Chapter 41

Panzi and Leizi once bragged to Li Zhuiyuan that they could imagine certain celebrities naked, even when they were fully clothed.

Now, looking at the vibrant Ding Dalin and Secretary Jin in front of him, Li Zhuiyuan's mind was filled with images of their skinned, bloody, and pulsating forms.

It was a bright summer morning, yet suddenly, a shiver ran through him.

Ding Dalin bent down, a kind smile on his face, and asked, confused, "What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"

Li Sanjiang chuckled, "How could that be? This kid was just talking about you with me, saying you..."

Li Zhuiyuan's spine immediately went cold with fear.

But Li Sanjiang's words were already out, impossible to stop.

"...saying you gave him such a big red envelope last time and that you're a really good grandpa."

"Oh, really? Ha ha ha ha." Ding Dalin let out a hearty laugh.

Li Zhuiyuan felt a bit dizzy, the sensation of having narrowly escaped danger rushing to his head.

Li Sanjiang patted Li Zhuiyuan's head, "This kid of mine, he remembers everyone who's good to him, unlike other kids who forget you the moment you turn around, no matter how kind you are to them."

Ding Dalin nodded, "That depends on the person."

"Exactly. Some kids are just born ungrateful, you can't raise them right."

"Sanjiang Hou," Ding Dalin straightened up, shifting his gaze from the boy to Li Sanjiang. "Come on, let's go to my place and sit for a while. You can have lunch there."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly."

"Nonsense. There's plenty of leftover food from yesterday's feast. Don't be shy, help me finish it."

After a feast, there were always leftovers that would spoil if left too long. If a family didn't have enough people to eat them all, they would often host a smaller meal the next day, inviting only close relatives. These informal gatherings weren't elaborate; cold dishes were piled together, cooked dishes were reheated, and while the presentation wasn't pretty, the food and wine were excellent.

Li Sanjiang said, "For lunch, we don't need to go so early, do we?"

Li Zhuiyuan had finally managed his expression and ensured his voice wouldn't waver. But just as he was about to find an excuse for his great-grandpa to decline the invitation, he looked up and met Secretary Jin's gaze.

She looked at him, a smile on her lips, but her eyes held a hollow and cold glint.

An ordinary person would hardly notice, but Li Zhuiyuan had a habit of observing and imitating others, and after reading "A Detailed Explanation of Yin-Yang Physiognomy," his observation of micro-expressions became even more subtle and profound.

The mental defenses he had just built up crumbled once again.

She said nothing; it might have been his imagination, but he truly felt as though he saw a silent warning.

Was it for him? Or for his great-grandpa?

Or perhaps,

It was for anyone who might see through their skin.

"It's like this, I want to contract a responsibility field. I'll pay the rent upfront, but it still needs to be under your name."

"How big of a field?"

"A dozen or so acres of land."

"For how long?"

"Thirty years."

"Then we must go!"

Ding Dalin laughed, scolding him, "Alright, Sanjiang Hou, so you're sure I won't live that long, huh?"

"Thirty years? How could anyone live that long? At our age, if we lived another thirty years, our skin would be all cracked and wrinkled."

"Haha, we're already old, not like young people who need an image. If the skin cracks, it cracks. We can still use it after a few stitches and patches."

Li Zhuiyuan's heart sank.

He was truly afraid now that his great-grandpa would slip up and actually provoke them into tearing their skin.

Although he knew his great-grandpa possessed good fortune, Granny Liu had also said that such luck depended on the situation and what one encountered; against truly tough opponents, this good fortune would be useless.

What happened at Big Beard's house last night had surpassed Li Zhuiyuan's imagination in its horror.

What he was experiencing now pushed the events of last night to an even more bizarre and terrifying level.

Faced with this situation, Li Zhuiyuan felt that his great-grandpa's good fortune... definitely wouldn't hold up.

"Alright, let's go," Li Sanjiang said, rubbing his chin and looking down at Li Zhuiyuan standing beside him. "It's a good time for me to make my will too."

