Chapter 85

Get out of bed, walk to the balcony, and look down.

Liu Yi was standing under the parasol tree, wearing a floral light shirt on her upper body, blue long pants on her lower body, wooden-colored sandals, and her beautiful hair draped over her shoulders.

Compared to when she was at the great-grandfather's house, she was much brighter, looking like a young female teacher who had just been married for a few years in college.

Li Zhuiyuan waved at her.

Liu Yi smiled and pointed to her front, signaling the teenager to get ready before coming down.

Li Zhuiyuan first went to wash up, then left a note for Tan Wenbin on the desk, and only then walked out of the dormitory building.

"Xiaoyuan, you seem to have grown taller again."

"Liu Yi, you are also younger."

"Hehe, let's go, your Grandma Liu is waiting for you to go over and have breakfast together."

Li Zhuiyuan followed Liu Yi out of the North Gate, walked a distance along the road, and then turned into a villa area.

It was called a villa area, but the area wasn't large, and the villa bungalows inside weren't built to a unified specification. Some houses even had plaques hanging in front of the doors, recording the identities of the previous owners.

"This is it."

Liu Yi pushed open the courtyard gate. Inside was a three-story bungalow, not high, but very spacious. The courtyard had obviously just been renovated, and the scenery had been rearranged.

Entering the courtyard, looking up, one could see A Li in a white dress sitting there on the second-floor balcony.

At the moment of seeing the girl, Li Zhuiyuan felt his whole body relax.

He even began to reflect on whether he was too indifferent to Runsheng and Yin Meng, and to the people and things around him.

Beautiful things can make people love life uncontrollably. There are countless beautiful existences in this world, but there are really not many that can make the teenager empathize.

The girl also discovered the teenager. She stood up, her hands resting on the white railing. She didn't wave, didn't stomp her feet, and didn't even speak, but the curve of the corners of her mouth could be seen clearly even standing downstairs.

Liu Yi stood on the side, looking up for a while and then looking in front. As long as these two children were together, they were very pleasing to the eye.

Of course, there are people who look happy, and naturally there are people who feel uncomfortable in their hearts.

The screen door of the side room on the ground floor was pushed open, and Liu Yumei stood there, her eyelids slightly drooping:

"Hey, are you going to starve this old lady to death?"

Liu Yi hurriedly moved her gaze away, fearing that she would laugh out loud at this moment.

"Grandma Liu."

"Hey, here you are."

Liu Yumei's low-key aura clearly retracted when the teenager walked toward her.

When living together, the feeling wasn't obvious. After really separating, one missed it often.

Getting along for a year, seeing each other almost every day, one could barely say a sentence: the teenager was watched by her growing up.

The dining room had a small round table. Liu Yumei sat in the main seat, A Li walked downstairs and sat with Li Zhuiyuan.

Liu Yumei asked: "Are you adapting to school?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Adapting, everything is quite good."

"Looking haggard, didn't rest well last night?"

"Um, a little."

"What are you doing not sleeping late at night, sneaking out to set fires?"

"Indeed, set a very big fire."

Liu Yi brought the side dishes up first.

Li Zhuiyuan took a salted duck egg, and A Li also took one. Both of them took the hollow end of the duck egg and knocked it against the table, then carefully peeled off one end, and then very naturally exchanged them.

Liu Yi in the kitchen shouted: "Do you want vinegar, and sugar garlic?"

Liu Yumei: "No need, it's already on the table."

A cage of soup dumplings, a cage of siu mai, and a plate of fried dumplings were placed on the table. These were all made by Liu Yi herself.

Next, it was a bowl of plain noodles for each person.

The soup was clear and tempting, the noodles in the bowl were very neat, and those who didn't like to eat would feel the taste was bland or even the noodles were undercooked.

But those who like to eat are just obsessed with this kind of refreshing and chewy texture. Putting any toppings on it is a kind of ugliness.

"Liu Yi, thank you for your hard work."

"Not hard, without Runsheng and Zhuangzhuang, cooking is simpler."

