Chapter 49

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng swallowed repeatedly; he was hungry.

Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan said this was a dead fish; was that a hint that if he felt hungry, he could eat the fish?

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng went down into the river.

He ignored the dismembered body parts and the dwarf, and he didn't bother with the mother and daughter either; he had only one target—Zhou Yong.

He dragged Zhou Yong over; only a small part of Zhou Yong's head remained connected to his neck, and it seemed as though it would snap off at any moment.

Things that have gone bad in the town market don't fetch a good price; the solution is to eat them yourself.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng lowered his head and bit down.

Then, he opened his mouth, pushed Zhou Yong away, climbed onto the bank, knelt on the ground, and began to retch.

Truly disgusting.

He wondered why it was like this.

Soon, he thought of the reason: he had followed Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan's instructions to change the feng shui layout here, which had caused all the baleful aura on Zhou Yong to boil away completely.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng climbed up and returned to the river.

This time, he wasn't looking for food, but rather felt around on the dwarf's corpse, finding a barbed rope made of a very special material, as well as a few damp paper talismans and some other scattered little things.

He went to look at the clothes of the dismembered body parts, but inside, apart from some wet cigarettes and some money, there was nothing else.

After collecting the items, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng left the place.

The village shop was just preparing to close, with the door panels already half-hung; Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng shouted as he ran over, picked up the phone, and started dialing.

……

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin slept for the entire day; after waking up, he discovered that what had gone down faster than the swelling on his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face was his stomach.

He was very hungry; in the evening, Liu Yi cooked noodles and served him a full basin.

When he took the first bite, he was still a bit uneasy, specifically glancing at the "scallions" Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng had prepared in the corner.

Only after successfully swallowing the first bite did he feel completely at ease and begin to feast.

He ate the entire basin of noodles clean, and even felt like he could have had more.

He was surprised himself; when did his appetite get so big?

"Do you want more?" Liu Yi asked. "Shall I cook some more for you?"

"No, no need, any more and my stomach will burst." He couldn't sit still anymore, so he stood up, sticking out his belly, and strolled around the dam. "By the way, where is Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan? Isn't he coming down to eat?"

"Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan is still sleeping."

"Still sleeping?"

"Yes, I'm afraid he'll be sleeping for a long time; it's hard to say if he'll wake up tomorrow."

"My god, to sleep for so long—well, that's fair, he really was exhausted."

At this moment, across the rice paddies on the village road, Zhang Shen's shouting could be heard.

Zhang Shen's voice was always very recognizable and penetrating; she would usually start with several "Hey~ Hey~" calls, and the villagers in nearby homes would prick up their ears; only then would Zhang Shen shout the name of the specific family receiving a call.

The villagers who heard the call would also immediately run to their own dams, shout "Hey~ Hey~" back toward Zhang Shen's direction, and add a few "Coming~ Coming~" replies.

In the plains, you don't see any mountains, yet you can still sing mountain songs.

This time, Zhang Shen shouted, "Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Zhuangzhuang."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei asked with some surprise, "Did she call the wrong name?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, however, trotted down to the dam.

Liu Yi brought over a small dish of vegetables, placed it in front of Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei, and said with a smile, "Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Zhuangzhuang is the new name Uncle Sanjiang gave this child."

"Oh." Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei nodded. "This child is actually quite good."

"He has a good upbringing and is upright in his bones."

"How is Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan's condition?"

"His eyes won't be of much use for a month; I think he had an idea about it early on, and he's quite open-minded about it, even saying it's just as well so it won't delay the start of the semester."

"This child, he has a sense of proportion in everything he does, even when he's going crazy."

"He really is worry-free; his parents are blessed."

"If you plan to give birth and just dump him there without raising him yourself, you are indeed blessed, and you can wait until he's an adult to reap the rewards."

"Is A Li still accompanying him?"

"Yes, of course; one moment she's washing a towel, the next she's taking a spoon to feed him water. You make some soup later, remember to let it cool to a warm temperature, and take it to A Li to feed him."

"This brat, he blinded himself going crazy, yet he can still help A Li recover from her illness."

As she said these words, the corners of Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei's mouth held a smile.

Liu Yi also echoed, "These two children are truly fated, but seeing Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan like this, I'm afraid A Li will be sad and upset."

"Actually, not at all; A Li is very happy. You didn't see it, but she was smiling so hard her dimples showed today."

