Chapter 25

【Marriage is smooth, longevity and peace.】

Li Li Zhuiyuan remembered the physiognomy he had once given Xue Liangliang.

Everything had multiple sides. As long as you changed your perspective diligently, you could always find the good side.

For example, this marriage was indeed quite smooth.

Love at first sight, a lifetime decided in a day.

Even if they only met once every three years, combined with longevity and peace, could it be considered a kind of compensation?

"Little Yuan, accompany me to see Zhao Hequan and see if he's better now."

"Brother Liangliang, can you get out of bed now?"

"I can."

Xue Liangliang got out of bed, and then his legs began to tremble.

Li Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly supported him, so he didn't fall.

Xue Liangliang's expression was a bit awkward.

"Brother Liangliang, you've just recovered from a serious illness, your body is a bit weak, it's normal."

"Right, right, right."

"Walk slowly, lean on me."

"Alright, Xiao Yuan."

The two left the ward, went down the stairs, and arrived in front of Zhao Hequan's ward.

Zhao Hequan's parents had already rushed over from out of town and were listening to the doctor's explanation of the condition. Both of them were dressed quite decently and formally; their family conditions shouldn't be bad.

Upon hearing the doctor say that Zhao Hequan's condition had suddenly improved and he was completely out of danger, the two cried with joy.

When they continued to hear the doctor say that Zhao Hequan had previously had multiple areas of erosion and suppuration on his body, and some parts had to be removed, including the two testicles below being removed,

the two cried even louder!

【Marriage is bumpy, lonely for life.】

Li Li Zhuiyuan recited silently in his heart. Looking at it this way, it seemed he had calculated correctly again.

However, he had originally thought it would happen after Zhao Hequan and his girlfriend went to the United States. He hadn't expected it to be so fast.

Avoiding the two wailing old people, Xue Liangliang pushed open the ward door, and Li Li Zhuiyuan walked in with him.

At this moment, Zhao Hequan had already woken up and was sitting with his back against the hospital bed.

He looked very haggard and dejected.

Li Li Zhuiyuan remembered that when he first returned to the village and played with Pan Zi, Lei Zi, and the others, he had seen a dog lying on the dam, listless.

He had asked his brothers at that time if the dog was sick.

Pan Zi replied: "It was just castrated yesterday and hasn't recovered yet."

However, although they were both wearing hospital gowns, upon seeing Xue Liangliang, a fighting spirit immediately flashed in Zhao Hequan's eyes. He instinctively thought that Xue Liangliang had come specifically to see him make a fool of himself!

Li Li Zhuiyuan knew that wasn't the case. Brother Liangliang was here to confirm whether the Bai family ladies had all returned home and gone ashore.

Looking into it, this should also be in the negotiation conditions, belonging to Brother Liangliang's "hidden dowry."

Therefore, Xue Liangliang should be Zhao Hequan's savior.

Zhao Hequan: "Heh, don't laugh too early. American medicine is advanced. Once I go to the United States, the illness will be cured!"

Xue Liangliang nodded and comforted him: "Set your mind at ease. It doesn't matter if it can't be cured. If they continue to deconstruct the concept of the collective, people like you will probably have a higher and higher status in the United States in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hequan's entire face turned red with anger, and his body began to tremble, as if he had been stepped on where his testicles no longer existed, or perhaps he was experiencing phantom limb pain.

"Heh, I will definitely live happier and better than you in the future.

I will live well and wait to see you make a fool of yourself.

Also, let me tell you, Lili has already called me. She said no matter what happened to me, she wouldn't dislike me. Once we go to the United States, she will marry me. By then, I will send you photos of our wedding held in a church."

"Congratulations." Xue Liangliang sighed. "I'm already married."

"What are you talking about?" Zhao Hequan was stunned for a moment, then shouted, "Are you making up lies to anger me, even ignoring logic?"

At this moment, the ward door was pushed open again. It was Luo Tingrui.

Students from the school had an accident during an internship, and the school was bound to be responsible. Not only did they have to bear the treatment costs, but they also had to fulfill compensation responsibilities. Fortunately, the person was out of danger.

"Zhao Hequan."

"Director Luo." Zhao Hequan immediately showed a smiling face to Engineer Luo.

"Rest well and strive to return to school to continue your studies as soon as possible."

"Alright, Director Luo."

"Liangliang, you just woke up, why did you run out? Be obedient, go back to the ward and rest. How can you make me worry when you're like this?"

"I'm already fine, Director Luo."

"Why are you still calling me Director? Call me Uncle from now on."

"Alright, Uncle Luo."