Liu Yumei asked: "What do you usually eat?"

"School hasn't started yet, the cafeteria basically doesn't open, usually I go outside the school to eat."

"If you are greedy, come here, let Liu Yi make it for you to eat, it's just a matter of adding a pair of bowls and chopsticks."

"Okay, thank you, Grandma."

"If Runsheng and the others want to come, they must say hello in advance, so I can add a big pot." Liu Yi reminded.

"Um, will do."

After breakfast, Liu Yumei stood up and walked toward the door: "You and A Li play first, I'll go for a walk first, you come down later, I have something to say to you."

"Okay, Grandma."

Li Zhuiyuan and A Li went upstairs.

A Li's room was very spacious, with a desk and a painting table.

Several paintings were hanging on the wall, depicting the main house of the great-grandfather's house, the dam, the east and west rooms, and the rice field village scenery seen from home.

Obviously, the girl didn't like it here; she preferred her original life.

The building didn't need to be so high, the room didn't need to be so big. After getting up and dressing in the morning, she could come to the teenager's room, waiting for him to wake up and see herself at the first glance.

In the details of the painting, there was a small table made of wooden stools when eating, a balcony on the second floor, and that pair of rattan chairs personally made by Qin Shu.

Li Zhuiyuan stopped in front of the painting. At this moment, he was also missing it.

"A Li, do you want to go back?"

The girl nodded.

At the door, Liu Yi, who was carrying a fruit plate, stopped her footsteps.

Since moving, A Li had been depressed. Originally, Liu Yumei wanted to let it cool for a while before calling Xiaoyuan to come home, but she was really afraid that her granddaughter's condition would regress again.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to these paintings on the wall and said: "Because we came out, these past scenes and memories appear even more beautiful."

A Li took the teenager's hand actively, and when she looked up at her own paintings on the wall, there was much more spirit in her eyes.

Liu Yi smiled silently, knocked on the door lightly, brought the fruit plate in, and pointed to the top: "You can go to the top floor."

Li Zhuiyuan carried the fruit plate and came to the top floor with A Li. This place had also been renovated. Under a parasol, two identical rattan chairs were placed.

The two lay down respectively and began to play chess, still playing three games at the same time.

While playing chess, Li Zhuiyuan recounted the things he had experienced after coming to school.

Every time he reached a key point, A Li's fingers would exert force slightly. She was trying hard to give a response, proving that she was listening carefully.

After finishing, Li Zhuiyuan felt a bit dry, turned sideways, and started eating fruit.

Forked a piece and handed it to the girl. The girl shook her head, her eyes blinked.

Li Zhuiyuan understood, put down the fork, lay down again, and closed his eyes.

What ordinary people call "walking into each other's hearts" is an exaggerated description that only stays on text, but here for the two of them, it is the most straightforward realism.

Opening his eyes, Li Zhuiyuan felt the scorching wind and the cold sunlight.

Looking up, the sun in the sky and the halo around it emitted a kind of pale white.

In the fields in front and by the stream, there were terrifying existences, working and playing.

But while they were doing their own things, they all deliberately looked here secretly with their eyes, with teasing and playfulness.

As if everything here was an absurd and eerie thing tailored for himself.

Looking back, he saw the house and the threshold behind him.

A Li, who left home, also walked out of that threshold. She placed herself in the environment of the "terrifying wilderness."

When he opened his eyes again and returned to reality, the teenager's face was already covered with cold sweat.

He deliberately held on for a while longer, wanting to experience the feeling after A Li closed her eyes.

The girl helped the boy wipe sweat with her sleeve, with a smile in her eyes.

"Our A Li is really strong."

Happiness can be enhanced through comparison, and pain can also be weakened because of this. Their companionship is to draw confidence and strength from each other.

Laying down for a while longer, calming his mood and the discomfort of dizziness, Li Zhuiyuan sent A Li back to her room first, while he himself came downstairs.

"Your Grandma Liu hasn't come back yet. Look, that side is the study, you can go there and wait for her."

