Chapter 39

Lunch was a lavish spread.

It had originally been prepared to entertain guests, but the guests had already left.

Most people’s individual tables just had more dishes, with no change in quantity. Only Run Sheng’s table, however, had one large basin transformed into two.

Li Sanjiang spotted it and couldn’t help but curse, “Damn it, why don’t you just eat out of a bathtub!”

Run Sheng asked, somewhat delighted, “Can I?”

Li Sanjiang was so exasperated he rolled his eyes.

Run Sheng then realized his mistake and gave an embarrassed smile. He then held an incense stick in his left hand and a spoon in his right, alternating between them as he began to eat.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the drunken shrimp in front of him. The shrimp had been marinated in rice wine and flavored with scallions, ginger, and garlic to remove any fishy smell. He picked one up, put it in his mouth, and with a gentle suck, the shrimp meat came right out, tasting deliciously fresh.

He then picked up a drunken mud snail, bit its front end, and slowly pushed the meat out, separating it from the shell. The snail meat was very small and crunchy when chewed. Eating these required caution; one couldn't rush. A slight impatience might lead to eating the sand inside the snail.

Coastal regions generally have a tradition of eating raw marinated seafood. For those accustomed to it, it’s an irresistible delicacy. However, for most inlanders, this dish is terrifying. And rightly so, as raw marinated food carries a significant risk of parasites.

After tasting a little and stopping, Li Zhuiyuan saw that A-Li was also uninterested in these two dishes, not having touched them with her chopsticks. He stood up, took the two plates, and intended to give them to Li Sanjiang to accompany his drink.

“Give them to me,” Liu Yumei said.

Li Zhuiyuan then placed the drunken shrimp and mud snails on Liu Yumei and Aunt Liu’s table.

“Not to your taste?”

“No.”

“Good stuff, but you don’t know how to enjoy it.” Liu Yumei ate two drunken mud snails and took a sip of the yellow wine in her cup.

Aunt Liu smiled and said, “A-Li doesn’t like these either.”

Liu Yumei shook her head. “A-Li just finds them bothersome.”

Immediately after, Liu Yumei asked Li Zhuiyuan, “What were the people who came this morning planning to do?”

“To buy a house. They were interested in Old Hu’s house.”

“Oh, what’s that house like?”

“It’s very spacious, and the fish pond is quite large. They’re in a hurry to sell it, so it’s very cheap right now. Grandma, are you interested in seeing it?”

“Why would I go look? I don’t have money to buy it.”

“You don’t have to buy it, you can just look.”

“If I don’t have money to buy it, looking at it will only make me feel more aggrieved when I go to bed at night. Better not to go. Besides, I’m not from this village. By the rules, I can’t buy it anyway. In short, everything still needs to be done according to official rules.”

Li Zhuiyuan knew that Liu Yumei was deliberately reminding him that he should report it to the police, not try to handle it himself.

“Officer uncles are busy too. Besides, isn’t the slogan ‘Police and public work together’ still painted on the police station’s outer wall?”

Liu Yumei gazed deeply at the boy in front of her, picked up her yellow wine, took another sip, and said flatly, “Even among monkeys, there’s a king of the mountain.”

Meaning, among this group of "water monkeys," there was indeed a tough one.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Or maybe it’s just picking a general from among the short ones.”

“Heh heh.” Liu Yumei smiled and waved her chopsticks. “Go eat, child.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked back to his small table.

Aunt Liu lowered her voice and asked, “Should I go see exactly what kind of books Xiaoyuan is reading?”

The boy’s words earlier subtly referenced the matter of Sihai’s fish pond, implying that if they could mistake a bait hole and stumble, then their skill level, no matter how high, was just so-so. This realization already startled Aunt Liu, even more so than the boy asking her about poison that morning. The latter suggested childishness, while the former meant that the child seemed to have truly entered this field, and deeply at that.

Liu Yumei shook her head. “Earlier, when that child wasn’t here, it might have made some sense to look at the books in Li Sanjiang’s basement; but now that this child has figured things out, looking at them again might easily draw you in. Could it be that you’re eager to meet Ah Li?”

“How could I be? You need someone to attend to you.”

“Though I’ve lived for many years, I don’t know how to cook.”

Aunt Liu said, “From the looks of it, Uncle Sanjiang’s basement books truly are remarkable.”

“They are indeed remarkable. Didn’t he say that during the ‘Destroy the Four Olds’ movement, several groups of people specifically entrusted their books to him?”

“So now it seems those groups of people weren’t ordinary either.”

