Chapter 436

Hung up the phone.

A Li reached out and pointed to the pack of cigarettes on the cigarette rack.

If the screen froze, drawing a straight line from the girl's fingertip, it could accurately connect to the center of that box of cigarettes.

But in this world, not everyone's eyes are a ruler.

Especially for A Li, who came to the small shop to buy things alone for the first time, she couldn't be like an old regular customer, just saying "get a pack of cigarettes," and Auntie Zhang would know what the other party smokes and what she should get.

"Is it this pack."

"Or this pack?"

"This pack, right, are you sure?"

The girl did not calculate that Auntie Zhang would have so many extra interaction links when getting cigarettes.

Every shake or nod, for A Li, was a round of torture.

In her field of vision, Auntie Zhang's small shop was a wide-open bloody mouth.

Auntie Zhang and these aunts around were a group of evil spirits in various states.

The girl knew this was not true, but the scenes in her dreams had long ago permeated reality.

Before meeting the boy, she was accustomed to sitting in the room, with her feet stepping on the threshold.

Because the illness had already developed to the point where she feared reality more than dreams; after all, the ugliness and distortion in dreams were only one side of the world, but reality was infinitely large.

"Okay, here you go."

Auntie Zhang finally selected the correct cigarette and pushed it to the girl.

A Li placed the already wet banknotes on the counter.

Auntie Zhang picked up the banknotes and asked: "Do you want anything else?"

A Li shook her head.

This time, it was much more comfortable, because there was this question-and-answer link in the plan.

Auntie Zhang opened the iron box and began to find the change.

A Li watched Auntie Zhang's action of finding the change.

"Here, you count it, see if I gave you too much, hehehe."

Auntie Zhang laughed, and the aunts around also laughed.

This laughter, in A Li's ears, was like a collective mockery by evil spirits.

A Li took the money, turned around, and prepared to leave.

She had just looked; the change was exactly right.

This way, she could skip the link of standing here and counting the change again.

But this practice also gave her new improvement experience.

Before going out next time, she could count the money accurately and hold it before coming over, so she could skip the two links of "what else do you want" and "count the change."

However, Auntie Zhang called A Li to stop.

"Come, little girl, Auntie treats you to a piece of candy."

Auntie Zhang picked up a piece of candy and handed it toward A Li.

The candies in the small shop were clearly graded.

This kind of candy, in the eyes of Hu Zi, Shitou, and the others, was comparable to an elixir, and the nickname was also called Elixir.

Wrapped in golden candy paper, after the candy block was licked and melted in the mouth, another flavor of candy heart was hidden inside.

Generally, only when relatives with good family conditions came to visit would children pretend to be shy and not know the price and pick this up.

Unlike big stores in the city, which would stick price tags, things in the small shop were basically known to both buyer and seller; sometimes asking for a price was just to sigh: so expensive, can't live anymore!

This made A Li very painful.

She would not take other people's candy for nothing, and she would not.

But she could not open her mouth to ask how much this was; whether writing or making gestures, it would involve more over-the-top links that made her tormented.

"Take it, little girl, it's delicious, really."

Auntie Zhang's tone was gentle; she really liked this little girl who was unimaginably good-looking, and she was also incomparably sympathetic that this little girl was a mute.

A Li knew she was out of good intentions, but her gentle expression, in the girl's eyes, was like a curse's murmur.

"Come, take it, eat, no money, treat you."

The other party's enthusiasm not only meant she had to give another round of thanks.

A Li's eyelashes began to tremble slightly uncontrollably.

At this time, the girl's ears rang with the words she had heard on the receiver earlier:

"A Li, next wave, I will take you with me."

She knew she hadn't fully prepared yet and couldn't stand by his side like a normal person, but he still said such words.

A Li's eyelashes calmed down, and her eyes were calm.

The girl first looked at the candy in Auntie Zhang's hand, then looked at Auntie Zhang, shook her head, and then, without the slightest delay, turned and left.

Very impolite, very rude, and in the eyes of the secular world, this action was even very uneducated.