"Oh, Sanjiang Hou, you old bachelor with no children, who are you going to leave it to?"

"I may not have children, but I have a great-grandson, don't I? After I'm gone, whatever I leave behind will naturally go to my Little Yuan Hou."

Ding Dalin bent down to the boy again.

Li Zhuiyuan felt extremely repulsed and resistant to this gesture but still managed to force a shy smile.

Such an expression was highly practical for a child, whether dealing with people... or ghosts.

"Little Yuan Hou, see? Your great-grandpa truly dotes on you. When you grow up, you must treat your great-grandpa well."

"Yes, I will."

Ding Dalin straightened up, his movement faltering.

Secretary Jin reached out and helped him.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that Secretary Jin's right hand was on the back of Ding Dalin's neck, and her left hand was on his lower back. She wasn't simply supporting him with her palms; she was gripping him, her five fingers tensed and exerting considerable force.

It was as if she were forcefully pressing something that had cracked back together.

"What's wrong, Lin Hou?"

"This old back, it's giving out."

"You should roll around less in bed at night."

"Sanjiang Hou, you old rascal, come on, let's go to my place."

With that, Ding Dalin extended his hand to Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang took it readily, taking over the role of supporting him.

The two old men continued to walk forward, leaning on each other and chatting.

"Shall we go, little brother?" Secretary Jin placed her hand on the boy's shoulder.

"My summer homework hasn't..."

"Your great-grandpa is making his will, so you absolutely must go today."

"...I haven't bought an eraser yet. I don't know where my old one went."

"Come on, Auntie will buy you one."

"No need, I have money."

The path from there to Big Beard's house conveniently passed by Aunt Zhang's small shop. As they approached, Secretary Jin stopped.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the counter, about to ask for an eraser to turn in his homework, when a figure popped out from behind the shop's awning: Tan Wenbin.

The guy had taken a shortcut, not using the village road but crossing over from the rice paddies.

"Yo, Little Yuan Bro, what are you buying? Here, I'll pay for it."

"An eraser."

"Auntie, an eraser, and a bottle of medicated oil, please."

Aunt Zhang handed over the items. Tan Wenbin paid, handed the eraser to Li Zhuiyuan, then eagerly twisted open the bottle and began applying the oil to his neck and arms.

"I saw you guys scratching so much last night, and now I feel a bit itchy myself today. I suspect Run Sheng infected me."

"Brother Binbin, you should go back. Tell Brother Run Sheng and Granny Liu that Great-Grandpa and I are going to Grandpa Ding's for lunch."

"What, you're going to water... Oh, oh, oh!"

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed Tan Wenbin's hand, his fingers digging into his palm and twisting hard.

Just then, Secretary Jin, who had been standing at a distance, walked over.

Tan Wenbin had come out from behind the small shop earlier and hadn't noticed she was nearby, so he continued to shout in alarm:

"...Oh, oh, oh!"

Secretary Jin continued to approach.

"...You want water, right? I'll buy it for you, your brother will buy it for you! Auntie, two bottles of Jianlibao." Saying this, Tan Wenbin deliberately looked at Secretary Jin as she walked over. "Sister, do you want a bottle?"

Secretary Jin shook her head.

"Hehe." Tan Wenbin paid again, then handed a bottle of Jianlibao to Li Zhuiyuan.

"Thanks, Brother Binbin. You can go back now. Remember to tell everyone at home that Great-Grandpa and I won't be back for lunch, so they don't need to cook for us."

"Okay."

At this moment, Secretary Jin suddenly said, "Come eat with us."

Tan Wenbin was startled.

Secretary Jin: "I saw you really enjoying the food at the feast yesterday. There's more for lunch, so come eat with us."

"But wouldn't that be inappropriate..."

"Let's go, walk together. They're getting far ahead."

Secretary Jin extended her hands, placing them on the shoulders of the two boys, one big and one small, urging them forward.

It was an attitude that brooked no refusal.

Li Zhuiyuan hadn't expected that Tan Wenbin's eating manners at the feast yesterday would have left such a deep impression.