“There’s no such logic in this world that only we have good eyesight while everyone else is blind.”

“You’re right.”

Liu Yumei actually had a few more words that she kept to herself, unspoken. That was: no matter how remarkable the books were, they were still just books. And the more extraordinary the books, the harder they were to understand. Books on metaphysics—how many people spent their entire lives and couldn’t truly grasp a single one?

She liked sitting on the patio drinking tea, and the boy would sit above her reading. She only remembered that the child read books like flipping through comic books, one after another. If they were truly invaluable esoteric texts, and he could grasp and learn from them by reading them this way, that would be truly unbelievable. Yet, the facts seemed to be right there.

When he first moved in, he was just a child who had been scared by his first encounter with a drowned corpse. Now, not only could he distinguish between main and bait holes, but he could also personally guide drowned spirits. A child like this, before liberation, would likely have been fought over by various families, eager for him to inherit their mantle.

Heh… If the ancestral tablets enshrined in their home weren't just dead tablets, but had even a bit of spirit, they’d probably be clamoring at night for her to take him as a disciple on their behalf. They might even squabble again over whether he’d follow the Qin or the Liu lineage.

See?

Liu Yumei picked up the wine pot and poured herself another cup of wine.

Later, when A-Li’s illness got better, as a gesture of gratitude, she might teach him the “Liu Family’s Qi-Observing Manual.”

After sitting back down, Li Zhuiyuan calmly ate his lunch. There were some things he had to clarify with Grandma Liu, and he also needed to make his stance clear. After all, he still needed Aunt Liu to act as a safeguard for him. Although the incident would happen at Old Hu’s house, if he couldn’t handle it and it got out of hand, it might affect his family. At that point, he would have to ask Aunt Liu to return to her hometown to help Uncle Qin take care of his uncle.

After lunch, Run Sheng, with his big belly, had no intention of resting and was ready to go back to work in the workshop. Li Zhuiyuan stopped him and handed him a few blueprints. “Brother Run Sheng, can you fabricate these items for me first? They’re urgently needed.”

Run Sheng took the blueprints, didn’t even look at them, and simply said, “Okay.” He believed that Xiaoyuan wouldn't give him blueprints he couldn’t understand or make.

Li Zhuiyuan then went to his room with Qin Li. He continued to pick and choose from the ten taboos while A-Li continued carving with her knife. The desk was large enough for the boy and girl to do their own things without disturbing each other.

Ultimately, Li Zhuiyuan selected two taboos. In fact, among the books he had read, there were many types of taboos, but many lacked the conditions for implementation. Even among the ten he had carefully selected, at least half were discarded because their success conditions were too complex. Some necessary materials, he could understand their names but had no idea what they were in reality, and their descriptions often included prefixes like "hundreds of years" or "thousands of years." There were also some special triggering artifacts whose creation was akin to making evil implements—human skin drums were mentioned, even specifying the age of the young boys and girls required. Even more, some required him to build an underground palace in a special environment, gather yin and yang feng shui, and then place Little Yellow Oriole inside. Honestly, if he had such resources and means, would he need to rack his brains to deal with those water monkeys?

The two he finally chose were:

One involved a preliminary alteration of feng shui to briefly transform a corpse-nurturing ground into an ill-fated ground, somewhat like sprinkling water into a pot of oil.

The other involved wrapping Little Yellow Oriole with a scripture banner to trigger the boiling of her resentment. He had to be mindful of the banner’s effect, similar to how a strong wind can extinguish a fire, but a proper fanning can make it burn fiercer. However, at his current level, he only needed to worry about generating a reaction, not about the wind being too strong. These two, from a practical standpoint, were the easiest to achieve. Moreover, their effect was like a stimulant; after using them on Little Yellow Oriole, she would immediately fall into a deep lethargy, preventing any loss of control later.

For the formation flags, Li Zhuiyuan had already asked Run Sheng to hand-fabricate the materials. The specific usage, however, still needed to be redesigned. He at least had to pinpoint which feng shui points needed to be altered, which required extensive deduction and calculation.

Opening the drawer, he pulled out a roll of large white paper and cut a section as needed. Li Zhuiyuan picked up a pen and ruler and began to draw the pond and the surrounding terrain of Old Hu’s house, following his memory from that night. He had been influenced by this family knowledge since childhood, and coupled with his good memory, he finished the drawing in about half an hour. It was much more detailed than a sketch and omitted many unnecessary details. Holding it up by the edges, it had a photographic feel to it.