"I don't understand it anymore."

"We are old; young people have their own ways of playing."

"Do you need me to go and ask around?"

Hearing this, the chopsticks in Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei's hand paused for a moment.

Liu Yi explained, "I'm just afraid that this child didn't finish the job cleanly and let a fish slip away."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei picked up the vinegar and said, "Since he didn't open his mouth, we should act as if we don't know; don't ask too much."

"Understood."

At this moment, a figure walked out onto the second-floor balcony, holding a towel, and went to the water vat to wash it.

"I've never enjoyed such treatment."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei put back the vinegar she had just picked up; the noodles were already sour enough.

……

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin received Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's call and learned how things had developed.

To be honest, he was also startled; no wonder Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan had risked his life last night to finish everything—sure enough, the fish took the bait the next day.

It's just that there were too many fish, and they weren't easy to handle; he had to call his dad.

However, before calling his dad, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin hesitated; according to his dad's habits, if he saw it was his son calling, he would probably skip it if he were busy, and even if he weren't busy, he would likely be too lazy to call back immediately.

Therefore, the content of his call was: "Uncle Tan, this is Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, please call back."

After hanging up, he pulled out a cigarette and was still striking a match when the phone rang.

"Damn it!"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin stuffed the cigarette back and picked up the phone.

On the other end of the line came his father's warm and kind voice: "Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, is there something wrong? Don't worry, tell Uncle, Uncle will come to help you solve it."

"Dad."

"You beast."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "……"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin felt that the only thing maintaining the difficult relationship between father and son was this blood connection.

If he hadn't seen photos of his dad when he was young, he would have thought he was cut from the same mold as himself.

He would even suspect whether he was adopted, or if his parents' generation had once staged some kind of love-hate drama just like those melodramas on TV.

"Dad, let me tell you something; I'm playing cards in Xiting Town."

The other end of the phone went silent.

"How about you come and catch me?"

The other end of the phone remained silent.

"Dad, you come to Shinan to pick me up first, and then we'll go to Xiting together to catch me gambling."

"Did Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan tell you to say that?"

"Ah, yes."

"Click..." The phone on the other end hung up.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin took out money to pay for the phone call, then grabbed a handful of bubblegum.

Not long after, he saw a motorcycle drive over.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin waved and took the initiative to walk over.

The motorcycle pulled over to the side, kicking up a cloud of dust toward his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

"Get on."

"Oh, okay."

As soon as he sat on the bike, the speed picked up, and Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin had to grab his father's waist tightly.

"Dad, drive slower; if something happens to us father and son, wouldn't that be liberating my mom?"

After saying this, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin regretted it a little; how did he dare to tease his own father to his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face?

It was mostly because yesterday, he had truly been taken by Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan to see the world; no matter how scary his father was, he couldn't compare to that nest of dead things.

What surprised Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was that his dad didn't seem angry, and through the motorcycle's rearview mirror, he could see the corners of his dad's mouth curl up, as if he were smiling.

After entering Xiting Town, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin gave directions, entered the village, and then got off the bike first, entering a hall; Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng had said his grandfather liked to lose money here.

After Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin went in, Tan Tan Yunlong also got off the bike, carrying his helmet, and walked in as well.

He flipped the gambling table and kicked his son out; he didn't even need to show his credentials or reveal his identity, as the gamblers in the hall didn't dare to really do anything to him.

Some people's aura is innate.

After smashing the hall, the father and son walked out; Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin led his father to the front of Zhou Yong's door, where Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was already standing.

"Dad, we've been inside, so, do we need to go back in now to deal with fingerprints or something? After all, you're the professional."

"You've been inside."

"Uh, it was last night, we went inside."

"You've been inside."

"Yeah, we went inside; although we tidied up a bit, we definitely didn't clean it thoroughly..."

Tan Tan Yunlong felt that if Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan were here, this nonsense above wouldn't have happened.

He turned his head and looked at Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "Where to next?"

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng replied: "The riverside."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin pondered for a long time before finally realizing that since his father said they had been inside, then they had been inside; even if they left any traces, it was normal.

Moreover, as long as they said they had been inside, there was no need to go back in now.

The three of them arrived at the riverside.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng had set a net in the river, and the body hadn't drifted away; it was still lingering there.

Even Tan Tan Yunlong, who had seen many criminal investigation scenes, couldn't help but frown deeply and look astonished at such a scene:

"What on earth did you do?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan woke up.

