Chapter 447

Yin Meng has lost weight.

But she is also fairer than before.

As expected, staying out of the sun really does help with whitening.

No wonder those ghosts are basically all deathly pale.

"Brother Xiaoyuan! Brother Xiaoyuan. Brother Xiaoyuan!"

Yin Meng continued to dismantle the door panel with one hand, while her other arm couldn't help but reach out from the gap, waving incessantly, terrified that he might not see her and just walk away like that.

Her joy and urgency were written all over her face.

However, when she saw the girl standing beside the boy, her eyes widened instantly, her face showing disbelief as she let out a gasp:

"Oh, my god, my god, my god!"

A Li actually came out with Brother Xiaoyuan!

Yin Meng truly felt a sense of disorientation, as if a day underground was a year on the surface.

After dismantling the door panel, Li Zhuiyuan walked into the shop.

The coffin shop was already heavy with yin energy, and being the Yin family's shop, left vacant for so long, one could smell a deep, musty, damp odor the moment they stepped inside.

The old furniture was covered in dust; there was nowhere to sit, no way to boil tea, and one couldn't even find a rag to wipe things down.

Clearly, Yin Meng had just returned for the first time as well.

After such a long time, meeting again, Yin Meng was very excited and had many things she wanted to say.

If it had been anyone else, she might have already pounced on them, laughing, crying, and making a scene, fully venting the emotions she had suppressed for so long.

But the person in front of her was Brother Xiaoyuan, and standing beside Brother Xiaoyuan was still A Li.

Yin Meng currently looked like a volcano erupting only to be blocked, then trying to erupt again only to be blocked once more, her chest heaving violently.

Li Zhuiyuan thought of the most suitable way to vent and relieve stress:

"Let's eat hot pot."

Yin Meng was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously:

"Okay! Okay! Okay!"

There was nothing in the shop, so it was impossible to cook a meal; of course, she also knew that the food she cooked wasn't suitable for entertaining friends and family, only for treating enemies.

Having been in hell for so long, besides reading books, practicing some arts, and pondering things, at first, she spent most of her spare time missing her companions.

Gradually, the time spent missing her companions was compressed, and more and more time was spent missing food.

She would often sit on the steps at the entrance of the main hall, raise her hand, make the motion of holding chopsticks, and imagine how many seconds to scald a large chopstick-full of tripe in a spicy red pot, then lift it up, roll it in a sesame oil dipping sauce, and finally send it into her mouth, experiencing that crispness and fullness while chewing.

After imagining it, she would first wipe the corners of her mouth, then swallow several mouthfuls of saliva in succession.

The beauty of the human world was completely concretized at that moment.

So, missing one's relatives in the human world has a time limit.

No wonder people in the human world like to place wine, dishes, and offerings when sacrificing to the deceased; because the people underground are truly missing and truly craving that taste!

"Auntie, open up, open up!"

It wasn't opening time for the hot pot restaurant yet, so Yin Meng went to knock on the door.

The door opened, and the landlady was very surprised to see Yin Meng:

"Mengmeng, you're back."

"Mm, I'm back."

"Where's your man? Did he come back too?"

The auntie looked left and right, searching for Yin Meng's man, but only saw a young boy and girl, not seeing any adult male who had returned with her.

It was rumored on the street that the Yin family's daughter had hooked up with a wealthy man.

That wealthy man was not only incredibly handsome, but also very good to Yin Meng, willing to spend money to rent the shop empty just to leave a memento for Yin Meng.

This talk came from the neighborhood office, so it must be true.

Later, Zhang Xiuxiu, who had once rented the coffin shop, also came back many times to inquire if that person had returned.

This led the neighbors on the street to think that this girl, seeing Mengmeng living a good life, also wanted to fly up the branch and become a phoenix.

Actually, one really couldn't blame the neighbors for making this association; it was mainly because Zhao Yi's personal image was right there—he could truly rely on his face to live off a woman, and had already eaten many bowls of it.