It was impossible for a person in a coma to go and deceive people. Luo Tingrui had always appreciated Xue Liangliang, and after this incident, he liked this young kid even more.

He had already made up his mind to submit an application report to the school to participate in the Southwest aid project. By then, he could take Xue Liangliang with him, allowing this kid to have a higher starting point from the beginning.

"Alright then, I'll go out first. Go back to the ward and rest early." After Luo Tingrui finished speaking, he went out to comfort Zhao Hequan's parents.

Zhao Hequan was already clenching his teeth in anger. What kind of tone did Director Luo use with him, and what kind of tone with Xue Liangliang? He even let Xue Liangliang call him Uncle?

He understood. No wonder Xue Liangliang said his marriage was settled. This was to marry into the Luo family!

As a student of Haihe University, Zhao Hequan certainly knew that although Luo Tingrui was only a department leader at the school, he was absolutely a top-tier figure in the relevant field in the country. Moreover, now that the authorities were encouraging school professionals to enter government work, if Luo Tingrui were willing to leave the school, his status outside would be greatly elevated immediately.

"Good, Xue Liangliang, I couldn't tell. No wonder you acted so realistically on weekdays. It turns out it was to climb a high branch!"

"I also bore great psychological pressure, and it was only out of necessity that I did this."

"You..."

Li Li Zhuiyuan discovered that white smoke was actually rising from Zhao Hequan's head.

At this moment, Zhao Hequan's mother came in while wiping her tears, saying: "Hequan, the Shanghai expert the school pulled strings to invite for you is arriving soon. Mom and Dad are going to the entrance to welcome them. Don't worry, your illness will be fine."

"Mm..." Zhao Hequan's face sank, and he nodded.

After his mother left, Zhao Hequan sneered: "Look, the country is like this. You have to pull strings for everything, and there has to be human sentiment and social interaction. It's not like the United States, where there are none of these things."

Xue Liangliang asked in confusion: "How did you get the idea that a country that still has a letter-of-recommendation system has no human sentiment and social interaction?"

"You... get out, you get out, get out!"

"Rest well and pay attention to your rest."

Xue Liangliang was supported by Li Li Zhuiyuan and walked out of the ward. After closing the door, Xue Liangliang said:

"Let's not go back to the ward first. Let's go to the hospital entrance to buy you snacks and toys."

"No need."

"It's needed. Although I don't know exactly what happened, I know that you coming here proves you helped me a lot. Besides, this was something I promised you anyway.

Let's go. A brother buying some food and toys for his younger brother, isn't that a matter of course? Unless, you don't want to acknowledge me as your brother?"

"Alright, Brother."

The two slowly went down the stairs. At the corner of the first floor, Zhao Hequan's parents were standing there talking. Because Xue Liangliang was walking very slowly, they heard a relatively long conversation.

"Son's... that thing is gone, can it really be cured?"

"Even if it's cured, that thing is gone. We should hurry up and try hard to have another one. We can't let our family line end."

"I actually think I can still give birth, but if we have a second child, my work and yours..."

"Just submit an application report to explain it. After all, the eldest is already disabled."

"Mm, that's true."

Xue Liangliang and Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't stop or say hello, walking straight out of the inpatient building and arriving at the shop outside the hospital.

"Go choose. Take whatever you want to eat, and take some toys too. Don't be polite with your brother."

Li Li Zhuiyuan went to get some snacks and stationery to go through the motions.

"You only took this little?"

"It's enough for me to eat."

"Alright then." Xue Liangliang paid the bill, then stuffed all the remaining money in his hand into Li Li Zhuiyuan's pocket, patted it, and said, "This is pocket money from your brother."

"Thank you, Brother."

When sending Xue Liangliang back to the ward, they saw Qin Shu sitting on the long chair in the hallway waiting. After Li Li Zhuiyuan said goodbye to Xue Liangliang, he walked out of the hospital with Qin Shu.

"You sleep, I'll carry you."

"Alright, Uncle."

Li Li Zhuiyuan was carried on Qin Shu's back. He was indeed tired and sleepy, and soon fell asleep on his back.

He didn't know how much time had passed, only feeling his body swaying slightly, and he could hear the sound of car horns in his ear.

Li Li Zhuiyuan's first reaction was, *Did Qin Shu also use that paper car trick? *

He opened his eyes excitedly, and then was disappointed.

The car was full of people. This was the bus from the city to Shigang Town.

This wasn't a trick Qin Shu used; this was a bus ticket bought with money.

Li Li Zhuiyuan really wanted to ask Qin Shu specifically about the paper car from last night, but in the end, he held back, because the closer he got to home, the less some things could be talked about.

However, he remembered Qin Shu saying last night that "she" had carried them over.