He opened his eyes and habitually turned his head toward the door, but didn't see the girl's figure.

Because he was blind now.

Soon, his hand was held by a small, warm hand.

"A Li, how long have I slept?"

Three fingers were held up.

Slept for three days, that's long enough.

"Has Great-Grandfather returned?"

The hand was shaken.

"What about Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin?"

The hand was shaken again.

"I want to take a bath."

As he spoke, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan leaned his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face toward the girl and sniffed.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei always scented A Li's clothes, with different styles of clothing having different fragrances.

Now, this scent had faded.

It proved that the girl had been staying by the bedside accompanying him the whole time.

"A Li, you go take a bath too, then get some sleep."

A Li reached out to help him get out of bed, but Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand: "It's okay, I can manage; at home, it doesn't matter whether I can see or not."

A Li stood up and left.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat by the bed for a while, then got off; when he first went blind, he was a bit unaccustomed to it, but now he felt he had gotten used to it, and even started worrying in advance about what to do if he wasn't used to it after recovering his sight.

The layout of his room appeared in his mind; he calculated the distance for every step, walking and walking, then reached out his hand, pushed open the door, turned right, passed Great-Grandfather's room, and continued turning right.

Finally, he pushed open the bathroom door and walked in.

Clean clothes were folded in advance and placed on the shelf at the bathroom door; it was a bit difficult to pour hot water and mix in cold water in the bucket above, but he managed it with caution.

After washing up, changing his clothes, and walking outside to catch some breeze, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan felt like he had come back to life.

He returned to his room door and sat down on the rattan chair.

Downstairs, Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei, who was combing the hair of her granddaughter who had just finished bathing, witnessed the boy walking back and sitting down very calmly.

The rattan chair was at the edge of the terrace, which was very dangerous; she wanted to call out a reminder, but held back.

The granddaughter beneath her wanted to get up, but she pressed down gently and said: "A Li, even if he can't see, we have to look pretty in front of him, right?"

A Li sat back down.

Unable to see the scenery or read books, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan began to stare blankly.

Fortunately, not long after, he sensed the girl beside him sit down.

He sniffed; osmanthus scent, this fragrance should match the bright yellow ru-skirt.

"A Li, let's play Go."

The girl held his hand and pressed it firmly.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, drew a frame in front of him, and pointed at a spot in the middle.

The girl held his hand and pointed at another spot.

The two of them just sat there facing the empty space, playing Go.

While playing, the sound of a tricycle came from downstairs; it was Great-Grandfather returning.

Liu Yi asked: "What about Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin and Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng? Why didn't they come back with you?"

"Them? They're at the police station assisting with the investigation; they fished out five bodies this time, heh heh, what a lucrative job."

Li Sanjiang went upstairs, intending to take a bath first and also check on Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't hide; after all, living under the same roof, it was impossible to keep his eye condition from Great-Grandfather.

Seeing his great-grandson's eyes covered with a cloth, Li Sanjiang was so scared his soul almost left his body; he rushed up and hugged the boy, ignoring the terrifying A Li standing nearby.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan kept holding A Li's hand to ensure she wouldn't lash out.

However, he also felt that the girl's repulsion toward outsiders approaching was much lower than before.

Liu Yi hurried up at this moment and explained to Li Sanjiang that Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan had caught an eye disease, had already applied medicine, and would fully recover in less than a month without any sequelae.

But Li Sanjiang cursed directly:

"Bullshit! How can a child's eyes be a small matter? Why didn't you tell me sooner!"

After cursing, he carried the boy on his back downstairs and went to the village clinic.

After Zheng Zheng Datong examined him and asked questions, he shook his head.

Li Sanjiang then rode his tricycle, carrying Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan to the health academy.

After checking at the health academy for most of the day, the doctor couldn't reach any conclusion, not even identifying the specific cause of the illness.

Li Sanjiang immediately took Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan out of the hospital, took a bus to the city hospital, and did another day of examinations, still finding no leads.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan comforted Li Sanjiang while urging him to give up, repeatedly saying his eyes would be fine soon.

He originally thought Great-Grandfather would give up by now.

But unexpectedly, Great-Grandfather took him directly from Nantong to Shanghai.

This was Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's first time taking a ferry, and also his first time arriving in this most prosperous city on the mainland.

Unfortunately, he couldn't see anything; most of the time, his ears were filled only with the noise of engines and whistles.