Young Master Zhao might be suppressed and often eat humble pie in front of Li Zhuiyuan, but outside, in the entire underworld, he was also a big-name figure.

Chen Xiyuan had a stereotypical prejudice against Zhao Yi; she was an exception.

In reality, there were countless swordswomen in the underworld who, on the contrary, felt a longing for this kind of ruthless, unscrupulous persona, fantasizing about the beautiful scene where he poisoned the entire underworld but doted on her alone.

"Ah, he didn't come back, I came back by myself."

"Oh, that's fine too, it's good to be back, hehe, it's good to be back, how long will you be staying at home?"

"I should be staying for quite a long time."

"Not leaving for the time being?"

"Mm, can't leave for the time being."

"Oh, that's fine too, a golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as our own grass nest, how good it is to stay at home, right?"

Perhaps it wouldn't be long before new gossip spread on the street.

That girl from the Yin family was dumped by that handsome and rich wealthy man and slunk back to her hometown.

Later, when Runsheng came to Ghost Street to find Yin Meng, the gossip would logically escalate further.

Look, the dream is broken, reality is recognized, and she can only find an honest man to marry.

Reality is just like this: some people like to chew the fat, some people criticize the practice of chewing the fat, and most people like to criticize while chewing the fat.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that Yin Meng could not leave the Ghost City now.

Earlier at the shop entrance, separated only by a door panel, the boy had also stopped only after hearing movement from inside.

Before Yin Meng raised her head to reveal that face, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't be sure it was Yin Meng.

With Li Zhuiyuan's current level of spiritual consciousness, it was impossible for him to be so dull in terms of aura detection.

This meant that Yin Meng's aura had changed.

On her body flowed the aura of the Yellow Springs.

The Great Emperor had given her freedom, but had not completely loosened the chain.

This was a concession Li Zhuiyuan had fought for at the negotiating table.

It was not a substantive breakthrough, just a softening of attitude.

But if you didn't fight for it, didn't show your attitude, you wouldn't even have this.

That master of his was truly the same as before.

He liked to collect a bucket of candied fruit and reward one sweet date.

"Auntie, hot pot, cook hot pot!"

"I haven't opened the door yet, the vegetables aren't prepared..."

"Start cooking first, the base is ready-made, start cooking first, whatever you have, bring it out!"

"Alright then, you sit down first, sit."

They chose a corner seat and sat down.

Watching the hot pot basin being brought up, with the beef tallow, chili, and Sichuan peppercorns lying on top, Yin Meng couldn't stop swallowing her saliva, holding two long chopsticks in both hands, so happy she almost wanted to dance.

Li Zhuiyuan: "A driver brought us here, I'll go call him over to eat together."

Yin Meng: "I'll go, I'll go!"

After clarifying the parking location, Yin Meng didn't go herself, but said a word to an old woman carrying a vegetable basket at the door, and the old woman nodded and said okay.

Liu Changping was called over.

With a bird's nest on his head, it was obvious he hadn't slept well last night.

In the car, half-asleep and half-awake, he kept feeling that there was a procession walking in front, and vaguely heard many people calling out, waking up in shock time and time again, only to fall back into a muddled sleep.

He felt that this place was truly evil; Ghost City was worthy of being Ghost City.

Actually, the truly unlucky and miserable one wasn't him.

It was those ghosts from all over who had finally obtained the opportunity to pay homage and had come from thousands of miles away.

Coming here was truly not easy; they had to scrape together travel expenses and organize ghost hands.

As a result, just when they were one step away, they suddenly discovered the "Crown Prince's Dragon Carriage" parked in the alley.

Last night, who knows how many waves of ghosts had their dreams shattered, scared out of their wits.

After entering the hot pot restaurant and sitting down, Liu Changping said to Li Zhuiyuan:

"Brother Xiaoyuan, I plan to go up and look around in a while, since I'm already here."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm, go up, burn some incense, pay respects, and seek peace of mind."

