ordering the dishes and asked Li Sanjiang if he wanted to add anything else.

Li Sanjiang took the menu, flipped through it, and rarely didn't say the dishes were expensive.

Midway, Runsheng went to page Lin Shu You, who was attending the exchange meeting.

Before the meal started, Lin Shu You arrived by taxi.

Today's report meeting was very successful. Everyone was exceptionally interested in the "mystical" matters that transcended books.

It was originally planned for only half a day in the morning, but because the response was so good, Lin Shu You was also asked to speak in the afternoon.

In the morning, Lin Shu You was still a bit nervous and stuttered, but in the afternoon, he completely let go. After the content on the manuscript was finished, he simply began to tell the stories he had heard in the temple since he was a child.

As soon as he entered the private room, Lin Shu You excitedly shared his experiences of the day with Little Yuan Ge.

When he sat down, he realized there were two outsiders. When Lin Shu You fixed his gaze on one of the old men, he only felt his eyeballs start to swell, with a feeling of not daring to look directly.

Nowadays, he was more closely connected with the Master Tongzi, which meant that even the Master Tongzi didn't dare to manifest in front of this old man, and didn't even dare to reveal its aura.

When eating noodles at noon, the old man mainly talked to Li Sanjiang. For this meal in the evening, the old man talked more to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Sanjiang focused on eating the dishes. He ate a lot of the scallion-braised sea cucumber and the nine-turn large intestine, especially the large intestine, which he liked very much.

From study to life, the old man asked a lot, and Li Zhuiyuan answered them all. The atmosphere was very harmonious.

Li Sanjiang picked up food for Lin Shu You and asked: "What's wrong with you? Why are you like a little girl tonight?"

Lin Shu You didn't know how to explain. Ever since he discovered the existence of this old man, he had been feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles, and even his breathing wasn't smooth.

Runsheng lit incense and gnawed on the incense while eating.

Li Sanjiang explained with a smile: "This child has had this habit since he was small. Don't be surprised."

The old man smiled: "Strange people and extraordinary scholars, it's normal; they must be extraordinary."

Li Sanjiang: "Indeed extraordinary. He's a good hand at work. As long as you let him eat his fill, he can carry you on his back from outside the pass all the way to Xuzhou in one breath."

The young man at this time leaned over to the old man's side and whispered a few words. The old man's face revealed contemplation, and he said: "Let her wait."

The young man walked out of the private room.

When the meal was about to end, the old man raised his wine glass: "Brother, come, I'll toast you."

"Come, come." Li Sanjiang stood up, and the two clinked glasses.

At noon, they used beer to rinse their mouths; in the evening, they drank white liquor. Both old men looked a bit tipsy.

"Brother, it's not easy for you to bring up a child alone."

"Ha, others would envy me before they could even get to it; what's not easy about it? I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but I originally thought about living this life happily alone, lying in the coffin, burying the dirt on my body, and that would count as not having lived this life in vain.

After meeting my Little Yuan Hou, I realized that having a child by my side feels really good.

Sometimes I even feel that it's not me taking care of the child, but the child taking care of me."

"Little Yuan is indeed a good child."

"That's for sure. We also have to thank them; they gave birth but didn't raise him, and I picked up a big bargain for nothing, hahaha!"

The old man's face revealed a bitter smile.

Li Sanjiang seemed truly drunk. His body swayed twice, and he muttered:

"Such a good child, really heartless. Saying they don't want him, they don't want him. They don't look, they don't peek. I'm also really curious, what kind of family is that? Is the family full of dragon eggs and phoenix eggs, boasting to the sky?

Although the child is in university now, he's already interning. In a few years, when the child makes it on his own, where would he need others to kiss his feet? When they come up again, he won't care for them anymore.

Brother, you tell me, is this the truth?"

"Brother is right."

The two old men toasted each other again. Li Sanjiang seemed to have drunk too much and slumped in his chair.

The old man turned the empty wine glass in his hand, his gaze fixed on the youth, and he watched for a long time.

Finally, he closed his eyes and stood up: "Brother, I'll arrange for someone to send you back to the hotel."