"Okay, Liu Yi."

Li Zhuiyuan pushed open the study door and walked in. Inside, there was no traditional desk, just a tea table. On the tea table was a stack of books, below were envelopes, and behind was a couch bed.

Sitting on the stool opposite the tea table, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze involuntarily swept to the book on top—"Liu Family Qi-Watching Technique."

Reaching out and flipping through it, he found that the handwriting on it was clear and neat. Um, this is the ordinary version, no need to look.

Li Zhuiyuan simply brewed a pot of tea first. Just after the tea was brewed, Liu Yumei walked in, sat on the couch, and leaned back against the soft pillow.

Her gaze glanced at "Liu Family Qi-Watching Technique," noticing that the pages had been flipped, and a look of pride couldn't help but appear in her eyes.

"Grandma, drink tea."

"Um."

"Grandma, didn't Qin Shu come to Jin Ling with you?"

"He is busy, has many things, and will come back after he is busy."

"Oh."

"What books are you reading recently?"

"Some scriptures."

What he was reading seriously recently was "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra." Being able to control so freely in the memory scene last night was also the credit of this book.

"Didn't you encounter any interesting books?"

Liu Yumei took a sip of tea. If this kid said to borrow it, then she would take the opportunity to lend "Liu Family Qi-Watching Technique."

Look at it in advance, learn slowly, and ask her if there's anything he doesn't understand, so the efficiency can be higher.

"There is an interesting book, but because it's too interesting, I'm afraid of 'losing ambition in play,' so I didn't dare to look at it for the time being."

That book with a white cover and black bottom would even "throw flirtatious looks" at people.

"That doesn't matter. Books, originally, are written for people to read. The books that can be placed in front of you are all fate."

Liu Yumei chuckled in her heart. This child actually knows the good and bad of books.

"I feel it's not the time yet. I want to wait until I grow up a bit more and have more confidence before I muster the courage to look at it."

Just like that copper coin buried in the grave in Shigang Town, one day he will go back and dig it out to face it squarely.

"Books, originally, can help you grow. When you look at them is actually the same. If you don't even dare to face them, it's too contemptible."

The more the teenager pushed back, the more satisfied Liu Yumei felt in her heart.

"Grandma, do you really think so?"

"Of course. If you don't look at it, you can't understand it. Perhaps you have one feeling looking at it now, and another feeling looking at it after you grow up and mature. Giving up the present just to pursue the future is not worth the loss."

"Um." Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

He was really curious about that book in his heart, but he was also afraid of following the old path of Mao Chang'an's father and son. Although he was very confident, everyone who opened that book, who wasn't full of confidence and felt they were the special one?

"I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but I'm actually a bit afraid in my heart."

"The old saying goes well, newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. What are you afraid of? Meeting is fate, and people and books also have fate. If you don't flip through it, how can you know if it was specially prepared for you?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Um."

Liu Yumei put down the teacup and waited for a while, not seeing the teenager mention borrowing the book to her.

She wasn't in a hurry either, just thinking that the teenager was out of politeness, wanting to wait until the conversation was over and he was about to leave before formally making this request.

"Runsheng and the others have all followed you to school. What are your plans?"

"No specific plans, take one step at a time."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't say discouraging or negative words, because just after coming to school, a big job came. After leaving his hometown, life suddenly wasn't lacking in excitement.

"The road can be walked step by step, but there must be a goal. In the old saying, it's like a turtle looking for the bottom of the pond, a dragon needs to walk the river. It depends on your own spirit." "Walk the river?"

Yin Fuhai told him, "After so many years, finally someone from the Liu family is walking the river again."

"A metaphor, a great ambition."

"Grandma Liu, I want to know what it originally referred to?"

"What did it originally refer to?

From the head of the river to the tail of the river, the people encountered and the things encountered, what should be leveled should be leveled, what should be handled should be handled.

A new family, must rely on walking the river to establish a family gate;

An old family, must rely on walking the river to stabilize the family lintel.

River water nourishes people, people can be easier to transform into dragons than pythons."