Liu Changping's face turned a bit red; that was exactly what he planned to do, but he still waved his hand and said:

"Sigh, I don't believe in these feudal superstitious things, haha!"

Liu Changping looked at Yin Meng, at first just feeling she looked a bit familiar, then recognized her:

"Ah ah ah, you you you, I've seen you!"

The first batch of dishes was brought up.

Yin Meng: "Ah ah ah, I I I, start eating, start eating!"

She was truly hungry.

At this moment, Yin Meng felt the goodness of Brother Xiaoyuan and A Li sitting in front of her; no need to chat, no need to talk, just need to eat.

During the entire meal, Yin Meng was eating in a retaliatory manner, literally eating until it reached her throat.

"Hoo..."

Yin Meng let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Auntie, check!"

Yin Meng reached into the sleeve of her official robe and took out a stack of paper money.

"Uh..."

Li Zhuiyuan went to pay the bill.

After Liu Changping finished the hot pot, he went up to burn incense.

Li Zhuiyuan, on the other hand, returned to the Yin family coffin shop.

Some old neighbors saw the shop door open and came over to take a look, chatting and exchanging pleasantries with Yin Meng.

Yin Meng leaned her lower back against the counter, responding while stroking her distended belly.

Later, finding it too noisy and inconvenient to talk to Brother Xiaoyuan, she got up and installed the door panel back.

With a "clatter," she turned on the light, and the shop suddenly became dimly lit.

Li Zhuiyuan finished the soy milk in his hand and set it aside.

This was ordered at the hot pot restaurant while eating.

Taking advantage of the boy walking towards Yin Meng with his back to her, A Li silently picked up the empty soy milk bottle and put it into her bag.

If nothing unexpected happened, this bottle of soy milk would next cross thousands of mountains and rivers, be collected into the collection room at home in Nantong, and stand out among a crowd of Jianlibao.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Yin Meng, not asking if she had been living well in the past, nor asking about specific details of her life.

He could act, but in front of people who knew him, it had no meaning; he knew that if he were to show concern, Yin Meng would instead feel very uncomfortable.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Sorry, I don't have the ability to take you away yet, give me a little more time."

However, this apology—no, to be precise, this promise—meant more to Yin Meng than a thousand words.

Even if different people said the same thing, the effect was completely different; Yin Meng's eyes moistened instantly, and she began to choke up.

When feelings reached a deep point, they could not be suppressed.

"Hiccup!"

She let out a loud, full hiccup.

Yin Meng immediately covered her mouth with one hand and fanned frantically with the other, trying to disperse the smell of garlic from the hot pot.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, actually I've been living quite well, not worrying about food or clothing, it's just that the things are a bit hard to eat, the clothes..."

Yin Meng tugged at the official robe on her body,

"The clothes are okay, wearing them is colder than not wearing them, quite suitable for summer, it's a pity there are no four seasons down below."

Li Zhuiyuan: "How long can you be active in Ghost City now?"

Yin Meng: "I have to go back before dark, I'll digest a bit more, then go eat ice jelly, sticky rice cakes, hot and sour noodles, twisted dough sticks, then air out my belly, and then go eat rabbit before dark!"

Li Zhuiyuan reached his hand behind him.

A Li took out a stack of money from the side pocket of the mountaineering bag and placed it in the boy's hand.

The boy handed the money to Yin Meng.

This time Tan Wenbin wasn't there, so Li Zhuiyuan specifically had Tan Wenbin take the bankbook to the savings office to withdraw money for him.

A poor family has a rich road; when out and about, carrying more money is more useful than magic arts.

Yin Meng: "So much!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Take it."

Yin Meng: "Brother Xiaoyuan, no need for so much, even if I eat myself to death today, I can't eat this much money."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Put it in the shop, it's not just for this one day."

