Chapter 50: The Scholar and the Storyteller

There was no sun in the afternoon; the sky was somewhat overcast, a breeze had picked up, and the rain was in that stage of being about to fall but not yet falling.

In the midst of a long, sweltering summer, this could be considered a rare, comfortable interlude.

Li Sanjiang leaned back in his rattan chair, a cigarette held in his left hand and a tea mug in his right, while an old-fashioned radio wrapped in a wooden box on the wall broadcast the news.

Li Zhuiyuan sat beside him, head bowed, eating watermelon.

The news was currently reporting on the situation in the Middle East.

Li Sanjiang sat up, stuffed his cigarette butt into a Jianlibao can filled with water, and then picked up the can and gave it a shake.

"Great-grandfather, have some melon."

"You eat it. Your great-grandfather isn't a glutton."

"The melon isn't sweet."

"Oh, alright."

Li Sanjiang picked up a slice of melon with a smile, thinking his great-grandson was just teasing him into eating it.

But after taking a bite, he immediately cursed:

"Conscience-less brat! I told him to pick a good one for me, and he went around knocking on them, yet he actually picked a lousy one for me.

That, the rest of these, take them to Runsheng to eat in a bit."

"Brother Runsheng and the others have some."

"No matter how much they have, it's never enough for them to eat. Before, only Runsheng had a big appetite, but now Zhuangzhuang's appetite has been brought up too."

"Brother Binbin has been using his brain lately, hasn't he?"

That morning, when he handed a whole book of math problems to Tan Wenbin, although he couldn't see, he could feel the air stagnate for a full half-minute.

Tan Wenbin had opened his mouth to speak several times but ultimately held it back.

However, he had just tossed that math book aside at the start and hadn't looked at it at all.

It wasn't until he started learning the tools of the trade with Runsheng, and Li Zhuiyuan had specifically taken the time to explain the basics of physiognomy and fortune-telling, that Tan Wenbin finally realized:

Some things you want to escape will always be waiting for you on the road of life.

He had originally thought he had opened a brand-new door, but only after truly entering did he discover that this door was shared with the college entrance exam.

In the past, he never would have imagined that even learning to fish for the drowned would require passing math, physics, and chemistry first.

However, long-winded moralizing really couldn't compare to visiting a drowned person's home and eating a meal there once.

He finally picked up that math book and started working on it.

His academic performance was already very average, and these problems were quite difficult, so he worked very slowly, but at least he didn't give up again.

This led to a surge in his appetite lately, which made him very happy; he felt he was growing his brain.

"Speaking of which, why are they still fighting over there?" Li Sanjiang picked up the cloth beside him to wipe his hands. "I remember they were fighting back when the country was just founded. At that time, the village would hang banners and write big-character posters supporting and cheering for them, opposing imperialism."

"Mm, it seems they've been fighting for a long time."

The news broadcast ended, and the next program began. The male and female hosts started chatting, bringing up the topic of reading.

The male host gave an example, saying there was an ethnic group that highly respected knowledge; adults would smear honey on books, so when children flipped through them, they would feel that knowledge was sweet.

He also said that respecting knowledge and science was the reason why this ethnic group remained vibrant even after wandering for two thousand years.

The female host echoed him with great emotion, praising it as truly the most intelligent ethnic group recognized by the world.

Li Sanjiang scratched his neck with the handle of his palm-leaf fan and said, "That's not right, is it?"

"Huh?"

"Little Yuan Hou, you tell me, how can the most intelligent ethnic group still be wandering for two thousand years?"

"You're right, Great-grandfather."

At this moment, A Li walked up from the stairs, carrying a large bowl in her hands.

Smelling the scent of Chinese medicine, Li Zhuiyuan knew it was time for him to take his medicine.

He took it from A Li, placed it in front of him, picked up a spoon, and began to drink it mouthful by mouthful.

Back when he only had nosebleeds, the medicine Liu Yi brewed for him was relatively mild, but ever since he went blind, the medicinal properties had become much stronger, and even the taste was numbingly bitter.

Li Zhuiyuan could only drink it while comforting himself that good medicine tastes bitter.

Li Sanjiang watched the girl with a smile, nodding incessantly.