Auntie Zhang retracted her hand somewhat awkwardly and made up for it herself: "Hehe, also, eating too much candy is bad for teeth, will cause cavities."

The aunt next to her took the conversation: "I'm not afraid of cavities, come, give it to me to eat."

Auntie Zhang scolded with a smile: "Dead appearance, you still want to take advantage of a child's food."

On the way back, A Li deliberately suppressed her footsteps that wanted to accelerate; she had to walk back, had to walk normally, not shrinking and stumbling, and even less escaping.

On the village road, people often passed by riding bikes or walking, all casting their gazes at A Li, and some even took the initiative to greet A Li, asking which family's little girl she was.

A Li looked straight ahead, very rudely ignoring them.

She didn't get a perfect score, but she successfully answered the phone and carried out consumption in the small shop according to the rules.

She walked out the door alone and walked back alone.

Didn't get a perfect score, but passed.

If she wanted to follow him out the door, then the first thing she had to do was not hold him back.

That sentence in Li Zhuiyuan's phone call had a great influence on the girl.

Many people, when wanting to do things and change, will have a wall blocking you in front.

The name of this wall is not called difficulty and danger, but the perfection you crave in the depths of your heart to achieve in one step.

Li Zhuiyuan saying he wanted to take A Li out to walk the rivers was not an emotional impulse, but a rational benefit covering the disadvantages.

This is actually a kind of compromise.

And A Li also quickly made changes; she also started to make her own compromises.

In the girl's field of vision, in front is the boy's back.

He walks in front, and she follows behind.

Going out, it is impossible to be like at home, where he would hold her hand and walk side by side with her.

People or things in front, he would see first, handle first, and make judgments first; she only needs to follow him, follow him, and always follow him.

In front, the boy's back became clearer and clearer, A Li's breathing became steadier and steadier, and her pace became lighter and lighter.

She still cannot accept this world outside now, but where he is, he can support the gap that accommodates her.

Just a phone call made two people immediately make new adjustments and start running toward each other.

Liu Yumei stood on the dam, looking at her granddaughter who was walking back in the distance.

Liu Yi stood next to Liu Yumei, worriedly spitting out melon seed kernels, chewing melon seed skins in her mouth.

Qin Shu, who was originally farming in the field in front, was called back by Liu Yumei to hoe weeds in the field behind the house.

Because if he stayed in front, he would approach A Li in advance, which would fail the effect of her granddaughter taking the initiative to step out this round.

Qin Shu didn't honestly farm either; he held a hoe, leaned his body backward, hid behind the house wall, and poked his head out.

This honest man, in his whole life, was rarely sneaky.

Everyone was looking forward to it, and everyone was excited.

Back in university, A Li once had an experience of going out alone and buying a can of Jianlibao.

But that had extreme suddenness and contingency; it was a bold attempt, but it was not sustainable.

This time, it was Xiaoyuan's phone call that came, and A Li took the initiative to answer, indicating that the girl was actively integrating into the rhythm of Xiaoyuan's side.

And this almost implied the future development direction.

Liu Yumei had no surname bloodline prejudice; in her eyes, Xiaoyuan was the child, successor, and head of the Qin and Liu families.

It's just that if someone who truly possessed the bloodline of the Qin and Liu families could walk on the river surface, for her, publicly or privately, emotionally or reasonably, it was enough to give the most perfect account to the Qin and Liu families.

The girl walked down the village road and stepped into the path.

Liu Yi: "A Li walks very naturally, just like when Xiaoyuan used to hold her hand and walk."

Liu Yumei nodded.

Liu Yi: "If so, can our A Li..."

Liu Yumei: "Wait and see; walking the rivers is not inviting guests to dinner; we shouldn't give Xiaoyuan pressure, and besides, Xiaoyuan only hopes more than us that he can take A Li out to walk the rivers."

A Li returned.

She stood on the dam, her gaze looking at Grandma, Liu Yi, and Qin Shu, who was poking his head out behind the house, in turn.

It could be considered as having greeted everyone once.

Then, the girl entered the house alone and went upstairs.

Liu Yi: "Seems changed, yet seems unchanged; it feels even colder instead."