If he had been a bit more refined at the feast yesterday, this situation might not be happening now.

However, for now, Tan Wenbin seemed to only know the initial information about the water monkeys.

That was what he had told him last night before he and Run Sheng left for Big Beard's house.

After returning last night, Tan Wenbin had wanted to know exactly what happened, but Li Zhuiyuan didn't want to recount it then, so he told him to ask Run Sheng.

Run Sheng, like himself, probably didn't want to bring up that horrifying scene again for the time being and hadn't had the chance to tell him.

Otherwise, if he knew, seeing Secretary Jin would have made him jump as if a firecracker had gone off in his pants.

As they walked, Secretary Jin said, "Is there anyone else at home? Tell them to come over for lunch too; no need to cook."

Li Zhuiyuan quickly refused, "No need. Only the people working for Great-Grandpa are left at home; they're not relatives."

"Alright then."

During the rest of the walk, Tan Wenbin gradually relaxed and even started proactively engaging in conversation.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that Binbin was probably quite proud deep down.

He probably considered himself a police officer's son, possessing inherited anti-reconnaissance instincts, and thus able to chat freely and casually in front of the water monkeys.

Actually, this was good; he could act without showing fear.

They walked all the way to Big Beard's doorstep. As soon as they stepped onto the open space, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze froze.

Directly in front of the open space was the fish pond. At this moment, the pond was full of water, just as it had been yesterday morning.

The fish pond, which should have been drained and excavated, was restored;

The group of people who should have been skinned and dead were all alive again.

The scene in his memory was now, logically, increasingly resembling a hallucination or nightmare.

When the world presents itself to you in an irrational way, people usually begin to doubt themselves first.

However, Li Zhuiyuan was certain it wasn't a dream; the scene from last night had truly happened.

The fish pond must have been refilled with water last night, and the dead were indeed dead. As for what those now alive truly were... he didn't understand.

The village chief and several village elders had arrived. Everyone sat on long benches in the open space, forming a circle, chatting and talking.

Secretary Jin brought out a small coffee table with melon seeds, peanuts, and candies on it.

Li Sanjiang casually grabbed two handfuls, one he gave to Li Zhuiyuan, and the other to Tan Wenbin.

Ding Dalin told them, "Go upstairs and watch TV. There's a set in the room. We'll call you down when it's time to eat."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. "We have a TV at home; Great-Grandpa bought one."

Li Sanjiang puffed out his chest and said proudly:

"Of course! I bought a TV for the kid. But this kid loves studying and doesn't watch it much on weekdays, so it's the mule at home who gets to stare at it all day."

In truth, Li Zhuiyuan didn't want to leave the group.

Although entering this place meant danger, and this group of old people on the open space wouldn't be much actual help even if they stuck together, at least they offered some psychological comfort.

Emotionally, he had been gripped by fear since seeing them, but rationally, he told himself the situation could still be salvaged.

After all, he and the others, including the village chief, weren't immediately skinned upon arriving at the open space.

If they only wanted to lure people here to kill them, they could have done so just now.

The fact that they could sit here chatting and actually discuss the details of land contracting proved they had their own purposes and plans.

Therefore, as long as they didn't break their rules, he, his great-grandpa, and Binbin might still be able to return safely.

The village chief then spoke with some difficulty, "But, contracting it for thirty years straight, isn't that too long? It's not easy for the village to explain."

Ding Dalin said, "The contract fee can increase annually. Just give me a final specific number."

Li Sanjiang was very enthusiastic about this, believing that Ding Dalin wouldn't live that long, nor would he himself. So after the land was contracted, wouldn't it still belong to Little Yuan Hou?

"I say, if they want thirty years, let it be thirty years. At most, the detailed contract will be publicized in the village, everyone will know, and there'll be no gossip later."

Secretary Jin had already gone back inside, likely to prepare lunch. Since it was just her and Ding Dalin at home, she was the only one who could manage the cooking.

As Ding Dalin shifted his attention away from him, Li Zhuiyuan felt significantly more at ease.