Li Sanjiang had stayed in old Shanghai, but that was before the founding of the country; now, he was no different from an ordinary rural farmer coming to the city.

However, Great-Grandfather wasn't shy or dull; he would take the initiative to ask people for directions, and every time he asked, he got it right.

Along the way, it was probably because an elderly man with white hair was carrying a cute-looking boy with covered eyes; this combination was truly too classic and too pitiful.

So the motorcycle taxi driver he rode with refused to take money, the landlady of the small inn secretly stuffed the room fee back, and the Shaanxi boss of the breakfast shop at the door gave them breakfast.

Even when the grandfather and grandson arrived at the hospital at noon and were sitting on the stairs sharing yellow steamed buns while waiting for the doctor to start work in the afternoon, they happened to meet an old professor coming downstairs.

The old professor let them cut the line and invited other departments for a consultation, finally reaching a conclusion: the child had a nervous system problem affecting his eyes, and he needed quiet rest without mental strain.

He also comforted Li Sanjiang, saying that perhaps in a month or two, the child's eyes would slowly start to see and eventually recover.

This kind of nervous system disease was currently a global problem, and there was no surgery available in the hospital, so they could only prescribe some medicine.

The old professor also left his private contact information, instructing them to come directly to him if the eyes hadn't improved in two months. Li Sanjiang thanked the doctor profusely, and after leading Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan out of the hospital and into the small alley next door, Li Sanjiang hugged the boy and wailed.

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, it's all Great-Grandfather's fault for being useless, Great-Grandfather has no ability, no conditions to take you abroad for treatment!"

The repression along the way erupted completely at this moment; Li Sanjiang knelt on the ground, crying like a child.

Listening to this sound, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan also wanted to cry, but he searched his heart and couldn't find any feeling of sadness.

He could cry, but he didn't want to act now.

He could only hug Great-Grandfather's head, press his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face against it, and start hating himself like this.

From then on, Li Sanjiang finally stopped the path of seeking medical treatment and took Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan to start the journey home.

While sitting on the bus on the way, Li Sanjiang took out a notebook and wrote and drew on it.

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, when your eyes are better, go to Shanghai again; we must at least send some local specialties to visit these people."

For everyone who had helped them, Great-Grandfather insisted on keeping their contact information and recorded it in the notebook.

Before going to Shanghai, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said their family had no money to go to Shanghai for treatment to dispel Great-Grandfather's idea.

But Li Sanjiang patted the bankbook in his pocket, saying there was enough money here; Ding Ding Dalin had already given the village the money for leasing the land, but only the deposit had been given for planting the trees.

This gave Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan a fright; one had to know that the one buried under the fish pond hadn't completely dissipated yet; if the peach trees weren't planted soon, the person might turn the soil over again to seek an explanation.

However, Li Sanjiang added that this money would be used for emergencies first, and he would mortgage the house after returning for the money to plant peach trees.

Fortunately, because everything went smoothly and they didn't stay in the hospital in Shanghai, they didn't spend much money except for some travel and accommodation expenses.

Li Sanjiang muttered: "I really can't get used to eating those yellow steamed buns."

Before the grandfather and grandson entered the hospital at noon, they had actually each eaten a bowl of noodles outside; Great-Grandfather complained about the exorbitant prices in Shanghai while not forgetting to add a portion of meat for Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

These yellow steamed buns were the kindness of the breakfast shop owner next to the inn; they weren't for sale, but something he had made for his own family to eat.

Neither the grandfather nor the grandson could quite get used to eating this broomcorn millet flour; after eating the steamed buns and drinking the soy milk, the yellow steamed buns were left over, so while sitting on the hospital stairs, having nothing better to do, Li Sanjiang took out a yellow steamed bun, took a bite himself, and then fed a bite to Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

It was a bit like eating a snack, and also to avoid wasting food.

But this scene, in the eyes of the old professor, was simply as tragic as it could possibly be.

Only later did they learn that the old professor's hometown was in northern Shaanxi.

……

The town bus stopped at the entrance of the village, and Li Sanjiang led Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan by the hand as they got off.

Both grandfather and grandson breathed a sigh of relief; they had finally returned home.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan himself had not expected that his first "trip" away from home with his great-grandfather would leave him in a state of total blindness the entire time.

However, he tried his best to do everything he could himself, so as not to burden Li Sanjiang.