Liu Yumei smiled: "Cold is good; when I was young, I was even colder and more arrogant than our A Li."

Liu Yi pretended to be aggrieved: "You didn't treat A Li like this to me and A Li back then; alas, this is not biological after all, it is separated by a layer after all."

Liu Yumei was not angry but nodded: "Because I have hope for you."

A Li came to the boy's room on the second floor and opened the drawer.

Most of Li Zhuiyuan's money was placed with Tan Wenbin; the money on hand was placed here.

A Li took out the money inside, classified it by denomination and coins, and put the change brought back this time in as well.

After doing these, A Li closed the drawer, wrote a note, and picked up the cigarettes placed on the desk and went downstairs.

Came to the dam, pulled up a bench, and sat down.

This action made Liu Yumei, who was already drinking tea, somewhat confused.

In the past, A Li would not stay in a public environment like the dam for a long time, especially when Xiaoyuan was not at home; she would either be in Xiaoyuan's room or in the east room, liking to be alone.

Liu Yumei couldn't help but think, could it be that Xiaoyuan would call again next, A Li would have to go out to the small shop to answer, so she deliberately prepared here?

This abnormal action of A Li made Liu Yi and Qin Shu somewhat at a loss; Liu Yi looked at the girl sitting alone on the dam while cooking, even forgetting how to stir-fry vegetables.

Qin Shu returned from the field, went to the well by the dam to wash his feet; this time, he washed with tied hands and feet.

The atmosphere of the whole family seemed somewhat inexplicably oppressive.

Li Sanjiang returned.

From far away, seeing the girl sitting on the dam, he thought it was his own Xiaoyuan Hou who had returned, subconsciously accelerating his pace, but after discovering that the yellow small pickup was not at home, he knew the mules hadn't returned.

Just as he stepped onto the dam, the girl stood up.

Li Sanjiang stopped his pace.

The girl walked toward Li Sanjiang actively.

Li Sanjiang looked left, then looked right, subconsciously stepping back half a step with his right foot.

A Li came to Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang swallowed with some difficulty and asked:

"Little girl, is there something?"

A Li raised her hand and handed the pack of cigarettes she had spent "great effort" to buy to Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang couldn't believe it and didn't reach out to take it the first time.

A Li's hand was always raised.

Li Sanjiang reached out slowly and took the cigarettes; the girl let go.

The girl unfolded a piece of paper toward Li Sanjiang.

"Oh oh oh, Xiaoyuan Hou and the others are coming back tomorrow morning, good good good, I know."

The girl took back the paper, turned around, lifted the bench she had been sitting on, put it back against the wall, and then entered the house and went upstairs to her room.

After sitting down on the chair beside Li Zhuiyuan's desk, the girl closed her eyes and started deep breathing; her whole body was trembling slightly.

But she quickly forced herself to open her eyes again; clearly, the emotions after the event hadn't finished calming down, but she still forced herself to stand up again, walked to the drawing table, picked up the pen, dipped it in cinnabar material, and started drawing talismans.

Cannot spend so much time resting after doing something every time; she must learn to overcome and be quiet.

The first talisman, failed.

Halfway through drawing, the talisman paper spontaneously combusted.

The girl pointed with her left fingertip, then flicked it to the side; the burning talisman paper flew away from the drawing table, turned into a ball of ash, and landed slowly.

The second talisman, drawn successfully, but not perfect enough; the talisman paper effect could only stimulate half.

The girl flicked her fingertip again; the talisman paper flew out, stuck to the wall, and quickly turned black and cracked.

The third talisman, the girl drew it perfectly.

Put down the pen in her hand.

There was not the slightest joy in A Li's eyes.

Every wave of the boy's experience would be told to her exactly as it was, so she knew very well how dangerous it was on the river.

Using the time of two waste talismans to calm her state of mind was too extravagant and would also hold him back.

A Li walked back to the desk, opened the drawer, took out money from inside again, and her gaze gradually became firm.

Li Sanjiang stood on the dam holding the cigarettes for a very, very long time.

This was the brand he usually smoked; he really wanted to smoke one now and taste the flavor carefully.