Li Zhuiyuan used double-sided tape to stick it on the wall and then stood there, staring at it. But as he stared, he gradually frowned. The reason he chose to draw it, just like using scratch paper, was to reduce his mental burden. Yet, this drawing... had little effect. Because geomantic energy inherently cannot be drawn with clear lines. When he calculated, he still had to first form the real scene in his mind, then add the geomantic energy, and finally perform the deduction and calculation. This drawing was truly a bit... like taking off your pants to fart.

He couldn't use this drawing method; he had to use ink wash painting.

Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs. His family ran a paper craft business, so there was no shortage of paints, palettes, or brushes on the first floor. He selected a set and ran back up. Cutting a new sheet of paper, he laid it on the table. Li Zhuiyuan picked up the brush and began to draw. But as he drew, he again felt something was wrong. It wasn't that the method was incorrect; the method was certainly right. The crucial point was... he couldn't paint himself. He had seen many geniuses among his classmates, but they all just learned quickly; no one was born knowing. In a professional field, skipping the learning process made a genius no different from an idiot. This was also why he had never been able to beat A-Li at Go; A-Li had clearly learned, and he hadn't.

Although the most direct way was to go to the site to observe the locations, now that the water monkeys had their eyes on Old Hu's house, him recklessly wandering there would definitely attract attention. Crucially, this wasn't something that could yield results with a glance; it required a long time of deduction and calculation. So, he couldn't go to the site; the risk was too great.

Aunt Liu could definitely draw. He had observed her technique for coloring paper figures; she clearly had deep painting skills. Grandma Liu could also draw; she liked setting up a table and personally designing clothes for A-Li with a paintbrush. Yet, these two people would certainly not help him draw this.

Li Zhuiyuan sighed, left the room, and went downstairs to the workshop. Pushing open the door, he saw Run Sheng strenuously hand-shaping the patterns on iron spikes. These iron spikes would serve as flagpoles.

“Xiaoyuan, you’re here.” Run Sheng handed Li Zhuiyuan a large porcelain cup. The porcelain cup was a bit dirty, and it contained Pogostemon cablin leaves steeped in water. Li Zhuiyuan took it and drank two big gulps. After handing it back, Run Sheng gulped down the rest in one go, then picked up the kettle from the small stove and refilled the porcelain cup with hot water.

“Why is it so hot? Brother Run Sheng, why did you put the stove in the room?”

“Heh heh, sometimes a little heating makes it easier to work. It’s a bit hot, but just drink more water, it’s no big deal.”

“You need to take care of your body.”

“My body’s fine, don’t worry, I’ve eaten my fill.”

Li Zhuiyuan knew that from Run Sheng’s perspective, as long as he had eaten his fill, nothing was a problem. It was just that the workshop conditions were indeed simple, and the space was a bit small. It would be great if he could get a professional workshop later, with his own electric furnace, machine tools, and cutting machine. That way, making anything would be convenient. However, for now, he could only dream.

“Brother, I need to tell you something.”

“Okay, Xiaoyuan, tell me.” Run Sheng didn’t stop, continuing his work.

Li Zhuiyuan told him about the water monkeys.

Run Sheng asked in surprise, “Xiaoyuan, why didn’t you tell me when they came this morning? Were you afraid I’d give it away?”

“Yes.”

“What a pity. I’ve seen similar scenes on TV, I think I could have acted it out.”

“No rush, you can refine your acting skills, and you’ll be able to later.”

“Hmm!” Run Sheng picked up a black and white towel and wiped his sweat.

“So, Xiaoyuan, are we going to stab them in the butt when they try to dig up that tomb?” As he spoke, Run Sheng raised the iron spike he had just finished polishing and made a “stabbing” motion.

“Maybe we won’t even need to act. Little Yellow Oriole might send them all to their graves.”

“That would be such a pity. Watching others do the work without being able to participate feels off. In movies, it’s usually like this: Little Yellow Oriole kills them first, then a tough guy appears among them and subdues Little Yellow Oriole, and then at the crucial moment, we make our entrance.”

“You’ve already plotted it out?”

“Got to think about it, that’s how I get energized for work.”

“Brother Run Sheng, you continue working, I’ll go upstairs first.”

“Alright, don’t worry. You go think about your business, I’ll handle things here.”

Infected by Run Sheng’s enthusiasm, Li Zhuiyuan also composed himself, intending to tackle that difficult problem. Even if he couldn’t draw it on scratch paper, he could force the calculation; at worst, he’d have another nosebleed.

However, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t go upstairs immediately. Instead, he went to the kitchen. At this time, Aunt Liu would be decocting his medicine.

“Xiaoyuan, you’re here. Heh heh, this bowl is for you, and this bowl is for the dog.”

“Thank you, Aunt Liu. This bowl, it’s for me, right?” Li Zhuiyuan double-checked; he didn’t want to drink the wrong one.

“Yes, that’s right, drink it.”

The medicine was very bitter. Li Zhuiyuan drank it at a steady pace, finally finishing it with difficulty.

“Aunt Liu, this medicine must be expensive, right?”

“It’s not expensive, just common tonics. It takes a bit of effort during decocting to stimulate their medicinal properties to harmonize with each other, and then the effect comes out. But Xiaoyuan, as you said, you often have nosebleeds and dizziness. You must take good care of your body and not prematurely deplete your vital energy.”

“I understand, Aunt Liu.”

“Also, it’s best to drink this medicine in the morning, ideally right after waking up. With the morning qi, as your body revives, and with the medicinal soup, the effect is best. How about this, from now on, I’ll have A-Li bring it to you in the morning. A-Li goes to your room in the mornings anyway.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. “Okay.” He didn’t refuse, because he knew that Grandma Liu and the others wanted to speed things up, assigning A-Li extra "homework" under his name. Although, the image that came to mind was a bit strange. Every morning, as soon as he opened his eyes, the girl would come to his bedside with a bowl of medicine. But for his own health, and for the girl’s condition to continue improving, he still had to drink this medicine.

Indeed, there were classmates in his old class who were often sick. Li Zhuiyuan originally thought he didn't have this problem, because Li Lan had the same condition as him, but Li Lan’s health was always fine, even enduring the elements to be on site. The problem, however, was that he was now dealing with these things, and calculating them was far more complex and exhausting than solving math problems.

The little black dog was sleeping in its doghouse. When Li Zhuiyuan came over with the medicine bowl, it opened its eyes, yawned, then came over, drank all the medicine, and then, with a water-filled belly, lay back down to continue sleeping. After this period of feeding, good food, drink, and medicine, the little black dog’s fur was even blacker and shinier. Li Zhuiyuan also noticed that its tongue was black; the only white parts on its entire body were its teeth. This was the dog Aunt Liu had picked out and bought for him; its quality must be unusual.

Going upstairs and into his room, Li Zhuiyuan planned to first roll up his paper balls before forcing the calculations. But he saw that A-Li, though still at the desk, had moved to his original spot. The girl was no longer holding a carving knife, but a brush. Getting closer, he confirmed that the girl was indeed painting, and she was almost finished, in the final stages. Looking closely, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but widen his eyes. She had copied his pond drawing that he had taped to the wall, and she had even painted the geomantic aura. The problem that had troubled him, and the price of a nosebleed, had been solved by the girl.

With the last stroke finished, A-Li put down the brush, then dipped her finger into a cup of water and gently and evenly sprinkled it onto the paper, allowing the ink to spread further and the aura to become even clearer. Finished. The girl turned around and looked at the boy.

“A-Li, you’re truly a genius.”

The girl heard the compliment, and her eyes seemed to curve slightly. Then, she stood up, reached out, and wrapped her arms around the boy’s neck.

Li Zhuiyuan felt it might be necessary to find a more suitable way for A-Li to show affection in front of Great-Grandfather next time, or secretly tell Great-Grandfather to change his response. Otherwise, it ruined the moment every time. But for now, he could only gently pat the girl’s head and say, “I’ll buy A-Li anything you want. I have money, plenty of money.”

The ritual was complete. A-Li contentedly let go and sat back in her seat.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down, stared at the painting, and began to calculate. Every twenty minutes, he picked up his pen and marked a point on the painting. These were the positions where flags needed to be inserted. In the end, he marked a total of twelve points. Even if all twelve points had formation flags, it would still lack a "formation eye," but there was no need to worry about that; Little Yellow Oriole herself was the formation eye.

Next, it was about the formation flag materials. Run Sheng would make the flagpoles, but the tricky and complex part was the flag surface. Ordinary cloth would be blown by the wind, making it difficult to display, so it had to be a fixed surface, preferably a high-quality yin-attributed wooden piece. Only then, after carving patterns on it, could the effect be maximized in a short time.