After finishing the medicine, Li Zhuiyuan greeted Li Sanjiang and led A Li back to his room. He walked in first and took out three bottles of milk.

Li Sanjiang had made a large sum of money recently; the three Niu siblings had all passed away, and they had all invited him to perform the funeral rites.

Originally, upon hearing that the three Niu siblings had all died around the same time, he had felt a bit anxious, always feeling it was because he hadn't performed the last funeral rite well.

But for one, the three siblings didn't have a good reputation in the village, and for another, the siblings' family knew best how they had actually died.

Before they died, people wanted to kill them to get relief, but after they died, these younger generations became afraid, fearing they would follow in their footsteps.

So they hurriedly came to invite Li Sanjiang to perform the rites, and the red envelopes were very generous.

Li Sanjiang went, and since the funeral rites were on the same day, he handled three jobs in one day. The money he earned was truly comfortable.

Then, he immediately bought a lot of food and drink for his great-grandson.

In Li Zhuiyuan's room, snacks were stored in cabinets, and drinks were arranged in boxes.

If he hadn't stopped him in time, saying it was enough, he feared he would soon be competing with Auntie Zhang in the village to open a convenience store.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't like drinking this milk; it only had a tiny bit of milky taste, mostly just the taste of saccharin.

However, A Li's first collection box was already full of Jianlibao, and now that she had just started the second box, she naturally had to put some new things in.

The boy and girl each held a drink, sitting on the rattan chairs.

They had already played chess in the morning, so they wouldn't play in the afternoon.

Li Zhuiyuan kept his head bowed, facing the empty little tabletop, and started reading.

His eyes still couldn't see, but he could still read; after reading the books, they were all stored in his brain, and now he could just flip them out and ruminate on them.

A Li must have known what the boy was doing, sitting close to him just like before.

Every time Li Zhuiyuan "flipped a page" in his heart, he would habitually "look" toward her, and she would also look back, the two of them engaging in a non-existent exchange of gazes.

They watched like this until dusk, the sky gradually darkening.

Liu Yi called out, "Dinner time!"

Li Zhuiyuan stood up and stretched lazily. This way of "reading" was quite good; no need to worry about insufficient light hurting his eyes.

Going downstairs to eat, Liu Yumei said, "A Ting and I will take A Li out for a trip tomorrow morning."

Hearing this, Li Sanjiang's chopsticks slipped directly from his hand.

"We'll try to be back tomorrow night."

Li Sanjiang picked up his chopsticks, wiped them on his sleeve, and let out a sigh of relief.

Runsheng said, "It's fine, I'll cook."

Li Sanjiang cursed, "You want us all to eat your cooking? Just make do with porridge and pickles for these two days; it'll be good to cleanse our stomachs."

After the meal, A Li went into the room to bathe, and Liu Yumei beckoned to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't react.

Liu Yumei then realized, calling out, "Xiao Yuan, come over here for a moment."

"Coming, Grandmother."

"Want some tea?"

"Grandmother, drinking tea right after a meal isn't good for the stomach."

"It's nothing more than an excuse to talk."

"Then please speak."

"Logically, I shouldn't be taking A Li away from here now, but tomorrow is a special day, and I have to make this trip."

"Grandmother, this is your family business, and besides, A Li really should go."

"Did you guess what we are going to do tomorrow?"

"How could I?"

"Hehe, if your eyes hadn't recovered yet, I would have taken you along for a stroll, but I guess you probably aren't in the mood right now."

"Grandmother, you don't need to worry about me."

"Alright, that's it then. A Ting will brew the medicine for tomorrow and the day after in advance; remember to take it on time."

"Mm, I will."

Li Zhuiyuan walked back, stopping when he passed by Runsheng and Tan Wenbin.

Runsheng sent a small stool behind Li Zhuiyuan, and Tan Wenbin helped him sit down.

The TV was playing the drama "Chen Zhen," starring Leung Siu-lung.

Runsheng was paper-crafting while watching, and Tan Wenbin was doing problems.

Li Zhuiyuan heard the "swish-swish" sound of a pen on scratch paper and couldn't help but say, "Brother Binbin, why don't you take my desk lamp down to use in a bit?"