So, the paper car was just like a kind of dream or hypnosis. In reality, it was one of the Bai family ladies who had carried him and Qin Shu on her back and run from Siyuan Village into the city?

Looking at it this way, it didn't seem particularly special. This wasn't a copy of Brother Lu Runsheng.

"Not sleeping for a while longer?"

"No need, Uncle. It's so strange. I don't know why, but I'm full after sleeping for just this little while."

"Because the road was blocked by construction, it's four o'clock in the afternoon now."

"Oh, no wonder."

The bus stopped. Li Li Zhuiyuan and Qin Shu got off, and the two walked along the village road toward the inside.

"Xiao Yuan, Uncle wants to ask you something."

"Uncle, go ahead."

"What do you think of your big friend's choice?"

"He doesn't know what's happening outside, so it's normal to make such a choice. It's understandable, right?"

"That's not what I'm asking. Uncle wants to ask you, if it were you, would you be willing to be a live-in son-in-law?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan stopped walking, first looked at the direction of Great-Grandfather's house not far away, then turned his head to look at Qin Shu standing beside him.

He didn't answer Qin Shu's question, but asked instead: "Uncle, are you leaving?"

Qin Li seemed not to have expected the boy to ask this, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face for a moment: "Why do you say that?"

"A feeling."

Qin Li smiled, didn't persist with the answer to the previous question, and didn't speak again, walking home quietly with the boy beside him.

Qin Li pulled her foot back from the threshold, stood up, and came to Li Li Zhuiyuan with a small chess box.

Li Li Zhuiyuan looked at Liu Liu Yumei, who was sitting on the dam drinking tea. Qin Shu was standing behind her at this moment, lowering his head and talking.

After Liu Liu Yumei nodded, Qin Shu followed Liu Yi back to the west room.

"Xiao Yuan, your Great-Grandfather and Lu Runsheng have gone out," Liu Liu Yumei said.

"Grandma Liu, do they have work?"

"That's not it. They just settled the payment for two batches of paper offerings today. Your Great-Grandfather has money in his pocket, so he had Lu Runsheng pull him to Shigang Town to buy a television."

Li Li Zhuiyuan could only sigh in his heart. Great-Grandfather really didn't save money at all; he spent whatever he had in his pocket.

However, he really didn't have any expectations for a television.

Now he had finished reading *Detailed Explanation of Yin-Yang Physiognomy* and *Theory of Fate Deduction*. Although he hadn't fully grasped them, or rather, didn't dare to grasp them fully yet, at least those two books could be put aside for now.

Next, he would have to go to the basement to find books again.

Although Great-Grandfather's earnest teachings still echoed in his ears, and he also understood the importance of laying a solid foundation, but... he really couldn't help it.

He didn't want to be just a "soy sauce bottle" the next time he experienced a similar incident.

This kind of eager-for-quick-success idea was definitely wrong and needed to be criticized, but who told him he was still a child?

*Mm, I can't always be too mature and rational. I'm also controlling my illness. *

Li Li Zhuiyuan first went to the drawer to assemble the flashlight, then entered the basement. The difference was that this time he brought Qin Li with him.

"A-Li, come, help me choose a box."

This time, Li Li Zhuiyuan no longer insisted on clearing out the first box completely.

A-Li walked to the box in the middle.

"This one?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan signaled A-Li to hold the flashlight, then used force to open the box lid.

"A-Li, help me shine the light."

Li Li Zhuiyuan began to look for books inside. The books in this box were all thick sets, very similar to *Records of Jianghu Strange Tales* he had read the first time. They were all at least 20 volumes long, and they were very neatly organized.

But they were generally basic, conceptual types. Mm, the most were health-preservation types.

Li Li Zhuiyuan even saw a *Classic of Great Profound Dual Cultivation*.

He pulled out a volume and flipped through a few pages. There were pictures and text, various movements and postures.

Before A-Li could lean her head over to read the book together according to her usual habit, Li Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly closed the book.

He frowned. These weren't the books he wanted to find. Although he admitted these books would be very useful in the future, right now they were just chicken ribs.

Li Li Zhuiyuan reached his body into the box, intending to pull out the two sets pressed at the very bottom. After a lot of effort and a lot of sweat, he finally took them out.

If these two were still health-preservation types, then this box could eat dust forever.

His gaze fell on the book cover, and Li Li Zhuiyuan immediately perked up.

*Record of Righteous Path Subduing Demons (Part 1)*!

Although this book title sounded a bit like the Hong Kong and Taiwan martial arts novels currently popular on the mainland,

it was still much better than the health-preservation classics he had flipped through earlier, and it gave people an extremely strong sense of anticipation.