Originally, Li Zhuiyuan had planned to go to the graveyard with Run Sheng tonight. There was no need to dig graves, as broken coffin board pieces were often found exposed there. But now... Li Zhuiyuan turned to look at the wooden carvings in front of A-Li and the ancestral tablet split in half at A-Li’s feet. It seemed there was already a better board material to choose from. For example, these ancestral tablet pieces.

After dinner, the village chief arrived. The village chief was all smiles, repeatedly saying, “Uncle Sanjiang, you’ve stumbled upon something good.” He then produced several handwritten documents, already stamped with the village committee’s seal, and bearing the signatures and handprints of Old Hu’s wife and eldest son. Li Sanjiang commented that Ding Dalin was really fast, already buying a retirement home? He lowered his head to read the document content, and his expression froze for a moment: “Why did he buy Old Hu’s house?”

The village chief, who had likely received a red envelope from the middleman, smiled and said, “A house and fish pond you got for free. Just tell me if you want it or not. He’s already paid. If you sign this, even if you’re a bit black-hearted and turn around to kick them out, he won’t win if he tries to sue you.”

“But I warned him not to buy Old Hu’s house.”

“It’s cheap, isn’t it? I think even though he’s a returned overseas Chinese, he probably didn’t make a huge fortune. If he’d really made a huge fortune and invested in his hometown, the town would directly approve a new residential plot for him.”

“That makes sense.”

Although he found Old Hu’s house unlucky, following the principle of taking what you can get for free, Li Sanjiang still signed and put his handprint. At worst, after Ding Dalin left, he would just let Xiaoyuan Hou resell the house.

“Then it’s settled. He’s probably eager to move back to his hometown, so he’s going to find people to clean tomorrow, and officially move in the day after tomorrow. He’ll invite a performance troupe to play music all day and night, and invite the whole village to a lively feast.”

“That’s truly lively. There have been non-stop feasts at Old Hu’s courtyard recently.”

“Heh heh, that’s just us talking now. The day after tomorrow, when we go there to contribute money and join the fun, we must keep our mouths shut tight. I’ll remind the other villagers too.”

“I know.”

“Oh, right. He said he wouldn’t accept monetary gifts when inviting the villagers to the feast.”

“I’ll still give something.”

“Yes, you should give something. Consider it your contribution for your own house.”

Li Sanjiang nodded, pulled out two cigarettes for the village chief, and the village chief took the inner one.

“Alright, that’s it then, Uncle Sanjiang, I’ll head back now. You all keep eating.”

Li Sanjiang lit his cigarette and said to Li Zhuiyuan, “Xiaoyuan Hou, Great-Grandfather earned you a house.”

“Thank you, Great-Grandfather.”

“This is nothing. Just wait. Great-Grandfather will save up more money, and before I close my eyes, I’ll definitely get you a place in the city too, for when you get married.” As he spoke, Li Sanjiang specifically glanced out of the corner of his eye at Old Lady Liu, who was eating at a distant table. As if afraid she hadn’t heard, he intentionally raised his voice: “Our Little Marquis Xiaoyuan, after getting married, must live in the city!”

Hmph, let that snobbish old woman look down on people again. Liu Yumei picked up her wine glass and took a sip of wine. She was too lazy to argue with this show-off old man. Her Qin and Liu families, in places like Suzhou, Huai’an, and Yangzhou, all had old family homes. In earlier years, they had even deliberately donated several residences to the state as cultural relics protection units. However, the two children playing well together now didn’t necessarily mean they had to follow the "childhood sweethearts" path all the way to marriage. Liu Yumei actually only wanted to cure her granddaughter’s illness and hadn’t really thought about making that Li family boy her future grandson-in-law. Since ancient times, wealthy families taking in a son-in-law to live with them chose not for virtue, but for honesty and dutifulness. If they chose a shrewd and capable one and couldn't control him, then the family’s assets would all belong to that young man, and he would take everything, not even leaving them their surname.

After dinner, Li Zhuiyuan drew the patterns for the formation flags. Then he went downstairs to the kitchen and personally cooked ten packets of “Three Delicacies” noodles, which he took to Run Sheng in a basin. Run Sheng was still working late, shaping the iron. Seeing the large basin of noodles with two thick incense sticks on top, his smile almost reached his ears in delight. After reminding him again to rest early, Li Zhuiyuan went upstairs to shower and sleep.

Waking up, Li Zhuiyuan first stretched, then turned his head. He saw the girl sitting on the chair by the door, holding a bowl of medicine. Her appearance was unexpectedly adorable and endearing. A-Li stood up, carried the medicine to Li Zhuiyuan’s bedside, sat down, and slowly moved the rim of the bowl towards the boy’s mouth. The boy knew she was trying to feed him medicine, just as the elders in her family used to treat her. Li Zhuiyuan gladly accepted.