But just as his fingers reached the packaging opening, before tearing it open, he stopped again.

He put the cigarette box under his nose and sniffed hard.

Then he put this pack of cigarettes into his chest pocket and patted it gently.

Li Sanjiang turned around and looked at the worldly old lady sitting there drinking tea.

"I say~ cough cough..."

Somehow, there was a bit of tremor in the voice.

Li Sanjiang pretended to cough, adjusted after re-adjusting, and walked a few steps toward Liu Yumei.

"I say..."

Liu Yumei looked at Li Sanjiang: "Say what?"

Li Sanjiang seemed to have completely surrendered and sighed:

"Sigh, I say, you name a price for the bride price."

A Li went downstairs, came to the kitchen, and handed a piece of paper to Liu Yi.

Liu Yi looked at the questions on it and gave an answer.

Subsequently, all afternoon, A Li went out a total of three times.

Each target was Auntie Zhang's small shop.

When the first ice-breaking succeeded, the subsequent melting speed would be very fast; the sentence in the boy's phone call was even the most effective catalyst.

A Li came to Auntie Zhang's small shop and pointed to a bag of salt.

Auntie Zhang gave it to her; A Li placed the money corresponding to it on the counter, took the salt back, handed the salt to Liu Yi, and then she returned to the second floor and started drawing talismans.

The first talisman was scrapped, and the second talisman succeeded.

A Li went downstairs again, went out the door, and came to Auntie Zhang's small shop again; one hand placed the money on the counter, and the other hand pointed to a bottle of wind oil essence.

Then, Liu Yumei received the first bottle of wind oil essence in her life.

This thing, almost every household in the local area has it; it can be applied for mosquito bites, dizziness and nausea, and fatigue.

Liu Yumei unscrewed the cap, smelled the small glass bottle under her nose; first, it smoked her to frown, then she poured a bit on her fingertips and applied it to her brow.

Hey, don't say, it's really quite useful; her brow immediately smoothed out.

A Li, who returned to the room on the second floor, started drawing talismans.

The first talisman was not scrapped, but it could only exert 50% of the effect.

A Li took the money and went downstairs again.

Qin Shu, who had just returned from the field at dusk, received his gift.

A bottle of soy sauce.

Early morning, it was raining lightly.

The light in the east bedroom turned on.

A Li sat in front of the dressing table, and Liu Yumei was combing her hair.

Yesterday, A Li went out four times to buy things at the small shop.

Liu Yumei was very happy; the self in the mirror also had a smile on her face.

Although other people's children learn to try to buy things very early, she knew what this meant for her own A Li.

This kind of change made Liu Yumei feel as if there was a force pushing her granddaughter to take big steps forward, realizing the transformation faster.

Today, Liu Yumei prepared a white dress for A Li; she designed it herself, slim-fitting, with green bamboo patterns on it.

Dressing up finished.

A Li stood up, pushed open the door, and stood behind the threshold.

The girl first looked to the right at the second-floor room, then looked to the left outside the dam.

She stepped out and walked toward the outside of the dam.

"A Li."

The girl stopped her figure, turned around, and looked at Grandma.

"Are you going to pick up Xiaoyuan?"

The girl nodded.

"Then take an umbrella."

Liu Yumei handed over an oil-paper umbrella.

The girl took it and opened the umbrella.

"Go."

The girl walked into the rain.

West room, Liu Yi opened the door.

"Should I go take a look?"

Yesterday, when A Li went to the small shop, everyone knew where she was going.

It was just like going to pick up Xiaoyuan from school in the past, where Runsheng would ride a tricycle to take her.

Liu Yumei shook her head:

"Not allowed to follow, not allowed to look; she is surnamed Qin, and even more, she flows with the blood of the Liu family. When she decides to walk outside, we elders must absolutely not become a burden."

Liu Yi closed the door.

Qin Shu, sitting on the edge of the bed, said: "I already said, no need to ask, the Mistress definitely wouldn't agree."

Liu Yi: "The Mistress is more nervous than anyone else in her heart."

Qin Shu: "That goes without saying."