It was just, why was it only "Part 1"?

Li Li Zhuiyuan looked at the other set he had taken out. The cover read *Record of Righteous Path Subduing Demons (Part 2)*.

So, these two sets, adding up to over a hundred volumes, were actually one book? But why divide them into upper and lower parts?

The books in the box were basically hand-copied versions, not publications where they would release the second part if the first part sold well.

Li Li Zhuiyuan pulled out the first volume from each of the upper and lower sets.

He quickly flipped through the content format. The pictures and text were detailed, and it also drew various *dead-fallen* in various environments, and he also saw things used to deal with *dead-fallen*.

It was just, why was there a familiar feeling?

With this mood, Li Li Zhuiyuan took out the first volume of "Part 2" and flipped through it quickly. It was still detailed with pictures and text, but each picture had speech bubbles, indicating it was underwater, and the use of props had decreased, with more close-quarters combat with *dead-fallen*.

So, the first part talked about the land environment and methods of using various props to deal with *dead-fallen*; the second part talked about methods of dealing with *dead-fallen* in an underwater environment.

However, these two shouldn't be considered completely conflicting. It wasn't that all the methods on land couldn't be used underwater.

The author dividing it this way should be for convenience in recording; you couldn't copy it mechanically.

But this comfortable font and this familiar illustration style... Li Li Zhuiyuan immediately pulled out the last volume of the second part and flipped to the last page.

Sure enough, the last line read:

"—Authored by Wei Zhengdao."

Looking at this name, Li Li Zhuiyuan felt very close.

*Records of Jianghu Strange Tales* could be considered his introductory reading, but he really hadn't expected that Wei Zhengdao had actually written a sequel.

The former was conceptual definition, then the two volumes in front of him were formulas.

Li Li Zhuiyuan liked this rigorous and orderly feeling very much.

Looking around at these dozen boxes, were there any more of Wei Zhengdao's books in here?

A thought rose in Li Li Zhuiyuan's heart: if this person really started writing from introductory popular science reading and wrote layer by layer... then, the "subdued by Zhengdao" at the end of every article in *Records of Jianghu Strange Tales*, could it be that it wasn't just the author's self-entertainment?

But really... subdued by Wei Zhengdao.

Before, Li Li Zhuiyuan only felt that this author was very interesting, and also felt that this thought was very absurd. After all, how could one person go to so many places, see so many *dead-fallen*, and subdue so many in one lifetime?

But last night, after witnessing Qin Shu's style with his own eyes, he realized, it didn't seem impossible?

Just like Great-Grandfather never believed he was attending classes at university, people indeed easily made empirical errors in their unfamiliar fields.

"If I finish reading all the books you wrote, then do you count as my teacher?"

Then, if I write a diary in the future, how should I write the bottom part?

*So-and-so dead-fallen, *

*Subdued by the successor of Zhengdao? *

Liu Liu Yumei was eating snacks and sipping tea, then saw Li Li Zhuiyuan walking up the stairs carrying a stack of books, followed by her granddaughter, who was also carrying a stack of books.

The two children carried the books to the second floor, put them in the bedroom, then ran downstairs again, and each carried a stack of books up from the basement, going back and forth many times.

Liu Liu Yumei felt a bit helpless and a bit amused. *Sigh, this is my precious granddaughter I raised with care since she was small. *

However, this was also quite good. As long as she didn't let her continue to sit behind the threshold in the room and stare blankly, even if the boy carried a hoe and took her to the fields to farm, Liu Liu Yumei wouldn't stop them.

After moving the books, Li Li Zhuiyuan first took a towel, wet it, and scrubbed it. He first helped A-Li wipe her face and hands, then folded the towel and wiped his own sweat.

Afterward, Li Li Zhuiyuan took out three cans of Jianlibao, opened one for A-Li, and saved one.

Next, the boy and girl sat together on the terrace, drinking drinks while blowing the evening wind.

The girl's hair was blown up by the wind from time to time, sweeping across his face, itchy.

The boy occasionally turned his head to look at the girl's side profile. She was sitting on the west side, exactly in the same frame as the warm orange sunset. "We're back!"

Lu Runsheng pushed the cart, Great-Grandfather sat on the cart, holding a yellow cardboard box in his arms.

"Little Yuan Hou, Great-Grandfather has bought the television back for you!"

"Coming, Great-Grandfather."

Li Li Zhuiyuan ran downstairs and greeted them, showing a very happy and excited appearance.

Unboxing, plugging in the power, erecting the two antennas on the top, rotating the channels, and receiving CCTV, the Nantong local station, and the county station.