Then, early in the morning, Li Zhuiyuan went to wash his hair.

Li Sanjiang came out of his room yawning, saw Li Zhuiyuan by the water缸, and asked, “Xiaoyuan Hou, what’s up? Did a bird poop on your head today?”

“Great-Grandfather, I just felt my hair was a bit greasy, so I washed it.”

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan returned to his room, gave the design drawing to A-Li, and tasked her with carving it onto the wooden pieces. He himself began to draw the scripture banners. With his past experience drawing talismans, drawing these wasn’t difficult this time. Moreover, the "power" of the talismans also made Li Zhuiyuan confident that his scripture banners would not be over-effective; they would only stimulate Little Yellow Oriole and not actually suppress her.

By noon, all the materials were ready, and Run Sheng had finished shaping the flagpoles. The afternoon was spent assembling them, and twelve formation flags were completed. Li Zhuiyuan specially added a long rope to the scripture banners, so Run Sheng could throw them from a distance when the time came.

Li Sanjiang had thought Ding Dalin would come over tonight to gather and chat again, as he was moving in tomorrow. But instead of Ding Dalin, it was Tan Yunlong who arrived that night. Tan Yunlong rode a motorcycle, with Tan Wenbin on the back. The father and son brought many gifts. On the motorcycle’s trunk, bedding and a bag containing toiletries were tied. It turned out that the city’s education bureau was conducting an inspection, so the town’s high school had to suspend summer classes, giving students a week off until the inspection was over and they could resume classes. Tan Yunlong said he was busy with work, and his wife was recently traveling for business, so he could only leave his son there to be looked after, as he could coincidentally learn well from Xiaoyuan.

Li Sanjiang heard it as "coming to give Little Marquis Xiaoyuan some good tutoring." However, Li Sanjiang, despite being rarely muddled in specific matters, was mostly very shrewd. He resolutely refused the living expenses Tan Yunlong offered and also patted his chest, guaranteeing to take good care of his son, as everyone knew the necessity of maintaining good relations with the police station.

Tan Yunlong walked up to Li Zhuiyuan, bent down, patted Li Zhuiyuan’s shoulder, and whispered, “The two who were unconscious are about to wake up.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, meaning that the water monkeys were also about to start digging.

“Binbin, I’ll trouble you with him. If he doesn’t listen to you, call me, and I’ll beat him to death.”

Li Zhuiyuan turned to look at Tan Wenbin standing behind him. Tan Wenbin gave Li Zhuiyuan a "you know" smile. Tan Yunlong left.

Tan Wenbin, holding his bedding, said, “Xiaoyuan, where’s your room? Can I sleep with you?”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Run Sheng. Run Sheng immediately walked to Tan Wenbin’s side, took his bedding, set up another round table next to his own, neatly spread the bedding on it, and patted it: “Come, you sleep here with me tonight.” Tan Wenbin, far from being displeased, even nodded excitedly: “Okay!”

Later that night, Li Zhuiyuan went to bed early. He had to stay up late tomorrow night, so he needed to rest and gather his strength today. Run Sheng’s work was essentially done, and he could finally relax and continue watching TV. Tan Wenbin accompanied him. When the TV screen was nothing but fixed black and white static, Tan Wenbin took out a game console and taught Run Sheng how to play Tetris. The console also had another airplane game built-in. Run Sheng had a lot of fun, but soon, the game console ran out of battery.

“Oh no, I forgot to bring batteries.”

“It’s okay, let’s just sleep then.” Run Sheng turned off the light and climbed onto his table bed. Across the table, Tan Wenbin also lay down. The first floor was pitch black, with paper figures neatly lined up opposite them in the moonlight. Tan Wenbin found the atmosphere intriguing, a little scared but also a little excited. He lay on his side facing Run Sheng, pulling the blanket over half his face, and asked muffledly from under the blanket: “Run Sheng, do you know about drowned corpses?”

“Yes.”

“Are they the kind of bodies that fall into the water after someone dies?”

“What else?”

“Are they the kind that can get out of the water and walk on their own after dying?”

“Why not?”

Hearing this answer, Tan Wenbin’s eyes showed excitement, while he quietly pulled his exposed feet under the blanket.

“Run Sheng, have you ever fished one out?”

“Yes.”

“You’re amazing.”

“Xiaoyuan is even more amazing.”