"Alright." Tan Wenbin nodded, not being polite; anyway, Xiao Yuan didn't need it now.

Runsheng liked to move the TV outside to the dam at night, working while watching, which made it easier to clean up.

There was a pole outside with a light bulb hanging from it; the brightness was enough, but the angle wasn't good.

Runsheng asked, "What are A Li and the others going out to do tomorrow?"

"Don't know, probably have something to do."

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan had roughly guessed; Liu Yumei was likely going to sweep the graves of A Li's parents.

He had seen long ago that Uncle Qin and Liu Yi were not A Li's biological parents; they just held the title.

"Xiao Yuan, then you'll be free tomorrow?"

"School hasn't started yet; when am I not free?"

Tan Wenbin muttered softly, "You'll be free even after school starts."

"I passed by the town market when I went to deliver paper crafts during the day and found someone had set up a small stage to tell storytelling; there were quite a few people listening below. I asked, and he'll be there tomorrow too. Xiao Yuan, I'll take you to listen tomorrow."

"That's great."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't want to dampen Runsheng's good intentions; he was also trying hard to find fun for him, who couldn't see.

The next morning, Li Zhuiyuan got up extra early, but when he went downstairs and walked to the east room, he still felt the lock on the door.

Liu Yumei and the others must have left in the middle of the night.

Leaving early was also so they could return early.

Li Zhuiyuan simply felt for a stool and sat on the dam.

"Ah, Xiao Yuan, you woke up really early." Runsheng rubbed his eyes and came down from the table. "I'll go make breakfast."

"Brother Runsheng, let's go to town to eat."

"That works. I'll put the instant noodles on the stove so Great-grandfather can cook them himself when he gets up." After Runsheng walked into the kitchen, he quickly ran out, patted Tan Wenbin awake, and urged, "Get up and wash up; we're going to town."

Tan Wenbin yawned, and although he hadn't slept enough, he nodded.

After a simple tidy-up, Runsheng rode the tricycle, carrying Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin toward Shinan Town.

There were quite a few tables laid out in front of the breakfast shop, and the three of them specifically chose the most secluded one because Runsheng wanted to smoke.

Li Zhuiyuan ordered three bowls of wontons and three baskets of steamed buns.

Originally, Li Zhuiyuan wanted to order more, but Runsheng stopped him.

When the wontons and small buns were brought up, Li Zhuiyuan asked with concern, "Brother Runsheng, will you be full with just this little bit?"

"Xiao Yuan, look at what this is."

Li Zhuiyuan was handed a dry, hard, flakey object by Runsheng, and upon feeling it, he could perceive the roughness and small holes.

"Steamed bun slices?"

"Clatter, clatter." Runsheng shook the bag in his hand. "Hehe, I brought a big bag; it's perfect for soaking in the wonton soup."

"Brother Runsheng..."

"Xiao Yuan, you eat yours; I'll just taste something fresh. You know how big my appetite is; how could I eat freely in an outside shop? That would be wasteful."

"Give me some too." Tan Wenbin reached out and grabbed a handful, putting it aside. He probably would have heroically said, "Eat whatever you want, my treat," but now he wouldn't, because they weren't close before, but now they were good friends.

Li Zhuiyuan bit hard into a dry steamed bun slice, couldn't bite through it, and finally put it into the bowl to soak.

Beside him, Runsheng crunched away, and during the process, he and Tan Wenbin asked the boss for another bowl of soup.

"Whew... comfortable."

"Hiccup..."

After the two big eaters finished, they each patted their bellies. They must have rolled up their shirts, because the sound was very muffled and crisp.

"Yo, is there any left? Give me a slice too."

Li Zhuiyuan's ears twitched; it was his first time hearing Nantong dialect with a broadcast accent.

"There are two slices left." Runsheng picked them up and handed them over.

"Good, that's enough."

That person sat down at the same table with a bowl of noodles or wontons, then unscrewed a lid, and the smell of fermented bean curd quickly filled the air, along with a hint of spiciness.

Tan Wenbin sniffed and asked, "Why is your fermented bean curd this color?"

"This is Sichuan-style fermented bean curd, with chili added."

Another mouthful of Sichuan dialect with a broadcast accent.