Yin Meng fell silent.

She actually only had this one day.

But she immediately raised her head again, revealing a smile, because she understood the meaning in Brother Xiaoyuan's words.

"Really, Brother Xiaoyuan!"

"Mm."

It's not possible now, but it will be next; as long as the opening is made, rules are meant to be broken.

After he finishes going to the Valley of the Living, Yin Meng will be able to get more time out.

The better he performs here, the more sweet dates the Great Emperor will give.

It won't be long before it should reach the stage of the Magpie Bridge meeting.

"Haha, really good!"

Yin Meng took the money, first took out two bills and put them in her pocket, planning to wrap up the rest and carefully hide them in a floor tile or wall crack, for convenience to spend when she returns to the human world next time.

She wasn't short of money; now in the human world, it was gradually becoming popular to burn "Heaven and Earth Bank" underworld money, and what was printed on the underworld money was still the Fengdu Great Emperor.

When in the main hall, she burned money to keep warm when she had nothing to do.

It was just that the money there couldn't be spent here.

Looking at A Li, Yin Meng recalled in her mind the action of A Li taking out the money and handing it over just when Brother Xiaoyuan reached his hand behind him.

No extra communication was needed; their hearts were connected.

Look at others, then look at her own big fool...

She had been deliberately avoiding it, but now that it was touched upon, she began to sniffle and blink hard, but still couldn't stop her eye sockets from turning red.

Wiping the corner of her eye, Yin Meng cried and laughed:

"Hey, after eating and drinking my fill, I actually miss him a bit."

The tears were a bit unstoppable, so she could only lift the sleeve of her official robe to wipe them.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, I'll write a letter in a while, please bring it to him after you go back, actually when he burns paper for me at night, I have many things I want to say, but I'm stupid, learn things slowly, and still can't return that many words..."

Li Zhuiyuan reached his hand behind him.

A Li took out the big brother phone from the mountaineering bag and placed it in the boy's hand.

The boy handed the big brother phone to Yin Meng.

Yin Meng: "Ah..."

Receiving the big brother phone, Yin Meng's emotions suddenly didn't know what to do.

"By the way, Brother Xiaoyuan, why didn't Runsheng come with you this time?"

"We are acting separately, he is working on another line with Tan Wenbin and Lin Shu You."

"Then it's not suitable for me to call him now."

It might not be suitable to answer the phone at this time, and even if it were suitable, it might affect Runsheng's state of mind.

Yin Meng had walked across the river and knew that doing so was very dangerous.

It was often acted out like this on TV; when performing a dangerous mission, after receiving a call from home, saying something like "we'll see after the mission is completed," the ending was generally not very good.

Yin Meng handed the big brother phone back to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't take it.

"It's not for you to call Runsheng."

"Ah, then who is it for?"

Nantong, Xiting Town.

In the biting autumn wind, Grandpa Shan tucked his hands into his sleeves, squatted on the ridge of the field, looked at the vegetable plot in front of him, and sighed from time to time.

Beside him was Li Sanjiang, also in a squatting position.

Li Sanjiang took out a cigarette, pulled out three, bit one in his mouth, and delivered the other two, one clipped to Grandpa Shan's ear and the other delivered to Grandpa Shan's mouth.

"Shan Pao'er, be good, open your mouth."

Grandpa Shan looked at Li Sanjiang with annoyance, but still opened his mouth and clamped onto the cigarette.

Li Sanjiang struck a match, lit his own, then lit Grandpa Shan's, then shook out the match and tossed it aside.

"Shan Pao'er, the direction is good, it's the first time planting a greenhouse, so what if you lose money, in this world, who can do everything smoothly?"

Grandpa Shan looked at Li Sanjiang and felt even more depressed.

Li Sanjiang: "How about this, let's stop farming, let's do some breeding, raise a few pigs?"

Grandpa Shan: "There's a pig plague going on recently."