He dared not leave this place on his own; any unusual action would seem exceptionally dangerous at this moment.

If he really pushed them too far, at worst, everyone present would get a new skin. Since they could bring the opera troupe back to life, reviving the village chief should also be simple and wouldn't delay the land contract.

While ensuring he remained within their sight, Li Zhuiyuan walked down from the open space and began circling the empty ground in front of the fish pond.

He knew he couldn't keep circling indefinitely, or he'd look foolish.

At this moment, playing some games would be most suitable, but the problem was that he never carried children's toys in his pocket.

Luckily, he didn't, but someone else did.

Tan Wenbin must have understood what Little Yuan Bro meant. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of colorful marbles.

"Little Yuan, let's play with these."

"Okay!"

For the first time, Li Zhuiyuan realized that childishness could also be angelic.

A high school senior, about to enter his final year, actually had marbles in his pocket. No wonder his dad bought him jelly.

The two boys bent down and started playing marbles.

Li Zhuiyuan had originally just wanted to use the opportunity to observe the fish pond up close. He believed that even the most perfect restoration, having only been done half a day ago, would surely leave traces.

But as they played, Tan Wenbin gradually got into the zone. He shot a marble perfectly every time, cheering for himself with joyful applause.

This commotion occasionally drew the attention of the old people on the open space.

They pointed and whispered, smiles on their faces.

Most children have similar experiences: when they play with their friends, adults often stand nearby and watch for a long time.

What they were actually watching was their own childhood.

But Li Zhuiyuan didn't want to create such a warm atmosphere. Finally, he couldn't resist flicking a marble onto Binbin's nose.

Binbin first winced in pain, covering his nose, then his eyes showed relief, followed by shame; he had gotten too carried away.

Li Zhuiyuan intentionally started shooting marbles towards the fish pond, and Tan Wenbin cooperated by shooting them in the same direction. Chasing after the marbles, the two boys arrived at the edge of the pond.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze quickly swept over the area.

He discovered that the edges of the fish pond were covered with freshly turned earth.

This fish pond had indeed been refilled!

Daring not to linger in this sensitive spot, Li Zhuiyuan immediately shot another marble, moving away from the pond.

"Haha, Brother Binbin, I won this time."

"Little Yuan, you're really good."

Binbin displayed a big-brotherly smile.

As Li Zhuiyuan jumped up excitedly, his gaze flickered towards the open space and he saw Ding Dalin turn his head back.

Had his previous action of approaching the fish pond made him sensitive?

Next, Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Binbin played closer and closer to the open space.

"Brother Binbin, I'm tired. Let's rest."

"Okay."

Without caring about the dirt and pebbles on the ground, Li Zhuiyuan sat down just like that.

Coincidentally, his shoe sole scraped against some pebbles, dislodging a few. Beneath them, a red color appeared: bloodstains.

Li Zhuiyuan quickly pulled back his foot and used his sole to flip the pebbles back over.

Quickly recalling the details from last night, he realized that his current location was precisely where Ding Dalin had been pecked by the rooster.

He remembered that at the time, Ding Dalin's palm had been pierced by the rooster's beak.

"Little Yuan Hou."

"Yes, Great-Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan ran up to the open space and stood before Li Sanjiang.

The land contracting matter had been mostly discussed, and now they were talking about making a will. The village chief was writing it down with paper and pen.

An old man nearby asked, "Sanjiang Hou, wouldn't it be inappropriate to give everything directly to the child? You should at least leave it to someone who can take care of you in your old age."

"I've made arrangements for my old age."

"Are they reliable?"

"Completely reliable."

They were all old, so there was no need to shy away from such topics.

Li Sanjiang had absolute faith in Li Weihan's character, but Li Weihan had many sons and grandchildren. If he left his inheritance to Li Weihan, it was highly likely that a portion would end up being split among those ungrateful wolves, which was something he did not want to see.

The village chief finished writing and said, "The parties and witnesses are all here, so let's press the fingerprints directly. Do you have an ink pad at home?"