“Heh heh, I told my dad this time that I wanted to come here to study, but actually, I just wanted to see if I had a chance to meet a drowned corpse.”

School being temporarily off was true, but his mom traveling for business was false. As soon as he suggested it, his parents immediately agreed. Because in Tan Yunlong’s and his wife’s eyes, Li Zhuiyuan was no longer just someone else’s child; he was from the heavens! Tan Yunlong was reliable; he specifically called the town’s high school to inquire about transferring and skipping grades. The other end asked where his child had studied before and what grade. Tan Yunlong had previously seen Li Zhuiyuan’s archive folder, so he reported the “youth class.”

Initially, the voice on the other end of the phone politely acknowledged it and then hung up, almost as if giving him some face. An hour later, the phone rang again, and the tone had become very excited. The people on the other end were chattering and shouting, asking Tan Yunlong if he was sure it was *that* youth class. And they said that as long as everything was true, they could immediately come to the school to complete the procedures, accompanied by the principal and director throughout, along with a series of preferential conditions.

Tan Yunlong knew Li Zhuiyuan wanted to enjoy his summer vacation, so he didn’t tell them Li Zhuiyuan’s name and address, pushing back and saying he would bring the child before the new semester started. However, Tan Yunlong confirmed one thing: this youth class was not the kind of university-affiliated elementary school he had imagined.

Run Sheng was ready to sleep. He felt that the guy across the table seemed a little dumber than himself. Tan Wenbin, however, chuckled to himself again: “Hey, you know, when Xiaoyuan first told me he liked fishing for drowned corpses, I foolishly asked him if it was a kind of snack.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Tan Wenbin saw Run Sheng’s eyes light up. Immediately after, a resonant voice, filled with endless relish, came:

“Delicious, delectable!”

That night, Tan Wenbin slept huddled in his quilt, not daring to get out of bed to pee.

The next morning, Tan Wenbin groggily saw a girl in a red dress carrying a bowl of medicine walk past him and go up the stairs. He hadn't seen A-Li when he arrived last night, as she had already been coaxed to sleep by Li Zhuiyuan, so this was his first sight of her.

“This little girl is so beautiful; even the celebrities on posters aren’t as pretty as her.”

Run Sheng sat up, stretched his neck, and warned, “Don’t go near her.”

“Why?”

“No one can go near her except Xiaoyuan.”

“There’s a rule for that?” With daylight, Tan Wenbin felt Run Sheng wasn’t so scary anymore.

“It’s not a rule.” Run Sheng was always quite sensitive in this regard. He remembered A-Li’s body trembling the first time he tried to go upstairs towards Xiaoyuan and A-Li. At that time, the little girl felt more terrifying to him than the most frightful drowned corpse he had ever seen.

“Time for breakfast!” Aunt Liu’s voice, like a punctual alarm clock, called out on time every day.

Li Zhuiyuan and A-Li came downstairs. Today he hadn’t let A-Li feed him medicine, so he hadn’t washed his hair. Tan Wenbin smilingly tried to join them for breakfast.

“Brother Binbin…” Li Zhuiyuan quickly gripped A-Li’s hand, ready to warn him.

“You come eat with me!” Run Sheng grabbed Tan Wenbin by the neck, lifting him like a little chick, and carried him to his own eating corner.

How he ate breakfast, Tan Wenbin forgot, but after the meal, his eyes were red and a little painful from the incense smoke.

Early in the morning, gongs and drums were already clamoring at Old Hu’s house, with loudspeakers blaring loudly. The village chief had informed everyone yesterday that a former overseas Chinese villager had returned to settle down and was inviting everyone to a housewarming feast. He also announced that guests were welcome to enjoy the meal, and no monetary gifts would be accepted. This led to all the villagers, men, women, and children, coming early to watch the festivities.

Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng also came, followed by Tan Wenbin, who insisted on tagging along. “What about him tonight?” Run Sheng asked, making a hand-chop gesture in front of Li Zhuiyuan. “Knock him out?” Li Zhuiyuan’s eyelid twitched. He was afraid that Brother Run Sheng might get too immersed in his role and, without controlling his strength, accidentally kill the boy with a single chop. “No need for that. Just tie him up.”

“Okay.”