The county station was playing a new Qiong Yao drama. At this time, local small television stations would play whatever they could get their hands on, and they didn't care about copyright issues. Anyway, it was all locals watching, and the radiation range wasn't large.

"How is it, Little Yuan Hou, it's quite clear, right?" Li Sanjiang touched the television head and showed off to Li Li Zhuiyuan.

"Mm, it's clear."

"Great-Grandfather bought the latest model. Alright, Lu Runsheng Hou, carry the television into Little Yuan Hou's room."

"No need, Great-Grandfather, just put it on the first floor so everyone can watch."

"How can that be? It was bought for you, how can it not be put in your room?"

"If that's the case, I'll be addicted to watching TV and it will affect my studies."

"Oh, alright then, just put it on the first floor."

"Alright!"

Lu Runsheng was very happy to move the television in. He slept on the table on the first floor every night, which meant he could watch TV all night.

Liu Yi said at this moment: "It's time for dinner."

Four small dining tables had been set up. Lu Runsheng held a large incense stick in his hand, and beside him was a bundle of small incense sticks, looking very much like large green onions and small green onions.

Ever since he was reminded by Xiao Yuan that day and opened the door to a new world, he could never leave this way of eating. It was just that before eating the incense every time, he had to light it first, and then start gnawing from the other end.

Li Sanjiang took a sip of wine and shouted to Qin Shu, who was eating with Liu Liu Yumei and Liu Ting:

"Li Hou, the old Zhao family in Shijia Village is holding a funeral the day after tomorrow. I met them on the way back, and they ordered sixteen sets of banquet supplies from me. You take the tables, chairs, bowls, and dishes to him tomorrow afternoon.

Oh, also, Ting Hou, you count again to see if the stock at home is enough for a batch. If not, hurry up and replenish it, and have Li Hou send it to the old Zhao family the day after tomorrow."

Liu Yi nodded: "I will replenish the paper offerings. It will be in time, but A-Li, he..."

"What's wrong with Li Hou?"

Qin Li stood up from the table, walked to Li Sanjiang, and said: "Uncle Sanjiang, my uncle in my hometown is sick and probably won't make it. He has no children, so I have to go back to my hometown to take care of him."

"Then when will you be back, Li Hou?"

"I don't know about that. At the very least, I have to send the old man off."

"Then that will be a long time." Li Sanjiang scratched the back of his head with the end of his chopsticks. "Are you going back alone? What about Ting Hou?"

"Uncle Sanjiang, I'm going back alone. A-Ting, my mother, and A-Li will continue to stay here."

"Alright then, you go."

"Uncle Sanjiang, you don't have to wait for me to come back. There's a lot to do at home, and you need a strong laborer. You should hire someone else."

"It's fine, it's fine, no need to hire." Li Sanjiang pointed to Lu Runsheng, who was gnawing on incense and eating rice in the corner with rice grains all over his face. "There's Lu Runsheng!"

"Mm, I'm here, it's fine!" Lu Runsheng not only didn't decline but nodded vigorously and actively.

"Don't worry, Great-Grandfather won't let you work for nothing. I'll pay you wages."

"Great-Grandfather, you're being a stranger by saying that. Living here, I have meat to eat, incense to chew, and now a TV to watch. Working for you is what I should do."

"Fart! Does Great-Grandfather lack this little bit of wages? If your grandfather knew you were really working for nothing here, wouldn't he be pissed off?

Besides, you can save some wages here and buy some rice, flour, grain, and oil for your grandfather when you go back in a while. Don't let that old thing really starve to death."

"My grandfather has money there. He earned quite a bit at the Niu family last time, and I wasn't there. It's enough for him to eat and drink for a long time alone."

"Heh." Li Sanjiang snorted disdainfully. "That old thing has never had luck in gambling in his life, but he still likes to play cards. Who knows how long that money can stay in his pocket."

Immediately after, Li Sanjiang looked at Qin Li again: "A-Li, when are you leaving?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go to the station."

"So fast? Are your things ready?"

"A-Ting has already packed them for me. There aren't many things, just bring a few clothes back."

Li Sanjiang reached into his pocket, took out the money, and handed it to Qin Li:

"Here, the bulk of it went to buy the TV. This is the remaining money. By the way, when you go back to your hometown, you might need to pay for your uncle's medical treatment. You take this money first. Also, don't forget to buy some Nantong specialties to take back to your hometown, like Xiting crispy cakes or Baipu tea dried tofu."

"Uncle Sanjiang, I can't take your money. You take it back quickly."

Li Sanjiang's expression became stern: "You brat, take it if I tell you to!"

"I really can't. I can't take your money anymore. Look, my whole family is eating and drinking at your place, and you've already given me wages."