"Hey, you're the one telling stories on stage yesterday." Runsheng patted his forehead. "You didn't wear that long robe, so I didn't recognize you."

"Hehe, are you coming to listen to storytelling today?"

"Of course, we came specifically for it."

"Yo, then you are honored guests. It's still early for the start; if you are willing to buy me a cup of tea, I'll start telling it for the three of you after I finish breakfast."

"Alright." Li Zhuiyuan agreed.

That person finished breakfast and said, "Please."

The three followed him to under the stage; the stage was very rough, just a few cabinets put together, with two sails hanging behind.

Runsheng went to a small shop halfway to buy a bottle of mineral water, and when he returned, he saw Li Zhuiyuan take out money and hand it to the storyteller, who accepted it with a smile.

Runsheng then realized that buying a cup of tea meant giving a small tip, not foolishly going to buy a bottle of water.

This money wasn't actually much, just the price of two cans of Jianlibao.

The storyteller didn't go on stage but sat on a wooden bench he had set up below, facing Li Zhuiyuan and the others.

He first gave a simple opening statement, introducing himself as someone wandering the world to make a living, surnamed Yu, given name Shu, newly arrived in this precious land to make friends, gain knowledge, and earn a living.

Next, he started telling the story, which was about the Qin King Li Shimin breaking through Dou Jiande at Hulao Pass.

Because the audience was three young people, he didn't use Nantong dialect but Mandarin. The story was told with ups and downs, brilliant and colorful, and even included a segment of ventriloquism.

Runsheng and Tan Wenbin were fascinated, clapping and cheering from time to time.

Li Zhuiyuan clapped along while feeling suspicious in his heart: which master was this who came to wander the world and experience life?

This person was clearly not a local, yet he could learn the local dialect immediately upon arriving at a new place, and his verbal skills were truly solid.

Although the current traditional culture market was suffering from severe shrinkage and downturn, it shouldn't be enough to make such a person wander the world.

The climax of the story was Li Shimin leading the Black Armored Army to repeatedly charge Dou Jiande's central army, and the ending was Li Shimin returning in triumph and being enfeoffed as the General of the Heavenly Strategy.

The story was brilliant, the performance was exquisite, and in the middle of summer, it was like eating a big piece of iced sweet watermelon, a refreshing feeling from head to toe.

Although he couldn't see, it gave his ears a real treat, and it was a small private performance facing him; this money was well spent.

Li Zhuiyuan reached into his pocket again.

"Forget it, the tea money has been given. You are all students who haven't started working yet; how could I accept your reward? Besides, haven't I already been rewarded with two steamed bun slices?"

"It was told really well." Li Zhuiyuan said sincerely.

"You flatter me. Child, is there nothing wrong with your eyes?"

"They will get better." "That's good. What's your name?"

"Li Zhuiyuan."

"Li Zhuiyuan, Li Zhuiyuan, have you always been surnamed Li?"

"Otherwise?"

Tan Wenbin asked with lingering interest, "Can you tell another segment?"

"Can't tell anymore; have to save it for the main show at noon."

Tan Wenbin nodded: "Then we'll wait."

"Hey, no need for that. What I tell at noon is also this segment, just with more filler, talking about Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng in the Li Tang court, and chatting about Wang Shichong in Luoyang City; better not to listen."

"That's a real pity. Then what about at night?"

"It's the same segment, with even more filler."

Tan Wenbin: "..."

"Wandering to make a living, the goods in my stomach are only this much; how could I take it all out at once? Besides, there are few people in this place who can listen to several shows a day. Those who have this leisure time usually don't have money."

Li Zhuiyuan asked curiously, "Master Yu, where are you from?"

"Child, are you asking about my hometown?"

"Mm."

"I really can't say where my hometown is. My parents passed away early, and I've been wandering along this Yangtze River since I was little, from the mountain city to Jingchu and then to this river mouth, strolling back and forth all year round.

According to that, my hometown should be on this river."

A smile appeared on Li Zhuiyuan's face, as if he had heard a very interesting answer, but his heart sank silently, because he had heard a similar answer from Liu Yumei.

"The sky is still early, so I'll tell you a slightly scarier little story."

"Great, great." Runsheng clapped.