Ding Dalin said, "It's in the bedside drawer of the second-floor bedroom. I'll go get it."

"Let the kid go; Little Yuan Hou, go get it."

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to refuse, but Ding Dalin, who had just started to get up, sat back down. At this point, resisting would seem unreasonable.

"Alright, Great-Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan ran inside and went up the stairs. Tan Wenbin wanted to follow, but Li Sanjiang called him back:

"Zhuangzhuang."

"Uncle Li, my name is Binbin."

"Go to the kitchen and help carry bowls. Secretary Jin can't manage alone."

Tan Wenbin also didn't want to be alone with that water monkey, but he faced the same dilemma as Li Zhuiyuan earlier. He could only nod with a smile and head towards the kitchen.

Li Zhuiyuan arrived on the second floor and found it had been cleaned and tidied. The balcony hallway was very clean.

He didn't rush into the room. Instead, he went under the small skylight cover, where a ladder was leaning against the wall.

His formation flags and Run Sheng's corpse-retrieval tools should still be on the roof.

The problem was, even if he moved the ladder to the roof and got those items, he couldn't take them with him because they were too heavy.

Even abandoning them behind the house wouldn't be safe; the commotion would be too great and easily noticed.

Ultimately, Li Zhuiyuan turned around, pushed open the door, and entered the bedroom.

The bedroom was richly furnished. Ding Dalin must have bought the house furnished to save time when he acquired it.

He walked to the bedside table and opened the drawer.

Inside, there was indeed an ink pad box, and something else Li Zhuiyuan hadn't expected... a compass.

It was a purple compass, with five small sub-rings around its main circle.

Li Zhuiyuan held the compass in his hand, turning it gently. He quickly figured out what the five sub-rings represented.

"The True Path Demon Subduing Record" actually documented similar compasses, but because their production process was extremely complex and required many special materials, they had never been within Li Zhuiyuan's consideration before.

Holding it now, Li Zhuiyuan genuinely liked it.

With it, studying Feng Shui layouts would be like being allowed to bring a calculator into a math exam.

He was increasingly realizing that he couldn't rely excessively on forced mental calculations as he had in the past; his body wouldn't be able to handle it.

With this device, combined with the "Liu Family Qi-Gazing Art," he wouldn't overexert himself and get nosebleeds when examining Feng Shui, like he did with the fish pond last time.

The real Ding Dalin was dead, so this object was ownerless. Taking it wouldn't be stealing.

But... it was still too risky.

All the other items belonging to the water monkeys had been packed up and taken away, but this one thing remained, indicating it was highly valued.

It would likely know who entered the house, and if it went missing, they would surely trace it back to him.

Never mind, he couldn't take it.

The item was good, but his life was more important. Just as Li Zhuiyuan was about to put the compass back into the drawer,

"Did you find it?"

Secretary Jin's voice came from the bedroom doorway.

Li Zhuiyuan was startled again, but his composure had returned. With his left hand still holding the compass, he picked up the ink pad box with his right hand:

"I found it."

"I thought you couldn't find it, so I came up to check."

"What is this, Auntie Jin?" Li Zhuiyuan asked, holding up the compass. "It's so pretty."

"It's a toy. If you like it, you can have it."

Li Zhuiyuan's first reaction wasn't surprise, but: Is this a test?

"Take everything and come down."

After Secretary Jin finished speaking, she turned and left.

Li Zhuiyuan hesitated for a moment, then took both the compass and the ink pad downstairs.

After handing the ink pad to the village chief, the chief motioned for everyone to press their fingerprints.

Li Sanjiang saw the compass and asked, "Little Yuan Hou, what's that?"

Ding Dalin said, "Just a small item from the house. The child likes it, so let him have it as a toy."

Li Sanjiang took it first, looked it up and down, and asked suspiciously, "Why so many circles? What kind of junk is this?"

After disparaging it, Li Sanjiang casually tossed the compass to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to remind his great-grandpa that this was the professional one, and the compass he usually used was just a regular one.

"Little Yuan Hou, tell your Grandpa Ding thank you."