"That little wage of yours is also Uncle taking advantage of you. Take it if I give it to you. If you don't take it, Uncle will be angry."

Liu Liu Yumei said at this moment: "Take it, and remember Uncle Sanjiang's kindness."

Qin Li then accepted the money and bowed solemnly to Li Sanjiang.

Li Li Zhuiyuan ate his meal silently with his head down. He didn't believe Qin Li's story about going back to his hometown to take care of his uncle at all. He had been to the east room to worship the spirit tablets, and this was clearly a posture of the whole family—no, the whole clan—being gone.

Qin Li leaving could only be because of what happened last night.

Li Li Zhuiyuan could perceive that by living at his great-grandfather's place, they were constantly trying their best to avoid certain taboos; Qin Shu's departure was likely also for the sake of safety.

*Sigh, the cost of holding a soy sauce bottle once is really huge. *

He secretly looked at Liu Liu Yumei and found that Liu Liu Yumei was also looking at him. The two met eyes briefly.

Liu Liu Yumei's eyes were meaningful, and there was a smile at the corners of her mouth.

Li Li Zhuiyuan knew this was a silent warning.

He could never again go back to asking the Qin family for help when encountering tricky things like in the past. If you ask for one, one will leave. This duster really didn't have enough hair for him to pluck.

After dinner, Lu Runsheng couldn't wait to turn on the TV and tune the channels.

Li Sanjiang didn't go to the second floor to lie down and listen to storytelling; he sat here, smoking.

Soon, an impassioned melody came from the TV. It was the county station, playing *Ultraman Leo*.

Lu Runsheng sat back, grabbed a few incense sticks, lit them with a match, and watched seriously while gnawing on them, looking very much like he was eating spicy strips.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush back to his room to read Wei Zhengdao's new book, but moved a small stool and sat down with A-Li to watch TV.

Li Sanjiang asked Lu Runsheng curiously: "What is that guy wearing a red leather jacket?"

"Great-Grandfather, it's Ultraman."

"What about the round one flying?"

"It's a saucer monster, a monster, a bad one."

"Oh, is that so."

Lu Runsheng hadn't watched much TV before. Sometimes it was at a villager's, sometimes at an employer's, and even at a shop, but it was all intermittent.

However, in this era, most children with the conditions to watch TV found it very difficult to watch a series systematically at once. It was inevitable that they would be delayed or miss it halfway, or the TV station would change the program before the series finished.

Although there were already home VCRs, firstly, the machines were expensive, and secondly, the circulation of tapes was inconvenient. This also gave birth to the rise of video halls in various places, where people would pay for tickets to watch together in a room, and at night, there would be a fixed time for the boss to play adult stimulating films.

After one episode finished, it started playing a commercial for ointment to treat psoriasis.

Lu Runsheng continued to stare seriously at the commercial, hoping that after the commercial ended, it would continue to play the next episode, although, in all likelihood, there wasn't one. After he continued to be in contact with the TV for a period of time, even without a program schedule, he would be able to clearly remember what programs would be played at each time period on these few channels in his heart.

Mm, by the way, he could even recite those commercial lines.

After waiting for a long time, Lu Runsheng turned his head to look at Li Li Zhuiyuan and asked: "Xiao Yuan, have you watched this?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

"How many episodes are there?"

"Forty or fifty, I guess."

"Wow, that's really good."

When he was in the family courtyard before, Li Li Zhuiyuan had been pulled by several big brothers to watch VCRs at home. They had collected many complete sets, but in their version, this was called *Ultraman Leo*.

The localized works of this period were still mainly based on Hong Kong and Taiwan versions, and thus differences in translation habits would appear.

Liu Liu Yumei walked over at this moment and said: "A-Li should rest."

These words were said to Li Li Zhuiyuan.

"A-Li, go back to the room to rest with your grandmother. See you tomorrow morning."

A-Li obediently stood up and returned to the room with Liu Liu Yumei.

Li Li Zhuiyuan left the small stool. When walking up the stairs, he looked back, passed through the paper offerings in the house on the first floor, and saw Lu Runsheng and Great-Grandfather still sitting in front of the TV, watching the commercials with relish.

Then, thinking back to last night, Qin Shu, who was speeding on a motorcycle carrying him.

The violent collision between tradition and new trends, the friction and biting between backwardness and advancement—it was really hard to imagine that so many things could actually be stacked in the same era in a staggered way.

It was just that people in this era, including himself, couldn't perceive it most of the time, even though these raging waves were right beside them.

Perhaps only after many years, when everything settled, and they looked back, would they be surprised to realize what kind of bizarre and strange years they had once lived in.