"Then Qin Shu back then..."

Not at the great-grandfather's house anymore, some words could be said more loosely. But Li Zhuiyuan noticed that when Grandma Liu spoke, she still carried some scruples, probably because A Li's illness hadn't fully recovered, she hadn't spoken yet, and maybe one day in the future she would have to go back to his great-grandfather's house to "fulfill a vow."

"A Li naturally walked the river back then, but he didn't finish it, almost broke. This is my fault, I was too anxious back then."

Liu Yumei's eyes revealed a trace of reminiscence.

"Did something happen?"

"Um, old things, not worth mentioning." Liu Yumei opened the topic, "What about you, kid, what do you want to do in the future?"

"Grandma, how exactly does this walking the river walk?"

"Hehe." Liu Yumei laughed, "Asking this, just like where the rivers and lakes are, where is there a precise way to say it? If you want to walk in your heart, isn't this under your feet the river?"

Li Zhuiyuan was silent.

"Did Grandma speak too profoundly?"

"Understood it."

"Oh?"

"Once you enter this door, if you don't want to stop, you will keep walking."

When you want to salvage dead-fallen, while you are looking for things, things will also "grow legs" and come to find you.

This is very similar to the "cleaning ball" he said to Tan Wenbin on the truck when coming to Jin Ling.

But this seems a bit idealistic.

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but look up at the roof, associating with the way he and Mao Chang'an fooled the Heavenly Dao, it seems the Heavenly Dao is also a bit idealistic.

In addition, the Yin family genealogy also recorded the travels of ancestors, but they didn't use "walking the river." Probably this is the exclusive term for families like Qin and Liu, just like ordinary people visiting scenic spots can't use "arrive."

There is a characteristic in the travel notes of Yin family ancestors. No matter how high-spirited they were when they set off, they finally returned to the Fengdu hometown after encountering some kind of setback. Um, there are also many travel notes that stopped abruptly halfway, probably because they couldn't even return home.

For example, the four Yin family ancestors who carried the bed for the snake girl in the underground palace.

Therefore, based, is it actually the same meaning as living in seclusion? Arriving at a wharf, settling down, it's not really dividing the sphere of influence, it's more like bowing to fate.

Li Zhuiyuan refilled Liu Yumei with a cup of tea, stood up and handed it to her, and asked: "Grandma, the past is the past, the present is the present, can the situation still be the same?"

"In the past, the foreigner's Amethyst sailed into the river. Now they haven't sailed in. Is it because the foreigners don't want to come?"

"Do you mean that the face is different, but the fundamental contradiction has always existed?"

"Change to another explanation, I feel awkward listening to this."

"The scenery on both sides of the river has become better, but the undercurrents under the river surface are still the same as a hundred years ago?"

"Hehehe." Liu Yumei laughed while pointing her finger at the teenager, "I finally know why A Li likes to stay with you. I heard your great-grandfather say before that your grandparents loved your mother very much. Thinking about it, this mouth of yours also follows your mother."

Li Zhuiyuan: "..."

"No matter how many big dams are built on the river, the river surface looks calm, but the silt at the bottom of the river can still easily bury a person. This river is still not easy to walk.

However, these are still relatively early for you. You should study and grow up with peace of mind."

Saying this, Liu Yumei looked down at "Liu Family Qi-Watching Technique" placed in the most conspicuous place again.

Li Zhuiyuan also lowered his head. He felt that if he took Runsheng, Binbin, Yin Meng and the others to take pleasure in salvaging dead-fallen, then there might already be a trend of walking the river now.

Qin Shu didn't succeed in walking the river back then, but he could become so powerful. What if he succeeded in walking it?

The book has reached a bottleneck. If he wants to continue to progress and improve, he can only take the initiative to accept the gifts of fate.

"Stay for lunch? I'll let A Ting do it."

"No, I'd better go back to school first. I'll come to see A Li tomorrow."

"All right."

Li Zhuiyuan stood up: "Thank you for your teaching."