"I like listening to this." Tan Wenbin clenched his fists excitedly.

Yu Shu started telling it.

Just after he started, Li Zhuiyuan heard something wrong. The background was the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the protagonist was a scholar, the boat capsized and fell into the water on the way to the capital for the exam, and he was saved by a lady surnamed Bai. The scholar admired her and called her Lady Bai.

Before the other party could continue, Li Zhuiyuan covered his eyes and took a cold breath: "Brother Runsheng, Brother Binbin, my eyes hurt so much; take me back to take my medicine."

If it were anything else, they definitely wouldn't leave now, but since it involved Xiao Yuan's eyes, the two didn't dare to delay. After saying goodbye to Yu Shu, they immediately carried Xiao Yuan on their backs, got on the tricycle, and rushed home.

On the way back, facing the concerned inquiries of Runsheng and Tan Wenbin, Li Zhuiyuan chose to voice his concerns.

"Brother, my eyes don't hurt; I suspect that person's identity."

They had already reached Lady Bai; if they continued, a drowned person would inevitably appear, and then Runsheng and Tan Wenbin's expressions would change and be noticed by the other party.

This was also the reason why Li Zhuiyuan pretended his eyes hurt to leave early.

After listening to Li Zhuiyuan's account, Runsheng, who was riding the bike, let out a sigh: "This is meeting a peer."

Tan Wenbin was stunned for a long while, puzzled: "Are there so many talented people in our line of work?"

Runsheng replied: "You are also talented; you can do paper-crafting."

Tan Wenbin rolled his eyes: "I thank you."

Although Runsheng and Tan Wenbin were very surprised, they weren't scared, partly because they hadn't experienced the Lady Bai incident, and partly because they didn't know Liu Yumei's true identity.

The former involved Brother Liangliang's personal privacy, and the latter involved the secrets of the Qin and Liu families; Li Zhuiyuan couldn't easily tell them without permission.

After returning home, he found that Great-grandfather wasn't there; the instant noodles on the stove had been cooked and eaten, so he must have gone out.

The three continued to do their own things; Li Zhuiyuan continued "reading," Runsheng watched TV, and Binbin did problems.

At lunch, Great-grandfather didn't return, so Runsheng cooked porridge.

At dinner, Great-grandfather still didn't return, so Runsheng cooked porridge again.

Although eating porridge was quite good, it was hard to go from luxury to frugality; in the days when Liu Yi wasn't there, everyone's quality of life dropped severely.

Moreover, without Liu Yi's calls for "morning, noon, and evening" meals, Li Zhuiyuan felt his biological clock was a bit chaotic.

While slurping porridge at night, Tan Wenbin doubted: "Hey, the one who suggested drinking porridge was Grandpa Li, and the one who didn't come back to eat outside was also Grandpa Li."

Great-grandfather didn't come home, but everyone wasn't too worried, because Li Sanjiang was often kept to eat and drink in the village on weekdays.

On the quiet summer night, Runsheng and Tan Wenbin continued to watch "Chen Zhen."

Li Zhuiyuan sat beside them, doing eye exercises before sleep. When he finished pressing his temples and scraping his eye sockets,

The sound of cars and motorcycles came from the village road in the distance.

Tan Wenbin was like being electrocuted; he flipped over, sat from in front of the TV to the small table where his homework was placed, and with a "snap," turned on the desk lamp, immediately switching into the meditative problem-solving mode.

Runsheng turned his head, looked at him, and asked: "What's wrong with you?"

Li Zhuiyuan guessed: "Brother Binbin, is Uncle Tan here?"

"Mm!"

He recognized his own father's motorcycle sound; when he was little and secretly watching TV at home, he would immediately turn off the TV and do homework as soon as he heard this sound.

It's just that, after waiting and waiting, he didn't see the motorcycle drive over, nor did he see anyone walk onto the dam.

Runsheng asked puzzled: "Does your dad not want you?"

"Your dad is the one who doesn't want you."

"My dad already doesn't want me."

"Damn, you're cheating."

After a pause,

Tan Wenbin added: "Sorry."

Runsheng laughed: "Hehehe."