"Xiao Yuan." The one who broke Li Li Zhuiyuan's train of thought was Qin Shu. He was standing at the top of the stairs on the second floor at this moment, as if he had been waiting for him.

Li Li Zhuiyuan ran up.

"Squat in a horse stance."

"Alright."

Li Li Zhuiyuan knew this should be the last lesson.

According to Qin Shu's past teachings, Li Li Zhuiyuan stood in a horse stance and began to breathe, letting himself enter the state very quickly.

Qin Shu's hands kept wandering over Li Li Zhuiyuan's body muscles and joints, seriously adjusting every point of force.

After a period of time, Qin Shu said: "Alright."

Li Li Zhuiyuan stood up. He didn't feel tired; instead, he felt his body was light. Now, after reading for a long time, he had gradually begun to use the horse stance to replace radio gymnastics.

"Practice well, don't give it up."

"I've remembered it, Qin Shu."

"Mm." Qin Shu walked downstairs.

Li Li Zhuiyuan felt a bit melancholy in his heart. Qin Shu had so many skills, but he seemed to have only learned a horse stance.

But fortunately, *Record of Righteous Path Subduing Demons (Part 2)* had a description of combat methods with *dead-fallen*, so he could practice that.

Returning to the bedroom and turning on the desk lamp, Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush to look at the second part. After all, he was still a child. Before practicing close-quarters combat, he should first learn the use of tools.

Flipping open the first volume of the first part, he started reading from the first chapter.

Next,

Li Li Zhuiyuan discarded all distracting thoughts and began to seriously study—the correct cultivation of a virgin black dog.

In the morning, Li Li Zhuiyuan woke up and turned his head to look at A-Li, who was sitting in the chair. Today she wasn't wearing a skirt, but a white and green, tight-fitting outfit.

If you gave her a sword, she could go into a martial arts drama and play a young female hero.

A smile appeared at the corners of Li Li Zhuiyuan's mouth. It seemed that Grandma Liu had changed to a new taste, so A-Li had changed to a new style.

"Good morning."

He walked up to the girl and greeted her. Li Li Zhuiyuan's gaze couldn't help but fall on the girl's belt. The belt was shining with silver light, and there were fine carvings on it.

*Uh, could it be... *

Li Li Zhuiyuan reached out and touched it. The girl didn't dodge, nor was she annoyed, just standing in place calmly.

Perceiving the tactile sensation transmitted back from his fingertips, Li Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but be astonished. The girl's belt was actually a soft sword!

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart at the degree of Grandma Liu's obsession with perfection.

Perhaps, A-Li's obsessive-compulsive manifestations were also partly inherited from Liu Liu Yumei.

A-Li saw that Li Li Zhuiyuan was interested in her belt, so she reached her hand down, pretending to untie it to give to Li Li Zhuiyuan.

"No, no, no, no need to untie it." Li Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly grabbed the girl's hand to stop her action, then praised: "It's really beautiful."

A-Li's eyelashes jumped slightly, but this time it wasn't a sign of anger, but an expression of happiness.

Li Li Zhuiyuan was pleasantly surprised to find that this was the first time A-Li had used such an obvious action to express emotions other than going on a rampage.

She was really changing.

During breakfast, Qin Shu carried his luggage, said goodbye to everyone, and then walked down the dam.

Everyone's emotions were quite stable, except for Li Sanjiang.

He was probably the person most reluctant to see Qin Li leave. It wasn't entirely because Qin Li, a worker who took little money and did a lot of work, was leaving. People, after getting along for a long time, always had feelings.

After the meal, Li Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Liu Yi, took out a list and some money: "Liu Yi, you are going to the town market to buy vegetables today, right? Can you help me buy these back?"

"Alright, it's just a matter of convenience." Liu Yi picked up the list, scanned it, and first showed shock, then turned into traditional confusion: "Xiao Yuan, what are you buying these things for?"

"The school assigned a summer extracurricular practice assignment, and these are the materials I need to complete the assignment."

This was a very lame reason, but it didn't matter, because he only needed a reason.

"Alright, Auntie will buy them all back for you then."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Letting Liu Yi buy them for him, he was at ease, and he didn't need to give many instructions, because in all likelihood, she was much more professional than he was.

In the morning, Li Li Zhuiyuan continued to read. This book was actually relatively simple. The difficulty lay in experimental operation. It could be said that without considering practice, this first part was more like a manual activity textbook.

At the same time, Li Li Zhuiyuan also noticed that many things mentioned in it were actually also at Great-Grandfather's place.