"Thank you, Grandpa Ding."

"Hehe, good boy." Ding Dalin reached out and patted Li Zhuiyuan's head.

Li Zhuiyuan felt his hairs stand on end but had to endure it, not daring to dodge.

The will was finalized, made in duplicate. One copy the village chief took to keep in the village office, while the other was carefully folded by Li Sanjiang and solemnly placed into his jacket pocket, which he then patted.

Lunch was ready, and everyone took their seats.

The dishes were plentiful. In front of Li Zhuiyuan, there was a large plate of boiled shrimp.

Seeing the shrimp, Li Zhuiyuan felt a bit nauseous.

"Please eat, everyone, make yourselves at home. There's not much good food," Ding Dalin said, picking up his chopsticks and motioning to everyone.

Everyone else also picked up their chopsticks.

"Come on, Zhuangzhuang, eat some shrimp. This was your favorite yesterday."

Li Sanjiang used his chopsticks to push a third of the shrimp from the plate directly in front of Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin, then reached out and rotated the dining table.

Tan Wenbin didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a shrimp, first pulled off the head, peeled it, dipped it in vinegar, then sucked on the head. After that, he deftly peeled the body, revealing the intact shrimp meat.

After removing the vein, Tan Wenbin dipped the shrimp in vinegar and placed it in Li Zhuiyuan's bowl.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of shrimp. The meat was tender and pink.

As he put the shrimp into his mouth and chewed, the images he had seen last night kept flashing in his mind.

This was the first time Li Zhuiyuan had eaten food that was both delicious and incredibly difficult to swallow.

He ultimately forced himself to swallow it, feeling that it was even more agonizing than eating the "dishes" at the Cat-Faced Old Lady's birthday banquet.

Seeing Tan Wenbin about to peel more for him, Li Zhuiyuan quickly said, "Brother Binbin, you eat. I don't really like shrimp."

"Really?" Tan Wenbin seemed surprised. "Then I'll eat it myself."

"Mmm."

Secretary Jin brought a large bowl, inside which was a stewed chicken.

Ding Dalin poked it a couple of times with his chopsticks and asked, "Not an old hen?"

"There were no old hens left."

"Ah, how can this be?"

Ding Dalin shook his head, looking somewhat displeased.

Li Sanjiang interjected to smooth things over, "Lin Hou, look at how spoiled you are. What difference does it make if it's a rooster or a hen when you're eating chicken? Before liberation, getting a bite of meat wasn't easy."

As he spoke, Li Sanjiang personally reached in, pulled off a plump chicken leg, and placed it in Li Zhuiyuan's bowl.

Li Zhuiyuan looked down at it, not rushing to pick up his chopsticks. It wasn't that he was being finicky, but this chicken seemed strangely familiar.

The reason was: even if it was a rooster stew, how could there be not a single piece of chicken skin?

"What, you don't like it?" Ding Dalin asked.

"I love it." Li Zhuiyuan picked up the chicken leg and took a large bite. It was a bit dry.

"How does it taste?"

"Delicious."

Ding Dalin nodded with satisfaction. As he stood up to get more food, Li Zhuiyuan noticed a black gauze tied around the web of his right hand.

The meal was warm and peaceful, so normal that Li Zhuiyuan felt as if he were the most abnormal person at the entire dining table.

Regardless, this time, Li Zhuiyuan, uncharacteristically for a child, didn't leave the table first after finishing his meal. He sat properly until the end of the meal.

After the meal, everyone started smoking and chatting, laying the final groundwork before dispersing.

The village chief was the first to stand up, lightly patting his trousers. He said, "Well, that's it for today. The village needs to discuss your contract further, but rest assured, you'll get a reply soon."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble and effort," Ding Dalin said, standing up and shaking the village chief's hand.

Everyone left the table together, walked out of the hall to the open space, distributed cigarettes among themselves, and exchanged a few more words. Then, the village chief and several elders walked down from the open space.

Li Zhuiyuan was very anxious because Li Sanjiang hadn't left; he was still standing next to Ding Dalin, both with cigarettes in their mouths.