Tan Wenbin stood up: "My dad didn't come for me. Xiao Yuan, Runsheng, want to go see? Maybe there's another case in the village."

Runsheng shook his head: "Not going, the excitement continues right after the commercial."

"I'll go with you, Brother Binbin."

"Alright, let's go, Xiao Yuan."

Tan Wenbin held Li Zhuiyuan's hand and walked out. When passing Auntie Zhang's convenience store, Tan Wenbin asked where the car and motorcycle that passed by earlier went.

Auntie Zhang was eating melon seeds, glanced to the northwest, and said: "Went toward the old Bearded Man's house."

On the way to the Bearded Man's house, Tan Wenbin asked worriedly: "Brother Xiao Yuan, why do you think my dad and the others went there? Could it be that the matter was discovered?"

"Don't know." Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

If something went wrong and the horse's foot was exposed, it should be the identity of that dead water monkey that was exposed.

Several police cars and motorcycles were parked outside the Bearded Man's house, and the police were shining flashlights one by one.

But now they shouldn't be able to shine anything out; the fish pond had already been filled, and this large piece of land above had all been planted with saplings.

"Hey, Brother Xiao Yuan, I see Grandpa Li; he's on the dam."

"Is my great-grandfather okay?"

"Okay, not handcuffed; Grandpa Li is still smoking."

"Binbin? Is that Binbin?"

"It's me, Uncle Zhao."

"Heh, why are you here?"

"My relative's house is here; I'm staying at his house to play."

"Alright, I'll go call your dad."

"Uncle Zhao, help me tell my dad that Xiao Yuan and I came together."

"Oh."

Not long after, Tan Yunlong walked over.

"Dad!" Tan Wenbin waved enthusiastically.

"Get aside." Tan Yunlong ignored his son, came to Li Zhuiyuan, and whispered: "People from above came. We went to pick up your great-grandfather at the police station in the morning, ate lunch together, and went to several places in the afternoon: Xiting Town, Shigang, all places where your great-grandfather fished for corpses."

"Uncle, what kind of people are they?"

"I'm not clear about that, but they shouldn't be criminal investigators."

"Is my great-grandfather okay?"

"Okay, just came to understand the situation, act as a guide, and talk about what happened at that time. This house and the land around it are also under your great-grandfather's name, right?"

"Mm."

"Don't worry, nothing's wrong; the team is about to finish."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"What are you thanking me for? It's not a case, and it doesn't involve any confidentiality regulations."

A familiar voice came from not far away: "Alright, thank you all for accompanying me for a day."

Immediately after, Li Zhuiyuan heard the conversation between his great-grandfather and that person: "Grandpa, thank you for your hard work today."

"It should be, it should be, cooperating with the work."

"Go back and rest early."

"You too, hehe."

This voice was Yu Shu.

"Yo, little friend, why are you here too?" Yu Shu discovered Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan asked back: "Hey, storyteller, why are you here?"

"There was no one to listen to the noon show, so I closed the stall and came out to do a part-time job."

Yu Shu said, squatting down in front of Li Zhuiyuan, and reached out to touch Li Zhuiyuan's head:

"Little friend, is your home here?"

Li Sanjiang walked over after finishing his cigarette and, seeing this scene, immediately said: "This is my great-grandson, hehe, this house will be his in the future."

"Your great-grandson?" Yu Shu seemed very surprised. "Biological?"

"Of course, my will is written with his name."

"Oh, is that so? A very smart child; I like him very much."

"That's for sure, my little Yuan Hou is very smart."

"Alright, Grandpa Li, I'm leaving. If there's a chance in the future, I'll invite you to drink again."

"Easy to say, easy to say."

Tan Yunlong took the initiative to walk toward Yu Shu and asked: "Are there any arrangements for tomorrow?"

"No, there's nothing here; it's very clean. I'll leave tomorrow. Thank you for your hard work, Captain Tan."

"I'm just obeying orders."

The police on the Bearded Man's side had already dispersed. Li Sanjiang took the two of them home. On the way, Li Sanjiang kept complaining about how inexplicable today was; he was invited to the police station by a police car in the morning, ran to several places in a row in the afternoon, and finally, they actually came to the village.

However, it wasn't completely without gain; at the end, that person even stuffed a pack of cigarettes.