Liu Yumei nodded, which was sending off the guest.

Then, Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the study. He left.

Liu Yumei looked at the book on the tea table with some suspicion. Did this stinky kid forget something?

Liu Yi pushed the door and walked in.

"Stinky kid left?"

"Um, left. Huh, why is this book still here? Is it because you were too strict?"

"In my life, I have really never been so kind to any outsider. I was afraid that this kid would be embarrassed to speak, so I even comforted and encouraged him."

"Then your attitude is not obvious enough. The child has thin skin and is embarrassed to open his mouth."

"Still not obvious enough?" Liu Yumei picked up "Liu Family Qi-Watching Technique," "I almost respectfully presented the book to him, begged him to look at it, and then guide me!"

"Then that shouldn't be. This child is clever. Did he really be careless this time and didn't hear what you meant?"

"Forget it, let him be."

"Are you really willing? I heard your laughter outside just now."

"How far is this from his school?"

"Not far, just walk a distance out of the school gate."

"Isn't there a school wall diagonally in front? Would it be closer if a door was opened?"

"I'll go coordinate and arrange it."

"I see there are houses in that school too?"

"Those houses are small, they are where retired teachers and professors live. I'm afraid you won't be used to living there."

"Heh, I've lived in the small east room, and I'm not used to this? You go arrange it, let a household vacate the house. If it really doesn't work, just swap houses to live in. Living in the school can be closer."

"You just said you didn't want him."

"I did that for him? Sigh, I see that as soon as he comes, our A Li stands up and looks at him, I feel heartache."

"All right, all right, just do as you say, but this house won't be swapped. The houses in the school don't have a basement to hold so many things of our A Li."

"You go do it, I'll go upstairs and lie down for a while. This stinky kid, actually didn't borrow the book."

Just as Liu Yumei walked out of the study, she saw A Li walking out of the opposite room.

That room was specially used for placing offering tables. A whole set of new memorial tablets was made, using the best thunder-struck wood.

Ordinary thunder-struck wood is not difficult to find, but those of specific tree species, specific quality, and even specific years of nourishment are simply priceless.

And at this time, A Li, who walked out of the room, was holding four memorial tablets in her arms.

A Li didn't rush upstairs but looked at her grandmother.

There, as soon as that kid came, her own granddaughter was going to be a little worker for him.

Liu Yumei opened her mouth, but still waved her hand:

"Good girl, hurry up and hold it upstairs.

A Ting, A Ting, hurry up and take our A Li's toolbox upstairs for her."

When Li Zhuiyuan returned to school, it was nearly noon. He originally wanted to go to the dormitory building to see if Tan Wenbin was awake, but when passing by the entrance of the affordable store, he saw Runsheng.

Runsheng was still in that white vest, and bandages could still be seen at the leaking shoulder.

"Xiaoyuan."

Runsheng trotted over, his arm swing was still not very coordinated.

Li Zhuiyuan stood still, watching Runsheng come over.

He kept trying not to perform in the "intimate" relationship network, expecting himself to give a little emotional feedback.

The benefit of doing this is that it may promote his own progress, and the disadvantage is... it's quite easy to hurt people.

After all, even for normal people who are not sick, it is easy for two friends to "be honest with each other" to lead to friendship breakdown or even enmity.

"How is the injury?"

"Not fully recovered, but I can get out of bed. Anyway, there's nothing to do recently, so I was discharged. Lying down all day is not comfortable, hehe."

Not being discharged yesterday was because he was afraid that his act of being discharged would make everyone feel that he was impatient to participate in the action. He didn't want to put pressure on the team, and even less willing to become a burden.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his arms and walked forward, but halfway through the action, it just turned into one hand patting Runsheng's hand.

Then, he turned and walked back to the dormitory.

"Hehehe." Runsheng lowered his head and looked at the back of his hand that had just been patted by Xiaoyuan, and also walked into the store.

Yin Meng, who was standing on the steps at the entrance of the store, witnessed this scene the whole time and whispered: "It seems that our Brother Xiaoyuan is still angry with you."