Every time Great-Grandfather went to fish for corpses or sit for a fast, he would bring many things, but upon careful comparison, he discovered that Great-Grandfather's things were only similar in shape or had similar names; essentially, they weren't the same kind of thing.

Li Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but wonder, was Great-Grandfather relying on a set of fakes to fish for corpses until now?

However, the things here were really hard to get. Some artifacts had to be designed by himself according to the descriptions in the book, and then he had to ask a carpenter and a blacksmith to build them.

There was a carpenter in the village, but where could he find a blacksmith now?

The "ding-ding-dang" blacksmith workshop described in the book couldn't be found now, or could he find a factory and ask a master to machine it out for him?

In the afternoon, Lu Runsheng had to send tables, chairs, bowls, and dishes to the old Zhao family. He didn't know the way, and Li Li Zhuiyuan knew where the old Zhao family lived, so he accompanied him.

The old Zhao family lived on the east side of Shijia Bridge, not far from the position where Li Zhuiyuan waited for the car last night.

Lu Runsheng pushed the large board cart onto the old Zhao family's dam alone and helped the Zhao family unload the goods.

The spirit hall had already been set up at this time. Li Li Zhuiyuan saw the deceased lying motionless on the bed in the center of the main room. He was a young man, probably only seventeen or eighteen, not much older than Pan Zi and the others.

Beside him, two old women were huddled together, whispering:

"Such a good young man, how could he be gone just like that."

"They say he was returning from a show in town at night, tripped in the field on the road, and he was gone just like that."

"That's really it. What did Zheng Datong say, sudden heart attack?"

"It's really a pity, tsk tsk, the old Zhao family does small business, and the family is quite rich, but he was the only son."

Just then, someone started to apply makeup to the body. The white cloth covering the body was lifted. Li Li Zhuiyuan saw the true face of the deceased: sunken eye sockets, slack eyebrows, smooth philtrum, thin and sharp lower lip...

In physiognomy, this belonged to 【Shallow pool of fortune, deficiency in the bottom pond】.

This was considered a bottom-tier draw in physiognomy, meaning that the fortune itself was thin, and there was a gap that would constantly flow away.

If one cherished fortune and was cautious, clean and pure in heart, they could barely live a stable life, but if one indulged excessively, such as eating, drinking, and playing, enjoying things too fiercely and too quickly in advance, it was very easy to squeeze oneself dry.

Combined with what the two old women said, the old Zhao family's conditions were quite good. This kind of life exceeding the conditions of ordinary people around them was instead unsuitable for people with this kind of physiognomy.

After delivering the goods, Li Li Zhuiyuan walked home with Lu Runsheng.

On the road ahead, they met Pan Zi and Lei Zi walking side by side. They didn't know if what was on their heads was water or gel, but their hair was all combed back, with a very obvious seam in the middle, shining brightly in the sun.

"Ha, Yuan Zi, we were just going to Great-Grandfather's house to find you, didn't expect to run into you here."

"Brother Pan Zi, Brother Lei Zi."

Pan Zi came up and took Li Li Zhuiyuan's hand: "Let's go, Yuan Zi, brothers will take you to town to watch a movie at the video hall. They're showing Chow Yun-fat's *A Better Tomorrow* this afternoon."

On the side, Lei Zi made a shooting gesture with both hands, constantly shrugging, and making sound effects with his mouth: "Bang, bang, bang!"

"Alright, I want to go too!" Lu Runsheng shouted.

Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't want to go. He wanted to go back and continue reading, so he said: "I'll go back to get money and treat you brothers to the movie, but I won't go. I still have homework to do."

The money in his pocket this morning had all been given to Liu Yi, and the other money was in the bedroom drawer.

"Go, go, go, how can we let you pay every time? We brothers also want face, okay? We really didn't have pocket money before, it's not that we just wanted to take advantage of you, our younger brother."

"That's right, that's right, we have money now. We just went to the West Village kiln factory to move bricks for a day yesterday."

As he spoke, Pan Zi and Lei Zi took out the loose money in their pockets, counted it together, counted the heads, and even counted Lu Runsheng in.

Finally, adding it up, Pan Zi smiled: "Just right, four tickets, and we can buy four sodas!"

Lu Runsheng was overjoyed: "I'll push the cart back first."

Seeing that they were in such high spirits, and that they had specifically moved bricks to earn money to treat him, their younger brother, to play, Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't feel good about continuing to refuse, so he could only agree to go together.

However, when sending the cart home, Li Li Zhuiyuan still went back to the bedroom, took some money and put it in his pocket, told A-Li, and then went to town with them.

Finally, the four arrived in front of a video hall. The storefront was very small, and there was a simple sign hanging on it:

"Mei Zhao Jie Video Hall."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 26 =====