Li Zhuiyuan was thinking about the identity of that storyteller while listening. Clearly, storytelling was his part-time job, and it was rare to be able to play a part-time job to that level.

However, taking a step back, since the other party could work with the police, they definitely weren't a bad person.

He didn't need to worry here.

Returning to the dam at home, Runsheng was still paper-crafting while watching TV.

Li Sanjiang walked over and knocked him on the head, and Runsheng just smiled.

Tan Wenbin sat down, very skillfully picked up the rattan to start paper-crafting, and at the same time regretted: "If I had known, I would have brought my homework with me."

Li Zhuiyuan was about to go upstairs, his ears twitched, and he whispered: "Brother Binbin, go back and do your homework quickly."

"Mm?"

There was still a puzzled sound in his mouth, but his body, due to inertia, dropped the work in his hand, flipped over again, sat at the small desk, picked up a pen, and performed thinking.

Soon, Tan Yunlong walked onto the dam.

Tan Wenbin heard the familiar footsteps, and the corners of his mouth curled up silently.

Who knew Tan Yunlong would walk over, pat him on the back of the head, and curse: "You're fooling a ghost!"

Tan Wenbin felt very wronged, thinking: Dad, I'm working so hard to study, why are you still misunderstanding me?

"Snap!"

The next moment, Tan Yunlong pressed the switch, and the desk lamp lit up.

Tan Wenbin: "..."

Runsheng moved the TV outside to watch, using the light from the TV to work.

Tan Wenbin liked to accompany Runsheng to do homework on the side, but because Xiao Yuan lent the desk lamp to him, he didn't turn on the light bulb on the pole above anymore.

Therefore, from his father's perspective just now, he was doing homework in almost pitch darkness.

Tan Yunlong brought a bag of things and put them down; they were some folk medicine his wife specifically got.

He had carefully screened them; they were non-toxic.

"Xiao Yuan, I forgot to give these to you just now; you should take them."

"Mm, thank you, Uncle Tan. My eyes are almost better; I'll have to ask Uncle Tan to take me to sign up for school then."

"That's for sure. When your eyes are better, we'll go. The school over there also said you can go whenever you want, depending on your mood."

"Mm, alright, Uncle Tan."

Tan Yunlong turned around, and before preparing to leave, he stopped in front of his son, picked up the homework book on the small desk, and opened it; it was densely written with the problem-solving process.

"Dad, these are the problems Xiao Yuan gave me."

"Mm, study hard." Tan Yunlong put down the book, touched his son's head, and left.

Runsheng would watch TV until it went off the air every night.

When the color fixed screen appeared on the TV, he turned off the TV and turned back to see Tan Wenbin actually still doing problems.

"You're not sleeping yet?"

"You sleep first; I'll do a bit more."

"Oh."

Runsheng washed up and slept.

When he woke up in the morning, he found no one at the round table next door. Turning his head, he found Tan Wenbin sleeping soundly on the small desk, still holding a pen in his hand.

Runsheng walked to the small dog cage and touched its dog head.

The little black dog opened its eyes to look at him and continued to turn over and sleep.

Runsheng muttered: "Useless."

After Li Zhuiyuan woke up, except for coming down to eat porridge, he sat on the second-floor terrace the rest of the time.

He had been "reading" the "Liu Family Qi-Watching Technique" and "Qin Family Dragon-Watching Method" for several days in a row. He felt that under the premise that his eyes couldn't see, he might be able to gain a new understanding of Feng Shui.

Facts proved that he thought too much.

Through rumination these days, he understood two things: first, those "blind" fortune-tellers are generally unreliable; second, one must protect their eyes well.

Tonight, Li Zhuiyuan waited outside for a long time, but didn't wait for Liu Yumei and the others to return.

Hearing the "beep" sound of the TV downstairs from Brother Runsheng, Li Zhuiyuan also walked into the room, did a set of eye exercises, and lay down to sleep.

Waking up from a sleep, he habitually opened his eyes again and turned his head to look.

He saw a girl in a white dress with a hairpin on her head, sitting there very dignifiedly.

The first reaction was that she was still so beautiful.

And then it was:

Oh,

My eyes are better.

(End of chapter)