But because he could not see, he did not know that every time Li Sanjiang watched him struggle to familiarize himself with and adapt to the life of a blind person, tears would well up in the corners of his eyes, and the more he watched, the sadder he became.

The more sensible Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou appeared, the deeper Li Sanjiang's inner self-reproach became.

He felt it was because he hadn't taken good care of the child; just after he had transferred the child's household registration to his own name, the child had come down with such an illness, and he even began to suspect that he was some kind of jinx who brought misfortune to his family.

"Great-grandfather, it's okay. Didn't the doctor say that in another period of time, my eyes will be better? By then, I'll be just in time to go to school."

Upon hearing the words "go to school," Li Sanjiang paused, and his tears broke through the dam again.

However, he was also trying hard to calm his emotions, shedding tears as much as possible without sobbing, so the child wouldn't hear it.

"Mm, my Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou's eyes will definitely get better, and you will definitely be able to go to school, haha."

On the way to seek medical treatment, every time Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said things like he would get better soon, he would receive a scolding from Li Sanjiang, who would curse him for being a foolish child who didn't understand the importance of eyes and thought it was a trivial matter.

Since returning from the end of the medical treatment, whenever Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said such things, Li Sanjiang would agree, and he himself would repeat such words over and over.

The village road back home was filled with the fragrance of wildflowers in the fields.

Returning home, they arrived at the dam-side.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's hands were quickly grasped by another pair of small hands.

This time, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sensed the trembling coming from those hands, because Li Sanjiang was staying nearby, in a very close position.

It was very obvious that the girl's rejection of Li Sanjiang had risen significantly.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan spoke up: "A Li, be sensible. Great-grandfather was taking me to see a doctor."

The girl's hands stopped trembling; she had listened, and was suppressing it.

A smile appeared on Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face. He felt some regret that he couldn't see A Li's appearance now, but fortunately, his memory held plenty, thanks to A Li changing into different clothes every day.

The next moment, the girl wrapped her arms around his neck.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan reached out and gently patted her head; it was just that with everyone watching here, saying those lines felt a bit shameful.

The girl's body swayed slightly, seemingly dissatisfied that the ritual had not been completed for so long.

Forget it, anyway, he couldn't see now, so what was there to be ashamed of?

"A Li, tell me whatever you want. I have money, I have plenty of money."

The girl was satisfied; she moved her body away, then grabbed Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's hand and gently touched her eyes.

This scene, in the eyes of the surrounding people, was bound to be incredibly warm; letting a blind person touch one's own eyes, in a normal person's train of thought, certainly meant: I am your eyes.

"No, don't play this..."

But Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was very panicked, because he knew A Li meant she wanted to play a game with him, like the kind of spirit-walking they did before.

He had gone blind precisely because he had overdrawn himself too severely; he dared not engage in these things again before his eyes had recovered, otherwise, he might very well go completely blind.

Seeing that Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan did not agree, the girl held the boy's hand and drew a frame, meaning they should play chess.

"Let's wait a little longer, A Li. I want to take a bath and eat a meal first, and we can play together in the afternoon."

Most importantly, because his great-grandfather had forcibly taken him to see a doctor as soon as they returned, he still hadn't had the chance to learn from Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin how the aftermath of the incident had developed.

"Come, Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, I'll take you upstairs to take a bath." Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin took the initiative to reach out and lead Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan upstairs.

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, why are you still here?"

"Brother Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, you say that—if I'm not here, where would I be?"

"I thought you had gone home."

"We're short-handed here. During the time you were gone, I stayed here to help make paper effigies and deliver goods. Let me tell you, my paper-crafting skills are great now; even Liu Yi praises the paper figures I make."

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, you are truly amazing."

"Hehe, Liu Yi said your eyes aren't in any serious trouble, right?"

"Mm, it's fine, don't worry. Tell me about the aftermath of that incident."

"Oh, that night Lu Runsheng called me, and then I called my dad. My dad went to the scene; there were five corpses in the river. Besides that family of Zhou Yong, there were also that pair of father and son we saw at Li Cuicui's house last time during her birthday—the one where the father and son were reversed."

"It was them?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan felt very repulsed by that dwarf who acted young while being old.

To be honest, if they had been 'dead-walkers' at the time, he would have set out to deal with them long ago; it would have been impossible to leave such a hidden danger. Unfortunately, they were human.

Judging from the things he had experienced since returning to his hometown, 'dead-walkers' were really not as terrifying as people.