Li Zhuiyuan began to observe today’s feast arrangements. Because so many people were invited, the patio and the first floor indoors simply couldn’t accommodate everyone. The seating extended down into the fields, where tents had been set up. Additionally, the performance troupe’s stage was set up by the fish pond, with speakers, loudspeakers, and large drums all placed there. Li Zhuiyuan knew this was to cover up the sounds of grave robbing at night. Since it was an all-day feast, it meant music and performances for a full day and night. During the day, it was for the living; at night, it was for the dead. The custom was to manage both yin and yang thoroughly, symbolizing smooth sailing in the future. However, very few rural areas held all-day feasts now, because the performance fees at night were several times more expensive than during the day, and ordinary families were truly unwilling to spend that extra money to perform for ghosts. With all the drums, loudspeakers, and sound systems, no matter how much noise was made at night, the villagers wouldn't find it strange. Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking, *This* is what you call professional, and they spare no expense, buying a house and inviting the whole village to a feast.

The performance troupe had already started, and people were crowded all around. Li Zhuiyuan, pretending to be curious, led Run Sheng around the stage and specifically went with Run Sheng to a less crowded spot across the fish pond to relieve themselves. This was actually to confirm the flag-planting coordinates for Run Sheng.

“Did you remember everything, Brother Run Sheng?”

“Don’t worry, I remember everything.”

“I’ll take two to plant, and the rest will be up to you.” The formation flags were a bit heavy, and Li Zhuiyuan could only carry two at a time.

“What about me? What about me?” Tan Wenbin caught up, also unbuckling his pants. “How many do I take?”

Li Zhuiyuan comforted him, “Don’t worry, the rest are all yours.”

“Mission accomplished, guaranteed.” Although he didn't know what the mission was, he just wanted to participate.

Lunch began. Li Zhuiyuan took Tan Wenbin and sat with Li Sanjiang inside the house on the first floor. Tan Wenbin curiously asked, “Where’s Run Sheng? Why isn’t he eating?”

“Brother Run Sheng is eating at home. Also, don’t talk.”

“Understood.” Tan Wenbin made an “okay” gesture. Run Sheng had to eat with incense, an action that attracted too much attention. On ordinary occasions when he went to feasts with Great-Grandfather, Great-Grandfather would also dish out his food separately and let him find a corner to eat alone. In today’s setting, it was even more crucial not to arouse the water monkeys’ suspicion.

The quality of the feast was high, catered by local chefs. After Tan Wenbin stopped talking, he ate with his mouth shining from the oil. After the feast, many villagers felt bad and wanted to give monetary gifts, but they were refused, so they all went home to get some gifts and brought them over.

For the rest of the afternoon, everyone watched the performances. The night performances were taboo for the living; no one would watch them except the performers themselves. This troupe was highly skilled: singers, dancers, acrobats, as well as bone shrinking and chest-breaking-stone performances. Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the latter performances were actually genuine skills. Judging by the performers' habits and details, they all followed routines for dealing with drowned corpses. It seemed that if the first two people who contracted the fish pond hadn’t been ambushed and brought down by the terrestrial yin red malevolent energy in the bait hole, given their skills, it would have been truly difficult for the police to catch them.

At the same time, it indirectly confirmed that Grandma Liu’s assessment of this group of water monkeys was accurate. This was definitely not some makeshift wild troupe; it was a highly professional group of water monkeys. After all, not every reckless fellow who just wanted to rob graves to get rich would specifically train skills to deal with drowned corpses. It seemed that if Little Yellow Oriole were to confront them, it would be genuinely hard to say who would win or lose.

However, looking at the lively and boisterous scene before him, Li Zhuiyuan felt a sense of wistfulness. The first time he saw Little Yellow Oriole was also in such a setting. Back then, Little Yellow Oriole was performing on stage. It was she who, when he first arrived in the countryside, gave him a wild aesthetic shock from the land. Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze fell on the surface of the fish pond, wondering if Little Yellow Oriole, in the pond now, was also watching the performance. In her heart, she must also resent the funeral troupe that once took money and then didn’t care about her whereabouts, right?

Just then, Secretary Jin, who had changed into a black leotard and just finished singing a song, took the microphone and walked to the edge of the stage, asking the audience below: “What songs would you all like to hear? You can tell me.”

Rural people were generally shy. The first time she asked, no one was brave enough to speak up and request a song. Li Zhuiyuan, however, was the first to raise his hand. Secretary Jin recognized Li Zhuiyuan and smiled, waving him closer to the stage. “Come, little friend, tell me, what song would you like to hear?” She squatted down and held the microphone to Li Zhuiyuan’s mouth. Li Zhuiyuan turned sideways to face the stage, which also faced the pond’s surface. He said in a clear voice:

“Hmm… I’d like to hear, ‘A Thousand Songs’.”