"I didn't feel right asking earlier with the village chief here, but you're contracting this land and not planting grain? You're actually planning to plant peach trees?"

"Yes, peach trees. They'll bear peaches."

"Peaches won't sell, will they? Who would buy them? In the past, canning factories would buy them, but now I hear even those factories aren't doing well."

"Even if they don't sell, it's still nice to see the peach blossoms."

"I say, Lin Hou, what's wrong with you?" Li Sanjiang reached out and touched Ding Dalin's forehead. "You seem like a completely different person today."

Li Zhuiyuan's heart clenched again.

Tan Wenbin started to play along, proactively saying, "Uncle Li, you don't understand. Our Grandpa Ding is pursuing a beautiful vision. Yes, just imagine this place covered in peach trees, how beautiful it will be when the peach blossoms are in full bloom!"

"What about the fish pond?" Li Sanjiang asked.

"Fill it in and plant trees there too."

"I say, Lin Hou, how much money did you really make abroad to let you squander it like this?"

"Isn't money made to be squandered?"

"I don't understand you. Never mind, do as you please."

"Oh, right, the opera troupe said a set of their speakers broke and wanted me to pay for repairs. I couldn't be bothered with the hassle, so I just bought them as used goods. It was quite cheap. I tinkered with it last night, and it wasn't actually broken; the plug just had a loose connection. It's fixed now. I have no use for it, but you're in that business, aren't you? You could use it for rental income in the future. Come, take a look with me. If it's good, you can take it."

"Alright, let's go see."

Li Sanjiang followed Ding Dalin towards the shady inner room on the first floor. Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin exchanged glances, wondering whether to follow them.

"Little one, you forgot this," Secretary Jin's voice said from behind them, and the purple compass was held out to the boy.

He had deliberately left it on the chair by the dining table earlier, not wanting to appear too eager.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and took it, saying in surprise, "You're really giving it to me?"

"Do you know how to use this?"

"Of course I do."

Li Zhuiyuan held the compass, spinning it around repeatedly and giggling as he watched the needle spin inside.

"Secretary Jin, come here for a moment and adjust this again," Grandpa Ding's voice called from inside.

Secretary Jin placed both hands on Li Zhuiyuan's shoulders and said, "Come, let's go take a look."

The moment the woman's hands landed on his shoulders, Li Zhuiyuan froze.

He didn't rush off; instead, he slowly raised his head.

Secretary Jin also lowered her head at this moment, and their eyes met.

After a long pause, Ding Dalin's urging voice came again from inside: "Why aren't you here yet? We're waiting for you to fix it."

"Let's go."

"Mhm."

Li Zhuiyuan walked ahead, with Secretary Jin following behind, her hands gripping his shoulders.

The path was clearly short, yet Li Zhuiyuan felt it was a little long.

Finally, the two walked into the inner room, one behind the other.

Secretary Jin released her hands, adjusted the speakers, then picked up the microphone:

"Hoo-hoo... hello... hello..."

There was a slight crackle, but the overall effect was good.

Ding Dalin glanced at Li Sanjiang, then told Secretary Jin, "Come on, try singing a song."

Secretary Jin nodded and asked, "What song should I sing?"

"Anything! Sanjiang Hou, what song do you want to hear? My secretary knows many songs; just name one."

"Heh, I'm not as thick-skinned as you, asking a young lady to sing for me. Little Yuan Hou, what song do you want to hear? You pick."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. "Anything is fine with me."

Secretary Jin looked at Li Zhuiyuan. "Little one, you pick one."

"I don't have anything specific in mind, Auntie. Why don't you sing something you want to sing?"

Secretary Jin nodded, picked up the microphone, and began to sing a cappella, without any accompaniment:

"Slowly looking back, at the evenings that belonged to each other.You are still crimson, the fiery sun you gifted to my heart..."

The song was graceful, her Cantonese imperfect, yet extremely pleasant to listen to.

It was "Qian Qian Que Ge" (A Thousand Songs).