Li Sanjiang waved his hand: "No trouble, we'll go back ourselves. I still want to walk outside and blow the wind for a while; it's comfortable. Brother, you go back first, take care of your health. We're both not young anymore; you should also drink less alcohol and smoke less."

After saying this, Li Sanjiang took the cigarette case out of his pocket and handed one to the other party. The two old men huddled together and lit their cigarettes.

Li Sanjiang put the lighter into the old man's pocket: "Your lighter, returning it to you."

"Brother, keep it as a memento."

"Where would I need it? A memento, I've had one long ago, hehe, *hiccup*!"

The old man left the private room.

Li Zhuiyuan sat in his original seat, helping Runsheng pick up food and clearing the table.

Lin Shu You rested his head on the table, panting continuously. The pressure on his body had finally disappeared at this moment.

If it weren't for Grandpa Li being here, A-You would really want to ask Little Yuan Ge which deity the person just now was, to be able to suppress the White Crane Master Tongzi like this.

Moreover, Lin Shu You could perceive that the other party wasn't deliberately doing anything; most of the time, the person's attention was on Little Yuan Ge.

Li Sanjiang, leaning on his chair, took money out of his pocket and pointed outside: "Little Yuan Hou, go settle the bill."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The bill should have already been settled."

Li Sanjiang put the money on the dining table in front of him, turned his head, looked at the youth with drunken eyes, and said:

"Then you go see off your Northern Grandfather."

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the restaurant and walked a distance outside. In the shade of the trees under the overpass, he saw that figure.

Beside the Northern Grandfather was also an old woman with graying hair, her eye sockets red, complaining to the Northern Grandfather about something.

The Northern Grandfather stood there, offering no explanation, just letting his wife vent to him.

The young man beside them, seeing this, could only remind the chief that he had just had surgery.

"He just had surgery, and he's smoking, drinking, and he's seen the person, but he won't let me see..."

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan's figure appeared, and he stopped a few meters away from the two old people.

The old woman was stunned at first, then her face revealed surprise. Just as she was about to pounce, the Northern Grandfather coughed.

The old woman closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, walked forward, and embraced the youth:

"This child, I've really missed you to death, missed you to death!"

The old woman shed tears, then used her hand to stroke the youth's face, examining him carefully.

Actually, the time Li Zhuiyuan spent with Northern Grandma wasn't much. Even when Li Lan's condition wasn't that serious, their small family only maintained the minimum level of contact and interaction with the Northern Grandfather's family.

Comparatively, his cousins were more intimate with Northern Grandma and could see and accompany her more often.

But the feeling of longing at this moment was not fake.

After all, his poor father, who had been hurt by love, had completely banished himself into his work.

The two old people also hung their longing for their son on him, plus the more unattainable, the more desired, and that classic "distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Li Zhuiyuan let her hug him and look at him, his expression calm, wearing a subtle, faint smile.

Deep inside, he really had no fluctuations.

If it were in the past, he would feel negative and helpless about the fact that he had no fluctuations inside, and would have a sense of frustration at being unable to express positive, real emotions.

Now, he didn't have that.

Since there was no such deep emotional attachment, there was no need to deliberately force himself.

The old woman turned her head to look at the old man: "Can't we take the child back to stay for a night? I'll personally make him something to eat..."

The old man: "You go ask for her consent first."

The old woman bit her lip hard, a trace of severity appearing in her eyes.

Northern Grandma hated Li Lan very much.

Li Zhuiyuan believed that Northern Grandma hated her correctly, and hated her as a matter of course.

His father, whether in the role of husband or father, performed impeccably, but it was such a person who was not just toyed with in love... he was devastated in love.

It could be said that from Northern Grandma's standpoint, her most cherished youngest son was personally destroyed by Li Lan.

The old woman secretly stuffed a piece of paper into Li Zhuiyuan's pocket, pressed her face against the youth's face, and deliberately lowered her voice in the youth's ear:

"My grandson, whatever you want, whatever you want to do, remember to call Grandma or write a letter. Grandma will help you. We'll keep it from that old man who only knows how to be stubborn, and we'll also keep it from that vicious mother of yours!"