"Mm, the tall one was dismembered; it must have been Zhou Yong's doing. The dwarf also died; it seems he was bitten to death by that mother and daughter."

"What did the police say?"

"They dug up quite a few skeletons in the dwarf's courtyard, and they were arranged in special poses. There were also plenty of superstitious things in the house, and the true identity of the dwarf and his son—the father-son relationship—was also uncovered. Now they've concluded that they were believers in some kind of cult; they killed Zhou Yong's family, and finally performed a ritual in the river, sacrificing themselves as well."

"Your dad worked hard."

"Isn't that the truth?"

"Mm, indeed."

"By the way, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng collected some things and packed them all up in the workshop. Brother Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, do you want to take a look?"

"What can I use to look now?"

"Pfft... uh, sorry, brother, I couldn't help it."

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, help me draw some water; I'm going to take a bath first."

"Brother, let me scrub your back."

"No need, I'm not used to it."

"Alright, I'll mix the water for you first, and then wait for you at the door."

After coming out of the bath, the exhaustion from the long journey was finally eliminated.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin asked somewhat impatiently: "Brother Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, the thing you promised me..."

"Has Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng taught you how to use those tools?"

"Ah? No, he only taught me how to make paper effigies!"

"You should let Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng teach you how to use those tools first, and then I will try to teach you some others—it's just that they are quite difficult."

"Haha, no matter how difficult, can it be harder than taking an exam?" Immediately, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin realized his mistake, "Brother, my tongue slipped, stop, don't say any more!"

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, you should learn the basics first; you can use my set of tools."

"Really, Brother Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan? That's great!" He had been coveting that set of equipment for a long time; Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's set was too large and too heavy, but Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan's set was just right for him.

The reason Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan planned to lend his set of tools to Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was also because his current body found it a bit strenuous to wield them; furthermore, he had now mastered the contents of the black leather book and already had powerful methods to Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face 'dead-walkers' directly.

As for what to do if he lacked tools by his side?

That wasn't a problem, because he wouldn't Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face a 'dead-walker' alone without Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin.

The boy returned to the rattan chair he was most familiar with and sat down; A Li had been waiting there for a long time. He reached out his hand, and A Li's hand was offered over.

The two began to play chess against the air.

Because both of them were used to playing speed chess, in the eyes of outsiders, it was just two children holding hands, constantly pointing at the air.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, who had returned downstairs, asked in confusion: "What are they doing? It's not dark yet, and they're already counting stars?"

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng looked up and said: "Playing chess."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin said indignantly: "Are you trying to fool me like a fool?"

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng couldn't be bothered to explain.

"Brother Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan said you have to teach me how to use those things."

"Mm, alright."

"Then, when will you teach me?"

"Finish this batch of paper effigies first; the client is in a hurry."

"Why do we have to make so many all of a sudden?"

"All three of the Niu family ordered them."

"One family, holding three funeral rites?"

"It's that all three families had people die—three siblings."

"If you're going to go, go together; this is truly deep sibling affection."

Upon hearing this, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng smiled.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin immediately sensed something was wrong and asked: "Did I miss something again?"

"Get to work first; we'll talk when I teach you how to use the things tonight."

"Alright!"

To welcome the grandfather and grandson back, Liu Yi prepared a very sumptuous dinner.

After Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat down, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin wanted to lean over: "Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, let me pick food for you, hey, hey, hey!"

A Li's indifferent gaze looked over.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was so scared he retreated continuously and sat back in his own seat. He had felt the girl was not to be trifled with before, but after seeing a 'dead-walker,' he should have built up some courage, yet he felt increasingly afraid of the girl.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan picked up his chopsticks; during his recent journey to seek medical help with his great-grandfather, he had learned how to eat while blind. He only needed to explore the position of the dishes and the types of food beforehand, and then be a bit more sensitive in his perception when using the chopsticks.

However, when Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan picked up his bowl, he felt food being placed into it.

After Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took a few mouthfuls, more food was placed on top; it was the girl placing food into his bowl for him.

"Hehehe, hehehe."

Li Sanjiang took a sip of wine, watched this scene, and a simple, honest smile appeared on his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

Even when he looked toward Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei, who was sitting at the small round table in the distance, he lowered his head, and a rare look of ingratiation appeared on his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

In the past, having acquired both a house and land, his backbone was naturally stiff. Now that his grandson was blind and it was uncertain whether he could recover, he naturally had to be humble when facing this mercenary old lady.