Li Sanjiang: "This is really hard for you to handle, just muddle through, anyway, whatever you do you lose money, not tossing and turning is making money for Runsheng Hou."

Grandpa Shan: "I also want to buy a house for Runsheng Hou in the city."

Li Sanjiang: "What's good about buying that kind of pigeon cage?"

Grandpa Shan: "You didn't say that when you were showing off to me after buying a house for Xiaoyuan Hou."

Li Sanjiang: "I took you as a real friend."

Grandpa Shan: "I thank you."

Li Sanjiang: "How about this, first renovate your home? Tear down the house, build a two-story building on the spot? Let's also use cement and harden a big dam!

This is cheap, the manpower is ready-made, it's a half-month job for Li Hou, Shan Hou, Runsheng Hou, Zhuangzhuang and the others to come over, leave the water and electricity to You Hou."

Grandpa Shan was tempted.

Building a house in the village is cheap, the homestead is one's own, manpower just needs a meal, only need to pay for materials.

Grandpa Shan took a hard puff of the cigarette, turned his body sideways, and bumped into Li Sanjiang:

"Sanjiang Hou, building a house, you have to lend me some."

Li Sanjiang reached out and grabbed Grandpa Shan's shoulder: "In the past, if you borrowed money to gamble, I wouldn't lend you a penny, but since you're building a house..."

Grandpa Shan: "Thanks."

Li Sanjiang: "... I won't lend it either."

Grandpa Shan shook off Li Sanjiang's arm, his face sinking, and looked to the side.

"Borrow what borrow, I'll pay, Runsheng Hou can also be considered as having been watched by me growing up, talking about marriage for the boy needs a house, otherwise when a girl sees the broken state of your house, she'll be scared away."

Grandpa Shan: "I have to pay it back, I'll definitely pay you back."

Li Sanjiang: "Alright, alright, old partner for so many years, don't know who it was in the past who was always breaking arms and legs, I don't know how many times I've helped you, not missing this one time."

Grandpa Shan: "Li Sanjiang, you damn thing is really shameless!"

So many times in the past, if it weren't for him breaking his arms and legs, could it have been exchanged for your constant peace and safety?

Going out with this thing to sit in a fast and fish for corpses, it's fine if nothing happens, but once something happens, this thing is guaranteed to be safe and sound, and all the suffering falls on him!

Li Sanjiang patted Grandpa Shan's shoulder and began to point at Grandpa Shan's old broken house, planning the new house.

"After it's built, you can arrange for Runsheng Hou to talk about marriage, the family is poor, but Runsheng Hou has strength, there's no mother-in-law at home, and you old thing are also someone who can't fart out a sound after eight sticks.

There will be smart women who want to marry in, and once they marry in, they will directly be the masters, and the days will only get better and better."

Grandpa Shan sucked the cigarette in his mouth to the filter, threw it on the ground, stepped on it with the sole of his shoe, and said in a muffled voice:

"After it's done, I'll carry Runsheng Hou on my back, find a way to write a letter to Meng Hou or ask someone to bring a word, just say the building at home is built, let her come back and take a look..."

Grandpa Shan took a deep breath, rubbed the corner of his eye hard with his finger, and his voice began to tremble:

"Maybe after the girl takes a look, she'll change her mind and be willing to continue living with Runsheng Hou..."

"Sigh."

"Sanjiang Hou, I won't live in this new building, there is a water gate house in the village, it lacks someone to look after it, I'll live there, I know what kind of thing I am, I won't get in their eyes, won't hold them back."

"Hey hey hey, that's too much, no matter what Runsheng Hou won't let you live there, you at least pulled him up to this size with one shit and one pee, hungry one meal and full one meal."

"Sanjiang Hou, I regret it, if I hadn't gambled in the beginning, hadn't lost that money, Meng Hou wouldn't have seen no future, wouldn't have left, that girl Meng Hou was so good..."