"Hmm."

"Hehe, good child!"

The old woman broke into tears and laughter. This simple response gave her great comfort, and even in a certain sense, this was a kind of salvation.

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan could see that Northern Grandfather saw Northern Grandma's small action, but this time he deliberately turned his head away, pretending not to notice.

Northern Grandfather: "Let's go. The child has to catch a flight back tomorrow morning."

The old woman was very reluctant to let go, leaving with one look back every three steps.

Li Zhuiyuan stood in place, watching them gradually leave.

On the road beside them, that car followed slowly by their side.

Only after Northern Grandma turned her head and could no longer see him did Li Zhuiyuan turn around, preparing to leave.

His inner self had been without ripples from beginning to end, but what was rare was that he didn't produce any aversion because of this.

This was also a huge progress, changing from a negative number to zero.

Ever since he turned himself into a heart demon to suppress the main body, the danger coefficient had increased, but the impact of the illness on him had also decreased.

Li Zhuiyuan quite enjoyed this feeling.

Just after walking a few steps, the youth stopped.

On the overpass stood a woman's figure.

"Little Yuan?"

The person who came was Li Lan's secretary, Auntie Xu.

Li Zhuiyuan had always felt that Li Lan could choose Auntie Xu as her assistant because she valued Auntie Xu's background as a fellow Nantong native.

With Auntie Xu as a relay, she could help Li Lan isolate contact with her hometown and family.

The monthly living expenses and holiday gifts for his grandparents should all be Auntie Xu's responsibility, including answering calls from his hometown.

Li Weihan and Cui Guiying had long been unable to distinguish their daughter's voice.

Auntie Xu walked down the overpass, came in front of Li Zhuiyuan, and asked:

"Little Yuan, who were those two just now?"

"You know them, but you didn't dare to come out just now."

Auntie Xu's expression was stunned.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Li Lan is not in Beijing now, right?"

"Your mother went to participate in a new project, but she knew you were coming to Beijing, so she let me come..."

"To disgust me?"

Auntie Xu pursed her lips. At this moment, she confirmed that on this youth, she felt the exact same pressure as from her superior.

"Little Yuan, I won't..."

"You can't hide it from her; you don't have the confidence to lie to her."

"I..."

"Tell her exactly as it is. It doesn't matter; she will be happy when she hears about this."

"Then..."

At this moment, the pager on Auntie Xu's waist rang. She looked down and said: "Little Yuan, your mother asks if you are willing to talk to her on the phone."

There was a newsstand ahead. Li Zhuiyuan walked over, and Auntie Xu followed.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at her.

Auntie Xu picked up the receiver and dialed the number.

Very quickly, the call on the other end was connected.

After Auntie Xu handed the receiver to Li Zhuiyuan, she walked away on her own.

The newsstand owner was resting his head there, dozing off.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hello."

Li Lan: "Hehe, can't even call me 'Mom' anymore?"

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on the *Storytelling* newspapers displayed outside the newsstand. There were new ones and old ones. The youth reached out and took several copies, planning to take them back for his Great-Grandfather to read on the plane tomorrow.

He placed the newspapers on the counter, signaled the newsstand owner to count them and calculate the money, and took the time to answer Li Lan's question:

"Do you think a failure who can't even control her own illness is worthy of me calling her 'Mom'?"

"My son, Mom really envies you, still being able to keep that unrealistic dream and expectation in your heart. Do you know? Some things not only look beautiful, but the sound they make when they peel off will also be even more pleasant."

Li Zhuiyuan asked the newsstand owner: "How much?"

The newsstand owner counted the copies, calculated the money, pointed to the phone, and reminded: "You haven't finished your call."

Li Zhuiyuan handed over a bill and pointed to Auntie Xu standing in the distance: "She'll settle the phone bill."

"Alright, I'll give you your change. Young man, who are you talking to on the phone?"

"My mom."

On the other end of the phone, Li Lan suddenly fell silent.

As Li Zhuiyuan reached out to take the change, he said to the receiver:

"Li Lan, your incompetence makes me feel disgusted."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 227 =====