No matter how good the conditions were, they could not overcome a disability, especially this eye ailment; in this day and age, it basically meant the loss of the ability to work.

According to the customs in the village, those with poor eyesight would likely marry someone with equally poor eyesight in the future.

Sigh, although this girl had a somewhat strange temper and didn't know how to talk, at least her eyes were normal.

Moreover, she was truly beautiful; it was a pity that his own Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou could no longer see it.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was only focused on eating and had no idea that his great-grandfather was already worrying himself sick over his future marriage.

Not only that, Li Sanjiang was already preparing to bring some gifts to visit Liu Liu Jinxia after dinner, intending to pave the way for his great-grandson's future employment in advance.

After finishing the meal and putting down his chopsticks, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat there, and the girl picked up a handkerchief to carefully wipe his mouth.

This time, before he could persuade the girl to go back to her room to sleep, she pulled him upstairs first, and only after he entered his room did she leave.

Li Sanjiang brought some sponge cakes, cloud-layer cakes, and sugar, and was preparing to go out to Liu the Blind's house. Before leaving, he looked at Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei, who was still sitting there chewing slowly, and took the initiative to bow and ask:

"Yo, your appetite is good today, very good, your health is good."

After saying this, he left.

Liu Yi, while serving soup to Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei, asked in confusion: "What's wrong with Uncle Sanjiang? He feels a bit strange."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei let out a cold snort, spat out a fish bone, and scolded:

"The old thing is worried that his great-grandson won't be able to find a wife."

"Hehehe." Liu Yi covered her mouth and couldn't help but laugh.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei, who had been cold-faced at first, was finally moved to show a smile as well.

"Don't say it, Uncle Sanjiang is really quite interesting."

At this moment, A Li came down from upstairs and walked into the east room by herself.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei took a sip of yellow wine and said with gratification: "Our A Li is really getting better and better."

……

Night fell, and Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat at his desk and turned on the desk lamp.

Then, he turned the desk lamp off again.

Spreading out a notebook and picking up a pen, he had promised Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin that he would teach him, so he would definitely teach him.

Although he couldn't see, it didn't affect things like writing.

Having previously read Sister Yingzi's high school textbooks and done Tan Wenbin's test papers, Li Zhuiyuan wrote down a notebook full of math problems for Tan Wenbin based on high school knowledge points and exam topics.

After finishing the problems, he stretched and rubbed his somewhat sore shoulders.

This notebook would be handed to Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin tomorrow.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't deliberately make things difficult for him, because based on his own experience in learning corpse-salvaging, the application of mathematics was a necessary foundation.

The application of tools required physics.

The creation of materials required chemistry.

Even for the books he read, if Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin wanted to understand them, he would still need to use language arts.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was a gifted genius, the kind one couldn't help but envy.

He and Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin could only follow the path of ordinary, underachieving students.

However, if Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin could really learn it, he could incidentally solve the problem of his college entrance exam scores, which could be considered as fulfilling his promise to Tan Tan Yunlong.

"Meow... meow... meow..."

The sound of a cat came from outside.

It was a bit far and hadn't reached the dam, but since Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had gone blind, his hearing had become much better.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan recognized who it was. He habitually picked up his pen, preparing to tap the cup beside him, but stopped just in time.

Getting up from the table, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked slowly downstairs. On the two round tables on the first floor, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin were sleeping soundly.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked down to the dam, came to the edge of the field, squatted down, and reached out his hand.

Soon, a furry sensation came to his palm; the black cat was deliberately rubbing its head against him.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan simply sat on the ground. The black cat jumped into his arms, and he cradled it with one hand while gently stroking it with the other.

Unlike their previous contacts, at this moment, its body was warm.

"Are they all dead?"

"Meow..."

"That's good, you can finally be free too."

"Meow..."

The black cat began to use its claws to gently scratch its own Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

"My eyes have some problems and will only get better in a while. I can't perform spirit-walking right now, so let's say goodbye like this."

"Meow..."

"If you are still a cat in your next life, find a good owner."

"Meow?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you already have the best owner in the world."

The black cat's body began to dissipate. The resentment on it was already gone, so what it decomposed into was no longer black Qi, but pieces of crystalline light.

Under the moonlight,

The boy sat on the ridge of the field, holding a cluster of stars in his arms.

(End of chapter)