"No, Xiaoyuan is very enthusiastic."

In the following days, Li Zhuiyuan's life was very regular.

Salvaging dead-fallen is very like fishing. The joy of a fisherman lies in enjoying that short tranquility while busy.

For Tan Wenbin, he started a preview mode for university courses, studying until late at night every day before going to sleep.

After Li Zhuiyuan woke up in the morning, he went to Liu Yumei's place for breakfast, then stayed with A Li for half a day, then went to Runsheng's store for lunch at noon, and after eating, packed a portion to take back for Binbin who only woke up in the afternoon.

Originally there was no such step, but Binbin was hungry when he woke up in the afternoon, so he would habitually take a red sausage from Lu Yi's dormitory on the way to wash up. I heard that dumplings were also placed later.

Lu Yi's family conditions were average, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed at school to do part-time jobs without going home during the summer vacation. To prevent Binbin from continuing to harm others, Li Zhuiyuan could only bring him food.

Mainly because he broke the dormitory door when he hit it after Lu Yi was evil-possessed last time. It couldn't be locked when people weren't there, so Binbin could open the door and enter to enjoy the offerings every time.

The repair master would only work full-time after the official start of school. During the holiday, he would come once in a while to concentrate on dealing with a batch of problems. It was possible to report for repair to the dormitory auntie, and the door lock could be repaired in two days. The problem was that the dormitory auntie of this building had disappeared.

Lu Yi had asked at the logistics maintenance, and the person on duty said that the newly appointed logistics director in charge of this piece had also disappeared.

Runsheng's side also went to report the missing person case of Sun Hongxia. Although he knew it well, the process that should be gone through still had to be gone through.

Freshmen need military training, and the reporting date will be advanced, but when freshmen in other classes were organized and arranged to collect military training uniforms, there was no movement in the classes of Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin and the nearby two classes, because just after school started... their counselor disappeared!

Recently, the frequency of police cars appearing in the school was very high.

In a university, five people disappeared at once, which was already a very remarkable thing, and a little investigation could make it clear that the source pointed to the case seven years ago, naturally attracting high attention.

This evening, when everyone was cooking hot pot in the store, Xue Liangliang, who went on a business trip to the mountain city with Luo Gong, specially called the store and asked directly:

"What did you guys salvage again?"

The police's investigation call had already reached Xue Liangliang. After all, he was the boss of the store, and Sun Hongxia was his employee. He immediately saw through the reason behind this missing person case that caused a sensation on campus.

Tan Wenbin answered the phone and replied:

"Salvaging fresh tripe, thousand-layer tripe, it's very delicious, do you want to come back and eat."

Xue Liangliang understood the hint and said to wait for him to come back.

He also said that after Luo Gong knew about this, he was also quite helpless. After all, the last time was specifically to arrange a good school study life for Xiaoyuan, so he specially opened that table, but the three specific people in charge of greeting disappeared.

This meant that after returning to Jin Ling, he would have to open another table.

After Tan Wenbin hung up the phone, Yin Meng asked: "Will there be phone monitoring here too?"

"No, I just don't want to talk nonsense with Brother Liang, fearing that my tripe will be scalded old."

Tan Wenbin sat down and started to pick up chopsticks to salvage.

At this time, several people walked from outside toward the store entrance.

Runsheng looked up and said to Tan Wenbin who was still concentrating on salvaging vegetables:

"The police are here, it's your dad."

Tan Wenbin said without raising his head:

"Fart, my dad is just a small captain of a township police station. If he can be promoted to the provincial capital in one breath, there is only one possibility, that is, our family's ancestral grave is on fire!"

Li Zhuiyuan moved his position and stayed away from Tan Wenbin.

Yin Meng and Runsheng also held bowls and leaned to the side.

Tan Wenbin asked suspiciously: "You guys eat, it's going to be scalded old, hehe, if you don't eat, I, Zhuangzhuang, will take it all!"

"Bang!"

Binbin was kicked away.

(End of chapter)